Part 1 - South Asian Daily

INDIA LIFTS ASIA CUP 2016;
THRASH BANGLADESH IN FINAL
MIRPUR (BANGLADESH), (IANS) Delhi lads Shikhar Dhawan and Virat
Kohli led the charge as India won the Asia Cup, outclassing Bangladesh
by eight wickets in the final at the Sher-e-Bangladesh National Stadium here on Sunday evening. Coming together after India had got off
to a poor start, Dhawan and Kohli produced a 94-run par tnership as
the visitors overhauled the 121-run target in 13.5 overs.
Dhawan, who has been a flop throughout the tournament, finally found
his touch when it mattered most, scoring 60 runs off 44 balls with
nine boundaries and a six. Kohli remained unbeaten on 41 runs off 28
balls with five boundaries. India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni added
the finishing touch with 20 runs off just six deliveries, with one hit to
the ropes and two sixes.
Pacer Al-Amin Hossain (1/30) gave Bangladesh some early hope by
dismissing Rohit Sharma early. Chasing a tricky target in front of a
packed stadium rooting for the hosts, Rohit probably found the pressure too much to handle as he edged one that was moving slightly
away to Soumya Sarkar at first slip.
But that was one of the few moments of joy that the Bangladesh
players and the capacity home crowd could find as Kohli and Dhawan
came together to pull the visitors out of trouble. The Delhi duo kept the
required run rate within manageable limits with regular hits to the fence
and some excellent running between the wickets.
It needed a superb effor t in the field by Sarkar off Taskin Ahmed's
(1/14)bowling to see the back of Dhawan.
I DETAILS ON PAGE 22
GROUP PHOTO OF THE INDIAN CRICKET TEAM AFTER THEY OUTCLASSED BANGLADESH BY EIGHT WICKETS IN THE FINAL TO LIFT THE
ASIA CUP 2016 AT THE SHER-E-BANGLADESH NATIONAL STADIUM (PTI).
Government of Canada to bring in 305,000 new
permanent residents under 2016 immigration plan
OTTAWA - The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and
Citizenship, John McCallum has announced that Canada
will welcome a greater number of immigrants in 2016with a special emphasis on family reunification.
The Government of Canada has an ambitious plan to
bring in between 280,000 and 305,000 new permanent
residents in 2016. As we continue to show our global
leadership, Canada will reunite families, offer a place of
refuge to those fleeing persecution, and suppor t
Canada's long-term economic prosperity.
Through the Annual Repor t to Parliament on
Immigration-which includes the 2016 immigration
levels plan-the government outlined how it will increase
levels of family class immigration, which will address
the application backlog and reunite families more
quickly.
The government will meet its commitments to welcome
more refugees to Canada, and in the process, it will
help diversify the Canadian economy and create
sustainable growth.
PREMIER'S CHINA MISSION
LEADS TO INVESTMENT VALUED
AT OVER $212 MILLION
ONTARIO - Ontario is par tnering with Huawei Canada on a major
research and development (R&D) expansion project called 5G Ontario.
Huawei Canada will invest $212 million to create hundreds of R&D
jobs for Ontario's highly-skilled workers and fur ther solidify the province as a global hub of the knowledge economy.
Premier Kathleen Wynne was at Huawei's Canadian headquar ters in
Markham today to announce that Ontario is investing up to $16 million through the Jobs and Prosperity Fund to suppor t Huawei Canada's
5G Ontario R&D expansion plan. 5G Ontario will focus on advanced
communications research initiatives including faster internet speeds
and related technologies such as cloud computing, data analytics
and mobile security. Huawei will create 250 new R&D jobs in the
province as it establishes new research laboratories in Markham and
Waterloo and expands its existing research facility in Ottawa.
This agreement builds on Premier Wynne's first trade mission to China
in 2014, where it was announced in Beijing that Huawei would invest
$210 million to expand in Ontario and create 250 highly-skilled R&D
jobs. Today's announcement suppor ts those 250 new jobs and retains
an additional 250 R&D jobs.
I DETAILS ON PAGE 7
Man sentenced to life in
prison for killing ex-girlfriend
DESK REPORT
British Columbia - Gurjinder 'Gary' Dhaliwal, who pleaded guilty
to second-degree
murder in the
death of his exgirlfriend, Maple
Batalia, 19, has
been sentenced
to life in prison
with no chance of
parole for at least
21 years. Gary
shot at her in the
parking lot of Simon Fraser University's Surrey campus about
four years ago. Rosaline Batalia, the victim's sister, told repor ters outside court: "Maple can finally rest in peace, knowing she got some justice," Gary's accomplice Gursimar Bedi
is charged with manslaughter and accessory after the fact.
THE 24-HOUR, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK CHANNEL Y AIRED LIVE DISCUSSION DURING THE FINAL OF ASIA CUP T20 MATCH PLAYED BETWEEN INDIA
AND BANGLADESH. INDIA WON THE TITLE FOR THE 6TH TIME. SEEN HERE IS YUDHVIR JASWAL, GROUP EDITOR AND CEO OF YMEDIA (THIRD
FROM LEFT) WITH CHANNEL Y TEAM AND CRICKET EXPERTS. CHANNEL Y CAN BE VIEWED ON ROGERS 857 AND BELL FIBE ON 828.
COMMUNITY CONGRATULATES CHANNEL Y'S LIVE
PROGRAMMING THAT CELEBRATED 100 EPISODES
ON TUESDAY. CHANNEL Y IS AIRED ON ROGERS
857 AND BELL FIBE ON 828.
DETAILS ON
PAGE 23
CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MARCH 08, 2016
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MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
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TUESDAY,
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08, 2012
2016
PAGE 3
IS BAJRANGI
BHAIJAAN 2 ON THE
CARDS?
KARISHMA, ESTRANGED
HUSBAND NEARING DIVORCE
SETTLEMENT, SC TOLD
INDIAN CRICKETER ROBIN UTHAPPA AND HIS WIFE TENNIS PLAYER SHEETHAL GOUTHAM POSE FOR A PHOTOGRAPH DURING
THEIR WEDDING RECEPTION AT BENGALURU (IANS).
FAWAD CAUGHT OFF-GUARD BY ALIA
ON 'KAPOOR & SONS' SETS
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Fawad Khan says that he didn't expect his
"Kapoor & Sons" co-star Alia Bhatt to be as confident and spontaneous as she came across on the first day shoot of the film.
"When I saw her on the first day on the sets, she was so confident and
spontaneous, which I was not expecting at all. She didn't even rehearse," said the 'Zindagi Gulzar Hai' actor about Alia at the unveiling
of their Filmfare magazine cover. Alia however said Fawad was exaggerating, and also added that he didn't like her over-competitive spirit
when they played games together. Fawad said he has watched only
one film of Alia till now but was impressed by it. "I've seen 'Highway'.
She has given a tremendous performance in the film. As an actor I
think her work speaks for herself. She is a phenomenal performer. To
excel at such a young age so fast and be able to stand toe to toe with
experienced actors, is quite an achievement." The two share a romantic bond in the film, even sharing a kiss, as seen in the trailer.
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Supreme Cour t was informed on Tuesday that both Bollywood actress Karishma Kapoor and her estranged husband Sanjay Kapur have agreed on all terms of
settlement for par ting ways and only they have to work out a
few modalities before this could be signed. "Par ties have, by
and large, agreed on all the terms on which settlement can be
recorded. However, before the settlement can be signed, few
modalities have to be worked out" before formal par ting of
ways, a bench of Justice A.K.Sikri and Justice R.K.Agrawal
said in their order after the hearing. Speaking to IANS, senior
counsel Mahesh Jethmalani who has appeared for the actress
said that the terms of settlement leading to divorce would include maintenance of their two children.
IS BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN 2
ON THE CARDS?
Sidhar th Malhotra plays Fawad's brother, who also shows interest in
Alia, but is seen having differences with Fawad. He will also be sharing screen space with the likes of Rishi Kapoor, Ratna Pathak Shah,
Rajat Kapoor in the Shakun Batra directorial. The 34-year-old-actor
had made his Hindi film debut opposite Sonam Kapoor in "Khoobsurat".
DESK REPORT
Toronto - Is Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2 on the cards? This was the
questions asked by many when they saw Salman Khan,
Kabir Khan and Nawazuddin Siqqidui sitting together and
chatting in a Mumbai hotel. It was an unusual site as the
three were meeting for the first time after the release of
Bajrangi Bhaijaan that was one of the biggest hits of 2015. If
so, it is good news for fans…
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MARCH 08, 2016
Miss India-Canada 2015 winner Manasvi
Noel presented with a Chevrolet Trax
MISSISSAUGA - Manasvi Noel, winner of the 2015 Miss India-Canada
title, was presented a brand new 2015 Chevrolet Trax at Leggat
Chevrolet in Etobicoke recently. The event was attended by dignitaries from Chevrolet, Metroland Media Group and Leggat Chevrolet.
"I am immensely grateful to Chevrolet for their valued suppor t," said
Noel, 24, on being given the keys to her car by the presenting sponsor
Chevrolet. "They have a huge role in making dreams come true for the
Miss India-Canada winners." Born in Dubai and raised in Rexdale,
Noel is currently a communications student at Humber. She is also a
professional belly dancer. "Miss India-Canada has a rich history of
inspiring youth and enabling the possible, and we're proud that
Chrevrolet is able to play a small par t in that," said Jason Easton,
director of sales, service and marketing, Toronto/GTA, GM Canada.
"We wish Manasvi the best as she pursues her dreams, and know
that wherever her journey takes her, she's in good hands with her
Chevrolet Trax." Leggat Chevrolet was pleased to host the give-
A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
Indian appetizers and Ontario wines
ONTARIO - Wine and a combination of assorted cheese and crackers are the
de ri·gueur hors d'oeuvre at most formal and informal meetings in North
America; other accompaniments often include carrots, celery. It is inconceivable to pair wine with Indian appetizers. The connoisseur of both wine
and Indian appetizers would frown upon such a pairing. However, as culinary
innovation, especially fusion among Indian and Western cuisine increasingly become a norm, such experimentation is acquiring a new propensity as
well as acceptance.
As part of its mandate to integrate the Indo-Canadian community into the
fabric of Canadian mainstream, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce
(ICCC) in collaboration with Humber College's Centre of Culinary Arts &
Science organized a presentation by Ramesh Srinivasan at Humber College
last week on pairing of Ontario wines and Indian appetizers. It may be pertinent to note that Ontario produces some of the world's best wines and has
over the last few decades acquired a strong global reputation for being home
to some of the world's best vineyards. Equally pertinently, Indian cuisine has
increasingly gained wider acceptance across Canada, and is becoming popular among a cross section of Canadian people from different backgrounds.
Ramesh Srinivasan, a wine educator who serves as a member of the Liquor
Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), is a key wine enthusiast devoted to understanding the intricate nuances of wines, and has an equally keen interest in
experimenting paring Indian appetizers with different forms of wine. He holds
the advanced certificate in Wine and Spirits, and has passed the certified
specialist of wine program. He is teaching a program on food and wine
pairing at Humber Institute of Technology and Advance Learning.
From the enthusiastic response with which the members of the Chamber
participated in theprogram, it was obvious that the pairing of wines and
Indian appetizers was an idea whose time has come. Ramesh Srinivasan
gave detailed information on different wines and delved deep on the importance of pairing of wine and food.
Sanjay Makkar, President, ICCC, thanked the Humber College for collaborating for this event with the chamber. The wine was sponsored by Family
Wines (FMW) and Constellation Brands whereas the Indian appetizers were
sponsored by Warraich Meats.
The following wines were shown as pairing with the Indian appetizers:
Riesling and Onion Bhajia: Riesling is a highly aromatic and fruity grape
variety. It has been regarded as the greatest white wine grape for
hundreds of years. Throughout history, Riesling has been revered for
its vibrant personality, its pure fruit flavors, its astonishing diversity
of styles, its ability to show you where it was grown, its versatility
with food, and its ability to age for decades. Onion bhajias - the staple
of Indian snacks throughout the year, but especially during the monsoon, pairs best with Riesling.
Pinot Noir and Chicken Malai Tikka: Pinot Noir is the most highly
prized wine in the world; this wine is pale in color, translucent and
their flavors are very subtle. Pinot noir wines are among the most
popular in the world. Joel Fleischman of Vanity Fair describes pinot
noir as "the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume,
so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love,
they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic."
Chicken Malai Tikka has a robust character that combines the strength
of malai with the suppleness of the chicken, and pairs wonderfully
with Pinot Noir, an utterly feminine wine.
away ceremony at their grand facility in Rexdale. The entire team
came together to congratulate the winner and show suppor t to the
South Asian community. "We want to be a big par t of the community and are proud to host the Miss India-Canada giveaway," said
Gabe Da Silva, General Manager, Leggat Chevrolet. The year 2015
was the 25th year anniversary of the Miss India-Canada event.
This quar ter centur y year was a milestone. The coming years
will see a bigger celebration of talent, glamour and culture.
Cabernet Franc/Cabernet sauvignon and Tandoori Mushrooms:
Cabernet Franc is medium-bodied red wine whose origins lie in
the Basque country of France. The wine is loved for its savory,
bell pepper-like flavors, medium-high acidity and mouth-watering taste. It is an ideal food pairing wine. You can find singlevarietal Cabernet Franc wines, but the variety is also quite popular as blending grape in the famous Bordeaux Blend. Indians
have only recently and begrudgingly incorporated mushrooms
into their cuisines, and as with everything they do, they have
Indianized mushrooms by shoving them into a tandoor, thus transforming it into an utterly delectable delicacy. Cabernet Franc and
Sauvignon paired with tandoori mushrooms is a rare delight that
is at once innovatively tasty and yet quintessentially simple and
straightforward.
Baco Noir and Peshawri Kabak (lamb): Baco Noir's origins go
back to 1894, when French grape breeder François Baco crossed
Folle Blanche with an unknown member of the New World's Vitis
riparia family. With its light to medium body, good acidity and
preference for cooler climates, Baco Noir is a grower-friendly
alternative to Pinot Noir. It does not express the distinctive foxy
aromas and flavors of other Vitis riparia varieties, but instead
shows rich fruit tones, typified by blueberry and plum.
Sauvignon Blanc and Chili Paneer: Sauvignon Blanc is one of the
most popular white wines in Nor th America, often referred to as
"grassy," it is known for its refreshing crispness, which is due to
its high levels of acidity and low amounts of sugar. The Sauvignon
Blanc grape originated in the Bordeaux region of France, and it is believed
that the grape was given the name Sauvignon Blanc from the French word
sauvage, which means wild, because the grape grew like a weed throughout
the region. Chili Paneer is the hot and savoury Indian appetizer that is impossible to resist. It would pair exquisitely with Sauvignon Blanc because it is
diametrically opposite in composition, quality and taste. This pairing proves
that opposites attract.
Chardonnay and Chicken Samosa: Describing the flavors of Chardonnay is
no easy task. While many Chardonnay wines have high aromatic
complexity, this is usually due to winemaking techniques (particularly the use of oak) rather than the variety's intrinsic qualities.
Malolactic fermentation gives distinctive buttery aromas. Fermentation
and/or maturation in oak barrels contributes notes of vanilla, smoke and
hints of sweet spices such as clove and cinnamon. Extended lees
contact while in barrel imparts biscuity, doughy flavors. Pairing this
sophisticated wine with chicken samosa is again an attempt to compliment sophistication with simplicity.
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Exciting evolution in up-and-coming community
The first new condominium
development in Toronto's Don
Mills-Eglinton neighbourhood
is providing investors and
homeowners with an oppor tunity to be par t of the exciting
evolution of this up-andcoming community.
Sonic, by Lindvest, will offer
modern high-rise living close
to the Ontario Science Centre
and within close proximity to
fabulous shopping, superb
restaurants,excellent schools,
and extensive parks and
greenspace.
The project's name, Sonic,
reflects the concept of the
future, says Joseph Alberga,
Lindvest's sales and marketing director. And with all that's
going on in the area, the future
is bright.
"We're catching the wave,"
says Alberga. "This is an area
that has been underserved by
condos."
Sonicwill be located at the
centre of an urban transpor tation hub. The Eglinton Crosstown Station, to open soon at
Don Mills, will be just a
minute's walk away, providing
riders with an east-west light
rail link with 25 stops between Weston and Kennedy
Roads and links to the
subway. The Eglinton and Don
Mills bus routes will also
serve residents and for
drivers, the Don Valley and
Highway 401 are within
minutes.
Lindvest recruited a worldclass team to create Sonic.
Award-winning Page +
Steele/IBI Group Architects
has designed a sleek 28storey tower atop a threestorey podium that will be one
of the tallest buildings in the
area.That tower comprises the
first phase. A second similar
tower will come in Phase 2.
Sonic will have over25,000
square feet of indoor and
outdoor amenity space,
including a large landscaped
park designed by NAK Design
Group that includes a figure
eight-shaped walking path,
children's playground,
intimate seating alcoves, a
water feature and exercise
equipment.
Suites, designed by U31, are
timeless and modern in
styleand maximize living
space. Linear kitchens feature
two-tone wood and lacquer
cabinetr y, plus full appliance
package. Baths are luxurious
sanctuaries.
Suite sizes range from 339 to
941 square feet in studio, onebedroom, one-bedroom-plusden, two-bedroom and threebedroom designs.Most suites
have generous balconies.
Prices star t from the low
$200,000s.Occupancy is
slated for January 2019.
Lindvest is a Toronto-based
real estate organization with
roots in the award-winning
H&R group of companies.
H&R has built thousands of
homes in Ontario and has
been involved in land development and construction for
more than 60 years. It has
operated under the Lindvest
banner since 1998.
For more information or to
register, call 416-532-6636,
email [email protected] or
visit lindvest.com/sonic.
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COMMUNITY GREETS AAP LEADER
HS PHOOLKA IN TORONTO
AAP LEADER HS PHOOLKA, WHO IS ON A SHORT VISIT OF CANADA ADDRESSED THE INDIAN
PUNJABI DIASPORA AT CHANDNI BANQUET HALL IN BRAMPTON RECENTLY. A LARGE NUMBER OF
COMMUNITY MEMBERS ATTENDED THE EVENT AND SHOWED THEIR RESPECT FOR THE MERITORIOUS WORK HE HAS PUT IN OVER THE YEARS. PHOOLKA LATER MET WITH SUPPORTERS AND
ANSWERED SOME OF THEIR QUESTIONS ALSO.
community
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MIDWEEK NEWS
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community
PREMIER'S CHINA
MISSION LEADS TO
INVESTMENT VALUED AT
OVER $212 MILLION
DR HARPREET BAJAJ, HOST OF THE YOUR HEALTH SHOW WITH DR SANJEEV LUTHRA, PEDIATRICIAN AT WILLIAM OSLER HOSPITAL.
THE TOPIC OF THIS WEEK'S SHOW WAS: INFANT AND CHILD NUTRITION - MYTHS AND CHALLENGES. YOUR HEALTH IS AIRED EVERY
MONDAY AT 8PM ON CHANNEL Y THAT CAN BE VIEWED ON ROGERS 857 AND BELL FIBE 828.
Crombie Meets with Panasonic Canada, Lays
Groundwork for Japanese Trade Mission
MISSISSAUGA - I am proud that Mississauga is home to a number of
globally-respected, successful and innovative Japanese-based companies like Panasonic Canada, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie
said recently.
Mayor Crombie made the comments following her first official meeting, held a couple of days back, with Michael Moskowitz, President of
Panasonic Canada, and the company's corporate leadership. The City's
Panasonic footprint includes three different locations, employing over
an estimated 400 people - the second largest employer of any Japanese company in Mississauga.
Mayor Crombie said "the work we under take now, allows us to better
lay the groundwork for our April 2016 economic development trade
mission to Japan, where we are working to arrange meetings with
Panasonic officials at their global headquar ters in Osaka."
Last week Mayor Crombie held meetings with manufacturer NTN
Corporation, another Japanese-based company that chooses to do
business in Mississauga.
"We are committed to building on the already thoughtful, strong and
impor tant working relationship Mississauga enjoys with Japanese
communities and businesses," Mayor Crombie commented, adding
that Japan ties with Germany for the largest market for capital investment in Mississauga (after the United States). Mississauga has over
100 Japanese companies, representing nearly half of all Japanese
companies located in Ontario.
Information and communications technology, aerospace and the life
sciences represent the top three sectors for foreign-direct investment. Mississauga is home to Canada's second largest life sciences
cluster.
Mississauga's Code and the City Open Data Idea Jam - A Success!
The City of Mississauga co-hosted
its' first Idea Jam, Code and The City
in partnership with Sheridan College
and I-CUBE (University of Toronto
Mississauga) today. The sold out
event welcomed over 80 developers, designers, mappers and information analysts to share ideas on
how Mississauga could gain greater
awareness and engagement with the
community in a digital environment.
Winners and Prizes
After a jam packed day of fostering
collaboration between mentors and
participants, 17 teams presented
their solutions to the judges during 3
minute speed pitch sessions. Judges
selected the top 3 submissions:
"
The Librarians won the
first place prize of $3,000. They created an idea for a mobile tool that
matches service requests between
seniors and high school volunteers;
"
Solutions Bureau won the
second place prize of $2,000. Their
idea was for an app that helps citizens to avoid parking violations; and
"
A&T won the third place
prize of $1,000. Their idea was for an
app that provides citizens real time
information on the location of buses.
Workshops with industry top professionals included topics on developing a website, building geospatial
apps using the open data portal and
giving data meaning through
storytelling. The event also included a marketplace to showcase
with ICUBE UTM, Mississauga's
Open Data team, MBEC and
Mississauga's Official Open Data
Community.
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA RELEASES ITS AMBITIOUS PLAN
FOR 2016 IMMIGRATION LEVELS
BRAMPTON- MP Ramesh Sangha welcomed Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, John McCallum in Brampton on Tuesday who had come
to make an announcement regarding the new 2016 immigration plan. Talking
on the occasion MP Sangha said: “I am proud to welcome the Minister of
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Hon. John McCallum to my riding.
During the election campaign, the announcement on Immigration changes was
made in my riding by the Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau back in September 2015.
Today, I am lucky that the promises made by our Government are being fulfilled and it is happening right here in my riding."
Indo-Canadian comedian Lilly Singh heads to Mumbai for fest
MUMBAI, (IANS) Popular Indo-Canadian online personality Lilly Singh, also known by her YouTube username IISuperwomanII,
will be plugging in the wire of enter tainment here on March 18 by becoming a
par t of the YouTube FanFest.
YouTube along with Branded Ltd announced the return of the festival, which
brings together established and emerging YouTube stars from India and around
the world with fans, to Mumbai via a statement on Thursday. The fest is coming
back to India for the third time. It will be held at Dome @ NSCI, SVP Stadium
here. The line-up features over 35 popular YouTube stars from around the world,
including Lilly, Connor Franta, All India Bakchod, SANAM, Kanan Gill and Biswa
Kalyan Rath, East India Comedy, Br yden-Par th Music, Abish Mathew, Kaushal,
Kenneth Sebastian, and Kur t Hugo Schneider.
Along with the enter tainment factor, over 5,000 fans will get a chance to meet the
stars. Schneider is "pumped" about coming back to Mumbai for "the third YouTube
FanFest. The fans are some of the best in the world and I'm excited to per form for
them again". Franta said: "This will be my first time taking par t in the YouTube
FanFest in India and I am beyond excited. If the energy is the same as the other
FanFests, it's going to be an amazing evening". Gautam Anand, director of content and
operations, YouTube Asia-Pacific, said: "We're delighted to host YouTube FanFest
again in India for the third time to celebrate this new generation of YouTube stars and
welcome some of our most popular global YouTube stars back to India."
CONTD. FROM PAGE 1
In total, Huawei intends to invest up to $303 million in
5G and related research initiatives in Ontario over the
next five years, $212 million of which is suppor ted by
the province's Jobs and Prosperity Fund investment.
The Huawei expansion project illustrates how Ontario's
Going Global Strategy is strengthening the province's
information and communications sector. International
trade missions and strategic par tnerships with business
are both critical ways the government is attracting new
investment, facilitating innovation and bolstering global
expor ts.
Attracting new investments and helping the province's
businesses compete globally are par t of the
government's economic plan to build Ontario up and
deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy
and create jobs. The four-par t plan includes investing in
talent and skills, including helping more people get and
create the jobs of the future by expanding access to
high-quality college and university education. The plan
is making the largest investment in public infrastructure
in Ontario's history and investing in a low-carbon
economy driven by innovative, high-growth, expor toriented businesses. The plan is also helping working
Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.
"Last month, I was in India on another overseas trade
mission. Last week, I was at a high school to announce
free college and university tuition for 150,000 young
people. Today, I'm at Huawei Canada to announce that
the company is investing an additional $212 million in an
R&D project called 5G Ontario. It all connects to my first
priority as Premier, which is creating good jobs in a
growing economy. The investments our government is
making in the talent and skills of our people, the trade
missions I lead, the par tnerships we're entering with
business and the dynamic, competitive environment
we're creating are all driving real investment, creating
good jobs and laying the foundations for sustainable
growth for years to come."- Kathleen Wynne, Premier of
Ontario
"Huawei's investment in Ontario is a huge vote of
confidence in our province's talented workforce and
world-class innovation ecosystems. We are committed
to strategically par tnering with innovative companies
like Huawei because they are growing our economy and
providing good jobs that people can count on."- Brad
Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment
and Infrastructure
"Our government is creating a competitive business
environment and a vibrant culture of innovation for
multinational businesses. Today's investment by Huawei
reinforces Ontario as the destination of choice for
companies seeking the per fect research and development environment to bring their technologies to markets
in Nor th America and beyond."- Michael Chan, Minister
of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade
"We are excited about expanding our research and
development facilities in Ontario. The province has a
vibrant innovation ecosystem that we are proud to be a
par t of for the past six years. Our Canadian research
team is helping to drive pioneering projects around the
world, and this accelerated investment in the Province of
Ontario reflects our confidence in Ontario, and the talent
of Ontario's skilled ICT workforce."- Ken Hu, Deputy
Chairman, Huawei Technologies
PUNJABI COMMUNITY HEALTH
SERVICES TO HOLD 14TH ANNUAL
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S GALA
BRAMPTON - Punjabi Community Health Services (PCHS)
will hold its 14th Annual International Women's Day Gala on
Friday, March 11 at the Pearson Convention Centre, 2638
Steeles Ave E, Brampton, ON, L6T 4L7 between 6:30pm 11:00pm. The honourees at the event include: critically acclaimed Director Deepa Mehta; Founder & CEO of Anokhi
Media Raj Girn; makeup Ar tist to the stars Shirley Wu, and
Executive Director Mississauga Ar ts Council Anu Vittal. Noted
management consultant, author, and academic, Professor
Mohanbir Sawhney of the Kellogg School of Management in
Chicago is the key note speaker. Rogers TV and OMNI Television will host the event which promises to be a spectacular
evening of enter tainment, food and celebration! For tickets
and sponsorship oppor tunities, contact PCHS at (905) 6770889 or contact co-chairs Rinku Deswal and Amandeep Kaur.
International Day for Elimination
of Racial Discrimination
BRAMPTON - Over the past 13 years, York Regional Police in
par tnership with the community has commemorated International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The
event commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre in which 69
people lost their lives during a confrontation with South African Police in Sharpeville, South Africa on March 21, 1960
after peacefully protesting Apar theid laws.
In years past, par tnerships with communities in these events
have provided the police with numerous oppor tunities to stand
together and collectively speak out against racism, discrimination and hatred in all its ugly forms.
These events have also highlighted on stage performances,
ethno-cultural community booths, displays, music and food
reflective of the microcosm of the world that we are privileged
to serve in York Region.
7
MidWeek
8
opinion
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MARCH 08, 2016
KANHAIYA WINDFALL ONLY
FOR CPI OR ALL LEFT?
BY SAEED NAQVI
K
anhaiya Kumar's genius as a public speaker is self evident
from his first speech in JNU on February 11 and the one he
made on the campus after returning from Tihar Jail on March
3. The CPI feels it has a legitimate right to hitch its wagon to
this new star.
The JNU affair has in fact opened up many possibilities. Some of
these may be imaginary. The Communist Par ty of India, the original
one, suddenly has stars in its eyes. It hopes Kanhaiya Kumar will
boost it to its original glory, before the par ty split in 1964. The CPI
became its rump. The CPI-M became the senior par ty which proceeded to rule West Bengal and Tripura for decades without a break.
Intermittently, in Kerala too.
Kanhaiya won the JNU Students Union president's election as the CPIaffiliated All India Students Federation (AISF) candidate. Naturally,
the parent par ty, otherwise limp and wan, finds its morale boosted.
Visit Ajoy Bhawan, its headquar ters, and there is a comradely swagger in everyone's walk. Overnight, they are feeling superior to their
cousins, the CPI-M, who have otherwise dwarfed them all these years
but who, alas, have no SFI (CPI-M's student wing) star on the JNU
firmament. Kanhaiya's persona has brought about CPI-M's unexpected
status reversal vis-a-vis the CPI.
Even in their abysmal decline, the CPI-M at least has nine members
in the Lok Sabha, the CPI has only one. How then has a windfall like
Kanhaiya come CPI's way? According to Hindu belief, the par ty must
have done some good in its past life. Ironically, Kanhaiya is not a
creature of Ajoy Bhawan. He got his Marxism from his parentage.
Begusarai in Bihar, where his family lives, was called "Little Mos-
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cow". Senior communist leaders Chandrashekhar Singh and Indradip
Sinha were legends in the region.
Indeed, when the Indian communist movement split nationally, the
Bihar unit remained intact. Under its Secretary General Jagannath
Sarkar, the CPI was so powerful that its alliance with Indira Gandhi in
New Delhi made Jayaprakash Narayan initiate his movement in Bihar.
The leftist culture from which Kanhaiya comes is not necessarily
linked to the CPI in the rigid doctrinaire sense. He came up on the
strength of his leadership skills and oratory and won the union election without the suppor t of any CPI infrastructure, which is non-existent in the campus. He was able to forge a wide coalition which
included Umar Khaled, Anirban Bhattacharya and others recently
charged with sedition. Kanhaiya, Omar and Anirban are all comfor table under a broad left umbrella. But if the parent bodies - CPI and
Marxists-Leninists begin to claim them as their respective wards,
there will be difficulties. The CPI and CPI-M do not dispute the Afzal
Guru hanging, but the CPI-ML does. There is a whole lot of confusion
as to who shouted which slogans at the function to observe Guru's
hanging on February 9. Bollywood should consider a Roshomon II,
where the truth remains tantalizingly elusive.
It was just as well that Kanhaiya's release was celebrated nationwide
thanks to the change of hear t of some TV channels. But this is only a
release on bail for six months. Moreover, bail has been granted as a
kind of largesse handed out by the Delhi High Cour t to somebody
whose guilt is presumed. The JNU faculty has been advised to keep
the students on the straight and narrow, something, presumably they
were not doing so far. This is the tone of the judgment.
The CPI would like Kanhaiya's focus to be on the campuses the ABVP
is trying to unsettle. "If we bring in the S.A.R. Geelani's arrest, the
focus will get diver ted to Kashmir and other issues," says a senior
CPI leader. The CPI-ML, which has traction on the campus, has a
different take on Kashmir, Afzal Guru and therefore on Geelani. In any
case the parent par ty's hold on Omar and Anirban is, at best, tenuous
because the two have had serious difference with the leadership.
At this moment Omar and Anirban have no formal affiliation with a
national party. Who then is fighting for their bail? Senior lawyers like
Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan and Indira Jaisingh got involved in the
Kanhaiya matter because that is where the BJP lawyers diverted the
focus by their undisguised hooliganism in court.
This leaves Omar and Anirban without real political godfathers. Bright
young lawyers, holding the brief for these two, are waiting for the
police to frame charges. But the two are in danger of being forgotten
during the for tnight in judicial custody because the media is capricious and has its mood swings conditioned by ratings.
The only one who can help them remain in focus is Kanhaiya. Because without his cohor ts, he too will lose steam. The general assumption is that the RSS is driving the "nationalism" debate. It is a
difficult debate to negotiate in a sound byte format. On the other side
of this polarised turf, the Left, Dalit and Muslim convergence cannot
give comfort to the Hindutva establishment.
The Left is propagating the line that the Gujarat Police model has been
replicated in Delhi. This strengthens the AAP line that the police takes
dictation from the union government and does not allow it to function.
The Left and AAP have not necessarily been on the same page so far.
Is this another novelty emerging?
BJP MAY HAVE THE LAST LAUGH IN ASSAM
BY AMITAVA MUKHERJEE
Ahead of the elections to the Assam assembly, the Bharatiya Janata
Par ty (BJP) has strengthened its position by striking an alliance
with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).
Although the Assam Pradesh Congress tried its best to keep the
BJP and the AGP apar t, identical electoral base of the two par ties
has forced them not to split each other's vote which would have
brought about a mutual downfall.
Sarbananda Sonowal, the central spor ts and youth affairs minister
and the state BJP president, did not appear to be enthused by the
tie-up with AGP, as a section of the par ty, led by AGP legislative
par ty leader Phanibhusan Chowdhury, is known to be close to the
Congress. Members of this section had even met state chief
minister Tarun Gogoi, of the Congress, a few days back.
The deal with the BJP, however, was clinched by the more powerful
faction of the AGP, led by par ty president Atul Bora.
An undercurrent of misunderstanding in the alliance was inevitable
as both the AGP and the BJP have their primary electoral base
among the Assamese Hindu middle class, which controls the
politics of the entire upper and central Assam.
In spite of the AGP's fast dwindling suppor t base, its call for
regionalism still holds appeal in large par ts of Assam. On the other
hand, a vast number of Adivasi tribes working in numerous tea
gardens of upper Assam had voted for the BJP in the last parliamentary elections.
As the AGP also enjoys acceptability in upper Assam and good
rappor t with numerous indigenous communities living on both
sides of the Brahmaputra river, mutual contests between the AGP
and the BJP would have benefited the Congress.
The Congress has decided to contest the elections alone, for the
simple reason that other political outfits have chosen to avoid the
Congress.
The Muslims, who constitute almost 34 percent of Assam's population,
particularly the Bengali speaking ones of lower Assam, are now tilting
towards the All India United Democratic Front(AIUDF) of Badruddin Ajmal.
This time Congress is not even sure of support from the Assamese
speaking Muslims of upper Assam who had stood by the party during the
last parliamentary poll.
A quick journey to the world of statistics will point out to the rising fortune
of the BJP in Assam. From one percent vote in the 1985 assembly
elections, the BJP has showed signs of ascendancy in 2006
assembly elections by capturing 12 percent votes.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, its share of vote jumped to 16 percent
and the par ty captured four seats. Although in the 2011 assembly
elections it experienced a slight reversal of for tunes, the par ty
came out with flying colours in the 2014 Lok Sabha election when it
captured 36 percent votes and seven out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats
from Assam.
Observers of the nor theastern politics think this time the BJP may
lose some of its popularity among the Assamese Hindu voters due
to its decision to grant the right of stay to immigrants who are
minorities in Bangladesh and transfer of land under the IndoBangladesh Land Boundary Agreement. But these two factors may
not be enough to shift the ground completely for the BJP.
For the Congress, lower Assam and the Barak Valley are two
impor tant areas. While lower Assam has 46 percent Muslim votes,
the figure is 37 percent in the Barak Valley. However, in 2014, the
Congress could capture only 23 percent of Muslim votes in these
two regions. The appearance of the AIUDF on Assam's political map
has brought about a qualitative change. The Front got 39 percent of
the state's Muslim votes in last polls while the Congress' share
came down to 40 percent.
There has been a 10 percent decline in the Congress' overall vote
share in Assam between the 2011 assembly elections and the 2014
Lok Sabha polls, and a major reason behind it is AIUDF's poaching
into Congress's traditional vote bank of Muslims and the
Bangladeshi immigrants. The AIUDF had won 18 seats in the 2011
assembly elections and led in 24 assembly segments in the 2014
parliamentary polls.
Anti-incumbency factor may go against the Congress this time.
Tarun Gogoi is generally considered to be competent but there is a
palpable yearning for a new face in the chief minister's chair.
That the Congress and the AIUDF could not form an alliance is due
to the fact that both are trying to outwit each other in order to
become the principal face of the Muslim electorate. The AIUDF will
contest in 60-odd seats and this does not augur well for the
Congress.
The BJP's small par tners like the Boro People's Front (BPF) with
2.1 percent votes will chip in for its success. The BPF had won 12
assembly seats in 2011 and the Boros have significant presence in
50 other seats.
Arithmetical calculations favour the BJP-AGP-BPF combination. But
Tarun Gogoi has many upset victories to his credit.
DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE THE PERSONAL OPINIONS OF THE AUTHORS.THE INFORMATION, FACTS OR OPINIONS APPEARING IN THE
ARTICLES DO NOT REFLECT VIEWS OF MIDWEEK AND ITS MANAGEMENT AND SO THE PAPER DOES NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR THE SAME.
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
MARCH 28,
08, 2012
2016
canada
Trudeau, First Ministers agree to climate plan
framework; no decision on carbon pricing
PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU AND FIRST MINISTERS IN VANCOUVER.
VANCOUVER - Canada's First Ministers issued a joint communiqué
following the First Ministers' Meeting and released a declaration on
clean growth and climate change: "In the spirit of cooperation and
collaboration, we met today to discuss the economy and actions to
address climate change and agreed on immediate work to suppor t
growth and create new jobs.
"Building on commitments and actions already taken by provinces
and territories and the momentum from COP21 in Paris, we are moving toward a pan-Canadian framework for clean growth and climate
change that will meet or exceed Canada's international emissions
targets, and will transition our country to a stronger, more resilient,
low-carbon economy - while also improving our quality of life.
"We know that a fair transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy
is necessary for our collective prosperity, competitiveness, health,
and security. Taking smar t and effective action today is essential for
future generations. These decisions will put Canada at the forefront of
the global clean growth economy, and will create oppor tunities to
diversify our economies, open up access to new markets, reduce
emissions, and generate good paying, long-term jobs for Canadians.
"To achieve our goals, we will build on the leadership shown and
actions taken by the provinces and territories, as exemplified by the
2015 Quebec Declaration. For its par t, the Government of Canada
committed to the following:
"
suppor t climate change mitigation and adaptation through
investments in green infrastructure, public transit infrastructure and
energy efficient social infrastructure;
"
work together with the provinces and territories on how best
to lever federal investments in the Low Carbon Economy Fund to
realize incremental emission reductions;
"
advance the electrification of vehicle transpor tation, in collaboration with provinces and territories;
"
foster dialogue and the development of regional plans for
clean electricity transmission to reduce emissions;
"
advance effor ts to eliminate the dependence on diesel in
Indigenous, remote, and Nor thern communities - and use renewable,
clean energy as a replacement; and
"
as par t of Canada's par ticipation in Mission Innovation,
double investments in clean energy, research and development over
five years, and work with global par tners to promote cleaner energy
and better environmental outcomes.
"We will identify measures that governments can take to grow their economies
and reduce emissions in the long term," the statement read.
TOWN OF CALEDON, CUPE LOCAL 966 MEMBERS
CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE CONTRACT
Caledon - The Corporation of the Town of Caledon and members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 966 continue
to work towards negotiating a new contract.
On February 16, 2016, the union representing Caledon's CUPE members filed for conciliation with the Ontario Ministry of Labour to assist
in reaching a collective agreement. CUPE Local 966 represents 70 Town of Caledon Public Works roads and fleet, arena/pool operations,
and parks maintenance employees. Conciliation is a process by which either par ty to the negotiations can ask the Ministry of Labour for
assistance in reaching a collective agreement. The par ties have met with the union ten times through 2015 and 2016. The Town of
Caledon has been open and transparent with the Town's offer, looking for flexibility regarding service delivery to continue to reflect the
commitment that the Town places on the services it provides to the community. The Town has faced the introduction of various new
demands from the union throughout the process, but has remained committed to an offer that balances employee compensation and
benefits, and takes into consideration a fiscally responsible offer in line with other similar unionized environments. While Caledon's
CUPE members announced today that their members have given a strike mandate, if par ties are in negotiations, they must use the
Ministry of Labour's conciliation services before they can get into a position to engage in a strike or a lock-out. The Town of Caledon is
committed to working with the Ministry of Labour conciliator and CUPE to reach a collective agreement that is fair for the employees,
reasonable and affordable for citizens, and aligns with settlements of other unionized employee groups.
PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU PARTICIPATES IN THE LAUNCH OF THE SMART PROSPERITY INITIATIVE (PHOTO BY ADAM SCOTTI).
MidWeek
Mayor John Tory to visit
China, Japan from Apr 7-16
TORONTO - From April 7 to 16, 2016 Mayor John Tory will lead
a delegation of Toronto business and academic leaders to China
and Japan to promote the benefits of doing business in Toronto
with a goal of creating more jobs and investment. The business mission will focus on promoting Toronto's exceptional
financial services, urban infrastructure, clean technology and
education sectors. The mission will visit Shanghai, Chongqing,
Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sagamihara.
The purpose of the mission is to:
"
Promote Toronto's competitive advantages for business, help companies to compete globally and create oppor tunities for new par tnerships leading to more jobs and investment
"
Promote Toronto's exper tise in urban infrastructure
and clean technology
"
Promote Toronto's financial and education sectors
"
Advance Toronto's international reputation for innovative technologies, services and products
"
Strengthen existing relationships and economic, political and cultural ties
"
Attract bilateral trade and investment and increase
expor t of Toronto-based goods and services
New $24 million GO Bus
Facility Opens In Hamilton
ONTARIO - The governments of Canada and Ontario, along
with Metrolinx, celebrated the opening of a new GO Transit
bus service and storage facility in Hamilton to accommodate
future transit service growth in the region.
The $24-million facility was funded by the Government of
Canada and the Province of Ontario through the GO Transit
Improvement Program, a joint investment by the federal and
provincial governments to support the expansion of GO Transit bus and rail services in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton
Area, Niagara Region and Waterloo Region. Canada and
Ontario each contributed $9.75 million, with the remainder
funded by the Ontario government through Metrolinx.
Ontario is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province's history -- about $160 billion over 12
years, which is suppor ting 110,000 jobs every year across
the province, with projects such as roads, bridges, transit
systems, schools and hospitals. In 2015, the province announced suppor t for more than 325 projects that will keep
people and goods moving, connect communities and improve
quality of life.
The new facility is strategically positioned to provide easy
access to the highway network on which GO Transit operates
and will make it easier for GO to provide timely, reliable and
efficient transit service in the region.
The facility includes:
"
indoor bus storage for up to 40 buses
"
indoor service bays for fuelling, bus wash, inspection, cleaning and repairs
"
equipment and storage rooms
"
staff facilities and parking
Quick Facts
"
The new facility is over 70,000 square feet, can store
up to 40 buses indoors including double deckers, and suppor ts 99 jobs.
"
The bus service and storage facility achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) cer tification through the use of innovative and energy efficient systems, such as recycling water from the bus wash, providing
energy efficient heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) and
LED lighting systems, and featuring a white roof, which reflects the sun and saves energy.
"
The facility features an on-site fuelling station that
will result in less travelling for buses not in service, saving
money and time, and reducing gas emissions.
"
Since 2003, Ontario has extended GO's rail network
by nearly 90 kilometres, opened 14 new GO stations, rebuilt
four existing stations, and added more than 31,000 new parking spots across the system.
"
Research shows that every $100 million of public
infrastructure investment in Ontario boosts GDP by $114 million, par ticularly in construction and manufacturing sectors.
"Investing in public transit is a major element of our plan to
build strong, inclusive and sustainable communities across
the country. It's about social mobility and access to oppor tunities, while suppor ting our environmental commitments. This
new facility will enhance GO Transit service for commuters
and families, while reducing congestion and improving air
quality across the region." - Filomena Tassi, Member of Parliament for Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas, on behalf of
Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"The new Hamilton GO Transit bus service and storage facility will help to suppor t GO Transit's planned bus service expansion across the regional network, which will deliver additional travel options to commuters. Investing in transit is par t
of the government's plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its
number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs." Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transpor tation
416-907-4420
9
10
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MARCH 08, 2016
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
MARCH 28,
08, 2012
2016
MidWeek
india
11
Himachal Congress slams BJP
MP on Dharamsala match
CONGRESS WORKER STAGE A PROTEST AT JANTAR MANTAR IN NEW DELHI (IANS).
BJP GOVERNMENT MUZZLING
VOICE OF POOR: RAHUL GANDHI
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of muzzling the voice of
the poor, tribals and the underprivileged.
"Tribals from Bastar and other areas of Chhattisgarh came to see me.
They told me they are being oppressed and their voice muzzled by the
Bharatiya Janata Par ty-led government," Gandhi told repor ters after
meeting a delegation of tribals and Congress legislators from Bastar
area of Chhattisgarh at his residence.
"You suppressed Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad; here, our students and
(JNU student leader) Kanhaiya Kumar is being threatened. Wherever
the poor, Dalits, farmers, small-time traders are asking for their rights,
the National Democratic Alliance government is crushing their voice,"
the Congress leader added.
"These poor people are the real strength of the country. They are, in
fact, driving it. If anyone breaks law, action must be taken against
him, but threatening the poor and repressing their voice will not do
any good to anyone," the Congress vice president said.
"Modi ji made a personal attack on me in parliament. Everyday, his
par tymen also make personal attacks on me. I don't care but please
don't attack the poor and the underprivileged," he added.
REFORM OR PERISH UNDER COMPETITIVE FEDERALISM: JAITLEY
GURGAON, (IANS) Calling on the states to "reform or perish", union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said India has become
a competitive federalism, with states vying with each other to attract investment.
"In addition to co-operative federalism, India has also become a competitive federalism. The future will be competitive federalism
because it's not about Centre-state relations, but it is about states competing with each other to attract investment," he said at the
'Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit' here.
"Those who don't reform... people in those states are at a disadvantageous state and those who are in a position to offer more
favourable economic, business and political environment to investors certainly are going to benefit," he said.
"Reform or perish could not be more true than it is today," the minister added.
China, Czech Republic, Japan, Mauritius, Malawi, New Zealand, Peru, South Korea, Spain, Tunisia, UK and Ontario province of Canada
are partner countries for the event. Noting that a growing number of Indian states were holding investor summits, Jaitley warned that
an environment of policy paralysis was bound to put off potential investors.
In this connection, he emphasised the need for improving transport infrastructure, saying he arrived here 20 minutes late due to heavy
traffic on the national highway.
JNU row: Delhi government mulls legal action against news channels
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Delhi government is likely to take legal action against three news channels that allegedly ran doctored videos
of the JNU controversy, sources said on Monday.
According to the government sources, the Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) government is contemplating legal action against three news
channels that showed the alleged doctored videos of the February 9 incident at the Jawaharlal Nehru University where "anti-India"
slogans were repor tedly raised.
The move comes after a magistrate repor t submitted to the Delhi government on March 2 said that "no direct link" has been found
between JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and the anti-India sloganeering on at the February 9 campus event.
Earlier in the day, Communist Par ty of India-Marxist (CPI-M), general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Janata Dal-United leader K.C.
Tyagi met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the issue.
The DM's report said that seven videos related to JNU incident were sent to Truth Labs, Hyderabad, of which three were found to be
doctored. "In those doctored versions, video has been edited and voices added," the repor t said.
The state government ordered a magisterial probe into the matter on February 13. The repor t added that the role of Umar Khalid,
another JNU student accused of raising anti-India slogans, needs to be further investigated.
SHIMLA, (IANS) The Congress in Himachal Pradesh on Monday slammed Indian cricket board secretary and BJP MP
Anurag Thakur for double-speak on the issue of holding the
World Twenty20 India-Pakistan match in Dharamsala, saying he had earlier opposed any cricketing ties with Pakistan.
Quoting Thakur's tweet last year -- Dawood in Karachi. Are
you really serious about peace and you expect we'll play
cricket with you? -- state Congress chief Sukhvinder Sukhu
asked Thakur what had happened now that made him change
his stance.
Sukhu said that on one hand, the Bharatiya Janata Par ty
talks of nationalism but on the other, its leader Thakur is
trying to justify the March 19 match in Dharamsala, some
250 km from the state capital.
Thakur, who is also theBoard of Control for Cricket in India
secretary, has said it would be "very difficult" to shift the
proposed match from Dharamsala at this stage.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has already advised Thakur
to sor t out the issue of security for the match with the agitating families of mar tyred soldiers, who are settled in
Dharamsala in Kangra district, before the match.
Ex-servicemen League's state chief Vijai Singh Mankotia
refused to relent on the opposition to the match.
"Terror and T20 cannot go together. There is no give and take
in this issue. It's a question of sentiments of the soldiers, the
families of mar tyrs and ex-servicemen," the former Congress minister said.
Protecting women's dignity a
collective responsibility: President
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Women's right to equal oppor tunities
and a dignified life must be respected, President Pranab
Mukherjee said on Monday on the eve of International
Women's Day. "On the occasion of International Women's
Day, I extend warm greetings and good wishes to the women
of India and thank them for their contributions over the years
in the building of our nation," the president said in a statement. "Women have always been given the highest level of
respect in our country. Their protection and safety is a sacred duty of society as a whole. We must respect the right of
women to equal oppor tunities and a dignified life," he added.
Mukherjee said it was a collective responsibility of all the
Indians to "create an ecosystem that ensures the safety,
security and dignity of women in society".
"On International Women's Day, let us redouble our efforts
for achieving gender equity and empowerment of women.
Let us strive to enable our women realize their full potential
and par ticipate meaningfully in all aspects of our country's
development," the president said.
ED slaps Mallya with
money-laundering case
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, (IANS) The Enforcement Director (ED)
on Monday registered a money-laundering case against
founder of now defunct Kingfisher Airlines and liquor baron
Vijay Mallya, official sources said.
"We have filed a case against Mallya on Monday. The case
is specifically based on the case registered by the CBI against
him and others in 2015," Assistant Director (Enforcement
Directorate) A.K. Rawal told IANS in New Delhi.
The businessman and the top executives of what was once
Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) have been booked under Sections
3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Rawal
said. The measure follows an audit of the Rs.7,200 crore
loan that a consor tium of 11 public sector banks led by the
State Bank of India (SBI) had extended to the KFA which the
airline failed to repay. The KFA is alleged to have diver ted
as much as Rs.4,000 crore of that money to international tax
havens like Mauritius and Cayman Islands.
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Nation is always empowered
by its women: PM
MAHILA CONGRESS WORKERS STAGE A DEMONSTRATION TO PRESS FOR ROLL BACK OF EPF TAX IN NEW DELHI (IANS).
Air India to fly 20 domestic
flights with all-women crew
NEW DELHI, (IANS) National carrier Air India celebrated the International Women's Day on Tuesday by operating 20 domestic flights
manned by all-women crew.
"Air India will fly 20 domestic flights with all-women crew on March
8 to observe the International Women's Day. The details regarding
their routes and timings are expected to be disclosed by Monday
evening," an airline official told IANS on Sunday.
Air India has already created a record by flying the world's longest
flight operated by an all-women crew on Sunday. The airline's San
Francisco-bound AI 173 took off from New Delhi on Sunday morning
and will return to the national capital on Tuesday. "The national car-
rier suppor ts the cause of women in every area," Harpreet Singh Dey,
president of the Indian Women Pilots' Association, said.
Air India celebrates the Day every year by deploying women crew on
its select international and domestic routes. The New Delhi-San Francisco flight saw women handling all operations ranging from cockpit
to cabin crew, check-in staff, doctor, customer care staff, entire ground
handling staff from operators to technicians, engineers and flight dispatchers and trimmers.
Air India has 3,765 women employees, including women pilots,
cabin crew, engineers, technicians, doctors, security personnel
and executives.
PEACE, DEVELOPMENT IN KASHMIR
DEPENDS ON CBMS: MEHBOOBA
JAMMU, (IANS) Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) president Mehbooba
Mufti Saturday said that effective development and good governance in the
state is possible only in an environment
of peace and stability which necessitates decisive confidence building measures to be taken by New Delhi. "Peace
and stability is possible only when we
revive, with firm resolve and with tan-
gible confidence building measures, the
process of reconciliation and engagement in and around Jammu and Kashmir," she said while addressing an a
gathering of PDP workers at Vijaypur in
Samba district here to launch of the
party's membership drive. Mehbooba
said the state has huge stakes in peace
and stability in the region, as people in
both Kashmir and Jammu regions have
to suffer enormous human and economic losses because of the hostility.
"While people living along the borders
in Jammu region suffer and live under
the constant threat of cross-border
shelling, the people in Kashmir valley are suffering because of the continued internal strife and recurrent
violence," she said. She added peace
along the borders in Jammu region
and within the mainland in Kashmir
is key to development and progress
as had happened between 2002 and
2005.
"There was not only peace along the
borders from Kathua to Kargil, during
that golden era, but the situation in
Kashmir valley had also started turning for good after witnessing a long
gloomy era of death and destruction,"
she said, claiming that due to the "reversal" of the peace and reconciliation process after 2008, uncertainty
has again returned to haunt the state's
people."We shall have to ponder over
the emerging situation in the state
and go deep into the reasons for
mounting alienation especially
among the educated youth,"
Mehbooba. Concrete measures shall
have to be taken to address the
causes of alienation and cynicism
and at the same time revive the process of intra-state and inter-state reconciliation, which was the dream of
her father and late chief minister Mufti
Mohammad Sayeed, she added.
"Mufti Sahab wanted to take the peace
and resolution process started between 2002 and 2005 to its logical
conclusion," she said. She said the
Kashmir issue should not be seen
through the security prism alone and
the country needs to invest in its
peace and acknowledge the pain and
sufferings of its people.
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said
a nation is always empowered by its women. "Nation is
always empowered by its women. It is she who nur tures a
citizen as a mother. These empowered citizens eventually
make an empowered country," Modi said, addressing the
National Women Legislators Conference in the central hall
of Parliament. Women representatives from both the houses
of parliament, state legislative assemblies and councils attended the two-day conference that concluded on Sunday.
The prime minister said the country must think beyond
"women development," and move towards "women-led development." The prime minister said multitasking, considered to be a very impor tant element of modern day management, comes naturally to women.
Congratulating Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for her leadership
and vision to organise the conference, the prime minister
said in addition to the structured component of such events,
experiences shared informally among delegates are also
extremely enriching.
"Women have higher success ratio despite the fewer opportunities they get in comparison to men. Women need to
recognise themselves and their strength and feel confident
about it," Modi said. "You will recognise your strength only
when you encounter a challenge. So, our women must use
the challenges they face to empower themselves," he added.
Bengal's situation making
nationalists agitate: Rudy
KOLKATA, (IANS) Standing behind West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh who has threatened to "chop off" pro-Pakistan sloganeers, union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy has said the prevailing
situation in the state has made nationalists agitate.
"BJP's soul is nationalism and integrity of the country and no
individual would accept any statement made against the
country. On hearing such slogans, BJP people get charged
up and that anguish gets reflected. "It is desirable that political leaders exercise refrain while expressing their sentiments, but so far as Ghosh's sentiments are concerned, we
are with him. Although there are always a different way of
putting things," Rudy told media persons here.
"Political leaders should exercise restraint but the situation
in Bengal is such that it will make anyone agitate. Language
establishes dignity and is very impor tant, but the situation
on the ground warrants that the BJP takes a positive lead as
far as politics of change in Bengal is concerned," said the
union minister of state for parliamentary affairs.
Addressing a par ty gathering in Birbhum district, Ghosh on
Wednesday said: "Anyone who raises slogans of 'Pakistan
Zindabad' will be chopped by six inches from top." Again on
Friday, Ghosh prescribed a "thrashing with shoes" to "cure"
Jadavpur University students who allegedly had raised proPakistan slogans.
Rudy also hit out at the Trinamool and the communists for
political violence in West Bengal and called for the Election
Commission to take cognisance of Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee's recent comments. During a TV interview, Banerjee
had said the central security forces would provide security
only during the polls and people would have to depend upon
her administration for the rest of the year.
"Bengal has a history of political violence with the communists, the Trinamool and the Congress being accused for it,
so I think the EC should take cognisance of the chief minister's
comments and ensure all measures for free and fair polls,"
said Rudy. He also exuded confidence of BJP's success in
the coming polls.
BANK LOAN DEFAULTERS
WON'T BE SPARED: JAITLEY
GURGAON, (IANS) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said getting Indian banks back in shape was a top priority of the
government, and that more resources will be found as and
when required to boost their capital. He also said loan defaulters will not be spared.
"If more funds are required, we will find out more sources,"
Jaitley said after a two-day "Gyan Sangam" here -- a retreat
for the top honchos of banks and financial institutions with
finance ministry officials, the central bank leadership and
other key policy-makers.
The minister said steps such as the proposed bankruptcy
law will help banks to a large extent in recovering their loans,
even as debt recovery tribunals could become the country's
first online cour ts to speed up the process.
General Accounting & Bookkeeping
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AMIT SHAH WANTS TO SEE
BJP AS KEY FORCE IN SOUTH
ARMY CHIEF DALBIR SINGH SUHAG PAYS OBEISANCE AT THE GOLDEN TEMPLE IN AMRITSAR (IANS).
Old agricultural pumps to be replaced
in Punjab; state joins 'Uday'
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Plans are being made to replace all inefficient old
agricultural pumps in Punjab, even as the state on Friday became the
seventh to join the central government's Uday debt restructuring
scheme for struggling state distribution companies (discoms). "We
will discuss replacing all inefficient old agricultural pumps with Mark
IV or V efficient pumps in Punjab," Power Minister Piyush Goyal said
at the MoU signing with Punjab, also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
"We have initiated talks with the centre to replace all inefficient agricultural pumps in Punjab with new ones. This will result in more
water and saving power. We will also talk about joining the LED lights
programme," Sukhbir Badal said. Highlighting the benefits of joining
the Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana (Uday), he said Punjab will
save over Rs.5,000 crore. "Our electricity depar tment will save Rs.600
crore on account of interest saving alone. Our depar tment will be
strengthened fur ther, which was working for making Punjab a power
surplus state," Badal said. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh are the other states that have signed the
Uday agreement.
With Punjab joining Uday, around Rs.1.6 lakh crore of discoms' debt
have been covered through the programme, which is about 37 percent of the total outstanding debt of Rs.4.3 lakh crore, the union power
ministry said in a statement here. "An overall net benefit of approximately Rs.5,475 crore would accrue to the state by opting to par ticipate in Uday," it said. "The government of Punjab would take over
Rs.15,628 crore of discom debt, being 75 percent of the total discom
debt of Rs.20,838 crore outstanding as on September 30, 2015. "The
scheme also provides for the balance debt of Rs.5,210 crore to be repriced or issued as state guaranteed Discom bonds, at coupon rates
around 3 percent less than the average existing interest rate," it added.
CHARGES AGAINST SON FALSE, I
AM REAL TARGET: CHIDAMBARAM
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said
on Sunday that he was the real target of the "preposterous, malicious and totally false" allegations of undisclosed assets levelled
against his son Kar ti.
In a statement here, Chidambaram referred to a news repor t and
said it contained "wild and reckless allegations" against his son
"and by implication against me". He said "it was obvious to
everyone that it was a planted story". The senior Congress leader
said if the Narendra Modi government was of the view that Kar ti
held undisclosed assets, he would transfer them to the government
for a token amount of one rupee.
"I ask the government to make a list of the alleged undisclosed
assets. Kar ti Chidambaram will voluntarily execute any document
necessary to transfer those assets to the government for a nominal
consideration of Re.1. Let the government become the owner of
those assets," he said.
Chidambaram said Kar ti ran a legitimate business, apart from
managing inherited proper ty, and has been an income tax assesse
for many years and duly disclosed all assets and liabilities. "He
has duly and regularly filed his income tax returns, including a
statement of assets and liabilities, every year. The assessments
have been completed up to assessment year 2013-14 by the
Income Tax Depar tment," the Congress leader said.
"He has no undisclosed asset anywhere. He and his business are
fully compliant with the laws and regulations of the Income Tax
Depar tment and of all other regulatory authorities concerned.
The allegation that he has undisclosed assets is preposterous,
malicious and totally false," Chidambaram said. The Congress
leader said he was issuing this statement on behalf of all members of his family.
SP SWEEPS UP LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
POLLS, BJP DRAWS A DUCK
LUCKNOW, (IANS) Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Par ty (SP) received a shot in its arm on Sunday as it won 23 out of 28 local bodies
seats in the legislative council. The Bahujan Samaj Par ty (BSP) won
two seats, the Congress one and the Bharatiya Janata Par ty drew a
duck. Two other seats were bagged by independent candidates. With
Sunday's victory, the SP has gained a majority in the 100-member
upper house. Seven SP candidates were declared elected unopposed.
The Samajwadi Par ty (SP) claimed that the victory was "acceptance
and endorsement" of the governance and developmental agenda
pushed by the Akhilesh Yadav government in the state. SP national
general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said that the mood of the state
showed that the par ty will romp back to power in the state assembly
polls, slated for early 2017. The BJP, which was handed over a stunning defeat, however sought to downplay the victory of the ruling
par ty, attributing it to muscle and money power. "The victory has very
little meaning as it was won on basis of political power, muscle and
money" said state BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak.
BJP GEARS UP WITH STREET DRAMAS,
LED VANS FOR BENGAL POLLS
KOLKATA, (IANS) The classic concept of 'nukkad nataks' (street threatre) in tandem with modern
LED vans roving across 294 constituencies in West Bengal will be a key feature in the state BJP's
mass campaigning initiatives for the 2016 Assembly polls in beginning April 4.
With themes taking a dig at the ruling Trinamool Congress and espousing the Bharatiya Janata
Par ty's (BJP) bid for "bringing back Bengal", the roster of street dramas will be rolled out in a week.
"Apar t from the usual, we will have nukkad nataks accompanied with huge LED display vans. Our
plan is at least 70 vans to cover 294 constituencies. The constituencies in each of the seven phases
of polls will have two or three LED vans moving along," BJP leader Jay Prakash Majumdar told IANS.
"Nukkad nataks will be organised by several groups. In each constituency, at least one group
(performing the street theatre) will be moving around for two days. Each show, on several issues,
will be of 20 minutes, laced with humour, emotion and songs," he said.
Majumdar said one of the themes is "banglae e ei baar BJP sorkar (BJP rule in Bengal this time)".
"The other is '34 has become 39' as in Trinamool regime since 2011 is the continuation of the (34
years of) misrule of CPI-M and we are saying 'parivartan na patan' (change, deterioration). They will
end on a positive note for bringing back Bengal," he said.
Catchphrases such as "Din Bodle Din BJP ke songe nin (Change the day, take BJP along)" will be
prefixed with words such as "dhorshon (rape), durniti (corruption)" etc. to target some of the major
issues that the Trinamool has been dealing with. "If it's on corruption, then we will say 'durnitir din
bodle din (change the days of corruption)' and so on and so forth," Majumdar added.
RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM (ANDHRA PRADESH), (IANS) BJP
president Amit Shah has said that he wants the par ty to emerge
as a key force in the electoral battle in south India. Addressing
a public meeting in Rajamahendravaram, as Rajahmundry is
now called, he said the Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) should
spread to all regions of the country.
"Modiji has given slogan of Congress-free country. If we have
to free the country from Congress, we have to ensure that be it
nor th, south, west and everywhere region, the BJP flag should
fly high and 'vande mataram' slogan is sung," he said. In Andhra
Pradesh, where BJP is a par tner in Telugu Desam Par ty-led
government, this was the first public meeting of BJP after state's
bifurcation.
He asked BJP workers to take the par ty to every village and
booth in the state and strengthen the organisation. "Those who
say that BJP is a par ty of the north should know that the par ty
unit in Andhra Pradesh is the strongest in the country," he said.
He claimed that the BJP which star ted with 11 only members,
is today the largest par ty in the world with 11 crore strong
membership.
The BJP chief said that though there are NDA governments at
both the centre and in the state, their political rivals are making a false propaganda that the BJP-led government at the Centre is not extending necessary suppor t to Andhra Pradesh.
During the last one-and-half years, Modi government has
given schemes wor th Rs.1.40 lakh crore to Andhra Pradesh,
he said. Stating that Polavaram project is the lifeline of the
state, the BJP leader said it was Modi government which is
making it a reality by merging seven 'mandals' (of Telangana)
with Andhra Pradesh.
Mallya blames media, seeks
to clarify why Kingfisher failed
BENGALURU, (IANS) In a damage control exercise, beleaguered
industrialist Vijay Mallya blamed media for spoiling his reputation and sought to clarify why his dream airline Kingfisher
failed. "The past few days have witnessed a near hysterical
campaign in the media directed against me," 60-year-old
Mallya said in a belated statement here.
Accusing media of indulging in sensationalism, he said he felt
the time had come to clarify his position in order to avoid
relentless attack on his reputation. "I have always lived an
honourable life and the calumny notwithstanding, shall continue to do so. As to the allegations in media, all I can say is I
hope some sobriety and sense will prevail and truth not held a
hostage to TRPs."
Recalling that Kingfisher was launched in 2005 on the basis of
viable business plan vetted by SBI Capital Markets and international aviation consultants, Mallya admitted that despite every effor t, the airline was an unfor tunate commercial failure
caused by macro-economic factors and then government policies. "The truth about Kingfisher Airlines and its financial stress
due to external factors has been repor ted by State Bank of
India (SBI) to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in their letter
dated 31st January 2012," he said in the statement.
Mallya's statement comes ahead of the Debt Recovery Tribunal's
order on the four interlocutory
applications (IAs)
the SBI moved on March 2,
seeking his arrest,
impounding his passport,
disclosure of his
assets in India abroad and
first claim to the
$75 million deal he had
signed with British liquor major Diageo plc
on February 25
for resigning as chairman of
its Indian arm
United Spirits Ltd (USL). The
t y coon also said he would
move to Britain to be
with his family.
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Lavrov, Kerry hail progress
in Syrian ceasefire
PEOPLE TRANSFER A MAN TO A HOSPITAL, INJURED IN A SUICIDE BOMB ATTACK IN PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN (IANS).
China to create 10 million jobs in 2016
BEIJING, (IANS) China aims to create at least 10 million new urban
jobs and keep the registered urban unemployment rate within 4.5
percent this year, according to a government work repor t delivered
by Premier Li Keqiang at the legislative annual session on Saturday.
Although the targets are unchanged from those for last year, meeting
them this year is unlikely to be easy. Weighed down by proper ty
market downturn, industrial overcapacity and subdued global demand,
the Chinese economy grew 6.9 percent last year, the slowest annual
expansion in a quar ter of a century. The growth target for this year is
in the range of 6.5 and 7 per cent, Xinhua news agency repor ted.
China is in a painful economic transformation, switching from an
investment-led model to one that relies on domestic consumption,
services and innovation. To achieve this goal, the country is actively
slimming down its bloated state-owned enterprises, especially in the
coal and steel sectors. According to preliminary forecasts, the two
sectors will see a combined laid-off workers totalling 1.8 million. To
cushion the effect of job losses on families and society , the central
government will allocate 100 $15.4 billion in two years to help laid-off
workers find new jobs. China's fast growing service industry is expected to take the baton of job creation. The service sector accounted
for 50.5 per cent of the country's gross domestic product last year, the
first time it exceeded the 50 per cent level.
Pakistan orders completion of two hydel projects by June
ISLAMABAD, (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered the completion of two major hydropower projects that will add
about 2,380 megawatts of electricity to the national grid before June 2017, the media repor ted recently.
The federal government has asked to ensure effective monitoring of the Tarbela-IV Extension Project and the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP) for their completion before the deadline, Dawn online repor ted. Informed sources said the chief executive officer
of the 969MW NJHP, Muhammad Zubair, was directed to shift the project's headquar ters from Islamabad to its site at Muzaffarabad for
on-site monitoring of the work. The water and power secretary was told to submit for tnightly repor ts about the two projects to the Prime
Minister Secretariat. It was repor ted that the Neelum-Jhelum project had faced delays in the past because of shortage of funds. The
project will produce 5.15 billion units of electricity.
MOSCOW, (IANS) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
and US State Secretary John Kerry on Sunday praised the
"real progress" in ensuring a cessation of hostilities in Syria.
"The two sides expressed an overall positive assessment
of real progress in achieving a truce on Syrian soil, which
is generally respected and has already led to a sharp decrease in the level of violence," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. Lavrov and Kerry, on a phone call,
stressed the need to prevent delay of intra-Syrian talks under the UN auspices, as well as to provide humanitarian aid
to blocked areas in Syria, repor ts Xinhua.
"It is essential to ensure from the very beginning the participation (in the intra-Syrian negotiations), along with the
delegation of the Syrian government, of a wide spectrum of
all opposition forces, including Syrian Kurds," the ministry
quoted Lavrov as saying. The top diplomats confirmed that
joint effor ts would be paid by both countries' representatives in Geneva to ensure smooth work of the International
Syria Suppor t Group (ISSG) task forces on humanitarian
and ceasefire issues. Lavrov and Kerry discussed a schedule of political contacts for the nearest future.
They also agreed to continue cooperate with all involved
par ties in order to find the ways to settle Yemeni conflict
through political dialogue. The Russia-US-backed cessation of hostilities plan has gone into effect at midnight last
Friday in all Syrian cities. The truce has so far been largely
adhered to despite sporadic violations. Currently, a UN-mediated
intra-Syrian talk was scheduled for March 9 in Geneva as a fresh
diplomatic effort to politically settle the Syria crisis.
E-MAIL INVENTOR RAY
TOMLINSON NO MORE
NEW YORK, (IANS) Internet pioneer Ray Tomlinson, who is
credited with the invention of e-mail, has died at the age of
74, media repor ts said. According to repor ts, Tomlinson
died of an apparent hear t attack late on Saturday. The US
computer programmer came up with the idea of electronic
messages that could be sent from one network to another in
1971, BBC repor ted.
His invention included the ground-breaking use of the "@"
symbol in e-mail addresses, which is now standard. He
sent what is now regarded as the first e-mail while working
in Boston as an engineer for research company Bolt, Beranek
and Newman. The firm played a big role in developing an early version of the internet, known as Arpanet. However, Tomlinson later said
he could not remember what was in that first test message, describing
it as "completely forgettable". A BBC report said his work was recognised
by his peers in 2012, when he was inducted into the Internet
Hall of Fame.
80 PERTOSA DRIVE, UNIT 12,
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France, Germany, Britain warn
on Syria peace talks
PARIS, (IANS) Top diplomats in France, Germany and Britain
on Friday warned that Syrian peace talks would fail unless
humanitarian aid was granted and a ceasefire respected. "We
wish for rapid resumption of negotiations in Geneva. But two conditions
must be met: Access of all Syrians to humanitarian aid and the full
respect of the ceasefire," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault
was quoted as saying by Xinhua. At a Paris meeting with his British and
German counterparts on the Syrian crisis, Ayrault noted "a real progress"
had been made in previous talks. However, "if these two conditions are
not met, then the negotiation process is bound to fail, which we do not
want," he said. The ministers also called on the main Syrian opposition
to attend Syrian peace talks due on March 9 with the aim to achieve a
political solution to the country's civil war.
INDIA DRAGS US TO WTO
OVER WORK VISAS
INDIAN HINDU PILGRIMS ARRIVE AT WAGAH BORDER LAHORE, PAKISTAN TO CELEBRATE SHIVARATRI FESTIVAL (IANS).
Netanyahu plays down tensions with US
JERUSALEM, (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has
said US Vice President Joe Biden's impending visit demonstrated the strong ties between the "close allies". "This visit
expresses the strong relations between Israel and our ally
the US," Netanyahu told his cabinet here. "There are those
who have predicted the collapse of these relations -- it is
not so," he said, in an apparent reference to his rocky
relations with President Barack Obama over Netanyahu's
opposition to the nuclear agreement with Iran, Xinhua
news agency repor ted.
Biden, who will arrive in Israel on Tuesday, will also visit the Palestinian
National Authority, Jordan, and the UAE. His visit comes amidst fears of
escalation in the wake of a six-month-long wave of bloody violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Whereas both Israel and the US
officials stress the strong security-related cooperation, diplomatic relations have been strained in recent years.
Most of the tensions have surrounded the different approaches
towards the nuclear deal signed by world powers and Iran, with
Netanyahu vocally objecting to the agreement signed between
world countries and Iran, calling it a "historic mistake", whereas
the US stood by the agreement. The US government had also
recently deplored Israel for its policies towards Palestinians in
the occupied territories in the West Bank, as well as a wave of right-wing
legislation against left-wing organisations.
North Korea warns of preemptive nuclear strike at US
PYONGYANG, (IANS) Nor th Korea on Monday warned of preemptive nuclear attacks against the US and South Korea as its joint military
exercises are scheduled to kick off later in the day. Nor th Korea's national defence commission said in a statement carried by state
media KCNA that the army and people of Nor th Korea "will make military counter-action for preemptive attack" and "launch an all-out
offensive" to cope with joint military drills conducted by South Korean and the US troops. Nor th Korea's military counter-action will be
"more preemptive and offensive nuclear strike" to cope with the enemies' "most undisguised nuclear war drills aimed to infringe upon
the sovereignty of the DPRK", the statement stressed.
NEW YORK, (IANS) India has dragged the US to the top global
trade arbiter over a dispute on temporary working visas, the
World Trade Organisation said recently. India has filed a complaint against the US for imposing increased fees on cer tain
categories of temporary work visas for the US and limits on
their numbers, a move that has hit India's expor t-driven IT
outsourcing firms, repor ts the BRICS post. A WTO statement said India has alleged these measures appear inconsistent with commitments that the US has made by
treating persons from India working in sectors such as
computer services less favourably than US citizens. The
US had 10 days to respond to the request, which will go to
the Dispute Settlement Body if India and the US cannot come to a
satisfactory agreement. The US Congress in December doubled the
cost of sponsoring workers under short-term H1B and L1 visas, and
spurred concerns of future curbs on IT workers sent overseas by US
companies before the US presidential election.
Iran test-fires ballistic missiles
TEHRAN, (IANS) Iran test-fired on Tuesday several ballistic
missiles in ongoing military drills attended by the senior commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The missile drills, conducted in different par ts of the country,
were aimed at enhancing Tehran's deterrent power in the face
of threats against the revolution and the territorial integrity of
Iran, official IRNA news agency repor ted.
On Tuesday, IRGC chief commander Mohammad Ali Jafari
said Iran's ongoing missile drills are "firm responses to the
nonsense babbled by the enemies about (possible) missilerelated sanctions" against Iran.
"Firing of the missiles is an embodiment of the ready-to-operate status of Iran's missile depots in every par t of the country," Jafari was quoted as saying by IRGC's website.
"The drills also unfold this point to the enemies that the deterrent power and the national security of Iran is our red-line and
we are not ready to negotiate over it with anybody," he said.
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Life not worth a biography,
lacks 'masala': Jeetendra
MUMBAI, (IANS) Yesteryear superstar Jeetendra says that his life is
not wor th being converted into a biography since it is very simple and lacks
"masala". "My life is very simple, it is not worth being written into a biography, for
that 'masala' is required," said Jeetendra at an event here. Legends of the industry
like Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand have come with their autobiographies, and recently, superstar-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha has unveiled his biography
"Anything But Khamosh" written by Bharathi S Pradhan. Jeetendra was present at
a musical event organized by IMC Ladies Wing to celebrate Women's Day, which
falls on March 8, on Wednesday. Renowned singer Anuradha Paudwal, and
Mahrashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta, who has recently
sung for the Priyanka Chopra-starrer "Jai Gangaajal" were also present to honour
women entrepreneurs. On International Women's Day, he said: "I think everyday is
a women's day in my home.. there are two big women, my wife and my daughter
(Shobha and Ekta Kapoor), they have done a good job in their life, so when I look at
them, it is women's day for me." Ekta and Shobha Kapoor have established
their footprint as producers in the television and film industry.
Extra-constitutional ban on
films unfair: Javed Akhtar
ALIA BHATT AND FAWAD KHAN DURING THE COVER LAUNCH OF FILMFARE MAGAZINE LATEST ISSUE IN MUMBAI (IANS).
'PRDP', 'DILWALE' VYING FOR
WORST FILM AWARD, WHY?
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Salman Khan's double avatar in "Prem Ratan Dhan
Payo" and Shah Rukh Khan's "Dilwale" might have created ripples at
the Indian box office, but both the movies are now competing to grab
the Worst Film trophy at the 8th Annual Golden Kela Awards.
Other films contending for the trophy are "Bombay Velvet", "Shaandaar"
and "Singh is Bliing". "Dilwale", which marked the return of
Bollywood's most loved onscreen couple -- SRK and Kajol -- after five
years, as well as the reunion of Salman with "Maine Pyar Kiya"
director Sooraj Barjatya after 16 years, registered good business. Both
films crossed the Rs100 crore mark. "Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo",
"Tevar" and "Singh Is Bliing" have bagged the maximum nominations
this year. The voting is open at www.goldenkela.com till March 30, and
the ceremony will take place at India Habitat Centre here next month,
read a statement. And this is not the only highlight of this year's
nominations. Bollywood's brother-sister duo Arjun Kapoor and Sonam
Kapoor have been nominated as worst actor nominees for the third
consecutive time. Arjun has been nominated for his act in "Tevar", and
is in the race for the trophy along with Arjun Rampal ("Roy"), Sooraj
Pancholi ("Hero"), Imran Khan ("Katti Batti") and all the male star cast
of "Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2". Among the actresses in the same
category, Arjun's "Tevar" heroine Sonakshi Sinha is pitted against
Sonam Kapoor ("Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo"), Shraddha Kapoor ("ABCD
2"), Amy Jackson for ("Singh is Bliing") and the whole female cast of
"Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon" and "Calendar Girls".
Salman has also been nominated for Baawra Ho Gaya Hai Ke Award.
The annual award ceremony acknowledges the worst that Bollywood
had to offer in the year 2015. Arjun and Sonakshi were named as the
Worst Actor (Male and Female) at the 7th Annual Golden Kela Awards.
PLAYERS OF TATA FOOTBALL ACADEMY'S IFA SHIELD WINNER UNDER-19 TEAM IN KOLKATA (IANS).
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NEW DELHI, (IANS) Veteran film writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar said imposing an
"extra-constitutional ban" on films, especially those on sensitive subjects, is not a
just practice. A few days ago, Hansal Mehta, filmmaker of "Aligarh" -- which
delves on the life of a homosexual professor whose sexual orientation takes a toll
on his job -- claimed his movie has been banned in Aligarh over the apprehension
that it shows the city's culture in a bad light. Later, district officials refuted the claim.
However, such bans and demands for bans have become common over time as
far as films are concerned. Asked to comment on it, Akhtar said at an event here on
Thursday: "These things have nothing to do with culture. When the film 'Fire',
starring Shabana (Azmi) and Nandita Das, was made, people had got it removed
from several theatres." "... If you don't like it, don't watch it. People must not raise
objections... Our films undergo censor certification; the censor board sees a movie,
they give a clearance after seeing if there's anything objectionable, then why resort
to extra-constitutional removal?" Akhtar said. "If you have a problem, question it, go
file a court case... but don't bully people into not showing a film. That's unfair." Akhtar
spoke here on the sidelines of an event held to launch Zee Classic's new offering
"The Golden Years 1950-1975, A Musical Journey with Javed Akhtar", which
celebrates the evergreen and magical melodies that emerged during the period.
The show, spanned across 26 weekly episodes, went on air on March 6.
SOURAV, INZAMAM
URGE RESUMPTION OF
INDIA-PAKISTAN SERIES
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Former India captain Sourav Ganguly and his Pakistan
counterpart Inzamam-ul-Haq have called for the resumption of bilateral series as it will improve relations between the two nations.
Speaking at a conclave on cricket organised by Aaj Tak news channel on
Monday, Ganguly and Inzamam turned nostalgic as they remembered their
playing days. "Cricketing series between India and Pakistan should happen.
It will be good for cricketing ties between the two nations and it will also help
to normalize relations between the two nations. People of both countries
want cricket should happen between the two teams, they love the players
and love to watch the match. Therefore the matches should happen," Inzamam
said. "There is a lot of brotherhood between the people of the two nations.
When India visited Pakistan in 2004, they ate at several hotels and restaurants. But nobody took money from them. Even when they went shopping,
Pakistan players used to personally accompany them and show them around.
Even the shopkeepers did not take money from them," he added.
The legendary batsman refused to comment on former Pakistan captain
Imran Khan's statement that Pakistan should not play in the World Twenty20
match against India in Dharamsala. "There is no security threat to Pakistan
team. There has never been security issues, so cricket should happen," he asser ted. The Dharamsala tie, scheduled for March 19, has
run into controversy with political leaders alongwith serving and retired personnel of the Indian Army voicing their opposition. Himachal
Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has asked the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) not to hold the match in Dharamsala as countless
martyrs and war heroes belong to that region.
18
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MARCH 08, 2016
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
MARCH 28,
08, 2012
2016
MidWeek
bollywood
19
hollywood
Kanye West uses Pirate Bay?
JOHN ABRAHAM AND NORA FATHI DURING THE TRAILER LAUNCH OF FILM ROCKY HANDSOME IN MUMBAI (IANS).
Farhan Akhtar's Women's Day
song talks of 'equal world'
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar has come up with
a new song "We are all on the goodside" for International Women's
Day. He says the track talks about equality in totality.
Farhan has associated with Farout Media, a music innovations, publishing and talent development company, and music director Kalyan
Baruah for the song. "The song talks about an equal world -- seeing
every person beyond gender, colour of skin cast, creed, economic
definition and race. It talks about celebrating equality as opposed to
challenging it," Farhan told IANS.
Music is a great way to express suppor t and highlights the impor tant
role and contributions women make in our society. This song also
celebrates the spirit of being a woman and their achievements
across the world. The "Wazir" actor says that he really cannot
dedicate this song to just a person, but it is for all those who are
"a par t of struggle".
The "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" star, who is dedicated towards raising
women empowerment issues and makes significant contributions
through MARD (Men Against Rape and Discrimination) and is the
male ambassador for UN Women in South Asia, says that he took inspiration for the song from a painting made by his younger daughter Akira.
"It's (the song) inspired by something that my younger daughter had
done. She created a drawing which had this written, 'We are all on the
good side'. I was inspired by that because I found that in its childlike
way, a great way to look at the world. "Hopefully everyone could see
it like that. That everyone is on the same side in one team of wanting
to live happily and peacefully with each other," he said.
URMILA MATONDKAR MARRIES
IN A QUIET CEREMONY
MUMBAI, (IANS) Bollywood
actress Urmila Matondkar tied the
knot on Thursday afternoon with
Kashmir-based businessman and
model Mohsin Akhtar Mir in a quiet
ceremony. "We kept it an exclusive
wedding with just family and
friends at the celebration. Since
our families wanted the wedding to
be a low-key affair, we mutually
decided to keep it private. We seek
your blessings on embarking this
new journey of our lives," Urmila,
42, said in a statement. A close
friend of Urmila, designer Manish
Malhotra was the only Bollywood
personality present at the wedding.
Manish later tweeted: "Most
beautiful bride Urmila Matondkar #
Congratulations". "Beautiful bride
Urmila Matondkar in @ Manish
Malhotra bespoke outfit from The
Regal Threads' an ode to #
MakeIndia," he said in another
tweet. The couple is repor tedly
planning a huge reception for their
friends and family members.
LISTEN TO THE SONG OF LAHORE
TORONTO - Directors Andy
Schocken and Academy Award
winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
take you on a musical journey with
SONG OF LAHORE. Featuring an
ensemble of Pakistani musicians
looking to reclaim and reinvigorate their sound, from Lahore to
New York and back again with an
undeniably catchy twist, traditional strings and drums combine
to create earworm renditions of
international classics. Their live
adaptation of Dave Brubeck's
"Take Five" now has over one million views on YouTube and attracted the attention of jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, who invited the troupe to take the stage at
New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center. Called "elegant and moving" by The New York Times, SONG
OF LAHORE screens at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 506 Bloor Street W between March 4-10. In
English, Punjabi and Urdu, with English subtitles. Tickets and showtimes: http://ow.ly/YFIFz
LOS ANGELES, (IANS) Rapper Kanye West has sparked
speculation that he uses illegal torrent
sites. The "All Day" hitmaker caused
controversy when he posted on
Twitter a screenshot of his laptop to
show he was listening to Sufjan
Stevens, but it was the other tabs he
had open which caught the eye of
fans, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
While one tab read "Pirate Bay Torrent Xfe...", another displayed "Xfer
Records Serum t..", prompting
Twitterati, including producer
Deadmau5, to accuse him of stealing
wave table synthesiser programme
Serum by Xfer Records. The
Electronic Dance Music
star tweeted:
"What the
f***
@kanyew.es.t
Can't
afford serum? D***. (sic)"
Deadmau5 also called on fans to donate money to help West
who recently claimed he was $53 million in debt, to help him
purchase the $189 music production programme, which is used
to produce high-quality sound with an easy-to-use interface. "Let's
start a kickstarter to help Kanye West afford a copy of Serum. He
needs a small loan of $200 #prayforyeezy," he posted.
Freida Pinto to play mother in
'Jungle Book: Origins'
LOS ANGELES, (IANS) Actress Freida Pinto says she is
portraying Mowgli's adoptive mother in "Jungle Book: Origins". In an interview with etonline.com, the Indian actress opened up about her upcoming role in Warner
Brothers' motion capture live-action adventure adaptation of "The Jungle Book", based on the novel by Rudyard
Kipling. "I play Mowgli's adoptive mother, so I'm very,
very excited about it," Pinto said. "I read 'The Jungle
Book' and watched the TV series in India growing up,
and for me, to finally be par t of the film that reminds
me so much of my childhood is just amazing," the 31year-old added. "It's one of those films that I feel, no
matter what age group you are, you're going to enjoy
that film, and I feel like it's been a while since I've done
something like that, because most of my films have not
been good enough for children. A little too intense, so
I'm very happy to finally be doing a film that can be
(watched by kids)." Director Andy Serkis's adaptation
of the classic tale is set to hit theatres in October 2017.
Running
successfully
20
MidWeek
bollywood
Movie Review
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MARCH 08, 2016
MIDWEEK BOX
OFFICE REPORT
NEERJA
55 CR
JAI GANGAAJAL
20 CR
ALIGARH
12 CR
ZUBAAN
10 CR
TERE BIN LADEN: DEAD OR ALIVE 8 CR
top
KAUL, NINAD
CHOPRA, MANAV
CAST: PRIYANKA
ARKAR,
ARMA, KIRAN KARM
KAMAT, MURLI SH
PRAKASH JHA
RAHUL BHAT AND
H JHA
DIRECTOR: PRAKAS
RATING: ***
'Jai Gangaajal': A filmmaker's
attempt to purify the system
BY TROY RIBEIRO
Prakash Jha's "Jai Gangaajal", a sequel to his 2003 film "Gangaajal", is a
social drama which attempts to expose the rampant corruption in the police
force and highlights the triumph of good over evil. Set in Bankipur in Bihar, the
tale revolves around the malpractices and unlawful activities of Vidhayak
Bablu Pandey, a local politician, (Manav Kaul) and his younger brother W
Patel (Ninad Kamat). They have unleashed a reign of terror on the villagers,
as they have a firm grip over the police force and most senior police officers
are on their pay rolls, including B.N. Singh aka Circle Babu (Prakash Jha).
The posting of SP Abha Mathur (Priyanka Chopra), an honest tough policewoman, signals the end of corruption and how she sets about cleaning the
system and bringing about a change, forms the crux of this over two hour film.
Priyanka Chopra as SP Abha Mathur, the no-nonsense police officer who
executes her duty sincerely is competent, but not impressive. Her physical
agility and demeanour in the action sequences, are praiseworthy but her
performance, average. She brings nothing new to her character and the
swagger when she steps out of the jeep and throws away her Ray-Ban
shades, is uncalled for and repetitive. Prakash Jha himself, as the corrupt
policeman who later realises the significance of his khakhi, and tries to make
amends, is the surprise package of the film. He lives his character and has
a commanding screen presence. In a well etched role, he portrays the graph
of his character superbly, making each aspect look distinct and convincing.
Manav Kaul as Bablu Pandey, the shrewd local politician and goon, essays
his character with his usual brilliance. His restrained performance with
occasional outbursts, is powerful. Ninad Kamat as W Pandey, his younger
brother is equally potent as the local hoodlum who terrorises people and
wreaks havoc.
Murli Sharma as Munna Mardani, an effeminate henchman of Bablu Pandey,
makes an impact in his limited screen time. Kiran Karmarkar as the minister
who protects and fuels the misdeeds of Bablu Pandey delivers a good performance, but it is nothing extraordinary.
While the story is a run-of-the-mill tale that mirrors the state of affairs in the
country, the screenplay is compact and tight and never meanders from its
key focus. Some of the atrocities by the local goons and the fight sequences,
however, could have been trimmed to a large extent, as these make for
tedious viewing. The background score is perfunctorily effective, the notes
heightening to a crescendo, only to increase the drama quotient of some
scenes, which seems unnecessary. The dialogues, interspersed with a few
English words like "Galat misguide, hua ji", are crisp and some loaded
with hard-hitting metaphors, create an immense impact. It also delivers
powerful messages like; "Khaki ka rang agar saaf ho toh, phir chahe use
mard pehne, ya aurat, tum jaise namardon ko unki aukaat dikha deti hai".
Overall, Prakash Jha's astute direction in handling crowd scenes and
recreating an atmosphere of oppression and subjugation comes to the fore
once again in "Jai Gangaajal".
FIRST POSTER OF AKSHAY KUMAR'S 'RUSTOM' REVEALED
MUMBAI, (IANS) Bollywood action star Akshay Kumar on Thursday
revealed the first poster of his for thcoming film "Rustom" in which
he plays a naval officer. With Akshay, wearing a naval officer's uniform and sporting a thin moustache, in the foreground of the poster,
it also features a small image of his co-star Ileana D'Cruz. Dressed
in a black off-shoulder number, she can be seen with her back facing
a man in the poster that also has a zoomed in view of a newspaper.
Adding drama to the poster, which has a rose sepia tint, are the three
bullet shots on the title of the film. "3 shots that shocked the nation
and changed his life! Find out what happened with #Rustom this
August 12, 2016," he posted on the micro-blogging website. The Tinu
Suresh Desai film is set for a August 12 release. This isn't the first
time that Akshay is playing a defence officer in films. He had essayed the role
of an Army officer in "Holiday: A Soldier is Never Off Duty". He was
also seen in films like "Airlift" and "Gabbar Is Back" that experimented with the theme of patriotism.
10
songs
SONG
1
FILM:
SANAM RE
SANAM RE
FILM
JEETE HAIN CHAL
NEERJA
GAZAB KA HAI YEH DIN
SANAM RE
BEKHUDI
TERAA SURROOR
HIGH HEELS
KI & KA
ROCK THA PARTY
ROCKY HANDSOME
MAIN WOH CHAAND
TERAA SURROOR
JHALLI PATAKHA
SAALA KHADOOS
AYE KHUDA
ROCKY HANDSOME
ATRANGI YAARI
WAZIR
HIT OR FLOP MIDWEEK
NEERJA
FITOOR
ALIGARH
TERE BIN LADEN: DEAD OR ALIVE
LOVESHHUDA
HIT
HIT
HIT
HIT
AVERAGE
Shabana, Sushmita back
#StandWithAGirl initiative
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Celebrated women from Indian showbiz - Shabana Azmi, Sushmita Sen, Gul Panag and Dia Mirza -have lent their suppor t to National Geographic channel's
#StandWithAGirl initiative, which begins with the television premiere
of "He Named Me Malala" on International Women's Day on March 8.
The initiative is the channel's way to support education and empowerment of the girl child -- a cause close to the celebrities' life. "It's time to raise
our voice against illiteracy and inequality. I support girl's education with all
my heart. We all need to stand up to fight all obstacles that come in the way
of our daughters' education. The least we can do is to communicate the
significance of education and empowerment of our country's daughters,"
Sushmita, a former beauty queen who raises two adopted daughters as a
single parent, said in a statement. Being premiered as the channel's
'Megadoc', "He Named Me Malala" is a critically acclaimed documentary
on Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousufzai, who braved bullets to
further the cause of girls' education and has since stood for the importance
of standing up for girls' rights, relentlessly. Every month, the 'Megadoc'
will feature a documentary of global significance.
RISHI KAPOOR BECOMES
MAHESH BHATT'S FAN
New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor praised
filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's show "Khwaabon ka Safar with
Mahesh Bhatt", saying it is "insightful and interesting. What a
wonderful show by Mahesh Bhatt on Epic Channel. Saw the
one on Filmistan. So insightful and interesting. My best," Rishi
tweeted. Bhatt, who has been associated with the Hindi film
industry for over four decades, is a host of the show, which is
aired on The EPIC Channel. The show brings some of
Bollywood's most iconic personalities on the small screen.
Arshad Warsi welcomes two
'new members' in family
PRATIBHA BAGHEL, MIKA SINGH AND VAISHALI MHADE AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE OF ZEE TV'S LATEST SEASON OF SA RE
GA MA PA IN MUMBAI (IANS).
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Actor Arshad Warsi has welcomed two
new members to his family - a new bike and a pup. The actor
shared the news about the addition to his family on the vir tual
medium Twitter, and shared an image of them. He tweeted:
"Two new members in my family. Ziggy and my bike, Indian
Scout". The actor shared an image where the dog is looking at
the camera with amusement, while the motorcycle is in the
background. With another image, he wrote: "My Ziggy's
favourite pastime is chewing my fingers."
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
MARCH 28,
08, 2012
2016
MidWeek
21
BCCI CONGRATULATE INDIAN
TEAM FOR ASIA CUP WIN
MIRPUR (BANGLADESH), (IANS) BCCI president Shashank
Manohar congratulated the memebers of the Indian team after
they defeated Bangladesh in the Asia Cup final at the Sher-eBangla National Stadium here on Sunday evening. India rode
on a 94-run stand between Delhi lads Virat Kohli and Shikhar
Dhawan to overhaul the 121-run target in 13.5 overs. Dhawan
scored 60 while Kohli remained unbeaten on 41.
"With the Asia Cup triumph, Team India have proved their dominance in the shor test format of the game and emerged as the
best T20 side in Asia. I extend my hearty congratulations to the
team on their convincing win over Bangladesh in the final," Board
of Control for Cricket in India chief Manohar said in a statement.
"With India set to host the ICC World T20, this win is a step in
the right direction," he added. BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur
also praised the team. "I congratulate Team India on winning
the Asia Cup title for the sixth time. India have performed brilliantly in the tournament that saw a change in the format for the
first time. India's remarkable run in the T20Is that star ted from
the 3-0 series win on Australian soil, followed by the 2-1 win
over Sri Lanka at home puts India in just the right space
ahead of the ICC World T20," he said.
INDIA PADDLERS BAG GOLD
IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
HARBHAJAN SINGH, ROHIT SHARMA, SURESH RAINA, AJINKYA RAHANE AND RAVINDRA JADEJA ARRIVE AT NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA
BOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN KOLKATA (IANS).
INDIA LIFTS ASIA CUP 2016;
THRASH BANGLADESH IN FINAL
CONTD. FROM PAGE 1
The Delhi batsman attempted a square drive off a full toss, but
Sarkar dived to his right to pluck the ball inches off the ground.
But by then, India were well on the road to victory and Dhoni
strode in to finish off the job with some trademark powerpacked hits.
Earlier, Mohammad Mahmudullah produced some lower order
fireworks as Bangladesh posted 125/5 in 15 overs. Walking in
with Bangladesh in trouble at 75/5, the right-hander proceeded
to hit two boundaries and an equal number of sixes in his 13ball innings to remain unbeaten on 33.
Sabbir Rahman gave him crucial suppor t from the other end
with 32 runs from 29 balls. The duo produced a 45-run par tnership to help the hosts to a competitive total. Indian pacers
Jasprit Bumrah (1/13) and Ashish Nehra (1/33) made good use
of the seam friendly conditions to remove the Bangladesh
openers early on.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who opened the Indian
bowling, had figures of 1/14 while left-arm spinner Ravindra
Jadeja (1/25) also bagged a wicket. Bangladesh had a decent
star t with 11 runs in the first two overs before Bumrah pegged
back the run rate with just three runs in the third over.
The Bangladesh openers tried to push up the run rate with
Sarkar smashing two boundaries in the next over. But Nehra
struck back immediately as he mistimed the last ball of the
over while playing across the line to offer an easy catch to
Hardik Pandya at mid-off.
Bumrah then piled on the pressure by trapping Tamim Iqbal leg
before. With both openers gone, Shakib al Hasan and Rahman
set about trying to rebuild the innings. They were cautious in
the initial stages before trying to break the shackles with some
big hits. The duo added 34 runs between them before Shakib
was caught by Bumrah at shor t fine leg while tr ying to sweep
Ashwin.
Bangladesh suffered back to back jolts in the 12th over when
Mushfiqur Rahim was found shor t of his crease while attempting a second run, while Mashrafe Mor taza holed out to deep
midwicket in the very next ball as Bangladesh reeled at 75/5.
Mahmudullah then provided the crucial big hits later on to help
the hosts to a strong finish.
'PAKISTAN PACER AMIR MADE VIDEO TO EDUCATE
CRICKETERS AGAINST GRAFT'
MUMBAI, (IANS) International Cricket Council's (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit chief Ronnie Flanagan on Sunday said Pakistan pacer
Mohammad Amir, after being freed from prison for involvement in spot-fixing, made a video admitting his mistake and the effect it had
on him to educate the young cricketers to not get into such trap.
Amir was banned from all cricket-related activity for five years after being found guilty of spot-fixing during a Test match against England
in 2010. At the time of his ban, the left-arm pacer was just 18-year-old and was touted as one of the world's most promising bowlers,
having already appeared in 14 Tests and taken 51 wickets.
The 23-year-old pacer has now made a successful comeback to international cricket and is currently in prime form. "Amir at the very
early stage did make a video for us, where he admitted his fault and described the effect that it had on him. ICC has used the video in the
past for the education with players," Flanagan said.
"Someone who is genuine and honestly admitting his mistake -- it is impor tant to use their experience for others to avoid such things
in future," Flanagan told a press conference here before the star t of sixth edition of ICC World Twenty20 from March 8 in India.
"It can be a big and dramatic message for the young international players to hear those words from none other than the person who has
gone through these things and come out and admitted his mistake. We used Amir's video after he was out from prison. He came up and
volunteered his assistance. I think it is an useful tool," he added.
The 27-day World T20 tournament begins in Nagpur on March 8 and will be played at eight venues across India with Eden Gardens in
Kolkata scheduled to host the final on April 3. The retired senior British police officer said a 24-hour tournament-specific hotline has
been set up to repor t on "corrupt approaches" by the players and others.
DETAILS ON
PAGE 23
KUALA LUMPUR, (IANS) India paddlers made history twice in
less than 24 hours with both women's and men's teams emerging triumphant in the second division of their respective sections at
the 2016 World Table Tennis Championships. The Indian women's
team beat Luxemburg 3-1 in the second division final before their
male counterparts overcame a stiff competition from Brazil 3-2.
Their top-podium finish followed the exceptional achievements on
Friday night of qualifying for the next edition's champions division.
Incidentally, this was the first time ever that the women's team have
kept a clean slate at the World Championships. They won all their
eight matches in the first and the second stages.
The men however, started with with a loss to Nigeria in their opening
group match, but won all their games tthereafter to achieve top honours.
Approaching the final confidently, the experienced Mouma Das gave
the Indian women a winning start when she defeated Danielle
Konsbruck 3-0, though Danielle managed to stretch Mouma somewhat in the third game. After a couple of deuces, the Indian shut her
opponent out. Manika then won 3-1 against Tessy Gonderinger
and then beat Danielle 3-0 to wrap up a memorable win for
India. "It was a great experience for all of us. We will remember this feat at KL for a long time to come," said Manika Batra
after completing the win. "I am happy I star ted well and our
combined effor ts and consistency throughout have paid us dividends," Mouma said later. With the Indian men achieving two
hard-fought wins on their way to the final, the team management decided to rest veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal for the
title decider against Brazil. But it seemed to be a wrong decision with India trailing 1-2 despite Harmeet Desai pulling one
back after Soumyajit Ghosh lost the opening rubber. Worse
was to come when Anthony Amalraj, who was leading the third
rubber 2-1 at one stage, went down to Thiago Monterio, putting
India in a precarious position. However, Ghosh made amends
with a fantastic 3-0 win over Cazuo Matsumoto to keep Indian
hopes alive. Harmeet then won a tense decider 15-13.
China crush Japan for men's TT title
KUALA LUMPUR, (IANS) China routed a toothless Japanese
team 3-0 to claim their eighth straight men's title at the World
Team Table Tennis Championships at the Malawati Stadium
here on Sunday. Rooted for by about 15,000 Chinese clad in
either red or white, Xu Xin, Ma Long and Zhang Jike, ranked No.
3, No. 1 and No. 4 respectively in the world, beat Jun Mazutani,
Maharu Yoshimura and Yuya Oshima, repor ts Xinhua.
Both Xu and Ma won in straight sets while Olympic champion
Zhang, as a slow star ter, lost the first set in his 3-1 victory over
Oshima. Last time China lost the men's crown was in 2000 -right here in Kuala Lumpur, where Liu Guoliang, now China's
head coach, and Kong Longhui, now women's coach, were
stunned by an aging Swedish team led by Jan-Ove Waldner.
Earlier, China took their third straight, 20th overall, women's
team crown after beating Japan 3-0 in the final, where the Japanese women put up a real fight, snatching three sets from
Olympic champion Li Xiaoxia and world champion Ding Ning.
FIXTURES OF ALL MATCHES
DURING 2016 T20 WORLD CUP
England have good chance to
win World T20: Collingwood
LONDON, (IANS) England's powerful batting line-up will give them a
strong chance of winning the for thcoming World Twenty20, according
to former captain Paul Collingwood. Collingwood was skipper of the
national team when they lifted the World T20 trophy in 2010, beating
Australia in the final in Barbados.
T20 specialists Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Joe
Root, Sam Billings, Jason Roy and James Vince, who are par t of the
T20 squad that will fly to India have been par t of successes recently
and coach Trevor Bayliss will hope the young team delivers well in
spinner friendly pitches.
"With players like that, you'll always have a chance to win major
tournaments. The fielding is world-class, the batting line-up is powerful right down to nine or 10. There are good things happening in this
team," Collingwood was quoted as saying by the BBC on Thursday.
The former all-rounder will travel to India with the England team as a
batting consultant.
"Everybody has seen the way white-ball cricket has been going over
the past year, it's been very exciting. We need to realise the good
things they've been doing the past year, the way they've played their
cricket, these guys are very much athletes now. If they play like they
did against Australia or New Zealand they can beat anyone," the 39year-old said.
Batsman Vince is also confident that England have the talent to be
strong challengers. The 24-year-old did not feature on the recent tour
of South Africa, but he was par t of the Karachi Kings team which
reached the semi-finals of the Pakistan Super League in February.
"Although the South Africa series didn't quite go to plan, the way
the guys have been playing their one-day cricket and T20 cricket
over the last 12 months or so gives us a real chance. We'll just go
out there and play the way we can do, and if we do that we'll go
somewhere," Vince said.
INDIA HAVE STRONG CHANCE TO WIN WORLD T20: SEHWAG
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Former swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag said on Monday that India have a good chance of winning the World
Twenty20 championship which starts on Tuesday. "India has 99 percent chances of winning the T20 World Cup. I say this because India
today has one of world's best batting and bowling line ups. The Indian
team is fit to take on any challenge," Sehwag said at a conclave
organised by news channel Aaj Tak in the capital. Predicting that India
could meet either South Africa or West Indies in the final, Sehwag
pointed out that the men in blue have tasted success in recent times
and have the right mix of youth and experience.
"India will also get the advantage of playing in domestic conditions.
Dhoni will be able to bank on the likes of senior and experienced
players like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra and he
can use their advice to come out of any crunch situation," Sehwag
said. The 37-year-old also asserted that India captain Mahendra Singh
Dhoni would be a more effective batsman if he promotes himself up the batting
order and comes in at number four. "If he bats at number four, it is good for the
team. He can play fast bowlers and spinners with equal elan and knows
when to slow down or accelerate. I have been saying it since 2015 World
Cup. I am not saying that he won't get out at that number but he can win
more matches for India," Sehwag said.
Sikh hockey legend Balbir Singh honoured in Canada
Toronto, (IANS) An Indian-origin Sikh hockey player was honoured in
the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC), a media repor t said.
Assistant deputy speaker of the BC Legislature, MLA Raj Chouhan,
honoured 92-year-old Indian field hockey legend Balbir Singh in the
House recently.
"Madam Speaker it gives me a great pleasure and honour to speak
about an unsung hero and a forgotten legend. Balbir Singh has won
three Olympic Gold medals in field hockey. The first in 1948 in London, winning India's first gold medal as a sovereign nation. He won
the second gold in Helsinki. He led his team in scoring, including
setting an Olympic / Guinness Record in the final when he scored
five goals. That record stands to this day," Chouhan said.
"Then again in 1956 in Melbourne he won his third gold medal
when he led his team. He scored 22 goals over three Olympic
Games. Singh was the only chief coach and manager to lead India
to a World Cup victory in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur, he added. Singh
was named one of 16 Iconic Olympians by the International Olympic Committee along with Jesse Owens and Australian track and
field star Cathy Freeman in 2012. He was the only South Asian
and field hockey player on the list.
24
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MARCH 08, 2016