Part 1 - South Asian Daily
Transcription
Part 1 - South Asian Daily
INDIAN PARLIAMENT OKAYS LAND BILL AMID OPPOSITION'S PROTEST PAKISTANI HINDUS CELEBRATE HOLI IN LAHORE (IANS). Average detached house in Toronto edging at a million dollars TORONTO - Toronto Real Estate Board President Paul Etherington announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 6,338 home sales through the TorontoMLS system in February 2015. This result represented a substantial 11.3 per cent yearover-year increase compared to February 2014. Large annual increases in transactions were noted for most major home types, in the City of Toronto and surrounding GTA regions. "Even with the record low temperatures last month, we still saw an increase in the number of people purchasing homes in the GTA. This speaks to the importance households place on home ownership and the fact that buy- ers continue to view ownership housing as a quality long-term investment in which they can live," said Mr. Etherington. The overall supply of homes for sale, as measured by the count of active listings at the end of February 2015, was down by 8.7 per cent compared to the same count in February 2014. This means that market conditions became tighter, leading to more competition between buyers. The overall average selling price for February 2015 home sales was $596,163 - up by 7.8 per cent compared to the average for February 2014. Driving this increase was the detached market segment. In the City of Toronto, the average detached selling price moved above $1 million dollars for the first time in a calendar month. "The strong year-overyear price growth we experienced in February points to the robust demand for ownership housing in the GTA, coupled with a con- strained supply of homes for sale in some market segments, especially where low-rise home types like singles, semis and townhouses are concerned," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Director of Market Analysis. Sydney murder: Sushma Swaraj speaks to Australian counterpart 41-year-old Prabha Arun Kumar stabbed to death in Australia (IANS) Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj (IANS) New Delhi/Sydney (IANS): External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday took up with her Australian counterpart the murder of an Indian IT consultant in a Sydney street. Australian police have released CCTV footage of the woman minutes before she was stabbed to death three days ago. Prabha Arun, 41, employed with Bengaluru-based technology firm MindTree, was attacked at Amos Street in western Sydney on Saturday evening. She was on the phone with her husband Arun Kumar, who lives in Bengaluru with their 10-year-old daughter, when she was stabbed and was around 300 metres from her Westmead home. She was treated at the scene for stab wounds to her neck from a sharp-edged weapon and later died at Westmead Hospital. New Delhi, (IANS) The Lok Sabha here on Tuesday passed the contentious land acquisition bill amid a walkout by opposition par ties even as the government moved nine amendments to address concerns raised by farmers. Shiv Sena, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Par ty, abstained during the voting. The proposed legislation removes the need for obtaining consent of land-owners and carrying out social impact assessment (SIA) for acquiring land under cer tain categories -- precisely the provisions which had raised the heckles of critics. Rural Development Minister Birender Singh, who took potshots at the Congress, his former party, moved nine official amendments, which were adopted. With opposition members repeatedly insisting on division to register their disagreement, it took more than an hour for the bill to be passed after the minister's reply to nearly eight-hour debate. The Right to Fair Compensation, Rehabilitation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2015 faces a tough call in the Rajya Sabha where the government is in minority. Opposition leaders in the upper house have already hinted that they would try and send the bill to a Standing or Select Committee. The Congress, which had moved a number of amendments in the Lok Sabha -- all were negated -- demanded that the bill be sent to the Standing Committee. "They have not accepted even a single amendment proposed by us. This bill is anti-farmer. So we are walking out," said Congress leader of the house Mallikarjun Kharge. The CPI-M, CPI, AAP, RJD, JD-S and Samajwadi Par ty, Trinamool Congress members did the same. Biju Janata Dal members had walked out minutes earlier. Shiv Sena leader and union minister Anant Geete indicated that the party was likely to abstain during voting in the Rajya Sabha also. "We wanted to convey that land of farmers should be taken with their consent. The decision (to abstain) was not to put the government in trouble. It will continue (in Rajya Sabha)," Geete told IANS. Road transpor t minister Nitin Gadkari told IANS that the bill will speed up development and create new employment. Yadav, Bhushan wanted AAP to lose in Delhi: Kejriwal loyalists New Delhi, (IANS) The AAP crisis worsened on Tuesday, with four leaders known to be close to par ty chief Arvind Kejriwal accusing senior colleagues Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan of having attempted the par ty's defeat in the Feb 7 Delhi assembly polls. The allegation was levelled in a statement by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, minister Gopal Rai and two other Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) leaders Pankaj Gupta and Sanjay Singh. It prompted Yadav to say that he hoped the charge would lead to an "open, transparent dialogue" for the truth to prevail. Prashant Bhushan said: "Time has come for the country to know the whole truth about the matter and the truth will come out soon." In a joint statement, the four leaders on Tuesday said the AAP National Executive decided on March 4 to "release" Bhushan and Yadav from the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) -- the party's highest decision-making body -- and assign them new responsibilities. "While all workers were struggling to ensure the par ty's victory, the trio - Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav and Shanti Bhushan - were making all-out effor ts for the par ty's defeat (in Delhi)," the statement said. "The PAC did not publicise the reasons behind the move as it could affect the senior duo's reputation," it said, in reference to Prashant Bhushan, an AAP founder member and a senior Supreme Cour t advocate, and Yadav, widely seen as a leading political exper t. Shanti Bhushan is Prashant Bhushan's father and also a leading advocate. "But the manner in which an atmosphere has been created that the National Executive was undemocratic and irresponsible, and the questions raised in the minds of the AAP activists, we are compelled to give this explanation," the statement added. CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON 2 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 MIDWEEK NEWS NEWS WEEKLY WEEKLY TUESDAY, AUGUST TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 10, 2012 2015 page 3 MidWeek 3 Liberals Host an International Women's Day Brunch in Brampton Party has nominated 70 women candidates across the country, including 3 in Peel Region BRAMPTON - Local Liberals gathered in Brampton to celebrate the contributions of women in Canadian politics. The event, which highlighted local Liberal candidates Kamal Khera (Brampton West), Ruby Sahota (Brampton Nor th) and Iqra Khalid (Mississauga-Erin Mills) was headlined by special guest Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke Nor th). "International Women's Day offers us all the oppor tunity to recommit to the ongoing work for equality everywhere," said Liberal MP Duncan. "Today's event reminds us of the progress we have made as a society and also the need to continue to push for equality." Par ticipants at this year's brunch were impressed with the Liberal commitment to engaging women in politics. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has made it a priority to nominate women to run in this year's election. "I am proud to be one of 70 female candidates ?already nominated by the Liberal Par ty," said Kamal Khera. "In Brampton half of the Liberal Par ty's nominated candidates are female." "Having women in leadership roles, as candidates, MP's and in par ty leadership is an impor tant step for our par ty, " said Ruby Sahota. "Today's brunch served as a reminder to all of us of the profound work we have done already, and as a rallying call for the work that still needs to be done to reach true equality." "To receive the suppor t from those in attendance builds on a long tradition in our region of suppor ting equality," said Iqra Khalid. "Coming from a city that elected Mayor McCallion for over 30 years, we have seen first hand the impor tance female leadership can have in our city." 4 MidWeek special report MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 Brampton's Mayfield Village Taking Shape BRAMPTON - Construction is in full swing and some families have already begun to take possession and many more families are looking forward to moving into their beautiful new Mayfield Village homes. It's exciting to see the first glimpses of a young new community. Inspire Boulevard is the main entrance to the community off of Dixie Rd. It's here that you'll get your first glimpse of the unique urban village feel with live work retail units lining the street. With a little imagination, you can already see families shopping, friends meeting at the local coffee shop and kids playing at one of the many parks along Mayfield Village's main corridor. The well-appointed live work towns that line Inspire Boulevard, best demonstrate the unique urban villagelifestyle that has drawn residents to Mayfield Village. Upscale storefront facades present a welcoming feel to residents who will no longer worry about commuting to get many of their everyday necessities. A quick stroll to Inspire Boulevard represents that new urban village feeling that Mayfield Village will quickly become known for. With five award winning builders, what's immediately apparent is the sheer variety of new homes now nearing completion. Different models, sizes and designs provide various choices for every type of buyer. From first homebuyers to those looking to expand their families and living space; Mayfield Village caters to everyone. The neighbouring business park is also beginning to take shape. Next to the Mayfield Rd exit off Highway 410, you can see the beginnings of Brampton's new premier auto mall. On the nor th side of Mayfield Rd. you'll notice the new Acklands Grainger head office; Testament to the beginnings of Brampton's next big business park. With many other businesses set to Pakistani activist honored with International Women of Courage Award Islamabad (IANS): After youngest ever nobel peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai, the scenic Swat valley is again in the limelight on the world scene due to another brave woman from the area -- the founder of an NGO. In recognition of her service for women's rights, the US has awarded Adnan the 2015 Secre- tary of State's International Women of Courage Award, Dawn repor ted. Deputy Secretary Higginbottom presented 10 extraordinary women from 10 countries the award. US First Lady Michelle Obama would join Higginbottom and the award winners as a special guest. A victim of child marriage, Adnan was married at the age of 13. The marriage and spike with domestic abuse, ended after 20 years when she gathered courage to divorce her husband. Later she started her NGO, Khwendo Jirga, or Sister's Council, a women-only Jirga, where women meet weekly to discuss issues such as honor killings, acid attacks, and swara, or giving women as compensation for crimes. The Jirga launched awareness campaigns on women security, right to vote and offer free legal help to victims of violence. According to a press release by the US Depar tment of State, "the Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award annually recognises women around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality and women's empowerment, often at great personal risk." The award was launched in 2007, and since then, 86 women from more than 50 different countries have been honored. "This year's recipients reflect women's roles as agents of change and leaders in many of the crises and challenges facing the world today, from countering violent extremism to promoting security and recovery from the Ebola Virus Disease," said the press release. Indian-origin entrepreneur among top 10 under-40 rich list New York (IANS): Indian billionaire chief executive officer of Malaysia-based Celframe Technology Group of Companies, Arun Pudur, is among the world's top 10 richest individuals under 40, according to a list published on Wednesday by Wealth-X, a global wealth intelligence and prospecting company. Pudur, 36, is ranked at 10th position on the list with a personal for tune of $4 billion. His company has over 500 clients, including Boeing, MTV, Nortel, General Motors and Delta. An investor with a passion for solving consumer problems, Pudur began his career at the age of 13 fixing bikes, and breeding champion dogs before he graduated to start his technology business. He made his first million at the age of 21, first billion at the age of 26 and never looked back. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, 30, topped the list. The list is dominated by other male technopreneurs, with four of them deriving their fortunes from their early involvement in Facebook. Zuckerberg's wealth is estimated at $35.1 billion, more than 40 percent of the combined net worth of all the other billionaires on the list. Four other individuals from Facebook -- Dustin Moskovitz, Sean Parker, Eduardo Saverin and Jan Koum -- also appear on the list. Koum is also co-founder and CEO of mobile messaging application WhatsApp, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion. Koum's personal fortune of $7.7 billion earns him third place on the list. The list also features two under-40 female billionaires. Yang Huiyan, of China, a 34-year-old Country Garden Holdings heiress, whose net worth totals $5.1 billion, makes her Asia's richest woman. Biotech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes, 31, who has amassed a for tune of $4.5 billion, is America's youngest female billionaire. begin building just to the south, it won't be long before the convenience of living in Mayfield Villagebecomesobvious. Restaurants, commercial and industrial businesses will begin to line Dixie Rd. directly across the street from the main entrance to Mayfield Village. This past summer, Mayfield Village also announced its plans to expand the community East, all the way to Airpor t Road making Mayfield Village one of Brampton's largest new neighbourhoods. With move in dates available now, the oppor tunity to call this unique urban village,home, is just around the corner. The builders are also offering $10,000 in bonus incentives for a limited time. Visit www.mayfieldvillage.ca and see the beautiful floor plans and designs for this community. You can alsovisit the Presentation Centre in person at 4585 Mayfield Rd- just East of HWY 410. THIRTY OF INDIA'S 68 BILLIONAIRES LIVE IN MUMBAI MUMBAI (PTI): Thir ty of India's 68 billionaires live in Mumbai, making the country's financial capital sixth on the list of 20 global cities surveyed in the Knight Frank Wealth Repor t 2015 released on Monday. On top of the billionaire population list is New York with 114 followed by Moscow (91), Hong Kong (53), London (49) and Beijing (37). With 68 billionaires, India has been ranked seventh of the 97 countries sur veyed in the repor t. USA heads the list with 515 billionaires (see char t). The repor t stated that Mumbai's billionaire population will grow 110% by 2024. Over the next decade, only USA, China and Russia will have more billionaires than India, said the repor t. Globally, 830 people joined the ranks of the billionaire club in the past decade, with 53 individuals becoming billionaires in 2014 alone. Total number of billionaires in the world now stands at 1,844, an 82% increase from ten years ago. ''The most rapid growth in wealth will be seen in Ho Chi Minh City, Jakar ta, Mumbai and Delhi,'' said Liam Bailey, global head of research at Knight Frank. The repor t has also done a separate survey on Ultra High Net Wor th Individuals (UHNWI). These are people having net wor th of $ 30 million and more. India ranks 20 with 1,652 UHNWI. Within India, Mumbai is expected to see the fastest rise in UHNWI followed by Delhi and Hyderabad. Watches, ar t and jewellery are the top draws for wealthy Indians to invest in their passion. Said Shishir Baijal, chairman & MD, Knight Frank India, ''Wealth creation in India is expected to accelerate with the number of UHNWIs expected to double over the next decade. This reflects a more positive outlook for India's economy after 2014 was marked by capital outflows and a sharp devaluation of the rupee.'' About 80% of wealth advisors expect their super rich clients' net wor th to increase in 2015; Hong Kong's ultrarich, at 94%, is the most bullish about prospects in 2015. Globally, family succession issues were the number one worry, with 85% of respondents saying their clients were concerned about the handover of family wealth to the next generation. However, for China and Hong Kong, political inter ference stood out as the number one concern. A potential increase in wealth taxes (81%) and increased government scrutiny of wealth (80%) were the second and third most vexatious issues, according to the survey results. The ultra wealthy in Asia now hold more wealth with net assets of $ 5.9 trillion or 7% more than those in Nor th America with $ 5.5 trillion. ''However, with a $ 6.4 trillion treasure chest, European UHNWIs still control the most wealth,'' said the repor t. In 2014, around 15 people a day joined the ranks of the ultra-wealthy or those with a net wor th of over USD 30 million. MIDWEEK NEWS NEWS WEEKLY WEEKLY TUESDAY, AUGUST TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 10, 2012 2015 breaking news Putin admits to ordering Crimea's annexation before referendum Moscow (IANS): Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that he ordered the annexation of Crimea hours after the ouster of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, and a week before the regional authorities of the peninsula rebelled against the government in Kiev calling for an independence referendum, Efe news agency repor ted. State-owned Russia TV released late Sunday the trailer of a documentary film scheduled to be broadcast in the coming days in which Putin will disclose the details of Crimea's annexation and the special operation to take out the former Ukrainian president from his hometown of Donetsk, where he took refuge upon fleeing Kiev in the early hours of February 22. "Heavy machine guns were installed there to act without further parley. We got ready to pick him up directly from Donetsk: by land, by sea and by air. It was the night of (February) 22 to (February) 23, we finished at about seven o'clock in the morning. And when par ting, I told all my colleagues: 'We'll have to star t working on bringing Crimea back to Russia'," Putin says in the trailer. Although Putin had already revealed the par ticipation of Russian troops in Crimea's incorporation, he had always claimed that the intervention was made to ensure the reunification referendum process, organised by pro-Russian authorities in the peninsula on March 1. "We did use our armed forces, but only to give the people living here the oppor tunity to express their views regarding their future," Putin said in the Crimean city of Yalta last August. Moreover, the Russian president consistently argued that Crimea has always been Russian territory but was unfairly transferred to Ukraine in 1954, when both were par t of the Soviet Union. On March 16, 2014, Crimea held an independence referendum, unrecognised by the authorities in Kiev and the international community, in which approximately 97 percent of those who voted were in favour of Crimea acceding to Russia. Two days later, Russia annexed the Ukrainian territory in a ceremony at the Kremlin, where Putin and the leaders of the region signed a bilateral treaty, declaring the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sebastopol as members of the Russian Federation. MidWeek 5 6 MidWeek community MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 Post-secondary education not a dream any more TORONTO - Over 1.4 million lower-income children are unable to receive government education funding they're eligible forbecause they don't have a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). A new online engine www.Smar tSAVER.org has launched a new online application form specifically created to help the families of these children open RESPs and access the Canada Learning Bond. The Bond is a contribution of up to $2,000 to kick star t the savings for a lower-income child's future education. It is a joint initiative of BMO, Meridian, RBC Royal Bank, Scotiabank, TD and Vancity who have committed to establish RESPs for lowerincome families with no fees and no minimum contribution to help them access the federal government's Canada Learning Bond. Families can apply for the Canada Learning Bond through Smar tSAVER's online application form in less than 10 minutes and choose any of the six participating credit unions and banks to establish their RESP with $0. The user-friendly application is supported in five languages - English, French, Spanish, Mandarin and Punjabi. The bond is available to families with a net family income of $44,701 or less, can provide the first contribution into an eligible child's RESP. Research shows that this modest seed-money can be an enormous boost for both children and their families. PREMIER WYNNE AND MINISTER COTEAU VIEWED THE PAN AM & PARAPAN AM GAMES MEDALS AT THE TO2015 OFFICES. (PREMIERPHOTOS) Parliamentary Secretary Gill Discusses Canada-India Education Ties TORONTO - Parm Gill, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade, (right) held a round table with education stakeholders focusing on promoting Canada as a study destination for Indian students. Canada's International Education Strategy (IES), a key element of the Global Markets Action Plan, is the government's blueprint to maintain and enhance Canada's global position in higher education. There are more than 35,000 Indian nationals studying in Canada, and over 400 memorandums of understanding for academic par tnerships are currently in place between Canadian and Indian education institutions. Under the IES, Canada's goal is to double the number of international students choosing Canada by 2022. The strategy helps Canada to build on its already strong education advantages. Capitalizing on these vast opportunities will create jobs and economic growth and will help Canada retain and enhance its global leadership position and become a more prosperous, innovative and competitive economy. Parliamentary Secretary Gill was in Delhi and Chandigarh, India, from March 2 to 5. Oakville Fire reminds residents: change your clocks, change your batteries OAKVILLE - The Oakville Fire depar tment is reminding residents to change their smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries when they change their clocks for daylight savings time this Sunday, March 8. "Nearly half of all fatal fires in Ontario occur because there are no working smoke alarms in the home," said Deputy Fire Chief George Bir tig. "Switching the batteries in your alarms twice a year - when the clocks change - is a simple and effective way to prevent house fires and keep your family safe." Ontario law requires working smoke alarms on every storey of a home and outside each sleeping area. As of October 15, 2014, all homes are also required to have carbon monoxide alarms. For added protection, the Oakville Fire department recommends installing a smoke alarm inside all bedrooms. Smoke alarms should be re- placed every 10 years. Replacement times for carbon monoxide alarms vary from five to 10 years. Always follow the replacement schedule posted on each alarm.Tampering with or permanently removing batteries from a smoke alarm is illegal. Failure to comply with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in a ticket for $235 or a fine of up to $50,000. All residents should have a home fire safety and escape plan that includes the following steps. " Ensure all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are installed properly and working. " Keep all exits unobstructed and easy to access. " Practice two ways out of each room, when possible. " Determine who will be responsible for helping young children, the elderly, or others requiring assistance. " Identify a meeting place outside, where all household members can gather. " In case of fire, get low and move under the smoke to the closest safe exit. " Call 9-1-1 once outside the home using a cellphone or neighbour's telephone. " Stay outside where it is safe; never re-enter a burning building. To learn more about the maintenance of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and home fire safety, visit the Fire Safety page. Conservatives keep millions in their coffers instead of investing in Southern Ontario: NDP ONTARIO - With the recent wave of jobs losses in Southern Ontario and the province's uncer tain economic outlook, the NDP is troubled to learn that the Conservative government decided to leave millions of dollars intended for job creation in government coffers, rather than invest the money. From 2010 to 2014, the Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Gary Goodyear, left a total of $270 million in available funds untouched. "The Development Agency's purpose is to promote job creation but in 2013-2014, $12.4 million from their budget went unused," said NDP Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario critic Brian Masse (Windsor West). "I'm asking the minister to invest the funds that Parliament allocated for Southern Ontario in the current fiscal year immediately-not use the money to embellish their fiscal outlook for April. Our regional economies need it." Local organizations rely on these funds to help boost economic development and improve the standard of living in Southern Ontario. "We know that each year, the Conservatives have been leaving funds that Parliament voted on, just sitting in the bank. This sneaky austerity is hurting young entrepreneurs and stalling job creation in Canada," added Masse. Source: ndp.ca STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS Ottawa - Media are repor ting that several Quebec Cabinet Ministers have received envelopes containing suspicious powder substances. Below is a statement on this matter by the Honourable Steven Blaney, P.C., M.P., Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness: "Envelopes containing suspicious powder substances have been received by some Quebec Members of Parliament. The safety of Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament and their staff is a primary concerns at all times. We thank the sécurité du Quebec and local law-enforcement for their swift response. Take a Break From Winter: Visit Vaughan Community Centres for Leisure Fun VAUGHAN - If you are staying in the city during March Break, then take a trip to the City of Vaughan's community centres for drop-in leisure activities and registered camps, offered from Friday, March 13 to Sunday, March 22. Free recreational swimming, sponsored by Tim Hor tons, is scheduled during various afternoons and evenings at select pools. Outdoor rinks will be open for free recreational skating and shinny hockey, weather permitting. A variety of drop-in leisure activities, suitable for all ages and interests, is available throughout the week at a nominal fee. Highlights include: " Spor ts: ball hockey, basketball, bocce, soccer, volleyball, dodgeball and glow-in-the-dark bowling " Skating and shinny hockey: available at indoor arenas " Vaughan fitness centres: cardio and strength-training equipment, indoor tracks, squash cour ts and saunas for ages 13 years and older " Fitness classes: power cycling, yoga, Pilates, boot camp, Zumba and more for ages 13 years and older " Games rooms: Wii, Xbox, pool tables, foosball, air hockey and ping pong for ages 10 years and older " Swimming: aquafitness, parent and tot, and length swimming Children ages four to 16 years can spend their school break at one of the City's five-day camps, which feature fun-filled ar ts and crafts, games, drama, fitness, music, spor ts and swimming. Camp details can be found in the 2015 Spring and Summer Recreation eGuide in the School Break section. Spaces are limited. Register at vaughan.ca/RecOnline. March Break activity schedules are online at vaughan.ca/recreation and at all community centres. For more information, contact the Recreation and Culture depar tment at 905-832-8500 or email [email protected]. MIDWEEK NEWS NEWS WEEKLY WEEKLY TUESDAY, AUGUST TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 10, 2012 2015 community MidWeek 7 Public art work applications sought for new Hamilton GO Station PREMIER WYNNE AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION OF PROSPECTORS AND DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION. (PREMIERPHOTOS) KC GROUP CELEBERATES HOLI WITH ZEAL AND ENTHUSIASM Hamilton - The City of Hamilton is seeking artists and ar tist-led teams to submit proposals to create a permanent public ar t work to be installed on the plaza of the new Hamilton GO Station, presently under construction on James Street Nor th. This public ar t project was initiated by and is par tly funded by Metrolinx. Ar tists will be selected by a citizen jury through a two-stage process, involving a concept and preliminary design proposal followed by the submission of a detailed proposal by selected ar tists. Shor t-listed proposals will be presented for public comment before the jury selects the winning ar tist. The successful ar tist will receive $75,000 for the design, fabrication and delivery of their public ar t work to the site. Submission deadline is Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 3 pm. For more information including the project goals, adjudication process and submission requirements please see the City of Hamilton website at www.hamilton.ca/publicar t. The City of Hamilton defines public ar t as art created by ar tists, or in collaboration with artists, through a public process and existing on publicly owned and accessible property. Public art helps strengthen the city's visual identity, stimulates the economy, and enhances tourism and community pride. Since 2010, the City's public art program has received over 175 artist proposals, consulted with over 5000 members of the public and awarded 14 public art commissions. Source: hamilton.ca UNITED STATES FIRE DEPARTMENT PRAISES BRAMPTON FIRE SAFETY VIDEO BRAMPTON - An unexpected and pleasant surprise package arrived at the Fire/Life Safety Education Centre in Brampton the other day. Fire Safety Education Officers opened a parcel containing a plaque from De Pere Fire Rescue in appreciation of the Fire Safety Education Video that Brampton Fire and Emergency Services (BFES) produced and put on YouTube. The Fire Depar tment in De Pere, a small town in Wisconsin, plans to use it for fire prevention education in their community. Dan Hermans, a De Pere Firefighter with Public Education responsibilities, was impressed with the video. "It has done a great job at sending the message out to the kids through a relevant and quality video," he said in an email. "Keep up the good work!" The video is aimed at children, and features two schoolaged children. With the help of some animated characters, they learn impor tant fire safety and prevention lessons about smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, escape plans, what to do if there is fire and the proper use of 911. The video has gained more interest south of the border, as Brampton Fire personnel were recently approached by a representative from Garland, Texas, a large city that is part of the Dallas-For t Wor th metropolitan area, about using it in their education programs. Since it was posted on YouTube in June 2013, the Fire Safety Education Video has garnered more than 77,000 views from all over the world. DESK REPORT Brampton - It was beautiful sunny morning looked like nature was permitting KC Group to celebrate Holi Rang Barse at the National Banquet Hall, Mississauga, Ontario with highest of zeal and enthusiasm. Months of efforts and hard work of KC Group Ex committee came out with marvelous results when the Crowd of over 500 witnessed the biggest Holi event with excellent food, music, dance and color.People with friends and families from all over the GTA gathered at National Banquet Hall and celebrated Holi, the festival of colors. Among VIPs, Chief Guest, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie and Guest of Honor, Ontario PC Leader contestant, Patric Brown had not only shown their presence but enjoyed the show for quite a period of time. Although, Mississauga Mayor had very busy schedule because of International Women's Day but she delivered speech and appreciated KC Group and recognized by giving the Certificate of Leadership. Apart from fun and frolic with social aspects, Holi is also celebrated to welcome spring - one day before offerings of thankfulness to God during the Holikadehen (Holika Fire) with religious aspect. One more aspect is to encourage feelings of brotherhood and friendship without any discrimination and to remove the feelings of hatred and bitterness if happened in past….perfect way of heading towards the betterment of society. KC Group is a community based organization started fourteen years ago with a small group of people. The objectives were to maintain Indian heritage and keepthe culture alive for future generationwhile living far away from India. With the result of showcasing in past several years,the festivals Holiand Diwali have become so popular that can be seen celebrating by many other organizations and amazingly children are getting familiar with Indian culture and festivals and started knowing different aspects and reasons. Mississauga International Partnership Program launched Mississauga - The following are remarks by Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie to formally launch the Mississauga International Par tnership Program (MIPP) Committee, at Pearson International Airport. MIPP will focus on creating new and existing connections with cultural business associations to help attract foreign direct investment, generate economic development oppor tunities, and improve the City's international competitiveness. "Thank you to Howard Eng; Hillary Marshall, and the entire team from the GTAA for hosting today's launch of the Mississauga International Par tnership Program. As Mayor, I am repeatedly asked: how the City of Mississauga can help generate new economic development opportunities. Local government does not have the same the powers as senior levels of government. "We cannot offer tax cuts; tax credits; or sign treaties. Like entrepreneurs, local government must think outside the box. We need to brainstorm our own innovative solutions to build a 21stcentury economy for our city's promising future. So how do we achieve this? My answer has been clear: we leverage existing assets; strengthen professional networks; invest in human capital; build knowledge infrastructure; and bring people together. "The new Mississauga International Par tnership Program Committee will leverage Mississauga's international exper tise, cultural diversity and networks to help our local economy reach its full potential. I campaigned on a plan to form an international advisory committee and I am proud to deliver on this today, as I hit my first 100 day milestone in office. Growing Mississauga's connections to markets will lead to local business oppor tunities, in this increasingly interconnected world. "The Committee will identify strategies and set goals to elevate Mississauga's globally renowned reputation as a leading destination for entrepreneurs and established businesses to invest; develop and test new marketable concepts; expand service offerings; create local jobs; and achieve unrivalled success. Strengthening connections with global communities will better prepare us to welcome international delegations of incoming trade missions to Mississauga. "I have already met with the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce; the Mississauga Chinese Business Association; and just last week I met one-on-one with China's new Consul General. If we are competing on a global stage against other jurisdictions, we must be proactive to attract the businesses and industries we want. And as Honorary Chair of the MIPP, I will proactively engage international delegations to see for themselves all Mississauga has to offer. "We are here at the arrival gates of Pearson International Airpor t Canada's largest airpor t. Each day a wealth of human capital; economic oppor tunity; and investment potential, flows from the doors directly behind me and right into our community. It is absolutely critical that we seize upon every investment oppor tunity; position ourselves to compete effectively in the global market place; and create new employment oppor tunities for residents. "Mississauga is home to 63 For tune 500 companies; almost 60,000 businesses; and 1,400 multinational firms. Our economy is strong with a GDP that now exceeds $40 billion annually. We are a net impor ter of jobs - yes, more people come to work in Mississauga daily than leave. Entrepreneurs and established businesses choose Mississauga to reach higher. And Pearson is our gateway to the world. "So why do job creators come to us to do business? MARCH 13 LAST DAY FOR CANDIDATES TO REGISTER FOR MUNICIPAL BY-ELECTION Mississauga - The last day a candidate can register to become a candidate in the 2015 Municipal By-Election is Friday, March 13. The nomination forms must be filed along with the required fee by 2pm. To be a qualified candidate you must: o be a Canadian citizen, and o be at least 18 years old, and o live in Mississauga; or be the owner or tenant of land in Mississauga or the spouse of an owner or tenant. There are reasons why you may not be able to be a candidate. If you are thinking about becoming a candidate, it is your responsibility to find out if you are eligible. Visit mississaugavotes.ca or call 905-615-VOTE for more information. ICCC TO ORGANIZE A BUDGET EVENT TORONTO - Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce is organizing an interactive session on, "Economics and Strategies following the Budget", on Wednesday, March 25. The guest speaker on the occasion is Avery Shenfeld, Managing Director and Chief Economist. Avery Shenfeld has been with CIBC since 1993 and is widely recognized as one of Canada's leading economists for his perceptive analysis and insight on economic developments and their implications for financial markets. Shenfeld is a four-time winner of the Dow Jones Market Watch forecasting award and has received awards for forecast accuracy on the U.S. and Canadian economies by Bloomberg Markets. He has also been consistently ranked as one of the top Canadian economists by institutional investors. Shenfeld's prior background includes experience in management consulting. He was on the economics faculty at the University of Toronto and in the summer program at Har vard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has addressed numerous business groups and has been quoted in the media in the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe. Shenfeld holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard University. 8 MidWeek opinion MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 ACTIVE VOICE PDP-BJP ALLIANCE: MUFTI SAYEED FACES A BALANCING ACT Jammu (IANS): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed will need more than over 50 years of experience as a mature politician to keep the ruling PDP-BJP alliance on an even keel as controversies rattle the coalition even before it star ts delivering on promises of peace and development. The very first media conference Mufti Sayeed addressed after taking over as the chief minister last Sunday in winter capital Jammu rocked Parliament over his remarks that gave credit to Pakistan, the separatist Hurriyat and militants for the smooth conduct of the state assembly elections. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had to make a statement in the Lok Sabha contradicting Sayeed's statement. Rajnath Singh said the credit for the successful and fair conduct of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections went to the country's Election Commission, the army, the paramilitary forces and, above all, the people of the state. Sayeed's daughter and Peoples Democratic Par ty (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti defended her father's statement saying Sayeed was not like his arch rival, National Conference patron, Farooq Abdullah, who Mehbooba said had specialised in the ar t of self-denial. Sayeed has followed up his statement on separatists and militants by ordering the release of political prisoners. State police chief K. Rajendra Kumar has confirmed that the release will begin soon. The problem for Sayeed and his par ty is that not all those he calls 'political prisoners' are considered to be so by his ruling alliance par tners in the Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP), at both the state and MidWeek Published By Asian World Today Inc. 1310, Midway Blvd, Unit # 31, Mississauga Ontario L5T 2K5 Direct Line - 647-272-8182 Tel: 905-670-3687 Fax: 905-670-5344 E-mail : For Advertising [email protected] [email protected] YUDHVIR JASWAL SHAZIA MALIK CHIEF EDITOR & CEO COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER [email protected] 647-272-8182 DR. PUSHPINDER BRAR GURPREET SINGH LOONA CONTRIBUTING WRITER MEDIA COORDINATOR central levels. Sayeed is obviously trying to keep his Valley-centric political constituency intact by ordering the release of political prisoners and also trying to prove that an alliance with the BJP could be far more Valley friendly than his adversaries want the people to believe. But the problem for Sayeed is that in this case what is sauce for the goose might not be sauce for the gander. The BJP dismisses the PDP idea that some of the top separatist leaders like Masrat Alam and Mushtaq-ul-Islam are political prisoners. Masrat Alam, the chief of a militant outfit, was arrested during the 2010 unrest in the Valley. Both state and central intelligence agencies slam him for inciting thousands of youths to violence during 2010. As many as 112 youth were killed during the 2010 unrest when unruly mobs torched public proper ty, vandalised government offices and brought life to a grinding halt for nearly six months. "These people are not political prisoners. They have committed crimes against the state and need to be dealt with in accordance with the law PROTECTING CANADIANS AND HOLDING WHITE-COLLAR CRIMINALS ACCOUNTABLE of white-collar crime. A judge must now consider imposing a restitution order in sentencing, which would require the offender to pay back their victims. Victims of fraud can now also submit a Community Impact Statement, describing the harm or loss they have suffered, for the cour ts consideration in sentencing. And, to prevent fur ther victimization, the cour ts are now permitted to prohibit an offender from taking employment or volunteering in any capacity where they are in authority over the finances of others. Our Conservative Government takes white-collar crimes seriously, recognizing that those who commit fraud harm individuals and communities. We have ended indiscriminate leniency for early parole, created tougher sentencing and we are standing up for victims of white-collar crime. Our Government is committed to keeping our streets and communities safe, and we will stay focused on protecting the safety and security of Canadians. NAVEEN SHARMA CHETAN PATIL INDIA MARKETING HEAD MARKETING EXECUTIVE SUNIL VERMA ALI - NICE PHOTOGRAPHY GRAPHICS DEPARTMENT PHOTOGRAPHERS THAPLIYAL & RAI LAW OFFICE BASHIR NASIR PHOTOGRAPHERS LEGAL ADVISOR Newspaper MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY Published in English every Tuesday Radio SOUTHASIAN PULSE Mon to Fri; 10:00 AM to 12 Noon on AM 770 Television SOUTHASIAN 360 DEGREES On FILMYChannel Right Across North America Canada - (Rogers - Channel-830, Bell fibe TV Channel-798 ), USA - DirecTV - Channel 2008 Timings- Friday6-7 PM,Sun -1-2 PMWed - 6:307:30PM-EST Online WWW.SOUTHASIANDAILY.COM ONLY News Portal for Southasian-Canadians Cricket CANADIAN PROFESSIONAL CRICKET (CPC) 6th Annual CPC Inter-City Cricket Cup Starting June 2013 6 Months of Non-stop cricket action Events Annual Midweek Southasian Awards All Rights Reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be printed without the written consent of the publisher. DISCLAIMER: Asian World Today Inc. assumes all advertisers to be reliable and responsible for any and all liability from their claims. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement he may see unfit for publication. The opinions expressed in Midweek may not be those of the publisher. of the land. We will not allow their release at any cost," a top BJP leader told IANS here. The problem for Sayeed is that his par ty's political interests are at conflict with those of his alliance partners in the BJP, despite the two having taken over two months to work out a common minimum programme (CMP). "Development and peace are our CMP, but that cannot happen by compromising the sovereignty and integrity of the country," said another top BJP leader in New Delhi. With aberrations like these, Sayeed definitely needs much more than five decades of political experience to run the coalition government smoothly in the state. Stitching an alliance with the BJP had been a tough call for Sayeed, but keeping it intact while delivering on peace and development promises would be a feat the 79-year old, wily Kashmiri politician might not find easy. BY MP PARM GILL Protecting Canadians and helping them feel safe in their communities remains an impor tant focus for our Conservative Government. Since coming into office, we have worked hard to deliver measures that combat crime and prioritize the rights of victims. Fraud, like other crimes, can have a devastating impact on its victims. The financial loss of entire life savings can ruin lives, and cause significant psychological and emotional harm. Our Government has taken strong action to combat white-collar crime and stand up for its victims, as we firmly believe that all criminals should be held to account for their offenses. By passing the Abolition of Early Parole Act, our Conservative Government put an end to the system of Accelerated Parole Review that allowed white-collar criminals to obtain day parole after only serving one-sixth of their sentence and full parole after serving one-third. This legislation eliminated leniency for white-collar crimes, moving Canada's parole system away from granting parole indiscriminately towards a system of earned parole. And, to fur ther help ensure that white-collar criminals ser ve a sentence that better reflects the severity of their crime, our Conservative Government also passed the Standing up for Victims of White-collar Crime Act. This legislation created tougher sentencing for fraud, creating a mandatory minimum penalty of at least two years in prison for fraud over $1 million and adding aggravating factors for cour ts to consider in sentencing. These new aggravating factors include the impact on the victims in consideration of the victim's par ticular circumstances, including their age, health and financial situation, the offender's failure to comply with applicable licensing rules or professional standards and, the magnitude, complexity and duration of the fraud. This legislation also takes significant action to stand up for victims 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 MIDWEEK NEWS NEWS WEEKLY WEEKLY TUESDAY, AUGUST TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 10, 2012 2015 canada 9 OFFICIAL DRAW FOR THE FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP CANADA 2015 IP10 Minister of National Defence Jason Kenney on death of a Canadian soldier in Iraq PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER HELD A MEETING WITH JIM PRENTICE, PREMIER OF ALBERTA. CELEBRATE OAKVILLE'S 2015 COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS! ONTARIO - The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of National Defence, issued the following statement today on the death of a Canadian soldier in Iraq. "As Minister of National Defence, I extend my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Sergeant Andrew Joseph Doiron of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment, based at Garrison Petawawa, Ontario. "Sergeant Doiron was a true Canadian patriot, whose bravery and dedication to Canada's security is an inspiration to us all. May he rest in peace. "Sergeant Doiron was killed while conducting advise and assist operations in Iraq when he and other members of the Special Operations Forces were mistakenly engaged by Iraqi Kurdish forces following their return to an observation post behind the front lines. "Three other Canadian Special Operations Forces personnel were also wounded, all of whom are in stable condition. Our thoughts and prayers are with them for their recovery. "We remain committed to our mission of suppor ting our allies in the fight against ISIL's campaign of hatred and terror." NEW PLANNING RULES PUT OTTAWA COMMUNITIES FIRST WINNERS OF 2014 COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD. OAKVILLE - We all have friends and colleagues who spend countless hours volunteering and suppor ting the many activities of our diverse community. This generous spirit is evident all around us. What better way to acknowledge their contribution than to nominate them for an Oakville Community Spirit Award! Nominate a community champion now! Complete the online nomination formtoday. The nomination form is also available in printable pdf format (pdf, 2 MB). Hard copy nomination forms can be picked up at Town Hall and all town-owned recreation and culture facilities. NDP and Official Opposition leader, Tom Mulcair on International Women's Day "Today, we celebrate the amazing and courageous efforts of Canadian women who fought to improve the status of women over the last century. Their successes have gained access to education, civil rights, the right to vote and the right to choose. We also honour the strength, courage and tenaciousness of our mothers, grandmothers and ancestors who worked so hard to raise their families and contribute to building our country. On this International Women's Day, the NDP is proud to celebrate this progress and our shared values. Of course, we also recognize that work remains to be done in order for women to reach equal status, especially in the area of income equality and female representation in politics. The fight for equality is a major concern for the NDP and we will continue to push for a national inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women. We are also committed to better representation of women in the public sector, establishing an affordable national childcare program, and passing proactive pay equity legislation. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the visionary Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action for gender equality. We affirm our commitment to the Beijing agenda and its goal of "advancing the goals of equality, development and peace for all women everywhere in the interest of all humanity." Today, we commend the work of all the women who have contributed to building a more equitable Canada, and we remain committed to continuing our fight for women's equality." ONTARIO - The Ontario government is moving forward with new planning rules to ensure that growth and development occur in a way that suppor ts economic prosperity, protects the environment and helps communities achieve a high quality of life in Ottawa and across the province. "We have incredibly vibrant communities across Ottawa Centre that want to make sure development happens in a responsible and community-focused way," said MPP Yasir Naqvi. "By making sure the local design plans developed with our communities are respected, reducing the number of applications to the OMB and promoting and protecting our green space we will make sure we maintain our vibrancy, diversity and our quality of life." The proposed Smar t Growth for Our Communities Act builds on MPP Naqvi's extensive advocacy promoting community-inspired development. These include several planning roundtables, policy proposals, and his Anti-Slapp Private Member's Bill that was later introduced as government legislation to make sure the public's voice is always heard on matters of public importance like new residential and commercial developments. "Today's announcement is a great step forward and will make a big difference for our neighbourhoods and communities across Ottawa Centre," said Old Ottawa East local planning advocate Nick Masciantonio. "They ensure that the community's voice will be entrenched in the planning process and that the hard work and consultations community groups do will be reflected any new developments." Today, the Ontario government introduced legislation that will fur ther help communities determine how their neighbourhoods grow. If passed, this legislation would: " Ensure citizens are consulted sooner and have more input into the land use planning process through citizen representatives on municipal planning advisory committees; " Enhance respect and protection for local official plans when municipalities do comprehensive, up-front planning and zoning; " Establish a community planning permit system to encourage innovative ways to plan; " Reduce the number of development applications that go to the Ontario Municipal Board; and " Require communities to create parks plans to ensure an adequate amount of green space is protected and created in growing neighbourhoods. 416-907-4420 10 MidWeek canada MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 Canadian exports decline OFFICIAL DRAW FOR THE FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP CANADA 2015 (CANADASOCCER) BRAMPTON ENGAGES BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS TO PLAN FOR FUTURE BRAMPTON - Recently a group of 65 par ticipants from commercial and industrial development, international trade and local business met with Councillors to review and help prioritize the seven economic development themes approved by City Council in January of this year. The session was an impor tant step as the City of Brampton continues to forge ahead with a new economic development strategy to engage key business stakeholders in a conversation about creating a strong, cer tain, and prosperous future. "Today we heard about the top priorities for Brampton that can help grow businesses while providing them with the tools needed to sell Brampton to other investors and continue to move Brampton forward through sustainable growth," said Mayor Linda Jeffrey. During the half-day session, Economic Development Committee Chair, Councillor Jeff Bowman, remarked, "In the first 100 days of this Council term, we have made unparalleled gains in reaching out to the business community, and gathering their invaluable feedback is a top priority for us." "By listening to the people who have direct experience in building successful Brampton businesses, we will fine tune and enhance our key priorities," said Economic Development Committee Vice-Chair, Councillor Doug Whillans. "These are oppor tunities to build broad commitment to our plan for Brampton's future economic success." According to Bowman, "Our goal is to come out of this process with a strategy that key players have helped create, that way everyone can actively par ticipate in achieving it, and collectively share in Brampton's economic success." Through the workshop and brainstorming sessions, the City received input from influencers on priorities, direction and actions for economic development in Brampton. The input is currently being compiled, and will be used to inform decision-making at the City and future engagement. The City's Economic Development Committee has four key intended outcomes for 2014-2018. The Committee wants to stimulate economic growth and vitality through business and employment growth, increased domestic and foreign investment, generating wealth and prosperity, and increasing assessment/tax revenue. The Committee is committed to creating a positive business climate and business experience, which parallels the intended outcome of building a constructive business profile and city image as an investment location. Finally, it will monitor and measure economic per formance and results and repor t them regularly to key stakeholders. The Economic Development Committee's seven themes reflect the 2014-2018 outcomes and are focused on (1) Downtown and Queen Street Corridor business growth initiatives; (2) business engagement - growing business from within; (3) suppor t advocacy for infrastructure expansion; (4) innovation and entrepreneurship; (5) international and domestic business investment/attraction; (6) fostering a positive business climate and city image; and (7) suppor ting innovative and tourism-focused festivals and special events. The City wants to keep the conversation on economic development going, and has set up a shor t online survey to help capture your input. Additionally, you can send your feedback by email to [email protected] ONTARIO - Canada's expor ts declined 2.8% in January while impor ts were largely unchanged from December. As a result, Canada's merchandise trade deficit widened from $1.2 billion in December to $2.5 billion in January, the largest since the record $2.9 billion deficit in July 2012. Export prices declined 1.5% on lower prices for energy products, and volumes were down 1.3% on lower volumes of metal and non-metallic mineral products. Meanwhile, import prices edged up 0.1%, while volumes edged down 0.1%. Trade surplus with the United States narrows Exports to the United States declined 3.1% to $31.8 billion in January. Exports to countries other than the United States were down 1.9% to $10.9 billion. This decrease was widespread across most principal trading partners, led by lower exports to the Netherlands (-$184 million) and Italy (-$172 million). Conversely, exports to the United Kingdom increased by $357 million. Imports from the United States edged down 0.1% to $30.5 billion. Imports from countries other than the United States edged up 0.2% to $14.5 billion. Higher imports from China (+$250 million) were partially offset by lower imports from the United Kingdom (-$174 million) and Saudi Arabia (-$111 million). Consequently, Canada's trade surplus with the United States narrowed from $2.2 billion in December to $1.2 billion in January, the lowest surplus since 1992. Canada's trade deficit with countries other than the United States widened from $3.4 billion in December to $3.7 billion in January. Exports declined 2.8% to $42.6 billion in January, as 4 of 11 sections decreased. Energy products, mainly crude oil and crude bitumen, were the main contributor to the decline. Excluding crude oil and crude bitumen, exports increased 0.2% in January. Year over year, total exports were up 3.4%. Exports of energy products fell 14.7% to $7.0 billion in January, the eighth consecutive monthly decrease. Crude oil and crude bitumen exports declined 23.0% to $4.4 billion, as prices fell 23.2%. Exports of metal and non-metallic mineral products were down 8.6% to $5.1 billion. Unwrought precious metals and precious metal alloys (-13.5%) and unwrought, basic and semi-finished aluminum and aluminum-alloy products (-20.4%) were the main contributors to the decrease. Overall, volumes declined 8.0%. Meanwhile, expor ts of motor vehicles and par ts were up 3.1% to $6.9 billion in January. Expor ts of passenger cars and light trucks rose 8.6% to $4.8 billion. This increase was par tially offset by lower expor ts of motor vehicle engines and motor vehicle par ts, down 11.5% to $1.6 billion. Loblaw to invest $1.2-billion, create more than 20,000 jobs in 2015 BRAMPTON - Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's food and pharmacy retail leader, will invest more than $1.2 billion into its Canadian business in 2015. The investment includes construction projects for dozens of new and existing stores, ecommerce expansion, and continued investment in supply chain and IT infrastructure. As Canada's largest network of corporate and independently owned retail stores and formats, each employing between 20 and 300 employees, Loblaw's investment is expected to create more than 20,000 jobs through store staffing and construction. "While we continue to invest in the IT and infrastructure engines of our business, we're increasingly making investments that Canadians will see with their own eyes - improving our offer, adding stores, and creating jobs locally," said Galen G. Weston, Executive Chairman and President, Loblaw Companies Limited. "True to our strategy, our investment will create better access to fresh food, wellness solutions closer to home, e-commerce convenience, and a family of stores that elevate grocery, pharmacy, apparel and banking experiences." Source: Loblow.ca MIDWEEK NEWS NEWS WEEKLY WEEKLY TUESDAY, AUGUST TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 10, 2012 2015 india AAM AADMI PARTY (AAP) LEADER SANJAY SINGH ADDRESSES A PRESS CONFERENCE IN VARANASI (IANS) AAP MP BHAGWANT MANN DEMANDS EXPULSION OF YOGENDRA YADAV, PRASHANT BHUSHAN LUDHIANA (PTI): Accusing AAP's founder leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav of damaging the par ty, its MP Bhagwant Mann on Sunday demanded their expulsion from AAP. Stating that the par ty was supreme, Mann said early action against them would be in the interest of the par ty. Talking to repor ters here, the Sangrur MP said both the leaders were hatching conspiracies against the par ty during Delhi Assembly elections. He alleged that both the leaders left no stone unturned to damage par ty as well as the image of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and said such leaders have no place in the par ty. "We should not forget that par ty is supreme and not any individual who so ever he may be," he said, adding that their removal from the Political Affairs Committee of the par ty was a very mild action. "They deserve more." Kejriwal asks Delhi men to learn from women New Delhi, (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Saturday called on men "to learn from women" and make the national capital a city where "every woman feels free and lives happily". Kejriwal, currently in Bengaluru for naturopathy treatment for high blood sugar and cough, made the appeal in a nearly one-minute radio message on the eve of the International Women's Day (March 8). The Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) convenor gave all the credit to his wife and mother for his success. "Two women are behind whatever I am today. They are my wife and mother. During my fight against corruption, my wife ran the house while my mother suppor ted me," Kejriwal said. Stating that his message is for "all the men in the city", Kejriwal said: "It is admirable how women fulfil their responsibilities honestly and without making any fuss." "They play many roles such as that of a mother, daughter, wife, sister and daughter-in-law. They do their job and also take care of their families." Saluting the tolerance of women, he said: "I salute their rock solid tolerance. There are a lot of things that men should learn from them (women), but I have seen that some men comment on their dresses and do an assessment of their character...they talk absurd things about women and also molest them." "Men who do not respect women outside can never respect women in their homes," he said while urging men in the capital to make the city a safe place for women. MidWeek 11 I AM BEING TARGETED BY LEADERS IN AAP: MAYANK GANDHI IP12 Modi's Seychelles, Mauritius, Sri Lanka visit begins today New Delhi, (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a five-day visit to three island nations -- Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka -- on Tuesday in an outreach that will see unveiling of development projects while boosting economic ties. Briefing reporters ahead of prime minister's visit, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said India has historical linkages with the three countries and "very strong" people-to-people bonds. He said India's commercial cooperation has grown significantly with the three ocean nation economies and they offer new possibilities of cooperation. "We are very bullish about the relationships." In Sri Lanka, which Modi will visit on March 13-14 on the last leg of his visit, he will unveil some projects done with India's assistance. Modi, who will be the first Indian prime minister to make a bilateral visit to Sri Lanka in over two decades, will flag off a train in a section from Talaimannar which has been built with assistance from India. He will unveil a plaque at Jaffna cultural centre and also hand over houses that have been built by India for the internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka. "We have been a fairly significant contributor to rebuilding (process) in Sri Lanka," Jaishankar said. The prime minister will have talks with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on March 13 during which some agreements are expected to be signed. He will attend a lunch hosted by his Sri Lanka counterpart Ranil Wickremsinghe. Jaishankar said the prime minister will address the Sri Lankan parliament later in the day. "It is an unusual honour," he said. The prime minister will also visit IPKF memorial to pay his homage. During his visit, Modi will meet leaders of Tamil National Alliance. Jaishankar said India suppor ts democracy and reforms in the neighbouring country as also process of reconciliation. Modi will also meet former president Chandrika Kumaratunga. Asked if the prime minister will meet former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, Jaishankar said he did not have anything on that yet. In Seychelles, the first stopover of Modi's visit, the Indian prime minister will hold bilateral discussions with President James Alexis Michel to strengthen maritime ties and enhance bilateral development cooperation. Modi will be the second Indian prime minister to visit Seychelles after Indira Gandhi's visit in 1981. India's bilateral cooperation with Seychelles is mainly in the field of health, education, defence and maritime security. Arun Jaitley to meet PSU banks' chiefs on Wednesday New Delhi, (IANS) Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will meet the heads of public sector banks (PSBs) on Wednesday to review their per formance, par ticularly with regard to passing on the Reserve Bank of India's recent interest rate cuts to borrowers. "During the meeting, the finance minister will review the public sector banks' performance with regard to overall credit growth," a finance ministry release said on Tuesday. "The finance minister will also review the performance of PSBs and financial institutions (FIIs) with regard to the new projects and proposals, stalled projects and possible remedial measures among others," it added. Jaitley will also review the banks' per formance in their handling of non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans, the ministry said. The RBI has cut the repo rate at which it lends to commercial banks by 0.5 percent in the last two months, but the banks have not followed up on that yet by reducing their lending rates. Last week, the RBI reduced the repo rate from 7.75 percent to 7.5 percent. This was the second rate cut after January 15, when the central bank had also cut the rate by a similar 25 basis points. At Wednesday's meeting, Jaitley would also review the progress made on decisions taken at the two-day Gyan Sangam bankers retreat held in Jamuary in Pune. 12 MidWeek india MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 VINOD MEHTA DEAD, MODI CALLS HIM 'FINE JOURNALIST' BJP leader Satish Upadhyay celebrates Holi during a Holi Milan programme organised at BJP office in New Delhi (IANS) Restore budget for women and child development: Maneka Gandhi New Delhi (IANS): Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Sunday urged Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to restore par t of the budgetary allocations slashed in the union budget for cer tain schemes. At an interaction with women journalists at the Indian Women's Press Corps here, the minister, however, said there has been no cut in budgetary allocations for her ministry as such. "It is not a cut in the budget but just a reappropriation. A large par t has gone to the states as per the recommendations of the finance commission," she said replying to a question. "It is not that the money has disappeared," she said. However, the minister said in areas where "we cannot do without the money, I have asked the finance minister to restore part of it". The allocation for the ministry has been slashed by 44 percent in the budget for 2015-16 presented by Jaitley on February 28. While the allocation for the ministry in 2014-15 was Rs.18,588 crore, it was reduced to Rs.10,382 crore for the current financial year. Maneka Gandhi said that among the several programmes which would be affected by the budget cut was the launching of a national nutrition mission. The mission would have entailed training Anganwadi workers in nutrition facts of children and providing tablets for them. Sydney murder: Sushma Swaraj speaks to victim's husband New Delhi, (IANS) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said she has spoken to the husband of Indian woman IT consultant Prabha Arun, who was stabbed to death in Australia's Sydney city. The central government also said the Indian consulate in Sydney was providing all necessary help to the family. Sushma Swaraj said in a tweet that she has spoken to Arun Kumar, husband of the victim, and he was satisfied with the assistance from the consulate. The ministry's spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin later said he was in constant touch with the consulate. "I am in constant touch with our consulate in Sydney. The consulate is providing all help," Akbaruddin said in a tweet. Prabha Arun was employed with Bengaluru-based tech firm MindTree. Prabha Arun, in her 40s, was attacked at Amos Street in the western par t of Sydney about 9.30 p.m. on Saturday, Australian police said on Sunday. She was on the phone with her husband Arun Kumar, who lives in Bengaluru with their 10-yearold daughter, when she was stabbed. She was around 300 metres from her Westmead home when she was attacked. Chillingly, the husband heard her tell him that "I think I've been stabbed", before she collapsed in a pool of blood. The phone line then went dead. SEPARATIST'S RELEASE ROCKS PARLIAMENT New Delhi, (IANS) The release of separatist leader Masrat Alam in Jammu and Kashmir created uproar in both houses of parliament even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarified that the central government was not consulted on the decision. The prime minister, in a statement in the Lok Sabha, said it was legitimate for the house to show its anger on the issue. "There is an anger in the country, and in the house and I join them... I assure the nation, whatever is happening in the state, it is not being done in consultation with the central government, nor has the central government been informed," Modi said. He asked leaders in the Lok Sabha not to make a political issue of the matter, and said: "At least on the issue of separatists and terrorism, the country should not think along party lines." Home Minister Rajnath Singh, in similar statements made in both houses, informed the members that a clarification was sought from the state government, but the Centre is not satisfied with the reply. "We have been informed that he has been released, but we are not satisfied with the response and have sought clarifications," Singh informed parliament. While giving clarifications on his statement in the Rajya Sabha, the home minister said Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. "I am happy that the whole house is concerned. If I can understand their feeling, the whole house agrees that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, and will always be," he said. "...I want to assure the house, and I am speaking on behalf of the prime minister, we will not allow anyone to disintegrate the nation, howsoever big the power may be," he added. Modi conveys disapproval over separatist's release New Delhi, (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conveyed his strong disapproval and sense of outrage of the entire Lok Sabha over the release of Kashmiri separatist leader Masrat Alam on the directions of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. Modi said his government has sought clarifications on the issue. Responding to the concern of members on the issue in the house, Modi said his government will take all steps necessary to preserve the unity and integrity of the country. He said there was no division among political par ties in the country on the issue of terrorism and separatism. The Bharatiya Janata Par ty is a par tner in the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir with the Peoples Democratic Par ty. New Delhi, (IANS) Vinod Mehta, one of India's best known journalists, died here on Sunday of multi-organ failure, doctors said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him "a fine journalist". The 73-year-old Mehta, who at one time worked as factory hand in Britain, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), its spokesperson Amit Gupta told IANS. AIIMS said Mehta suffered from several neurological issues and had been bed-ridden for three to four months. He was admitted to AIIMS in critical state last week. Outlook group, which was the last major media group Mehta founded, announced the death of its founder-editor-in-chief "with deep sadness". Even after ceasing to be its editor, he was its editorial chairman. Modi said in a tweet: "Frank and direct in his opinions, Vinod Mehta will be remembered as a fine journalist and writer. Condolences to his family on his demise." President Pranab Mukherjee also offered his condolences and tweeted that "the eminent journalist made immense contribution to journalism". Born in Rawalpindi before India's partition, Mehta's family moved to India when he was only three years old. He grew up in Lucknow, studying in the La Mar tinere school and Lucknow University. His big moment came in 1974 when Mehta, at age 32, took up editing "Debonair", a men's magazine in India which boasted of serious ar ticles as well as centre-folds. He later went on to launch other successful publications such as Sunday Observer, The Pioneer and Outlook. He also founded the Indian Post and The Independent newspapers. A gifted writer, Mehta authored a biography of Bollywood actress Meena Kumari and Sanjay Gandhi, the younger son of slain prime minister Indira Gandhi. His much acclaimed memoir, "Lucknow Boy", came out in 2011. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Par ty MP from Lucknow, said: "I express my hear tfelt condolences... His demise has left a big void in the field of journalism." SHELL OPENS GLOBAL IT CENTRE IN BENGALURU Bengaluru (IANS): Global energy major Royal Dutch Shell plc has opened its global information technology (IT) centre in this tech hub for developing and delivering IT projects in-house. "The in-house global IT centre will provide jobs for thousands of techies by 2020, as we invest in the centre to be an integral par t of our global IT project delivery and suppor t network," Shell India's chairman Yasmine Hilton said here Friday. The Hague-based Anglo-Dutch oil and gas multinational is one of the leading investors in India's energy sector among global integrated energy firms. "We aim to attract the best talent in the industry and provide oppor tunities for them to build world-class business solutions," Hilton said on the occasion. Shell has projects and technology centre in the city, employing about 1,000 scientists and engineers as par t of its projects & technology business worldwide. "We have selected Bengaluru because of its competitiveness and availability of a skilled, diverse IT talent pool covering various disciplines," Hilton asser ted. The hitech centre will provide IT services to all of Shell's businesses - upstream, downstream and projects & technology - and associated suppor t functions. The company decided to set up the centre in India after reviewing its global IT projects and operations suppor t capability for delivering projects in-house. Employment oppor tunities at the centre will be posted soon on the company's Indian subsidiar y website www.shell.in. "Bengaluru's IT talent will improve our ability to provide top-quality project delivery and selected operations suppor t the world over," Shell's projects and technology director Harry Brekelmans said in the statement. The centre will re-locate next year in a 52-acres of dedicate campus near Devanahalli and closer to the international airpor t. The company's 2,000-strong back office in Chennai provides business and financial suppor t to its firms worldwide. Besides a thriving lubricants and retail business and presence in integrated gas through its liquefied natural gas regasification plant and por t at Hazira in Gujarat, Shell has an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Gas Development Corporation, GDF Suez and GAIL (Gas Authority of India) on a floating storage regasification unit project at Kakinada in the neighbouring state's coastal region. With 93,000 employees in 90 countries worldwide, Shell helps to meet the world's growing demand for energy in economically, environmentally and socially responsible ways. I am being targeted by leaders in AAP: Mayank Gandhi Mumbai/ New Delhi, (IANS) Senior AAP leader Mayank Gandhi complained on Saturday of being targeted by a section of his par ty for challenging a gag order on March 5 and also revealing about the proceedings of the AAP national executive meet. On the same day, former par ty member Anjali Damania also said that she had quit the par ty last year because she was "frustrated" with the par ty's functioning. Gandhi claimed a "concer ted attempt" was being made in the social media to label him "anti-par ty and anti-AK (Ar vind Kejriwal)" and reiterated his statement that a price might have to be paid (by him). "A small group of par ty decision makers in Delhi has already removed me from the informal BBM group. Attacks have begun against me from AAP leader Ashish Khetan and others. Some dissatisfied members from Maharashtra have star ted giving inter views against me, some old cases are being re-opened," Gandhi said in a blog. He wrote that the Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) may decide not to fight the BMC polls (Mumbai) or delay the decision for the same, the leadership of Maharashtra will be challenged and discredited by some individuals and information would be leaked to the media. MIDWEEK NEWS NEWS WEEKLY WEEKLY TUESDAY, AUGUST TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 10, 2012 2015 MidWeek india 13 RALLY FOR ROAD SAFETY AMONG WOMEN HELD IN DELHI UNION HOME MINISTER RAJNATH SINGH AND ACTRESS JUHI CHAWLA DURING A PROGRAMME ORGANISED TO FLAG-OFF `NBT ALL WOMAN BIKE RALLY` IN NEW DELHI (IANS). NEW DELHI, (IANS) A rally to promote road safety awareness among women was organised here on Sunday by International two-wheeler maker Honda in collaboration with the Delhi Traffic Police. Organised on the occasion of International Women's Day, the rally was flagged off by Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi in the presence of senior officials from Honda. "It is our strong belief that strong and empowered women are the backbone of flourishing societies," said Yadvinder S. Guleria, vice president, Sales and Marketing, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. "We want to permeate the message of road safety among women riders by encouraging the use of helmet while riding two-wheelers." Stating that there is alarming rise among women to not wear helmets, Guleria said: "We are hopeful such initiatives will help in creating awareness and sensitising the society towards the use of helmets." "We are thankful to the Delhi traffic police for their continued suppor t in our joint efforts for making Delhi roads safe for all," he added. A traffic safety training session was also organised for the women after the rally. PRESIDENT, PM CALL FOR END TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN New Delhi (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for gender equity and decried violence against women as the government said it has initiated one-stop crisis centres that will provide assistance to women who face violence in any form. In his statement on International Women's Day, Mukherjee termed equality, liber ty and dignity as women's "sacred rights". He asked the people to reaffirm their commitment to ensure gender equity and empowerment of womenfolk in India. The president also presented the 'Stree Shakti Puraskar' and 'Nari Shakti Puraskar' for the year 2014 at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan here. In a separate statement, Modi said: "Our heads hang in shame when we hear of instances of crime against women." Modi said his government has initiated several steps to help women who face violence and abuse. The prime minister said he "salutes the indomitable courage and stellar achievements of women. We must walk shoulder-to-shoulder to end all forms of discrimination or injustice against women". He said the central government is setting up 'One-Stop Centres' that will provide assistance, legal advice and psychological counselling to women who face violence or abuse. Elaborating on the same, union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said the centres would in the first phase come up one in each state. "If they are successful, then we will go in for more such centres," she said. The minister said the centres would be separate from police stations and hospitals and would also have facilities where women can stay for sometime if needed. Gandhi also said she has asked the finance minister to restore some par t of the allocations for impor tant schemes slashed in the union budget this year. In other events, over 30 organisations and NGOs came together to "assert women's freedom" and asked the prime minister to take action against those threatening the rights of women. The event, titled "Aath (8) March, Saath (together) March", included street plays and interactions to empower the women residents of the national capital and to inform them of their rights. It was organised at Jantar Mantar. Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Karan Johar and Sonakshi Sinha and Shabana Azmi also came together and urged the society to treat women as equals throughout the year and not just assign them one day of the year. Veteran actress-social activist Shabana Azmi said rather than treating women like goddesses, the society should treat them as equals. Bachchan tweeted: 'Woman's Day' .. ?? A single day dedicated to women? But a woman dedicates every day of her life!!!" In Gurgaon, the administration gifted 'Women only' cabs to women. The initiative is par t of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed on the occasion of International Women's Day on Sunday by Deputy Commissioner T.L. Satyaprakash with private firms to ensure safety and security of women in this Haryana city bordering Delhi. One MoU was signed for introducing 'women only' cabs and another for launching a mobile safety app. PLEASE DON'T TEACH US PATRIOTISM, SAYS MODI New Delhi, (IANS) Kashmiri separatist leader Masrat Alam was released without taking the central government into confidence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, and asked the opposition not to teach him "patriotism". Making an intervention in the Lok Sabha, Modi said it was legitimate for the house to show its anger on the issue. "I assure the nation and the house that after the Jammu and Kashmir government was formed, proceedings are taking place without taking the Indian government into confidence," the prime minister said. "I associate with the concern and anger in the house," he said. Modi asked leaders in the Lok Sabha not to make a political issue of the matter, and said: "At least on the issue of separatists and terrorism, the country should not think on party lines. "The BJP is in a coalition with the PDP government in Jammu and Kashmir. You should criticise the government, but the world should not get a message that the country is divided on the issue of its unity and integrity." "I want to assure that the government will not accept any such incident. We will not compromise on the country's unity and integrity," he added. Alam, who was arrested during the 2010 unrest in the Kashmir Valley for allegedly inciting youth, was released by the newly-installed PDPBJP coalition government on Saturday. Modi said there is no reason for his government to keep quiet on the matter. "We have sacrificed Shyama Prasad Mukherjee for this... Please do not teach us patriotism." "We have asked for cer tain clarifications from the Jammu and Kashmir government as the home minster (Rajnath Singh) said and after that comes, we will inform the house." 14 MidWeek world MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 ISRAEL'S OPPOSITION SEEKS DIPLOMATIC SETTLEMENT WITH PALESTINE Kurdish peshmerga forces inspect a destroyed building on the outskirts of Tel Ward, west of the city of Kirkuk, Iraq (IANS) INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATED ACROSS WORLD London, (IANS/EFE) Various events were held across the world on Sunday to celebrate the International Women's Day. British singers Annie Lennox and Paloma Faith were joined by actress Gemma Ar ter ton at a march in London to demand respect for women's rights. Hundreds of feminists, including some dressed like the suffragettes of the early 20th century, marched from city hall to Westminster. Helen Pankhurst, the great-granddaughter of British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, and her daughter Laura also marched in the British capital. "The suffragettes of old would say that the vote was only ever the beginning," Helen Pankhurst said. London-based Amnesty International marked the day by calling for an end to the abuses still endured by women and girls 20 years after the signing of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. "Women and girls continue to suffer gender-based violence and other human rights violations in the belief that they were justified by tradition, custom or religion, such as forced marriage, female genital mutilation and crimes committed in the name of so called 'honour," the Amnesty International said. In Washington, President Barack Obama called for protecting the right to education of girls and teenagers around the world. "Women and girls are human beings, full and equal in rights and dignity. They deserve to be treated that way, everywhere, every day," Obama said. Obama is the father of two teenagers, Sasha, 16, and Malia, 13. "This gap between women's inherent value and how many of them are treated every day is one of the great injustices of our time. On this International Women's Day, we recommit ourselves to closing that gap," the president said. Pope Francis, meanwhile, praised the role played by women in societies around the world and said a world in which they were marginalised was "a sterile world". Chilean President Michelle Bachelet signed into law a bill creating the Women's ministry, calling the Cabinet depar tment "a new institution, more robust, with more tools" than other agencies. More work must be done to "modify minds and hear ts that keep an unjust system" in place, the president said. Meanwhile, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for gender equity and decried violence against women as the government said it has initiated one-stop crisis centres that will provide assistance to women who face violence in any form. Jerusalem, (IANS) The center-left Zionist Union, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main political rival in the March 17 elections, presented on Sunday its platform with an emphasis on achieving diplomatic settlement with the Palestinians. The platform, launched at a press conference in Tel Aviv, set two main goals: ending Israel's diplomatic isolation and curbing the rise of the housing prices, Xinhua reported. The Zionist Union, a coalition of Isaac Herzog's Labour party and former justice minister Tzipi Livni's HaTnua party, said it will present a peace initiative to the Arab League in order to restart the peace talks, which were ceased in 2013. The 40-page-long document proposes demilitarisation of the Palestinian state, keeping the settlement blocs in the West Bank under Israeli sovereignty, preserving Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel, and guaranteeing religious freedom and access to the Holy Places of all religions while maintaining Israeli sovereignty. "This initiative reflects Israel's core values, which are expressed in the call for peace and good relations between Israel and its neighbours, alongside the unequivocal definition of the State of Israel as the nation of Jewish people," according to the platform. The platform also promises to implant an economic plan that will restrain the high cost of living in Israel, and par ticularly the housing prices. Modi will certainly visit Pakistan next year: Sartaj Aziz Islamabad, (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will "cer tainly visit" Pakistan next year, the country's top foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz said on Sunday. Pakistan will host the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 2016, of which India is a member along with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. "We are fully hopeful that the Indian prime minister will come to Pakistan for the SAARC summit," Sartaj Aziz said in Islamabad, according to Xinhua. India last year suspended planned talks with Pakistan in August after the Pakistani ambassador met Kashmiri separatist leaders in New Delhi. India's Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar visited Pakistan last week as part of his trip to the SAARC member states, and the visit has raised hopes for the resumption of the official bilateral talks. That was the first high level diplomatic contact between the two countries in seven months. Sartaj Aziz said that although the visit of the Indian foreign secretary was in the reference of the SAARC countries, both sides used the opportunity to discuss bilateral issues. Pakistan's foreign secretary would visit India for more talks if the Indian government extends invitation, he told reporters after a conference of the Muslim Think Tanks Forum of Islamic Countries. MIDWEEK NEWS NEWS WEEKLY WEEKLY TUESDAY, AUGUST TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 10, 2012 2015 MidWeek 15 16 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 SRK LEARNS NEW SKILL - TO MAKE RANGOLI AYUSHMANN KHURRANA AND BHUMI PEDNEKAR DURING THE HOLI CELEBRATION IN MUMBAI (IANS) KUDESSAN - A SORDID TALE OF UNFAIRNESS TO FAIR SEX New Delhi (IANS): The sordid tale of unfairness to the fair sex in rural India hit the screens last Friday, ahead of the International Women's Day. The two-hour bilingual movie in Hindi and Punjabi, "Kudessan" or "Woman from the East", depicts the plight of poor women from Bihar who are being purchased by rich landlords of Punjab. "The movie is basically based on true human trafficking stories and tries to narrate the plight of women, especially the teenagers, who have to face sexual exploitation and abuse just for a few thousand rupees," director-cum-actor Jeet Matharru told IANS. The film is based on a Punjabi play, "The Namesake", written by Jatinder Brar, the man behind Punjab Naatshala, a theatre in Amritsar. "It took six years for me to make this social drama which will definitely leave questions for society," Matharru, whose maiden Punjabi movie "Adi Tapa" was quite hit. "Kudessan" is the story of a rural girl from Bihar, who is sold by her father to a 65-year-old farmer from Punjab under the grab of a domestic help. There she is a "Kudessan" or "Woman from the East" and suffered atrocities and abused. She finally decided to fight it out. It's just an attempt to portray the real life into reel life," Matharru said. He said in eastern India the practice of selling girls is still prevalent. The prosperous people in rural areas of Punjab and Haryana, which are infamous for skewed sex ratio, still prefer to buy girls from Bihar in lust of bearing boys. Such girls often face humiliation and torture throughout their life. According to Matharru, the idea of depicting the tale of trafficked women came in the mind of Brar, Punjabi play 'Kudessan' writer, during his visit to Bihar 25 years back. "During his visit to Bihar, Brar was curious when a dhaba (roadside eatery) owner offered him a girl for Rs1,000, Rs2,000 and Rs5,000," he said. "Even one of his friend bought a girl for Rs2,000. When Brar sahib asked his friend that what will he do with this girl? He replied: 'Nothing. We will have fun and leave her," said Matharru. Noted Bhojpuri actor Pakkhi Hegde will in the role of Ganga, who is sold by her father. This is her maiden Punjabi film. Singer Kailash Kher sang a promotional song for the movie titled "Beti", which narrates the tale of girls and women in the country. The movie was released simultaneously in India and Canada. Mumbai, (IANS) Acting is all about new learning. Shah Rukh Khan endorsed this when he decided to learn the ar t of making 'rangoli' in an episode of "India Poochega Sabse Shaana Kaun", a reality game show hosted by the superstar himself. In an earlier episode of the show, he had learnt to drape a sari, and when he got a chance to pick the skill of 'rangoli' -- creating colourful patterns on the floor -- he was up for it, in the pursuit of becoming an "ideal son-in-law". On the show, SRK would be seen calling a contestant on stage to teach him the ar t of making a rangoli. "I had a dream to be the ideal son-in-law, which I think I can become if I learn some rangoli," SRK said while waiting for the 'rangoli' car t. As the contestant began working on her rangoli, Shah Rukh watched intently. The actor also tried his hand at the ar t and made a smiley. Later, he joked that the beautiful rangoli made by the contestant was his and the smiley is what the contestant made. Ultimately, SRK left the judgment of the rangoli to the audience. The show airs on &TV everyday at 9pm. DHAWAN LEADS INDIA TO VICTORY AGAINST IRELAND A.R. Rahman to embark on 'special' US tour New Delhi (IANS): Music maestro A. R. Rahman will kick start his three month long North American tour March 21. He promises to deliver "special performances". The tour will begin May 21 in Huntington, NY at The Paramount before travelling to major cities across the US, including the Beacon Theatre in New York City, Bass Concert Hall in Austin, The Auditorium Theatre in Chicago and the Nokia Theatre at Los Angeles. "I've been wanting to return to North America to perform for a while now, and I'm excited to be coming back for a series of concer ts this spring," Rahman said in a statement on his Facebook page. "These are going to be very special performances and I'm grateful to have the chance to share them with you," he added. The Oscar-winning composer will perform various tracks from his 20year career on the 13-city tour, which will stop on May 28 at the Beacon Theatre in New York and Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on June 10. Titled "A.R. Rahman: The Intimate Concert Tour" and sponsored by JBL, the tickets for the show will go on sale March 6, with VIP packages available on March 4. The 48year-old is also the subject of a new documentary about his music, titled "Jai Ho", which premiered on Februray 25 at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. Rahman has won two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe and six honorary doctorates. He has delivered landmark scores in films like "Roja", "Bombay", "Dil Se..", "Taal", "Lagaan", "Delhi 6", "Slumdog Millionaire", "127 Hours", "Rockstar", "Highway", "Million Dollar Arm" and "The Hundred-Foot Journey". He is currently working on a composition for the forthcoming film "Pele", a biopic chronicling the legendary Brazilian soccer player's life. Hamilton (IANS): Guided by Shikhar Dhawan's dominating century, India's smooth eight-wicket victory over Ireland here on Tuesday ensured that the defending World Champions will finish at the top of Pool B. India bowled Ireland for 259 at the Seddon Park. In reply, India had no problem chasing down the target as Dhawan scored his second hundred of the tournament, in only 84 balls, to guide the Asian team to its ninth consecutive Cup win with 13.1 overs to spare. Openers Rohit Sharma (64) and Dhawan exploited the inexperienced Irish bowlers to strike India's highest World Cup opening stand of 174 runs to more or less settle the matter for their side. The par tnership completely took away the game from the Irish. While Rohit hit three boundaries and sixes each in his knock, Dhawan exemplified his form by stroking 11 boundaries and five sixes in his 85-ball 100. 18 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 MIDWEEK NEWS NEWS WEEKLY WEEKLY TUESDAY, AUGUST TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 10, 2012 2015 MidWeek bollywood Movie Review 19 I'D LOVE TO PLAY INDIRA GANDHI: MALLIKA SHERAWAT Mumbai (IANS): After starring in "Dirty Politics", actress Mallika Sherawat says she would love to feature in a biopic on late prime minister Indira Gandhi. "Biopics are very challenging. I have not really thought about it but, if given a chance I would love to play Indira Gandhi," Mallika said in reply to a query. "I really enjoyed 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag', one of the best biopics, and was very impressed by it." Directed by K.C. Bokadia, "Dir ty Politics" also features Naseer uddin Shah, Om Puri and Anupam Kher. There were repor ts that Mallika had shif ted her base to the US. Clarifying this, she said: "I'm very much here and have not shifted to America. I am hoping this film will open doors for me and hope directors take me seriously and offer me performanceoriented roles." MIDWEEK BOX OFFICE REPORT ERAWAT, OM PURI, CAST: MALLIKA SH , JACKIE SHROFF, NASEERUDDIN SHAH D ATUL KULKARNI AN ASHUTOSH RANA, SUSHANT SINGH KADIA DIRECTOR: K.C. BO /2 RATING: *1 'Dirty Politics' - giving politicians a bad name The pot-bellied grotesque politician from Rajasthan used to be the face of politics in India at a time when the Chautalas were doing their 'ghotalas'. With a new crop of smar ter netas, hopefully less susceptible to corruption, the era of the 'bad' politician seems blessedly behind us. And that's precisely why producer-director K.C. Bokadia's 'dir ty' look at the filth in Indian politics is hopelessly outdated. This is the murky Machiavellian world of Prakash Jha's politicians stuck in a timewarp. Denuded of all intellectual sensibility, it harks back to the 1970s when netajis in our films were so caricatural that they belonged to car toons in vernacular newspapers. Om Puri plays his role of the lecherous politician with lip-smacking relish. Like a diabetic man whose wife is away to her mother's house, while he gorges on forbidden junk food. This is junk food for the audience that believes cinema is about seductive heroines, lascivious villains, loud over-punctuated background music, camera angles and cinematography that seem to adhere to the gimmicky treatment, like an annoying snivelling child clinging to its mother's bosom. Bokadia's cameraman Paneer Selvam seems to know exactly what the director wants. Fleets of politicians' cars are shot in high-speed to save time. Or is it to make the frames look more exciting than they actually are? God knows, this film desperately needs a reason to survive its lengthy playing time. Actors of the calibre of Atul Kulkarni and Sushant Singh grapple with a script and lines that are so outrageously didactic that they sound like messages written on the walls of the loo at a government office visited week after week by tired pensioners. Curiously, Kukarni and Singh play honest policemen, brothers named Nischay and Nirbhaya. Get it? They work together to eradicate the dir t from politics. But who's going to clean out Indian mainstream cinema from the lingering legacy of a distastefully pungent past that films of this kind stubbornly cling to? It is hard to say which is a funnier sight. Mallika Sherawat trying to act in a sari. Or Mallika Sherawat trying to act coy while Om Puri takes off her sari. Either way she cuts a 'sari' figure trying to do what she was never cut out to do - act. As the dancer-turned-politician Anokhi Devi, Mallika tries to compensate for her lack of acting chops with facial vigour and physical energy. There is a par ticularly unaesthetic lovemaking sequence done in deliberately bad light which can't hide Puri's flab and Sherawat's disinterest. Can a film about a horny politician and a wily item girl be made without the two looking interested in each other? Reduced to the indignity of playing a lecherous over-libidinous politician who has the hots for an ambitious siren, Om Puri does what he can, given the constraints of a corny script that relies on sleaze and shock value to get our attention. Other talented actors like Naseeruddin Shah (playing an honest journalist stuck with a daughter whom the politicians kidnap), Anupam Kher (playing a straight-faced honest CBI officer), and Ashutosh Rana (very effective as Om Puri's right hand man) Aseem, seem to be in it for fun. Nothing that we see in "Dir ty Politics" justifies the presence of these talented actors. A very poorly executed film which makes you feel sorry for the body-politic of the nation. Surely things are not so bad in politics? DIRTY POLITICS AB TEK CHAPPAN 2 ROY QISSA DUM LAGA KE HAISHA IRS 05 CRORES IRS 10 CRORES IRS15 CRORES IRS 2 CRORES IRS 1 CRORE top 10 songs Film: Khamoshiyan 1 KHAMOSHIYAN FILM SONG 2 Hawaizaada Maaza My Lord 3 Badlapur Jeena Jeena 4 Roy Tu Hai Ki Nahi 5 Shamitabh Pidly 6 Dir ty Politics Ghagra 7 Shamitabh Sha Sha Mi Mi 8 Dolly Ki Doli Phatte Tak Nachna 9. Dum Laga ke Haisha Dard Karara 10 Badlapur Jee Karda HIT OR FLOP MIDWEEK DUM LAGA KE HAISHA HIT DIRTY POLITICS AVERAGE BADLAPUR HIT AB TEK CHAPPAN 2 AVERAGE QISSA HIT HIRING - MARKETING EXECUTIVES STILL OF UPCOMING MOVIE REY (IANS) A GROWING IT BASED COMPANY EVERY IT SOLUTIONS IS HIRING MARKETING EXECUTIVES. FOR DETAILS CALL 647-787-8451 OR EMAIL RESUME AT [email protected] 20 MidWeek bollywood MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 Not compromised on 'NH10' story for certification: Anushka Sharma Mumbai (IANS): Actress-producer Anushka Sharma feels relieved that her co-production "NH10" didn't have to suffer much over cuss words and has been cleared with few audio cuts and one visual cut by Censor Board. She asserts that despite an 'A' certificate to the film, they have not compromised with the film's story."We don't want to compromise with our film. We have got an 'A' certificate, one visual cut and few audio cuts, which we have accepted," Anushka said here Wednesday during the launch of Spring Summer collection inspired by the film NH10. As far as we could, we have not compromised with the story, with what we are trying to show to the audiences. Somewhere we are happy with whatever has happened," she added. Recently, CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) issued a controversial diktat blacklisting 'offensive' words from Indian films. The decision has left many Bollywood celebrities in shock and disagreement. Took 'Margarita With A Straw' as a test for myself: Kalki Koechlin NASSERUDDIN SHAH, PARESH RAWAL AND ANNU KAPOOR DURING THE TRAILER LAUNCH OF FILM DHARAM SANKAT MEIN IN MUMBAI (IANS) I play idolised version of Kejriwal in 'Dirty Politics': Naseeruddin Mumbai (IANS): Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, who will be seen in K.C. Bokadia's "Dir ty Politics", says his character in the film is somewhat like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "I play an idolised version of Delhi's Chief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal)...like him, this character also stands for right things and succeeds thereafter," the actor said here Tuesday during a press conference to promote the film. Kejriwal, who has become Delhi's chief minister for the second time, was a team member of Anna Hazare's anticorruption movement. He then took the political route and formed the Aam Aadmi Par ty. He first became the chief minister after the 2013 Delhi assembly polls but stepped down after 49 days. He made a historic comeback in the assembly polls this year. Like Kejriwal, Naseeruddin's character in "Dir ty Politics" is a "political activist and always believes in taking action against wrong doings". "Somewhere he is a witness of everything that happens in the story and at last he is the one who decides to take the positive action," he added. "Dir ty Politics" also features Mallika Sherawat, Jackky Shroff, Anupam Kher, Ashutosh Rana and Om Puri in key roles. Emraan Hashmi turns invisible in 'Mr X' trailer Mumbai (IANS): The first trailer of Emraan Hashmi's upcoming 3D thriller "Mr X" sees the actor taking on the role of an invisible cop named Raghuram Rathod, who takes revenge from people who did wrong to him. Directed by Vikram Bhatt, the story of the film revolves around Raghuram, who is forced to become a vigilante and gets entangled into a treacherous scheme. He is left to die in a chemical factory by people who blow it up with the intention to kill him. However, the chemicals in the factory cause a reaction that turns him invisible and this unique quality allows him to take revenge from his killers. Emraan, who has previously starred in films like "Murder", "Gangster", "Jannat" and "The Dirty Picture" has received a positive response for the trailer. "Great to see Amazing MrX Trailer trending.. Thanks for the lovely response... #MrX @emraan_team," he tweeted. Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt also took to Twitter to say 'hello' to the film. "Say hello to Mr Invisible! Trailer of #MrX http://youtu.be/ 5nCicl_EFnE is out!!! @foxstarhindi," he wrote. Produced by Vishesh Films, "Mr X" also stars Amyra Dastur, Arunoday Singh and Nora Fatehi. It will hit screens on April 17. Mumbai (IANS): Actress Kalki Koechlin, who essays the role of a cerebral palsy affected girl in Shonali Bose's directorial "Margarita With A Straw", says the audition for this film was toughest for her and she took it as a test for herself. "I loved the script. Shonali (Bose) e-mailed it to me and immediately I wrote back to her that I loved the script. It scared the hell out of me that she could even think that I could do this," Kalki told repor ters here Wednesday at the trailer launch of the film. The audition for this film was toughest for me," she added. "Margarita With A Straw" is a gentle coming-of-age story of a young Indian woman effected with cerebral palsy (played by Kalki Koechlin) and it also explores the sexuality of disabled people. Kalki's performance was appreciated on the international arena and she bagged Best Actress Award for Kalki at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival held last year. In India, "Margarita With A Straw" is expected to release on March 13. India-set 'Marigold Hotel' opens strong at US box office Washington, (IANS) India-set comedy "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" opened strong at number three at the US box office with an estimated $8.6 million in its first weekend of release. India-themed films rarely climb this high on the US box office char ts, according to data released by its distributor Fox Searchlight. Even Hollywood studio films such as "Life of Pi", "The Hundred Foot Journey", and "Million Dollar Arm" never made it to the top three at any time during their runs despite playing in more theatres than Marigold. "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" is the follow-up to the 2012 hit "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" which opened in the US in limited release in 27 theatres before building up interest word-of-mouth and eventually reaching nearly 1,300 theatres nationwide. It spent seven weeks in the top ten -- peaking at number six -- and finished its US run with $46.4 million. Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Dev Patel, Tina Desai and Lillete Dubey, among others, returned for the sequel which added Richard Gere to the cast. MIDWEEK NEWS NEWS WEEKLY WEEKLY TUESDAY, AUGUST TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 10, 2012 2015 MidWeek 80 PERTOSA DRIVE, UNIT 12, BRAMPTON ONT., L6X 5E9 21 22 MidWeek entertainment MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 HOLLYWOOD LMGA Awards:'Wild','Grand Budapest Hotel' win big SINGER RANJIT BAWA DURING THE PROMOTION OF HIS LATEST ALBUM `MITTI DA BAWA` IN AMRITSAR (IANS) JACKIE SHROFF WOULD 'LOVE' TO WORK WITH SON TIGER Mumbai (IANS): Actor Jackie Shroff says he has been inundated with queries about when he'll share the frame with his talented son Tiger. He says it will happen when the "right script" comes their way. "As a father I am really proud of my son. He's doing really well. People have been coming up to us and asking, 'When would we be seen sharing the screen?', but it all depends on the script and if we come across a good one then I'd love to work with him," said Jackie. Jackie, who was last seen in Farah Khan's "Happy New Year", is now caught up promoting the for thcoming "Dir ty Politics", directed by K.C. Bokadia. "I'm playing a powerful man in the film. As the title says, the film is all about politics. I hope the audience enjoys watching the movie as much as we enjoyed making it," he said. "Dir ty Politics" also features Mallika Sherwat and veteran actor Om Puri. Bieber roasters include Martha Stewart, Snoop Dogg Los Angeles (IANS): Shaquille O'Neil, Mar tha Stewar t, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Hannibal Buress, Chris D'Elia, Natasha Leggero, and Jeffrey Ross are ready to 'roast' singer Justin Bieber on a show. Comedy Central's "Justin Bieber Roast" will be taped on March 14 at Sony Studios and it will air on March 30, repor ts aceshowbiz.com. Kevin Har t is the 'roast master' for the programme. The last Comedy Central roast special was in 2013 with James Franco as the butt of the jokes and Seth Rogen as the roast master. Demi Lovato keen to collaborate with Eminem Priyanka to star in a documentary on Bollywood? Hollywood insiders indicate Priyanka Chopra might be seen in a documentary which is being produced by US based production house, Storm Productions. The documentary is an in depth Los Angeles, (IANS) Actress Reese Witherspoon-starrer "Wild" won the top honour for Outstanding Locations in a Contemporary Film and "The Grand Budapest Hotel" was bestowed the trophy for Outstanding Locations in a Period Film at the second Location Managers Guild of America (LMGA) awards. The show took place at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Ar ts in Beverly Hills Saturday, repor ts variety.com. The biographical drama film, "Wild", was shot mostly in Oregon and along par ts of the Pacific Crest Trail, with Nancy Haecker as location manager. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" achieved its authentic look by filming in Germany and Poland. Location manager Klaus Darrelmann took the prize. Among the television categories, "True Detective" was awarded for contemporary series and "Boardwalk Empire" won for period series. Other winners included Coca-Cola spot "America is Beautiful" for Outstanding Locations in a Single Commercial (Jimmy Ayoub, Cyndy McCrossen, Peter Or th, Stephen Pherigo), and "Ram Trucks" for Outstanding Locations in a Commercial Campaign (David McKinney and Peter Or th). The City of Long Beach Office of Special Events and Filming won the prize for Outstanding Film Commission. LMGA was star ted last year to recognise the creative contributions of location professionals in seven categories of film, television and commercials. Actress Alfre Woodard presented the Humanitarian Award to producer Caroline Baron, founder of NGO FilmAid International. Actors Debbie Allen and Ted Lange handed out the Lifetime Achievement Award to veteran location manager Kokayi Ampah, who has collaborated with directors like Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg. look at the evolution of Bollywood with a specific focus on its talent as global phenomena. Talent as Los Angeles (IANS): Singer Demi Lovato hopes she and famed rapper Eminem can make "something awesome", inspired by their experiences as recovered drug addicts. Lovato expressed her desire to collaborate with the rapper as she spoke of her anticipated fifth studio album, repor ts aceshowbiz.com. "I'm excited to explore with different sounds which is what I'm doing in the studio right now and to see what comes about," she said. Lovato went on to talk about her dream collaborators, which included Eminem. I can relate to him with being in recovery and things like that so I think we could make something awesome together," she said. A few years ago, the 22-year-old pop star sought treatment for an eating disorder as well as drug and alcohol addiction. She previously also battled an addiction to painkillers and other drugs. KATE BOSWORTH'S CHALLENGING 20S diverse as Anil Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Irrfan are now easily melding both East and West and catering to mass audiences around the world. The documentary will feature other Bollywood actors as well. Storm Productions is a US based production house that is currently developing several film and media projects with Indian par tners. "This is a film that needs to be done at this time. It's sor t of a debutante stor y, where Bollywood is the beautiful young woman making her grand appearance on the world stage. Indians have always appreciated Bollywood, and now justifiably, the world will as well. It parallels quite nicely with India's coming of age and hyper-growth over the last decade along with its global ambitions," said a source close to the project. When we contacted AJ Roy, the founder of the production house who is also directing the documentary he said, "Yes I'm working on the documentary which is a passion project. Having been born in India, but then raised in the West, it was very impor tant for me to share the beauty of Bollywood with the world. We have approached many actors to par take in this project, and of course Priyanka tops our list as she is an international star now. Los Angeles (IANS): Actress Kate Boswor th says she struggled to cope with her stardom in her twenties, before turning to her close friend Helena Christensen for advice. The 32-year-old actress, who shot to fame in the US TV series "Young Americans" in 2000 aged just 17, struggled to cope with the pressures of stardom as she grew up and was lucky to find solace in the model, who gave her valuable guidance, repor ts femalefirst.co.uk. "I was quite armoured for a lot of years. I had been going through such a hard time (in my 20s). I felt like it was me and my experience was unique, when actually everyone goes through these challenges. "'I just said to her, 'God, I am struggling... I'm feeling quite lost.' And she replied, 'You should have called me. I have been through that so many times.' And that was when the penny finally dropped. I don't think I'd be where I am without her," Boswor th told The Edit magazine while talking about the 46-year-old Christensen. JLO THINKS 'SINGERS OR DANCERS' ARE BEST LOVERS Los Angeles (IANS): Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez feels "singers or dancers" make the best lovers. The "On the floor" hitmaker was previously married to Ojani Noa, dancer Cris Judd and singer Marc Anthony; was engaged to actor Ben Affleck; and dated dancer Casper Smar t and rapper P. Diddy. She has now suggested that not all the men in her life have been impressive in the bedroom, repor ts femalefirst.co.uk. Asked who makes the best lovers, she told Loaded magazine: "I would say singers or dancers." The 45-year-old beauty, who has seven-year-old twins Max and Emme with Anthony, also admitted she has been left feeling inadequate after being cheated on the past. "I've been in relationships where there has been infidelity and you're left to feel like you did something wrong, like there's something wrong with you, you're not enough, all of those feelings that we struggle with. Men and women go through this by the way, it's not just a woman thing." MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS NEWS WEEKLY WEEKLY TUESDAY, AUGUST TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 10, 2012 2015 23 INDIA MOST LIKELY TO FACE BANGLADESH IN WC QUARTERS BANGLADESH CRICKET FANS CHEER AFTER THE NATIONAL TEAM DEFEATED ENGLAND IN THE INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL (ICC) WORLD CUP GAME IN DHAKA, BANGLADESH (IANS) BANGLADESH ENTER WC QUARTERS, ENGLAND OUSTED ADELAIDE, (IANS) Bangladesh created history on Monday by ousting England from the cricket World Cup's league stage and securing a quarterfinal berth for the first time with a 15-run victory in a Pool A game at the Adelaide Oval. In the process, they cleared the path for Sri Lanka to join New Zealand and Australia from their pool in the last eight. New Zealand are sitting pretty at the top with 10 points, while Bangladesh and Australia have seven points each. Sri Lanka have six points, while fifth-placed England slumped to their fourth loss in five matches. They have two points, the same as Afghanistan. Bangladesh had posted 275/7 in 50 overs thanks to Mohammad Mahmudullah (103) who became first batsman from his country to score a century in the World Cup. He forged a 141-run partnership with Mushfiqur Rahim (89). In reply, England were bowled out for 260 in 48.3 overs. Ian Bell (63), Jos Buttler (65) and Chris Woakes (not out 42) did their best, yet they fell short by 15 runs. For Bangladesh, medium pacers Rubel Hossain (4-53), skipper Moshrafe Mortaza (2-48) and Taskin Ahmed (2-59) did all the damage against the much-vaunted English team. England were going good till the 26th over when they were 120/2 with experienced Bell holding the innings together but he edged the first ball of the 27th over to wicketkeeper Rahim off Hossain. The left-arm seamer dealt a huge blow when he got rid of skipper Eoin Morgan (0) three deliveries later to reduce the opponents to 121/4 and pegged them back. Right-armer Taskin bagged James Taylor (1) to leave England reeling at 132/5. Young and relaible batsman Joe Root (29) perished against Mortaza to make it 163/6 in 35.4 overs. Afterwards, Buttler and Woakes exercised damage control and brought England into contention with a 75-run stand. They pushed their team to 238/6 till the fourth ball of the 46th over. But with a mounting required run rate, it was a tall ask for them and they lost their wickets in the process. Chris Jordan (0) was run out. Hossain returned to dismiss Stuart Broad (9) and James Anderson (0) to win it by 15 runs and triggered a wild celebration in the Bangladesh camp. Earlier, coming at the fall of two wickets for just eight runs in the third over, Mahumudullah held the innings together and scored his maiden One-Day International (ODI) ton. When two more wickets tumbled with his team at 99/4 in the 22nd over, he was joined by Rahim. The right-hander duo not only wriggled the team out of trouble but also enabled the team to post a competitive total despite a poor start. At the start, pacer Anderson starred for England. The right-armer forced an edge from left-hander Imrul Kayes (2) to Jordan at third slip. Opener Tamim Iqbal (2) could only managed an edge to Root at second slip in Anderson's second over. It left the Asian side reeling at 8/2 and in walked Mahmudullah. He joined Saumya Sarkar (40) and they exercised a damage control with a 86-run stand. With five fours and a six, Sarkar was looking good before he edged a Jordan delivery to wicketkeeper Buttler in the 21st over. In the next over, experienced Shakib Al Hasan (2) perished against offspinner Moeen Ali to leave his side in deep waters at 99/4. Former skipper Rahim joined Mahmudullah and the duo kept the scoreboard ticking. They upped the ante in the later part of their partnership. Rahim was more aggressive as he hit eight fours and a six in the 77 balls he faced. The 29-year-old Mahumudullah hit seven fours and a six to notch up his 100 in 131 balls. He was run out by a direct throw from Chris Woakes. Anderson and Jordan picked two wickets apiece, while Chris Broad and Ali took a wicket each. Brief scores: Bangladesh 275/7 in 50 overs (Mohammad Mahmudullah 103, Mushfiqur Rahim 89; James Anderson 2-45, Chris Jordan 2-59) beat England 260 all out in 48.3 overs (Jos Buttler 65, Ian Bell 63; Rubel Hossain 4-53, Moshrafe Mortaza 248, Taskin Ahmed 2-59). India can '99 percent' win World Cup: Madan Lal Greater Noida, (IANS) One of the 1983 World Cup-winning heroes, Madan Lal is mightily impressed with the current Indian cricket team and believes that they can "99 percent" retain the prestigious title. "I must say that India is playing very good cricket at the moment. The way they are playing is the best I have seen in a long time," the former bowling all-rounder said here on Monday. "India can 99 percent win this World Cup. If one day goes bad, that is another thing and if they don't win, then it will be due to their own mistakes. But hats off to them for how they have played so far." India have star ted their World Cup campaign on a brilliant note by defeating Pakistan, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and the West Indies on the trot to qualify for the quarter-finals. In the process, they won their eighth match in a row in World Cups which equals their previous longest Cup streak, established in 2003. "The team has done well in all the depar tments -- bowling, batting and fielding. The turnaround that they made following their tour of Australia is remarkable," added Lal, who inaugurated his new cricket academy at Gaur City here on Monday. Hamilton, (IANS) Bangladesh's 15-run win over England has more or less settled the question of who India will face in the quar ter finals. With the win at the Adelaide Oval in a Pool A match, Bangladesh cleared the path for Sri Lanka to join New Zealand and Australia from their pool in the last eight. New Zealand are sitting pretty at the top with 10 points, while Bangladesh and Australia have seven points each. Sri Lanka have six points, while fifth-placed England slumped to their four th loss in five matches. They have two points, the same as Afghanistan. India are on top of Pool B with eight points and they have a strong chance of finishing on top. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men are expected to beat Ireland and Zimbabwe and advance with full points from the six matches. Second-placed South Africa have six points from five matches and even if India lose both the matches and the Proteas win one, the defending champions will be on top on better run rate. Thirdplaced Pakistan, who have six points with one match remaining, have a lower run rate as compared to India. Unbelievably disappointing to be knocked out: Morgan Adelaide, (IANS) A dejected England skipper Eoin Morgan on Monday said it is "unbelievably disappointing" that they crashed out of the World Cup after losing to Bangladesh in their fifth World Cup Pool A game at the Adelaide Oval. Needing a win to stay alive in the contest, England began well with both bat and ball but lost the game by a mere 15-run margin. "Pretty poor to be knocked out this early from a World Cup. Unbelievably disappointing. We bowled reasonably well, but we couldn't quite match it up with the bat. I can't pick where it went wrong. I am gutted at the moment," said Morgan who once again failed to get off the mark. Chasing a formidable total of 275 for seven, England were bowled out in the penultimate over of the match as Bangladesh medium pacer Rubel Hossain (4/53) clean bowled tail-ender James Anderson with a yorker. The skipper said his team tried addressing the problems but could not rectify them. He added he don't know what is in store for the future but they will definitely look back at the performances and ponder on what went wrong. "It ultimately comes down to the performance, and some of them did, but not all of us as a unit. We have tried to address the problem, but obviously it hasn't worked. Our expectations were higher than the way we performed, so it is obviously disappointing," he said. "No idea what will happen from here. Again, there will be an inquest over the next few weeks to see what went wrong, and then we will go from there," he added. In their last inconsequential group game England will face minnows Afghanistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 13. DUAL INJURY BLOW FOR SRI LANKA AHEAD OF AUSTRALIA CLASH Sydney (IANS): Sri Lanka will be forced to make at least two changes for Sunday's crunch cricket World Cup clash with Australia here, with veteran spinner Rangana Herath ruled out and batsman Dimuth Karunaratne being sidelined for the rest of the tournament. The 36-year-old, left-armer Herath has been ruled out after splitting the webbing between his spin fingers in the side's last win over England, repor ts cricket.com.au. Officials are hoping Herath will return before the knockout phase of the tournament, with Sri Lanka scheduled to play their quar ter-final here. However, young batsman Karunaratne will miss the rest of the World Cup after fracturing his little finger during Thursday's training session. "He has to undergo surgery and will be out for about four weeks. He will return home," Sri Lanka's chairman of selectors and former captain Sanath Jayasuriya said. The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday approved all-rounder Seekuge Prasanna as a replacement for the injured Karunaratne. Prasanna, on the other hand, has played 22 One-Day Internationals (ODI) in which he has scored 181 runs and taken 21 wickets. His last appearance for Sri Lanka was earlier this year when he played against New Zealand in Wellington. Sri Lanka, placed in Pool A, have played four matches, winning three. Prasanna had been flown over as cover for Herath. ICC rules stipulate any injury-enforced changes in a squad are permanent. As such, Prasanna would only have played against Michael Clarke's men if Herath was ruled out of the tournament. Karunaratne's injury has seemingly solved that issue, ensuring Sri Lanka will field a frontline spinner for Sunday's game. It leaves the squad shor t a batsman, with Jayasuriya revealing Kusal Perera will travel to Sydney as a "precautionary measure". The loser of the weekend's fixture at the SCG will almost cer tainly finish third in Pool A. That would come with the challenge of a likely quar ter-final against South Africa, then a potential semifinal against New Zealand in Auckland. 24 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 NEW ZEALAND THUMP AFGHANISTAN BY SIX WICKETS GLENN MAXWELL ACKNOWLEDGES THE CROWD AFTER SCORING A TON, AUSTRALIA V SRI LANKA. MAXWELL GUIDES AUSTRALIA TO 376/9 AGAINST SRI LANKA Sydney, (IANS) Glenn Maxwell's maiden One-Day International (ODI) century helped Australia rack up an imposing 376/9 in 50 overs against Sri Lanka in a World Cup Pool A encounter at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here on Sunday. Maxwell's blitzkrieg knock of 102, the fastest century by an Australian in ODIs and the second fastest in World Cups, as well as two-century run par tnerships between skipper Michael Clarke (68) and Steven Smith (72) and Shane Watson (67) and Maxwell helped the four-time champions to mass the highest Cup total against Sri Lanka by any team. Australia did not star t well as they lost openers Aaron Finch (24) and David Warner (9) by the ninth over to be at 41/2. However, a 134-run third-wicket partnership between Clarke and Smith settled the innings before Maxwell and Watson went ballistic in the end to power them to this significant total. Clarke scored his 57th half-century while Smith his fifth to give themselves a brilliant platform at 175/2 in the 31st over. However, both got out in a span of five balls which brought out Maxwell and Watson. The duo went berserk in the death overs to smash a 160-run fifth-wicket par tnership to propel the run rate. Maxwell's 53-ball 102 included 10 boundaries and four huge sixes as he brought up his century in only 51 balls. On the other hand, Watson, dropped from their last match due to poor form, gave a 'good' worry to the Australian management who will think twice before dropping him. The all-rounder hammered 67 off 41 deliveries, his innings studded with seven fours and two sixes. A nine-ball, 25-run cameo by wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin also helped Australia push their total. The Sri Lankan bowlers did not have much to boast about as everyone who rolled their arms, apar t from Lasith Malinga, gave away 6.5 or more an over. Pacers Lasith Malinga (2/59) and Thisara Perera (2/87) picked up two wickets each. Brief scores: Australia 376/9 in 50 overs (Glenn Maxwell 102, Steven Smith 72, Michael Clarke 68; Lasith Malinga 2/59, Thisara Perera 2/87) vs Sri Lanka. Ian Gould becomes 15th umpire to stand in 100 ODIs Sydney, (IANS) Ian Gould became the 15th umpire to stand in 100 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) when he took the field in the Australia versus Sri Lanka match in World Cup 2015 at Sydney cricket ground on Sunday. On completing 100 ODIs, Gould said in a statement: "I love umpiring and really consider it a great honour to be on the field with the some of the greatest players in the world. Cricket is just such a great game." Gould joined the first-class umpires' panel in England in 2002 and was elevated to the Emirates International Panel of International Cricket Council (ICC) Umpires in 2006. He made his international umpiring debut in an ODI between England and Sri Lanka at Oval in June 2006, while he made his Test debut two years later in Bloemfontein in a match between South Africa and Bangladesh. In 2009, he was promoted to the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires. Apar t from his 100 ODIs, he stood in 43 Tests and 29 Twenty20 Internationals. Gould has also umpired in World Cup 2007 and 2011, as well as in the Champions Trophy 2009 and 2013. During his playing days, he was a wicket-keeper-batsman for Middlesex, Sussex and England in a career that ran from 1975 to 1996. He kept wickets for England in 18 ODIs in 1983, including seven during the World Cup 1983 in which he scored 66 runs and accounted for 12 batsmen behind wickets. The umpire with most appearances in ODIs is Rudi Koer tzen who stood in 209 matches. Napier, (IANS) New Zealand bowled out Afghanistan for 186 and overhauled the target with six wickets to spare in a cricket World Cup Pool A match at McLean Park here on Sunday. Veteran left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori(4/18) and pacer Trent Boult (3/34) had reduced Afghanistan to 59/6 in 20th over. However, Samiullah Shenwari (54) and Najibullah Zadran (56) forged an 86run partnership for the seventh wicket to bail the team out of the slump. Yet they were bowled out for 186 in 47.4 overs. In pursuit of an easy target, the host hardly broke a sweat and got over the line with ease in 37th over. Skipper Brendon McCullum raced to a 19-ball 42 to provide a sparkling start. After he lost his wicket to his Afghanistan counterpart Mohammad Nabi, Martin Guptill (57) was joined in middle by in-form Kane Williamson (33). They stitched a 58-run stand before young Williamson was caught by Shenwari at mid-wicket off pacer Shapoor Zadran. Guptill, 28, registered his 22nd One-Day International (ODI) fifty. Later, experienced Ross Taylor (not out 24), Grant Eliott (19) and Corey Anderson (not out 7) completed formalities to give the co-host their fifth win in as many matches. They are on top of Pool A, while the Afghans are sixth with one win in five matches. New Zealand are expected to make it six out of six as they will face Bangladesh on March 13. Afghanistan, who are already out of race for the quarterfinals, will have to battle it out against England for their second win. Earlier, Afghanistan innings got off to a poor start with two openers Javed Ahmadi(1) and Usman Ghani (0) perishing to pacer Boult and Vettori. From 6/2 in the third over, they stooped to 59/6 in 20th over. Asghar Stanikzai (9) lost his wicket to leftarmer Boult. Vettori dismissed in-form Nawroz Mangal (27), Nabi (6) and wicket-keeper-batsman Afsar Zafai (0) as the cup debutants stumbled to 59/6. Afterwards, a seventh-wicket partnership between Shenwari (54)and Najibullah (56) for 86 runs rescued them. Their stand became the fifth highest for the seventh wicket in the history of the quadrennial event. The 22-year-old left-hander Najibullah recorded his second ODI half-century. He hit eight fours and two sixes before offering a catch to Vettori at third man off pacer Adam Milne. For 28-year-old Shenwari, it was his 10th fifty and second in the tournament. He had scored 96 in a winning cause against Scotland. On Sunday, the right-hander played it slow and during his 110-ball knock, he hit five fours and a six. Shenwari offered a simple catch to Ross Taylor and square leg off medium pacer Anderson, who ended the Afghanistan innings by taking the wicket of Hamid Hassan (16). They were bowled out for 186 which was not at all a task for the strong batting line-up of New Zealand. Brief scores: Afghanistan 186 all out in 47.4 overs (Samiullah Shenwari 54, Najibullah Zadran 56, Daniel Vettori 4/18 and Trent Boult 3/34) lose to New Zealand 188/4 in 36.1 overs (Martin Guptill 57, Brendon McCullum 42; Mohammad Nabi 1/39, Shapoor Zadran 1/45). IRELAND SNATCH 5-RUN WIN OVER ZIMBABWE Hobart, (IANS) Ireland snatched a thrilling five-run win from the jaws of defeat when they beat Zimbabwe in a Pool B match to keep alive their chances of qualifying for the World Cup quarter-finals. Two brilliant innings from Ed Joyce (112) and Andy Balbirnie (97) guided Ireland to a mammoth 331/8 at the Bellerive Oval here on Saturday. In reply, Brendan Taylor (121) played a captain's knock with the assistance of Sean Williams (96) to leave Zimbabwe needing just seven runs of the last over with two wickets in hand. However, Ireland picked both the wickets in the first three balls of the last over to claim the second victory over a Test playing nation in this World Cup, having beaten the West Indies earlier. Chasing a mammoth target of 332, Zimbabwe were tottering at 74/4 in the 17th over when wicketkeeperbatsman Taylor and Williams struck a magical 149-run fifth-wicket partnership to not just steady their ship but also give themselves a strong chance. Taylor's blistering 91-ball knock, his seventh One-Day International (ODI) century, also included 11 boundaries and four huge sixes. He also became the joint highest century maker for Zimbabwe, equalling Alastair Campbell. Though Taylor got out with the score at 223 in the 38th over, Williams still kept going to help his side reach the 300-run mark. It looked like the lefthander would go on to score his maiden ODI hundred and help his side to victory. But he got out in controversial fashion with the score at 300/6 in the 47th over. Just when it was looking that Zimbabwe would snatch a fantastic victory with Williams at the helm, the 28year-old smashed a Kevin O'Brien (2/ 90) delivery only to be caught by John Mooney right at the edge of the deep mid-wicket boundary. However, reviews showed that Mooney's foot might have touched the boundary line but the third umpire ruled in favour of Ireland which proved to be the turning point. The African side received another jolt when they lost another wicket to go eight down in 47.4 overs. With 26 required from two overs and eight wickets down, it looked like Ireland would come out on top but 19 runs from Kevin's 49th over changed the scenario with Zimbabwe needing a mere seven off the last over. However, Alex Cusack (4/32) proved to be the hero for the Irish as two wickets in his first three deliveries handed the minnows an incredible triumph. Pacer Cusack was the pick of the bowlers, scalping four wickets with a brilliant economy rate of 3.36. Earlier, asked to bat, man-of-thematch Joyce scored his third century while Balbirnie smashed a quickfire 97 off 79 deliveries. Ireland started poorly, losing opener Paul Stirling (10) early in the third over. Captain William Por terfield stuck it out in the middle to score a patient 29 off 61 but eventually gifted his wicket to left-arm spinner Williams (3/72) with Ireland at 79 in the 21st over. Thereon, a brilliant 138-run thirdwicket stand between Joyce and Balbirnie gave the Irish the platform to put up a big total. Joyce stroked nine beautiful boundaries and three sixes in his 103-ball knock while Balbirnie hammered his second ODI half-century which included seven fours and four huge sixes. Right-hander Balbirnie had a super chance of scoring his maiden hundred in his 15th ODI but was run out while trying to accelerate on the first ball of the last over. Kevin (24) and wicketkeeperbatsman Gary Wilson (25) also played impor tant cameos at the fag end of the innings to take Ireland to the highest total by an Associate team in World Cups. The Zimbabwean bowlers looked totally unimpressive though Tendai Chatara (3-61) and Williams picked up three wickets each. Brief scores: Ireland 331/8 in 50 overs (Ed Joyce 112, Andy Balbirnie 97; Tendai Chatara 3-61, Sean Williams 3-72) vs Zimbabwe 326 all out in 49.3 overs (Brendan Taylor 121, Sean Williams 96; Alex Cusack 4/32). 26 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 INDIA BOWL OUT IRELAND FOR 259 PAKISTANI PLAYER MOHAMMAD IRFAN CELEBRATES FALL OF A WICKET DURING AN ICC WORLD CUP 2015 MATCH BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND SOUTH AFRICA AT EDEN PARK, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (IANS) BOWLERS HELP PAKISTAN BEAT PROTEAS BY 29 RUNS Auckland, (IANS) Skipper AB de Villiers' spirited knock of 58ball 77 went in vain as South Africa lost to Pakistan by 29 runs via the Duckwor th-Lewis method in a World Cup Pool B match at the Eden Park here on Saturday. Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (56) had registered his four th halfcentury in the tournament but that didn't stop South Africa from bowling Pakistan for 222 runs in 46.4 overs. Pakistan were decently placed at 197-5 in 40.1 overs when rain halted the play and it shor tened the innings by three overs. Due to the Duckwor th-Lewis rules, the target was revised and South Africa needed 232 in 47 overs. But they were bowled out for 202 runs in 33.2 overs as three young Pakistan left-arm seamers Mohammad Irfan (3-52), Rahat Ali (3-40) and Wahab Riaz (345) made life difficult. Even though Hashim Amla (38) and Faf du Plessis played well in the early part of the innings, they kept losing wickets regularly. De Villiers once again stamped his authority and kept his side in hunt with his 43rd One-Day International (ODI) fifty. He hit seven fours and five sixes and became highest run-scorer (318) in the World Cup so far. However, he edged a medium pacer Sohail Khan delivery to the hands of wicketkeeper Sar fraz Ahmed with the win still 32 runs away and only one wicket remaining. De Villiers' wicket ended the South Afican hopes and they fell shor t by 29 runs. Wicketkeeper Sar fraz, playing in his first match of the tournament, scored 49 crucial runs and plucked six wickets to become man-of-the-match. The 27-year-old also equalled the record of most catches in an ODI. With this win, Pakistan boosted their chances of reaching the quar ter finals with three wins from five matches and they will play Ireland in their final Pool game on March 15. South Africa slumped to their second loss in five games but still stand a strong chance of last eight ber th. They will face the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 12, Earlier, Ahmed Shahzad (18) perished early to pacer Kyle Abbot. But Sar frar (49) did well to forge a 62-run stand with experienced Younis Khan (37). Sar fraz, looked in fine form. Despite being promoted as a makeshift opener, his shot selections were good against both pace and spin. He milked five fours and three huge sixes before being run out at his personal score of 49. Skipper Misbah, who will quit ODI cricket post this World Cup, made full use of his experience. Even though Younis, Sohaib Maqsood (8) and Umar Akmal (13) perished in front of him, the 40-year-old once again rose to the occasion. Mixing with ones and twos and odd boundaries, he kept the scoreboard ticking. He recorded his four th half-century in five matches and also scored 41st fifty before rain halted the play. South Africa bowled exceedingly well after the rain, and executed the slow bouncers and yorkers in the death overs to per fection. Pace spearhead Dale steyn dismissed both the unbeaten batsmen Misbah and veteran Shahid Afridi (22) and the lower-order batsmen failed to contribute. Afridi meanwhile played a cameo of 22 in 15 balls as the Proteas choked runs at the death overs. For South Africa, Steyn showed them the way by picking three crucial wickets, while fast bowlers Abbot and Morne Morkel picked up two wickets apiece. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir and de Villiers took a wicket each. The Proteas bowlers good work was equally matched by the Pakistan bowlers, who ended up on the winning side. Brief scores: Pakistan 222 in 46.4 overs (Misbah-ul-Haq 56, Sar fraz Ahmed 49; Dale steyn 3-30, Morne Morkel 2-25, Kyle Abbot 2-45) beat South Africa 202 in 33.3 overs. DHONI CREDITS BOWLERS FOR WIN OVER WINDIES Perth (IANS): After beating the West Indies in a World Cup Pool B encounter at the WACA here on Friday, an elated Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni credited his bowlers for keeping the opposition batsmen on a tight leash. The Indian bowlers were upto the mark from the ver y first over of the day, as they rarely hurled a bad delivery to the rival batsmen giving away just eight runs from the first five overs. Mohammad Shami, later adjudged the Man-of-the-Match, was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-35 from his eight overs. Pacer Umesh Yadav (2-42) and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (2-27) chipped in to take two wickets each, as the West Indies were bowled out for a paltry 182. India chased the total down with four wickets and 65 deliveries to spare. They registered four th straight victory and qualified to the quar ter finals. "It was a difficult wicket, even initially with the new ball. There was some variable bounce, it was doing a bit. It settled down later, there was some swing for the West Indies bowlers as well, with the new ball," Dhoni, who scored unbeaten 45 from 56 balls, said at the post-match presentation ceremony. "Our bowlers didn't try too much. They stuck to their line and length. It (wicket) had a bit more bounce and we gave quite a few wides bowling bouncers. But we also got wickets with the shor t-pitched deliver y, so overall very happy with our per formance," Dhoni added. Dhoni added the target was a tricky one to chase down on such a dicy strip but said it was also a good chance to test out the middle-order. "It is a difficult target, because you don't know whether to go and play your shots. It was a good chance to test out lower middleorder. Ashwin played well." "Jadeja will have to step up and if he star ts scoring runs, it will be a very difficult line-up to contain." Asked about the challenges they will face against Ireland and Zimbabwe when they travel to New Zealand, he said: "The last time we were in New Zealand, there were true wickets. We'll have to see what kind of wickets are provided, but generally the ball comes on, there is some bounce." "The grounds are small so that is one area where we will have to adjust," concluded the skipper. India next play Ireland on March 10 in Hamilton, followed by their trip to Auckland where they play Zimbabwe on March 14. Hamilton, (IANS) Despite a brilliant star t, Ireland were befuddled by the spinners as some clever tactics from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped India bowl out the Associate team for 259 in a World Cup Pool B match at Seddon Park here on Tuesday. It was a mixed sor t of innings from Ireland who got off to a blazing star t via openers William Por ter field (67) and Paul Stirling (42). However, they stuttered against the spinners and from what seemed as a 300 plus total at one point, Ireland collapsed to being all out in the 49th over. This is the first time ever that India have bowled out their opposition in five consecutive One-Day Internationals (ODI). Electing to bat, captain Por terfield and Stirling looked in good touch as they hammered the Indian pacers all over the small ground. The confident star t from Ireland made Dhoni bring in third pacer Mohit Sharma (1/38) in only the fifth over. Despite the change, Ireland still scored quite easily off the pacers, who looked impeccable in the previous four matches of the tournament. However, the Irish duo seemed to handle the pace very well. Dhoni, understanding this, brought in spinners Ravindra Jadeja (1/45) and Ravichandran Ashwin (2/38) in the ninth over onwards. The change took some time but finally yielded success in the 15th over, bringing an end to the opening-wicket par tnership of 89. Realising that the minnows were struggling against the slower bowlers, Dhoni brought in par t-time off spinner Suresh Raina (1/40) and it immediately yielded success. Just three runs later after the fall of the first wicket, Ed Joyce, who scored a sensational century against Zimbabwe in their last match, was bowled by Raina. Seeing the ball turn and the Irish struggle against the spinners, the Indian skipper kept Ashwin and Raina bowling in tandem and the duo slowed down the run rate, which was run-a-ball till the 15th over. INDIA DEFEAT WINDIES, ENTER WORLD CUP QUARTERS Perth (IANS): A superlative bowling performance and a cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni eventually helped India muster a four-wicket win against the West Indies to notch their four th consecutive World Cup Pool B victory on a tricky WACA pitch here last week. A brilliant bowling per formance helped the defending champions skittle out the Windies for 182 in 44.2 overs with Man-of-the-Match Mohammed Shami clinching 3-35. In reply, India str uggled throughout their chase but levelheaded captain Dhoni saw the team through in 39.1 overs to qualify for the quar ter finals. Chasing a meagre 183, India lost both openers Rohit Sharma (7) and Shikhar Dhawan (9) cheaply. Vice captain Virat Kohli (33) took India out from the early trouble and looked solid at the crease as he stroked five boundaries in his 36-ball innings. However, the Windies pacers were in with a mission and some lethal pace backed by aid from the fast pitch led them to clinch the wickets of Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane (14), Suresh Raina (22) and Ravindra Jadeja (13) at regular intervals to put India in more than a spot of bother. However, a patient Dhoni, coming in at No.6, stuck it out in the middle to score a crucial, unbeaten 45 to see India home with Ravichandran Ashwin (16 not out) beside him. But the Windies bowlers tested India throughout their innings. Earlier, asked to bowl, India obliged by packing off the former two-time champions with pace spearhead Shami being the pick of the bowlers. Shami and Umesh Yadav (2/42) bowled superbly in tandem with accurate line-andlength to restrict the Windies at 8/1 in five overs. In fact, explosive opener Chris Gayle (21) struggled and took 11 balls to get off the mark, that too in the sixth over. Gayle looked a little dangerous when he smashed two boundaries and a six but once he got out, Indian bowlers ripped apar t the Windies batting line-up. The burly lefthander gave three difficult chances to India but eventually gifted his wicket when he slashed hard a shor t ball only to be caught by Mohit Sharma at mid-wicket. Shami, who did not play in India's last match against the United Arab Emirates due to injury, and Yadav made per fect use of the pacy and bouncy WACA wicket to take four wickets to reduce the Caribbean side to 35/4 by the 10th over. Some poor shot selection by Windies batsmen also aided the defending champions. Third pacer Mohit (1/35) was also impressive while spinners Ashwin (1/38) and Jadeja (2/27) choked the Windies and consequently the batsmen gave away their wickets. The Indian fielding proved to be two sides of the same coin. While some fielded brilliantly to stop runs and clinched impressive catches, a couple of sitters were also dropped by Jadeja and Rohit which helped the Windies go beyond the 150-run mark. Windies captain Jason Holder (57) offered the only resistance down the order with his highest One-Day International (ODI) score. The 23-year-old all-rounder showed the WACA wicket was a good one to bat on as he hammered three sixes and four fours in his 64-ball innings before being caught on the last ball of the innings. India next play Ireland on March 10 at Hamilton. Brief scores: West Indies 182 all out in 44.2 overs (Jason Holder 57; Mohammed Shami 3/35, Ravindra Jadeja 2/27, Umesh Yadav 2/42) vs India 185/6 in 39.1 overs (Mahendra Singh Dhoni 45 not out, Virat Kohli 33; Jerome Taylor 2/33, Andre Russell 2/43). MIDWEEK NEWS NEWS WEEKLY WEEKLY TUESDAY, AUGUST TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 10, 2012 2015 MidWeek 27 28 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015
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