Part 1 - South Asian Daily

2
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2016
NORTH AMERICA PARTNERS
CANADA TO END COMBAT
MISSION BY FEB 22 IN
SYRIA AND IRAQ, OFFERS
OVER $1.6 BILLION IN AID
FROM L TO R: DR JOSEPH WONG, YEE HONG FOUNDER AND CHAIR OF YEE HONG COMMUNITY WELLNESS FOUNDATION WITH PRIME MINISTER
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, MS HAZEL MCCALLION, FORMER MAYOR OF MISSISSAUGA AND XUE BING, CONSUL GENERAL OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC
OF CHINA IN TORONTO TAKING PART AT THE EYE-DOTTING CEREMONY AT DRAGON BALL 2016.
I DETAILS ON PAGE 6
AZAM SAYS MODI MET
DAWOOD IN LAHORE;
GOVERNMENT TERMS
IT BASELESS
LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI, (IANS) Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan on
Saturday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met underworld don Dawood Ibrahim at the residence of his Pakistani counterpar t Nawaz Sharif in Lahore in December last year. The government termed it as baseless, unfounded and totally false.
Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) national secretary Shrikant Sharma
termed the comments a desperate attempt to hide the failures of
the Samajwadi Par ty government in the state and divide the people.
He asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to prove
the allegations or apologise for the baseless remarks by his minister. Azam Khan had on Saturday claimed that Modi had met
Ibrahim at the residence of Sharif in Lahore. The central government had dismissed the allegations terming them as baseless,
unfounded and totally false. Modi, on his way back from Kabul,
had made an unscheduled stopover in Lahore on December 25
last year to meet Sharif.
Headley exposes Pakistan's role
in 2008 Mumbai terror strike
MUMBAI - David Headley grew up in a strict Pakistani boarding
school before becoming a barman at his family tavern in Philadelphia in the US and making contacts with Pakistani spy agencies who made him play a key role in the 2008 Mumbai terror
attack. In 1998, he was jailed for two years for smuggling heroin
into the US from Pakistan. After the jail term, he went to Pakistan
to conduct undercover surveillance operations for the US Drug
Enforcement Administration.
November 26-28, 2008: Ten Pakistani terrorists sail into India
and kill 166 people over three days at multiple targets. Headley
confessed to have scouted each of these targets earlier.
February 2006: Headley changes his name from the Muslim
Daood Gilani to give himself an American identity, apparently to
enter India and other countries easily.
2006-08: He visits India five times from September 2006 to July
2008 to video various potential targets for the terrorists.
March 2009: Even after the Mumbai carnage, Headley returns to
India for his sixth trip to plot another attack, with possible targets
being the National Defence College in Delhi and Chabad houses
in several cities. October 3, 2009: Nearly a year after the Mumbai
carnage, Headley, on his way to Pakistan, is arrested at O'Hare
International Airpor t in Chicago.
ACTRESS AND PRODUCER NEERU BAJWA WITH YUDHVIR JASWAL, GROUP EDITOR AND CEO OF YMEDIA, AT CHANNEL Y STUDIOS TO
PROMOTE HER UPCOMING MOVIE, CHANNO KAMLI YAAR DI, THAT IS RELEASING ON FEBRUARY 19. FULL INTERVIEW CAN BE WATCHED
ON CHANNEL Y. CHANNEL Y CAN BE VIEWED ON ROGERS AT 857 AND BELL FIBE AT 828.
I DETAILS ON PAGE 5
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced Canada's
new policy to address the ongoing crises in Iraq and Syria and the
impact they are having on the surrounding region. It will make a
meaningful contribution to the Global Coalition's fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), while strengthening the
ability of regional governments and local authorities to defend themselves, and rebuild over the long-term.
It is a whole of government approach that enlists several federal
departments to work closely together to enhance security and stability, provide vital humanitarian assistance, and help par tners deliver
social services, rebuild infrastructure and good governance.
On the security front, Canada looked at how the Canadian Armed
Forces (CAF) could best contribute in the fight against ISIL in the
region within the Global Coalition. In keeping with the mandate the
government received from Canadians last fall, the government will
focus on training and advising local security forces to take their fight
directly to ISIL. To this end, additional military resources will be
dedicated to suppor ting Coalition par tners at various headquar ters
and to training, advising and assisting Iraqi security forces in their
effor ts to degrade and defeat ISIL.
I DETAILS ON PAGE 9
Sidhu shadow haunts BJP
ahead of Punjab elections
BY JAIDEEP SARIN
CHANDIGARH, (IANS) Having sidelined its most popular political face, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, the BJP in Punjab seems undecided on its own future political course as the state heads for crucial assembly polls in about a year's time. As Punjab's political scene heats up, the talk
is all about a triangular fight between the ruling Akali Dal, the main opposition
Congress and the new entrant - the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). No one is even
mentioning the BJP anywhere. The problem for the BJP in Punjab is that it is
led by a bunch of leaders who have little or no standing in state politics, leave
alone having any recognition at the national level. BJP president Amit Shah
met some of them on Saturday to get feedback on the BJP's future course in
the state. The party leadership, in the past few years, deliberately chose to ignore
and even embarrass its best known face, Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was elected on
the party ticket as MP of Amritsar thrice (2004, 2007 bypoll and
2009). In the 2014 general elections, the BJP dumped Sidhu
and fielded Arun Jaitley, now the finance minister in the
Narendra Modi government. On the other hand the AAP,
which is giving a serious challenge to Punjab's hitherto
two-party (Akali-Congress) option, is looking for a big
name to drive its campaign. It was Punjab's electorate which
gave entry to the AAP in the Lok Sabha in the 2014
elections. The party won four seats - all
from Punjab. I DETAILS ON PAGE 8
INDIA'S GROWTH SLOWS TO
7.1 PER CENT IN Q3
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Indian economy grew 7.3 per cent in the third quarter
ended December 31, 2015 - down from the 7.7 per cent expansion in the
previous quarter, but marginally up over the 7.1 per cent over the like period of
last fiscal, official data showed on Monday. The Indian industry said it was
looking to the upcoming union budget giving a positive direction to the economy.
As per official data on gross domestic product (GDP) released by the Central
Statistics Office (CSO), the growth was pulled down by lower production in
'agriculture, forestry and fishing', 'electricity, gas and water supply and other
utility services' and 'financial, real estate and professional services'. Inadequate rainfall this year meant agriculture and allied activities registered
negative growth of (-) 1 per cent in the quarter - compared to a 2 per cent
growth in the previous quarter. Besides, there was a 6 per cent growth in
electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services - as against 7.5 per cent
growth in the second quarter. Financial and professional services income in
the September-December quarter grew at 9.9 per cent - compared to 11.6 per
cent in the previous quarter. The government's mid-year economic review,
released in December, lowered the economic growth forecast for the current
fiscal to the 7-7.5 per cent range, from the previously projected 8.1-8.5 per
cent, mainly because of lower agricultural output due to deficit rainfall. India,
last year, changed the way it calculated its gross domestic product under a
new series, though the controversy over the changed methodology employed
refuses to die down with economists even terming it obscure.
NORTH AMERICA
PARTNERS
CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON
4
MidWeek
special report
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2016
Ontario Premier Wynne Concludes Successful India Trade Mission
Agreements valued at over $240 million to create more than 150 high-value jobs in Ontario
Premier Wynne held meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ontario Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade Michael Chan with State of Andhra
Pradesh Special Representative K Rama Mohana Rao sign a memorandum of understanding that will
increase collaboration between India and Ontario. Also seen the image are (from L to R) Canadian High
Commissioner to the Republic of India Nadir Patel; Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne; Deputy Chief
Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia; Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure
Brad Duguid, and Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Dipika Damerla.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne (centre, wearing pink) reflects during a moment of silence while
visiting the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi. The Premier was joined by (from left to right)
MPP for Mississauga-Erindale Harinder Takhar, Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
Dipika Damerla, Prince Edward Island Minister of Economic Development and Tourism Heath
MacDonald, MPP for Brampton West Vic Dhillon, Harijan Sevak Sangh President Sankar Kumar
Sanyal, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade Michael Chan, Prince Edward
Island Premier Wade MacLauchlan, MPP for Halton Indira Naidoo-Harris, and Secretary of the
Rajghat Samadhi Committee Rajnish Kumar.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne with Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar in Chandigarh to
sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Seen here are (from Left to Right): Consul General of
Canada Christopher Gibbins, Prince Edward Island Premier Wade MacLauchlan, Ontario Deputy Minister
of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade Helen Angus, Haryana Minister of Industry Captain
Abhimanyu Sindhu, Chief Secretary of Haryana D.S. Dhesi and Managing Director of Haryana State
Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Sudhir Rajpal.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne with Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis signing
a MOU in Hyderabad. Seen in the image are also Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and
International Trade Michael Chan; Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Dipika Damerla; and
Maharashtra Principal Secretary to the Finance Department Dr KshatrapatiShivaji.
Kathleen Wynne toured the Aga Khan Academy in Hyderabad and talked with faculty and students
about the school and its programs.
ONTARIO - Premier Kathleen Wynne wrapped up her first mission to
India in Mumbai, where 16 new agreements between businesses
and institutions from Ontario and India were announced, bringing the
total number of agreements signed during the mission to 65. These
agreements are valued at over $240 million and will create more
than 150 high-value jobs in Ontario.
Ontario and the State of Maharashtra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will focus on strengthening connections in
key commercial areas, including urban infrastructure, information
andcommunications technology, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and education.
Delegates accompanying the Premier on the mission also signed
agreements that will help Ontario and India share their expertise and
knowledge:
" eCAMION, Ryerson University Centre for Urban Energy and L&T
Technology Services will work with the Tamil Nadu Generation and
Distribution Corporation and Anna University-Ryerson University
Urban Energy Centre to launch India's first community energy storage system at Anna University on the Tamil Nadu state grid.
" With the goal of providing customers with safe and healthy drinking water through cutting-edge technologies and customized water
solutions, Process Research ORTECH (PRO), a Mississaugabased company that incubates and commercializes innovative
technologies for process industries, signed a $10-million MOU to
form a strategic partnership with Eureka Forbes, India's leading
health and hygiene company. Through this collaboration, the companies will leverage their core competencies and skills to introduce a unique and innovative technology with Automated Variable Filtration (AVF), a high-quality water filtration system, to India.
" Seneca College and College of Engineering Pune announced that
they will launch an innovative project competition in the area of
health care through Seneca's incubator HELIX (Health Entrepreneurship and
Lifestyle Innovation Xchange). This tri-party MOU, also with the City of
Markham, will promote global entrepreneurship among young entrepreneurs
from India and Ontario.
" Clearford Water Systems and Essel Group announced that they will work
together to bring an all-in-one wastewater collection and treatment system to
India. This includes identifying a village for a demonstration site.
" McMaster University and Indian Institute of Technology - Bombayannounced
that they will work together on new collaborative research initiatives and
training models. Key areas are automotive research, materials and biotechnology.
" DataWind announced three MOUs during the mission. In Amritsar, the
company announced a new product for the Indian market designed in Ontario.
In Hyderabad, the company announced a new partnership with the Government of Telangana to open a manufacturing base, which is expected to be in
production within months. In Mumbai, the companyannounced a new relationship with Naaptol to develop 4G tablets in India.
The premier also met with representatives from several Indian companies including ICICI Bank, Mahindra Group and the Tata Group - to promote Ontario
as an ideal place to invest, and participated in a financial services roundtable
held by the Canada-India Business Council. The premier attended a Bollywoodstyle film event in Mumbai, where she met with leaders from India's film
industry to promote Ontario as an ideal location for future productions.
Attracting new investment and helping the province's businesses compete globally is part of the government's plan to build Ontario up and
deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs.
The four-part plan is investing in people's talents and skills, making the
largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history, creating a
dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a
secure retirement savings plan.
"In order to keep our economy strong and prosperous, we need to continue
looking for opportunities to expand our trade with new and emerging markets. This mission has strengthened Ontario's relationships with India, and
created new opportunities for Ontario businesses. By signing new memorandums of understanding and agreements valued at more than $240 million,
which will create more than 150 high-value jobs in Ontario, we have strengthened our economy and demonstrated that Ontario is one of the best places in
the world to do business." - Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario
"The tremendous success of the mission builds on our longstanding relationship with India and also reinforces Ontario's profile on the world stage.
Our government will continue working collaboratively with our business
and research communities to build an innovative, dynamic economy that
supports long-term growth and job creation." - Brad Duguid, Minister of
Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure
"This mission to India was an opportunity to strengthen government-togovernment connections and reinforce trade development and investment opportunities. The agreements signed during this mission build on
Ontario's long-standing friendship and collaboration with India. These
investments will create high-value jobs and generate economic growth
across our province."- Michael Chan, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade
QUICK FACTS
" In total, 16 new agreements were signed in Mumbai. This is in addition to
the 49 agreements that were signed during the Premier's visit to New Delhi,
Chandigarh and Hyderabad, bringing the total number of agreements signed
during the mission to 65.
" Premier Wynne signed MOUs with five Indian states during the mission.
These agreements will make it easier for the regions to work together in
areas of mutual interest.
" Ontario has International Trade and Investment Offices in Mumbai and New
Delhi that can help Indian companies do business in Ontario and provide
information to Ontario businesses about opportunities in India.
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY
AUGUST 28,
09,2012
2016
bollywood gossip
Midweek Exclusive: Neeru Bajwa Interview with YMedia Group
Piracy funds terrorism: Neeru Bajwa
BY SHAZIA MALIK
TORONTO - "I request everyone not to sell pirated movies in general and our
upcoming film, Channo Kamli Yaar Di, in particular because our team will
take legal action against offenders. Piracy also supports terrorism." This
was stated by popular Punjabi film star Neeru Bajwa during an exclusive
interview with Yudhvir Jaswal, Group Editor and CEO of YMedia recently.
Neeru Bajwa was at the YMedia studios to announce launch of her own
production house, Neeru Bajwa Entertainment, and the first film produced
under her banner, Channo Kamli Yaar Di to be released on February 19.
Yudhvir Jaswal felicitated her on this accomplishment and the success she
has achieved over the years as an actress.
Yudhvir asked her next to shed some light on the theme or subject of your
movie. Giving details of the movie, Neeru said: "It's a very important theme
that we have taken for the making of this film but it's full of entertainment. The
issue tackled in the movie is about boys who come from abroad and get
married to girls in Punjab but leave them there. Parents just look at the boy's
passports and get their daughters married off to them without checking their
background or finding out who they are or where
they have come from."
Thus, she said the movie is based on this theme
where a boy, Jeet comes from Canada, gets married
to Channo, played by Neeru herself but leaves her
behind. Meanwhile, Channo gets pregnant. Thus the
story revolves around her, how she reaches Canada
from Punjab looking for her husband.
Yudhvir then asked her to talk about her role in the
movie in the lead character. Neeru explained: "I have
never played such a role before. It is very simple,
innocent, without make desi character that I'm playing in this movie. I am Chanpreet Kaur, Channo, and
with me is Binnu Dhillon who though will not be
seen in a comic role but the film has its lighter moments and is embellished with light comedy. But
other than that both of us have a very simple and
desi look and therefore I think the audience will fall
in love with our two characters." Appreciating the
topic, Yudhvir informed though a lot is being done
about it in Punjab and media is also highlighting this
issue. Thus he thought the subject will resonate a lot with the NRIs, and
asked Neeru what she had to say about it? Neeru replied: "Yes the topic is
serious but we didn't want people to think that as an art film we are giving
them a lecture. So the film and its message are handled in a very entertaining
manner. Therefore it's going to work and we are getting a lot of positive
response from people who have seen the movie's promos and posters. Also
I think the audience is ready as they crave for different films now. The audience wishes to see Punjabi film industry to touch upon serious issues now."
The movie is also laced with heart rendering songs sung by Gurdas Maan,
Amrinder Gill, Prabh Gill and Nooran sisters. Yudhvir's next question was
about overcoming the challenge of playing the lead role, heading production
and managing the newly launched production house as well. Neeru elucidated though it was an arduous task but she managed. "It was very difficult as
I would see in the frame and act after saying, 'action'. I also used to reach at
the sets first but would be the last one to leave. Thus managing everything
was quite a task, but my entire family supported me like my husband and my
father. Besides this the entire cast and crew of the movie was fantastic."
She said a major challenge, though, was the subject they chose because it
was a little risky topic to touch upon. "It was not a commercial subject where
producers have the guarantee the film will do well and liked by everyine. But
we thought as our audience has become very mature, they would like to see
a different film." Yudhvir then asked about the future ventures with better
subject matter under her banner. Neeru elucidated: "Yes, will definitely do if
the audience support me. I will produce more movies but in the absence of
community support, it would be hard. If they watch Channo Kamli Yaar Di,
then definitely I will continue producing more movies. I would like to do that
especially for girls because I think our Punjabi films have minimal female
characters. They are not given to play powerful roles. Our heroines are
showcased as decoration piece in the movies. So I wish to portray strong
female characters not only for myself but for others as well."
On a lighter note Yudhvir told her at least she was at ease about one aspect of
film making that the heroine of the movie did not
throw any tantrums. Neeru chuckled and replied:
"Not only I didn't throw any tantrums but I didn't
allow others to do so."
Yudhvir mentioned the visit of Binnu Dhillon in
Toronto some time back where he mentioned to
be working in a major movie in lead role without
revealing details but only now we know it was
about this film. Therefore he asked how was the
experience of working with Binnu? Neeru had
all praise for him. She said: "Binnu is a very
talented actor and no one has utilized his talent
properly. But this role was categorically written
for him and if he was not available, we would not
have made this film because he has no replacement in the industry. He is a very good actor."
Giving details of the film's locations, Neeru informed 90% of the movie is shot in British Columbia and only 10% in Punjab. The movie is
directed by Pankaj Batra, the one who also made
films like Goreyan Nu Daffa Karo and Naughty
Jatts. Music is given by Jatinder Shah.
Yudhvir then revealed talking to the leading stars of South India during a huge
Malayalam film festival that is taking place in Canada and how films from
South are giving a run for their money even to Bollywood. On the other hand
Bollywood has progresses in leaps in bounds over the years so it is time for
the Punjabi movie industry to take off but he said, it will be very challenging.
He also urged community to watch movies in cinemas and not on pirated
DVDs. Yudhvir then posed the same question to Neeru as to what would be
her take on checking piracy and supporting Punjabi cinema. Neeru could not
agree more and requested the community to refrain from doing so: "Please
don't watch pirated movies. We are working very hard and spending a lot of
money to make films. We for our movie have associated with Aman Khatkar
who will be distributing our film as he did for Angrej. But we need community
support to keep producing quality films and keep Punjabi culture alive."
DEEPIKA PADUKONE, VIN DIESEL
DAZZLE IN NEW 'XXX...'
Los Angeles, (IANS) Hollywood star Vin Diesel has shared
some stunning photographs of his with Bollywood actress
Deepika Padukone from their shooting schedule for the film
"xXx: The Return of Xander Cage". Diesel on Thursday took to
Instagram and Facebook to share the photographs with
Deepika, repor ts aceshowbiz.com.
The hunky actor is seen shir tless, showing off his tattoocovered abs in the Facebook image, while Deepika is
wearing a bold black leather outfit which not just shows her
washboard abs but also some temporary tattoos for a powerpacked look. Meanwhile, in the other photograph, he stands
behind Deepika as he wraps his arms around her.
"First day of filming... Xander and Serena... P.s. 17 million
beautiful souls. Thanks for the love," he captioned the
Instagram image. The new film will follow Diesel's Xander
Cage who returns to the National Security Agency after an
eight-year absence. In "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage",
Samuel L. Jackson is back as Augustus Gibbons, with Ruby
Rose, Nina Dobrev, Jet Li, Conor McGregor and Tony Jaa
joining the cast. D.J. Caruso is taking the director's seat, and
F. Scott Frazier has written the script. No official release date
is set for the movie yet.
DIVYA KHOSLA KUMAR AND DAISY SHAH WITH DESIGNER ARCHANA KOCHAR DURING THE TECH FASHION TOUR 2016 FASHION
SHOW PRESENTED BY HTC IN MUMBAI (IANS).
MidWeek
5
Anushka, Virat call it quits
MUMBAI - Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli and his girlfriend,
Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, have officially called it
quits, a news that has once again shocked the world.
The celebrated couple has finally par ted ways after a week of
uncer tainty in their relationship. According to a repor t in
BollywoodLife.com, the couple has officially called it quits and
is no longer together. Though, there is no official confirmation
yet about the break-up from anyone's end.
The couple repor tedly split because the cricketer was keen to
tie the nuptial knots but the actress wasn't ready for it so soon.
The news about their 'confirmed' spilt has star ted emerging
from Sunday.
Both of them are excelling in their respective careers as their
professional graph is shooting upwards. The news about their
'confirmed' spilt has star ted emerging from Sunday. Both of
them are excelling in their respective careers as their professional graph is shooting upwards.
CRICKETER JADEJA
GETS ENGAGED, SAYS
'DREAM COME TRUE'
AHMEDABAD, (IANS) Twenty-six-year-old Indian cricket all-rounder
Ravindra Jadeja got engaged on Friday with Reeva Solanki in Rajkot
city of Gujarat where he hails from. "This is a very big thing for me that
I have got engaged, I always wanted to marry with someone from my
caste," Jadeja told media persons soon after the ring ceremony.
"It was my dream, and I am very thankful to my God that my dream is
accomplished," Jadeja grinned. The cricketer, who was officially
declared earlier in the day as part of Indian squad for Asia Cup and
T20 World Cup tournaments to be held this month and in March, was
all smiles. Jadeja said, "When my sister sent me a photo of Reeva, I
instantly decided that I want to marry this girl. It happens when you
see someone and you feel she is the person to spend your life with."
His fiance Reeva has completed her mechanical engineering degree
at Atmiya College in Rajkot and is now preparing for UPSC examination
in Delhi. Her mother Prafullaba Solanki is an Indian Railway employee
while her father is a businessman. The ring ceremony was held at
Jadeja's restaurant. Though initially hesitant, Jadeja's family on
persistent requests from media persons facilitated his interaction.
When asked, Jadeja said he believed in lady luck. "Lady luck is
important in life. I wish lady luck to work soon for me." The cricketer
said he had not made up his mind on the date of his marriage "since my
upcoming schedule is very tight". However, he added that he was keen on
an early marriage. "I am 26 and I have been alone till now. It makes no
sense to continue to be single any longer," the cricketer was candid.
Kareena Kapoor with husband Saif Ali Khan during the Kingfisher
Ultra Indian Derby at the race course in Mumbai (IANS).
6
MidWeek
community
Creating your image for success
IMAGE IS CRITICAL TO MAKING A NAME FOR
YOURSELF IN BUSINESS WORLD
SPEAKERS AND WEP TEAM.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2016
Dragon Ball 2016 ushered in the Year
of the Monkey; event attended by
Prime Minister Trudeau
TORONTO - The annual Dragon Ball, one of the most anticipated
Chinese New Year celebrations in Canada, was held recently at the
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building. The flagship fundraiser
of Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation was attended by 1,000
guests, including leading politicians, elites from the business sector
and community leaders.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended and spoke at this year's
27thDragon Ball. Other VIP guests included John McCallum, Minister
of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; Xue Bing, Consul General of
the People's Republic of China in Toronto, and Kathy Chan, Director of
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto). The former Mayor of
Mississauga Hazel McCallion was also a guest at the gala.
To usher in the Year of the Monkey, Dragon Ball 2016 featured one of the
most popular classical Chinese legends, "Journey to the West" (Monkey King), on stage. The performance showcased a spectacular collaboration of dance and martial arts with colourful choreography, costumes, and music composition, performed by the talented artists from
the Chinese Collective Arts Association.
With the BMO Financial Group as the presenting sponsor, the gala
offered an array of culinary experiences at the Grand Reception and
Midnight Buffet, including a Macallan Whiskey tasting bar, popular
Japanese cheesecakes from Uncle Tetsu, seared scallops and Tartar
beef from Carmen's Steakhouse, Japanese Sushi from Westin Prince
Hotel's Katsura and Spoon & Fork, pastries from Bake Code, and
specialty tea from Chatime and more. Wendyz Zheng, a young and
talented Canadian singer-songwriter based in Hong Kong, also performed a mini concert at the Dragon Ball.
PEEL POLICE FRAUD BUREAU WARNS
OF EXTORTION SCAM TARGETING
SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY
PARTICIPANTS AT THE WORKSHOP.
I
n an increasingly competitive world, it is important for an entrepre
neur to create and cultivate the right image. And while image is no
substitute for substance, it never theless goes a long way in promoting the entrepreneur's business interests. Over a period of time,
the personal and professional image of the entrepreneur blends with
the brand, and both generate a buzz around the individual and the
product.
This helps in seamlessly enhance market presence and assists the
entrepreneur to make a dent in an otherwise tough marketplace that
continuously poses a challenge to everyone to be different.
The significance of image is more acutely felt by women entrepreneurs because of the daunting challenges they face in getting brand
recognition. To facilitate women entrepreneurs, the Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) organized a seminar on 'Creating your Image
for Success' on 28 January 2016 at the ICCC headquarters.
Your image is critical to making a name for yourself in the business
world. But your image is far more than just what you wear and what
your Facebook profile looks like! It star ts at a deeper level - within
your identity and mindset. In order to be the most powerful version of
yourself you need to star t within- and from that space create your
image. Lisa Toste, an international motivational speaker, said that
successfully creating an image that is appropriate for you as well as
the profession that you are in is essential for running a successful
business and it also helps you in expansion of your entrepreneurial
skills. She went in depth by doing a live demonstration on a member from the
crowd to explain her strategy. Renu Mehta, of Image Builderz, spoke about different
ways to be successful and the key points in your personal profile including personality traits contributing to success.
PEEL - Investigators from the Peel Regional Police Fraud Bureau would
like to make the public aware of an "Extortion Scam" currently circulating, targeting mainly new Canadians from the South Asian Community.
During this tax season police are urging citizens to be extra vigilant of
suspicious phone calls.
Police have received reports from residents who have received phone
calls from persons posing as Government Officials from various federal agencies including, and not limited to, the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency
(CRA). They are led to believe by the official that they or their loved
ones are under investigation in relation to their Canadian Status and
must pay money immediately, or they will be arrested.
How to protect yourself
" Canadian Government Officials WILL NOT contact you directly and
demand money in exchange for securing your Canadian Status.
" The Canadian Government DOES NOT accept payments via Western
Union, Money Gram or Prepaid Credit Cards.
" DO NOT take immediate action. VERIFY that what you are being told
is the truth.
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY
AUGUST 28,
09,2012
2016
MidWeek
community
FAMILY FUNGAMA NIGHT
CELEBRATED WITH FERVOR
PHOTOS BY
SAFEER MUFTI
7
Ontario Ice Storm Assistance
Program's Final Installment
reaches Mississauga
MISSISSAUGA - Mississauga has received the final installment from the Ontario Ice Storm Assistance Program totalling
$8,307,061 in reimbursement for response and recovery effor ts related to the 2013 Ice Storm, representing 88 per cent of
the total claim. The $4,996,118 received January 6, 2016 was
the second installment from the Ontario government and follows the $3,310,943 interim installment the City received in
April, 2015.
"The 2013 Ice Storm was a severe weather event and had a
serious and lasting impact on our community, causing substantial damage to Mississauga's tree canopy," said Mayor
Bonnie Crombie. "The effor ts and resources required to repair
the damage and recover from the storm were significant. The
City of Mississauga is sincerely appreciative for the reimbursement of costs received through the Ice Storm Assistance Program which would otherwise be burdened by City reserves."
On December 21, 2013, Mississauga and other municipalities
in Southwestern Ontario were subjected to an extreme ice
storm. The province announced in February, 2014 a special
one-time Ice Storm Assistance Program (OISAP) focused on
the costs related to the immediate emergency response and
subsequent cleanup of debris necessary to protect public safety.
According to City staff's Corporate Repor t, the storm impacted
all areas of the city with Meadowvale, Malton and Erin Mills
having the most significant damage to the tree canopy.
Mississauga took prompt action to address the damage caused
by the Ice Storm including debris clean up and addressing
public safety concerns from damaged trees. Approximately
2,000 trees were removed and 8,000 trees were pruned to address branch damage and overall structural integrity of the
trees. To date, approximately 1,000 trees have been replanted
with an additional 1,000 to be planted in 2016.
CITY BUILDING GAME
CHANGER BRINGING RAPID
TRANSIT TO HURONTARIO
MISSISSAUGA - Pak Pioneers Community Organization celebrated 'Family Fungama Night' in Mississauga for the South
Asian seniors and their families. A lot of families from the
Indian and Pakistani community attended the event and enjoyed
music and delicious dinner. At this occasion many social and
political personalities were present. There was enter tainment
and prizes for everyone. Pak Pioneers is running a Seniors
Club for South Asian seniors at Burnhamthorpe Community
Centre.
For details call 647-268-3671/ 416-666-7974.
Historic milestones of India Mission 2016
Path breaking MoUs signed to foster more meaningful trade, commerce
ONTARIO - Sanjay Makkar, President, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), utilized the eight-city India trade Mission 2016 that
concluded last month to forge new ties with state (provincial) governments, trade and business chambers, and encouraged delegate members to similarly ink business deals during the two weeks in India.
Among the impor tant Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) that
Makkar signed on behalf of the ICCC include one with the Government
of Uttar Pradesh and another with the Thiruvananthapuram Chamber
of Commerce.
The MoU with Uttar Pradesh has special significance because it will
promote trade between Canada and Uttar Pradesh, one India's provinces with the largest populations, and a positive demographic profile with a predominance of young population. Uttar Pradesh was an
impor tant stop for the 2016 India Mission, where the delegates participated in the three-day inaugural Pravasi Divas (congregation of
Indian Diaspora) organized by the Uttar Pradesh government in Agra.
ICCC was a par tner organization for this convention.
The UP PD was organized to share investment plans and policies in
Uttar Pradesh on sectors like manufacturing, infrastructure development, urban transpor ts, smar t cities, industrial and social development, electronics, IT and ITeS and tourism etc. The convention provided a meaningful platform for the Uttar Pradesh government to
" Exchange views with the Indian diaspora to develop Uttar Pradesh
as a smar t state
" Appraise the Indian diaspora of the 'Ease of doing business' initiatives under taken by the Uttar Pradesh, especially per taining to industrial development, and setting-up business.
ICCC's MoU with the Thiruvananthapuram Chamber of Commerce will
aim to promote trade and business ties with the State of Kerala with
Canada in the hospitality and tourism sector, pharmaceuticals, Agriculture and Agro Industry.
Thanks to ICCC's effor ts in general, and Makkar's effor ts in par ticular, three vital MoUs were signed by the delegate members of the
India Mission 2016. These include:
" ICE Down Beverages Inc.'s MoU with Indo Canadian Business Council to manufacture Canadian water (Aqua Water) in Gujarat. This MoUs
ICCC PRESIDENT SANJAY MAKKAR SIGNING A MEMORANDUM
OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) WITH SANJEEV SARAN (IAS),
PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, GOVERNMENT OF UTTAR PRADESH.
was signed between the representative of ICE Down Beverages Inc.'s
CEO Elmokhtar Abouaisha and a representative of the ICBC.
" SPS Canada's MoU with Royal Academy of Gujarat for the cooperation in
education sector, student services, skill development, student exchange program
and immigration of Indian student to pursue higher education in Canada. Pradyuman
Jhala, President SPS Canada signed MoU.
" Another delegate signed a MoU with the Santhigiri Ashram in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala for sharing the knowledge on Ayurveda
and Yoga for drug abuse and rehabilitation. Santhigiri Ashram is a
world-renowned spiritual center
founded in 1964. Exhorting its followers to lead a life at peace with
God and Nature, the ashram promotes transcendental spiritual
We are a GTA - based company and in business since 2006.
values and secular ideals like universal love, world peace and religious harmony. The ashram is
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the vanguard of Micro, Small and
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Medium Enterprise (MSME) Development amongst varying target groups and has worked extensively around the globe keepADDRESS:
ing gender issues in sharp focus.
HIRING A Z DRIVERS
We need team drivers for
Long Haul (USA - Canada) Runs
MISSISSAUGA - At the recently held General Committee meeting an update was provided on the Hurontario Light Rail Transit
(LRT) project, the largest infrastructure project in the City's history. Metrolinx, the Ontario Provincial Government agency responsible for implementing and integrating regional transit in
the Greater Toronto Area is leading the procurement and construction of the project with the Cities of Brampton and Mississauga as
partners. "We are working with our partners to bring much needed
rapid transit to Hurontario," said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. "This project
is a city building game changer for Mississauga that will offer residents a new and convenient way to travel and ensure the Hurontario
corridor grows in a sustainable way."
"The City is currently negotiating a Memorandum of Agreement with
Metrolinx that provides an overall operating framework between the
parties and sets the stage for future agreements," said City Manager
and Chief Administrative Officer Janice Baker. "Metrolinx intends to
own, operate and maintain the Hurontario Light Rail Transit system.
The City will be expected to subsidize operating costs that benefit local
transit users. Working together, we will determine this level of detail
through a future final Master Agreement process."
The project update included plans to create a Hurontario LRT Ad Hoc
Council Working Group composed of Mayor Bonnie Crombie and Councillors most impacted by the project including, Jim Tovey - Councillor
Ward 1, John Kovac - Councillor Ward 4, Carolyn Parrish - Councillor
Ward 5 and Nando Iannicca - Councillor Ward 7.
"The working group is to keep members of Council advised of project
developments," said Joe Perrotta Director, Hurontario Light Rail Transit Project Office. "It will include City of Mississauga and Metrolinx
staff and consultant representatives as required. Matters requiring
decisions or further input will come forward to General Committee."
City of Mississauga staff is coordinating efforts with Metrolinx along
with researching best practices in other similar projects. Staff
from the City's Hurontario Light Rail Transit Office will be repor ting to General Committee at key project milestones.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR
YOUNG PEOPLE
ONTARIO - Ontario is offering summer employment oppor tunities for young people in natural resource management to help
develop professional skills and prepare them for successful
careers. There are more than 2,000 oppor tunities - including
internships and summer jobs - available for young people in
communities across Ontario. Through these oppor tunities,
young people will gain a deeper appreciation of their role in the
stewardship of Ontario's natural resources - including supporting
biodiversity and helping combat climate change. These employment programs also give Ontario's youth the opportunity to obtain meaningful work
experience. "Ontario is committed to supporting the development of youth
across the province by offering summer job opportunities in natural resource management. Investing in our young people to help them build their
skills, experience, and knowledge will allow them to succeed in the labour
market and make positive contributions to Ontario's economy." - Bill Mauro,
Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry
LIVE-IN CAREGIVER
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Assist child with bathing and other aspects of personal
hygiene, Perform light housekeeping and cleaning
duties, Assume full responsibility for household
(in absence of householder), Assist clients to walk,
Administer medications Paying $13.76/hr Pl only call
weekdays between 7 and 8 am
CITY: MISSISSAUGA, PHONE: (289) 997-0344
8
MidWeek
opinion
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2016
OBAMA DECRIES ANTI-MUSLIM
RHETORIC HURTING SIKHS TOO
BY ARUN KUMAR
WASHINGTON, (IANS) President Barack Obama has sought to
reassure the Muslim community amid an "inexcusable political
rhetoric against Muslim-Americans" that has seen Sikh Americans and others who are perceived to be Muslims targeted as
well.
Visiting a mosque in the US for the first time in his seven years
as president Wednesday, Obama described Muslims as essential to the fabric of America as he sought to rebut the rhetoric
from Republican presidential candidates, par ticularly
frontrunner Donald Trump.
"I know that in Muslim communities across our country, this is
a time of concern and, frankly, a time of some fear," he said
citing it as one reason for his visit to the Islamic Society of
Baltimore, a 47-year-old mosque in Maryland outside Washington. "Like all Americans, you're worried about the threat of
terrorism," said Obama. "But on top of that, as Muslim Americans, you also have another concern -- and that is your entire
community so often is targeted or blamed for the violent acts of
the very few."
"Since 9/11, but more recently, since the attacks in Paris and
San Bernardino, you've seen too often people conflating the
horrific acts of terrorism with the beliefs of an entire faith," he
said. "And of course, recently, we've heard inexcusable political
rhetoric against Muslim Americans that has no place in our
country," Obama said without naming Trump, who has called for
a temporary bar on the entry of Muslims into the US, or anyone
else.
"No surprise, then, that threats and harassment of Muslim
Americans have surged," he said. "We've seen children bullied.
We've seen mosques vandalized. Sikh Americans and others
who are perceived to be Muslims have been targeted, as well."
"Let me say as clearly as I can as president of the United
States: you fit right here," Obama said. "You're right where you
belong. You're par t of America too. You're not Muslim or
American. You're Muslim and American." As he decried Republican counter-terror plans that would single out Muslims for
extra scrutiny, Obama insisted that applying religious screens
would only amplify messages coming from terrorist groups.
"We can't be bystanders to bigotry," Obama said. "Together,
we've got to show that America truly protects all faiths. As we
protect our country from terrorism, we should not reinforce the
ideas and the rhetoric of the terrorists themselves."
Obama has visited mosques in the past, but never inside the
US, which is home to 2.75 million Muslims, according to the
Pew Research Centre. Alluding to conspiracy theories that
suggest he himself is a Muslim, Obama who is a Christian, said
the same rumours had plagued Thomas Jefferson, principal
author of the Declaration of Independence and third US president.
"I am not the first," he said. "I am in good company." Later at
the State depar tment asked whether attacks on the Sikhs in the
US were sending a wrong image about US overseas, spokesperson John Kirby described such attacks as "abhorrent."
"Attacks on anybody in the United States - whether they're
verbal attacks or physical attacks - by vir tue or due to a faith
that they proclaim is abhorrent and not in keeping at all with
American values or who we are as a country," he said. "Obviously, we wouldn't want people to take away from that a wrong
impression about who we are as America, because it doesn't
represent American values," Kirby said.
Sidhu shadow haunts BJP
ahead of Punjab elections
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Having sidelined its most popular political face, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, the BJP in Punjab seems undecided on its
own future political course as the state heads for crucial assembly
polls in about a year's time.
Having been piggy-back in power with the Shiromani Akali Dal since
2007, the BJP, fresh from its triumph from the May 2014 general elections, had star ted showing signs in Punjab of breaking its shackles
with the Akalis and even going all on its own in the next assembly
elections.
However, the embarrassing reverses suffered by the Bharatiya Janata
Par ty (BJP) in the Delhi and Bihar assembly polls changed things for
the par ty, which has not only been lying low for the past few months
but has resigned itself to playing second fiddle to the Akali Dal.
The state BJP leadership, which had star ted giving indications of
either breaking up with the Akali Dal or, at least, have an equal share
of seats in the elections for the 117-member assembly, is not making
any noises.
As Punjab's political scene heats up, the talk is all about a triangular
fight between the ruling Akali Dal, the main opposition Congress and
the new entrant - the Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP). No one is even mentioning the BJP anywhere.
The problem for the BJP in Punjab is that it is led by a bunch of leaders
who have little or no standing in state politics, leave alone having any
recognition at the national level. BJP president Amit Shah met some
of them on Saturday to get feedback on the BJP's future course in the
state.
The par ty leadership, in the past few years, deliberately chose to
ignore and even embarrass its best known face, Navjot Singh Sidhu,
who was elected on the par ty ticket as MP of Amritsar thrice (2004,
2007 bypoll and 2009). In the 2014 general elections, the BJP dumped
Sidhu and fielded Arun Jaitley, now the finance minister in the Narendra
Modi government.
Jaitley, pitted against Congress stalwart and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, lost badly - by a margin of over 100,000 votes.
This was Jaitley's maiden foray into popular electoral politics and he
star ted with a big loss.
Sidhu, upset with his par ty, refused to even enter Amritsar during the
entire Jaitley campaign. But the wily Sidhu was in Amritsar just a day
after the voting took place.
A popular Jat-Sikh face, Sidhu paid the price for his run-ins with
Punjab's dominant Badal family. He had verbal duels with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister and Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal and Sukhbir's power ful brother-in-law Bikram
Majithia. For their own political survival, Punjab BJP leaders chose to
push Sidhu to a corner.
In recent months, the political grapevine has been that Sidhu was in
talks with the AAP and even the Congress. There has been no strong
denial or confirmation of this from any side.
The AAP, which is giving a serious challenge to Punjab's hither to twopar ty (Akali-Congress) option, is looking for a big name to drive its
campaign. It was Punjab's electorate which gave entry to the AAP in
the Lok Sabha in the 2014 elections. The party won four seats - all
from Punjab.
In the AAP's scheme of things, Sidhu fits the bill. He is known as an
honest and upright political leader, is outspoken, has popular appeal,
connects well through speeches and is a Jat-Sikh face - all ingredients for a good chief ministerial candidate. It only depends on him
and the AAP whether they want to get together.
DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE THE PERSONAL OPINIONS OF THE AUTHORS.THE INFORMATION, FACTS OR OPINIONS APPEARING IN THE
ARTICLES DO NOT REFLECT VIEWS OF MIDWEEK AND ITS MANAGEMENT AND SO THE PAPER DOES NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR THE SAME.
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY
AUGUST 28,
09,2012
2016
canada
MidWeek
9
PRIME MINISTER TO HOST
MEETING WITH UNITED
NATIONS SECRETARYGENERAL BAN KI-MOON
FROM L TO R: STEPHEN SIU, PRESIDENT OF YEE HONG COMMUNITY WELLNESS FOUNDATION; JOHN MCCALLUM, MINISTER OF
IMMIGRATION, REFUGEES AND CITIZENSHIP, AND MRS MCCALLUM AT THE DRAGON BALL 2016 EVENT.
GOVERNOR GENERAL TO VISIT THE US
ONTARIO - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that David
Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will travel to Washington,
D.C., from February 10 to 11.
During the visit, the Governor General will meet with innovation, research, and education leaders - from both the public and private sectors - to reinforce the impor tance of strong international collaboration
between Canada and the United States.
The Governor General will also pay his respects to the fallen at the
Canadian Cross of Sacrifice in Arlington Cemetery - a tribute to the
many American citizens who died while serving in the Canadian Armed
Forces during the First World War, the Second World War, and the
Korean War. "Canada's relationship with the United States of America
is one of the longest, most peaceful, and mutually-beneficial relation-
ships of any two countries in the world. We face many of the same
challenges, and continental growth in our science, innovation, and
research sectors is a key priority that will help us continue to grow,
together." - Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Quick Facts
"
This will be His Excellency's first time to Washington, D.C.,
as Governor General. His Excellency has previously visited cities in
the states of Massachusetts, New York, California, Washington, Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan.
"
The U.S. is Canada's largest trading par tner, with nearly $2.4
billion wor th of goods and services crossing the border every day
accounting for $870.1 billion in annual two way trade.
Source:pm.gc.ca
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that
the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon will
be in Ottawa and Montréal on a working visit from February 11
to 13. Canada is an active and committed member of the United
Nations - not only because the UN provides essential suppor t to
millions of people in need - but also because it serves Canada's
interests. A more peaceful world is a safer and more prosperous world for Canada, too.
During the Secretary-General's visit, Canada will reaffirm its
commitment to the UN, to effective cooperation, and to renewed
leadership on the world stage. The Prime Minister will highlight
Canadian engagement on a number of key global issues, including: climate change and climate finance; the situation in
Syria, Iraq, and surrounding countries; refugee resettlement;
and the health of women and children around the world.
The Prime Minister and the Secretary-General will also meet
with Canadian youth and discuss the impor tance of building
diverse and resilient societies that promote peace and broadbased economic growth. Trudeau said: "Secretary-General Ban
has made invaluable contributions to the UN, in par ticular in
spearheading real action on climate change and sustainable
development, and in bringing global attention to key humanitarian crises. We are honoured that Mr. Ban has accepted our
invitation to visit Canada so early in the government's mandate.
"If we are to build a more peaceful and prosperous world - a
world where our diversity is seen as strength- then a strong
United Nations is essential. Canada is proud of the part it has
played in the UN's successes, from protecting human rights to
peacekeeping. I want to restore Canada's voice and leadership
role at the UN."
Quick Facts
" Secretary-General Ban will also meet with Governor General
David Johnston, prior to his visit to Montréal on February 12.
" In Montréal, the Secretary-General will meet with the Premier
of Quebec, M. Philippe Couillard, and the Mayor of Montréal, M.
Denis Coderre.
" He will address the McGill University and meet with the Secretary-General and President of the Council of the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN specialized agency
based in Montréal, and other UN staff based in the city.
" Ban will be accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Ban Soon-taek.
Source: pm.gc.ca
CANADA TO END COMBAT MISSION BY FEB 22 IN
SYRIA AND IRAQ, OFFERS OVER $1.6 BILLION IN AID INVESTING $100 MILLION TO
CONTD. FROM PAGE 3
While Canada will cease air strike operations no later than February
22, 2016, aerial refueling and surveillance activities will continue. As
well, stabilization and counter-terrorism measures and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear security programming in the region
will be enhanced
To help address the protracted and tragic crises in the region, Canada
will focus on meeting the basic needs of those most impacted by the
conflicts in Iraq and Syria, including refugees who have fled to
neighbouring countries. We will also work with international par tners
to build local capacity in communities and countries hosting large
numbers of refugees, such as Lebanon and Jordan. Activities will
include helping par tners: provide education, healthcare and sanitation; maintain and repair infrastructure; promote employment and
economic growth; and foster good governance.
Canada must do more to help find a diplomatic solution to the crises
in Syria and Iraq. An enhanced presence on the ground will allow
Canada to increase its engagement with local and international par tners and par ticipate more actively in multilateral effor ts to resolve
the crises and restore stability in the region.
The Government of Canada will contribute more than $1.6 billion
over the next three years towards its new approach to security, stabilization, humanitarian and development assistance in response to
the crises in Iraq and Syria, and their impact on Jordan and Lebanon.
Trudeau said: "Our new policy in Iraq, Syria and the surrounding
region reflects what Canada is all about: defending our interests alongside our allies, and working constructively with local par tners to
build real solutions that will last. We will work with allies to defeat
ISIL and the terrorist threat it represents. At the same time, we will
help address the needs of millions of vulnerable people while helping lay the foundations for improved governance, economic growth
and longer-term stability.
"Our new approach to Iraq, Syria and the surrounding region will be
challenging and dangerous at times. There will be lessons learned
as we adapt to changing circumstances on the ground. I am confident
that we are up to these challenges and that we will show the world all
that Canada can accomplish in a crisis situation."
Source: pm.gc.ca
PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES CANADA'S NEW POLICY AGAINST ISIS IN IRAQ AND SYRIA.
(PHOTO BY ADAM SCOTTI)
CREATE JOBS, HELP
HOMEOWNERS SAVE ENERGY
ONTARIO - I was very happy to join Minister Chiarelli in Ottawa to announce the launch of the Ontario Green Investment
Fund and a first investment of $100 million to help homeowners
reduce their energy bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Historically, ever y dollar invested in natural gas efficiency
has resulted in $1.50 to $4 in savings for natural gas consumers. This investment is also expected to save an equivalent of
1.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
In par tnership with Enbridge Gas Distribution and Union Gas,
the program will help about 37,000 homeowners conduct audits to identify energy-saving oppor tunities and then complete
retrofits, such as replacing furnaces, water heaters and upgrading insulation. It will also help spur innovation and create
jobs in clean energy industries.
Full program details, including program star t date, eligible
project details and amounts, will be available in the coming
months. If you have any questions regarding this announcement, please do not hesitate to contact my office [email protected] or 613 722 6414.
416-907-4420
10
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2016
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY
AUGUST 28,
09,2012
2016
MidWeek
india
11
TRS SCORES LANDSLIDE
WIN, TDP-BJP WASHED OUT
IN HYDERABAD POLLS
PREMIER KATHLEEN WYNNE WITH DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER OF PUNJAB SARDAR SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL AND PRINCE EDWARD
ISLAND PREMIER WADE MACLAUCHLAN DURING HER VISIT TO PUNJAB.
FDI TO INDIA UP WHILE DIPPING
GLOBALLY: SITHARAMAN
BENGALURU, (IANS) India was the only country with rising
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) while it was falling the
world over, said Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman. "India is the only country witnessing a 38 per
cent FDI rise, while globally it dipped to 16 per cent," said
Sitharaman at the valedictory session of the Invest
Karnataka 2016 Global Investors Meet (GIM).
Praising Karnataka, she said the state contributes six
percent of the nation's GDP and is growing at the rate of
seven percent. "Karnataka is the third largest recipient of
FDI and it will be higher after the GIM," she said. Listing
the effor ts of Indian government to promote and nur ture the
IT industry, she said Indian government always raises the
issue of free movement of people at all bilateral and
multilateral engagements.
"We place great emphasis on the free movement of people at all
bilateral and multilateral meetings... so that our IT employees
can freely move between countries on their professional
assignments," said Sitharaman. The commerce minister
disapproved the recent US visa fee hike and said she took it up
with the US government. "Why such unreasonable visa fees
should be imposed on the Indian IT companies? We are not
against paying visa fees but against unreasonable visa fees."
US President Barack Obama on December 19 signed into law a
$1.8-trillion spending package, which includes a hefty $4,000
fee for cer tain categories of H-1B visa and $4,500 for L-1 visa.
Sitharaman lauded Tumakuru to emerge as an investment and
manufacturing hub. "Tumakuru was chosen from among 12
places by Japanese prime minister when they taking a call on
where to direct Japanese investment in India," she said.
BSF kills four smugglers in Punjab; 10 kg heroin recovered
FEROZEPUR (PUNJAB), (IANS) BSF troopers on Sunday shot dead four smugglers, including two Pakistanis, in Punjab's Ferozepur sector
and seized nearly 10 kg heroin, a senior BSF officer said. The Border Security Force troopers also seized arms and ammunition from the
spot. These included two 9 mm pistols, one locally-made pistol and 54 rounds of ammunition, a Pakistani SIM card, a knife, a PVC pipe
and other things. A search of the area, about 300 km from Chandigarh, later led to the seizure of the contraband.
"Around 4.30am, Pakistani and Indian smugglers (total numbering four) opened fire on BSF troopers near Border outpost (BoP) Mehndipur
in Ferozepur sector. The BSF troopers returned the fire in which two Indian and two Pakistani smugglers were interdicted. The bodies were
recovered later during a search of the area. The local police was informed," said BSF Deputy Inspector General R.S. Kataria said. The
seized heroin is valued at Rs.50 crore in the international market, The BSF has recovered nearly 18 kg heroin in the Punjab sector,
comprising the 553-km long international border with Pakistan in the state, this year.
AAP rubbishes Congress 'sting' showing minister demanding bribe
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) on Tuesday termed as "fabricated" a video clip the Congress produced to allege that
Delhi's Food and Supplies Minister Imran Hussain is involved in demanding a bribe from a citizen. "It is a fabricated sting operation and
par t of a conspiracy," AAP spokesperson Deepak Bajpai said, referring to the video clip that a Congress leader showed to media persons
earlier in the day. The video clip had neither Imran Hussain's voice nor his brother's, Bajpai said, adding that the allegations that Congress
based on this "sting" were false. Earlier, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken alleged at a press conference that AAP minister Hussain's staffer had been caught
on camera demanding bribe on the minister's behalf. He showed a video clipping in support of his allegation. "We have video evidence of Imran Hussain's staffer,
brother and JE (junior engineer) demanding a bribe," Maken said. Hussain's staffer demanded Rs.25 lakh from a person who was building his own house, Maken
said. The minister's brother and a junior engineer also contacted that person asking for a bribe on Hussain's behalf, Maken alleged. The Congress leader said Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal must sack Hussain and refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Imran Hussain had replaced Asim Ahmed Khan in
October 2015 as the new food and supplies minister after the latter was publicly sacked by Kejriwal on charges of corruption. Kejriwal had then also referred the
accusation against Khan to be investigated by the CBI. Hussain is AAP's legislator from Ballimaran in the walled city.
HYDERABAD, (IANS) Creating history, Telangana's ruling TRS
scored a landslide victory in Greater Hyderabad Municipal
Corporation (GHMC) elections, winning 99 seats in 150-member body. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) wave washed
away main opposition Congress and the Telugu Desam Par tyBharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP-TDP) alliance, together reduced
to single digits.
According to the final tally, TRS bagged 99 seats. Majlis-eIttehadul Muslimeen (MIM) withstood TRS wave in its stronghold of old city to emerge as second largest par ty with 44
seats. However, the massive mandate for TRS means MIM
will not have the kingmaker's role, which it historically enjoyed in the municipal body. It will be the main opposition
par ty in the new body. The BJP won three and its alliance
par tner TDP won one seat. The alliance, which is in power in
neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, was vir tually wiped out. The
fate of Congress was no different. The main opposition par ty in
Telangana could win just two seats. The TRS, which had not
contested the GHMC elections in 2009, will name its corporator as a mayor in a day or two. It was a remarkable performance for TRS in Hyderabad, which is currently joint capital of
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The par ty which led the movement for separate Telangana state formed the first government
in the new state following its victory in 2014 elections. However, it could win just two out of 24 assembly seats in GHMC
limits. As many as 33,60,543 voters out of the total electorate
of 74,23,980 had cast their votes in the elections held on
Tuesday.A total of 1,333 candidates were in the fray.
This was the first GHMC election after the formation of separate Telangana state. The TRS had no representation in the
previous body, where the Congress shared power with MIM
after their victory in 2009 elections. In the first GHMC, Congress had 52 seats and MIM 43. TDP had bagged 45 seats
while BJP had five corporators.
The prominent among those elected include TRS leader K.
Keshava Rao's daughter G. Vijayalakshmi, who is likely to
become mayor. Former mayor Banda Kar thika Reddy of Congress par ty lost the poll in Tarnaka division.
OVER IRS1 LAKH CRORE NEXT
FISCAL FOR 7TH PAY
COMMISSION, OROP: JAITLEY
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The government has to provide Rs.1.10
lakh crore in the next fiscal's budget for implementing the One
Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme and the 7th Pay Commission award, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Friday.
"During the financial year 2016-17, the central government has
to make provision for about Rs.1.10 lakh crore in order to meet
the liabilities on account of implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations and OROP scheme," Jaitley said
addressing the consultative committee attached to the finance
ministry, according to an official statement here.
The 7th Pay Commission has recommended increasing the
remuneration of around one crore government employees and
pensioners that is expected to cost the exchequer an additional
Rs.1.02 lakh crore in 2016-17. The finance minister also said
that India has the potential to grow at a much faster pace, while
agricultural growth in the last two years had suffered mainly
due to insufficient rains, which resulted in the highest disbursal ever to the states for drought relief during the current financial year.
"More incentives will be given to agriculture sector for increasing agriculture production and productivity," he said. "The world
economy is passing through an uncer tain and fragile situation.
The silver lining is low international commodities and oil prices,
which in turn has helped in better the macro-economic situation of the country," Jaitley added.
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2016
BJP WILL BE VANQUISHED
IN ASSAM POLLS: GOGOI
BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP) MAHILA MORCHA DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE CONGRESS PARTY OUTSIDE THE CONGRESS
HEADQUARTERS IN NEW DELHI (IANS).
CPI says yet to receive proposal
on alliance with Congress
KOLKATA, (IANS) The Communist Par ty of India was yet to receive
any proposal from the CPI-Marxist regarding any tie-up with the Congress for the upcoming West Bengal assembly polls, a senior CPI
leader said on Sunday.
Gurudas Dasgupta, former CPI parliamentarian, said the matter was
yet to be discussed in any meeting of the Left Front, of which both the
communist par ties are members. However, Dasgupta said his par ty
was prepared to do whatever was needed to protect democracy and
end the "misrule" of the Trinamool Congress in the state.
"We are for strengthening Left unity, which should not be compromised under any circumstances. We also feel that democracy has to
be protected in West Bengal. And the people have to be saved from
the misrule of the Trinamool. In that regard, we have to do whatever
was needed."
"But so far, we haven't received any proposal from any par ty (read
CPI-M) regarding any alliance with the Congress. No one has dis-
cussed the issue with us. It has not been discussed in the Left Front
meetings also.
"First, let us receive the proposal, then we will take a call on this,"
said Dasgupta after the par ty's state council meeting. With the polls
less than three months away, the state leadership of the CPI-M has
been making over tures to the Congress for a joint fight against the
Trinamool.
Recently, a majority of state Congress leaders conveyed to par ty
vice president Rahul Gandhi their desire to team up with the CPI-M
at the hustings. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will take the final
decision on the possible alliance.
The Marxists have announced they would formalise their stand at a
two-day state committee meeting from February 13. The state
committee's decision would be conveyed to the CPI-M central committee, which is scheduled to hold a three-day session beginning
February 16 to take the firnal decision on the alliance.
Bihar university proctor held for Maoist links, released
PATNA, (IANS) A proctor of a Bihar university was arrested on Sunday for alleged links with Maoists and two suspected guerrillas apprehended from the varsity hostel in Bhagalpur but all three were
later released, police said.
Professor Vilakhjhan Ravidas, proctor of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University in Bhagalpur and Kapildeo Mandal and Arjun Paswan were
released after they filed a bond in a police station. "Ravidas and
others were released due to lack of evidence against them," said a
district police official.
Ravidas, however denied any links with Maoists. Police said Ravidas
was arrested on information provided by suspected Maoist
Ghanshayam alias Ghoghan Da. A pistol, mobile phone and Maoist
literature were allegedly seized from Ghanshayam who gave information about the proctor during his two-hour questioning.
Police then raided several places and arrested Ravidas. "We arrested Ravidas from his private residence for links with Maoists
and for providing patronage to them," Bhagalpur superintendent of
police Vivek Kumar had said earlier.
The two suspected Maoists arrested from the varsity's welfare
hostel, of which Ravidas is in-charge, were Mandal, who is a
visiting professor of Murarka college, and Paswan, who were
also released. However, police
said investigation will continue
in the case.
'RETURN OF JUNGLE RAJ' IS AN OPPOSITION
CONSPIRACY: LALU PRASAD
PATNA, (IANS) The "return of Jungle Raj in Bihar" is a lie spread by the opposition par ties in their
attempt to defame the state, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad has said.
"Opposition par ties are talking and spreading falsehood of return of 'jungle raj' in Bihar as part of
conspiracy to defame the state again," Lalu told repor ters here on Sunday after his arrival from Delhi.
Lalu also dismissed the demand made on Saturday by Lok Janshakti Par ty (LJP) leader Chirag
Paswan that President's Rule be imposed in Bihar in view of the deteriorating law and order situation
under the government of the 'Grand Alliance' of JD-U, RJD and the Congress.
Rule of law prevails in Bihar and there is no place for violence and lawlessness, said Lalu whose two
sons, Tejaswi Prasad and Tej Pratap, are ministers in the state government, the former also being the
deputy chief minister.
Chirag, son of Union minister Ramvilas Paswan, had spoken in the context of the killing on Friday of
his party leader Brijnathi Singh by some people here. Singh was a criminal-turned-politician, known
once as the terror of Raghopur area in Vaishali district.
"Brijnathji was shot dead within 10-15 km of the chief minister's house. He was shot dead only
because he and his family fought against Lalu ji in the Vidhan Sabha polls. I would definitely want to
ask the chief minister if this is not political rivalry, then what is?" Chirag was quoted as saying in a
media repor t.
Lalu said the opposition is not ready to realise its rejection by the people in the elections and so is
trying to paint Bihar in a poor light.
GUWAHATI (IANS) As the Mughals were crushed in the battle
of Saraighat, the BJP will be vanquished in the for thcoming
assembly elections in Assam, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said
on Monday.
Gogoi said the elections will be a showdown between him and
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the NDA government's
failure on all fronts and its anti-people and anti-poor policies
will be his main poll planks.
"The BJP-led government at the Centre has made a U-turn on
all issues concerning the people and it has utterly failed in
fulfilling the poll promises made to the people," he said.
"The frequent visit of central ministers to Assam has been
primarily aimed at covering the failure of the central government and it has indulged in show business and fake assurances," Gogoi said.
"The visits of the central ministers are aimed at hoodwinking
the people and diver ting their attention from the failure of the
central government," he said. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also
visited Assam twice recently, primarily to polarise the otherwise peaceful ambience of Assam, he said.
"The RSS is trying tacitly to sow the seeds of discord in
Assamese society which was moulded and shaped by the
philosophy of Srimanta Sankardeva and Ajan Fakir. We are
committed to build a modern Assam based on the edifice laid
by these saints," he said, adding that the state government will
foil any such activity.
Many Punjab teachers got
good ACRs with consistently
poor results: Minister
CHANDIGARH (IANS) Many government teachers in Punjab
got top rankings in their annual confidential repor ts (ACRs)
from senior officials despite their students' consistently poor
academic results, a minister said on Monday.
"However, from this academic session onwards, the ACRs of
teachers will be written in accordance with the results
shown by them," Punjab Education Minister Daljit Singh
Cheema said.
"The effor ts of the education depar tment to identify teachers with bad academic results and to train them, besides
formulating a comprehensive policy for teacher training in
order to raise educational standards has got a pat from the
central government," the minister said.
Punjab's effor ts were appreciated by union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani, who even advocated implementing these at the national level, Cheema
said. He said the education depar tment held regular meetings with teachers whose students registered poor results.
Cheema said that to improve the quality of teachers, a statelevel joint entrance exam for admission to teacher-centric
courses like B.Ed (Bachelor of Education) and ETT (elementary teacher training) was a must.
The minister stressed on the impor tance of induction training during recruitment and training at multiple levels (including for promotions) till retirement. He also strongly
advocated advance training for teachers showing good results and basic training for the ones showing poor results.
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Taiwan quake death toll rises to 100
THOUSANDS OF RESCUE WORKERS IN TAIWAN CLAWED THROUGH VAST MOUNDS OF WRECKAGE EARLY SUNDAY, SEARCHING FOR
SURVIVORS OF A POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE THAT RAVAGED THE COASTAL CITY OF TAINAN ON THE ISLAND'S SOUTHWEST COAST (IANS).
UN SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS
NORTH KOREA'S MISSILE LAUNCH
UNITED NATIONS, (IANS) The UN
Security Council on Sunday
strongly condemned the launch
using ballistic missile technology
by the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) on
Saturday, said a press statement of
the council.
After an urgent meeting in New
York, the council said it would soon
adopt a new sanctions resolution in
response. Pyongyang said it fired
the rocket to place a satellite in
orbit - but critics believe the real
purpose was to test a ballistic
missile. Sunday's launch comes
weeks after North Korea held a
fourth nuclear test - both acts
violate UN resolutions.
Speaking after the closed-door
talks, Venezuela's UN envoy Rafael
Ramirez, the current council
president, said: "The members of
the Security Council strongly
condemn this launch."
He called it "a serious violation of
the Security Council resolution".
US Ambassador to the UN
Samantha Power said Washington
would now "ensure that the
Security Council imposes serious
consequences" on Pyongyang.
"There can be no business as
usual," she said, adding that "we'll
come up with something tough".
Ms Power's words were echoed by
Japanese envoy Motohide
Yoshikawa, who said sanctions
must be strengthened.
"The existing sanctions have not
stopped North Korea from
developing nuclear weapons," he
said. The council meeting was
requested by South Korea, Japan
and the US.
The question once asked by a
British tabloid - How Do you solve
a problem like Korea? - still has not
been answered. The UN Security
Council has imposed four sets of
sanctions since North Korea
carried out its first atomic test
almost 10 years ago.
They have included arms
embargos, asset freezes, travel
bans and restrictions on luxury
goods, aimed at hitting
Pyongyang's elites where it hurts -
in their lavish lifestyles. But while
they might have slowed the nuclear
and ballistic missile programmes,
they've come nowhere near halting
them. The sanctions have not been
rigidly enforced. Nor have they
been widely applied.
Now the US is pressing at the
Security Council for tough and
comprehensive new sanctions, but
they're being resisted by China,
Pyongyang's closest ally and
biggest trading partner.
Beijing, while expressing support
for a new resolution, fears that
tough new sanctions could topple
the Pyongyang regime,
destabilising the country and
creating a refugee crisis on its
border. Pyongyang knows it can
exploit that fear. The launch of the
rocket was hailed by North Korean
media as a "fascinating vapour...
trailing in the clear and blue sky in
spring of February on the threshold
of the Day of the Shining Star".
A statement said a new Earth
observation satellite,
Kwangmyongsong-4, had success-
fully been put into orbit less than 10
minutes after lift-off from the Sohae
space centre in North Phyongan
province.
TAIPEI, (IANS) The death toll from a powerful earthquake that
struck southern Taiwan had climbed to 100, Xinhua repor ted.
The collapse of the Wei Guan building, the most seriously damaged, has killed 31.
At about 1:50 p.m., rescuers pulled from the Wei Guan building
a man in his 20s, who later died. A six-month-old girl was rescued but died. Her father was also among the deceased.
More than 600 rescuers, including fire fighters and volunteers,
as well as 115 fire engines and 44 ambulances, are racing against
time to save 119 people who are still trapped in the rubble of the
building. A total of 309 people have been rescued so far.
Previous repor ts said more than 460 people were injured. The
island's high-speed rail lines resumed full operations on 5:00
p.m. as a result of emergency repairs. In the historic city of
Tainan, eight buildings collapsed and another five were damaged. The 6.7-magnitude ear thquake hit Kaohsiung at 3:57 a.m.
Beijing Time on Saturday at a depth of 15 kilometers, the China
Ear thquake Networks Center said. The quake occurred two days
prior to Spring Festival, the lunar new year.
The Chinese mainland has offered help. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Par ty of China Central Committee, on
Sunday conveyed condolences to the victims in the ear thquake.
"We're deeply concerned about the disaster situation. We express deepest sympathies to Taiwan compatriots affected by
the quake and convey condolences to victims," Xi said in a
statement. "Compatriots across the Taiwan Strait are one family
whose blood is thicker than water, and we would like to provide
assistance in all aspects," Xi added. While addressing a lunar
new year gathering on Saturday morning, Premier Li Keqiang
also sent condolences to the victims.
The mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan
Straits and the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office have been
in contact with the island, vowing to offer all necessary aid. The
National Health and Family Planning Commission and the China
Ear thquake Administration said on Sunday that they are ready
to send rescue and medical teams to the island.
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SPANISH POLICE DETAIN
SIX SUSPECTED JIHADISTS
IN THREE CITIES
MADRID, (IANS) Spanish security forces detained six people
with suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) and Jabhat al
Nusra groups in an operation carried out in the early hours of
Sunday morning.
The arrests were carried out in the cities of Alicante and
Valencia on the east coast of Spain and in the Spanish Nor th
African enclave of Ceuta. The Spanish Interior Ministry said
that four of those detained are of Spanish nationality but of
Syrian, Jordanian and Moroccan origin, while the other two
are a Syrian and a Moroccan resident in Spain.
The arrests come as par t as a police investigation which
began in 2014 and those arrested are described as forming
"par t of the exterior structure of the terrorist organizations
with a jihadist character situated in the Syria-Iraq region," and
they are accused of "supplying logistical material which is
vital for maintaining terrorist activities." Spanish authorities
insisted the operation is "ongoing" and as such fur ther arrests
cannot be ruled out.
A WOMAN PROTESTING AGAINST THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP (TPP) AT CITIZENSHIP SQUARE IN SANTIAGO, CHILE
(IANS).
Julian Assange should be freed,
compensated: UN panel
LONDON, (IANS) A legal UN panel announced on Friday that controversy-ridden Wikileaks founder Julian Assange should be allowed to
walk free and be compensated for his "deprivation of liber ty". Assange
-- who faces extradition to Sweden over a rape claim, which he denies -- claimed asylum in London's Ecuadorean embassy
in 2012.
Speaking at a news conference via a video link from
the embassy, he said the opinion of the panel was
"vindication". "Today (Friday) that detention without
charge has been found to be unlawful. I consider the
outcome a vindication," he said. Assange claimed
there was no appeal against the panel's decision; it
was a matter of "settled law", The Guardian repor ted. He insisted the panel's
findings were legally binding. The
panel was a higher body than national law. Assange said that if
Britain and Sweden continued to
undermine the panel's finding
they would be hit diplomatically.
"We have now a victory, and de-
cided law on this case," he said.
Earlier in the day, the UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
insisted Assange's detention "should be brought to an end, that his
physical integrity and freedom of movement be respected. Assange
should be afforded the right to compensation," it added.
The 44-year-old Wikileaks founder has been subjected
to "different forms of deprivation of liber ty" initially
while he was held in isolation at London's Wandswor th
Prison for 10 days in 2010, the panel said.
However, a British Foreign Office spokesman said:
"Julian Assange has never been arbitrarily detained
by the UK." The office said the repor t "changes nothing" and it will "formally contest the working
group's opinion". Foreign Secretary Philip
Hammond said Assange was a "fugitive
from justice", adding that he can come out
"any time he chooses" but will still have to
face justice in Sweden. The Met Police
said it will make "every effort" to arrest
Assange should he leave the embassy.
KASHMIR ISSUE TEST FOR INDIA,
PAKISTAN LEADERSHIP: NAWAZ SHARIF
MUZAFFARABAD (PAKISTAN), (IANS) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
on Friday said Pakistan wants peace in the region and does not want
confrontation with India, and reiterated that the Kashmir issue "be
resolved" through dialogue. Sharif was addressing a joint sitting of
the legislature of the Pakistani side of Jammu and Kashmir on Kashmir Day.
"It is not possible that one par t of the region should be prosperous and
the other par t in trouble (Indian side of Jammu and Kashmir). Peaceful solution of Kashmir is indispensable. We want peace in the region.
We are prepared to do each and every thing to this effect. We don't
want confrontation with India. Kashmir issue (should) be resolved
through talks," Sharif said.
The Kashmir issue is a test for current leadership of India, Pakistan
and people of both the countries cannot prosper and progress until the
lingering issue is resolved, the prime minister said. "Difference of
opinion between two countries is not unheard of," Sharif said, referring to Pakistan's differences with India over Kashmir. "What is un-
usual is that for 6-7 decades, we have not been able to get rid of these
differences," he told the joint session.
"Unless we sit together and talk about these issues, they won't be
resolved," Sharif said, expressing hope that the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue between Pakistan and India would see progress in days
to come. He said Pakistan has assured Indian leadership of cooperation on every issue, including terrorism. "Pakistan is most affected
by terrorism. Who wants eradication of terrorism more than Pakistan?"
Welcoming Nawaz Sharif, Speaker of assembly Ghulam Sadiq said
the visit of prime minister of Pakistan to express solidarity with the
people of Kashmir will fur ther strengthen "our struggle against Indian
occupation". Speaking on the occasion, 'azad' Jammu and Kashmir
Prime Minister Chaudhary Abdul Majid lauded Sharif for taking a clear
stance on Kashmir in the UN. Sharif also announced assistance of
250 million Pakistani rupees (nearly $2.4 million) for development of
the Pakistani side of Kashmir.
34 MILITANT GROUPS PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE TO IS: UN
UNITED NATIONS, (IANS) Thir ty-four militant groups worldwide had repor tedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) extremist
group as of mid-December, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.
Militant groups from countries like the Philippines, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Libya and Nigeria had pledged their allegiance, so IS poses
"an unprecedented threat", Xinhua quoted Ban as saying in a repor t on the challenges IS poses to international peace and security.
The emergence of IS has been facilitated by the protracted conflicts in Iraq and Syria and the resulting political and security instability,
he said. "In less than two years, IS has captured large swathes of territory in both Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic, which it
administers through a sophisticated, quasi-bureaucratic revenue-generating structure that is sufficiently flexible and diversified to
compensate for declines in income from single revenue streams," he said.
The recent expansion of IS influence across west and nor th Africa, the Middle East and south and southeast Asia demonstrates the
speed and scale at which the gravity of the threat has evolved in just 18 months, he added.
In 2016 and beyond, UN member states should prepare for a fur ther increase in the number of foreign terrorist fighters travelling to other
countries on the instructions of IS, said Ban.
Despite effor ts by the international community to counter IS through military, financial and border-security measures, the group
continues to maintain its presence in Iraq and Syria. It is also expanding its operations to other regions.
IRAN PRESIDENT HONOURS NUCLEAR TEAM FOR HISTORIC DEAL
TEHRAN (IANS) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani awarded the nuclear negotiating team on Monday with medals of honour for
clinching an historic deal with world powers in July 2015.
He awarded the first class medals of "Merit" and "Courage" to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Head of Atomic Energy
Organisation of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi and Defence Minister Hossein Dehqan, XInhua repor ted.
"Today is the day to express gratitude to the devoted chiefs who defended the (rights of) nation in the international arena," Rouhani said
in the awarding ceremony. The deal, reached on July 14, 2015 between Iran and five permanent members of the UN Security Council
plus Germany, or P5+1, ended a decade-long dispute over Tehran's controversial nuclear programme.
The agreement resulted in the lifting of international and Western nuclear-related economic and financial sanctions on Iran in exchange
for wide-scale limitation on the country's nuclear activities for specific period of time.
Obama proposes $4.1 trillion
spending plan in final budget
WASHINGTON, (IANS) US President Barack Obama on Tuesday laid out his final budget proposal, seeking $4.1 trillion of
spending plan for the fiscal year 2017. The budget proposal
highlights Obama's priorities for fighting climate change, helping the poor, increasing taxes for the wealthy, and strengthening national security, Xinhua repor ted. "The budget is a
roadmap to a future that embodies America's values and aspirations: a future of oppor tunity and security for all of our families; a rising standard of living; and a sustainable, peaceful
planet for our kids," Obama said in a letter sent to the Congress on Tuesday.
The budget plan envisions a deficit of $503 billion in fiscal
year 2017, lower than the $616 billion of budget gap for current
fiscal year which ends on September 30. The spending proposal stayed within the confines of an agreement reached
between the White House and Congress last year that lifted
mandatory "sequestration" cuts on both defense and domestic
spending. It calls for $320 billion to promote clean transpor tation infrastructure, and another $11 billion for clean energy.
The budget also seeks $150 billion to boost research and
development in areas from biomedical research to space exploration, and $19 billion for cyber-security.
EIGHT KILLED IN GERMANY
TRAIN COLLISION
BERLIN, (IANS) At least nine people were killed and over 100
others injured on Tuesday during a train collision in the southern German state of Bavaria, police said. However, what
caused the collision remains as yet unclear as the investigations are in the early stages, Xinhua news agency cited police
as saying. A spokesman for German railway company Deutsche Bahn
said that two trains collided on a single-track section near Bad Aibling.
Among the dead was the driver of one of the trains, according to Bavarian
Bayerischer Rundfunk broadcaster. The driver of the other train is
missing, though police pointed out that he could hardly survive a collision of this kind.
PAKISTAN AIRLINE
WORKERS END STRIKE
ISLAMABAD, (IANS) Workers of the Pakistan's state-owned
airlines announced that they have called off strike against a
government privatisation plan after they were invited for talks
to listen to their demands. The nearly one-week strike brought
the flight operation of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)
to a complete standstill, affecting thousands of passengers.
Hundreds of international and domestic flights were cancelled
during the strike. Two PIA employees were also killed when
the law enforcement agencies clashed with the protesting
workers in Karachi last week. The government planned PIA's
privatisation as it runs into losses mainly because of over-staffing. The
government was involved in talks with the leaders of the employees that
led to the end of the strike, chairman of employees' Joint Action Committee, Sohail Baloch said in Karachi Tuesday evening.
NEPAL EX-PM SUSHIL
KOIRALA DEAD; MODI CALLS
HIM INDIA'S VALUED FRIEND
KATHMANDU, (IANS) Former prime minister Sushil Koirala,
who spent 16 years in exile in India, died here on Tuesday. He
was 80. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India
has lost a valued friend.
Koirala, who was also president of the Nepali Congress (NC),
died at his residence in Kathmandu's Maharajgunj area. Doctors told
the media that he died at 12.50 a.m. due to failure of his respiratory
system. Koirala, who was the prime minister of Nepal from February 11,
2014, to October 10, 2015, will be remembered as the leader under
whose leadership Nepal promulgated the new constitution through the
constituent assembly in September 2015.
Koirala, who spent 16 years in India in exile during the pro-democracy
movement in Nepal, was a survivor of tongue and lung cancers. India
condoled his death, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying "India lost
a valued friend". "In Sushil Koirala ji, NC has lost a big leader who served
Nepal for decades and India lost a valued friend. Pained by his demise.
RIP. Sushil Koirala ji's simplicity holds lessons for all of us. My condolences to the Koirala family and people of Nepal in this hour of grief," Modi
said in a series of tweets. Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh also
offered his tributes to Koirala. He said, "Nepal has lost a powerful voice
and a wonderful human being. He was Nepal's one of the most seasoned
politicians and also a true statesman."
16
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2016
WHY IRRFAN KHAN
REFUSED STEVEN
SPIELBERG'S FILM?
ANIL KAPOOR, SONAKSHI SINHA, KRITI SANON, SHAHID KAPOOR AND SOUND DESIGNER RESUL POOKUTTY DURING THE
ANNOUNCEMENT OF ZEE CINE AWARDS 2016 IN MUMBAI (IANS).
Salman 'bloody hot': Sonam Kapoor
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Sonam Kapoor says that
her "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo" co-star Salman Khan
is her favourite, and terms him "bloody hot".
Present at a college here on Thursday to promote
a song of her film "Neerja", she was asked who
her favourite co-star was. And when the crowd
chanted Salman's name, she replied: "Well, you guys
got it right. It's Salman Khan, he's so bloody hot."
Despite a nearly 20 year age difference between
them, the pair's chemistry was appreciated. Not
only in the film, it was also palpable during the
promotions of the film, where they featured together
at numerous media events and even photo shoots.
The film also did well at the box-office.
The song "Ankhian Milaayenge Darr Se' from
aNeerja' was launched at the college with the
students singing along, when the video of the song
was played. The video featured a similar visual of
numerous students singing in a college. Sonam
termed the song as the "first rock anthem".
"This film is made for the youth and this song is
going to explain why, because it's about facing
your fears, understanding what we're all about,
discovering who we are. I hope this becomes your
anthem in life because we shouldn't be afraid of
anybody and we should always be ourselves. It's
about embracing who we are and doing the right
thing," she said.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne with Milkha Singh, also known as The Flying Sikh, for an early morning run at Sukhna Lake, India.
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MUMBAI, (IANS) Indian actor Irr fan Khan has refused a par t in a
Steven Spielberg film because he didn't find "enough meat to explore"
himself as an actor. "I felt the character did not have enough meat to
explore myself as an actor. Hence, I said no... Else who wouldn't want
to work with Steven Spielberg?" Irrfan said in a statement.
The "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Life of Pi" actor was offered to work in
a Spielberg film, which also had Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson
in it. Sharing that it is more than a dilemma for him to choose or deny
films, Irrfan said: "I am at a stage in my career where I am trying my
best to surprise my audience with every role and give them some. I
am hoping the future holds something so path-breaking and so empowering for me as an ar tiste that no will not be an option."
Will go broke, but won't produce
adult comedy: John Abraham
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor-producer John Abraham, who is known for
producing content-driven films, says he would go broke but will not
produce an adult comedy through his production house, John Abraham
Enter tainment.
"There is a market for adult films, as they have the potential to do
well. But as an actor I would definitely not do it. Not because it's
wrong, but I, as a person, will not do it. I don't stand in a position to
pass judgment saying this is right or wrong, but I am a very clear
person and I want to maintain that," John told IANS.
"Would I do a 'Fifty Shades of Grey'? Maybe, but would I do whatever
is coming out? Hell no! I will go broke, but I will not produce an adult
comedy," the "Force" actor added. The "Welcome Back" actor has
produced films like "Vicky Donor", "Madras Cafe" among others under his production banner.
John mentioned that as an actor, he enjoys the comedy genre the
most. "I concentrate on content as an actor and prouder. The genre I
enjoy the most is comedy. I love comedy and I have got a grasp of
comic timing now. I can handle comedy with ease," he added.
YUVRAJ, HARBHAJAN, NEHRA IN
WORLD T20, ASIA CUP SQUADS
NEW DELHI (PTI): Young all-rounder Pawan Negi was the surprise
pick for the World Twenty20 and Asia Cup while the selectors also
reposed faith in veterans such as Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh
in the 15-member Indian squad for the two events.
Other young players such as Jasprit Bhumrah and Hardik Pandya,
who impressed in the recent series against Australia, also found a
place in the squad announced by BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur after
a meeting of the selection committee here today. "This is the best
combination of 15 we can think of," Chairman of the committee, Sandeep
Patil, said in a press conference after the meeting.
Interestingly, the pace duo of Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar
were ignored. Also, Manish Pandey, who featured in the T20 series
against Australia, was left out of the team to be captained by Mahendra
Singh Dhoni.
I CONTD. ON PAGE 22
18
MidWeek
bollywood
Toifa in Dubai next month
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2016
VHP ACTIVISTS HELD FOR
OBSTRUCTING
SHAHRUKH FILM SHOOT
AHMEDABAD, (IANS) The Gujarat Police on Friday detained 34
activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Kutch district
for trying to obstruct shooting of Bollywood star Shahrukh
Khan's film 'Raees'. Police said the VHP activists were detained under Section 68 of the Gujarat Police Act.
The VHP has been targeting Shahrukh Khan for his comments
on "intolerance" in the country. After they were released, the
VHP activists still managed to block the Gadhsheesha-Dedia
road which connects Kutch district headquar ters Bhuj with
Polaria where the film shooting was scheduled for the day.
The shooting continued peacefully throughout the day in Polaria,
which is located some 60 km from Bhuj city. The actor, who
has been on a week-long visit to Kutch for the shooting of the
film, has faced sporadic protests by the VHP activists since he
arrived there. Earlier, the outfit had held a demonstration in
front of the District Collector's office in Bhuj. A motorcycle
rally was also held demanding the cancellation of the film's
shooting and ban on Shahrukh Khan's entry in Kutch.
SRK, Aamir will be afraid to
speak on issues due to negative
reactions: Sonam Kapoor
(L TO R) RAZA BEIG, CEO SPLASH AND ICONIC; JACQUELINE FERNANDES, VARUN DHAWAN; SAMEER SONI, DIRECTOR
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, THE TIMES OF INDIA AND SAHAR KAMRAN ATAEI, CFO OF GULF AIR.
DUBAI, (IANS) The Times of India Film Awards (Toifa), which was
first held in 2013 to celebrate Hindi film talent, will host its second
edition in Dubai in March, it was announced here in the presence of
Bollywood actors Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan will perform at the event. The first edition of the
gala -- which leverages the power of Bollywood to position destinations and brands in minds of global Indians -- was held in Vancouver,
British Columbia.
Toifa 2016 Dubai, presented by Gulf Air and Splash, will be held on
March 18 at the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai Spor ts City and
shall see power-packed per for mances by Shah Rukh, Var un,
Jacqueline, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Yo Yo Honey Singh and more.
Varun, who was here on Thursday for the announcement, said: " Toifa
was one of the first platforms where I was nominated for my work, in
the best Debutant Actor Male Category for 'Student of the Year'. I am
thrilled to be associated with this amazing platform and announce
Toifa 2016 in Dubai. "I look forward to catching all Bollywood fans
here, and promise you a fabulous Toifa weekend."
Sri Lankan beauty Jacqueline, who has made her presence felt in
Bollywood, said: "I'm excited to be a par t of Toifa 's second edition and
represent the Hindi film industry in Dubai. The atmosphere in
Dubai is always electrifying and I look forward to adding to the
magic on March 18."
The event will be promoted across India, Bahrain, Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Britain, and fans are expected to
travel from these countries into Dubai, creating tourism receipts
over the weekend for the city. To this end, Toifa has already
par tnered with Thomas Cook in India and Dadabhai Travels in
Bahrain as its travel par tners.
Sameer Soni, director - International Business, The Times of India Group, said: "Toifa Dubai is going to be the biggest Bollywood
event ever hosted in the Gulf region with per formances and presence of some of the biggest Bollywood celebrities on one stage.
" Toifa presents a strategic engagement platform that leverages
the power and pull of Bollywood to create significant economic impact for destinations and brands through increased tourism, trade and
stronger bilateral relation." Tickets for the event will be available for
sale from Monday onwards on ticketmaster.ae.
'Kapoor & Sons' poster shows Alia,
Fawad, Sidharth in celebratory mood
MUMBAI, (IANS) After veteran
actor Rishi Kapoor unveiled
his unrecognisable look in
"Kapoor & Sons", producer
Karan Johar has shared the
film's poster which sees lead
actors Sidharth Malhotra, Fawad
Khan and Alia Bhatt in a celebratory
mood. "Here it is!
#Kapoorandsonsfirstposter,"
Karan tweeted on Wednesday.
In the jolly poster, Sidhar th is
blowing a trumpet while Alia
tries to protect her ears from
its sound. Fawad is seen
holding a bunch of balloons
while posing with a smile.
Rajat Kapoor, who plays
Rishi's son in the film, is seen
standing besides the "All Is
Well" actor with his onscreen
wife Ratna Pathak Shah. The
actors also shared the poster
on their Twitter handles.
Alia and Fawad called the
poster "picture per fect" while
Sidhar th wrote: "Our family
that par ties together, loves
together and even fights
together #KapoorAndSons
#KapoorAndSonsFirstPoster".
Mahesh Bhatt retweeted Alia's
post with the words: "Happy
days are here again!" Directed
by Shakun Batra, the romantic
drama is slated to hit theatres
on March 18.
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Sonam Kapoor feels that superstars
Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan will be afraid to talk on issues due to the negative reactions coming along with it.
"Just imagine the way we are reacting to someone like Shah
Rukh Khan or Aamir Khan (their comments). They will be afraid
to say or talk about things because of the negative reactions.
We should be suppor tive of people who have opinions -- good,
bad or ugly. Everybody should have a right to speak," said
Sonam at the launch of her song, "Ankhian Milaayenge Darr
Se" from the film "Neerja".
Shah Rukh's comments on intolerance in the country saw some
sections slamming him, while some also vandalised theatres
screening his film "Dilwale", protesting the same. Aamir highlighting his wife's fear due to cer tain incidents in the country
also sparked a widely-discussed controversy.
Sonam termed the reactions to the issues as "scary". She is
always known to have an opinion, and quips that's the reason
she gets called to speak at conclaves, since the organisers
"know she will make good copy". She often lands up in controversy for the same like her comments on Ranbir Kapoor along
with Deepika Padukone on Karan Johar's show or getting trolled
for her "misogynist" tweet on the meat ban in Mumbai.
A fear she would like to overcome is, "I don't ever want to not
have an opinion on something." She added, "I went through
this. I said something and I was trolled on another level. But at
the end of the day, if I have this platform, I have this voice,
people actually listen to what I have to say. I'm going to keep
doing it no matter what. Eventually somebody will hear what I
have to say." Sonam's brief appearance in Coldplay's music
video recently has also been subject to trolls.
Shahid Kapoor, Karan Johar to
host 'Zee Cine Awards 2016'
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Shahid Kapoor, who is all set to host
'Zee Cine Awards 2016' with film maker Karan Johar, assures
that they will not use any vulgar language on the dais.
"I am hosting this show with Karan Johar who is not here.. he
is in New York. I am very excited to host this award show. As
far as the language is concerned, I am personally not very
comfortable using vulgar words. We will not use vulgar words
and I understand one should be sensitive towards others and
few things should be filtered," Shahid told repor ters at the Zee
Cine Awards press conference here on Thursday.
"Few people likes to be humorous openly, some people don't
find it comfor table so it is difficult to draw the line. I think we
have the right censor board and they will not telecast any wrong
things. At Zee Cine Awards, we will be using nice and sweet
words."
Zee Cine Awards 2016 will be telecast simultaneously on Zee
Cinema, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Anmol and Zee Tamizh on 5th
March. It will reach out to an expansive universe of ZEE's channels that enter tains over 959 million viewers across 169 countries. The awards will have some high-voltage performances
by Sonakshi Sinha, Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon
amongst many others.
'Bajirao Mastani' could've been
shot better: Sudeep Chatterjee
MUMBAI, (IANS) Cinematographer Sudeep Chaterjee says if
he had got more time for "Bajirao Mastani", he would have
shot the movie in a bigger and better manner. Chatterjee denied that the film took two years to make as suggested by
repor ts. "We shot for 217 days, the shooting was spread a little
over a year. We shot from October to October (2014-15). A film
of this scale requires that kind of time. I think we were short of
time. I wish we had a little more time to shoot, we could've
shot aspects little bigger and better," he said.
A lot of things he created for the film were from his imagination
as very little historical references for the Peshwa era was
available. But he visited the interior regions of Maharashtra, to
understand the architecture. "Bajirao Mastani" was the second
time Chatterjee collaborated with director Sanjay Leela
Bhansali, after the Hrithik Roshan-starrer "Guzaarish".
The two had first met on the sets of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's "1942
- A Love Story", where Bhansali was an assistant director, and
Chatterjee was an apprentice to ace cinematographer Binod
Pradhan. "I don't think any other director gives me the freedom
that Sanjay gives. He has this wonderful approach where he
narrates the film to me. We spend a lot of time just talking
about the film," he said.
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY
AUGUST 28,
09,2012
2016
bollywood
MidWeek
19
hollywood
ZAYN MALIK CONFIRMS
DATING GIGI HADID
ADITYA ROY KAPOOR AND KATRINA KAIF AT IIMT GREATER NOIDA TO PROMOTE THEIR UPCOMING FILM FITOOR IN NOIDA
(IANS).
Sanam Teri Kasam' makers use
Salman Khan's 'lucky charm' in film
MUMBAI, (IANS) A song that Salman Khan wanted to use for "Tere
Naam" has been included in "Sanam Teri Kasam", co-directed by his
"Lucky: No Time for Love" makers Vinay Sapru and Radhika Rao,
who say it was a way to add the superstar's 'lucky charm' to their
film. On Wednesday, Salman tweeted: "Directors of my film 'Lucky...'
and 'Sanam Teri Kasam' churaud (stole) my song from Himesh
(Reshammiya). Lovely song. Had selected it for 'Tere Naam'." The
song in question is titled "Haal-e-dil". Asked about it, Sapru told IANS
that it's the first song that appears in the film.
"Salman Khan is our mentor, so we do all our work keeping Salman
informed about it. But as a project, we had not discussed 'Sanam Teri
Kasam' with him. When we were discussing it and were showing
everything that we have done in the film, 'Haal-e-dil' came up, and he
said, 'This is my song!' He got a little upset about it," Sapru said.
Sapru says music director Himesh Reshammiya had told him that
the song's tune was first finalised by Salman for the 2003 "Tere Naam",
which also starred Bhumika Chawla.
"Not that we wanted to take this song, but when we were doing our
music sitting with Himesh at that time, we finalised the first song of
the film. There were two tunes to get finalised. But when Himesh said
that this tune was finalised by Salman for 'Tere Naam', and he has
kept another song that Salman could use it when he makes another tragic love stor y, we took this one. Salman has been our
lucky charm since we star ted our career, and we were very clear
that by hook or by crook, we want Salman's lucky charm in our
film. So, we finalised that song."
The director said that the 50-year-old actor was "upset" but after seeing the song as par t of "Sanam Teri Kasam", "it almost got tears to his
eyes". Also, Sapru feels Salman's tweet on the song has "so much of
love. It's written by 'my directors'," he said. "Sanam Teri Kasam",
releasing on Friday, stars Telugu actor Harshvardhan Rane and Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane, who are foraying into Bollywood.
LONDON, (IANS) Former One Direction band member Zayn
Malik has finally confirmed that he is in a relationship with
model Gigi Hadid. While talking in a radio interview about
his music, Malik made a positive response when the interviewer asked how it felt like starring in a music video with
his "girlfriend", repor ts aceshowbiz.com. Last week, Malik
launched his solo career with the release of "Pillowtalk"
music video. Hadid stars in the clip as his love interest.
"Was it cool to have your girlfriend in your video?" the interviewer asked Malik. The 23-year-old took a pause for a
moment before saying: "Yeah, that was cool. That was something different. And yeah, we enjoyed it. It was fun; we had a
lot of fun on set." The interviewer continued pressing for
confirmation, asking, "No one easier to make out with than
your own girlfriend, right?" Malik said with a laugh: "Exactly.
I like what you've done there."
JLO GETS GOOFY IN MAKEUP FREE VIDEO
LOS ANGELES, (IANS) Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez has
gone make-up free in a Dubsmash video with her boyfriend
Casper Smar t. Smar t, who is a choreographer, posted the
video on I n s t a g r a m o n We d n e s d a y, r e p o r t s
aceshowbiz.com. In the video, the two were seemingly
in their bed as they lip synced what they called "white
girl's anthem" which was about Starbucks, Chipotle and
even yoga pants. Lopez, 46, wore a furry robe as she sat next
to Smart, who was shirtless. Smart mouthed "Starbucks", and
Lopez responded by mouthing "Yaaaass", as she made a series of hilarious facial expressions.
20
MidWeek
bollywood
Movie Review
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2016
MIDWEEK BOX
OFFICE REPORT
AIRLIFT
112.50 CR
WAZIR
60 CR
GHAYAL ONCE AGAIN
23 CR
SAALA KHADOOS
12 CR
MASTIZAADE
10 CR
top
,
OL, SOHA ALI KHAN
CAST: SUNNY DE
A CHOPRA
OM PURI AND TISC
Y DEOL
DIRECTOR: SUNN
RATING: ***
'GHAYAL ONCE AGAIN': HIGHOCTANE ACTION, DRAMA
BY TROY RIBEIRO
A superhero action film, "Ghayal Once Again" is a sequel to the 1990
released "Ghayal". This edition takes off from where its last franchise
left off. Snippets of the previous edition used generously as flashbacks in this narration, give the film a strong sense of belonging. The film
belongs to Sunny Deol all the way. It portrays him in a larger than life character. Ajay Mehra (Sunny Deol) was earlier accused of killing a corrupt business man, Balwantrai. After serving his jail term, he is now an investigating
journalist who co-owns a news channel called Satyakam. Though he suffers
from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), he is a dreaded man as he
goes out of his way to personally clear out all the maladies that prevail in the
system, especially corruption. The film starts off on a tacky note trying to
establish the setting of the story and the characters. As the tale progresses,
the film finds its focus when four college students stumble upon a murder.
And then, the narrative picks up momentum and gallantly strides into the
action arena.
As a debut writer-director, Sunny Deol is subtle yet blatant. He takes potshots
not only at the system but also cleverly insinuates the powerfully rich members of the city. With a plethora of well-etched characters, up-to-date subplots, he delivers a fairly comprehensive tale with moralistic and inspirational messages like, "Galat logon se darna, galat hai" and "Agar hum sach
ke saath hain, toh jeetne tak haar nahin maanni chahiye".
Sunny has managed to extract fine performances from every actor. As an
actor with brooding eyes, he emits raw emotions with ease. He is agile,
brilliant and appealing in the action sequences.
He is efficiently supported by an able cast that includes; Narendra Jha as the
business tycoon Raj Bansal, Om Puri as Joe D'Souza the former police
officer who is now an RTI activist, Harsh Chhaya as Aditya Raj Guru the
editor of The Daily Herald and Manoj Joshi as the politician. Soha Ali Khan in
a restrained and nebulous character Riya, Ajay's psychiatrist-cum-partner,
is passable.
Tisca Chopra as Raj Bansal's wife and Zakir Husain as the police commissioner, in one-dimensional, stereotypical roles with limited screen presence,
are wasted. But the highlights of the film are the four new youngsters; Shivam
Patil as Rohan Kriplani, Aanchal Munjal as Anushka Kriplani, Diana Khan as
Zoya and Rishabh Arora as Varun Jain. They are bright and energetic talent
who are dynamic and sincere.
The only light moment in the film is the song sequence "Lapak jhapak, lapak
jhapak loa", which is decently choreographed. With a blend of wide angle
shots and close-ups, cinematographer Ravi Yadav's camera captures the
film in minute details. And his live frames seamlessly merge with the computer generated images.
The action sequences packed with fisticuffs and chases, are well-orchestrated on the streets, railways and malls of Mumbai. These backed with the
motivational drive and adrenaline boosting sound effects, uplifts the
viewing experience. With a decent production value, the film has a
believable and a realistic feel in terms of its setting, but fails in terms
of the dialogues, which are packed with cliched and outdated phrases.
Overall, "Ghayal Once Again" is a complex tale that is astutely handled.
It will definitely appeal to Sunny Deol's fans and those who enjoy
action films.
10
songs
SONG
1
FILM:
GAZAB
KA HAI YEH DIN
SANAM RE
FILM
TERE BIN
WAZIR
SANAM RE
SANAM RE
SOCH NA SAKE
AIRLIFT
TU MERE PAAS
WAZIR
WAJAH TUM HO
HATE STORY 3
GERUA
DILWALE
JANAM JANAM
DILWALE
TU ISAQ MERA
HATE STORY 3
NEENDEIN KHUL JAATI HEIN
HATE STORY 3
HIT OR FLOP MIDWEEK
GHAYAL ONCE AGAIN
AIRLIFT
WAZIR
SAALA KHADOOS
MASTIZAADE
HIT
HIT
HIT
HIT
AVERAGE
FIVE NOMINATIONS FOR BAJIRAO MASTANI AT
10TH ASIAN FILM AWARDS
MUMBAI, (IANS) Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Bajirao Mastani" has landed five nominations, including
in the Best Film category, at the 10th Asian Film Awards, where "The Assassin" is the front-runner
with nine nominations. "Bajirao Mastani" will compete with Chinese director Jia Zhangke's
"Mountains May Depart", Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien's "The Assassin", Japanese director
Ryosuke Hashiguchi's "Three Stories of Love", Chinese film director Guan Hu's "Mr. Six" and South Korean
director's Ryoo Seung-wan "Veteran" for the Best Film trophy.
Besides getting nominated for the Best Film category, "Bajirao Mastani" has also earned nominations for
Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Music and Best Editing. However, "Bajirao
Mastani" isn't the only Indian film to be nominated at the AFA. "Masaan", "Talvar", "Bombay Velvet" and
"Baahubali: The Beginning" also received nominations in different categories.
"Masaan" actor Vicky Kaushal is nominated for Best Newcomer, Vishal Bhardwaj for Best Screenplay
("Talvar"), Amit Trivedi for Best Original Music ("Bombay Velvet") and Srinivas Mohan ("Baahubali: The
Beginning") for Best Visual Effects. For this edition, 77 nominations have been made for 15
awards. The nominations represent 36 films from nine countries, read a statement on the Asian
Film Awards' official website. Organised by the Asian Film Awards Academy, the awards gala
will be held on March 17 at the Venetian Theater in Macau.
'ALIGARH' BRAVE FILM BY BRAVE FILMMAKER:
MAHESH BHATT
MUMBAI, (IANS) National Award-winning filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has praised as a "brave film"
Hansal Mehta's "Aligarh", which addresses homosexuality. "'Aligarh': A brave film by a brave
filmmaker! An outstanding starcast," Bhatt tweeted. In an earlier tweet, Mehta had expressed
joy over the number of views which the trailer of "Aligarh" had garnered online. "(So far) 2.1
million views on Eros Now, over 1.75 million views on Youtube. Nearly 4 million views and still
counting. Aligarh trailer is killing it. Come out and watch," Mehta tweeted. The trailer of the
Hansal Mehta-directorial was launched on January 28. The film is based on the life of Shrinivas
Ramchandra Siras, a professor at Aligarh Muslim University who was sacked for homosexuality. While Manoj essays the professor's role, actor Rajkummar Rao plays a journalist in the
film, which is releasing on February 26.
SONAM HAS DONE COMPETE JUSTICE TO
'NEERJA': DIRECTOR
MUMBAI, (IANS) Director Ram Madhvani is content with the performance by actress Sonam Kapoor
in his for thcoming film "Neerja", which is a biopic on bravehear t flight attendant Neerja Bhanot.
Asked if Sonam was his first choice for the movie, Madhvani told IANS: "Yes, from day one, I
was very clear and I am happy that she said 'Yes'. She had come to Chandigarh to meet Neerja's mother,
and when she walked into the house, her mother said 'Yeh toh laado aa gayi ghar pe'. Neerja's pet name
was 'laado'. "Sonam has done complete justice to her performance in 'Neerja'." The film features Sonam
as Pan Am chief purser Neerja Bhanot, who was gunned down by terrorists on a hijacked flight in 1986.
She saved a number of lives but lost her own. Madhvani said: "This film was my dream and I keep on
saying that the film is blessed. It's a very tough to make a film, especially this kind of a film."
Neerja", presented by Fox Star Studios, will release on February 19.
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY
AUGUST 28,
09,2012
2016
bollywood
MidWeek
21
Honour killings must end:
Pakistan's Oscar nominee
SONAM KAPOOR DURING THE LAUNCH OF SONG `AANKHEN MILAYEINGE DAAR SE` FROM FILM NEERJA IN MUMBAI (IANS).
BIG B, DEEPIKA, RANVEER GET
'INDIAN OF THE YEAR' AWARDS
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan along with actors
Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan Khan received the NDTV
Indian of the Year awards for their contribution to the field of cinema. The
awards were announced here on Tuesday night. However, superstar Aamir
Khan had to give a miss to the award ceremony owing to his ill-health.
The actor, also known as 'Bollywood's Perfectionist', was to receive the
Real Tigers award along with conservationists Belinda Wright and Valmik
Thapar.
Amitabh, who has been a part of the entertainment industry for over four
decades, was given a lifetime achievement award for defining and redefining stardom. He was given the award by industrialist Anand Mahindra,
and actor Ranveer Singh was also on the stage. From being the 'Angry
Young Man' of cinema to becoming the 'Shahenshah' of the silver screen,
Amitabh has entertained movie-buffs with his performances in films like
"Don", "Zanjeer", "Black", "Sholay", "Paa", "Shamitabh" and "Piku". The
73-year-old cine icon was glad over being granted the accolade.
"I feel grateful that at this age I get to do different roles. I am just doing my
job," Amitabh said while accepting the award. Amitabh's family -- wife
Jaya, son Abhishek, daughter Shweta and and son-in-law Nikhil Nanda - also turned up at the event to cheer for him. Jaya, who has starred with
Amitabh in quite a few films like "Sholay" and "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie
Gham", asserted that she always knew that he was a talent house. She
said: "I don't know whether I thought that he would change or redefine
films, but definitely I knew he had the talent to be one of the best actors of
the country".
Sharing the stage with Big B was a fan boy moment for Ranveer. He
shared: "Thank you for inviting me on stage to speak about the man who
inspired me to be an actor. I really have a lot to say. I told him 'I am the
seed you had sown several years ago'. I'm a Hindi film fan first, then an
actor. And if you are a Hindi film fan, you are an Amitabh Bachchan fan."
Deepika, who starred in three films "Piku", "Tamasha" and "Bajirao
Mastani" in 2015, was honoured with the Actor of the Year award by
Amitabh and Pawan Munjal, chairman of Hero MotoCorp. She added
bling to the event with her shimmery sari with red roses on a bun. Big B
and Irrfan showered words of appreciation for her, with the former saying
that "I always keep on complimenting her and hope she continues to do
so in future well'; and the latter reminiscing about the time spent on the
sets of 'Piku'."
Irrfan said: "It ('Piku') was the film which I never wanted to end. Deepika's
character when you read the script was a very cranky character. But she
turned that crankiness into such a beautiful and endearing character."
Ranveer, who won multiple awards for the year 2015 for his role as a rich
guy finding an aim in life in "Dil Dhadakne Do" and a mighty warrior in
grand "Bajirao Mastani", was chosen as the Entertainer of the Year. And
he showed why he is the befitting contender of the trophy as he danced
and joked on the stage.
The actor added a quirky dimension to his dapper look with a colourful
polka dot socks, which he flaunted with much elan. The biggest highlight
of the evening was when Ranveer shook a leg on stage with former
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, who presented the
award to the "Lootera" actor. Irrfan, who starred in films like "Talvar",
"Jazbaa" and Hollywood blockbuster "Jurassic World" last year, was
declared as the Actor Of The Year for starring in both commercial as well
as content driven films.
'Baahubali' to expand across comics, games and animation
MUMBAI, (IANS) The world of filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli's "Baahubali" is no longer restricted to the cinema medium. The makers of the
film, Arka Mediaworks, along with character enter tainment company Graphic India will extend the story of the film across platforms
such as comics, novels, games and animation. Commenting on the collaboration, Rajamouli said in a statement: "Extending the world
of 'Baahubali' beyond movies allows us to reach a larger audiences and that is really exciting for me. We are happy to be collaborating
with Graphic India, who I believe have the best knowledge and experience in this space."
Through comics and animation, millions of fans will finally be able to experience secret stories and hidden legends about the world and
characters from "Baahubali".
"The epic storytelling and groundbreaking visuals that S.S. Rajamouli created have captivated millions of fans, including myself, and the
future of Indian cinema shall now always be defined as 'before Baahubali' and 'after Baahubali'," said Graphic India CEO and co-founder
Sharad Devarajan. "I am so deeply honoured and humbled to work with, and learn from Rajamouli, Shobu and the Arka team as we bring
their epic world into comics, animation and gaming," he added. Graphic and Arka are also working on a larger animated project,
tentatively titled, "Baahubali: The Lost Legends".
SHAMITA SHETTY AND SHILPA SHETTY DURING SHILPA'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS IN MUMBAI (IANS).
BY RADHIKA BHIRANI
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Shot, strangled, burnt and stoned -- over
a thousand women are victims of honour killings annually in
Pakistan, says the country's first Academy Award winner
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who is in the Oscar race yet again
for her latest documentary of a rare survivor. The celebrity
Pakistani filmmaker says a bigger victory than the golden
statuette would be the passing of a stricter law against the
"heinous crime."
"With the world watching, I want to send out a strong message that although honour killings are prevalent in Pakistan,
they are not a part of our culture or religion. I think it will be an
even bigger win if we, as a nation, take this oppor tunity to
acknowledge that we have a problem and pass the AntiHonour Killings Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill 2014,"
Obaid-Chinoy told IANS in an e-mail interview from Karachi.
Her film, "A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness", is
about Saba Maqsood, whose only "fault was falling in love". It
follows her journey for justice after she survives being shot
and thrown in a canal by her family members for marrying a
man of her choice.
The larger impact of the film landing in the Documentary
(Short Subject) category of the Oscars 2016 last month turned
out to be a wake-up call for the Pakistan government. While
congratulating Obaid-Chinoy, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif expressed the government's commitment to rid the
country of the social evil with "appropriate legislation".
It led Obaid-Chinoy to star t an online petition to this end, with
an aim to garner 5,000 signatures before it's sent out to Sharif.
Talking about the bill, she said: "It aims to make the crime
non-compoundable so that a convicted person cannot escape
culpability by being 'forgiven' by the victim. The bill passed
through the Senate in March 2015, but lapsed in Parliament
later that year.
Aditya Roy Kapur gifts
Katrina truck full of roses
JAIPUR, (IANS) Actor Aditya Roy Kapur gifted his "Fitoor" costar actress Katrina Kaif, a truck full of roses on the occasion
of International Rose Day on Sunday. As International Rose
Day is celebrated across the country exactly one week prior to
Valentine's Day, that falls on February 14, Aditya thought that this
would be a perfect gesture of making Katrina feel special, said a
statement. The idea came to the actor a couple of days back and he
immediately got on to make arrangements for it with the
backdrop of Jai Mahal in the pink city, where the duo is promoting their for thcoming film, read a statement.
My biggest fear is fear
itself: Anushka Sharma
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Anushka Sharma says that she fears
of being in fear and wished Sonam Kapoor's forthcoming film
"Neerja" a fearless run in theatres. Anuskha took to Twitter to
post a video wherein she shared that she fears the emotion of
fear itself. "My biggest fear is fear itself. I never want to be
afraid of doing something I want…", the "NH10" actress said.
Captioning the video, the 27-year-old actress posted: Here's
wishing #Neerja aka sonamakapoor a fearless run at the cinemas. #fearvsneerja. Here's wishing #Neerja aka
@sonamakapoor
a
fearless
run
at
the
cinemas.#fearvsneerjahttp://t.co/he6Y3gvYoo
Glad that India displayed best
all-round performance: Dravid
AT SOUTH ASIAN GAMES INDIAN MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BADMINTON TEAM WON THE GOLD MEDAL AGAINST SRI LANKA IN
SHILLONG (PTI).
India must win Sri Lanka
T20Is to maintain top spot
MUMBAI, (IANS) Hosts India must clinch the for thcoming three-match
T20 International (T20I) series against Sri Lanka star ting in Pune on
Wednesday to hold on to their No.1 position in International Cricket
Council (ICC) T20I rankings.
India, who vaulted seven places to first after sweeping aside Australia last week, need to win the series against Lanka to retain the coveted position.
Lanka will also aim to win the series. If they win it 2-1 they will gain
the top spot and India will slip to the third position.
But in case Sri Lanka win the series 3-0, the islanders will dislodge
India from the top position and Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side to drop to
seventh spot.
If India win the series 3-0, the hosts will maintain their top spot while
Sri Lanka will drop to the seventh position.
If India win the series 2-1 they will maintain their top spot but Sri
Lanka will climb to the four th spot.
With the World Twenty20 star ting in less than four weeks, this series
is extremely crucial for both sides.
Both the sub-continental teams will not only aim to find the winning
combination and momentum, but also target entering the tournament
as the number one ranked side, which will serve as an additional
confidence booster. India rested their star batsman Virat Kohli ahead
of the Asia Cup and World T20.
Following this series, India and Sri Lanka will feature in the Asia Cup
Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh before launching their World T20
campaigns. Sri Lanka will defend the title they won in Bangladesh in
2014 in the tournament to be staged from March 8 to April 3.
Suresh Raina will star t as the highest-ranked batsman in the 13th
position. Other batsmen featuring inside the top 20 include Tillakaratne
Dilshan (14th), Rohit Sharma (17th) and Yuvraj Singh (20th).
Among bowlers, India's off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will star t
in second place, 81 points behind number one ranked Sunil Narine of
the West Indies.
In the all-rounders' list, Yuvraj will enter the series in seventh position, 15 points behind fifth-ranked Mathews, who has been rested.
Australia's Shane Watson is ranked number one, 89 points ahead of
Yuvraj.
India squad for T20I series with Sri Lanka
MS Dhoni (captain, wicketkeeper), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan,
Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik
Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah,
Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pawan Negi.
Series schedule (all matches star t at 9am EST)
1st T20I: Tuesday, Feb. 9, at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
2nd T20I: Friday, Feb. 12, at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
3rd T20I: Sunday, Feb. 14, at Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA
Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.
Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Nehra in World T20, Asia Cup squads
CONTD. FROM PAGE 17
The Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in Bangladesh from February
24 to March 6, followed by the World T20 from March 8 to April 3 in
India.
Patil expressed his faith in Dhoni's leadership despite the recent
mixed run. "We have no right to tell people when to retire, we have
total faith in Dhoni's captaincy. He is the right person to lead in Asia
Cup and World T20," Patil said. The 23-year-old Negi, who bowls
left-arm spin and is a decent batsman, was rewarded for his
consistent performance in the domestic circuit. That Negi will be a
contender for the World Cup team had become obvious when he
was selected for the three-match series against Sri Lanka this
month.
Ajinkya Rahane also found a place in the squad ahead of Pandey,
who hit a match-winning century in the last ODI against Australia.
Pandey got his break owing to an injury to Rahane and even though
he made it count, the selectors opted to go with the more experienced player.
"Manish Pandey performed exceptionally well in Australia, his
name was also discussed," Patil said.
"When selectors pick a team, we always give impor tance to
domestic performance. It is not that we are only looking at seniors,
we have looked at the performance, fitness and record of the domestic
players as well. We have taken into account all the performances of not just 15-
16 guys but all the domestic players and then picked these 15," he
added.
Senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been retained in the side
despite not getting a single T20 in the series against Australia.
"Harbhajan has been a par t of this team. The selectors, the team
management and the captain have faith in Harbhajan, his record
and the contribution he has made to the team," Patil explained.
Injury-prone pacer Mohammed Shami, whose most recent
breakdown happened only last month during the Australia tour,
has been picked subject to fitness. "Shami has 30 days before the
World T20. We have good time in hand to take a call on Shami. He
has been one of our best bowlers. For now, I can only say that he
has recovered and star ted bowling," he said.
Patil said the team management had done its share of experimentations during the Australia tour. "We experimented during
Australia and discussed which players would be good for replacements. For the T20 format, where you won't get too much time, we
discussed a few names. In the shor ter format, horses for courses
has worked," he said.
Squads for World Twenty20 and Asia Cup: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
(c), Rohit Sharma, Shikar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina,
Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, R
Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bhumrah, Ashish Nehra, Pawan
Negi, Mohd Shami.
FATULLAH, (IANS) Following India’s dominating 197-run victory over Namibia which helped them enter the semifinals of
the Under-19 cricket World Cup, head coach Rahul Dravid
heaped praise on his side and termed the win as the best allround performance so far.
Opener Rishabh Pant struck a brilliant 111 off 96 balls, alongside Sarfaraz Khan (76) and Armaan Jaffer (64), which steered
the team to a massive score of 349 for six in 50 overs.
In reply, Namibia were bundled put for a mere 152 in 39 overs,
thanks to spinners Mayank Dagar (3-25), Anmolpreet Singh
(3-27) and Washington Sundar (2-27).
"I think we have played some good cricket right through the
tournament. At some stages, I still feel we have not played a
perfect game, but this was our best all-round performance,"
Dravid said after India's win on Saturday.
"We had a few hiccups earlier on in the batting but it is nice to
see that we have recovered and we are playing well. We're
playing good cricket, focusing on the processes and not worrying too much about the results and things are going well,"
the former India batsman said.
Dravid said he had reminded his boys not to be over-confident
or complacent.
"When you come into knock-out stage, you can't take any team
for granted. Namibia put in some very good performances to
get here. Before the game star ted, we spoke about the dangers of being complacent and we wanted to get a win," he
said.
"The focus was to win and not about anything else. I am glad
that we were able to put on a commanding performance and
qualify for the semi-finals," Dravid said.
Three-time champions India, will take on the winner of Sunday's
quar ter-final between strong contenders England and Sri Lanka
in the first semi-final in Mirpur on February 9.
"We set a good target with Pant leading the way and then
fielded and bowled well today," said India captain Ishan Kishan.
"It was nice to move into the semi-finals with such a good win.
Namibia had a good star t, but we needed to stay patient and
once the first wicket fell, we applied pressure on their batsmen," he said.
Asked whether India would prefer to face England or the West
Indies in the semi-final, Kishan said, "We can fare well against
either team. We just need to play to our strengths and do the
basics right."
DELHI STUNS WITH NEGI
BID, WATSON MOST
EXPENSIVE AT IPL AUCTION
BENGALURU, (IANS) Rookie all-rounder Pawan Negi stunned
the cricket fraternity by commanding the second highest bid
while veteran Australian star Shane Watson emerged as the
most expensive player at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction here on Saturday.
Star batsman Yuvraj Singh was meanwhile snapped up by
Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs.7 crore. On a day when the IPL
franchises decided to shell out surprisingly high amounts for
young Indian players, Delhi Daredevils' decison to pay Rs.8.5
crore for Negi was the highlight of the day.
Negi, who was included in the Indian squad for the World Twenty20
championship on Friday, had a base price of only Rs.30 lakh before a
bidding war between newly-former franchise Rising Pune Super Giants
and the Daredevils saw him emerge as the costliest Indian player at the
auction.
The 23-year-old, who is yet to make his international debut, is known for
his wicket to wicket to bowling and ability to come up with the big hits in
the lower-middle order. Negi has been outstanding in domestic cricket
with both bat and ball.
He played for the now suspended Chennai Super Kings franchise in the
previous seasons of the IPL and represents Delhi in the domestic circuit.
He had been signed by Chennai for his reserve price of 10 lakh a couple
of seasons ago.
In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (the domestic T20 competition), he took
six wickets at 33.66 at an economy of 8.71 and scored 173 runs at 86.50
with a strike-rate of 173 for Delhi.
Watson, who has represented Rajasthan Royals (RR) every year since
joining them in the inaugural edition in 2008, was bought by Vijay Mallayowned RCB for Rs.9.5 crore from a base price of Rs.2 crore.
This is first time that Watson has featured in the IPL auction since the
inaugural editon in 2008. He is the only player to win the player of the
tournament award twice. But his deal was annulled after the Rajasthan
and Chennai franchises were suspended for two years after the IPL was
hit by a match fixing corruption scandal.
A bidding war between the Pune, Bangalore and Mumbai franchises was
the key to Watson's auction price soaring well above his base price.
"Incredibly excited to join such a great franchise. Looking forward to
joining up with my new teammates in April," the 34-year-old posted on
social networking site Twitter.
With Watson joining them, RCB will feature a power-packed squad this
year. Their line-up also includes destructive West Indies opener Chris
Gayle South African veteran A.B. de Villiers, India team star Virat Kohli and
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc.
BANGLADESH BRING IN RONY,
NURUL FOR WORLD T20
DHAKA, (IANS) Bangladesh have drafted young pacer Abu
Haider Rony and wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan to their
squad for the World Twenty20. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)
announced a 15-strong squad on Wednesday. The selectors
recalled another wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Mithun and
all-rounder Nasir Hossain to the team, repor ted bdnews24.com.
Imrul Kayes and Litton Kumar Das, who were in the provisional
squad, have been overlooked for the showcase event which
will be held in India in March. World T20 squad of Bangladesh:
Mashrafe Bin Mor taza (Captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal,
Mohammad Mithun, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Soumya
Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman,
Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Arafat Sunny, Abu Haider Rony,
Nurul Hasan.
BOXER VIJENDER'S FIGHT
RESCHEDULED
BOX CRICKET LEAGUE TEAM (BCL) CHANDIGARH CUBS PRESS MEET IN MUMBAI (IANS).
SRI LANKA BEAT INDIA IN 1ST T20I
PUNE, (IANS) Sri Lanka rode on a strong bowling performance to defeat India by five wickets in their first Twenty20 International (T20I)
at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Tuesday.Chasing a meagre target of 101 runs, the Lankans were boosted by a 39run par tnership by Dinesh Chandimal (35) and Chamara Kapugedera (25) to romp home with two overs to spare.
Earlier, rookie pacers Kasun Rajitha (3/29) and Dasun Shanaka (3/16) played a crucial role for the visitors with a three-wicket
haul each. The score 101 was never enough as the visitors win by 5 wickets and 12 balls remaining against the fancied India. Sri
Lanka leads series 1-0.
ICC SUSPENDS PAKISTAN'S YASIR SHAH
FOR FAILING DOPE TEST
LAHORE , (IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday suspended Pakistan bowler Yasir Shah from all cricket-related
activities for three months after he pleaded guilty to breaching its Anti-Doping Code.
Shah had provided a urine sample as par t of the ICC's random in-competition testing programme after the conclusion of the One Day
International between England and Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, UAE on 13 November 2015.
His sample was subsequently tested and found to contain chlortalidone. This is a classified as a 'Specified Substance' under WADA's
Prohibited List and is prohibited both in-competition and out-of-competition.
Shah admitted the violation and a three-month suspension has been imposed, backdated to 27 December 2015, the day when he was
provisionally suspended. Shah will, therefore, be eligible to return to cricket on 27 March 2016.
While making the decision, the ICC accepted that Shah had inadvertently ingested the 'Specified Substance' for therapeutic reasons,
specifically to treat his blood pressure. He was able to satisfy the ICC through evidence and submissions prepared on his behalf by the
Pakistan Cricket Board that he had no intention to enhance his spor ting performance or to mask the use of another performance
enhancing substance and had, instead, mistakenly taken his wife's blood pressure medication that was identical in appearance to his
own but which contained the prohibited substance chlor talidone.
However, Shah has accepted that he had failed to satisfy the high levels of personal responsibility incumbent upon him as an
international cricketer subject to anti-doping rules. "Today's announcement reinforces ICC's zero-tolerance approach to doping, and
reminds all international cricketers that they remain personally responsible for ensuring that anything they eat, drink or put into their
bodies does not result in an anti-doping rule violation," said ICC General Manager - Cricket, Geoff Allardice.
T20 Asia Cup 2016 schedule announced
TORONTO - T20 Asia Cup 2016 schedule and fixtures has been announced and below is the list of entire tournament matches where 5 teams
will par ticipate. Every team will play 1 match against every other team. Thats 4 games for every team and the top 2 will contest the final on
05 march 2016.
All matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur.
MANCHESTER, (IANS) Indian professional boxer Vijender
Singh's four th fight has been rescheduled from February 13 to
March 12 at Echo Arena Liverpool. His opponent will be announced soon. The reason for rescheduling the fight is an injury
to WBO World Lightweight Champion Terry Flanagan who was
to take on Derry Mathews for his world title defence. Since this
fight -- the main event of the night -- got delayed, other fights
too were postponed.
The Mathews versus Flanagan showdown remains the headline attraction on the title-packed show. The other title fights
are: red-hot 160 pound talent Tommy Langford defends his WBO
Intercontinental Middleweight title defence against Lewis Taylor and English Cruiserweight Champion Matty Askin seeks
justice in his rematch against Lawrence Bennett. The undercard
will feature some of the best domestic talent: Former IBF World
Bantamweight Champion Paul Butler, Vijender, and Liverpool
top talents Tom Stalker, Steven Lewis, Ryan Farrag, Kevin
Satchell, hot Manchester prospects Macaulay McGowan and
Zelpha Barrett, and Leicester ace Lyon Woodstock.
"It's very unfor tunate that my fight on February 13 is rescheduled because of an injury to the contender of title fight. Nevertheless, I am preparing hard and waiting for March 12 when I
see my opponent in the ring. I am doing more sparring and
physical workout these days and it will help me to prepare
myself for more rounds," said Vijender.
SANIA LOSES, JAPAN BEAT
INDIA 2-1 IN FED CUP
HUA HIN (THAILAND), (IANS) Tennis star Sania Mirza suffered a
shock defeat in the women's doubles as India went down 1-2 to
Japan in their second match of the Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Zone
Group I at the True Arena Hua Hin here. In the opening singles
match in Pool A, World No.206 Eri Hozumi defeated 523th ranked
Prarthana G. Thombare of India 6-2, 6-1 on Thursday. In the next
singles match, No.307 Ankita Raina stunned No.56 Nao Hibino 63, 6-1 to level things up 1-1. India had a great chance to beat Japan
with doubles's World No.1 Sania in their team. But in the final
encounter, Sania and Prarthana lost 5-7, 3-6 to the pairing of Shuko
Aoyama and Hozumi to hand over the match to Japan. India, who
lost to hosts Thailand 0-3 on Wednesday and are out of the reckoning for the play-offs for the World Group II. India will take on
Uzbekistan in their last Group engagement later on Friday. In the
other Pool A match, Thailand beat Uzbekistan 3-0 while in Pool B
China defeated Korea Republic 2-1 and Chinese Taipei defeated
Kazakhstan 2-1.
Satnam wants Indian youngsters
to take up basketball
MUMBAI, (IANS) India's first National Basketball Association
(NBA) player Satnam Singh Bhamara on Friday urged youngsters back home to follow the spor t and par ticipate in the popular United States-based competition soon. The seven feet two
inches tall, 131 kilogram Indian was picked by Dallas Mavericks in the NBA draft.
He is currently playing for Texas Legends in the NBA Development League. The 20-year-old Satnam earlier took part in training sessions with top teams like Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics. Satnam,
who hails from a remote village in Punjab, moved to the United States in
September 2010 as part of a scholarship programme between IMG Academy and Reliance and wants to help more Indians to take up basketball and
play it professionally. "It is a platform for me to show how someone
from India have come through and playing in top league in the
world. I am happy to play the matches. I am looking forward to
give my best in the upcoming matches," Satnam told Indian reporters via a conference call from Texas, on Friday. "In India we do
not have that much basketball craze but I am trying to help make a
name here to help more Indian kids follow, come and play basketball." Satnam also made name for himself as for the first time
since 2005 that a player has entered the draft without playing in
college, overseas, professionally or in the NBA Development League.
Speaking about his training, he said, "I going out for extra workout, I mostly
work on my footwork. I will try to improve on my footwork and give my best
in the coming match. I know I am a bit slow but I will give my best to
improve my hook shots, lose weight, stay healthy." In the NBA D-League
game on Friday, he will face Raptors 905 team's Sim Bhullar, who is the first
player of Indian descent to play in the NBA.
24
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2016