Harper Tories (31%) Sputter as Trudeau Liberals

Transcription

Canadian Tahir-ul-Qadri wants punishment for Pakistani leaders
Aam Admi Party in
Punjab : News Analysis
By Jaideep Sarin/Chandigarh, (IANS)
ISLAMABAD: PAKISTAN AWAMI TEHREEK (PAT) LEADER TAHIR-UL QADRI TUESDAY DEMANDED THAT THE LEADERS FOUND RESPONSIBLE
FOR A CLASH BETWEEN THE POLICE AND HIS PARTY WORKERS IN JUNE SHOULD BE SEVERELY PUNISHED. FOURTEEN PEOPLE WERE
KILLED AND DOZENS INJURED IN A CLASH BETWEEN POLICE AND PAT WORKERS IN LAHORE JUNE 17. THE CLASH OCCURRED WHEN A
POLICE PARTY TRIED TO REMOVE BARRIERS AROUND QADRI'S HOUSE AND THE MINHAJUL QURAN SECRETARIAT. (IANS)
When almost the entire country rejected the Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP)
in the parliamentary elections, Punjab went against the tide and gave the newborn party its electoral debut in the Lok Sabha with four seats. The same AAP was
Monday summarily rejected by the electorate in the by-elections for two assembly
seats in Punjab.
On both seats, the AAP even failed to put up a fight to the main contenders. The party
and its candidates not only meekly surrendered but lost their security deposits too.
This has put a big question mark on the political future of AAP in Punjab.
While the Congress retained the Patiala assembly seat through its candidate
Preneet Kaur, former union minister of state for external affairs and wife of former
chief minister Amarinder Singh, the Talwandi Sabo assembly seat in Bathinda
district of southwest Punjab went to ruling Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Jeet
Mohinder Singh.
The AAP candidate in the Patiala seat, Harjeet Singh, could manage just about
5,700 votes and lost his security deposit.
Preneet Kaur won by 23,282 votes against her Akali Dal rival Bhagwan Dass
Juneja, a social worker.
The AAP party's candidate Dharamvira Gandhi, a cardiologist, won the recent Lok
Sabha polls from the Patiala parliamentary constituency by over 20,000 votes. He
defeated Preneet Kaur, a three-time MP from this seat, and the Akali
Dal candidate. But in the by-election in Patiala, the voters completely
rejected the AAP. In the Lok Sabha polls, the AAP had got over 34,000
votes from the same assembly segment. In just three months, the
AAP tally came down to less than 6,000 - clearly indicating that voters were disillusioned with the way the party was doing things at the
national level and also in Punjab.
I CONTD. ON PAGE 5
Harper Tories (31%) Sputter as Trudeau Liberals
(38%) Cruise into Lead, Mulcair (24%) In the Hunt Modi still popular; More
Toronto - In the Spring of 2014, it looked as though the Harper Conservatives had re-fuelled their tanks and were making up some ground on
Justin Trudeau and the Liberals, but with a little more than a year to go until the
start of the fixed election date campaign scheduled for the fall of 2015, it
appears that the Tories are sputtering while the Grits are cruising. A new
Ipsos Reid poll conducted for Global News has revealed that Justin Trudeau and
the Liberals would receive 38% support among decided voters, up 5 points since
April. By comparison, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives would receive 31%
of the vote, down 2 points. Thomas Mulcair and the NDP sit unchanged at 24%,
while the Bloc under Mario Beaulieu would receive 3% of the vote (15% in Quebec),
down 3 points. Elizabeth May and the Green party would also receive 3% of the
vote nationally, down 1 point, while 15% don't know who they would vote for at
this early juncture. The Tories have had a difficult year trying to gain traction
with voters, while at same time the Liberals - who have their sights set on a
majority government in the next election - are continuing an upward trajectory that began two years ago, despite the odd blunder or misstep from the
rookie-leader Trudeau. This is how a 7-point national lead for the Liberals
translates in some of the more populous regions of Canada:
" In Ontario, the Liberals (40%) hold an 8-point lead over the Tories (32%),
Half (50%) Agree Government Must Provide Key Social
Programs Even if it means More Taxes, but Two Thirds
(66%) Prefer Tax Breaks over New Programs
Indian Muslims would
vote BJP than Congress
who lead the NDP (24%).
" In Quebec, the Liberals (38%) have a comfortable lead over the NDP
(29%), while the Tories (17%) and Bloc (15%) are on shaky ground in la
belle province.
" In British Columbia, the Tories (40%) have a tenuous 4-point lead over the
Liberals (36%), who are well ahead of the NDP (19%).
Half of Canadians Agree Government Must Provide Key Social Programs, Even if it means More Taxes…
Fully one half (50%) of Canadians 'agree' (13% strongly/36% somewhat) that 'government must provide key social programs even if that
means increasing taxes', up 7 points since last asked in 2011.
Conversely, four in ten (42%) 'disagree' (14% strongly/28% somewhat) with this position, down 7 points, while 8% are unsure (unchanged).
I CONTD. ON PAGE 6
Miss India Canada - L-R: Organizer, Gautam Sharma and Sanjay Agnihotri; celebrity Guest, Isabelle Kaif; Annu Gaidhu, Miss IndiaCanada 2014; international R&B artist, Raghav; Hossein Hassani, Director of Marketing - General Motors of Canada.
In the India Today Group-Hansa Research Mood of the Nation
opinion poll, the first after Modi took office, 57 per cent believe he
is best suited to be prime minister, 48 per cent think he has made
ministers irrelevant and 47 per cent are sure he will be able to
resist the RSS agenda-having lived through the dyarchy of UPA
years, voters want power and responsibility to be vested in the
same office.
If Indians had to go to polls again, 48 per cent say they would
vote for BJP again which, though overwhelming, is still less than
Modi's personal popularity. If a General Election were to be held
today, BJP would get 314 seats, 32 more than on May 16.
While 76 per cent respondents feel safe under the Modi Government, 68 per cent Muslims share the sentiment. Even more surprisingly, more Muslims say they will vote for the BJP (29 per
cent) if they had to again, rather than for the Congress (24 per
cent).
Buoyed by the BJP's tremendous victory, India is still a nation
with hope, waiting patiently for achche din. As many as 49 per
cent believe their financial situation will improve in future while
65 per cent think that the Modi Government will be able to put the
economy back on track in the next six months.
Source -Indiatoday.com
CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014
RUNNING SUCCESSFULLY
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
PAGE 3
SATYUG GOLD CEO RAJ KUNDRA DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE IN HYDERABAD. (IANS)
SHOOTER TARA SHAHDEO'S
HUSBAND ARRESTED
New Delhi: The husband of national champion shooter Tara Shahdeo
was arrested in a joint operation by Jharkhand and Delhi Police Tuesday night, sources said. Ranjeet Singh Kohli alias Rakibul Hasan
Khan, 30, was arrested from a place near the Delhi-Ghaziabad border.
Tara, 23, who won the gold medal in the 2009 Eastern Zone championship, had alleged that Kohli beat her and forced her to conver t to Islam
after they got married in July.
It is alleged that Raqib ul Hasan before marriage introduced himself
as Ranjit Singh Kohli . After a couple of days he revealed that he's a
Muslim and forced Tara Shahdeo to conver t her religion. After her
denial she was molested, assaulted and house arrested for almost 20
days. (With Inputs from IANS)
MidWeek
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SRK THREATENED;
UNDERWORLD DON
RAVI PUJARI DENIES
MEDIA REPORTS
ACTRESS AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN WITH HER DAUGHTER
AARADHYA ARRIVES AT THE AIRPORT IN JAIPUR.
SRK Threatened; Underworld Don
Ravi Pujari Denies media reports
Mumbai, (IANS) Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has repor tedly got threats from a gangster, but a source close to the
actor-producer denied the news saying "it is untrue". Media reports said
that Shah Rukh and his residence Mannat here got tight security from the
Mumbai police after gangster Ravi Pujari tried to get in touch with him Monday afternoon. However, a source close to the movie icon, says otherwise.
"Shah Rukh has not got any such calls. We wonder why such rumours are
being spread," the source told IANS. Following rounds of firing that took place
at Kareem Morani of Morani Brothers' residence, who are close to SRK,
security around the actor is said to have been upped. When contacted, a
police official told IANS: "He has been given police protection for a long
time now. So why is there so much of talk about it?" Shah Rukh, who has
worked with the Morani Brothers on his Temptations Reloaded tour, is
currently awaiting the release of "Happy New Year". As per media reports Ravi Pujara has denied threatening SRK.
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special report
NAVAL AND RASHI BAJAJ
CELEBRATE JANMASHTAMI
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Improvements Begins on Highway 427
Ontario is widening a seven-kilometre stretch of Highway 427
from Campus Road-Fasken Drive to Steeles Avenue to improve
traffic flow and safety in the Greater Toronto Area, while creating
or sustaining 830 construction jobs.
The project includes:
" Repairing, repaving and expanding the section of Highway 427
from five to eight lanes
" Building one High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane in each
direction
" Repairing eight bridges
" Installing new high-mast lighting and median barriers
Construction is targeted for completion by fall 2017.
Improving highways, roads and bridges across the province is a
key par t of the government's economic plan to invest in people,
create jobs, build modern infrastructure and suppor t a dynamic
and innovative business climate.
QUICK FACTS
" The $83-million contract was awarded to Dufferin Construction of Oakville.
" Ontario has 16,900 kilometres of highway and 2,800 bridges.
" Ontario is investing $2.5 billion in road and bridge construction projects this year, creating or sustaining approximately
25,000 jobs.
Three-day Toronto African
Film & Music Festival
DESK REPORT
Toronto - Janmashtami which commemorates the bir thday of lord
Krishna was celebrated with great devotion and enthusiasm at the
residence of Naval and Rashi Bajaj's residence recently . This celebration was attended by over 500 people which included prominent
personalities like Susan Fennell - Mayor of Brampton; Parm Gill Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of
Veterans Affairs; Akhilesh Mishra - Consul General of India in Toronto;
Bonnie Crombie - Councillor for Missisauga and Mayoral candidate;
Patrick Brown - MP for Barrie; Amrit Mangat - Member of Provincial
Parliament and many more.
According to the Hindu calendar
Janmashtami is celebrated on eighth day of the month of Bhadon. The
highlight of this celebration was the chappan blog which comprised
of over 156 types of dishes offered to the natkhat gopala . Krishna
Lila, various radha and krishna performances and question answer
sessions on Krishna were the key highlights of this evening. All the
present devotees at the Bajaj's residence stayed up untill midnight to
welcome the bal Krishna, since it is believed that it is when The Lord
was born . Finally at midnight the cur tains were raised to reveal the
freshly dressed bal gopala on a creatively flowered cradle. All the
devotees apar t from singing and dancing on Bhajans cradled the
balkrishna with utmost Bhakti and rousing kir tans.
Nand Usav followed welcoming Lord Krishna by distributing sweets
and Badhai to all the present there.
All the devotees there danced to rhymes and music of the Lord and
concluded the event by taking the prasad and panchjiri with mishri
makhan which is the favourite food of krishna.
Toronto - The Toronto Africa Film & Music Festival is star ting
from August 29-31 at Toronto Plaza Hotel, 1677 Wilson Avenue.
The event includes a monthly film screening of new and old
African films, a new concer t series in Toronto with possible
dates in multiple cities, a new fashion series of different shows
throughout the year and the main 3-day festival. The African
Gala Ball and Awards will take place on September 25 at the
Fairmount Royal York, Toronto at 8pm.
Source: www.kinronassociates.ca
Indian, Pakistani armies agree to
reduce tensions along LoC
Miss India Canada - 2nd runner up, Suruchi Srivastava voted as the Chevrolet Spark Award winner for Best Performance.
Ms. Parveen Dhanoa, Associate Styling Manager - Sears Canada Inc., presenting the Sears Ms. Pure NRG award to Annu Gaidhu.
Harkanwal Thind ,
Candidate for
Regional Councillor
from Wards 9 &
10, City of
Brampton
organised a
Barbeque in
Brampton.
Islamabad/New Delhi, (IANS) Indian and Pakistani militaries
Tuesday agreed to reduce tension along the Line of Control (LoC),
dividing the Kashmir region between the two countries, even as
India lodged a protest over frequent violations of ceasefire agreement. The decision was reached following India and Pakistan's
directors general of military operations (DGMOs) speaking to
each other on hotline earlier in the day, Dawn repor ted.
"Both sides mutually agreed to reduce tension along the Line of
Control and working boundary," a statement of Pakistani army's
media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in
Islamabad.
During the conversation, both sides discussed the prevailing
situation along LoC and agreed to share cer tain information with
a view to ensure peace in the coming days, sources said.
Meanwhile, India Tuesday lodged a protest with Pakistan over
its frequent violations of the bilateral ceasefire agreement, army
officials in New Delhi said.
During telephonic talks held at the level of DGMOs, the two
sides also agreed to hold a flag meeting.
Officials said India raised the issue of frequent violations of the
2003 bilateral ceasefire agreement and lodged a protest over
the issue. "The two sides agreed to hold a flag meeting at the
field level," an official said. There have been 95 ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control and it has also
breached the ceasefire agreement 25 times on the international
border. The DGMO-level talks between India and Pakistan are
held on a weekly basis every Tuesday when both sides discuss
various issues along the border. The talks were held a day after
Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation along
the international border in Jammu.
US sea floor emanating planetwarming methane
Washington (IANS): The sea floor at the US East coast could be
adding as much as 90 tonnes of the planet-warming methane gas
to the atmosphere or overlying waters each year, a team of researchers has revealed.
Plumes of bubbles streaming from hundreds of newly discovered sea-floor seeps between Nor th Carolina and Massachusetts are likely to contain methane, researchers found.
An estimated two-thirds of the emissions emanate from sediments at depths where methane-rich ices may be decomposing
due to warming waters along the ocean bottom, the researchers
say. "Within a distance of about 950 km, we found about 570
bubble plumes - an astounding number," said study co-author Adam
Skarke, a geologist at Mississippi State University in Starkville. Although some of the plumes extended hundreds of metres above the
ocean floor, "the bubbles emanating from deep-water sources typically
dissolved into the sea long before they could breach the surface," Skarke
explained. Sampling the bubbles, along with the waters in and around
the plumes, will help scientists estimate the effects of the methane
emissions on the climate.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
breaking news
NO PLACE FOR VAJPAYEE, ADVANI, JOSHI
IN BJP'S TOP DECISION-MAKING BODY
New Delhi, (IANS) In a move marking
the end of the era of stalwarts like Atal
Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani and Murli
Manohar Joshi, the BJP Tuesday came
up with a list of its highest decisionmaking body, the parliamentary board,
which excluded the seniors.
The move marked the culmination of
the generational shift that began in the
Bharatiya Janata Party when Narendra
Modi was made the prime ministerial
candidate.
The BJP instead included the seniors in
a separate group, the 'Margdarshak
Mandal' (guiding committee), which it
said will guide the party.
The parliamentary board will now be
headed by BJP president Amit Shah,
and marked the entry of J.P. Nadda and
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan in the core group.
The guiding group includes Vajpayee,
Advani and Joshi as well as Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Rajnath
Singh.
Modi and Rajnath Singh are also in the
parliamentary board.
"Party president Amit Shah has constituted a 'margdarshak' committee with
veteran party leaders as its members
for guiding party activities," an official
5
DON'T USE CELL
PHONE WHILE
DRIVING
Distracted Drivers could face
$1000 fine, 3 demerit points
release said.
Congress leader Rashid Alvi dismissed
it as an "old age home" for leaders.
"It is a mookdarshak mandal (committee of silent watchers). It is like an old
age home from where Advani and Joshi
will witness the functioning of BJP like
mutes. We were all aware that they are
being sidelined," he told reporters.
Congress leader Manish Tewari said it
was "centralisation of power".
"Very soon, only two leaders from
Gujarat will be there. The exit of Advani
and Joshi is the first step, it will soon be
a two-member party," Tewari said.
BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz
Hussain, however, said the guiding
committee was not a permanent committee. "It's a temporary committee,"
he said.
The constitution of the BJP does not
have any provision for such a group
and the parliamentary board remains
the highest decision-making body, party
sources said.
The sources said Joshi was informed
about the decision by Modi himself,
while Parliamentary Affairs Minister M.
Venkaiah Naidu informed Advani.
The other members of the 12-member
parliamentary board are Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Naidu, Nitin
Gadkari, Ananth Kumar, Thawar Chand
Gehlot and Ramlal. The central election committee of the party was also
announced Tuesday.
It has Shah as its chief, and includes
Modi, Rajnath Singh, Jaitley, Sushma
Swaraj, Naidu, Gadkari, Chouhan and
Shahnawaz Hussain.
Talking to reporters in Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh Chief Minister Chouhan, however, stressed that Advani "remains the
guiding light for the whole party".
TIM HORTONS AND BURGER KING MERGE
WORLD'S THIRD LARGEST QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANT COMPANY
New Global Company Will Have Approximately $23 billion in System Sales and Over 18,000 Restaurants in 100 Countries
Tim Hor tons and Burger King to Operate as Independent Brands While Benefiting From the New Company's Global Scale and Reach, and
Shared Best Practices
Transaction Enables Tim Hor tons and Burger King to Continue Growing their Unique Brands and Significantly Accelerate International
Expansion and Growth
3G Capital to own approximately 51% of new company
Oakville to remain global home of Tim Hor tons; Miami to remain global home of Burger King
Investment Community Conference Call at 10:00 am EDT; Media Conference Call at 11:30 am EDT
Oakville, Ontario and Miami, Florida; August 26, 2014 - An agreement was reached today to create the world's third largest quick service
restaurant company. Tim Hor tons Inc. (TSX, NYSE: THI) and Burger King Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: BKW) today announced a definitive
agreement under which the two companies will create a new global powerhouse in the quick service restaurant sector. With approximately $23 billion in system sales, over 18,000 restaurants in 100 countries and two strong, thriving, independent brands, the new
company will have an extensive international footprint and significant growth potential. The new global company will be based in Canada,
the largest market of the combined company. Tim Hor tons and Burger King each have strong franchisee networks and iconic brands that
are loved by their guests. Following the closing of the transaction, each brand will be managed independently, while benefitting from
global scale and reach and sharing of best practices that will come with common ownership by the new company.
Source -www.Timhor tons.com
Ontario is set to introduce newer, harsher punishments for distracted driving, making them harshest in the country and bringing
the war against texting motorists to a whole new level. And young
drivers should especially take notice.
Ontario's Transpor tation Minister Steven Del Duca told the Toronto
Star that the distracted driving laws would be introduced after
sessions resume at Queen's Park in October. Once those laws
are installed, effectively a given with the Liberals holding a majority government, the punishment for driving under the influence
of a cellphone will become financially more staggering and also
leave a significant permanent mark on your driving record. Ontario
laws currently allow distracted driving fines of between $60 and
$500. That range would be increased to between $300 and $1,000.
On top of that, those caught will also receive three rather than two
demerit points, negative marks left on a person's driving record that
can result in suspensions and higher automobile insurance rates.
AAM ADMI PARTY IN
PUNJAB : NEWS ANALYSIS
CONTD. FROM PAGE 1
In May this year, voters in Punjab had elected for AAP candidates
to the Lok Sabha. These included comedian-actor Bhagwant
Mann (Sangrur), Sadhu Singh (Faridkot), Harinder Singh
Khalsa (Fatehgarh Sahib) and Dharamvira Gandhi (Patiala).
Mann won by the biggest margin in Punjab - nearly 2.12 lakh
votes, while Sadhu Singh won by over 1.72 lakh votes.
For the Talwandi Sabo seat, the AAP created controversy over
naming of its candidate. It first announced singer Balkar Singh
as candidate but changed him soon after with Baljinder Kaur.
An upset Balkar Singh contested the by-poll as an independent candidate. Both lost their security deposits Monday.
AAP leaders, including its convenor Arvind Kejriwal, have
failed to create an impact in Punjab in the post-Lok Sabha
results scenario. The AAP has not even been able to project
any leader as its face for Punjab. Most of its leaders in Punjab
are self-declared. The par ty has not been able to build up its
cadre of workers despite winning four Lok Sabha seats. The
popular faces that AAP has in Punjab are that of Bhagwant Mann
and lawyer-activist H.S. Phoolka.
6
MidWeek
community
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
THOUSANDS FLOCKED TO CELEBRATE THE
TD FESTIVAL OF SOUTH ASIA
Parm Gill, Member of Parliament for Brampton Springdale extended
his support for Shusmita Sharma, candidate for Ward 7, Markham
City Council, who held a successful fundraiser gala at India Grill
House, Markham, recently.
Markham's vibrant and diverse society," she stated. Senator Dr Asha Seth commended Sharma for her strength, courage and determination to bring about change.
"Shusmita Sharma has years of community service, has proven she's a leader
and she wants to bring Markham to the centre stage. More importantly, she wants
to listen to you, probe and act on it," she said.
Parm Gill, Member of Parliament from Brampton Springdale, then took the stage to
endorse Sharma. "There are two types of people. One set keeps complaining and
complaining. Then there are those who stand up and change the situation," said
Gill. "I applaud Shusmita for everything she has achieved. She is truly a role model
for youth." The guests were then regaled with performances by students of Nritya
Kala Mandir and Bosco Caesar Dance Company trainers.
DANDY PARADE.
Shusmita Sharma, Senator Dr. Asha Seth and Dr. Shivani Sharma
BY SHAZIA MALIK
Toronto - The main aim of organizing Gerrard India Bazaar BIA largest marketing place of South
Asian goods and services in
Nor th America - is to create
awareness about the South Asian
culture, says Chand Kapoor,
Chairman of Gerrard India Bazaar.
He adds the event, braved by
thousands is being organized for
the last 12 years with a lot of success and is a celebration of diversity that par t of the world offers. The first edition of festival
was attended by about 5,000
people but it grew from strength
to strength and was attended by
200,000 people last year. This
year the event, sponsored by TD
bank along with a number of others, saw a footfall of 250,000. The
streets were closed on both sides
for local families soaking up the
atmosphere with friends to sing,
dance and savor specialty dishes
without the fear of vehicles zooming by.
However, Kapoor wishes to raise
the standard and attraction of the
festival that can rival Danfor th
Festival held in the hear t of
Toronto's Greektown and draws
millions annually during summer.
Kapoor says the event showcases the best of South Asia and
with hundreds of shops and restaurants that represent regional
diversities of their culture, food,
music and products, Gerrard India Bazaar - a groundbreaking
Bosco Caesar Dance company perform at Fundraiser.
venture - offers a wide selection
of products exhibited in an exotic
display of sights, sounds, tastes
and aromas, blurring boundaries
and defying genres.
The products on display underscore South Asian cultural and
religious traditions, and attract
Nor th Americans due to their
colourful costumes and bhangra
dance. The Bazaar represents a
wide range of cuisine from South
Asia that vary from restaurant to
restaurant as chefs incorporate
local produce into new dishes
and given them a new twist that
can be enjoyed by the cosmopolitan crowd of Toronto.
The Bazaar also brings to for th
embroidered classics that are
trademarks of Subcontinent and
ornately sequined ready to wear
traditional shalwar kameez and
sarees are always a big hit. One
can also buy unstitched materials and get dresses tailored to fit
and according to one's taste. The
Bazaar brings gold from all par ts
of the world - Dubai, India, Pakistan, Singapore - to this stretch
of Gerrard Street, pop up in a band
of sparkling jewelry shops. One
can also find all kinds of earrings,
bangles, rings and necklaces
crafted in 22-carat gold that can
be mixed and matched to costume jewellery.
Music options are equally varied
as the Bazaar houses a wide collection of ancient classical songs
to today's trendy Bollywood beats
and remixes in the Bazaar's audio-video stores that are enjoyed
by millions of people across the
globe. Meanwhile, the athletes
tried their luck at the hand-eye
coordination at the Canada Dry
Cricket Challenge. Toronto Raptors Mobile Fan Zone was opened
on Saturday afternoon for hoops
fans. Former Raptor captain,
Alvin Williams also made a special appearance to sign autograph. The festival was also sponsored by Celebrate Ontario, City
of Toronto, Canada Dr y, OMNI
Television, CUPE Local 79, Kijiji,
Toronto Hydro and Toronto Ar ts
Council.
Kapoor urged media to extend its
maximum suppor t so that it gains
fuel in the coming days. The
Gerrard India Bazaar is a not-forprofit organisation that puts on an
annual sustainable festival and is
refreshingly electric.
SHUSMITA SHARMA HOLDS SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER
FOR POLL CAMPAIGN FOR WARD 7, MARKHAM
DESK REPORT
Markham - Shusmita Sharma, a
young community role model and
a candidate for Ward 7, Markham
City Council, held a successful
fundraiser gala at India Grill
House, Markham, recently. A
number of government leaders,
prominent members and community trailblazers attended the gala.
The evening began with moderator Jake Dheer welcoming Senator Dr Asha Seth, Dr Arun Seth,
Parm Gill, Member of Parliament
for Brampton Springdale and
other dignitaries. Sharma spoke
in detail about her mandate, Create - Communicate - Connect for
Change.
"I am aware of the pivotal issues
that concern the people of our
communities here and I will
tackle them head on," she said.
"Such Issues include Public Transit, Road Improvements, Snow
Ploughing and more Police Vigi-
SHUSMITA SHARMA LIGHTING THE LAMP WITH DIGNATORIES.
lance but are not limited to these.
We have lots of work to do going
ahead. I am well aware that residents
want to know how their tax dollars are
being spent and I want to have greater
input on community planning in
Markham."
The high achiever, who has raised thou-
sands of dollars for various causes and
has been active in volunteerism since
her pre-teen days, also emphasized a
focus on youth, seniors and communities if elected as councillor.
"Youth involvement is of great importance to any community not only in providing the foundation for long-term con-
nections between its members and enhancing their experiences, but also to
shape the community's identity. I would
allocate more funding to youth programs
and encourage them to participate in
societal causes so that they focus their
energies to become meaningful, successful and proud members of
Harper Tories (31%) Sputter as
Trudeau Liberals (38%) Cruise into
Lead, Mulcair (24%) In the Hunt
CONTD. FROM PAGE 1
Canadians appear to be warming to the idea of taxing to maintain
or enhance social programs, which is in contrast to the Conservative mantra of cutting taxes and limiting spending. This could at
least par tly explain some of the shift in suppor t away from the
Tories and towards the Liberals over the past two years.
Finding the right budgeting mix can be a difficult job for governments, par ticularly when many Canadians are mixed or contradictory in their opinions. While 50% say they suppor ted increased
taxation to fund social programs, two in three (64%) 'agree' (27%
strongly/37% somewhat) that 'governments must spend within
their means even if that requires cutting some programs and
services', down 1 point since 2011. Conversely, one in three (32%,
up 4 points) 'disagrees' (8% strongly/24% somewhat) that budgets must be balanced, while 8% don't know (up 1 point).
Moreover, most (66%, up 2 points) 'agree' (33% strongly/33%
somewhat) that they'd 'rather get a tax break than a new government program', while just one in four (23%, down 3 points) 'disagree'
(5% strongly/18% somewhat) and 10% don't know (up 3 points).
Source: Ipsos Reid
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
community
Prof. Anil Kumar's lectured on self
transformation to packed halls in Toronto
MidWeek
7
MIDWEEK EXCLUSIVE
Little Terrors draws an
anguished lifeline of Muslim
youth facing cultural conflicts
Om Puri, Aamrik Arjun and Armaan Kabli in Little Terrors.
BY SHAZIA MALIK
Toronto - Three captivating talks in the GTA by Prof. Anil Kumar from India
during the weekend to packed halls raised conscious level of the audience
who are looking for self transformation and seeking spiritual path in the
modern world. Prof. Anil Kumar is an eminent educationist and he has served
as Principal of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in Bangalore
(Brindavan Campus) and Professor in Bio Sciences at the Prasanthi Nilayam
Campus of the Institute. Prof. Anil Kumar has had the unique opportunity of
being the personal translator of Sri Sathya Sai Baba for over 23 years and
ever since the physical departure of Sai Baba he has been traveling around
the world giving lectures on practicing human values based on Sai Baba's
teachings.
Addressing the students, teachers, parents and trustees of the Sathya Sai
School of Canada at Scarborough, he emphasized that education is forthe
elevation of human personality and raising the character. The end of education is character.He spoke that the standard of life today has improved but the
quality of life has not improved; the teacher's greatest happiness is from
students when they become successful and come back to teachers and say:
"I was your student."
Prof. Anil Kumar complimented the Sathya Sai School for taking the initiative
to construct their own school building and for consistently maintaining the
high academic standards by holding the top rank among the Ontario Primary
Schools. He congratulated for forming Canadian Institute of Sathya Sai Education to train teachers and teaching Human Values Education and Parenting
Programs in Canada.
The Sai educational institutions have been established around the world not
merely to enable students to earn a living but to make them acquire good
traits, lead ideal lives, and give them ethical, moral and spiritual strength.
During his talk on Saturday to the Sai Devotees at Sri Sathya Sai Baba Centre
of Toronto-York Centre,Prof. Kumar stressed that individuals should also set
a mission and vision of life and not waste their time in worldly pleasures; we
just lead the life and not live the life. He urged that we must gain deep
knowledge of life to uplift and evolve to higher levels; the value of man should
go up by righteous conduct so that the value of material comes down; our
mission should be to serve others and bring greater awareness within ourself to transform.
Prof. Anil Kumarnicely explained that the vision of Sai as Sath (existence, I
live), Chit(awareness, knowing) and Ananda(bliss). He added that we must
move from the stateof joy and happiness to the transcendental and permanent state of bliss;we must deeply understand the nature of mind;filter our
CONSTRUCTION SITE OF SATHYA SAI SCHOOL.
PROFESSOR ANIL KUMAR WITH SRI SATHYA SAI BABA.
actions by listening to our'conscience'and awaken our mind by being more
'conscious'. "Staying in a state of 'Sath Chit Ananda', we can take our mind
from body and worldly materials towards Divinity and the state of 'consciousness'. Our ego is the biggest hurdle in this journey that has to be
strongly curbed".
Prof. Anil Kumar narrated many interesting stories from the life of Sathya Sai
Baba that had meaningful lessons for our life. He separately met the office
bearers of the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Organization in Canada and urged them to
be exemplary in the Canadian society to make a difference.Earlier, Dr.
Thayaparan, Chair of Sri Sathya Sai Baba Organization in Canada welcomed
Prof. and Mrs. Anil Kumar.
On the occasion of Sri Krishna Janamashtmi, Prof. Anil Kumar addressed a
public meeting at Sri Sathya Sai Baba Centre of Scarborough. He took up
many practical examples from the life of Lord Krishna. He stated, "The need
of the hour is to know the meaning and significance of all our festivals and
scriptures so that the next generation understands and emulates". Prof. Anil Kumar
stressed the need to respect all religions as they all teach good things only; they all
speak of truth and love; let us travel from ritual to spiritual; true spirituality is in the
service of mankind and practicing good values in our daily lives.
The Q & A sessions were handled by him with lots of wit and humour;
motivating the audience deeper into spirituality and the meaning of life.
Prof. Anil Kumar will be addressing public meetings at Ottawa, Edmonton
and Vancouver Sai Centers. Around 300 youths are gearing up for a Sai Youth
Conference at Val-Morin, Quebec to be addressed by Prof. Anil Kumar.
Toronto - Little Terrors - a 90-minute Canadian production brings
home the message to go back to basics and comprehend Islam
in its true colour instead of following the version of self-proclaimed leaders. The film scripted in English and soon to be fully
dubbed in Hindi has been directed by award-winning filmmaker
Maninder Chana and produced by Dev Mangat and Ken Gill.
The movie has a delightful mix of an international star cast including veteran actor Om Puri, Deep Dhillon and Nirmal Rishi
along with a younger, newer cast such as Armaan Kabli, Harjot
Thandi and Dulha Bajwa. The movie is made behind the backdrop of terrorism and revolves around a young teenager year boy
trained to commit a terror attack and he took a U-turn and showed
reluctance to carry out the act. The movie is set to release across
Canada on September 12, 2014.
Midweek sat with both Maninder and Dev to get behind the scenes
story and how the movie was conceptualized.
Dev Mangat who is running a kids acting academy - Gurukul
Ar ts - approached Maninder Chana and presented his concept
for the movie. Chana instantly liked the broad storyline of the
movie and agreed to write the screenplay. Chana who comes
from a journalism background wrote a story that revolves around
South Asian kids born and brought up in Nor th America and are
confused between the two cultures. Chana said: "It was a delightful experience working with Om Puri but the younger crowd also
did not fail me. The youngsters had some experience of acting on
stage and initially found it difficult to embrace a massive change.
But with a few days of coaching exercises and memory techniques, they gelled well in the script."
Chana informed a trial run of the movie was showcased to the
audience in Tampa Bay, Florida during IIFA Awards this year and
the movie got rave reviews from the community. He added: "But
basically the movie is directed for the Western audience and
brings to fore the true image of Islam" .
As the story develops the characters in the movie speak several
languages such as English, Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi. The film is
mostly shot in Aaam Khas Bagh, Sirhind, Balachor, Patiala,
Fatehgarh Sahib in par ts of Punjab and Rajasthan.
After casting the young actors, the crew and cast flew to India for
a 35-day shoot initially but they stayed there for about four months.
Though the veteran star Om Puri has given a brilliant performance, the young cast has also impressed movie critics. Dev
urged movie goers to come out on September 12 and suppor t a
project.
Though the veteran star Om Puri has given a brilliant performance, the young cast has also impressed movie critics. Dev
urged movie goers to come out on September 12 and suppor t a
project that talks of wrong choices sometimes parents make
for their children. The lead is played by the 14-year-old
Armaan Kabli from Mississauga who is trained by a terrorist
outfit to become a suicide bomber. He began his acting career on his fifth bir thday in the musicals of Gurukul and made
his debut in Little Terrors while in grade nine. Eight-year-old Dulha
Bajwa is the youngest actor in the film and hopes to make it to
Hollywood one day.
Niagara Falls Discount Store for sale specializing
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8
MidWeek
opinion
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
High prices possible cause of BJP bypoll defeats
BY BISWAJIT CHOUDHURY
New Delhi (IANS): With explanations like the missing Modi factor or
local conditions unable to fully explain BJP's by-election losses in
light of its recent overwhelming win nationally, the phenomenon of
inflation, especially of food prices hur ting people everywhere, has
emerged as a possible answer to this poll puzzle.
In this season of deficient rainfall, consumer price (CPI) inflation
accelerated to a two-month high of 7.96 percent in July against
7.46 percent in June, pushed up by rising prices of vegetables,
fruit and milk, government data shows.
Wholesale food inflation rose to 8.43 percent in July from 8.14
percent in June. Primar y ar ticles rose by 2.7 percent in July from
an increase of 6.84 percent in June.
The sticky food inflation meant fruits became costlier by 31.71
percent in July against 21.70 percent in June. Potato prices zoomed
by 46.41 percent year-on-year against 42.52 percent in June. While
prices of protein-based food like pulses rose by 3.31 percent,
egg, meat and fish became dearer by 2.71 percent.
Given this situation and the monetarist stance of Reserve Bank of
India Governor Raghuram Rajan, industry chambers, hopeful of a
rate cut to boost industrial activity, have sounded cautious.
"Amidst the current situation where prices of food ar ticles are
still elevated, it is amply clear that the Reserve Bank will maintain a watchful stance," said Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce and Industr y (FICCI) president Sidhar th Birla, commenting on the inflation data.
One clear lesson from the bypoll results in Bihar is that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and his message of development do not
have the same impact at the state level as they did in the AprilMay Lok Sabha elections.
The alliance of ex-rivals, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar,
along with the Congress, won six of the 10 seats for which bypolls
were held and had a combined vote share better than that of the
BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
"Voters across the countr y have rectified the mistakes made in
the Lok Sabha elections," tweeted Lalu Yadav, even as other leaders of the alliance highlighted its social aspects, in how it was
fitting that Mandal politics should be reborn on Aug 25 - the bir th
anniversary of B.P. Mandal, who headed the commission that recommended reservations in government jobs for backward classes.
In Karnataka, the shock loss for the BJP is the Bellary Rural seat vacated by
B. S. Sriramulu after his election to the Lok Sabha, where the BJP candidate
lost by a massive 33,000 votes to the Congress. The BJP had won 17 of the 28
Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka while the state's ruling Congress won nine.
To round-off the confusing picture, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lost both the
assembly seats in Punjab, the only state from where they have won
seats to the Lok Sabha.
The difficult task of finding friends and foes in West Asia
BY SAEED NAQVI / IANS
It is widely known that New Delhi tilts towards Israel in its dealings with
West Asia, particularly since the 1999 Kargil war when the Jewish state
provided the ammunition required for India's field guns. Other mutual interests have since multiplied.
It therefore made practical sense that External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj restored the balance somewhat when she dwelt at length on traditional ties with the Arab world while opening an India-Arab media conference organized by her ministry and attended by media managers from the
Arab world.
The media link is a tenuous one because an independent media is not the
Arab world's strongest feature, Al Jazeera's inexplicable credibility notwithstanding. It is an enigma: an independent channel owned by a Sheikhdom which hosts the US Central Command.
MidWeek
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Even during India's non-aligned phase, there were groups and individuals
who saw Israel as a model for the wrong reasons. The late M.L. Sondhi, for
instance, sketched a grand design in my presence in the conference room
of Jerusalem's King David hotel: two non-Muslim countries surrounded by
problematic Muslim neighbours. Both also had "problematic" Muslims
within.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, it seemed a dream scenario
for these "two" countries to clasp the hand of the world's sole superpower
and live happily ever after.
It would be useful for Sushma Swaraj to recall the goings on in Atal Bihari
Vajpayee's cabinet. L.K. Advani and Jaswant Singh had agreed to send
Indian troops to govern the Kurdish North of Iraq, exactly the region the
Americans have now returned to in military formation. Why was India
willing to subserve US occupation of a friendly country? In fact possibly
the friendliest country India ever had. In every UN debate, Iraq was the only
Muslim country that stood with India on Kashmir.
In 2003, there was great faith in the durability of the sole superpower. After
Saddam Hussain's fall, the Indian ambassador to Baghdad was not asked
to return to New Delhi. He was asked to mark time in a three star hotel in
neighbouring Amman and wait for Americans to take charge in Baghdad
whence he would rush to present his credentials.
The person who read the future right was Vajpayee. On April 9, Saddam
Hussain's statue was pulled down at Baghdad's Firdous Square by US
Marines. The global media gave it a different spin. Angry Iraqis had pulled
down the statue, the world was told. Vajpayee described the US as an
"awesome" power on the move. From Srinagar he called off the eye ball to
eye ball confrontation with Pakistan.
I have inserted this piece of history the world knows little about, deliberately at a time when a handful of Arab media representatives are present
in New Delhi. The Arab media itself had been pushed beyond the margins
during the occupation of Iraq. The show was being largely controlled by
BBC and CNN. It is worth mentioning that Doordarshan was the only nonWestern media to have comprehensively covered that piece of history.
US gurdwaras to help project positive Sikh image
BY ARUN KUMAR
NAVEEN SHARMA
CHETAN PATIL
INDIA MARKETING HEAD
MARKETING EXECUTIVE
SUNIL VERMA
ALI - NICE PHOTOGRAPHY
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Sushma Swaraj was the information and broadcasting minister then.
US Vice President Dick Cheyney, even more than Defence Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld, was keen to declare victory on global TV. Obstructing celebrations was a singular problem. There was no demonstrable public enthusiasm for Saddam's ouster. The entire choreography of the war had been
designed for TV. How could the US declare victory if there were no street
celebrations?
The only people willing to celebrate Saddam's downfall were Shias in the
south and east of the country. They could not be magically produced in
Baghdad. In any case Shias would be ultra cautious coming out on an
American invitation because after Operation Desert Storm in 1992 they
had mounted an uprising in the South against Saddam Hussain. They
mistakenly thought they had US protection. But Washington looked the
other way. Saddam Hussain brutally crushed the uprising.
Cheyney's men did some quick thinking. After the 1992 uprising,
Saddam Hussain had settled rebellious Shias from the south in a
ghetto outside Baghdad called Saddam city. These Shias could be
commandeered if their leaders, Ayatullah Baqar al Hakeem and
Muqtada Sadr, could be persuaded. They agreed. That is when Shias
came out of their ghetto slapping Saddam Hussain's photographs
with heir sandals. Saddam city was overnight renamed Sadr city by
an American edict.
Only after operation Deser t Storm did Saddam Hussain place "Allah
O Akbar" on the Iraqi flag. His message was simple: the "agnostic" and
"atheistic" Baath Sunnis would from now on not be averse to the easier,
more emotional, religious mobilization. Abu Bakr al Baghdadi is a subsequent creature of this duality. Baathist education with a religious edge.
An ability to organize, administer, hold territory, derives from his Baathist
training. Macabre actions like James Foley's beheading and suicide bombing are a specialization of recent Sunni Jehadism. The two can be alternately stoked against the American infidel in Iraq and the Shia exclusivism
of Baghdad. Now the US, Baghdad and Iran are laying traps to catch this
animal.
Washington (IANS): Over 100
representatives from gurdwaras
across the US have pledged suppor t for National Sikh Campaign's
plan to engage top US political
operatives and media firms for
presenting the community positively.
Meeting here over the weekend
for a grassroots meeting called
by the newly formed NSC, the
gurdwara representatives set a
target of raising $5 million to
shape the Sikh image in America,
according to a media release.
During the strategy session, Geoff
Garin of Har t Research, who
served as Hillary Clinton's former
top political strategist and Isaac
Baker of AKPD Message and
Media,
President
Barack
Obama's media firm, outlined a
roadmap of how Sikhs can change
perceptions in the US and how
crucial the campaign will be to
the future of Sikhs.
Garin, also gave the meeting's participants an exclusive update on
NSC's groundbreaking messaging
research that will underpin the effort
and inform the community how it can
effectively communicate to the
American public.
NSC executive director Gurwin
Ahuja said, "The Sikh community
in US has never been more educated, more wealthy, and more
successful than today."
In a strategy session focused on
specific action steps to make last-
ing change in the US, Sikh Leaders worked together to create a
realistic region by region breakdown of US gurdwaras and
fundraising strategies.
Rajwant Singh, President of the
Sikh Council on Religion and Education and senior advisor to NSC,
said, "The consensus was that
there is a critical need for this kind
of media strategy for the Sikh
community.
"Secondly, all possible effor ts
need to be made to include as
many gurdwaras as possible in
the network as par tners," he said.
"Thirdly, our goal is to keep the
focus on introducing Sikhism and
the Sikh identity while showing
the positive contribution of the
community in the media,"
Rajwant Singh said.
Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, President of the Oak Creek Gurdwara,
Wisconsin, where six worshippers were killed in a shootout on
Aug 5, 2012, said:
"We are 100 percent behind this
campaign."
"The aim of the campaign is to
counteract the negative image
and perceptions Americans have
about Sikhs and Sikhism and create a positive image of Sikhs and
our faith," he said Sikh representatives came from California,
Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois,
Indiana, Maryland, Michigan,
Minnesota, New Jersey, New
York, Nor th Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas
and Virginia.
Midweek Southasian Awards 2013
YvanMainini
President
International Basketball Federation/
Federation Internationale de Basketball
Route Suisse 5
1296 Mies - Switzerland
August 25, 2014
Dear President Mainini,
As a representative for a Canadian riding with many Sikhsin a country with vast multiculturalism I must urge you to reconsider FIBA's
ban on turbans. It concerns me that Sikhs are not able to par ticipate in International Basketball Federation (FIBA) unless they take off
their turban, which is integral to their faith.
Please look to the example of FIFA who have recently changed its policies to permit Sikhs to wear turbans while playing soccer. This
decision came after The Quebec Soccer Federation chose to enforce a ban on turbans last year, causing outrage from Canadians-both
Sikh and non-Sikh alike. The Quebec Soccer Federation was subsequently suspended by the Canadian Soccer Association. After 20
months of observation, FIFA determined the risks of spor t injuries from turbans, hijabs and kippas were not significant and did not
justify a ban. The international soccer federation officially ruled that players are allowed to wear headwear on the field, including
religious garb. Jerome Valcke, the Secretary General of FIFA acknowledged that this was an issue of discrimination at the press
conference announcing the decision.
In a tolerant society, people should not have to choose between practicing their religion and practicing a sport. I hope that you will reexamine the existing policy with respect to Sikh turbans and suppor t a change when FIBA's Central Board meets at the end of this month.
Sincerely,
Kyle Seeback MP
Brampton West
KS/PI
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canada
PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER
ANNOUNCES MEASURES TO PROMOTE
NORTHERN AGRICULTURE
9
PM ANNOUNCES LAUNCH
OF THE NATIONAL
RESEARCH COUNCIL
ARCTIC PROGRAM IP10
PM HIGHLIGHTS
OPPORTUNITIES CREATED
BY THE CANADA-KOREA
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Prime Minister Stephen Harper participates in a roundtable
with community and senior business leaders to discuss
Canada-Korea trade relations.
PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER ANNOUNCES MEASURES TO PROMOTE AN ECONOMICALLY VIABLE, JOB-CREATING, COMMERCIAL
AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IN CANADA'S NORTH. (PMO PHOTO BY JILL THOMPSON)
"The initiatives announced today will help provide Northerners with the skills
training, technology and capital they need to help take local food production to
the next level. This will contribute to healthier, locally grown, and lower priced
fresh food for northern families and less reliance on southern producers and
distributors. It will help provide northern solutions for northern challenges." Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced measures to promote an economically viable, job-creating, commercial agricultural industry in Canada's
North. These include support to help establish a permanent campus for the
Northern Farm Training Institute (NFTI) in the Northwest Territories, and the
launch of the Northern Greenhouse Initiative, which is aimed at advancing
the commercialization and enhancing the productivity of greenhouse projects
across Canada's North. The Prime Minister also profiled research into promising new modular farming technology, developed in conjunction with the
Aurora Research Institute's South Slave Research Centre in Fort Smith, that
may extend the Northern growing season and substantially expand the Northern agriculture industry. The announcement was made during the Prime
Minister's ninth annual Northern Tour, taking place from August 21 to 26,
2014. He was joined by Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and
Northern Development, and Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment,
Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council.
These new measures are intended to boost the growing Northern agricultural
sector, by addressing gaps in available skills, technology and capital. The
resulting increase in the amount of food grown locally will help to provide
Northerners with better access to healthy fresh local produce at lower costs,
and result in communities being less reliant on far-away producers.
The support being announced today for the NFTI will allow it to offer its
programs year-round from a new permanent campus in Hay River, targeted
towards students from every community in the Northwest Territories. It will
enable the Institute to better deliver agricultural training tailored to meet the
needs of Aboriginal and northern communities in the Northwest Territories.
The graduates from the Institute will be able to take the skills they learn including training in greenhouse operations - back to their home communities, such as Fort Smith, promoting the sharing of their know-how across the
territory.
The Northern Greenhouse Initiative will provide support to advance the commercialization and enhance the productivity of greenhouse projects across
Canada's North. The Government of Canada, through its Canadian Northern
Economic Development Agency, will, in the coming days, call for partnership
proposals to advance this initiative. More viable commercial greenhouses
will improve access to healthy food options in the North and increased jobs
and economic opportunities in the three territories.
Quick Facts
"
The NFTI is an initiative of the Territorial Farmer's Association
(TFA) which has held workshops in Hay River and Fort Smith for the past two
years. Students have come from communities throughout the Deh Cho and
South Slave regions, including Nahanni Butte, Trout Lake, Wrigley, Jean Marie
River, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Hay River and the Hay
River Reserve. A number of former students have started Agricultural businesses in the Northwest Territories.
"
The TFA and the Town of Hay River are establishing a permanent
campus for the NFTI. In collaboration with Aurora College, they will offer
training in farming, greenhouses, and livestock, as well as establishing agricultural employment in farming, silviculture, and compost.
"
The NFTI's permanent campus will be situated on a 300 acre parcel of arable land made available by the Town of Hay River. It will house
several agricultural initiatives in the Northwest Territories, including the
AgNorth pilot project - based on LED modular farm technology - and the
Native Seed Commercialization Project, both coordinated by Aurora College
and previously supported by the Government of Canada.
"
Extensive consultations were conducted in 2013 during the development of the Hay River Agricultural Strategy, the NFTI business plan as well
as on the AgNorth pilot project. Discussions were held with business people,
communities, mine operators, and other stakeholders to determine interest,
need, opportunities, concerns, and seek local knowledge.
"
The Northwest Territories imports approximately $17 million of
produce annually. The initial intent of the NFTI is to annually offset $5 to $6
million of imported food with locally grown produce.
"
The Government of Canada's support for these initiatives will help
establish a more robust agricultural sector and diversify the economy of the
Northwest Territories. By helping to grow produce locally, this initiative will
decrease reliance on imported foods, reduce transportation costs, create
jobs, and help to provide greater access to fresh food across the Northwest
Territories.
Canadian gaming start-up
to launch India operations
Mumbai (IANS): Play It Interactive, a Canada-based mobile
gaming star t-up, will invest $1.1 million (Rs.6.6 crore) to drive
its business and product development in India.
"This round of financing will allow Play It Interactive to build
on oppor tunities in India and surrounding countries," said Cor y
Cleveland, president and co-founder of Play It Interactive
"We are excited about our traction and early success in the
Indian market," Cleveland noted.
Play It Interactive that delivers a connected gaming experience to both users on feature phones and Android devices
will open its head office in Mumbai and recruit local talent to
enhance and localise its product offering, as well as manage
local par tnerships, a company statement said.
The mobile content platform first piloted its engagement platform for an Indian audience via a Fantasy Football app, to
coincide with the FIFA World Cup.
"During the event (FIFA World Cup) Play It saw over 500,000
users, with an average user session time of over 14 minutes.
These early indications point to tremendous engagement potential of our platform in the Indian market," Ray Newal, international head of the star t-up noted.
Newal had earlier founded Jigsee, a bandwidth efficient mobile streaming platform for media companies in the Indian
market.
"Play It is designed to engage a wide audience of spor ts fans
in India by enabling immersive experiences, that are accessible to mobile subscribers at the lowest price point possible,"
Newal added.
Ottawa - Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently joined community
and senior business leaders from Canadian companies for a roundtable
to discuss how the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement will significantly boost trade and investment ties between our two countries,
creating jobs and opportunities. The session was hosted by Ed Fast,
Minister of International Trade. Korea is a priority market for the Government of Canada. The two countries announced the conclusion of negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement in March 2014 and are working expeditiously through the remaining steps so that the Agreement can enter into
force as soon as possible. Once implemented, the Agreement will immediately bring substantial benefits to Canadian consumers, exporters, producers and investors across all regions of the country.
Quick Facts
" Korea is one of Canada's largest trading partners in Asia (after China
and Japan). Total merchandise trade between the two countries reached
approximately $10.8 billion in 2013.
" On the day the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement comes into force,
Canadian businesses will immediately benefit from Korea's removal of
duties on 82 per cent of tariff lines. Once the Agreement is fully implemented,
Korea will have removed duties on 98 per cent of tariff lines.
" The Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement is projected to boost
Canada's economy by $1.7 billion and increase Canadian merchandise exports to Korea by 32 per cent.
" Tariff elimination under the Agreement will be particularly advantageous
for Canadian businesses because average Korean tariffs are three times
higher than Canada's (13.3 per cent versus 4.3 per cent).
" Canadian businesses will benefit from a level playing field with their
competitors in the Korean market, notably competitors from the United
States and the European Union.
Quote
"The Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement, Canada's first free trade
agreement in the Asia-Pacific region, will create thousands of new jobs
in Canada and provide Canadian businesses with a gateway to the
Asia-Pacific region, enhancing their global competitiveness. I am
pleased to have been here today with Canadian businesses to discuss
the ways our country can benefit from the new trade and investment
opportunities this historic agreement will provide. I would also like to
thank our businesspeople for their valuable input, which helped to
inform negotiations." - Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Source: pm.gc.ca
416-907-4420
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canada
PM ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF
THE NATIONAL RESEARCH
COUNCIL ARCTIC PROGRAM
PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (NRC) ARCTIC PROGRAM.
Ottawa - Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the launch
of the National Research Council (NRC) Arctic Program. As par t of
the Arctic Program, the NRC will enter into research par tnerships,
which focus on technology aimed at improving the lives of Nor therners and advancing Nor thern economic development. The announcement took place at the Yukon Cold Climate Innovation Cent r e , w i t h i n t h e Yu k o n Re s e a r c h C e n t r e o f E x c e l l e n c e a t
YukonCollege, where the Prime Minister highlighted NRC-suppor ted practical research into high efficiency home insulation
suited for Nor thern climates. The announcement was made during the Prime Minister's ninth annual Nor thern Tour, taking place
from August 21 to 26, 2014. He was joined by Ed Holder, Minister
of State (Science and Technology), James Moore, Minister of Industry, Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Nor thern
Development, Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister
of the Canadian Nor thern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council, and Ryan Leef, Member of Parliament for
Yukon.
The NRC Arctic Program will focus on four main priority areas: resource development; nor thern transpor tation and shipping; marine
safety technologies; and community infrastructure.
The research and development per formed through the Arctic Program will have several benefits including:
"
Increasing the safety of resource development in ice-covered waters by reducing the uncer tainty in ice loads, and increasing
the reliability of ice management, as well as enabling the effective
detection and remediation of oil under ice;
"
Developing and implementing technologies that will reduce
the number of incidents and vessel structural damage;
"
Increasing the number of days of operational use of ice roads;
"
Increasing the survivability rates in lifeboats;
"
Increasing the performance of immersion suits in a cold
and harsh ocean environment; and,
"
Reducing catastrophic failures in urban infrastructure, and
increasing energy efficiency and durability of nor thern housing, thereby
decreasing the cost of maintenance and repairs.
Quick Facts
"
Our Government is taking additional steps, as promised in
its Economic Action Plan 2013, to position the NRC as Canada's premier Research and Technology Organization focused on translating
research and technology into economic prosperity for Canadians.
"
Through the NRC Arctic Program, the Government of
Canada is taking fur ther steps to suppor t Canada's Nor thern Strategy while suppor ting its goal of promoting social and economic
development.
"
For example, our Government continues its collaboration with the Yukon Research Centre at YukonCollege to develop,
test and deploy energy efficient and innovative cold climate housing technologies.
"
Other major initiatives that our Government has taken to
improve Canadian lives in the Nor th include funding for the construction and operation of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station; the opening of the Arctic Training Centre in Resolute Bay,
Nunavut; and, most recently, an investment for the new InuvikTuktoyaktuk all-season highway.
Quotes
"The Government of Canada is committed to harnessing science,
technology and research to fur ther develop Canada's Nor th and
improve the lives of Nor therners. The new National Research Council Arctic Program will help improve housing, transpor t and resource
development. Our Government recognizes the full potential of the North.
We will continue to suppor t nor thern development by ensuring sustainable, low impact, responsible resource development in the Arctic, while creating jobs and improving the quality of life for residents
of Nor thern communities." - Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Source: pm.gc.ca
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
PROVINCE SUPPORTING THE
INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OF
SMALL COMMUNITIES
Ontario - Ontario is providing small, rural and nor thern municipalities with stable, annual funding to build and repair critical infrastructure and help to create jobs across the province.
Premier Kathleen Wynne and Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs, were in St. Thomas to announce that the new Ontario
Community Infrastructure Fund will provide $100 million per year in
funding for critical road, bridge, water and wastewater projects.
Half of the funding for the initiative will be allocated annually using a fair
and transparent formula, which recognizes that municipalities have
different infrastructure and fiscal needs. The remaining $50 million will
flow through an application-based process, allowing municipalities to
continue partnering with the province to invest in critical infrastructure
projects that will create jobs and support growth.
The Premier also announced that Ontario municipalities can now propose infrastructure projects to be considered for support through the
Small Communities Fund. Through this fund, Ontario and the federal
government will each provide $272 million to support projects in municipalities with populations less than 100,000.
The new Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund is par t of the
government's comprehensive plan for a strong Ontario that builds people's
talents and skills, builds a more dynamic business environment, builds
new infrastructure and builds a more secure retirement for Ontarians.
QUOTES
I believe the success of our small, rural and northern communities is
intrinsically connected to the success of our entire province. The fund
we are launching today will help build up our infrastructure, and create
jobs and opportunity in every part of the province.
Kathleen Wynne
Premier of Ontario
Wise investment in infrastructure is the backbone of our economy
and suppor ts communities across Ontario. These communities
now have the security that permanent provincial funding will be
there to help them achieve their goals.
Brad Duguid
Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure
Our government is fulfilling a commitment to provide a permanent infrastructure program that will continue to build up small,
rural and nor thern communities. We listened to our municipal
par tners, who know what's best for their communities. This is
why providing predictable, sustainable, annual funding is a key
component of this new fund.
Jeff Leal
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Source: premier.gov.on.ca
NDP commits to restoring
healthcare funding
In an historic speech before the Canadian Medical Association,
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair promised that a New Democrat government would restore previous levels of healthcarefunding to
the provinces and cancel the Conservatives' $36 billion in cuts.
"Money alone cannot solve the problems facing our healthcare
system. But without money, we won't solve a thing," Mulcair
declared to members of the CMA this morning.
This was the first time in 147 years that the leader of the Official
Opposition was invited to speak before the General Council of
the influential association.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
india
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HOTTEST AUG 25 IN DELHI IN
SIX YEARS
IP12
UNION MINISTER FOR FINANCE, CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE
ARUN JAITLEY DURING 13TH ICSI NATIONAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN KOLKATA. (IANS)
THANKS TO LOW SEX RATIO,
600-YEAR-OLD TRADITION
DONE AWAY WITH
AAM AADMI PARTY (AAP) LEADER ARVIND KEJRIWAL ADDRESSES A RALLY AT ROHINI IN NEW DELHI ON AUG 24, 2014. IANS
CONGRESS, LALU-NITISH DERAIL BJP
IN BY-ELECTIONS FOR 18 SEATS
Delhi, (IANS) In results it admitted were not to its liking, the BJP
suffered stunning reverses in by-elections in Bihar, exactly three
months after it swept the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress scored gains
both in Karnataka and Punjab but lost 1-2 to the BJP in Madhya Pradesh.
In the first pan-India popularity test after the May Lok Sabha verdict,
the new alliance of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Janata DalUnited and Congress shocked the BJP by winning six of the 10 assembly seats in Bihar. The Congress wrested Bhagalpur, an urban
seat, from the Bharatiya Janata Par ty after a gap of 23 years.
In Karnataka, the ruling Congress wrested the prestigious Bellary
reserved seat and retained the Chikkodi-Sadalga seat. The BJP won
from Shikaripura in the Aug 21 by-elections held in four states.
The best news for the BJP came in Madhya Pradesh where its candidates won from Aagar and Vijayraghavgarh constituencies, while the
Congress snatched Bahoriband from the BJP.
In Punjab, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress won one
seat each. The Aam Aadmi Par ty, which won four Lok Sabha seats,
was defeated in both places. Congress candidate and former union
minister Preneet Kaur won from Patiala in Punjab, defeating Bhagwan
Dass Juneja of the ruling Akali Dal by over 23,200 votes. Preneet Kaur
is the wife of former chief minister Amarinder Singh, now a Lok Sabha
member from Amritsar.
Akali Dal's Jeet Mohinder Singh won from Talwandi Sabo by over
46,600 votes, defeating Harminder Singh Jassi of the Congress.
BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told IANS here that the results were not to the par ty's satisfaction but claimed they did not
reflect the national mood.
"The results do not reflect the national mood. There were local issues
and factors such as popularity of the candidate," he said. He added
“
OUT OF THE 18 SEATS IN FOUR STATES FOR WHICH
BYPOLLS WERE HELD ON AUGUST 21, CONGRESS
AND ITS ALLIES WON 10 WHILE SEVEN WENT TO
BJP AND ONE TO ITS ALLY SAD.
that the results did not indicate a revival of the Congress which won
only 44 seats -- its worst ever showing -- in the Lok Sabha battle.
The Congress was buoyant.
"The BJP gave the impression that the Narendra Modi wave, which
was based on false promises, will carry it through in the bypolls but
unfor tunately people did not vote as they expected," Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed told IANS.
"The results are a positive signal for the Congress," he added.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad and JD-U leader Nitish Kumar, both former
chief ministers of Bihar, were jubilant. After the Lok Sabha disaster,
they ended their animosity of two decades to take on the BJP.
Lalu Prasad tweeted from Mumbai: "It seems people have corrected
the wrong of the Lok Sabha polls."
Nitish Kumar vowed to step up effor ts to form a nationwide anti-BJP
front.
In BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, BJP's Sanjay Pathak defeated Brajendra
Mishra of the Congress in Vijayraghavgarh by over 50,000 votes.
Pathak was the outgoing Congress legislator who joined the BJP.
In Aagar, BJP's Gopal Parmar trounced Rajkumar Gore of the Congress by over 27,000 votes. Manohar Untwal vacated this seat after
being elected to the Lok Sabha from Ujjain.
The Congress hit back in Bahoriband where Sourabh Singh defeated
BJP's Pranav Pandey by over 7,000 votes.
By Pardeep Singh
Gurgaon, (IANS) For a state known to ban marriages within the
same 'gotra' (clan), a community in Haryana's Gurgaon district
has been forced to abandon a 600-year-old tradition of brotherhood within the community and allow such marriages.
The tradition has taken a break mainly because of rampant female foeticides leading to a skewed sex ratio of 879 girls for every
1,000 males, making Haryana the worst among Indian states in this
aspect. The country's sex ratio improved to 943 in the 2011 Census
against 933 females per 1,000 males in the 2001 census.
The Jat Khap Panchayat (community council) of Jaurasi-Fatehpur village near Taoru, some 32 km from here, recently decided to put an end
to the ban on marrying children within same village and brought the proposal
to Gurgaon Gaon village recently.
Jaurasi-Fatehpur holds 'Chaudhar' (leadership) of 12 villages while Gurgaon
Gaon enjoys this status in 18 villages.
"Jaurasi village, later extended and established as Fatehpur village, had
brotherhood relations with Gurgaon Gaon, Basai, Dhanwapur, Garauli Kalan,
Garauli Khurd and Kadipur for over 600 years," Atalvir Kataria, a panchayat
leader, told IANS. Marriages were not allowed among these villages.
"The panchayat of 25 villages was held recently and it decided to lift the ban.
Now Jaurasi-Fatehpur and other six villages can marry their youth in each
other's communities," Kataria said.
"The low ratio of females in the region was one of the main reasons behind
lifting the ban," social worker Raj Nirbhik told IANS.
The majority of Jat families in the region preferred to marry their youth in and
around Gurgaon district and avoided Rohtak, Jind, Sirsa and other districts.
"People have relationships in Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh too, but
Gurgaon, Jhajjar and Delhi are given preference," Nirbhik said.
Marriages between five Gotras including own, mother's, grandmother's (Dadi
and Nani) were not allowed earlier, but now the situation has changed. Some
marriages are now being allowed by the communities.
"This step will make things better. The earlier rules of the communities
were too strict regarding marriages. Young men and women were
finding it difficult to get the right life partner. Now, the options will increase," Abhay Kumar, a youth from one of the villages in Gurgaon
district, told IANS. The sex ratio in Gurgaon district is the worst in
Haryana - only 854 females against 1,000 males. The state government
recently honoured Wazirpur and Bhora Kalan villages in Gurgaon for
better sex ratios of 1,046 and 947. The village panchayats were rewarded Rs.100,000 and Rs.50,000 respectively. Both villages are dominated by the Rajput community.
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Modi to begin Japan visit Aug 31
New Delhi (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Japan from Aug 31 to Sep 3, it was announced Friday.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said Modi will
reach Japan on the evening of Aug 31, hold a series of meetings there on
Sep 1-2, and is expected to fly back home on Sep 3.
Akbaruddin said more details of the visit and meetings with political leadership in Japan are not immediately known.
Second Mumbai Metro project
to take off today
SHIROMANI AKALI DAL (SAD) LEADER JEET MOHINDER SINGH SIDHU CELEBRATES HIS VICTORY IN TALWANDI SABO BY-POLLS ON AUG 25,
2014. (PHOTO: IANS)
Hottest Aug 25 in Delhi in six years
New Delhi, (IANS) Delhi Monday saw the hottest Aug 25 in the
past six years with the maximum temperature recorded five
notches above the season's average at 39.1 degrees Celsius.
Similar weather conditions are expected Tuesday.
"It was only 2009 when the temperature on Aug 25 crossed 37
degrees," said an official of the India Meteorological Depar tment.
The minimum temperature Monday was 27.5 degrees Celsius, a
notch above the season's average, while humidity rose to a
high of 70 percent.
Tuesday is expected to be no better.
"The sky will be mainly clear on Tuesday and the maximum and
minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 39 and 28
degrees Celsius respectively," the official added.
By 2030 more than 50% of India's population will be below 30 years
Kolkata,(IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee Sunday said it is "absolutely necessary" to impar t skill training to 500 million India youths
by 2020 in order to increase the employability of the work force.
"By 2030, India is going to have 20 percent of the whole world's working population living in the country. More than 50 percent of India's
population will be below 30 years," Mukherjee said while inaugurating the Management Development Institute (MDI) campus in Jangipur
area of West Bengal's Murshidabad district.
"The vast multitude" of working forces can be transformed into skilled manpower through proper training, and this would enhance their job
prospects.
"The demographic dividend which we talk of... if we conver t this vast multitude of working forces into skilled workers, their employability
will increase manifold and therefore the target of providing skill to 500 million young persons in India is absolutely necessary," he said.
Mumbai (IANS): Mumbai will get its second Mumbai Metro Line,
between Colaba and SEEPZ, with Japanese assistance, union
Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu said recently.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the Rs.23,000 crore, 33-km
metro line will be held at Andheri Aug 26, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan
said after a meeting with Naidu.
The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide Rs.13,000
crore for the project which will be fully underground with 27 stations en route,
he said. Mumbai Metro Line III is the second mega project on the proposed
metro rail network. The first, 11.40 km running elevated between Versova
and Ghatkopar, has proved to be popular with Mumbaikars.
Naidu said: "The central government wants to connect entire Mumbai with a
large metro network to decongest existing road and rail traffic and make the
city pollution-free." "The Colaba-SEEPZ link has been approved. Work will
begin soon and we have another metro plan for the city on the agenda," Naidu
said. It had been approved in-principle by the erstwhile central government
in February 2012. Naidu will perform the ground-breaking ceremony in the
presence of Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and others,
probably beating the model code of conduct that may be enforced in
Maharashtra soon for assembly polls.
Besides, Naidu added that the Centre will soon approve the proposed Pune
Metro to ease congestion in the state's cultural and academic capital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday laid the foundation stone for the
proposed Nagpur Metro Rail. Naidu said the Centre plans to beef up metro
rail connectivity with the existing surface railway lines for which discussions would be held with the Railway Ministry. The state government has
planned a total nine metro lines criss-crossing Mumbai over 161 km, and
estimated to cost nearly Rs.68,000 crore over the next decade. It has put on
hold the proposed 32-km-long Mumbai Metro Line II, on the Charkop-BandraMankhurd route, owing to certain technical issues.
Less storage capacity hurdle to water
management in India'
New Delhi (IANS): India's water management efforts have not been meaningful due to lack of storage capacity as rainfall in the country is restricted to
barely 100 days in a year, Central Water Commission chairman A.B. Pandya
said Thursday. India's per capita water storage amongst BRICS nations is a
mere 210 cubic metres compared to 753 of South Africa, 1,111 of China,
3,145 of Brazil and a whopping 6,103 of Russia.
Speaking at a seminar organised by FICCI on 'Water Risk and Water Stewardship', Pandya put the challenge facing the country in perspective by
pointing out that India has 2.4 percent of world's land area, four percent of its
renewable water resources, 18 percent of the population, but the primary
source of water, surface rainfall, is limited to about 100 days in a year, that too
in spells and uneven distributed.
80 PERTOSA DRIVE, UNIT 12,
BRAMPTON ONT., L6X 5E9
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
world
13
ABU DHABI TO ATTRACT
MORE INDIAN TOURISTS
Abu Dhabi (IANS/WAM): With Indian visitors emerging as the
largest number of international hotel guests in the United Arab
Emirates over the past year, Abu Dhabi's tourism industry has
launched a five-city road show in India aimed at keeping the
destination foremost in the minds of Indians travelling abroad.
The Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA) has organised
a road show Aug 25-29 across the Indian cities of Mumbai, Ahmedabad,
Bangalore, Chennai and New Delhi.
About 14 Abu Dhabi tourism stakeholders, including Etihad Airways and
Yas Island hotels have joined the road show.
In the first six months of this year, as many as 107,995 Indian guests
checked into Abu Dhabi's hotels and resorts - a growth of 35 percent
over the same period last year.
"The destination is benefiting from excellent air uplift from India at the
moment with our national airline, Etihad Airways and its partner Jet
Airways, providing convenient and quick travel options to Abu Dhabi
from tier-1 and tier- 2 cities all over the country," said Mubarak Al
Nuaimi, director of promotions and overseas offices at TCA Abu Dhabi.
Presently, Etihad Airways operates 112 flights per week from ten Indian
destinations to United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital Abu Dhabi.
"We anticipate further consumer interest coming for the destination with
the release this October of the much-anticipated Bollywood movie 'Bang
Bang', starring Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif, par ts of which
were shot in Abu Dhabi," Al Nuaimi said.
Indian weddings have also been actively pursued by Abu Dhabi
stakeholders.
MALAYSIAN ARMY SOLDIERS CARRY BOXS CONTAINING REMAINS OF THE MALAYSIANS KILLED IN THE MH17 DISASTER. IANS
WHICH IS LIFE'S LONGEST
LASTING RELATIONSHIP?
London, (IANS) Do you know which is life's longest lasting relationship?
It is the bond between siblings.
"It lasts longer than our relationship with our children, certainly longer
than with a spouse, and with the exception of a few lucky men and
women, longer than with a best friend," wrote authors Stephen Bank and
Michael Kahn in their latest book "The Sibling Bond".
Sibling relationships provide children with their first peer interactions
and the first opportunity to handle the different aspects of long-term and
intimate relationships. Some people are able to let go of negative experiences better than others. And siblings seem especially capable of this.
"The relationships which we have with our siblings thrive on differences
- not only the ones we have had as children, but those which we continue
to create as adults," Bank and Kahn added.
Difference - like similarity - helps to make lively our connections even
when these connections are upsetting or uncomfortable. Being different
makes the bond work.
According to Huffington Post, "Siblings that experience traumatic events
together, whether it be the divorce of their parents or the sudden loss of a
loved one, maintain the ability to put their differences aside and band
together for strength and support".
They work through the pain, experience tough life lessons with a stable
support system and often grow closer than ever.
Earlier research shows that as people get older, their morale seems to be
higher if their siblings are also living.
In addition, elderly men with sisters seem to be more emotionally secure
than those without sisters, the report added.
INDIAN FOUNDED FIRM BUYS OUT GHANAIAN COMPANY
Bangalore (IANS): US-based leader in mobile applications Kirusa, founded
by an Indian, has acquired instant messaging provider Saya in Ghana for an
unspecified amount to expand its footprint across the African continent.
"The acquisition of Saya's technology, workforce and IP (intellectual property) will enable us to provide our InstaVoice mobile apps (applications)
across Africa," Kirusa founder chief executive Inderpal Singh Mumick said
Wednesday in a statement here.
The New Jersey headquartered company has a software development facility in this tech hub and expanded its India operations by buying PlusRay
Innovations Ltd, a city-based start-up that built mobile messaging app Cooltok,
in May for an undisclosed sum.
"Africa remains a top priority for our business in view of the phenomenal
growth of the mobile industry in the continent, with huge potential to build
products for the region," Mumick said on the occasion.
Three-year-old Saya focuses on delivering compelling messaging applications which enhance mobile user experience and are tailored to mobile
consumers in emerging markets, including Africa.
Popular for its real-time 'Street Chat' messaging application in the West
African country, Saya's platform includes social network integration, location-based and group chat across multiple phone platforms such as J2ME,
Android and iOS.
"Though we wanted to create a world class product made by Africans, for
Africans, we remain focused on empowering millions of mobile subscribers
worldwide," Saya chief executive Robert Lamptey said in the statement.
Saya was incubated in 2011 at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology, which trains, mentors and invests in technology start-ups at Accra in
Ghana.
As a leader in voice messaging and social media apps that enable mobile
subscribers to have a voice and share their stories with their family and
friends the world over, Kirusa offers product solutions like InstaVoice, Celeb
Connect and Sports Connect to about 80 million users across Africa, India,
Latin America and West Asia.
Built on patented technology, the company's apps are scalable, multimodal
and cloud platforms, which process over a billion events a month. Saya's
investors include the Meltwater Foundation, Forward Partners and Progress
through Business.
FRESH CASES OF EBOLA RECORDED IN NIGERIA: OFFICIAL
Abuja (IANS): Fresh cases of the Ebola virus disease have been recorded in Nigeria, where the highly contagious disease has already
claimed five lives, Minister of Health Onyebuchi Chukwu said Friday.
The minister said the new cases of Ebola are spouses of health workers who had primary contacts with the index case, Patrick Sawyer,
a Liberian-American, who spread the virus to Africa's most populous country, Xinhua repor ted.
The new cases are the first secondary contacts to test positive to the Ebola virus in Nigeria, noted Chukwu, who spoke to reporters in
Abuja, capital of the West African country.
"The secondary contacts had been under surveillance since the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria," he added.
On Wednesday, the official said Nigeria had been able to control the spread of the Ebola virus, confirming that only two people were living
with the virus in the country. Earlier this month, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a national emergency, saying a sum of
1.9 billion naira ($11.6 million) would be released to prevent fur ther spread of the epidemic.
Ebola spreads through body fluids and has killed over 1,300 people in West African countries.
UN TO HOLD EMERGENCY
MEETING ON UKRAINE CRISIS
United Nations (IANS): The UN Security Council is to hold emergency consultations amid media repor ts of a major escalation in
the Ukraine conflict. The emergency session, scheduled for Friday
evening, was requested by Lithuania, Xinhua quoted the UN
spokesperson's office as saying. UN Assistant Secretary General for
Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco was to brief the 15 council
members on the recent development in Ukraine. The meeting was called
amidst reports that Russian military personnel were manning artillery
within Ukraine in support of pro-Russian rebels. "The Russian military
has moved artillery units manned by Russian personnel inside Ukrainian territory in recent days and is using them to fire at Ukrainian forces,"
The New York Times said, quoting NATO officials. These reports followed the arrival in Ukraine of a Russian humanitarian convoy of 280
vehicles. However, Vitaly Churkin, the permanent representative
of Russia to UN, has dismissed the media repor ts.
Arab League condemns killing
of American scribe
Cairo (IANS): The Arab League Thursday condemned the killing
of US journalist James Foley by militants of the Islamic State (IS) Sunni
extremist group, MENA news agency reported.
"The League condemns this tragic crime that runs counter to the noble
Islamic teachings," Deputy Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed
ben Helli, told reporters. The IS posted a video on the internet Wednesday showing the beheading of journalist Foley in revenge for US air
strikes in Iraq. The footage shows a masked man - speaking in English
with an accent - killing Foley, who was abducted by armed men in Syria
in November 2012. The IS, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq
and Greater Syria (ISIS), established in June an "Islamic caliphate" in
the territories under its control in Syria and Iraq. Since then, its members have indulged in sustained persecution of non-Sunnis and other
religious communities.
90 DEAD AND MISSING IN
WESTERN JAPAN FLOODS
Tokyo (IANS/EFE): The number of those missing in the torrential
rains lashing Hiroshima in western Japan this week rose to 51
Friday while the death toll stood at 39.
Authorities fear the numbers will grow as rescue operations continued. Around 3,000 policemen, firemen and troops of the SelfDefence Forces (SDF) are searching for people swept away in
rivers and canals, landslides or mud flows. Rescue operations
had to be suspended Thursday as heavy rain in the region threatened to cause more landslides. Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA) has predicted fur ther torrential rain and storms in the same
area and other par ts of the country between Friday and Saturday.
On Wednesday, Hiroshima received record rainfall, equivalent to
precipitation for the entire month of August in the mountainous
region. The floods have destroyed 46 houses and caused serious
damage to 139 others in the region, where a thousand people
have already been evacuated, the Kyodo news agency repor ted.
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
BRITISH INDIAN MP TO TACKLE
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
PAKISTANI SUPPORTERS OF OPPOSITION POLITICIAN IMRAN KHAN GATHER DURING AN ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTEST IN FRONT OF THE
PARLIAMENT IN ISLAMABAD, CAPITAL OF PAKISTAN. (XINHUA/AHMAD KAMAL/IANS)
India-US natural partners: US diplomat
New Delhi, (IANS) India and the US are natural partners and the world
demands that the two nations cooperate, US diplomat Kathleen Stephens
said Monday.
"Our ability to work together remains a foundation for strong partnership,"
Stephens, the charge d'affaires at the US embassy in India, said at the
launch of the International Innovations Corps Leadership Speaker series
of the University of Chicago centre here.
Stephens said: "I arrived in India at a very consequential moment. Not only
for India-US relations but for India itself with the new government taking
over."
Stating that the US government wants to work in a positive direction like
that laid down out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said the US
wants to cooperate with India in the fields of health, climate change and
infrastructure building.
"India needs to create a million jobs per month. You don't have all the time
in the world," she added.
Asked about the prime minister's scheduled visit to the US next
month, she said: "I hope they (Modi and US President Barack
Obama) are able to meet face to face".
The International Innovations Corps (IIC) fellowship programme
of the University of Chicago Center in Delhi aims to jump star t the
process of solution-based innovation in the Indian public sector.
Specifically, the IIC recruits, trains and send teams of recent University of Chicago and leading Indian university graduates to work
on ambitious development projects with the Indian government for
one year.
Looking forward to working with Modi government: Singapore PM
Singapore, (IANS) Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Friday said his country hopes to work with India in areas of infrastructure
and education, and expressed his desire to meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi who "came in with a thumping mandate", a media
repor t said.
Speaking at the opening day gala dinner in Global Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Alumni conference, IIMPACT 2014, here, Lee said
he was optimistic about bilateral cooperation with India on areas like urban and port development, water and sewage projects, as well
as education and training, The Straits Times repor ted.
He noted that new Indian prime minister has a majority in the Lok Sabha, which is "something that has not happened for a very, very long
time".
Over 1,000 alumni, many of whom are leaders in multinational and major Indian companies, from the IIM network of prestigious
business schools in India attended the conference.
Lee, who spent an hour answering questions from the audience on developments in the region, said: "There are great hopes for India to
take the next step forward. India is a massive country so you do not expect transformation within 100 days.
"But we do hope that it will be going in a positive upward and accelerated direction, connecting to the world, fulfilling its potential,
attracting investments, engaging with the global trading system, and playing a role, also strategically, in the wider region."
Fuel cell technology gets a boost
Washington (IANS): In an impetus for fuel cell technology to build
"smar t" cars, scientists at Stanford University have developed a lowcost, emissions-free device that uses an ordinary AAA battery to produce hydrogen by water electrolysis.
The battery sends an electric current through two electrodes that split
liquid water into hydrogen and oxygen gas.
Unlike other water splitters that use precious-metal catalysts, the
electrodes in the Stanford device are made of inexpensive and abundant nickel and iron.
"Using nickel and iron which are cheap materials, we were able to
make the electrocatalysts active enough to split water at room temperature with a single 1.5-volt battery," explained Hongjie Dai, a professor of chemistry at Stanford University.
This is the first time anyone has used non-precious metal catalysts to
split water at a voltage that low. "It is quite remarkable because nor-
mally, you need expensive metals like platinum or iridium to achieve
that voltage," Dai added.
Fuel cell technology is essentially water splitting in reverse.
A fuel cell combines stored hydrogen gas with oxygen from the air to
produce electricity that powers the car.
The only byproduct is water - unlike gasoline combustion that emits
carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
In 2015, US consumers will finally be able to purchase fuel cell cars
from Toyota and other manufacturers.
Although touted as zero-emissions vehicles, most of the cars will run
on hydrogen made from natural gas - a fossil fuel that contributes to
global warming. "In addition to producing hydrogen, the novel water
splitter could be used to make chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide,
another impor tant industrial chemical," researchers concluded.
The study appeared in the journal Nature Communications.
London, (IANS) British Indian MP Seema
Malhotra has been appointed the first ever
shadow minister tasked with tackling violence against women in Britain, Opposition
leader Ed Miliband announced.
Seema Malhotra, 42, who will join Shadow
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's front bench
team, will champion the needs of all victims
of rape, domestic and sexual violence, as
well as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, trafficking
and prostitution, a statement on the Labour Party website said Monday. Commenting on her appointment, Malhotra said, "It is significant
that Labour has made this issue such a priority and I look forward to
working with colleagues to try and make a real difference to women
who have experienced huge trauma in their lives." Malhotra was elected
Labour Co-operative Party MP for Feltham and Heston constituency in
west London in December 2011. The former management consultant
will also play an important role in shaping Labour's Women's Safety
Commission to develop proposals for legislation to tackle violence against women and girls, which will be prioritised if the
Labour Par ty comes to power. "I am delighted that Seema has
agreed to become Labour's first ever Shadow Minister for Preventing Violence against Women and Girls. She undoubtedly
brings real exper tise to this impor tant role," Leader of the Labour
Par ty Ed Miliband said. A shadow minister is a member of the
main opposition par ty in Parliament who would hold ministerial
office if their par ty were in power.
Indian online market set to
explode: Google study
Mumbai (IANS): With the Indian online market set to explode,
telecom companies stand to generate an additional revenue of
$8 billion and EBITDA of $2.9 billion over the next three years, a
joint study by Google and AT Kearney has forecast.
India will witness a major mobile explosion with over 155 million mobile Internet users today, which will more than double to
480 million by 2017, the study, released here Thursday said.
During that period, the smar tphone penetration will grow six
times to touch 385 million, users making online transactions will grow
to 160 million, data consumption on mobile phones will triple and consumers would buy five times more content, the study said.
"Indian telcos are poised to leapfrom directly into a digital play since the
shift from data to digital will happen much faster in India, as more digital
content and services are adopted by users. Within three years, Indian
telcos revenue is expected to reach USD35 billion, with data revenues
growing at over 70 pecent annually till then, and new digital VAS streams
emerging and growing exponentially," said Nikolai Dobberstein, of AT
Kearney, one of the authors of the study.
The four top priority areas that could unlock huge revenues for the Indian
telcos are E-store and E-care, with online recharges for prepaid mobile
phones accounting for more than one-third of all recharge value, Media
Content and Services to creat more than $6 billion in additional data and
content revenues. There is also Mobile Business Apps for SMEs with a
potential of $1 billion revenues and M-Payments enabled e-stores, paid
content and app transactions which would create additional revenue streams for the Indian telcos.
Google India Vice-President and MD for sales and operations
Rajan Anandan said that according to their market research, 73
percent of mobile data consumers would be willing to spend
more time online if more entertainment content like online music
and videos were available in an engaging format.
CLIMATE CHANGE PUTS EUROPE
AT DENGUE RISK
London (IANS): Dengue fever could make headway in popular
European holiday destinations if climate change continues on
its predicted trajectory, according to an alarming research.
The study by University of East Anglia (UEA) used current data
from Mexico where dengue fever is present and information
about the European Union (EU) countries in order to model the
likelihood of the disease spreading in Europe.
They found that coastal regions in around the Mediterranean
and Adriatic seas, the Po Valley and Nor th East Italy were most
at risk.
"Our study has shown that the risk of dengue fever is likely to
increase in Europe under climate change," said lead researcher
Paul Hunter from UEA's Norwich Medical School.
For this study, researchers wanted to estimate how likely the
disease is to become established in Europe as its climate
changes up to the end of the century.
The results of the long-term projections found an increased risk
of the disease when compared to baseline conditions.
The incidence rate is predicted to go from two per 100,000 inhabitants to 10 per 100,000 in some places.
The areas anticipated to be at most risk were found to be along
the Italian cost and Po Valley in Italy, the Spanish Mediterranean and southern Spain in general.
Each year, dengue infects 50 million people worldwide and
causes approximately 12,000 deaths, mostly in south-east Asia
and the western Pacific.
The study appeared in the journal BMC Public Health.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
15
16
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
17
Priyanka not interested
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
ACTORS DHARMENDRA AND GIPPY GREWAL DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE TO PROMOTE THEIR UPCOMING FILM 'DOUBLE DI
TROUBLE` IN NEW DELHI. THE MOVIE IS RELEASING ON AUGUST 29. (IANS)
ATTENBOROUGH'S 'GANDHI' CHANGED
LIVES OF ALL OF US: OM PURI
BY SUBHASH K. JHA
Mumbai (IANS): Om Puri, who had a miniscule role in British filmmaker Richard Attenborough's Oscar winning film "Gandhi", says the film
changed the life of everyone who has been associated with it.
"Richard Attenborough's Gandhi changed the lives of all those who were
associated with the film. Most of all, it changed Ben Kingsley's life. Thereafter
each time Gandhi's picture flashed across our mind, we saw Ben's face
along with Gandhiji," said Puri.
"I had barely one-and-a-half-minute screen-time in Gandhi. But what an impact my cameo made! I believe it was shown as the footage during the Oscar
nominations, a huge honour in a film that starred the most distinguished cast
possible...," he added. Oscar winning filmmaker Attenborough died Sunday.
He was 90. Puri says that his going away is sad, "but then death is inevitable". "However the pain of his going away is diminished when we consider the fact that an artiste and a visionary like Sir Richard has gone away
after using his creative powers to the maximum. Such people become a
part of history and a source of inspiration for many generations to come.
"He was an accomplished actor and a filmmaker. With Gandhi he achieved
the pinnacle of success. With the film he changed India's image abroad. A
very large section of the Western world did not know our values, culture and
ethics, our struggles and triumphs as a nation. Because 'Gandhi' was such
a success, it reached into the recesses of hearts all over the world...," he
said. The actor, who has worked in several international films in lead roles,
the recent one being "The Hundred Foot Journey", had just a cameo in
"Gandhi". Puri played a man who had lost his son.
"I played a cameo as Nahari. Sir Richard had seen me in 'Aakrosh' and had
decided to give me the role of 'Nahari in 'Gandhi'. I shot for just one night. I
had screen time of barely 90 seconds. But my scene came at a very
important point in the narrative and it was so well written. But it was a
memorable night," he said.
The purpose of the multiple-Oscar winning film was to highlight the humanism of Gandhi. "Sir Richard made Gandhi with complete passion. He was
not so much interested in the politics of Mahatma Gandhi as he was in
his humanism. The film focused on the non-violence and the freedom struggle of the Mahatama. Sir Richard deliberately didn't feature Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the script. If he had been present,
'Gandhi' would've become a political film, which Sir Richard didn't
want it to be.
Actress Priyanka Chopra has been nominated by many to take up the
ALS ice bucket challenge, but she doesn't seem to be interested.
The challenge involves dumping buckets of ice water over one's head
to spread awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou
Gehrig's disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal
cord. Apar t from Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise, Rober t Pattinson
and Nicole Kidman accepting it, Bollywood stars like Akshay Kumar,
Bipasha Basu and Abhishek Bachchan also took up the challenge.
But Priyanka is not joining the league.
`Thank u for all the nominations but... RT @shrishtiarya: Newsreader
Beautifully Shuts Down Ice Bucket Challenge pedestrian.tv/news/ar tsand-culture/newsreader-beautifully-shuts-down-ice-bucket-chall/
600a2c06-7dec-4f27-a74a-1ab99a534c75.htm ...... (sic),` the `Don`
star tweeted Sunday.
The link shared by her shows an Australian newsreader Lincoln
Humphries, who firmly shuts the idea down. Humphries acknowledged the good that the ice bucket challenge has done, then suggested some other things that can be done to make a difference, including
spreading the love around to other
deserving causes like cancer
and fresh water charities, and
not wasting so much ice.
Earlier, Sonam Kapoor had
refused to take up the
challenge after being
nominated
by
`Fukrey`
fame
Pulkit Samrat.
`@PulkitSamrat
already made a
donation!!
Not
dumping water :( waste of resources!`, she
had tweeted.
Hollywood actress
Pamela Anderson
has also refused as
she said she can't
suppor t
an
organisation that
does testing on animals.
'Finding Fanny': Censors
shy away from virgin-ity
For Kangana, pregnancy without marriage not a problem
Kangana's character in 'Katti Batti' does not equate motherhood with
marriage, causing a rift in her relationship. Mirror (July 30) had informed that Kangana Ranaut has given the nod to Nikhil Advani's
'Katti Batti', opposite Imran Khan. Now, we have learnt that the film
revolves around the couple's live-in relationship which hits a rough
patch when she gets pregnant.
When the news is broken, Imran's character, Maddy, reacts with,
"Let's get married?" But Payal (Kangana) takes him by surprise by
retor ting, "Why? Because I'm pregnant? So what's the big deal!" Nikhil
points out that both the characters have shades of grey, creating many
twists. Payal who comes from an affluent family in Delhi, has refreshingly different ideas about love, marriage and parenthood. But
Maddy, a middle-class boy from Pune, is structured in his views,
comfor table in his space and the only risk he's ever taken is to fall in
love with this unpredictable, volatile girl who turns his life topsy
turvy.
It's scripted by Anshul Singhal, a boy from Saharanpur who went to IIT
and fell in and then out of love with a girl. The nail on the coffin was
their conflicting views on star ting a family. "I agreed to do the film just
on the basis of the original title, Saali Kutiya: A Love Story.The censors would have never passed it, so we changed it to Katti Batti. But
I have retained Anshul's modern take on an age-old institution. It
reflects the fact that Indian women today are confident, progressive,
empowered and ready to take chances," says Nikhil.
The director was always keen on casting Imran as Maddy, but getting
the nod from Kangana for Payal was a bonus. "After the narration, we
sat together for three hours discussing details of the character. I could
see that Kangana was as excited as I was," he reminisces.
Siddhar th Anand's 2005 love story, Salaam Namaste, too revolved
around a livein relationship, which unravels when Preity Zinta's character discovers that she is pregnant and her par tner, Saif Ali Khan,
doesn't want to get married. However, Nikhil points out that while that
couple was based in Australia. Maddy and Payal , who meet in ar t
school, live in Mumbai. "Our story is rooted in and unfolds in urban
India and that's the big difference," he reasons.
The Censor Board has objected to the use of the word 'virgin'
uttered by Deepika Padukone in a dialogue in the film 'Finding
Fanny' The Central Board of Film Cer tification (CBFC) has cleared
the English version of Homi Adajania's Finding Fanny with a U/A
cer tificate and two cuts.
One of the deletions is a scene where Deepika Padukone's character tells Arjun Kapoor that she is a virgin. A source says,
`Apar t from the scene where Deepika is talking about her virginity, there's one more scene where Deepika is shown pulling
off her bra strap. This too has been deleted by the examining
committee of the Censor Board."
The source adds that the committee is also said to have wanted
to delete a scene where Pankaj Kapoor is shown staring at Dimple
Kapadia's butt, but the makers of the film apparently argued
against the move. `They finally convinced the committee to retain the scene as a flash rather than a two-minute scene. The
Hindi version of the film is yet to be cer tified,` says the
source. The film was supposed to have a premiere on August
25, but it was postponed to September 1, since the film's
makers were not sure if it would get timely clearance from
the CBFC due to its backlog of work after the arrest of CBFC
CEO Rakesh Kumar. A road trip set in Goa, Finding Fanny stars
actors such as Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Dimple Kapadia,
Arjun Kapoor and Deepika Padukone and it's slated for release
on September 12.
18
MidWeek
bollywood
First look of Madhur Bhandarkar's next movie Calendar Girls
Madhur Bhandarkar all set with
his next movie based on the
glitzy and glamorous world of
fashion, today unveiled the first
look of Calendar Girls.
Interestingly, the director chose
to keep the faces of his five new
finds hidden in the first poster.
Dressed in shimmering gold
swimsuits, the five ladies show
off their perfect-10 figure but
their faces.
According to reports, Madhur
plans to keep the girls hidden
until the completion of the film.
Not only has Madhur restricted
visitors at the shoot, but has
also forbidden his team from
carrying mobile phones or cameras. The cast and crew have
been bound by Non-Disclosure
Agreement too.
Calendar Girls, starring five
newcomers, revolves around
models who gain fame after featuring in calendars.
Attention Alia Bhatt haters: She just
proved why she's cooler than you
And no, the memes you have had such fun laughing at have nothing to do
with it.
In fact, unless the jokes you have laughed at the most have something to
do with a Sajid Khan film, there's little chance that you might have
found the following remotely hilarious: "Alia Bhatt is so dumb that
she thinks India's national animal is Tiger Shroff".
Ever since she said Prithviraj Chavan was the President of India,
Alia Bhatt became synonymous with stupidity, the way Roadies
is with Chandigarh. In the same Koffee with Karan episode, her
colleagues Var un Dhawan and Siddhar th Malhotra had too failed
to answer the question but got no meme love from the world of
Internet haters.
Now All India Bakchod has come up with a new video titled
Genius of the Year, a spoof on the thriving Alia memes and
jokes doing the rounds of the internet. The video, which
also stars Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra and Karan
Johar, shows how Alia Bhatt trains under guys from
AIB to turn into a person deemed 'intelligent' by
the masses.
The video, directed by Dharma Productions
favourite Shakun Batra, who also directed
the quirky Ek Main Aur Ek Tu, deserves some
internet love for three reasons.
1. Alia Bhatt: If you have laughed because of
an Alia Bhatt meme, here's where she just
whooped your posterior. Because there is no
sharper weapon to counter criticism than some selfdeprecating humour. Basically, in this video, Bhatt
just laughed at herself along with you and killed all the
fun for you, didn't she?
The paradox of India's relationship with Bollywood is while
most of us can't spend one satisfying weekend without it
or can't organise one great shaadi without a fair bit of help
from it, we equally love to hate Bollywood. For us, every
insider in Bollywood is a par ticipant of the drama of the
absurd and is wor th ridiculing - stereotypes are rampant, criticism always legitimate.
More than laughing with Bollywood, strangely enough, we enjoy
laughing at it. Especially it's women - who according to the average Indian person are almost always stupid. It doesn't help that
Bollywood stars counter criticism with cold dismissal.
However, Alia Bhatt, has just broken new ground and decided to
par ticipate in the orgy of memes and jokes built around her alleged stupidity. It's like she just turned back and lobbed the joke
back at the meme makers' cour t by just being the cooler person.
2. Karan Johar: Bollywood haters would probably say that Karan
Johar has single-handedly made it impossible to woo girls without singing cloying Hindi songs, without dressing up like
Ken, without saying lines which would be indispensable if
Twilight was to be written in Hindi.
You blame him for making women seem dumb chiffon
models, you blame him for making weddings look like
India-themed Olympics opening ceremonies with white
background dancers, you blame him for making Shah
Rukh Khan look like the best thing to have happened
to women since Tarzan.
Two drinks and one Bob Dylan track down, you cannot utter his name without prefixing it with the Hindi
word for brother-in-law. And then he comes on
this video and tells you he knows exactly what
you think about him. Some would say, that's
one way of saying, he doesn't give a damn.
And a damn cool one, too.
3. Arjun Kapoor: He agreed to appear in a
video that calls him 'gareebon ka Wolverine'.
All the men who ever aspired to appear on Roadies
suffer from the same condition, but they'd probably
stop using hair gel and embrace the scary new world
of having human hair than agree with such a character description.
Nargis Fakhri denies dating reports with Varun Dhawan
Actress Nargis Fakhri has denied reports of dating her 'Main Tera Hero' co-star Varun Dhawan, saying she is romantically linked with herself and
not anyone else. "What? No way dude. Oh, really it's been written? I haven't read that. I don't have any idea about that. People just right stuff, right.
That's hilarious," Nargis told in an interview on the sidelines of the unveiling of Myntra's style helpline here.
Indirectly blaming the media, the 34-year-old model-turned-actress said such stuff is written out of blues, without any truth in it. "There was a rumour
that I was dancing with another actor all night long in a party when I hadn't even seen that person. No offence, but people just write stuff," she said.
Asked what was her idea of a good date, she said Indian boys should not be fanciful but creative while dating girls. "Indian boys should learn to date
properly. You needn't have to be fancy but creative. Ask the girl for a date. Do something nice. Don't expect anything - that is the main thing. Never
expect anything. Have a nice time. Have conversation," she said.
It goes same with her also, Nargis said, adding, she keeps that standard and does not go any lower than that. "I had one good date in New York. The
person picked me up on my doorstep. Took me to hotels and nightclub and dropped me at my home. Can you imagine? That was the most
memorable date I ever had and to me I keep that standard. you can't go any lower than that," she said.
I've no clue: Sakshi Tanwar on Ekta Kapoor's show
By Subhash K. Jha
Mumbai (IANS): Popular actress Sakshi Tanwar of "Kahaani Ghar
Ghar Kii" and "Bade Achhe Lagte Hain", says Ekta Kapoor has asked
her for a meeting, but as of now, she is clueless about whether a new
show is in the pipeline with the TV czarina.
There have been repor ts that following the end of "Bade...", Sakshi is
set to join hands with Ekta once again, in a show titled "Itna Na Karo
Mujhe Pyaar", featuring Ronit Roy.
But Sakshi says she's in Delhi with her parents ever since the curtains came down on "Bade Achhe..." in July.
"I've been in Delhi with my parents ever since 'Bade...' got over. Ekta
has asked for a meeting when I return to Mumbai. But as of now, I've
no clue what it is for," said Sakshi.
She admits that she was approached for a show by Ekta earlier.
"This was for another show before 'Bade...' ran its course. I had to
regretfully say no to that offer. At that time I wanted to take a
break. Ekta was a real sweethear t about it. She said, 'You let me
know when you're done with your break and we'll do something
together'."
At this point of time, Sakshi says she has no idea what Ekta has in
mind for her.
"Until I meet her I can't really say what we'll do together," said
Sakshi, who still regrets the end of "Bade...".
"It was a beautiful journey filled with happy memories. But like they
say, 'All good things must come to an end.' I suppose every end is a
new beginning," she added.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
FIRST EDITION OF NORTHEAST
FILM FEST STARTS IN CAPITAL
New Delhi (IANS): Minister for Information and Broadcasting
Prakash Javadekar Friday opened the first edition of nor theast
film festival in the capital and said the government is committed
to mainstream new initiatives in the region.
Organised by the directorate of film festivals, ministry of information and broadcasting in coordination with north east division
(HM) and NElim and ministry of culture, the three-day event titled
Fragrances from the Nor th East will screen nine films, including
seven feature and two non-feature films.
"The government is fully committed to mainstream new initiatives in the nor theastern region across different sectors. The
objective was to harness the rich potential of the region with
regards to its geographical and cultural diversity," Javadekar
said at the opening ceremony.
At the event Javadekar was happy with the enthusiasm shown by
the audience, mostly youngsters from the region.
Chief Minister of Meghalaya Mukul Sangma, who was also at the
event, said the state government has already star ted building
infrastructure, which will be "befitting to host any kind of international event".
Film personalities from the region such as Manju Borah,
Geetanjali Thapa, Oinam Gautam Singh, Mapuia Chawngthu and
Alex Lalchhuankima, also attended the opening ceremony, which
was followed by Assamese singer Papon and his band The East
India Company's performance.
After that "Khawnglung Run", a film from Mizoram, was screened.
Directed by Mapuia Chawngthu, the action-romantic film, based
on historical massacre of Khawnglung during the 19th century,
left many in awe.
Emraan Hashmi turns love guru
New Delhi (IANS): Emraan
Hashmi, who is tagged as
a serial kisser, is set to
give advice on love on the
small screen.
The actor's "Raja Natwaral"
will release Aug 29, but before that his fans can catch
him on Bindass' new show
"Pyaar Ka The End".
The show tries to create
awareness about how love
takes a wrong turn and Emraan will give advice on how to deal
with such complex situations and prevent regretful actions, read
a statement.
The episode, which will be aired Friday, revolves around Suraj,
who is dating Juhi but cheats on her with his boss Smita.
What happens to the trio forms the rest of the story.
Hope 'Mardaani' works, so we
can make part 2: Rani
Mumbai (IANS): "Mardaani", which deals with the issue of girl
trafficking, carries a message on women's empowerment and
the film's lead actress Rani Mukerji hopes that it works so that
they can bring out par t two.
Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, "Mardaani", which sees Rani as a
police officer, hits the screens Friday.
"'Mardaani' carries a message on women empowerment. It deals
with the issue of trafficking of girls," said Rani.
"It is time women should take up matters like self-protection into
their own hands. I don't want any girl to be dependent on her
father or brother to go somewhere just because she is scared,"
she said referring to rise in crime against women in the country
and how parents "worry" when their daughters step out.
Rani feels it is high time girls should be self-reliant
"I want girls to enrol in self-defence classes like karate,
kickboxing etc. I hope the film works, so that we can come up
with 'Mardaani-2' and tell another story that will make an impact.
I also think more films like Mardaani should be made," she said.
"MARDAANI" IS COMING OUT WITH AN A-CERTIFICATE
"Unfor tunately, in our country, we don't have a separate censor
cer tificate for people above 12 years and below 18 years. Either
we have an A cer tificate, which is only for adults or UA-cer tificate for people of all ages. "I would love to see people, especially women and girls, across all age groups watching the film.
The film will inspire girls to speak their mind, be brave and bring
out their 'mardaana' (brave and bold) spirit," he said.
Big B's screen son, daughter
share special bond in real life
By Subhash K. Jha
Mumbai (IANS): Young actors Aahana Kumra and Pavail Gulati,
who played Amitabh Bachchan's children from his two marriages
in the serial "Yudh", have a real life sibling bonding between
them.
In fact, Aahana says she is as close to Pavail as she is to her
own brother.
"When Pavail came to Mumbai from Delhi, I was his first friend.
He and I studied together and we depend on one another for
advice and suppor t," she said, adding that even his family is like
her own.
"When I go to Delhi I stay in his place," she said.
Aahana even ties a rakhi to Pavail like she does to her own
brother.
"From the time he came to Mumbai, we've been like family. I am
the only family he has in Mumbai. He looks after me and I look
after him," she said.
The two actors have often worked together on stage, and have
now worked on the small screen too.
"Since we spend so much time together we end up fighting like
all normal siblings. I wasn't surprised when I ended up playing
Pavail's stepsister in 'Yudh'. I just wish we had more scenes
together," she said.
"Yudh", which marked Amitabh's foray into fiction on TV, has
brought Aahana and Pavail even closer together.
"I think we make a great team. I hope we get more opportunities
to work together," Aahana said.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
bollywood
Upcoming
MIDWEEK EXCLUSIVE
Double Di Trouble, a screwball romantic comedy that
can be enjoyed by the whole family: Manmord Sidhu
BY SHAZIA MALIK
Toronto - Wish to get trapped in
the funhouse? Watch the latest
Punjabi flick Double Di Trouble
that opens to public on August 29
inter nationally and in GTA at
Cineplex Silvercity Brampton,
Cineplex
Cour tney
Park
Mississauga, Landmark Square
One Mississauga, and Albion
Cinema Etobicoke.
A White Hill Production starring
globally recognized Punjabi
singer and actor Gippy Grewal
and directed by Smeep Kang,
Double Di Trouble is based on
Shakespeare's well known play
that takes a desi twist when a
father-son pair discover their
mirror images in a different
country. The riot of laughter begins when people around this
duplicate wisecracking charming duo keep confusing between
the two! The situation gets fur ther
confounded when the duo tries to
put its own logic behind the new
faces behaving like old pals. The
visually striking film has legendary actor Dharmendra, Poonam
Dhillon, Minisha Lamba, Gippy
Grewal, Kulraj Randhawa and
Gurpreet Gugghi.
Midweek sat with Gippy
Grewal and Manmord Sidhu,
whose White Hill Productions is
releasing the upcoming Punjabi
flick Double Di Trouble. According to Gippy the film is full time
confusion as characters run
into circles. He said: "In this
situational comedy I am playing a double role along with legendary Bollywood star Dharm
Bhaji. The delightful villagers
Gippy and Dharmendra are funnier as they expose the unsophisticated side of characters
whereas the ones residing in the
city are more sophisticated but
their encounters at wrong times
and places perplex their relatives."
Gippy was all praise for
Dharmendra who he said "did not
have any airs and made everyone extremely comfor table on the
sets of the movie with his wit,
compassion and humor. I was
also awed by the beauty and
glamour of Poonamji." He informed that he will soon appear
in a Hindi film but confessed that
he struggled with Hindi. "But the
best par t is that the movie has a
Punjabi backdrop. I am reinventing myself and taking diverse
projects. I was associated with
comedy films only but now I'm
trying to shed that image and take
up a myriad of roles to prove my
prowess in acting."
Gippy informed that Bollywood
icon, Aamir Khan has shown tremendous interest in Punjabi films
and asked to look for an appropriate script for him to be part of
regional movie industry. The next
Punjabi film might see Sunny
Deol embracing this industr y.
Gippy professed tottering odyssey of mythical struggle in his
early life but his passion for
singing could not be scrped
though taunted by several as a
failed ar tist. No heeding any
top
10
songs
Film:
1 SAMJHAWAN
Humpty
Sharma Ki Dulhania
FILM
SONG
2
Mardaani
Me Tum Ko Nahi Choroungi
3
Double di Trouble
Aisi Mulaqat
4
Kick
Jumme Ki Raat
5
Enter tainment
Johnny Johnny
6
Kick
Hangover
7
Ek Villain
Galliyan
8
Enter tainment
Veerey Di Wedding
9
Ek Villain
Banjaara
10
Kick
Yaar Naa Miley
MOVIE COLLECTIONS
HIT OR FLOP MIDWEEK
ENTERTAINMENT
SUPERHIT
MARDAANI
HIT
SINGHAM RETURNS
SUPERHIT
KICK
BLOCKBUSTER
EK VILLAIN
SUPERHIT
criticism, Gippy released his
first album in 1998 that flopped
badly at music box office.
The next album released in
2002 received mixed reactions
and did not get the imagination
of people however, one track
'Phulkari' from his 2003 album
rocked the country and every TV
and radio channel was abuzz
with that number. But the rest
of the album did not do well and
so the dream to make it big in
this field once again died. During his long years of struggle
during 2002 to 2006, Gippy was
oscillating between Vancouver
and Punjab, India.
He told: "I used to spend six
m o n t h s i n Va n c o u v e r d o i n g
three jobs from throwing newspapers in houses to mopping
shopping malls floors to security guards. I used to live on
bare minimum in Vancouver to
keep my head above water and
also collect money to release a
new album on my return to
Punjab. However, my fate took
a turn for the better after
Phulkari became a smash hit it
provided a glimmer of hope as
I star ted getting the chance to
sing in private par ties for $500
to $1,000."
Gippy said sailing into the land
of movies was a natural progression and since then he has
stuck to Punjabi film industr y.
Though he was offered some
roles in Bollywood in 1995-96
but as the roles were not so inspiring, he turned them down.
Today Gippy has his own production house - Gur fateh Films
- that intends to introduce new
faces in Punjabi film industr y.
According to Gippy, the Punjabi
cinema revolves around only
two heroes - him and Diljit and
their depar ture would mean
collapse of Punjabi film industr y.
"This automatically brings a lot
of responsibility on our shoulder and the fear of a flop looms
after the film is released. Com-
19
pared to us if a Bollywood
movie flops, it does not hur t the
hero or the director as the scope
of those movies is enormous
and recoups money," he added.
He also mentioned that Punjabi
films are slowly seeping in the
Indian society and now do
somewhat well in Delhi but they
m u s t a t t r a c t c r o w d s i n U P,
Calcutta, Pune and mainly
Mumbai to get force.
Whereas Punjabi films are doing good business overseas due
to a large Punjabi diaspora,
some of the Bollywood films are
not even promoted out of India
and they still become swashbuckling hits in the country
such as Aashiqui 2 that generated IRs200 crores by being
screened across India alone.
For new comers his recipe for
success in life is: "Though luck
plays a major role in one's success but hard work combined
with your passion are the keys.
But stardom does not come
cheaply and one has to earn it.
Only then one can value fame."
Ta l k i n g a b o u t D o u b l e D i
Trouble, Manmord Sidhu professed that the movie is being
promoted in Canada, Thailand,
UK, Hong Kong, Pakistan, and
Singapore along with India due
to the presence of Dharmendra
and hoped it would do well
among
Punjabi-speaking
diaspora across the globe as
well. He said: "The budgets of
Punjabi films are very small
due to limited audience which
makes it hard to rope in big
Bollywood stars. But Punjabi
film industry is slowly making
its mark."
He opined the movie is hoped
to do well in Pakistan as it will
be screened throughout Pakistani Punjab, mainly Lahore.
The country is constructing 20
more theatres that will help in
the promotion of Indian Punjabi
films. "Also, my production
house is inviting a number of
Pakistani stars to act in our
films. This will fur ther help
Punjabi films to reach a wider
audience. Thus I feel the future
of Punjabi films is very bright.
It is the next happening thing.
The purveyors of Bollywood
circuit though currently just
admiring and not actively enjoying Punjabi cinema, they will
soon."
Giving details about Double Di
Trouble, Sidhu informed: "Not only
the movie but the music of the
film will please audiences as it
is given by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
who has also sung a few songs
in the movie but the one with
Jazzy B is amazing. Gippy has
also sung four songs that will
cast a spell on audiences. I feel
both Dharmji and Gippy shared
a great chemistry and performed in a thoroughly engaging double act." He admired all
the cast and crew of the film
including Dharmendra saying
all stuck to the schedules and
per formed very well. Slated to
be one of the big-budget Punjabi
movie, Sidhu has spent CAD1.5
million on its production.
BOLLYWOOD Movies
DOUBLE DI TROUBLE
RELEASE DATE:
August 29, 2014
STAR CAST:
DHARMENDRA AND GIPPY GREWAL
DIRECTOR(S):
Smeep Kang
GENRE:
Comedy
DAAWAT-E-ISHQ
RELEASE DATE:
September 5, 2014
STAR CAST:
Aditya Roy Kapur, Parineeti Chopra
DIRECTOR(S):
Habib Faisal
PRODUCER:
Aditya Chopra
DESI KATTEY
RELEASE DATE:
August 28, 2014
STAR CAST:
Sunil Shetty, Akhil Kapur, Jay
Bhanushali, Sasheh Aagha, Tia Bajpai, Murli Sharma
DIRECTOR(S):
Anand Kumar
PRODUCER:
Anand Kumar
BANG BANG
RELEASE DATE:
Oct 02, 2014
STAR CAST:
Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Danny
Denzongpa, Javed Jaffrey, Pawan
Malhotra
DIRECTOR(S):
Siddharth Anand
PRODUCER(S):
Fox Star Studios
HAPPY NEW YEAR
RELEASE DATE:
STAR CAST:
Oct 23, 2014
Shahrukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika
Padukone, Sonu Sood, Boman Irani, Vivaan Shah, Jackie Shroff,
Kareena Kapoor, Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Dadlani, Dino Morea
DIRECTOR(S):
Farah Khan
PRODUCER(S):
Gauri Khan, Shahrukh Khan
20
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Real Madrid aim
for big-six season
Madrid (IANS): If pre-season
results were anything to look on
then Real Madrid coach Carlo
Ancelotti would be feeling hot
under the collar and looking
anxiously over his shoulder following four defeats, one win and
a draw.
Fortunately for Ancelotti the four
defeats came in friendlies, the
draw in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup and the win in the
European Super Cup final, meaning his side has bagged another
piece of silverware to add to last
season's Champions League
and Kings Cup while keeping
their options alive of adding another, reports Xinhua.
This is a big season for the club
who have the chance to add the
Club World Cup to their trophy
cabinet in December while attempting to once again reign in
Europe, retain the Cup and win
the La Liga.
If all that seems like a huge demand, the fact is that no other
club in Spain or in fact the world
has spent as much on players
over the past five years as Real
Madrid and with this summer's
arrivals, winning six titles is a
big ask but not impossible.
Once again Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has allowed himself to be swayed by
the headlines and World Cup
performances, spending 80 million euros on James Rodriguez,
the Colombian who ended as
the top scorer in Brazil and a
further 10 million on Costa Rica
goalkeeper Keylor Navas, one
of the stars of the World Cup.
It's not sure whether Navas will
be first choice ahead of Iker
Casillas or where Rodriguez
should play or even if he should
play ahead of Angel di Maria,
whose days at the club could
be numbered if the right offer
comes in. Di Maria was arguably Madrid's best player last
season with a series of game
changing displays and his pace
and energy would be missed if
he left.
However, one man who should
make an immediate difference
is German Toni Kroos. Kroos
has to be seen as the long term
replacement for Xabi Alonso and
has shown in his appearances
that he possesses the range of
passing and the tactical awareness to fill the shoes of the Spain
international.
That is good news as Alonso is
slowing
down,
Asier
Illaramendi showed last season
that he still has a lot to learn and
with Sami Khedira in the last
year of his contract, the club is
keen to move him on, all of
which means Ancelotti is lacking defensive midfield cover.
Of course many would argue that
is not important. After all, he has
an attack which consists of
Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale
and Karim Benzema, who all guarantee goals and in the case of
Ronaldo and Bale, lightening pace
on the break. Add Isco, Rodriguez
and, for the moment at least, di
Maria to that equation and it's
clear that Real Madrid should
win majority of their league
matches against sides constructed on the basis of loans
and free transfers at a canter.
However, the departure of youngster Alvaro Morata does mean that
if there is another signing to be
made this summer it will be another No.9 to provide competition
for Benzema.
NANJING-- GOLD MEDALIST DUANGANKSORN CHAIDEE(C) OF THAILAND, SILVER MEDALIST SVETLANA SHCHERBAKOVA(L) OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND BRONZE
MEDALIST TATYANA KAPUSTINA OF KAZAKHSTAN POSE FOR PHOTOS ON THE PODIUM DURING THE AWARDING CEREMONY OF THE WOMEN?S +63KG MATCH OF
WEIGHTLIFTING EVENT AT THE NANJING 2014 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES IN NANJING, CAPITAL OF EAST CHINA'S JIANGSU PROVINCE. (XINHUA/SHEN PENG/IANS)
ARMED WITH CWG GOLD, SHUTTLER
KASHYAP READY FOR BIGGER THINGS
BY SANDIP SIKDAR
New Delhi (IANS): The Commonwealth Games gold medal is a big
motivating factor for top Indian
shuttler Parupalli Kashyap to prepare for the tougher World Championships and Asian Games.
But not much has changed for the
27-year-old after he emulated legends Prakash Pradukone (1978)
and Syed Modi (1982) by winning
the men's singles gold at
Glasgow.
"Nothing has changed in life, barring a couple of pleasant receptions on return home by the
spor ts ministry in Delhi and the
Telangana gover nment in
Hyderabad," Kashyap told IANS
from Hyderabad.
"I am happy at making it to the
record books as a gold medal
winner. Other wise there is not
much to talk about," said the
Hyderabadi.
The Pullela Gopichand protege is
now concentrating on the Aug 2531 World Championships in
Copenhagen and the Sep 19-Oct
4 Asian Games in Incheon.
"I got back to training straight after we came back as the two
events are very impor tant and I
am just concentrating on them."
The former World No.6 was aiming for a top-10 rank to earn a
better draw at the world meet.
However, a major shoulder injury
stopped him from hitting top form
CRICKET SCHEDULE
and re-entering the top-10 in the
world.
"I was aiming for a better ranking
which would have given me an
easier draw. However, I was
ranked somewhere around 20s
when the draw was made and that
explains the tough draw," said
Kashyap.
The World No.27 has drawn
Germany's Dieter Domke in the
opener at the World Championships. Though the Indian has a
strong 5-1 record against the
World No.43, Domke beat
Kashyap the last time the two
played at the Thomas Cup in New
Delhi in May.
If the Indian wins, Malaysia's
World No.1 and top seed Lee
Chong Wei will most likely be
waiting for him in the second
round. Against the Malaysian, the
Indian is yet to take a game let
alone winning in their previous
four meetings.
"I just need to play my best game.
I don't have any special plans. At
the World Championships, everyone
has a chance. The important thing
for me is to maintain my focus. It all
depends on how the conditions are
in Copenhagen," said Kashyap, who
came close to winning the bronze at
the 2013 Guangzhou World Championships.
However, the Arjuna Awardee hasn't
had much time to prepare for the
world meet due to the Commonwealth
Games which, according to him,
have been very taxing.
"I have had very little time to prepare
for the World Championships, only
about 7-10 days. CWG was a long
event, almost 20 days which included preparation time, team
championships followed by the
individual championships," said
Kashyap, who also won the CWG
men's singles bronze and the
team championship silver in 2010.
"It was physically and mentally
very taxing. Even though the level
is not that high, it drains you out.
It takes time to recover and get
back in shape for another big
tournament and I am trying my
best to get into shape for the
Copenhagen and Incheon majors."
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
WORLD KABADDI LEAGUE
TORONTO'S YO YO TIGERS REGISTER
SECOND CONSECUTIVE VICTORY
21
Delhi to double cash
incentives for medal winners
New Delhi, (IANS) The cash incentives for Delhi players winning
medals in international, national and state tournaments in all
spor ts will be doubled, Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung said Sunday.
Announcing the measure, he said that there will be liberal
allocation of funds for promotion of spor ts in Delhi.
"The allocation will be doubled in the current year and will
be fur ther increased in the coming years," he added.
Jung also directed the depar tment of education to prepare a
vision and a strategy to promote spor ts at mass level across
the city and to produce champions in every game.
The cash incentives varies from Rs 2,000 for zonal level
medal winner to Rs.1 crore for Olympics gold medal winner.
Cash incentives are being provided in 24 categories of sport
events. The Delhi government has also decided to provide cash
incentive to the coaches of spor ts persons who bring laurels to
the country in Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth
Games and World Championships.
Basketball has Olympic
dreams for 3x3 version
UNITED SINGHS PLAYER RAVI KUMAR AND BALDEV OF CALIFORNIA EAGLES IN ACTION DURING 9TH MATCH OF THE WORLD
KABADDI LEAGUE 2014 IN NEW DELHI . (IANS)
Yo Yo Tigers registered their second consecutive win by defeating
Royal Kings USA 58-54 in the 11th match of the Wave World Kabaddi
League at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here Sunday.
Last week while Yo Yo Tigers defeated Vancouver Lions while Royal
Kings USA lost to Lahore Lions during the Birmingham leg of the
international Kabaddi league.
The quar ter star ted on a balanced note with a flurry of attacks and
counter attacks by both the teams displaying some amazing moves
by the raiders at both ends. The first quar ter was dominated by
raiders leaving no scope for stoppers to ground them.
Gursewak Singh and Satish Khattar of Yo Yo Tigers were invincible with their pace, while Sohan Singh and Jaskaran Singh were
the best of the stoppers grounding the opponent on few incidents.
The second quar ter star ted on a ver y impressive note by successfully conver ting the raid into a point for Yo Yo Tigers.
Sandeep Kumar of Yo Yo Tigers won another point for the team in
the second raid made by the team. Royal Kings USA were trailing
in the first quar ter by three points but they bounced back and
scored few quick points by successfully conver ting their raids
and stops.
In the 25th minute of the quar ter Royal Kings USA's Harkirat Singh
made an amazing stop and did not let the raider move a single
step earning another point for the team.
It was a ver y intense quar ter and Royal Kings USA completely
took over and got one point lead over Yo Yo Tigers with a score of 2928 on the scoreboard.
The third quar ter star ted with an impressive note as both the teams
gave tough competition to each other. The final quar ter got more exciting as both the teams gave their best shot but Yo Yo Tigers just
managed scrape past.
MEGASTAR AMITABH BACHCHAN, ABHISHEK BACHCHAN AND AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN WITH THEIR PRO KABADDI LEAGUE
TEAM JAIPUR PINK PANTHERS AT SAWAI MANSINGH STADIUM IN JAIPU. (PHOTO: RAVI SHANKAR VYAS/IANS)
SATHIYAN, POULOMI WIN SINGLES TITLES
New Delhi (IANS): Petroleum Spor ts Promotion Board's (PSPB) G.
Sathiyan and Poulomi Ghatak emerged champions in the men's and
women's singles, respectively, in the AAI 44th Inter-Institutional Table
Tennis Championships at the Thyagraj Stadium here Friday.
Sathiyan was in a rampaging form and defeated PSPB colleague and
defending champion Soumyajit Ghosh 11-1, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9, 10-12,
11-9 in the final.
At 10-9 serving for the championship point, Sathiyan must have had
his hear t in his mouth. Luckily, the rally yielded him the last point
which came off a backhand flick. It was very badly needed as Sathiyan
had goofed it up in the previous game, as he missed two championships points while allowing Ghosh save six.
"A great victory, coming after a long time," said Sathiyan who also
bagged two more crowns here -- men's doubles with Sourav Saha
and also the team title three days ago. "I was really delighted to keep
my attacking posture right through. Credit to my coach S. Raman
(former national champion)," he added.
In the final game, Sathiyan went ahead 2-1 before letting Ghosh stage
a comeback in the fifth game. Leading comfortably at 9-5 he let the
chance go by as Ghosh, slowly but surely, closed in on to narrow down the
margin to 2-3. But in the decider, Sathiyan surged ahead with a 9-2 lead, only
to make a few errors at the net raising doubts about his ability to hold on a
bigger stage. But in the end, he came calm and clean to win the crown and
with it the winner's cheque for Rs.75,000.
Similarly, fit-again former national champion Poulomi demonstrated
that all was well with her play to defeat young Pooja Sahasrabudhe in
the women's singles final 12-10, 9-11, 11-9, 13-11, 8-11, 11-8. Poulomi
had defeated second-seed Madhurika Patkar in the semi-final.
Poulomi's effor ts fetched her Rs.58,000.
Poulomi was slow to begin but picked up steam midway, winning one
and losing one. She made several errors in the third and four th game
but managed to win the last to go 3-1 up. Never theless, the errorprone Pooja put up a semblance of fight in the fifth to win it 11-8. But
that was all she could do as the veteran Poulomi won the next rather
easily to claim the title.
For hosts Airpor ts Authority of India (AAI), a consolation title came in
the shape of women's doubles win as Nikhat Bhanu and Kritwikka
Sinha Roy combined well against the PSPB pair of Reeth Rishya and
Narasimha Priya to win 3-0. The men's doubles title went to G. Sathiyan
and Sourav Saha who beat Ghosh and Harmeet Desai 3-0.
Results:
Men (Final): G. Sathiyan (PSPB) bt Soumyajit Ghosh (PSPB) 4-2 (111, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9); Semifinals: Soumyajit Ghosh (PSPB)
bt Sanil Shetty (PSPB) 4-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10), G. Sathiyan (PSPB)
bt Sar thak Gandhi (FCI) 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7)
Doubles (Final): G. Sathiyan/Sourav Saha (PSPB) bt Soumyajit Ghosh/
Harmeet Desai (PSPB) 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-9)
Women (Final): Poulomi Ghatak (PSPB) bt Pooja Sahasrabudhe
(PSPB) 4-2 (12-10, 9-11, 11-9, 13-11, 8-11, 11-8); Semifinals: Pooja
Sahasrabudhe (PSPB) bt Mousumi Paul (PSPB) 4-2 (11-8, 9-11, 7-11,
11-3, 14-12, 11-6), Poulomi Ghatak (PSPB) bt Madhurika Patkar
(RSPB) 4-3 (2-11, 12-10, 11-13, 5-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-3)
Doubles (Final): Nikhat Bhanu/Kritwikka Sinha Roy (AAI) bt Reeth
Rishya/Narasimha Priya (PSPB) 3-0 (1107, 11-8, 11-9)
Nanjing (China), (IANS) The world governing body for basketball
FIBA is targeting the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for the 3x3 basketball.
"We have good cards to play and can give the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) something to help rejuvenate their
programme, something urban, something very youth-orientated
and something that marries technology with enter tainment,"
said FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann watching the
competition at the ongoing Youth Olympics here Sunday,
repor ts Xinhua.
FIBA made a serious push to include 3x3 for the 2016 Rio
Games but fell shor t. It had hoped to create a popular new
Olympic event, much like volleyball with the introduction of
beach volleyball and cycling with BMX.
"We wanted Rio and were very close but Rio has more
pressing issues so it is understandable that the IOC did not
change the programme. We hope that with changes in the
agenda for 2020, we will have the right flexibility and the IOC
will make its choice," Baumann said.
Baumann said this while watching the 3x3 competition here,
adding that much has changed since the spor t took its place
at the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympics. He noted the Nanjing
Games are much more competitive.
"You see Venezuela beating Russia, China beating France. That does
not happen very often in 5-on-5 and for us that is good news because
it means we are on the right track," he said.
Former Spain international Jorge Garbajosa has played the game
at all levels, including the NBA, World Championships 5-on-5
and the World 3x3 Championships. He said that while there
are similarities, the games are very different.
"You have a ball and you have a basket but the way to play is
very different. You do not have time to rest. You have to make
quick decisions which makes the game more exciting and
there is a small par ty around the game which is great for
players and fans," said Jarbajosa.
FIBA sees 3x3 basketball, which is a popular recreational
spor t around the world, as a vehicle for non-traditional
powerhouse hoopster countries to have a chance at Olympic
glor y.
New Zealand coach Anthony Corban agrees and would like to
see 3x3 in Tokyo restricted to countries not competing in 5on-5 competition, should the spor t be included in the
programme.
"It is a great spor t for development nations. New Zealand is a
developing basketball nation. Australia is the big dog in
Oceania. For a lot of those countries that can't go to the
Olympics, where it is 5-on-5, this is a great way to develop
the game. Tunisia, I had to go to Google to find out where the
country is. Andorra as well. It is good to see those countries
here."
Brazil coach Fernando Coloneze, though, disagrees with the
idea of limiting entries.
"Volleyball has regular volleyball and beach volleyball. I do not
see why you should restrict the countries," he said.
The last word went to United States coach Travis Johnson.
"It has to be the next thing. We are pushing for it to be the next
thing. It is awesome. Look how beach volleyball has taken off.
The setting on the sand with the music, that is the same thing that
FIBA is trying to do here," he said.
HAMPSHIRE RE-SIGN SOUTH
AFRICAN LEGGIE TAHIR
London (IANS): Eyeing a promotion to the top flight after three
years, English county club Hampshire have re-signed South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir for a shor t-contract subject to
visa clearance.
The 35-year-old Pakistan-born cricketer will be available for
the last two County Championship matches against Kent and
Glamorgan, repor ts BBC.
In the past, Imran, who has 40 Test wickets for South Africa,
has made 77 appearances for the club.
"It's the business end of the season and there is no (pace
bowler) Kyle Abott," Hampshire director of cricket Giles White
was quoted as saying by BBC Wednesday.
"So Imran comes in and hopefully gets us over the line in
terms of promotion. As the season goes on it's more conducive to spin, that and the fact he has been with us before
means he will fit in easily and make a difference," he said.
Imran first played for Hampshire in 2008 and his most successful season was in 2011 when he picked up 50 wickets.
But it was also in 2011 that Hampshire were relegated from
Division One of the County Championship.
They are now in Division Two and are currently second, 25
points behind leaders Worcestershire and eight ahead of Surrey in third. The top two teams will be promoted to the first
division.
22
MidWeek
bollywood
Bipasha loves being
'crusader
of horror'
in Bollywood
Bipasha Basu, who has acted in several films in the horror and supernatural genre, says she is happy being
'crusader of horror films' in Bollywood. Bipasha has acted in Aatma, Raaz, Darna Zaroori Hai, Rakht, and will
next be seen in Vikram Bhatt's Creature.
"I am a greedy actor. I want to do good...meaty roles irrespective of the genre. I am happy filmmakers think
of me when it comes to horror films. Also my roles in such films have been different and strong. I am
happy being the crusader of horror films," Bipasha said in an interview
here.
The dusky beauty however thinks the horror
genre in India is in the nascent stage.
"Horror genre is not explored much here.
This genre is in its nascent stage here in
India. There are many interesting things to
explore in horror space," she said.
But her acting in horror films has not made
her immune to fear in the real life. "Even if
there is a little noise around me, I get scared,"
she said.
Creature, she said, is different from usual ghost,
spirit and supernatural films and has a different element of fear.
"It is the first Indian creature film being made here,
the special effects are done in India. Its a bold step
and I am glad I got to be par t of this film. I don't think
we made the film thinking it as an answer to Hollywood films like Jurassic Park," Bipasha said.
"It was very difficult film for me to shoot initially as I
had to imagine the Creature. But Vikram's guidance
helped me a lot. We used to do every shot at least
three times due to technical reasons," she said.
PK row: Court asks
Aamir to reply to suit
against nude pose
A civil cour t has asked Bollywood actor Aamir Khan to file a reply to
a civil suit filed against him seeking a ban on the poster and release
of film PK, where he is seen in the buff standing on railway tracks
with a radio covering his private par ts.
The direction was given by civil judge MS Sharma who on Friday
asked Khan to file a reply by August 25.
The judge also asked the plaintiff's lawyer RN Kachave to satisfy the
cour t whether a case of obscenity and vulgarity was made out against
the actor who allegedly posed nude.
The suit, filed by activist Hemant Patil, prayed for a permanent injunction from the cour t from releasing the film all over India with a
ban on publicity and adver tisement of the nude picture of Aamir Khan
until such time the objectionable scenes are removed.
The defendants are Censor Board office bearers, actor Aamir Khan,
film's producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and director Rajkumar Hirani.
According to the suit, the nude poster which has been circulated all
over is vulgar and obscene and can corrupt the minds of the people.
This poster is being shown in newspapers and television and also on
internet since last one month, the plaintiff claimed.
The plaintiff said that Aamir is a good actor and a host of popular TV
show Satyamev Jayate. He has a good and clean image in the eyes of
public. However, by appearing nude in this poster for the sake of
publicity, the actor had done a 'shameful' act and hence he should
withdraw such obscene images immediately.
The Supreme Cour t had recently dismissed a PIL which sought a ban
on the exhibition of posters in which a semi-naked Aamir stands on
rail tracks for promoting the film PK.
The apex cour t was of the view, "If you don't like then don't watch the
film but don't bring religious facets in it," adding that, "these are matters of ar t and enter tainment and let them remain so."
JAIPUR PINK PANTHERS OWNER ABHISHEK BACHCHAN WITH HIS TEAM MEMBERS.
Stills from upcoming Tamil film Kaaviya Thalaivan. (IANS)
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