Part 1 - South Asian Daily

2
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 03,
2016
PATHANKOT AIRBASE
SECURITY WAS NOT ROBUST:
PARLIAMENTARY PANEL
NEW DELHI, (IANS) A parliamentary panel has said security at the
Pathankot airbase in Punjab was not robust and pointed out shor tcomings there ahead of the January 2 terror attack. The security cover
at the airbase was not robust and its perimeter wall was poorly
guarded and the base did not have a road around it for patrolling,
the parliamentary standing committee for home ministry said.
The repor t of the committee was tabled in parliament on Tuesday.
The committee, which visited the Indian Air Force base, questioned how terrorists from Pakistan managed to reach the airbase.
"The committee is unable to understand how despite a terror aler t
(having been) sounded well in advance, the terrorists managed to
breach the high-security airbase and subsequently attack it," the
panel said.
It asked the government to pay attention to effectively sealing the
border (with Pakistan) through increased patrolling as well as
fencing and floodlighting etc. Seven Indian security personnel
were killed in the January 2 attack at the IAF base by terrorists
who had crossed over from Pakistan.
PRINCE HARRY MET WITH PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU IN TORONTO FOR EVENTS MARKING THE COUNTDOWN TO THE 2017
INVICTUS GAMES. (PTI)
DR DHARAMVIRA GANDHI DARES AAP
LEADERSHIP TO OUST HIM FROM PARTY
BY SHAZIA MALIK
ONTARIO - I want AAP leadership to take decision on my fate and oust
me from the par ty if my political philosophy clashes with theirs. This
was stated by Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi during his interview
with Yudhvir Jaswal, Group Editor and CEO of YMedia.
Explaining fur ther his point of view he said that he joined the par ty for
the common good and bring reforms in Indian politics by starting an
anti-corruption movement but the party star ted drifting from its focal
point and thinking AAP as a democratic par ty, raised his voice against
some ills. But he clarified that the par ty has only suspended him and
not expelled him. Therefore, as an AAP worker he will keep on working for the cause of the poor.
Answering questions of the diaspora who thought Gandhi made a
wrong choice of annoying the par ty and so had to face the brunt that
can be damaging for Punjab politics, Dr Gandhi said his hear t also
feels for Punjab and has same sentiments but the Punjab unit could
not be run as a colony of Delhi. He said when a par ty is formed all
major decisions are made with the consultation of senior par ty mem-
bers. But that is not the case in AAP any more. Also the par ty was
star ted with the slogan that only clean candidates could join it but
even that has been compromised as people with dubious background
are being welcomed which he cannot tolerate. Gandhi also mentioned
that AAP is fast becoming a one-man show thinking he is par ty and
the par ty is him but that is not how they thought this par ty would be
run. This is the pattern of other political parties in India and it was this
mindset they wish to fight against.
Another caller asked him to quit if he was so unhappy with these state
of affairs. Gandhi said he would not as he has been elected by the
people of his constituency who have put their trust in him not for being
associated with AAP but for his long struggle for common man and so
he does not owe to the par ty or Kejriwal. He further explained that the
four MPs from Punjab garnered 25% of the total votes in Punjab and if
the par ty wishes to repeat the Delhi success in this province in 2017,
senior leaders must be consulted in decision making. He also urged
the community not to be fooled by a handful of oppor tunists who wish
to ruin AAP.
RAHUL AIDE INVOLVED IN
AGUSTAWESTLAND, CWG
SCAMS, ALLEGED BJP
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The BJP on Tuesday accused Kanishka Singh, an
aide to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, of being involved in
the AgustaWestland and 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) scams.
Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) MP Kirit Somaiya accused Kanishka
Singh of having shares in Emaar MGF Land Ltd., a real estate company that also has Guido Ralph Haschke, one of the accused in the
AgustaWestland case, as its director.
"Hashke is/was the Director in Emaar MGF, who was found involved
in CWG scam. Emaar MGF company was formed by family of Mr.
Kanishka Singh, who is advisor/Principal Secretary to Shri Rahul
Gandhi," Somaiya tweeted. Somaiya also appealed to the CBI and
Enforcement Directorate to
"check the connections of AgustaWestland Helicopters and Common
Wealth Games, EmarMGF company, Kanishka Singh to Rahul Gandhi."
Asked about Somaiya's allegations, Congress vice president Rahul
Gandhi accused the BJP government of targetting him. "I was always
targetted and I am happy to be targeted," he told repor ters.
Meanwhile, Kanishka Singh described "all the allegations as baseless, false and given with an ulterior political motive. Somaiya has
been making these false allegations about Kanishka Singh with
malafide intent since February 2013. Kanishka Singh rejects these
allegations in their entirety," the Congress said in a statement. "In so
far as Kanishka Singh is concerned, he has absolutely nothing to do
with the matter. Singh wishes for par ties, including AgustaWestland
or Hashke or Emaar-MGF, to be punished in the harshest possible
way if found guilty," the statement said.
Do you have Rogers or Bell?
Enjoy Channel Y on Bell for
$4, Roger for $5 per month
YUDHVIR JASWAL, GROUP EDITOR AND CEO OF YMEDIA WITH SANDIP SINGH SANGHA DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PATIALA MP
DHARAMVIRA GANDHI AND DR J S CHEEMA AT CHANNEL Y STUDIOS. CHANNEL Y CAN BE VIEWED ON ROGERS 857 AND BELL FIBE 828.
MISSISSAUGA - Good news for all Channel Y viewers as now you
can watch this 24-hour, seven-days -a-week fun-filled station on Bell
for only $4 per month. Launched by the YMedia Group the channel has
received rave reviews for the content it has been generating in a short span
of time especially its coverage of all local events missed by mainstream
media. The channel currently can be viewed on Rogers for $5. Channel Y airs
a host of shows including Punjabi and Hindi programmes, live discussions,
health shows, entertainment, sports, Hindi and Punjabi news, exclusive
interviews of government officials and global celebrities from the world of
sports and cinema.
Besides Channel Y, the group publishes a weekly English newspaper - Midweek every Tuesday. The group also has maximum number of radio hours on
770AM with three daily shows from Monday to Friday - Southasian PULSE
Morning Time from 6am to 7am; Southasian PULSE
Prime Time from 10:00am to 12 noon and Southasian PULSE Drive Time
from 3:00pm to 4pm. The group CEO also produces other shows that are
aired on Rogers basic cable 10 every Monday to Friday at 8pm. YMedia also
has an app for downloading the latest news. The group has an interactive
online portal www.SouthasianDaily.com that disseminates minute to minute
news about issues related to the South Asian community.
DETAILS ON
PAGE 23
CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON
4
MidWeek
bollywood gossip
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 03,
2016
SRK: GIRLS LOVE MY
EYES, REALLY??
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Superstar Shah Rukh Khan says that
girls often fall for his eyes. Speaking about his eyes, King
Khan said: "My eyes are bedroom eyes, they are supposed to
be sexy, they are not tired. Girls love these eyes." In a candid
conversation on #fame - live video social platform; the King
of romance takes a breather from a hectic schedule to chat
with his fans from all over the world on the sets of his upcoming film "Raees". Battling the inflow of questions from fans
with much ease and offering insights on his life and work,
Shah Rukh talks about his character in the Rahul Dholakia
directorial. Talking about his Surma (kohl) eye look from the
film, he said: "Aankhon mein kajal hai (There is kohl in my
eyes), which is very scary... everyone tells me. Mujhe bhi
lagta hai main thoda sa mean lagta hun (I also feel that I look
little mean)... industry mein kaafi saare co-actors, actors,
actresses mujhe bolte hain ki main bohot mean lagta hun
iske andar (there are many co-actors in the industry who say
that I look mean in kohl)." During
the live session, he also opened
up about his movie watching experience with son AbRam.
"Abram and I have watched
'Minions' 200 times and it is
our all-time favourite," he said.
BIPASHA BASU TIES KNOT WITH ACTOR KARAN SINGH GROVER IN MUMBAI (IANS).
Kangana's deposition after lot of delay,
drama, says Hrithik's legal team
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Kangana Ranaut, who is locked in a bitter
legal battle with actor Hrithik Roshan, finally recorded her statement
on Saturday and his legal team says a lot of delay and drama has
happened before this first step. "We welcome the move. It has taken
so long for them to take this basic first step. Recording of statement is
the first step in any investigative process. A lot of delay and drama
has happened before this first step.
"It's not for them to say if police is happy with them or not, let that
come from the investigative agencies. Let's not try and confuse the
matter fur ther with various statements. Let the investigation speak
for itself," said Hrithik's lawyers in a statement.
Kangana was asked to visit the Cyber Cell to record her statement but
had been delaying it for a long time. However, she finally recorded it
before a police team that came to her residence. However, post re-
cording her statement, Kangana's lawyer Rizwan Siddique said she
is fully convinced that there is no impostor, who sent the emails as
Hrithik claims. "My client Kangana Ranaut shall never succumb to
any pressure..... The world including people from the film industry
need to learn that in today's changing time, no woman is scared of
anything if she is fiercely determined, and has the truth by her side."
"My client knows and is fully convinced that there is no impostor as
had there really been one, than Hrithik himself would have immediately acted on my client's sister complaint which he received on his
correct email id on May 25, 2014," he said, adding "his own acts of
commissions and omissions after receipt of the said emails from my
client's sister, coupled with his blatant lies from time to time, speak
volumes of his conduct. A lot of things will soon unfold in due course
of time," he added.
BOLLYWOOD EX-ACTRESS, SPOUSE UNDER
PROBE IN NARCOTICS RACKET
MUMBAI, (IANS) Former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni and her
Kenya-based husband Vicky Goswami have come under the scanner
of police and enforcement agencies in connection with a Rs.2,000crore narcotics racket unear thed in Thane, a senior police officer
said. Last week, the Thane
police seized 18.50 tonnes
of ephedrine and 2.50
tonnes of acetic anhydride, both banned par ty
drugs valued at more than
Rs.2,000 crore in the international market, from a
pharmaceutical factory in
Solapur and other locations in Thane and
Mumbai. "It is an international racket and Vicky Goswami is the main link in it. As for Mamta
Kulkarni, we shall probe her role in the matter," Thane Police Commissioner Parambir Singh told the media here. Eight persons, including Nigerian Sipren Chinassa, have been arrested in what could be
India's biggest drug haul. The Maharashtra and Gujarat police are on
the lookout for at least four other people who are missing and repor tedly on the run.
Chinassa led the police to other accused who include Manoj Jain,
director of BSE-listed Avon Lifesciences Ltd., Punit Shringi, Pradeep
Gill, Sagar Powale, Mayur Sukdhare, Dhaneshwar Swamy and
Dnyaneshwar Dhimri. The US Drug Enforcement Administration too
has joined in the probe. The US agency met Thane police officials for
details as Goswami is allegedly
wanted in the United States. Incidentally, Vicky and Mamta were
detained by Kenyan authorities in
2014 on the charge of drug trafficking.
Goswami, 52, was earlier imprisoned for 25 years in the United Arab
Emirates in 1997 for trafficking
around 11.50 tonnes of Mandrax
but was released in November
2012 on grounds of good conduct.
In 2013, he married Mamta
Kulkarni, now 44. The couple is
repor tedly based in Mombasa in
Kenya. "During questioning, the arrested
accused revealed they had travelled to
Kenya and met Goswami with plans to
set up a drug factory in Mombasa,"
Singh said. During the 1990s, Mamta
Kulkarni was paired with some of the
top Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh
Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Saif
Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sanjay
Kapoor, Atul Agnihotri and many
more. She had par ticipated in a
TV show and bagged a Femina
award too.
SUNNY LEONE AND TANUJ VIRWANI WITH FILMMAKER JASMINE MOSES D'SOUZA AT A PRESS
CONFERENCE FOR FILM ONE NIGHT STAND IN NEW DELHI (IANS).
FARHAN SLAMS MEDIA
FOR TAKING MILKHA'S
VIEWS OUT OF CONTEXT
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, who
brought the life of Milkha Singh to the silver screen with
"Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", on Thursday extended his suppor t
to the legendary Indian athlete, saying he is "completely
entitled" to have his opinion. Farhan also condemned the
media for taking Milkha's views on superstar Salman Khan's
appointment as India's goodwill ambassador at the Rio
Olympics out of context. He said Milkha didn't "say anything against the actor".
When asked about the controversy, Farhan said: "It is genuinely not for me to decide. It is for the Indian member
committee to decide who they want to sign as an ambassador. If they feel it's the best decision then I am no
one to say anything.
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
MAY 03,
28, 2012
2016
special report
MidWeek
5
Chandigarh to host Modi on International Yoga Day
CHANDIGARH, (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join hundreds of people in Chandigarh on the occasion of International Yoga
Day on June 21. Haryana's Spor ts and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Vij
on Tuesday said the governments of Haryana and Punjab and the
Chandigarh administration would jointly host International Yoga Day
in Chandigarh on June 21.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be present on this occasion,"
Vij said here. The event, being organised by the central government,
is likely to be held at the sprawling Capitol Complex in Sector 1.
"More than 10,000 people from Haryana would par ticipate in the event.
The participants would include school and college students and teachers, Home Guards and police personnel," Vij said. The UN had listed
June 21 as International Yoga Day in 2014. The first International Yoga
Day was celebrated in New Delhi last year with Modi leading the
yoga enthusiasts.
WEARING 'PUNJABIAT' THROUGH TRADITION AND CATCHY SLOGANS
BY AASTHA AHUJA
CHANDIGARH, (IANS) This
is one thing that Punjabis
don't mind wearing on their
sleeves - 'Punjabiat'. Even
the younger generation of
Punjabis, be it in India or
abroad, are quite inclined to do
so. With the demand for
traditional Punjabi things, which
are packaged in tune with the
times and latest demand,
increasingly in the last few
years, stores dealing with
traditional items and even
catchy Punjabi one-liners are
creating business out of the
demand.
In a leading mall in Chandigarh,
where top brands vie with each
other for maximum footfalls and
selling trendy and latest stuff, a
new store has taken up the
challenge of offering the vibrant
tradition and culture rooted
in Punjab. From the signboard at the entrance, which
proudly proclaims 'Theka
Khushiyaan Da' (Vend of
happiness), the store, 'Urban
Theka', is an amalgamation
of Punjab's colour ful,
humorous and vibrant life.
This 'mini Punjab' guarantees you a true and raw
taste of Punjab. Located on
the second floor in Elante
Mall, this store can be
spotted from a distance,
thanks to its bright ambience, handmade figurines
and 'phulkaris'. "Our opening
coincided with Baisakhi -Punjab's colour ful festival.
The happiness surrounding
Baisakhi goes well with the
theme of 'Urban Theka'," I. P.
Singh, an entrepreneur, who
along with his wife, Sunny
Thakral, has painstakingly
put together the concept,
told IANS.
The husband-wife duo say
that the "idea is to merge
Punjab's age- old rural
culture with its modernity".
The trend was star ted over a
decade ago by popular brand
'1469' which cashed on the
demand for 'anything
Punjabi'. Its 'Pure Punjabi'
brand of T-shir ts have been
a runaway hit among youth
and even the older ones.
The 'Urban Theka' store
reminds one of the Punjabi
folklore and traditions with
ladies weaving and embroidering dupattas in phulkaris,
men and women doing the
'bhangra' and men with
'dhols', 'chimtas' and 'sapps'
(traditional musical instruments). "You get a feel of
rural Punjab. One can see
beautifully chiselled figurines of Punjabi women
churning butter using
'madhaani' (traditional
butter-making equipment),
women using the 'charkha'
and the like. The store also
takes you to the times of
'Bhai Kanhaiya', a Sikh
sevadar who served water
to the Mughal enemy forces
injured in the war against
the Sikh forces. Punjab's
history is highlighted
through figurines and busts
of personalities like 'Mai
Bhago', 'Banda Bahadur', a
life size statue of 'Maharaja
Ranjit Singh' and many
more," Singh said.
Other items in the store like
'bantey' (marbles), 'gulli
danda' and 'gulail' are sure
to take you down memory
lane and revive childhood
memories. To catch the
fancy of the youth, the store
sells funky T-shir ts with
quirky text like "Dheet
(stubborn) by Nature" and
"Installing muscles - Bass
Vekhi chall". The price ranges
from Rs.500 to Rs.1,500. The
outlet has been curated with
accessories that incorporate a
good, humorous style, so
typical of Punjab, which
makes it a "must own".
6
MidWeek
community
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 03,
2016
SIKH HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATED AT BRAMPTON CITY HALL
BRAMPTON - Recently the City of Brampton hosted its second annual Sikh Heritage Month reception.
This year, four outstanding citizens were honoured for their contributions to Brampton and the Sikh
community. "It is always an honour to celebrate Sikh Heritage Month at Brampton City Hall," said
Councillor Dhillon. "This year was special because we celebrated the achievements and successes of
individuals who continue to inspire us through their daily work, not only on a City level, but on an
international level."
At the annual reception, the following were recognized:
"
Jasmeet Raina (aka Jus Reign) - internet and YouTube sensation
"
Raj Ghuman - local radio host, singer, songwriter and international ar tist
"
Amrik Singh Ahluwalia - newly-appointed Chair of the Peel Police Services Board
"
Iqbal Mahal - influential media pioneer and personality
A coulourful and successful Vaisakhi event held in Downtown Toronto
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
MAY 03,
28, 2012
2016
community
MidWeek
7
FedDev Ontario Supports
Innovative Productivity
Improvements
YMEDIA TEAM - RAGHBIR CHAUHANA AND SIA LAKHANPAL WITH INDIAS TASTE OWNER RANJIT SINGH DURING A SPECIAL INTERACTION.
ONTARIO EXPANDING GO BUS
SERVICE TO BRANTFORD
ONTARIO - Premier Kathleen Wynne was at Brantford Transit today to
make the announcement. Beginning this September, Metrolinx will
introduce GO bus service between downtown Brantford and Aldershot
GO Station in Burlington, stopping at McMaster University along the
way. GO buses will run every hour during weekday peak periods and
every two hours during weekday off-peak periods and on weekends.
In total, there will be 26 trips every weekday and 18 trips on both
Saturday and Sunday.
Ontario is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in
the province's history -- about $160 billion over 12 years. This is
suppor ting 110,000 jobs every year across the province, with projects
such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals. In
2015, the province announced suppor t for more than 325 projects that
will keep people and goods moving, connect communities and improve quality of life. Expanding transit options is par t of the
government's economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its
number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-
par t plan includes investing in talent and skills, including helping
more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access
to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making
the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history and
investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth,
expor t-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians
achieve a more secure retirement.
Investing in transit strengthens our communities. Expanding GO Bus
service to Brantford is par t of our government's commitment to provide modern, accessible transit infrastructure that will reduce commute times, grow the economy and improve people's daily lives. Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario
We are responding to our local needs. This is an exciting time as the
new GO Bus servicing Brantford will give residents better transit and
a direct connection to the larger GO Transit network, improving regional mobility and helping to manage congestion. - Steven Del Duca,
Minister of Transportation
MP RAJ GREWAL, HARJIT SAJJAN HOST
LEADERSHIP EVENT IN BRAMPTON EAST
BRAMPTON - Raj Grewal, Member of Parliament for
Brampton East and the Harjit S. Sajjan, Defence Minister,
spoke about the value of public service in Brampton,
Ontario recently.Taking unfiltered questions from the
audience, both MPs discussed the impor tance of diversity
in politics, how young people can get more engaged in
public service, and the responsibilities of serving as a
Member of Parliament. Members of Parliament, Sonia
Sidhu, Ruby Sahota, and Kamal Khera, joined Grewal and
Minister Sajjan for this event.
"The people of Brampton value the role of government and
public servants. It was a pleasure to be a par t of this
wonder ful event and I'd like to thank MP Harjit S. Sajjan for
taking the time to come to Brampton." said MP Raj Grewal.
Raj Grewal was elected in October 2015 as the Member of
Parliament for the riding of Brampton East. Prior to his
election, he practiced corporate law at a Bay Street law
firm, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Grewal
holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and a
law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.
Harjt S. Sajjan is the Member of Parliament for the riding of
Vancouver South. Before entering politics, Minister Sajjan
completed his career as a detective with the Vancouver
Police Depar tment's gang crime unit. As a member of the
British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own), he
par ticipated in four operational deployments - one to Bosnia
and three to Afghanistan.
ORANGEVILLE - Ruby Sahota, Member of Parliament for Brampton
North, on behalf of Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science
and Economic Development and Minister responsible for FedDev
Ontario, has announced funding of up to $2 million to help Quality
Cheese Inc. increase its competitiveness and expand its production
capabilities. The Government of Canada is investing to help businesses and entrepreneurs become more innovative, competitive and
successful. This funding will support the installation of state-of-theart equipment at Quality Cheese Inc.'s new 64,000-square foot facility
in Orangeville, Ontario. These upgrades are expected to increase
Quality Cheese's production of specialty cheeses including brie,
camembert and blue cheese. The increased production capabilities
will also enable the company to scale up its operations to meet
growing demand in domestic and international markets.
Through this project, Quality Cheese Inc. will improve energy and
water efficiencies in their cheese production by integrating a water
management system that improves environmental performance. This
responds to an increasing number of environmentally-conscious
customers who are looking for sustainable, locally-produced cheese.
This funding will also benefit local supply chains, including Ontario
dairy farmers, as additional products will be required to meet increased production demands.
"Our Government continues to support the growth of quality manufacturers across southern Ontario. Today's funding demonstrates our
commitment to helping manufacturers increase productivity, while
using environmentally-friendly technologies. This in turn will give
them the competitive edge they need to succeed, while strengthening
Ontario's manufacturing sector and creating jobs in this region."
Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
"Our Government is proud to support companies that source local
products for use in their own operations and manufacturing. Investing
in companies such as Quality Cheese will not only help the company
grow, but will also create increased demand for Ontario's dairy farmers. It is important to support companies that actively support their
local economy and communities." - Ruby Sahota, Member of Parliament for Brampton North
ONTARIO PREMIER KATHLEEN WYNNE AND MPP AMRIT MANGAT
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Experience: 1 year to less than 2 Yrs.
Duties: Administer bedside and personal care, Assume
full responsibility for household (in absence of
householder), Provide companionship, Provide personal
care, Launder clothing and house linens, Perform light
housekeeping and cleaning duties.
Work Location: 394 Elson Street, Markham, ON, L3S
4R9. Contact Balvinder Kaur at
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CHANNEL Y TEAM COVERED NAGAR KIRTAN IN MALTON. SEEN HERE ARE (L TO R) VIC MATHARU, ONTARIO PREMIER KATHLEEN WYNNE AND SIA
LAKHANPAL. COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE EVENT CAN BE VIEWED ON CHANNEL Y THAT COMES ON ROGERS 857 AND BELL FIBE 828.
Cook wanted for an Indian Restaurant in
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Or email resume to [email protected]
8
MidWeek
opinion
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 03,
2016
'INDIA, PAKISTAN WERE POISED TO SIGN
PEACE TREATY, BUT US PLAYED SPOILER'
BY VIKAS DAT TA
NEW DELHI, (IANS) India and Pakistan had agreed on a peace
and no-war treaty and were on the verge of signing it in July
1984 before Pakistan President Zia ul-Haq, who had even
dismissed any need to discuss Kashmir, backtracked on advice
of American lawmakers, reveals former Indian foreign secretary M. K. Rasgotra. In his autobiography "A Life in Diplomacy"
(Penguin India, Rs.699), Rasgotra, who was foreign secretary
1982-85 and is now in his nineties, recalls ahead of his visit to
Islamabad, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was leaving on a
visit to the US, gave him a free hand, telling him "..you know it
all and you can talk to them about any subject they want to talk
about, including Kashmir and the No War Pact they are so keen
about". She only wanted to know if "there is a grain of sincerity"
in Gen. Zia. As Rasgotra called on him at the President's
House in Islamabad, President Zia, with the humility and charm
he was known for, was standing in the verandah close to to
where he would get out of the car and welcomed him with a big
hug. During the talks, to India's willingness to talk about
Kashmir, Zia's response was "notewor thy". "Rasgotra Sahib,
what is there to talk about Kashmir? You have Kashmir and we
cannot take it. I want you and (Pakistani foreign secretary) Niaz
Naik to work on a Treaty of Peace and Good Neighbourliness
including a No War Pact," he quoted the Pakistani leader as
saying. He said progress was made in discussions on the
agreement, to the extent that in March 1984, Niaz Naik himself
proposed that the Indian draft of a Treaty of Peace and Friendship and Pakistan's draft of a 'No War Pact' should be "merged".
By May 1984, there was "full agreement on all the six or seven
clauses in the draft treaty's preamble and also on nine out of
the eleven ar ticles of the treaty's operative par t", and both
MidWeek
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sides reached agreement on these two too.
"Accordingly Naik announced in the final plenary meeting of the
two delegations that on clauses IV and V, he and I had reached
an understanding to which he would obtain the president's
approval on his return from the UAE and we would all meet in
Delhi in July to initial or sign the treaty.
"But the July meeting never took place." According to Rasgotra,
there were two reasons why Zia changed his mind - and the
primary one was the advice of his American "well-wishers".
"While awaiting the President's return from the UAE, Naik had
telegraphed the text to Foreign Minister Sahabzada Yaqub Khan
who was on a visit in Washington DC. Khan took the text around
to his friends in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and in
the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives,
who strongly advised him against signing a treaty of that kind
with India". Rasgotra says he learnt of this from a Congressman friend of his, from his earlier stints in the US, and member
of the House Foreign Affairs Committee "asking me why we
were coercing Pakistan into signing an anti-American treaty!"
The other reason was India's current troubles in Punjab "in
which Zia-ul Haq saw an oppor tunity to weaken India by
suppor ting a violent secessionist campaign by Sikh extremist
groups lead by Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale..", says Rasgotra. On
Zia himself, Rasgotra said that he repor ted to Mrs Gandhi after
his first visit and meeting that he had "seemed anxious to win
India's goodwill, I had my doubts about his sincerity".
Rasgotra, in a repor t of his meeting with then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in 2000 (attached as an appendix to this
book) , said this Pakistani ruler was "shrewd, and perhaps also
not without cunning but he is not wily like Gen. Zia ul Haq. Nor
does he possess the bluff exuberance of Gen. Mod. Ayub Khan".
On his recommendations, he said his "gut impression" was that
Pakistan will give up sponsorship of violence only when we
(India) can demonstrate, in actual deeds, that we can hur t them
in PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) the same way they are
hur ting us in the Valley."
Can BJP emerge kingmaker in Bengal?
KOLKATA, (IANS) Eyeing double-digit number of seats in the ongoing
West Bengal assembly polls, the BJP is hoping to play the role of a
kingmaker once the results are out on May 19, asser ts its Bengal unit
chief Dilip Ghosh. Notwithstanding factionalism, organisational deficiency and dipping electoral for tunes after its splendid performance
in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Ghosh - who took over the reins last
December -- insists the BJP has left behind its tag of an "also ran" in
Bengal.
"It's a fact that BJP was never in the reckoning in Bengal. But moving
from strength to strength we're in a position of reckoning now. There
is no doubt BJP will emerge as the deciding factor. We will be the
kingmaker. We're confident of getting double-digit seats," Ghosh told
IANS in an interview.
When it was pointed out that double-digit could mean anything between 10 and 99 in the 294-member assembly, Ghosh shot back:
"That depends on one's perception. For you it can be 10, for us it can
be 99, or, may be, even more. We are confident of a good showing."
Traditionally considered weak in the state, the BJP came up with a
surprisingly inspiring per formance in the 2014 general elections.
Besides winning two seats -- Darjeeling and Asansol-- its vote-share
leapfrogged to 16.8 percent against around six percent in the 2009 Lok
Sabha elections and the measly four percent it got in the assembly
polls two years later.
Months after the 2014 general elections, the BJP won its only seat in
the present assembly in a by-poll when Samik Bhattacharya wrested
Basirhat (South) from the CPI-M. The assembly success came 15
long years after its only other legislator in the state's history - Badal
Bhattacharya - won from Ashokenagar, also in a by-poll.
However, the BJP failed to retain the momentum and suffered reverses in the state's civic polls last year, when it could not take
control of a single municipal body. Even in the metropolis, it could win
only seven of the 144 wards in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
Crediting the 2014 performance to the "wave" surrounding its then
prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Ghosh admitted that
"organisational deficiencies" led to the decline in its electoral fortunes. "It was the Modi wave that carried us forward and we couldn't
hold on to that lead because of our organisational deficiencies," said
the 52-year-old contesting from Kharagpur Sadar constituency in West
Midnapore district.
"But over the past one year, our focus has been on developing our
organisation at the grassroots and strengthening it across the state.
The results are already visible. People have star ted accepting us as
the only alternative," Ghosh added. Even as he spoke of the BJP playing a decisive role in government formation, Ghosh remained evasive on whether in case of a hung assembly, it will suppor t the Mamata
Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress or the CPI-M-led Left Front and the
Congress which have forged a tie-up. "Whether we suppor t others
and form the government or stay as the opposition can only be decided when we arrive at such a situation," Ghosh maintained.
During the campaign, the BJP's star campaigners, including Modi and
par ty chief Amit Shah, have been scathing in their attack on both the
Trinamool and the Left-Congress combine. But Ghosh insists the fight
is between development and destruction. "The election is not about
BJP fighting its political opponents, the fight is development versus
the destruction which the Congress, Left and the Trinamool have un-
leashed on Bengal during their respective regimes.
"The fight is to provide an alternative that the people of Bengal have
been yearning for decades now, having suffered at the hands of the
Congress, Left Front and now Trinamool," he maintained. Dismissing
the Left-Congress' refrain of a "Modi-Mamata" understanding, Ghosh
alleged there was bonhomie between the trio of Trinamool, Left and
the Congress. "If there is no bonhomie, then why hasn't the Narada
sting been sent to the ethics committee in the Rajya Sabha yet? They
have the majority there.
"In the Lok Sabha, we have the majority and the matter was sent to
ethics committee as soon as it came out," said Ghosh, referring to a
sting operation by Narada News in which several top Trinamool leaders have been purpor tedly seen accepting bribes.
Ghosh also said his image as an "RSS man, more than a politician",
has helped in strengthening the organisation at the grassroots and
asser ted there is no dissent or factionalism. "The RSS is synonymous with nationalism and acts as a binding force. In a democracy,
there can be dissenting voices, there can be arguments but that cannot be termed factionalism," Ghosh contended.
DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE THE PERSONAL OPINIONS OF THE AUTHORS.THE INFORMATION, FACTS OR OPINIONS APPEARING IN THE
ARTICLES DO NOT REFLECT VIEWS OF MIDWEEK AND ITS MANAGEMENT AND SO THE PAPER DOES NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR THE SAME.
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
MAY 03,
28, 2012
2016
canada
MidWeek
9
INVESTING $3 MILLION IN
CONFEDERATION COLLEGE
TORONTO MAYOR JOHN TORY AT THE BRAIN PROJECT STARTED TO RAISE AWARENESS AND FUNDS IN SUPPORT OF CARE, RESEARCH,
EDUCATION AND INNOVATION AT BAYCREST HEALTH SCIENCES - A LEADER IN THE FIELD OF AGING AND BRAIN HEALTH.
ONTARIO CONTRIBUTES $500,000 TO
EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN ECUADOR
ONTARIO - Premier Kathleen Wynne released the following
statement today to announce suppor t for relief effor ts for the people
affected by the ear thquake in Ecuador:
"Since the tragic ear thquake on April 16, our thoughts and prayers
have been with the people of Ecuador. It has been devastating to
watch the number of dead and wounded rise. But it has also been
humbling and inspiring to watch the outpouring of suppor t as
dedicated rescue workers have arrived to help and supplies have
been flown in from around the world.
Yet there are still so many who remain in desperate need of
food, water, medical care, shelter and sanitation. Our province
has a long and proud history of coming to the aid of people
around the world in times of disaster, and we will do so again.
The Ontario government will contribute $500,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to help its relief effor ts for the people of
Ecuador. These relief effor ts include providing emergency
supplies for families, as well as pre-hospital care, psychosocial suppor t, search and rescue, and suppor t for evacuation and
telecommunications throughout the country.
I want to thank the many people here in Ontario who have come
together to help, and I would encourage everyone to consider
making a personal donation to the Canadian Red Cross. On
behalf of the Government of Ontario, I offer my sincere condolences to all those who have been affected by this tragedy."
Ontario Recovers Thousands of Dollars Owed to Interns
ONTARIO - Recently Ontario recovered nearly $140,000 in wages
owed to interns at workplaces across the province. From September
1 to December 31, 2015, Ministry of Labour employment standards
officers visited 123 workplaces believed to have internship programs
and investigated whether interns were entitled to minimum wage and
other employment standards such as public holidays and vacation.
Out of the 77 workplaces that had interns:
"
18 employers (almost 25 per cent) did not meet the requirements under the Employment Standards Act (ESA)
"
18 employers (almost 25 per cent) had paid interns and
were in compliance with the ESA
"
41 employers (more than 50 per cent) were found to have
intern programs that were exempt from the ESA
The blitz found $140,630 in wages that were owed to interns, and
since that time a total of $138,731 has been recovered. This includes:
"
$85,968 in owed wages voluntarily paid by 13 employers
"
$52,763 in owed wages recovered by the ministry through
orders issued to four employers
"With very few exceptions, unpaid internships are illegal, and it's
imperative that employers know their obligations to interns and are
following the rules. If you work in Ontario as an intern, and are not
exempt, you deserve to get paid at least minimum wage and receive
other entitlements under the Employment Standards Act. This blitz
shows us there are still employers who don't understand or decide
not to follow the rules, and we will continue to work to level the
playing field for those that do follow the rules. We will also continue to
work to ensure everyone doing an internship is treated fairly and their
rights are respected."- Kevin Flynn, Minister of Labour
ONTARIO - Ontario is expanding postsecondary education oppor tunities in Nor thwestern Ontario by making investments
totalling $3 million in Confederation College's campuses in
Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout. In Thunder Bay, Premier
Kathleen Wynne announced the investments in the two facilities, which are targeted to open in September 2017.
The province will provide $2 million through the Nor thern
Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) for a Student
Wellness Centre on the college's main campus in Thunder Bay.
It will be a venue for students and the community to improve
their physical and mental health in new athletic facilities, meeting and training space. Ontario will also invest $1 million
through the NOHFC in a new facility to house Confederation
College's Sioux Lookout campus.
The college is developing the facility within the new Sioux
Lookout High School that the Keewatin-Patricia District School
Board is building, which will enable the college and high school
to share resources such as labs and shops. These cost efficiencies and modern facilities will allow the college to expand enrolment and add new programs that teach skills local employers are looking
for, including hospitality, culinary arts, environmental sciences and applied health sciences. This investment will open up new possibilities for
students and build up communities in Northwestern Ontario. We are
strengthening postsecondary education as part of our plan to make sure
that people in every corner of Ontario have the opportunity to achieve their
full potential. - Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario
We're so proud to be providing a total of $3 million to support the building of
these two new facilities that will provide additional space for the College to
expand and deliver innovative and exciting programs for their students
here in Northwestern Ontario. - Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern
Development and Mines These two projects will further solidify
Confederation College's connection with the local communities
they operate in, while encouraging more local youth to par ticipate in postsecondary education. - Reza Moridi, Minister of
Training, Colleges and Universities.
CANADIAN ECONOMY
SHRINKS IN FEBRUARY
OTTAWA - After rising for four consecutive months, real gross
domestic product edged down 0.1% in February. The output of
goods-producing industries declined in February, while the
output of service-producing industries was essentially unchanged. After increasing 0.9% in January, the output of goodsproducing industries contracted 0.6% in February primarily as
a result of decreases in manufacturing and mining, quarrying, and oil
and gas extraction. Declines were also registered in the agriculture
and forestry sector as well as in utilities. Construction edged up.
The output of service-producing industries was essentially unchanged
in February, after rising for four consecutive months. A notable decline in wholesale trade was offset by gains in retail trade and, to a
lesser extent, the public sector (education, health and public administration combined) and accommodation and food services.
Wholesale trade contracted 1.8% in February after rising the previous
three months. Most subsectors were down. Retail trade expanded
1.4% in February, after rising 1.6% in January. After rising the previous
three months, manufacturing output fell 0.8% in February. Durablegoods manufacturing was down 1.8% in February, after expanding for
three consecutive months. Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction declined 0.8% in February, after increasing 1.0% in January. Following a 1.9% increase in January, support activities for mining and
oil and gas extraction retreated 5.1% in February. The oil and gas
extraction contracted 0.6%, mainly as a result of a 1.7% decline in
non-conventional oil extraction. Conventional oil and gas extraction
increased 0.4%. Mining and quarrying (excluding oil and gas extraction) grew 0.5% as a result of an increase in metal ore mining. Decreases were registered in non-metallic mineral and coal mining.
Construction edged up 0.1% in February along with the public sector
(education, health and public administration combined) and the finance and insurance sectors. Accommodation and food services
rose 0.7%, transportation and warehousing services declined 0.2%
in February, and Utilities decreased 0.2% also.
PROPOSAL TO BAN MENTHOL
IN MOST TOBACCO PRODUCTS
PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU MET WITH THE FILE HILLS QU APPELLE TRIBAL COUNCIL (PHOTO BY ADAM SCOTTI).
OTTAWA - Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, has announced
consultations on proposed amendments that would restrict
menthol flavoured tobacco products on the Canadian market and would
further protect youth from the dangers of tobacco use. The proposal would
build on changes that came into force in 2009 and 2015, which banned the
use of certain additives, including flavours like chocolate and bubble gum,
in all cigarettes, blunt wraps and most cigars including little cigars, to
make them less attractive to youth. This new proposal would expand on
these restrictions by prohibiting menthol, an additive used by tobacco
manufacturers to improve the palatability of their products and increase
their appeal. A 30-day consultation period will begin when a notice describing the proposal is published in Canada Gazette, Part I on April 30,
2016. Interested parties are encouraged to submit their comments on the
proposal online or via regular mail during the consultation period. "Tens of
thousands of Canadians die each year from smoking-related illness and
studies have shown that the younger a person starts smoking, the greater
the risk of premature death. By banning menthol flavouring, which is
shown to be popular amongst those under 25, we can help steer youth
away from experimenting with tobacco in the first place." - Jane
Philpott, Minister of Health
416-907-4420
10
MidWeek
PRINCE HARRY, PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU AND PREMIER KATHLEEN WYNNE MEET AT
THE INVICTUS GAMES ANNOUNCEMENT IN TORONTO.
canada
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 03,
2016
Leader of the Official Opposition Patrick Brown and MPP Todd Smith (Prince Edward-Hastings)
celebrated Vaisakhi by hosting a Sikh Heritage Month Reception at Queen's Park. They were joined
by many prominent members of the Sikh community.
Securing New Chinese Investment to Create Green Jobs
ONTARIO - Last week Deputy Premier Matthews and Minister Chan par ticipated in a successful investment roundtable discussion and the renewal of a long-time friendship agreement between Ontario and
Henan Province, China, while also securing an investment in green energy innovation.
In Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of Henan Province, the Ministers hosted an investment roundtable
and delivered a compelling business case for Ontario as a choice destination for 25 Chinese investors
considering Nor th American expansion oppor tunities. Following the roundtable, HauHauNiu Milk
Industry Inc. and the Henan Medical Devices Association expressed interest in visiting Ontario to
learn more about Ontario's dairy and medical devices sectors respectively.
Also in Zhengzhou, Deputy Premier Matthews renewed a friendship agreement with Henan Province
that was first signed in 2007. The agreement will encourage economic cooperation and trade between the two provinces, as well as advance their exchanges in the fields of education, tourism and
culture.
While in Shanghai, the Ministers witnessed the signing of a green energy agreement that will see
Menergy Corporation of Ontario collaborate with four Chinese par tners to establish a Green Energy
Innovation Centre in the Greater Toronto Area. This investment in Ontario will help to showcase
green energy solutions, act as an incubator for green energy companies and create market access
for Canadian products in China. The project is expected to create 125 green jobs by 2021.
Finally in Shaoxing, the Ministers toured the headquar ters of Wanfeng, the parent company of
Meridian, to learn about their investments in Ontario and potential plans for expansion. Meridian
operates a facility in the London, Ontario area that produces magnesium and aluminum cast products for
the global transpor tation industry, and a flight school in southwestern Ontario.
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
MAY 03,
28, 2012
2016
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11
33 with criminal cases, 15
crorepatis in Bengal last phase polls
KOLKATA, (IANS) At least 33 candidates have criminal cases
pending against them while 15 candidates are crorepatis of
the 170 contestants in the fray in the sixth and last phase of the
West Bengal assembly elections. Twenty five constituencies
spread across the twin districts of Cooch Behar and East
Midnapore will go to the polls on May 5 in the last phase.
According to a repor t released by the West Bengal Election
Watch, of the 33 candidates with criminal cases, 27 face serious charges including murder. Trinamool with seven has
fielded the most number of candidates with criminal cases,
followed by the BJP with six, while the CPI-M and the Forward
Bloc each have two such nominees.
The BJP's Dadhiram Ray, contesting from Mekhliganj in Cooch
Behar, faces the most number of criminal charges, 118, of
which 54 are serious charges. On the financial front, there are
15 crorepatis (multi-millionaires) in the fray. The Trinamool
heads the crorepati list with eight nominees, while the CPI-M,
Congress and the Forward Bloc each have one such nominee.
Centre realized mistake of calling
off talks with Pakistan: Omar
MEMBERS OF ALL-DELHI TEMPO AND MINI TRUCK OWNERS UNION PROTESTING AGAINST GREEN TAX AT JANTAR MANTAR (IANS).
MODI HAS FAILED TO FULFILL
PROMISES: KANHAIYA KUMAR
PATNA, (IANS) JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Sunday said
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has failed to fulfill any of his promises. "There has been no relief from price hike nor have people got
jobs as promised," Kanhaiya Kumar said at an event in Patna, which
was marred by people waving black flags at him.
Asser ting that freedom of speech was his right, the Jawaharlal Nehru
University Students' Union president said Modi had promised to bring
back the black money stashed in other countries and deposit Rs.15
lakh in everyone's bank accounts. "I have been checking my bank
account daily, but Rs.15 lakh as promised by Modi is yet to come," he
said during his 80-minute speech in Hindi.
"Modi-ji, how do I remain silent and not speak against you," he asked
at the event which was organised by the All India Students Federation. As Kanhaiya Kumar addressed the packed S.K. Memorial Hall in
Patna, two youths waved black flags and raised slogans of 'Bharat
Mata Ki Jai'. Both youths were thrashed by Kanhaiya Kumar's suppor ters despite his repeated requests to them not to do so.
Police detained the youths, allegedly associated with a Hindutva
organisation. The JNU student leader said he was not scared of anything. "Whether you hurl a shoe or a stone at me or oppose me, I will
continue to speak. Such opposition will not demoralise me," he said.
Kanhaiya Kumar said there was need to differentiate between "Modi
bhakti and desh bhakti".
Kanhaiya Kumar said poor people hardly get bank loans, while "only
capitalists get loans from banks... they do not repay the loans and
instead they fly to London overnight" -- a reference to industrialist
Vijay Mallya, who is in Britain after defaulting on a bank loan of over
Rs.9,000 crore.
RELAX DIESEL CAB BAN: DELHI GOVERNMENT URGES SC
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Delhi government on Tuesday urged the Supreme Cour t to relax its order banning cabs operating on diesel, as
protesting taxi drivers created a gridlock in large par ts of the national capital region for the second day.
The bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur asked the city government to give a roadmap for phasing out diesel cabs and switching
over to cleaner compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel.
The government told the cour t that it will file a roadmap by Tuesday evening after which the matter was listed to be heard on Wednesday.
The Delhi government later sought two days' time to submit the roadmap. Thus, the consideration of the plea for relaxation of the April
30 ban order is unlikely to take place on Wednesday.
The cour t on Tuesday said its order to ban diesel taxis was not to cause any inconvenience to the people but to curb rising pollution in
the capital, considered one of the worst polluted cities in the world.
As the Delhi government said it was "fully committed to tackling pollution" but "a problem has arisen for the citizens", the bench said:
"We also don't intent to create a human problem but whenever such measures are taken it does lead to some inconvenience."
The court had on April 30 refused extension of time to diesel cab operators for switching over to CNG, saying it had already given several
extensions and could not go on extending it.
SRINAGAR, (IANS) Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the central government
had "thankfully realized its mistake of calling off talks with
Pakistan on the issue of separatist leaders meeting the Pakistan high commissioner". Speaking to repor ters on the sidelines of a National Conference (NC) function here, Omar said:
"We had said that time that it was a mistake to call off talks
with Pakistan. "Thankfully, they (central government) have
realized the mistake now." Omar was referring to Minister of
State External Affairs V.K. Singh's written reply in the Parliament on the issue. In a reply in parliament, Singh said, "Since
the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral par t of
the Union of India and these so-called Kashmiri 'leaders' are
Indian citizens, there is no bar on their meetings with representatives of any country in India." One of the reasons for
which the dialogue process between New Delhi and Islamabad
was halted by the central government was the invitation and
subsequent meetings of local separatist leaders with the Pakistan high commissioner in Delhi just ahead of bilateral official talks. The NC working president also alleged the state
government headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti "is without any vision and direction. You cannot see this government
on the ground as it does not exist there."
Forest fires ravage 3,000 hectares
in Himachal, rains in store
SHIMLA, (IANS) Summer fires in Himachal's grasslands and
forests have caused 378 incidents, mainly in the low hills,
and destroyed flora and fauna in over 3,000 hectares, a senior
forest official said on Monday. But a major relief is store, with
the state's weather depar tment forecasting rain on Tuesday.
"The sudden rise in mercury and the prolonged dry spell are
mainly the reasons for these forest fires. Most of the firerelated cases are from the Shivalik ranges in Bilaspur,
Hamirpur, Kangra, Solan and Sirmaur districts and a majority
of them are ground fires," principal chief forest conservator
S.P. Vasudeva told IANS.
Records of the forest depar tment said 22 percent or 8,267
sq.km of the total forest area in the state is fire-prone. A majority of the fires were repor ted from the pine forests since
during summer, the trees shed pine needles that are highly
inflammable due to the rich content of turpentine oil.
The pine forests are found up to an altitude of 5,500 feet. Forest fires have also threatened the existence of the world heritage Kalka-Shimla rail line at several points near Dharampur
town, 65 km from here. "Both sides of the track were under
fire but the fire was doused after some hours. The rail traffic
was affected for sometime but now normal traffic has been
restored," a senior Indian Railways official said.
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Haryana government withdraws
facilities for ex-CMs
CHANDIGARH, (IANS) The Haryana government on Friday announced that various facilities, including cabinet minister status, for former chief ministers would be withdrawn. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister
Manohar Lal Khattar here on Friday.
Other facilities include a government bungalow, official car, staff and other
facilities to which cabinet ministers are entitled to. "In view of the resentment among the public and political parties on the facilities of cabinet
minister to ex-chief ministers at state headquarters, the state government
has decided to withdraw these facilities," a government spokesman said
after the meeting. The facilities were extended to former chief ministers by
the Congress-led government in May 2013. Terming the facilities a "burden on the state exchequer", Haryana's leader of opposition Abhay Chautala
last week urged the government to withdraw the same. In a letter to
Khattar, the Indian National Lok Dal leader said the facilities were extended
to ex-chief ministers by the previous Congress government headed by
Bhupinder Singh Hooda towards the fag end of its term.
AAP to launch anti-drugs
campaign in Delhi, Punjab
DIESEL CAB OWNERS STAGE A DEMONSTRATION AGAINST SUPREME COURT BAN ON DIESEL VEHICLES IN NEW DELHI (IANS).
PUNJAB SEEKS MORE WB AID FOR
WATER SUPPLY, SANITATION SCHEMES
CHANDIGARH, (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on
Thursday urged the World Bank to sanction additional funds for the
timely execution of water supply and sanitation schemes in waterlogged areas of the state. The chief minister said nearly 40,000 toilets
needed to be constructed in waterlogged areas, with each toilet costing around Rs.28,400. The construction cost in normal areas comes
to Rs.15,000. The additional cost should be provided by the World
Bank so that the task could be completed within the scheduled time
limit, Badal said while reviewing the progress of the ongoing World
Bank-funded schemes in the state. World Bank team leader Srinivasa
Rao Podipireddy told Badal that the water supply schemes have been
implemented in 317 villages. Work on 194 other such schemes has
been initiated. As many as Rs.305 crore were released during the last
fiscal, while budgetary allocation of Rs.403 crore has been made for
this fiscal. Additional works wor th Rs.960 crore have been proposed
for the 2016-17 fiscal.
Congress, AAP want to turn Punjab into desert: Badal
CHANDIGARH, (IANS) Urging people not to spare water from Punjab's rivers to other states, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on
Wednesday said the Congress and AAP wanted to turn the state into a deser t. Addressing public meetings in Muktsar Sahib district, the
chief minister said these par ties were inimical to the development of Punjab as they were weaving plans to deprive the Punjabis of their
river waters. Cautioning the people not to fell prey to "malicious propaganda" of the Aam Aadmi Par ty and the Congress, he said both
these parties were hell bent upon ruining the state. Soliciting the suppor t of people for saving the waters of Punjab's rivers, Badal said:
"All of us will have to struggle relentlessly to ensure that not even a single drop of water is taken away from us."
Criticising the AAP leadership for adopting double standards over sharing the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal water with neighbouring
Haryana, Badal said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's anti-Punjab mindset had been exposed in its affidavits submitted in the
Supreme Cour t. He said Kejriwal hailed from Haryana and so was naturally inclined towards safeguarding the interests of his parent
state and nothing good for Punjab could be expected from him.
Gujarat to give 10 per cent quota for economically backward classes
GANDHINAGAR, (IANS) Ten per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions will be given to the economically
backward classes (EBCs) in Gujarat, the ruling BJP announced. The reservation will be extended to all castes not covered under the
existing 49 per cent for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBC). The quota will be extended to those
whose annual income was Rs6 lakh or less, Gujarat BJP president Vijay Rupani told the media at the par ty headquar ters, flanked by
Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and senior minister Nitin Patel. An ordinance on the issue will be issued on May 1, the foundation day
of Gujarat. A bill will be introduced later in the state assembly, he said. The decision on more reservation in Gujarat was taken in a core
panel meeting chaired by national BJP president Amit Shah on Friday morning at the state Bharatiya Janata Par ty headquar ters here.
Rupani said the state government will defend the ordinance in both the high cour t and the Supreme Court, if need be.
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) is all set to
launch an anti-drugs campaign, primarily in Delhi and Punjab,
a par ty source said on Friday. The campaign, "Ek Nasha",
comes at a time when the party has stepped up its effor ts to
win next year's assembly elections in Punjab.
"A big awareness campaign is going to be launched in Delhi
and Punjab. Our leader Kumar Vishwas will be the face of the
campaign," the source told IANS. "We are trying to bring on
board some NGOs which work on anti-drug awareness and some of the
victims who have been rehabilitated to create an understanding among
people on the hazards of consuming drugs." The widespread consumption of drugs is a major problem in Punjab. According to a National Drug
Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) report, opioids worth Rs.7,500
crore are consumed in Punjab every year. Of these, heroin's share totals
Rs.6,500 crore. Based on previous studies, Punjab's opioid dependents
are four times more than the global average.
"While around 2.3 lakh people are opioid-dependent in Punjab, around 8.6
lakh are estimated to be opioid users. Heroin-dependents are the highest
at 123,414," the report says. AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal has blamed a section of police, bureaucrats and politicians
for the spread of drugs in Punjab.
Punjab to spend Rs.3,500 crore
on urban mission: Sukhbir
CHANDIGARH, (IANS) Aiming to accelerate the pace of development works in the state, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister
Sukhbir Singh Badal has announced the government would
spend Rs.3,500 crore on strengthening urban infrastructure.
Presiding over a meeting here called to review the status of
urban projects, he said the state would develop a world-class
infrastructure in the towns and cities and make them cleaner.
Badal said to give practical shape to the state urban mission,
Rs.1,500 crore have been released to the depar tment of local
government and directions have been issued to release another instalment of the same amount. He asked the local bodies depar tment to accord priority to developing and strengthening roads and streets in towns where sewerage and water
supply works have been completed.
General Accounting & Bookkeeping
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Iran, South Korea ink energy
cooperation agreement
TEHRAN, (IANS) National Iran Gas Expor ts Company and the
Korean Gas Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here on Sunday to cooperate in energy sector, Petro Energy Information Network repor ted. Under the
deal, Iran will expor t liquefied natural gas to South Korea and
the two countries will cooperate on exchanging related experiences in the gas industry, Xinhua repor ted.
The agreement is signed concurrent with the arrival of the
South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Iran's capital
Tehran. Park's visit is aimed at the talks on bilateral ties
and economic cooperation as well as regional and international issues. During her three-day visit, Park will meet
with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and a number of
senior Iranian officials to discuss topics of mutual interest. Tehran and Seoul will sign a number of MoUs that
touches the fields of energy and telecommunications, to
enhance their cooperation.
Twin car bombs kill 33 in Iraq
DEMONSTRATORS MARCH IN PROTEST AGAINST FRENCH GOVERNMENT'S REFORM OF THE LABOR CODE, IN PARIS, FRANCE (IANS).
Will get F-16s from elsewhere,
Islamabad warns Washington
ISLAMABAD, (IANS) Pakistan will acquire F-16 fighter jets from elsewhere if the US does not arrange funding for the sale, Sar taj Aziz, the
prime minister's adviser on foreign affairs, cautioned the US as both
countries lock horns over the purchase of the multirole warplanes.
Pakistan had earlier reached an understanding with the US for buying
eight F-16 jets. Under the deal, Pakistan was required to pay about
$270 million from its national fund. The US was supposed to provide
the rest from its Foreign Military Financing Fund. But at a congressional hearing, US lawmakers last Wednesday made it clear that they
would not allow the Obama administration to use US funds for the
deal. Last Friday, a State Depar tment official told Dawn that Congress
had placed a hold on the deal, forbidding the administration from
using US funds for enabling Pakistan to buy the warplanes.
On Monday, the depar tment confirmed that Pakistan will have to use
its own funds if it wants the planes. The latest announcement practi-
cally kills the deal as Pakistan may find it difficult to buy the planes at
a price that is two-and-half times more than previously agreed. Aziz
said Pakistan valued the F-16s for their effectiveness, but said that
they could be replaced by JF-17 Thunder jets in its anti-terrorism
campaign, Dawn repor ted. The JF-17 Thunder fighter jet has been
jointly developed by China's Aviation Industry Corporation of China
(AVIC) and its Pakistani par tner, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex
(PAC). Earlier Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to Prime Minister
on Foreign Affairs, also said that bringing Congress around to the
deal was the (President Barack) Obama administration's job.
"There is a strong opposition to provide subsidised arms to other
countries in the US Congress, but the Obama administration's offer of
military aid to Pakistan still stands," Fatemi said. "Pakistan has already rendered great
services in the war against terror, so its case is strong."
Pakistan slams Donald Trump on release of 'CIA doctor'
ISLAMABAD, (IANS) Pakistan on Monday condemned remarks by US Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump that he would ensure Pakistani physician Shakil Afridi, who allegedly helped the US kill Osama bin
Laden, was freed from jail within two minutes.
Afridi, who is known in Pakistan as a CIA doctor and has been described as
a hero in the US, is serving a 33-year-long jail term for treason. Trump, who
is famous for his controversial statements, talked about the Pakistani doctor
in a recent interview with Fox News. "I think I would get him out in two
minutes. I would tell them (Pakistan) let him out and I'm sure they would let
him out," Trump said. Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said
the fate of Shakil Afridi was going to be decided by the Pakistani courts and
Pakistan government and not by Donald Trump even if he becomes the
President of the US. "Shakil Afridi is a Pakistani citizen and nobody else has
the right to dictate to us about his future," the interior minister said responding
to Trump's interview. Khan said it is not only about Shakil Afridi but Trump's
perception, and the comments about Pakistan in his interview are highly
misplaced and unwarranted. "Contrary to Trump's misconception, Pakistan
is not a colony of the US of America. He should learn to treat sovereign
countries with respect. Donald Trump also seems to be ignorant, historically,
of the huge scarifies Pakistan and its people have made while standing with
or supporting US policies over the years." Trump also said he plans to leverage US aid, "because we give a lot of aid to Pakistan. We give a lot of money
to Pakistan." But the Pakistani Minister said the "peanuts" that the US has
given to Pakistan in return should not be used to threaten or browbeat the
country into following Trump's misguided vision of foreign policy.
Saarc ministerial
in Nepal to forge
cooperation on
migrants' rights
BY ANIL GIRI
KATHMANDU, (IANS) The eightmember Saarc grouping has for
the first time star ted exploring
possible areas of cooperation to
ensure the rights of their migrant
workers who go to the Gulf and
Malaysia. The migration issue
was included among the areas of
cooperation during the 18th Saarc
Summit in Kathmandu, in November 2014.
Nepal is hosting the first Saarc
ministerial summit, which began
on Tuesday, to finalize the first
Saarc Labour and Migration Action Plan and will approve a regional body to cope with the issue jointly. South Asia is home to
36 million migrant workers, said
Nepal Labour Minister Deepak
Bohara inaugurating the regional
South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (Saarc) meet.
"Most Saarc nations send labour
to the Gulf and Malaysia, which
is common in the region, and we
have to make a common position
on migrants' rights," he added.
India sends the largest number
of migrant workers among Saarc
nations and receives the highest
remittance in the region.
The conference will seek possible
areas of collaboration among the
South Asian nations on the protection and promotion of the rights of
labourers and migrant workers as
agreed among the heads of states at
the last Saarc summit, said Nepal's
labour ministry in a statement.
Baghdad, May 1 (IANS) At least 33 people were killed and
63 others injured on Sunday in two car bomb explosions in
Muthanna province of Iraq, a security source said. "Our repor ts said that 33 civilians were killed and 63 others wounded
by the massive blasts of two car bombs in central Samawa,"
the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The attacks
occurred around noon when one booby-trapped car parked
near the provincial government compound detonated, while
another car bomb ripped through a busy parking lot in alSharji district in downtown Samawa, the source said. Earlier, the source put the toll at 20 killed and more than 40
wounded. Iraq has been witnessing a wave of violence since
the Islamic State group took control of par ts of Iraq's nor thern and western regions in June 2014.
ABU SAYYAF FREES 10
INDONESIAN HOSTAGES
MANILA, (IANS) The Philippines-based extremist group Abu
Sayyaf has released 10 Indonesian sailors it had held hostage. The maritime company for which the Indonesian hostages were working and whose vessel was hijacked towards
the end of March, paid a million-dollar ransom to Abu Sayyaf
on Friday for their release, EFE news repor ted. Sources
claimed the sailors were handed over to authorities earlier
on Sunday in front of the residence of the governor of the
island of Jolo. The release comes six days after Abu Sayyaf
decapitated a 68-year-old Canadian hostage, John Ridsdel,
after the deadline it set to receive a $6.4 million ransom for
him expired. Ridsdel was abducted along with fellow countryman Rober t Halla, Norway's Kjar tan Sekkingstad and a
Filipina, Marites Flor, in September last year. The jihadi group carries out frequent kidnappings to secure ransoms with which it finances
its operations. It is still holding nine other foreigners captive -- four
Indonesian fishermen, four Malaysians and Dutch national
Ewold Hurn -- as well as Halla and Sekkingstad.
IS more dangerous in Europe
than Al Qaeda was in 1990s
WASHINGTON, (IANS) The threat against Europe from the
Islamic State (IS) militants is worse than the threat from Al
Qaeda was in the late 1990s, a US exper t has said. "I think
the situation in Europe is even more dire than what was
happening with Al Qaeda in the 1990s," Colin P. Clarke, an
associate political scientist at the US think tank RAND Corporation, told Xinhua news agency.
IS was not only on the march in the Middle East by taking
over large swaths of land in Iraq and Syria but had shown its
teeth by launching a series of horrible terror attacks all over
Europe. In November, IS gunmen killed 130 victims in a vicious attack in Paris that made headlines worldwide.
And just last month, the IS struck again in Brussels, simultaneously setting off three nail bombs -- bombs packed with
nails that fly out at lighting speed and pierce through flesh -at an airpor t and metro station that killed more than 30 victims. These terror attacks reminded people of the one
launched by Al Qaeda, the terror group run by terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, against the US homeland on September 11, 2001 that killed about 3,000 people in New York
and Washington DC.
US top intelligence official James Clapper said earlier this
week that the Islamist radicals have cells in Britain, Germany and Italy. He made the comments just after US President Barack Obama asked European leaders to step up their
effor ts and contribute more to the fight against IS.
Russia, US urge strict
observance of truce in Syria
MOSCOW, (IANS) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
and US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday urged the
conflicting par ties in Syria to strictly abide by the cease-fire
regime. In a phone conversation, the two sides stressed the
need to ensure Syria's cessation of hostilities with the exception of the fight against terrorist groups in the war-torn
country, the Russian foreign ministry said in an online statement. Moscow and Washington, as co-chairs of the International Syria Suppor t Group, vowed to take fur ther steps to
prepare for the next talks aimed at finding a political settlement of the
five-year-long crisis, the statement added. The Russia, US backed plan
for cessation of hostilities took effect late February. The truce has been
kept despite sporadic violations until the last few weeks, when the truce
regime has been put to test and even collapsed in certain areas in Syria.
Earlier in the day, Kerry during his trip in Geneva, Switzerland,
called on all par ties to the Syrian conflict to end violence and
restore cease-fire in a bid to salvage the regime in Syria.
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TUESDAY, MAY 03,
2016
Pakistani female activist wins
Nelson Mandela award
JOURNALISTS PROTESTING AGAINST KILLING OF A JOURNALIST BY SOME POLITICAL GROUPS 11 YEARS AGO AT FORT
RAILWAY STATION IN COLOMBO, SRI LANKA.
TONY BLAIR COURTED CHINA FOR
SAUDI PRINCE'S OIL FIRM
WASHINGTON, (IANS) Tony Blair obtained a "blessing" from Chinese leaders for a company owned by a Saudi prince to do business in Beijing as part
of an arrangement that paid the former British prime minister's firm 41,000
pounds a month and a two percent commission on any multimillion-pound
contracts he helped to secure. A series of documents show how Blair courted
Chinese leaders in 2010 and then introduced them to the Saudi-owned company PetroSaudi that he worked with. The company was not allowed to
divulge his role without permission, the Guardian cited a contract as saying.
The emails suggest PetroSaudi was told of fears that the city regulator was
targeting Blair over concerns he was not just opening doors but arranging and
advising on deals for investors -- a regulated corporate function that he is not
authorised to conduct. Blair began lobbying for PetroSaudi, a London-based
company co-owned by Prince Turki bin Abdullah -- the son of Saudi Arabia's
then monarch -- in the summer of 2010.
By the end of the year, the emails show, the former prime minister had
arranged a meeting between the chair of the China National Petroleum Corporation, one of the largest companies in the world, and PetroSaudi in Saudi
Arabia. During discussions over the proposed hiring of Blair in November
2010, PetroSaudi pressed for him to "help deliver transactions, not just make
the intros". However, this did not prove possible. In email correspondence,
PetroSaudi explained that Blair's team could not arrange deals "as this could
deem TB to be carrying out regulated activities. Certain people at FSA [the
ISLAMABAD, (IANS) Pakistani activist Tabassum Adnan, who fights for
women's rights, has won the Nelson Mandela - Graça Machel Innovation
Award 2016, it was reported recently. The award was publicly announced
on Thursday in Colombia, Geo News said. Adnan received the award in
the individual activist category, Geo News reported. The Swat Valley resident is the founder of Khwendo Jirga, the first women-only 'jirga' in Pakistan. Married at age 13, Adnan suffered 20 years of physical and mental
abuse before she divorced her husband, causing her to lose her children,
her home and money, Geo News said. She started her NGO, Khwendo
Jirga (Sister's Council), which meets weekly to address issues of women's
right, including honour killings, and acid attacks. The jirga campaigns for
women in Swat Valley, including issues related to women's security and
their voting rights. In March 2015, Adnan, from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, was awarded the International Women of Courage award in the US.
Taliban can't discus border with
Pakistan: Afghanistan
Financial Services Authority] are out to get him. In summary, TBA [Tony Blair
Associates] has said TB will assist in delivering transactions but cannot
have it on paper that this might be the case (which no doubt still causes potential
problems with the FSA)." A spokesman for the former prime minister said "his role
was made known to the regulators ... and he has never undertaken any
activity other than making introductions. He does not do 'deals'."
KABUL, (IANS) Kabul has reacted sharply to the Taliban leaders' visit to Pakistan shor tly after the group announced it will
hold talks on refugees and border issues with the Pakistani
authorities. Taliban will never have the authority to discuss the
border issues, considering the international laws, the Afghan
presidential palace said in a statement.
It called on Pakistan to maintain its relations with the government of Afghanistan and respect the national sovereignty of the country.
According to the statement, the visit by Taliban delegation from Qatar to
Pakistan was "vague" since the terror groups are not allowed to visit
nations. Noting the visit by the Afghan refugees minister to Pakistan last
week, the statement said the government has continuously worked
with Islamabad and international organisations to assess the
situation of the refugees.
80 PERTOSA DRIVE, UNIT 12,
BRAMPTON ONT., L6X 5E9
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Sharif launches National Health
Programme in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD, (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
on Monday inaugurated the National Health Programme in the
country's southwestern province of Balochistan. According to reports, the National Health Programme under which 300,000 poor
patients were likely to avail free treatment, will initially be launched
in Quetta, Loralai, Turbat and Lasbela districts of Balochistan.
"The programme has been launched to provide health facilities to
people living below poverty line," Sharif said during an address in
the Balochistan Governor House, the Express News reported. "Some
76,000 families in Balochistan will receive their national health cards
today," the premier said, adding that through this programme, the
poor can get treated for fatal diseases without spending any money.
"We need to change the political culture in the country," he added.
"We have to change the ongoing culture in which only the wealthy
and powerful have privileges. Providing the nation with health
facilities, education and employment is not a favour, it is each
citizen's fundamental right," Sharif added.
SRI LANKA, CHINA TO HOLD
DISCUSSIONS ON FTA
GARMENT WORKERS MARCH DURING A PROCESSION TO MARK THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR DAY IN DHAKA, BANGLADESH (IANS).
Don't let Obama's legacy fall to Trump: Clinton
WASHINGTON, (IANS) "We cannot let Barack Obama's legacy fall
into Donald Trump's hands," Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton
has said. "Let's not endanger the promise, the potential, the dream of
our country by giving in to these voices of hatred," the Senator and
former Secretary of State said on Sunday night.
She was addressing a National Association for the Advancement of
Coloured People (NAACP) dinner, where she contrasted Obama
and Republican hopeful Trump. In her speech in Detroit, she mentioned Trump's ties to the "insidious bir ther movement" and his
initial struggle to disavow former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke,
The Washington Post reported.
Clinton said bringing the country together was more urgent than ever
with Obama's presidency ending. The NAACP dinner was her first
public event in Michigan since losing the state's March 8 primary
by a percentage and a half to rival Bernie Sanders. Attendee and
Clinton suppor ter Shawn Thomas said he thought she struck the
right tone on Sunday in going after Trump but he urged caution.
"Everybody who goes after Trump just gets dragged into the mud,"
he said. The NAACP is an African-American civil rights organisation
in the US, formed in 1909.
CIA WANTS 9/11 REPORT SECRET CHAPTER KEPT UNDER WRAPS
WASHINGTON, (IANS) A secret section of the 9/11 Commission Report that repor tedly details Saudi Arabian funding for the attacks
contains "uncorroborated, un-vetted" information and should not be released, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has
said. John Brennan, who runs the intelligence agency, voiced his suppor t for keeping the notoriously redacted "28 pages" in the 2004
text from the public domain for fear of fuelling unfounded rumours, the Independent repor ted. Brennan insisted the section was
"thoroughly investigated and reviewed" by the official inquiry into 9/11. He also maintained America had a "very strong" relationship
with Saudi Arabia, a country from which 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers hailed. "This chapter was kept out (of the public domain) because
of concerns about sensitive methods (and) investigative actions," he said on NBC's Meet The Press. Brennan said the repor t was "a
combination of things that are accurate and inaccurate". He maintained the inquiry into 9/11 "came out with a very clear judgement that
there was no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution, or Saudi officials or individuals, had provided financial suppor t to
Al Qaeda. "I think some people may seize upon that uncorroborated, un-vetted information... to point to Saudi involvement, which I think
would be very, very inaccurate," he said. Meanwhile, the families of the 9/11 victims were awaiting the outcome of legislation that
would allow them to bring lawsuits against the Saudi government over attacks, which has not yet been possible.
COLOMBO, (IANS) Sri Lanka and China will hold high level
discussions in June on the possibility of signing a bilateral
free trade agreement (FTA), Sri Lanka's Ministry of Industry and
Commerce said in a statement here on Monday. "China is a promising market for Sri Lanka's select, premium products such as gems,
and an important round of bilateral talks on Sri Lanka-China FTA is
scheduled for next month," Xinhua news agency reported citing the
statement. It said Sri Lanka was committed to pursuing an outward
oriented trade regime following the principles of the World Trade
Organisation, with a view to enhancing overseas market access for
its export products and achieving greater integration into the world
economy. Sri Lanka has already signed free trade agreements with
India and Pakistan and both the agreements allow more than 4,000
product lines to be expor ted to these markets at zero duty.
16 SHIA PILGRIMS KILLED IN
BAGHDAD BOMBING
BAGHDAD, (IANS) At least 16 Shia pilgrims were killed and
43 injured in a car bomb explosion in Baghdad on Monday,
police said. A booby-trapped car was detonated near a procession of Shia pilgrims moving on foot in the southern par t of
the city, Xinhua news agency said.
The attack came as thousands of Shias marched from Baghdad
districts to the mausoleum of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, also in
Baghdad, to commemorate the death of the seventh of the
most revered 12 Shia Imams. Kadhim's tomb is in a goldendomed mosque in the centre of the old par t of the holy Shia
Kadhimiyah district. Insurgent groups, including Islamic State
(IS) militant group, frequently attack Shia pilgrims who perform religious rituals in Iraq, killing and injuring hundreds in a
bid to provoke sectarian strife.
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 03,
2016
WHAT IS SUNNY LEONE
BATTING FOR THESE DAYS?
AMITABH BIPASHA, AISHWARYA RAI AND ABHISHEK BACHCHAN AT THE WEDDING CEREMONY OF BIPASHA BASU IN MUMBAI (IANS).
JUHI CHAWLA'S INSIGHT ON
WORKING WITH SRK, AAMIR KHAN
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Juhi Chawla, who was last seen on screen
in the 2015 film "Chalk n Duster", says she enjoyed working with
superstars Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan the most during her
career. Juhi had held a question and answer session for her fans and
well-wishers on Twitter recently. A fan asked her whom she enjoyed
working with the most in cinema, to which Juhi replied: "Sharukh and
Aamir". Juhi has been a par t of Hindi cinema for three decades and
has shared screen space with Shah Rukh in popular films like "Darr",
"Duplicate", "Ram Jaane", "Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani" and "Yes Boss".
She also created waves with her on screen chemistry with Aamir in
hit films like "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak", "Love Love Love", "Tum
Mere Ho", "Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke" and "Ishq". Asked by another
user if she ever acts with superstar Salman Khan, what genre of film
would that be, Juhi replied: "It would be a comedy."
HRITHIK ROSHAN IN A COMIC ROLE, NO WAY!
MUMBAI, (IANS) After giving a string of hits in the genre of action and romance in Bollywood, actor
Hrithik Roshan says he is now inspired to do a comedy film. The "Bang Bang!" star, who lauded the
trailer of the for thcoming comedy movie "Housefull 3", has shown a desire to tickle the funny bone
of his fans. "This 'Housefull 3' trailer is mad. I wanna watch! Bravo Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh,
Nargis Fakhri, Jacqueline Fernandez, Abhishek Bachchan. Inspired to do comedy!" Hrithik tweeted
recently. Directed by filmmaker Sajid-Farhad Samji, "Housefull 3" also features actor Chunky Pandey
as Aakhri Pasta and Aakhri Aastha. Riteish and Akshay have been a par t of the first two instalments
of the "Housefull" franchise.
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Sunny Leone is appearing in a new People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) adver tisement headlined
"Be an Angel for Animals! Adopt a Dog From the Street or a Shelter".
Sunny wants to draw her fans' attention to the plight of dogs waiting in
animal shelters for loving homes, as well as those suffering on the
street. She knows adoption, not buying, is key to fighting the worldwide crisis of animal homelessness. "I believe in not buying - and
adopting … because there are so many dogs out there (who) need a
home, (who) were left on the streets", the actress said in a statement.
"If you can rescue an animal, then that's one of the greatest gifts you
can give somebody," she added. PETA and Sunny also promote
sterilisation of companion animals.
Sterilisation is a routine, affordable surgery that can prevent thousands of animals from being born only to suffer and struggle to survive on the streets, be abused by cruel or neglectful people, or end up
in animal shelters. Just one unaltered female dog and her offspring
can produce 67,000 puppies in six years. In seven years, one female
cat and her offspring can produce 370,000 kittens. Sterilising eliminates the stress and discomfort that females endure during heat and
greatly reduces the risk of developing mammary cancer. It also makes
males far less likely to roam or fight.
Afridi, Shehzad, Akmal dropped
from Pakistan squad
LAHORE, (IANS) The ripples of Pakistan's disastrous World
Twenty20 campaign continues to resonate with star players
Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal being excluded
from the probables list for the tour of England next month.
Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who recently resigned as Afghanistan coach to head the Pakistan Cricket
Board's (PCB) selection committee, announced a list of 35
players for a training camp in Kakul near Abottabad in
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province from May 14 to June 4.
Afridi attracted much criticism after Pakistan's poor performance in the World T20 and Inzamam asser ted that the
veteran batsman will have to prove himself at the domestic level in order to be considered for the national team.
Shehzad and Akmal meanwhile, were dropped due to a combination of poor per formance and indiscipline. Lef t-arm
pacer Mohammad Ir fan was also excluded from the camp
due to fitness issues.
"Since we are playing only four Twenty20 matches this
year we want to give new players a chance, and that will
also allow Afridi to rest and per form in domestic matches,"
Inzamam told the media here on Monday. "Ahmed Shehzad
and Umar Akmal have not been included in the training
camp taking into view their past disciplinary record.
Neither is their discipline good nor their recent per formances consistent and impressive," he added.
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18
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bollywood
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 03,
2016
BIG B, NAWAZUDDIN RIDE
SCOOTER IN 'TE3N' POSTER
MUMBAI, (IANS) The first poster of Ribhu Dasgupta's thriller
"TE3N" has been unveiled and it shows megastar Amitabh
Bachchan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui riding a blue scooter on
the streets of Kolkata. The poster, which was shared by Big B
on Saturday night on Twitter, also shows Kolkata's yellow
taxis and tram in the background. "The first release poster of
'TE3N'... Enjoy," Amitabh wrote on Twitter. Producer Sujoy
Ghosh also mentioned that the film, which is slated to release
on June 10, will see Vidya Balan in a "guest appearance".
R. MADHAVAN HAS 'SO
MUCH TO LEARN' FROM SRK
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor R. Madhavan says Shah Rukh Khan
makes his fans feel "royal" and he has a lot to learn from the
superstar. "Shah Rukh Khan how awesome and royal you make
your fans feel chief... Have so much to learn from you,"
Madhavan tweeted on Sunday. Madhavan also shared a photograph of SRK along with his wife Sarita Birje in his tweet.
Madhavan, who has starred in hits like "Tanu Weds Manu",
"Tanu Weds Manu Returns" and "3 Idiots", was last seen on
screen in "Saala Khadoos". On the work front, SRK was last
seen on screen in "Fan" and will next be seen in Rahul
Dholakia's upcoming film "Raees".
MALAIKA ARORA KHAN, RANDEEP HOODA, FILMMAKER OMUNG KUMAR, KIRRON KHER, AISHWARYA RAI BACHCHAN AND KARAN
JOHAR PROMOTING FILM SARBJIT ON THE SETS OF INDIA'S GOT TALENT SEASON 7 IN MUMBAI (IANS).
LOVELY TO MEET FUNNY, CHARMING
BARACK OBAMA: PRIYANKA
WASHINGTON, (IANS) Actress Priyanka Chopra was elated
to meet the "very funny and charming" US President Barack
Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House
Correspondents' Dinner here. The 33-year-old actress, who
found global recognition with her character Alex Parrish in the
American TV series "Quantico", looked ravishing in a deepcut, striped black gown at the dinner held on Saturday night.
Priyanka also shared a photograph of herself along with the
two. The US President looked dapper in a black suit and
crisp white shir t which he teamed with a black bow tie,
while Michelle Obama looked lovely in an embellished beige
gown. "Lovely to meet the very funny and charming Barack
Obama and the beautiful Michelle Obama," Priyanka captioned the photgraph. "Thank you for a lovely evening. Cannot wait to star t working on your girls education program,"
she added. The 2016 White House Correspondents' dinner,
which was President Obama's last in office, was hosted by
comedian Larry Wilmore.
RGV TO MAKE FILM BASED ON
'GREATEST GANGSTER EVER'
MUMBAI, (IANS) Maverick filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is
making a film titled "Rai", which is based on the life of former
underworld don Muthappa Rai. "'Rai' mega launch. First look
of the film I am making based on the life of underworld don
Muthappa Rai... The greatest gangster ever," Varma tweeted
recently. The "Satya" helmer, who currently awaits the release of his for thcoming film "Veerappan", also shared information about the budget of "Rai" and mentioned that it would
be his "most expensive film ever"."'Rai' film is going to cost
more than Rs.55 crore, which will be my most expensive film
ever by leaps and bounds," he said. "'Rai' is going to be shot
in Mangalore, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Dubai, London and
Kazakhstan," Varma added.
Neha Bhasin croons romantic
number for 'Sultan'
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Singer Neha Bhasin, who recently released her seventh folk single titled "Nai Jaana", has now
crooned a romantic number for superstar Salman Khan's
upcoming film "Sultan". Bhasin, who was a member of the
popular all-girl band VIVA, said she has also sung a dance
number for the sequel to the 2002 film "Aankhen".
The "Dhunki" hitmaker said that the composition of the song
for "Sultan" has a dash of folk. "You will hear a little bit of folk
in the song from 'Sultan' as well. I mean it's not a folk song,
but the composition is a little bit like that... It has a Rajasthani
touch. The track for 'Aankhen 2' is like a typical film (song)...
It will be the title track," Bhasin told IANS over phone from
Mumbai. "The track for 'Sultan' is a romantic song and
'Aankhen 2' is a dance number. 'Sultan' will be out soon in
July. 'Aankhen 2' will release later this year," Bhasin added.
Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, Â"SultanÂ" is said to be based
on life of Sultan Ali Khan -- a wrestler who is faced with
problems in his professional and personal lives. To get hold
of the character in the best possible way, Salman gained
weight and underwent rigorous training.
TIGER SHROFF HAS UTMOST
RESPECT FOR FAIR SEX
RUNNING SUCCESSFULLY
JAIPUR, (IANS) Tiger Shroff took the vir tual route to set the
record straight over his allegedly "sexist" remarks. The actor says he is "totally for women empowerment and equality" and has utmost respect for the fair sex. There were reports that Tiger had stated in an interview that he had settled
down with a "housewife-type" of a girl. Tiger took to Twitter
on Wednesday to clear the air about the repor ts.
"I am totally for women empowerment and equality and always talk about how they are as strong or stronger than
men. I respect my mother and sister too much to say something like that. I know I'm barely a year old in the industry but
for those who know me and who have accepted me you
would know. Anyway love always," Tiger wrote.
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
MAY 03,
28, 2012
2016
MidWeek
19
20
MidWeek
bollywood
Movie Review
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 03,
2016
hollywood
ANISTON STOLE MONEY
FROM HER MOTHER AS A KID
LOS ANGELES, (IANS) Actress Jennifer Aniston has revealed
that she stole money from her mother's purse as a child. The 47year-old has revealed she used to steal cash from her actress
mother Nancy Dow to spend on video games and at the local arcade
with her friends, femalefirst.co.uk. Asked to name the worst thing
she did as a child that she hid from her parents, Aniston told HELLO!
magazine: "I don't know ... Taking money from her purse, maybe a
dollar. I don't think I would steal large sums of cash. A dollar went a
long way when we were kids. It was for video games, the arcade,
nothing serious," she added. Meanwhile, Aniston claimed to have
inherited her sense of humour from her parents. She said: "She had
a great sense of humour. And my dad".
Nicky Jam, Iglesias win big at 2016
Billboard Latin Music Awards
POOR,
FF, SHRADDHA KA
CAST: TIGER SHRO
A,
SANI, PARAS AROR
SUDHEER BABU PO
KHAN
RECTOR: SABBIR
SUNIL GROVER DI
RATING: **1/2
'Baaghi': Sincere but lacklustre
BY TROY RIBEIRO
Adapted from two films, the Indonesian movie "The Raid: Redemption" (2001) and the 2004 Telugu release "Varsham", "Baaghi" is an
action-packed, run-of-the mill love story of a rebel and his lady
love. Afraid of his son Ronney (Tiger Shroff) going wayward or
being a rebel, Colonel Samarjit Singh packs him off to his friend's
gurukul, in Kerala, to "make a man out of him".
En route on his journey to meet his father's friend in Kerala,
Ronney meets Siya (Shraddha Kapoor) in the train. Love
blossoms but not before laying the seeds of the various obstacles which include Siya's oppor tunist father, E.P. Khurana
and Raghav, his gur u (teacher)'s son, an equally formidable
fighter, who also happens to be on the same train and falls in
love with Siya, too.
Tiger Shroff per forms competently, displaying his impressive,
mar tial ar ts skill effectively. Though charismatic and sincere,
he fails to leave an impact as Ronney. There is something
endearing and ear thy about Shraddha Kapoor as Siya. She is
equally effor tless in the dancing and action sequences. Sunil
Grover as her father, Mr. Khurana gets into the skin of his
character with ease. With a tinge of comic and subtle sliminess, he reminds one of Shakti Kapoor, in his hey days.
Sudheer Babu as Raghav is imposing. He is equally agile as
Tiger and leaves an impact as the antagonist. With interesting
camera angles capturing the moments of action and drama,
cinematographer Binod Pradhan's camera work is striking.
Also, his interior shots with aesthetic lighting and wide angled
exterior shots in natural lighting are picture perfect.
Julius Packiam's background score with its adrenaline packed
beats is effectively used to create frenzied tempo of the action.
The songs, "Toh naachu mein aaj, cham, cham", an extempore
dance in the rain, seems forced and the song "Agar tu hota to,
na rote hum" doubles up as a background score. In totality, the
songs are well picturised, but add nothing to the progression of
the tale.
While the film is technically dazzling, the director has not paid
attention to the narrative. The story written by Sanjeev Dutta is
hackneyed and predictable, laden with loopholes and abandoned sub-plots. You expect this to be the story of a rebel, but
unfor tunately the rebel in Ronney does not sur face, except in a
weak exposition where his father writes a note to his friend
stating that Ronney is a lovable rebel.
The script, punctuated with comic and action sequences, is
formulaically craf ted. This makes the narration super ficial and
shallow in nature, making it difficult for the audience to relate to
the characters. The first two acts are moderately paced, it is
the climax that is overstretched with a never-ending chase and
action sequence, making the
viewing a bit tedious. Overall,
with a string of oft seen
scenes and action sequences,
"Baaghi" offers no novelty, in
terms of visual and narrative
stance, making it neither
exciting nor appealing.
SALMAN TO ADD
GLAMOUR, VISIBILITY
TO RIO OLYMPICS:
GANGULY
KOLKATA, (IANS) Former India
cricket captain Sourav Ganguly
believes the appointment of
Bollywood actor Salman Khan as
the goodwill ambassador for the
Olympics will add glamour and
bring visibility to the mega event.
"I am fine with Salman being appointed as the ambassador as he
can bring visibility and glamour
quotient to anything," Ganguly said
here on Thursday at an event. The
43-year-old also voted for an option of having multiple ambassadors for the Olympics. "Salman is
popular and would bring visibility
to the Rio Olympics, you cannot
deny that. He is an entertainer. It is
absolutely fine to have him as the
ambassador. I think they can have
other ambassadors as well, it's
nowhere written that they can only
have one ambassador," he said. Elaborating on the issue further, he added,
"There have been some outstanding
athletes who have brought laurels to
the country, I'm sure they can team up
with Salman. There is no harm at all in
having other ambassadors. They can
work alongside Salman to combine
glamour, entertainment and sports. We
have some legends in the country who
can be a part of it." Ganguly, who
co-owns Indian Super League (ISL)
franchise Atletico de Kolkata, also
gave examples to support his statement from opening ceremonies of
sports events where entertainment
and sports are brought together.
MIAMI, (IANS) Singers Nicky Jam and Enrique Iglesias, who delivered
the global hit "El Perdón", were the big winners of the 2016 Billboard Latin
Music Awards, collecting six trophies each, including Hot Latin Song of
the Year, Vocal Event, Airplay Song of the Year, Digital Song of the Year,
Streaming Song of the Year and Latin Rhythm Song of the Year. Additionally, Iglesias won Latin Pop Songs Artist of the Year, Solo, while Jam won
Latin Rhythm Songs Artist of the Year, Solo, reports billboard.com. After
thanking god, his genre Latina, Billboard and the people of Colombia and
Puerto Rico, Jam gave a shout-out to his father, who he was separated
from for much of his childhood. "I never brought home to you a medal
from school," he said. "But here is your medal, Papi."
BEYONCE PRAISES JAY Z
AMID INFIDELITY DRAMA
MIAMI, (IANS) Singer Beyonce Knowles has praised her husband Jay Z amid rumours that she sang about his infidelity on
her latest album "Lemonade" It was earlier alleged that the
34-year-old singer seemingly hit out at her husband -- whom
she married in 2009 and with whom she has four-year-old
daughter Blue Ivy -- in her new video of a song from "Lemonade" for committing adultery.
In the clip, which sees the couple cuddling up to one another,
she sings: "Looking at my watch he should have been home.
I regret the day I put that ring on."
MIDWEEK BOX
OFFICE REPORT
FAN
160 CR
KI & KA
100 CR
BAAGHI
23 CR
LOVE GAMES
13 CR
SANTA BANTA PVT LTD
5.35 CR
top
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SONG
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FILM:
FAN
JABRA FAN
FILM
MOST WANTED MUNDA
KI & KA
DO PEG MAAR
ONE NIGHT STAND
PAANI PAANI
CABARET
HIGH HEELS
KI & KA
LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE
BAAGHI
BOL DO NA ZARA
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IJAZAT
ONE NIGHT STAND
BOLNA
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MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
MAY 03,
28, 2012
2016
MidWeek
bollywood
21
desiFEST CELEBRATES 10
YEAR OF SUCCESS
FILMMAKER OMUNG KUMAR, ACTORS RANDEEP HOODA AND RICHA CHADHA DURING THE LAUNCH OF SONG TUNG LAK
FROM FILM SARBJIT IN MUMBAI (IANS).
Took liberty to up entertainment
quotient in 'Azhar': Emraan
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Emraan Hashmi, who will be seen essaying
former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin's role in "Azhar", says the
makers took the liber ty to increase the "enter tainment quotient" in
the biopic. "Our popular culture is music so you have to take liber ty
of that. Azharuddin has never sung such songs for sure but we have
some lovely songs in this film. For few scenes we took the liber ty
to privatise it... We took some liber ty to increase the enter tainment
quotient," Emraan told IANS about taking cinematic liber ty for the
film. Emraan, who claims he was a huge fan of Azharuddin, was
upset when the former captain of the Indian cricket team was
accused of match-fixing in 2000. "I have been a huge fan of Azhar
bhai and I was upset because his name was dragged into matchfixing. I thought it was wrong where people star ted believing that he
took money, but that was wrong because our judicial system has a course
and their investigation went on for 12 years after which he was acquitted of all
charges. It was all about patience for his fans," Emraan said.
Bring honest characters to the audience: Manoj Bajpayee
TORONTO: desiFEST, Nor th America's premier outdoor South
Asian music concer t is back for the 10th year. Since its inception, desiFEST has grown in both size and influence, attracting
big name acts from across the country and overseas. The
desiFEST stage has been host to fan favourites such as Master
D, Apache Indian, Mickey Singh, Zack Knight, Raxstar, Lady
Pista, Taz and Stereonation and many more. Now 10 years
later, desi urban music lovers will unite once again as desiFEST
showcases musical talents across four exciting days!
Presented by returning sponsor TD and hosted by founder Sathish
Bala (also known as Sats B), this year's concert will feature a
star-studded line up of emerging and established musical artists and per formers. desiFEST has become the most anticipated kick-off event of the summer and a premier platform within
the South Asian music scene. This year, desiFEST will host
three additional events to showcase the growing talent in the
South Asian community.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 from 10 PM - 2 AM: All female line
up called 'She Rocks'.
At Adelaide Hall, 250 Adelaide Street West, Toronto
Thursday, May 26, 2016 from 10 PM - 2 AM: Open Scream Night
(All proceeds to Canadian Cancer Society) with DJs A-Slam, DJ
Soulversatile, DJ SatsB and You
At Adelaide Hall, 250 Adelaide Street West, Toronto
Friday, May 27, 2016 from 7 PM - 9 PM: Host a distinguished
panel of industry exper ts with a discussion of all aspects of the
South Asian music industry in Nor th America.
At George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, 245 Church
Street, Toronto
Saturday, May 28, 2016 10 AM - 10 PM: desiFEST Nor th
America's outdoor Premier festival
At Yonge-Dundas Square, Toronto
Salman, Priyanka, Hrithik,
Deepika to perform at IIFA 2016
NEW DELHI, (IANS) It will be the celebration of Indian cinema in
Spain when Bollywood stars like Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka
Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Sonakshi Sinha will perform at the 17th
Edition of The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) in June.
To be held in Madrid, capital of Spain, the four-day cinematic celebration will
start on June 23. Bollywood stars Farhan Akhtar and Shahid Kapoor will
host the gala night. Farhan, who was here to announce the 17th edition of the
film festival along with actor Anil Kapoor, can't wait to share the stage with
Shahid. "We had a wonderful time. There is a certain ease and chemistry
which we have with each other and I look forward to it," he told IANS.
The 42-year-old is equally excited to visit Spain.
"I have fond memories of being in Spain especially having shot my movie
'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'. Even now when I plan my holidays, I prefer
going to Spain. It is a different experience and I am so happy that
the country is hosting this year's IIFA," he said. Anil, who has
been associated with IIFA for more than a decade now, says that
the forthcoming edition of IIFA is cer tainly going to be one of the
biggest till date.
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who will be seen as a traffic constable in the upcoming thriller
"Traffic", believes that he always brings honest characters in front of the audience through his films. "I
believe I do good movies and bring honest characters to the audience. I try to give a satisfying experience
to moviegoers. Therefore, whatever is needed I would do that so that the film reaches to the maximum
people," Manoj said. "I am always available for promotions. Whatever I am needed to do I will do that.
Even if they ask me to stand on the road wearing a traffic constable costume, I can do that too," the 47year-old actor added. Manoj is also to meet senior officials of traffic police. "Traffic" is based on a road trip
from Mumbai to Pune. The story revolves around transpor tation of a harvested hear t for a hear t transplant
case, chasing a strict deadline. During the mission, the characters face numerous difficulties and obstacles, traffic being one of them.
KALKI KOECHLIN GETS PRAISE
FROM MELINDA GATES
Mumbai, April 28 (IANS) Actress Kalki Koechlin is on cloud nine after getting a letter from Melinda
Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, praising her for bringing "attention to
violence and discrimination against women" through a 'thought provoking' poem. The actress got a
letter from Melinda and shared a snapshot of the letter on photo-sharing site Instagram. It read:
"Dear Ms Koechlin: I appreciate your taking the time to join me in a discussion on empowering
women and girls in India. Your video poem, 'The Printing Machine', was power ful and thought
provoking. Thank you for bringing attention to violence and discrimination against women. Your
voice helps bring much needed attention and suppor t to these issues - and I am grateful for your
effor ts. It was a pleasure meeting you during my visit."
MALAIKA ARORA AT THE INAUGURATION OF A STORE IN NOIDA (IANS).
To Advertise or to feature your business on the show Please call 647-242-4746 / 905-670-3687/ 647-965-6370
TORONTO TO HOST 2017 INVICTUS GAMES;
INVESTS $10M IN GLOBAL SPORTING EVENT
ROHIT'S UNBEATEN 85
POWERS MUMBAI TO
THUMPING WIN OVER PUNE
PUNE, (IANS) Leading from the front, skipper Rohit Sharma
smashed a match-winning unbeaten 85 off just 60 balls to
guide defending champions Mumbai Indians to a comfor table eight-wicket victory over Rising Pune Supergiants in
the Maharashtra derby of the Indian Premier League (IPL)
here on Sunday.
Batting first, Pune posted 159/5 in 20 overs, thanks to opener
Saurabh Tiwary's much-needed 57 off 45 balls. In reply, Rohit
came up with another impressive knock which included eight
boundaries and three sixes, as Mumbai chased down the
total posting 161/2 with nine balls to spare.
After win, Mumbai climb to second position in the points
table with 10 points from nine games, having won five and
lost four. Chasing a challenging target of 160, in-form openers Rohit and Par thiv Patel got Mumbai off to a good star t
scoring 24 without losing any wicket in the first three overs.
But the four th over witnessed a see-saw battle as Par thiv
after striking Ashok Dinda for three consecutive boundaries
eventually got a thick edge off a wide off stump delivery
which was collectively well by a diving wicket-keeper
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, leaving Mumbai at 39/1.
IPL: SUNRISERS BEAT RCB
BY 15 RUNS
PRINCE HARRY HELD MEETING WITH CANADIAN ATHLETES ALONG WITH PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU DURING HIS VISIT TO
TORONTO TO PROMOTE THE 2017 INVICTUS GAMES THAT THE CITY IS HOSTING FROM MAY 2.
ONTARIO - Ontario is committing up to $10 million over two years in
suppor t of the Invictus Games, which will be held in Toronto from
September 26 to 30, 2017. Premier Kathleen Wynne made the announcement in Toronto alongside Prince Henry of Wales (Prince
Harry), who founded the Invictus Games in 2014. The Games are
an international adaptive spor ting event for wounded, injured and
sick servicemen and women, both serving and veteran. They harness the power of spor t to inspire recovery, suppor t rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for all of
those who serve their country.
Pathan, Russell win Delhi Daredevils thrash
match for Knight Riders Gujarat Lions by eight
against RCB
wickets in IPL
BENGALURU, (IANS) Batting knights Yusuf Pathan and Andre Russell
won the match for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), scoring 189/5 with five balls to spare at
Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday in the 30th match of IPL Season Nine.
Pathan (60) and Russell (39) star ted hitting regular boundaries for
KKR halfway after the match to bring down the asking rate from 9.3
runs an over at the beginning of the chase to 47 runs in 24 balls and 21
runs in 16 balls finally after the dismissal of Russell to one run in five
balls in the 20th over.
Russell blasted four sixes and a four in 24 balls to reach 39 while
Pathan remained unbeaten on 60 with half a dozen fours and a three
sixes. Pathan destroyed Watson in the 17th over, he smashed two
sixes, three fours and a double to heap 24 runs. Russell and Pathan
logged a 96 runs par tnership in 45 balls for the sixth wicket. Pathan
reached his half century in 27 balls in the 19th over. Except for captain
Gautam Gambhir (37) in the top order, other batsmen including Robin
Uthappa (1), Chris Lynn (15) and Manish Pandey (8) got out cheaply.
Yuzvendra Chahal 2/27 emerged the most successful bowler for RCB,
he claimed danger man Russell in the 18th over, caught near the
boundary line by Stuar t Binny while attempting a big six. Shane Watson
leaked 38 runs in three overs claiming just a wicket. Earlier, RCB set
a target of 186 runs for KKR, scoring 185/7 in 20 overs.
RAJKOT, (IANS) Rishabh Pant (69) and Quinton de Kock (46) produced a match-winning opening stand to guide Delhi Daredevils to a
convincing eight-wicket victory over Gujarat Lions in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Tuesday. Batting first, Gujarat posted 149/7 in 20 overs,
thanks to a much-needed half-century by Dinesh Kar thik (53). In reply, riding on an impressive 115-run opening par tnership by Pant and
de Kock, Daredevils chased down the total comfor tably posting 150/
2 with 16 balls to spare. Chasing a target of 150, Delhi got off to a
rollicking star t, cour tesy openers Pant and de Kock.
The duo helped the team score 61 runs without losing a wicket after
the completion of powerplay. Both the left-handed batsmen, even after the fielding restrictions were over, kept on playing positively to
bring up the 100-run par tnership for the first wicket in the 12th over
itself. But as the duo was looking comfor table to get the team over the
line without losing any wickets, the home side struck in successive
overs, in the 13th and the 14th, to remove both of them. Pant in his 40ball innings struck nine fours and two sixes while de Kock hit four
boundaries and one six.
But incoming batsmen Sanju Samson (19 not out) and J.P. Duminy (13
not out) played sensibly to ensure the team got past the victory line
with ease. For Gujarat, Ravindra Jadeja and Shivil Kaushik picked
one wicket each.
Delhi beat KKR by 27 runs to move to second spot
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Delhi Daredevils produced a thorough all-round performance to notch up their four th win, beating Kolkata Knight
Riders by 27 runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) clash here on Saturday. Delhi recovered from a poor star t to post an strong total
of 186/8. It was enough as they claimed wickets at regular intervals to bowl out KKR for 159 in 18.3 overs. It moved Delhi to second in
the standings, with eight points from six matches, demoting KKR to third, due to an inferior run rate. KKR have also played a game more.
Delhi skipper Zaheer Khan (3/21) led the way for a disciplined bowling performance. West Indies' World T20 hero Carlos Brathwaite (3/
47) also chipped in with the ball after hitting a quick-fire 34 while batting. A 106-run four th wicket par tnership between Karun Nair (68)
and Sam Billings (54) shaped Delhi's innings at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium.
HYDERABAD, (IANS) Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) backed up
David Warner's scintillating 50-ball 92 with a clinical bowling effor t to grab a 15-run victory over Royal Challengers
Bangalore (RCB) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium here.
Chasing Sunrisers' 194/5 during the match on Saturday, RCB
only managed to post 179/6 with Lokesh Rahul top scoring
with a 28-ball 51. AB De Villiers contributed with a 32-ball 47.
Ashish Nehra, Mustafizur Rahman, Barinder Sran,
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Moises Henriques picked up one
wicket each for the hosts.
Royals Challengers had started off with a flyer with the inform Virat Kohli and Lokesh Rahul scoring 29 runs of the first
three. But then Kohli (14) who scored a scintillating hundred
in the last game fell trying to drive a Mustafizur Rahman
delivery on the up. After six over's RCB were 45-1.
Rahul kept the scoreboard ticking at a healthy pace smashing Barinder Sran for 13 in the 9th. He then completed his fifty
but was out caught behind a little later. Shane Watson (2) too
followed Rahul back to the dug out as he fell shor t of his
crease trying to steal a single.
De Villiers who was living a charmed life having being
dropped twice then stepped on the gas. He star ted off by
belting Moises Henriques for two consecutive sixes in the
14th over which yielded 19 runs and followed it up with a
boundary of Sran. But the South African then failed to connect
one and was easily caught in the deep by Kane Williamson.
With De Villiers went RCB's hopes as well and though Sachin
Baby (27) and Kedar Jadhav (not out 25) tried hard they fell
short in the end.
AXAR, MOHIT HELP PUNJAB
BAG SECOND WIN IN IPL
RAJKOT, (IANS) Axar Patel (4/21) and Mohit Sharma (3/32)
helped Kings XI Punjab register their only second win in seven
Indian Premier League (IPL) games as they overcame tabletoppers Gujarat Lions by 23 runs here on Sunday.
Chasing 155, Gujarat were reduced to 34/2 in five overs
after right-arm pacer Mohit disturbed the stumps of
Brendon McCullum (1) and Suresh Raina (18). Then Axar
broke Punjab's back in the seventh over, removing West
Indian Dwayne Smith (15), Dinesh Kar thik (2) and Dwayne
Bravo (0) -- the final two wickets fell in the fifth and sixth
deliveries.
Then, after a bowling change, Axar was brought back into
the attack in the 11th over. On the first ball, he sent
Ravindra Jadeja (11) packing, taking the first hat-trick of
the edition -- 14th overall in IPL's history. Gujarat were
then reeling at 57/6 and were in desperate need of a par tnership. Ishan Kishan (27) and James Faulkner (32) infused hopes in the home team's camp. But the job was too
stiff, as they fell shor t by 23 runs.
IPL 2016 SCHEDULE, TIME TABLE & FIXTURES
BAN KI-MOON (C), UN SECRETARY-GENERAL, THOMAS BACH (L) INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC) PRESIDENT AND CARLOS
ARTHUR NUZMAN, BRAZIL'S OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT POSE WITH THE OLYMPIC FLAME LANTERN AT THE EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS
OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND. THE OLYMPIC FLAME FOR THE RIO DE JANEIRO GAMES WAS BROUGHT TO THE UN ON
FRIDAY BEFORE IT HEADS TO BRAZIL FOR THE TORCH RELAY AHEAD OF THE OPENING CEREMONY IN RIO (IANS).
Winners Announced for Toronto Regional of MoneyGram Cricket Bee
METUCHEN - Over 300 people registered for the Toronto regional of the MoneyGram Cricket Bee held at Don Bosco Secondary School
recently. The three winners of the second regional answered trivia questions about cricket to solidify their position at the finals.
Vaibhav Patel of Edison, NJ was declared second runner up, Iqtedar Khan of Toronto, ON was first runner up and the Regional
champion was Vidyasagar Sethu of Scarborough, ON. The competition allows cricket fans to compete for prizes while sharing their
knowledge of the game in an effor t to win a cash prize of $10,000.
Open to those 18 and older, the contest began with regional rounds in New Jersey, San Francisco and concluded in Toronto, each
testing participants' general cricket knowledge. The regional contest will have two components, a written test and an oral test. In the
written qualifier, contestants will be asked 35 questions. They must get at least 25 correct in order to advance to the oral round. In the
oral round, the contest will be held on a miss and out basis; simply if a contestant misses the right answer, they are eliminated.
Unlike quiz shows, the Cricket Bee will be conducted so that contestants are actually competing with themselves and the question posed to them as
opposed to their peers. The finals are slated for May 7 and are open for the public to watch. For reserving seats, call 732-710-4361.
IPL: Smith, McCullum help Gujarat stun Pune by three wickets
PUNE, (IANS) Gujarat Lions rode on a collective batting effor t by Dwayne Smith (63 off 37) and Brendon McCullum (43 off 22)
which helped them edge past Rising Pune Supergiants by three wickets in a nail-biting Indian Premier League (IPL) match at
the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday. Batting first, Steve Smith (101 off 54) struck up his maiden IPL ton as
Pune posted an impressive 195/3 in 20 overs. He was well suppor ted by Ajinkya Rahane (53). In reply, openers Smith and
McCullum set the per fect platform as middle order batsmen delivered in bits and pieces as the visitors chased down the total
posting 196/7 in 20 overs.
Chasing a challenging target of 196, hard-hitting Smith and McCullum got Gujarat off to a rollicking star t scoring 72 runs
without losing any wicket after completion of powerplay. The duo put on a 93-run stand for the first wicket, before McCullum
gave his wicket away trying to step up the scoring rate. Despite losing his opening par tner, Smith played his natural game by
scoring runs at good pace to take his team to the 100-run mark in the ninth over itself. As he was looking set after striking nine
boundaries and one six to take the game away from the home side, Perera stuck in the 11th over to send Smith packing and
have Gujarat reduced to 115/2.
Dinesh Kar thik (33) too depar ted in the 17th over after giving good suppor t to skipper Suresh Raina (34). But there after
wickets fell one after the other but in the end, James Faulkner (9 not out) and Praveen Kumar (0 not out) remained unbeaten to take
team to victory off the last ball. Ashok Dinda (2-40) and Thisara Perera (2-41) were the pick of the bowers for Pune.
Tendulkar joins Salman, Bindra as goodwill ambassador for Rio 2016
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday accepted the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) offer to become
goodwill ambassador of the Indian contingent for the 2016 Olympics at Rio de Janeiro. Tendulkar now joins Bollywood superstar
Salman Khan and 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra as the goodwill ambassadors for the Rio-bound contingent. "I
have had the privilege and honour of representing our nation for 24 years and I continue to bat for India off the field. The welfare of
spor tspersons and encouraging them to give their best is very dear to me," Tendulkar wrote in a letter to IOA after accepting the offer.
"I strongly believe that the spor tspersons from different par ts of the country, pursuing their unique skills are the true ambassadors of
the growing spor ting culture in this country," added the 43-year-old whose international career spanned from 1989 to 2013.
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MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 03,
2016