Part_1 - South Asian Daily

Transcription

PM WELCOMES PRIME MINISTER ABBOTT TO CANADA
OTTAWA – PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER MEETS WITH TONY ABBOTT, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA, IN HIS CENTRE
BLOCK OFFICE ON PARLIAMENT HILL.
(PMO PHOTO BY JASON RANSOM)
TALIBAN ATTACK KARACHI
AIRPORT, 28 DEAD
WITH INPUTS FROM SHAZIA MALIK
In one of the major offensive against Pakistan, Taliban insurgents
moved in and attacked International Airpor t of Karachi which is the
country's busiest airpor t and is destination of all the major global
airlines. At least 28 people, including 10 militants, were killed. Most
of the people belonged to airpor t security and airpor t personnel.
Yudhvir(Group Editor Midweek) announced this during his recent show
Southasian PULSE and took Badar Munir Chaudhry - Chief Editor and Publisher of Akhbar-e-Pakistan on air. Chaudhry informed that the attack was
carried out by Tahreek-e-Taliban group and is a sign of retaliation not only
against U.S. drone strike but against the Pakistan Government. Hakimullah
Mehsud was killed in a US drone strike in November.
He informed that none of the terrorists were Pakistani as they belonged to the outfit's Uzbek, Afghans and Chechan factions. Condemning the attack he called it a major security lapse as insurgents travelled all the way from Peshawar and Punjab before
reaching Karachi. He also urged India and Afghanistan to share
intelligence with Pakistan and strengthen its effor ts of eradicating
this menace from the region .
According to details the airpor t came under Taliban onslaught on Sunday when 10 gunmen disguised as policemen opened fire with machine guns and a rocket launcher and stormed one of the terminals.
Their backpacks stuffed with food and ammunition, a squad of highly
trained Taliban fighters attacked Pakistan's biggest airpor t in what
they clearly expected to be a protracted siege.
Seven fighters were shot dead by Pakistani forces after five hours of
intense gunfire at Karachi's Jinnah International Airpor t. Three died
after detonating their suicide-bomb belts.
Though passengers were immediately evacuated with police taking
control after five hours of fighting, the incident damaged the image of
the country beyond repair, Chaudhry mentioned.
Former cricketer Imran Khan, who is now chairman of political par ty
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, criticized the country's government on Twitter and blamed the attack on 'security and intel lapses'
I CONTD. ON PAGE 5
Consul General of India Mr. Akhilesh Mishra visited New Brunswick from 28 May to 1 June 2014. During the visit he called on Honourable David
Alward, Premier of New Brunswick and Honourable Dale Graham, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick.
Unemployment rate
reaches 7 per cent
TORONTO - A Statistics Canada repor t shows that employment edged
up by 26,000 in May, driven by gains in par t-time work. The unemployment rate increased 0.1 percentage points to 7.0% as there were
more people in the labour market. Overall employment growth has
been subdued since August 2013.
In the 12 months to May, employment increased by 86,000 or 0.5%,
with all the growth in part time. Over the same period, the number of
hours worked was little changed.
There were more employed men and women aged 15 to 24 in May.
However, this was par tly offset by fewer employed men aged 25 to
54.
Provincially, employment increased in Alber ta, while it declined in
Newfoundland and Labrador. There was little overall employment
change in all other provinces.
There were more people working in educational services, accommodation and food services, and in agriculture. At the same time, there
were fewer people working in natural resources, as well as in finance, insurance, real estate and leasing.
The number of public sector employees increased in May, mainly the
result of more employment in educational services. At the same time,
there was little change in the number of private sector employees and
a decline in self-employment.
On a year-over-year basis, all of the employment growth was in the
private sector (+129,000 or +1.1%), while there was little change in
the public sector and in self-employment.
More youths working in May
The number of youths aged 15 to 24 who were working increased by
49,000, bringing their employment to a level similar to that of May
2013. The youth unemployment rate was 13.3%, little changed from the
previous month and from 12 months earlier.
Employment among men aged 25 to 54 declined by 23,000 in May. The
employment trend for men in this age group has been flat since January 2013.
While employment was unchanged for people 55 and over in May, it
was up by 109,000 (+3.2%) compared with 12 months earlier. All of
these gains were the result of population growth in this age group.
Employment continues to grow in Alber ta
I CONTD. ON PAGE 10
INDIA'S MODI-FIED
FORIEGN POLICY
Yudhvir Jaswal (Group Editor YMedia) spoke about India's Foreign Policy under the New Government on Southasian Pulse
Radio. Modi's first trip abroad will be to Bhutan later this month,
followed by Japan in July and then the U.S. in September, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs. Modi is also likely
to attend a summit with leaders of China, Russia, Brazil and
South Africa next month and the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Jaswal star ted with Canada- India relations and said Canadian PM Harper has visited India twice and is keen to improve the trade ties with India. He said that recently CBC
also highlighted - Narendra Modi's India election win could
be good for Canada where the CEO of the Canada-India Business Council says the recent India election win by opposition leader Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Par ty
(BJP) bodes well for Canadian business. Peter Sutherland,
also Canada's Former High Commissioner to India, expects
to see a free trade agreement between Canada and India
signed by the end of the year now that a business-friendly
government is in charge.
Yudhvir said" Canada can benefit from India if we plan to get
a share of ever-increasing Indian energy requirements. India is a growing economy and the Infrastructure developments at also one area where Canada can help. I heard our
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird also highlighting that
we can also serve the Education sector in India and we can
attract students from India which help boost the economy".
Jaswal fur ther added that Dalton McGuinty also visited India
and so did many municipal leaders including Brampton Mayor
Susan Fennel and Councillor Vicky Dhillon. Ontario manufactures including auto par ts makers get benefit from fast growing
Indian Auto Market. Canada India free trade agreement is also
been discussed extensively.
I CONTD. ON PAGE 5
CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON
2
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 2014
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
PAGE 3
MidWeek
3
ON WHOM EVELYN
HAD A CRUSH?
Great to have so many
women MPs in Lok Sabha
MOON MOON SEN
INDIAN PACER MOHAMMED SHAMI MARRIED HIS GIRLFRIEND, MODEL HASEEN JANHA IN MURADABAD ON FRIDAY.
Revealed: On whom
Evelyn had a crush?
Actress Evelyn Sharma's love for Hollywood star
Robert Downey Jr. drew her to a special screening for
forthcoming movie "Chef". She admits she has a
"little crush on him". After watching "Chef", Evelyn
said: "Robert Downey Jr. is super good-looking, and
I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a little crush on him.
Though the film was spectacular, I wish he had more
screen time to cheer at because I was there only to
watch him." Having been born and bought up in
Germany, Evelyn understandably grew up on a lot of
Hollywood movies, and it is no wonder that she has
her favourites.
It is great to have so many women in the Lok Sabha this time,
says the glamorous actor-turned-politician Moon Moon Sen, a
first time parliamentarian from the Trinamool Congress.
Clad in an off-white sari with a golden border, the stylish actor
who is the daughter of legendary Bengali film star Suchitra Sen,
says she has already begun her work as a parliamentarian back
in her constituency Bankura. Sen pulled off a major upset in her
poll debut this Lok Sabha election by defeating nine-time MP
Basudeb Acharia of the CPI-M in West Bengal's Bankura Lok
Sabha constituency. She triumphed by 97,511 votes over Acharia,
who had been winning from the seat without a break since 1980.
"I have already started work with the goals which my par ty promised like roads, water and other amenities," the actress with her
trademark red bindi, kohl-lined eyes and traditional jewellery,
told IANS as she walked on the corridors of Parliament House,
which she was very impressed to see and set foot upon for the
first time in her life. Wednesday was the first day of the 16th Lok
Sabha, but it was adjourned in less than 15 minutes after condoling the death of union minister Gopinath Munde, who died in a
road accident Tuesday.
MidWeek
4
special report
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
8TH ANNUAL DESIFEST IGNITES
YONGE-DUNDAS SQUARE!
DESIFEST ORGANIZERS SATHISH BALA AND KALA PATEL TOSS
T-SHIRTS INTO THE CROWD.
Actor Vinay Virmani (R) & Singer Raghav (L) arrive at desiFEST to promote the upcoming Hollywood film Dr. Cabbie
F
or its 8th consecutive year, desiFEST did not disappoint as it
brought Yonge-Dundas Square alive for a 12-hour non-stop openair concer t on May 31st. Showcasing an array of South Asian
influenced genres ranging from Bollywood, R&B and Hip Hop to Soca,
Bhangra and soul, desiFEST fulfilled its mandate to celebrate and
showcase the talents of established and emerging ar tists on the desi
urban music scene.
“Music is such a powerful force to fuel change, share messages and
engage audiences to suppor t our community. This is why we star ted,
and why we continue to grow desiFEST with the suppor t of our wonderful sponsors TD and Crest,” said desiFEST founder Sathish Bala.
Upcoming and established ar tists from Canada, the US and the UK
ignited the desiFEST stage in front of 40,000 eager fans throughout
the day.
Visitors were treated to a number of on-site promotions hosted
by presenting sponsors TD and Crest. Families with children enjoyed the TD Kids Zone, which featured the ever-popular bouncy
castle and clown balloons. As par t of its Shine Day campaign,
Procter & Gamble hosted a series of sampling and product stations in the square showcasing popular brands such as Pantene,
COVERGIRL, Olay, Gillette, Old Spice, Bounty, Tide and Crest among
others. Guests in the square were given beauty touch-ups and mini
makeovers, while members of the media and performing ar tists did
the same back stage at the COVERGIRL beauty station. Even Finance
to the stage to promote the upcoming Hollywood film Dr. Cabbie,
which is coproduced by Bollywood heavyweight Salman Khan and
stars Vinay Virmani and Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory), releasing Sept.
19th, 2014. After a special preview of the film’s trailer, audiences
were treated to an electrifying performance by Raghav, who sang his
charttopper, Angel Eyes followed by his upcoming release from the
soundtrack of Dr. Cabbie. Performances by DJ KSR, Shilpa Narayan,
Nouman Khalid and Gunjan kept the crowd jumping all evening building up to a huge finale at the end of the show.
As the night sky came over the square, the plexiglass stage was
illuminated with neon blue lights creating the perfect setting for what
was to come. Celebrated Toronto trio, Culture Shock, featuring Baba
Khan, Sunny Brown and Lomaticc brought a high-energy performance
as the crowd erupted in excitement. And just as energy levels peaked
with fans jumping in unison, the unsuspecting audience roared as
Toronto reggae ar tist Michee Mee and rapper Choclair joined the trio
on stage for a finale performance of Toronto Raptors anthem “We the
Nor th”.
The performers, the fans, the media and even producers of the show
danced to the last minute. It was a beautiful scene in the hear t of
Toronto under a moon lit sky.
The music continues on June 21st as the team moves the excitement
out of the city to Celebration Square in Mississauga for their next
event of the summer – Hungama! Currently in its second year, this
event delivers an evening of outdoor Bollywood entertainment, food
and family fun in the hear t of Mississauga.
Minister Joe Oliver, who dropped by to spend some time at desiFEST
visited the Gillette booth after appearing on stage to address the crowd.
As he took the stage in front of an attentive audience of thousands, Mr.
Oliver appreciated the significant contributions of South Asians to
Canada and mentioned the impor tance of the strong relations between Canada and India as the crowd cheered on.
Among the 20+ performers at desiFEST this year, were some amazing Canadian talents. desiFEST
welcomed the fresh new sound
of Toronto’s own Shyann, the engaging lyrics of MC Ayydos,
YouTube sensation duo Sham and
Kar ter and back by popular demand for the third year in a row
were JDhee and Reality Raj of
Synsational, who had female fans
swooning over their set. Toronto
fans also welcomed R&B, hindi
and tamil singer Piri Musiq and
hip-hop ar tist Raxstar from the UK
with open arms. Later in the
evening, the crowd erupted as
surprise guests, actor Vinay
desiFEST finale performance by Culture shock featuring Baba Khan, Sunny Brown and Lomaticc
Virmani and singer Raghav took
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
breaking news
MidWeek
5
INDIA'S MODI-FIED
FORIEGN POLICY
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, MR. WANG YI, MEETS THE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA NARENDRA
MODI AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER SUSHMA SWARAJ IN NEW DELHI (JUNE 09, 2014).
PHOTO COURTESY: PHOTO DIVISION
TALIBAN ATTACK KARACHI
AIRPORT, 28 DEAD
CONTD. FROM PAGE 1
Soon after the attack Qaim Ali Shah, Chief Minister of Sindh
released a statement that terrorists "were well trained. Their
plan was very well thought out," and they wished to create not
only chaos but damage aircraft and buildings. The spokesman
for the Pakistani military, General Asim Bajwa, said on Twitter
that no aircraft were damaged and that as a precautionary
measure, security forces were sweeping the airpor t before
operations would be returned to the Civil Aviation Authority and
airpor t police.
Defence minister, Khawaja Asif described the attack as cowardly and said it was another example of how terrorists were
trying to destroy impor tant installations and locations of the
government.
"But I can tell you these terrorists will not succeed in their aims
and will be defeated," Asif said.
The attack was reminiscent of the deadly attack carried out by
some 15 militants of the Tehreek-e-Taliban in May, 2011 on the
Mehran naval airbase here in which the attackers killed some
18 personnel and damaged aircrafts before being killed in a
counter attack.
Chaudhry announced on the radio show that all the 10 terrorists
were killed by Pakistan's paramilitary force, and the first flight
PK 308 took off from Karachi for Islamabad later. He added that
he was never in favour of Pakistan government's talks with
these militants who have no hear t for the innocent and as their
hideouts are being hit, they are coming out more brazenly. The
main problem is that when operations against these militants
are intensified in Pakistan, they rush to Afghanistan and when
struck in Afghanistan, they rush back to the lawless regions of
Pakistan near the Afghan border.
Peace talks between the government and Taliban that began this
year have stalled, with the military recently resor ting to air
strikes on militant hideouts, killing at least 75 people.
Chaudhry warned that things will get worst once the US military
pulls out completely if Pakistan, India and Afghanistan do not
join hands and work against this common enemy.
Chaudhry said that as a journalist he has to comment in a
dispassionate manner and stay above bias. Also, sitting
thousands of miles away from Pakistan, it is better to promote
peace instead of adding fuel to the fire. Chaudhry concluded that
this attack will go a long way as Karachi is the economic hub of
Pakistan and any such terrorist activity could result in the flight
of foreign investment from the country. Meanwhile, Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif has called in an emergency meeting to
formulate the future plan.
Yudhvir Highlighted that actually we may be behind the curve
as the Governments in India and Pakistan have always connected well and with Nawaz Sharif attending Modi's Swearing
ceremony things can get better from here. He also said no
matter what happens the bilateral talks should not stop. Even on
the India side as all airpor ts were put on a high aler t, Union
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday held a meeting with
the chiefs of intelligence and security establishments to review
the security arrangements.
Among those present at the meeting were the National Security
Advisor and directors of the Intelligence Bureau, Central
Industrial Security Force, National Security Guard and the
Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, besides Secretary, Civil
Aviation, the Union Home Secretary and other senior officials.
CONTD. FROM PAGE 1
China is also of great impor tance to Indian PM Narendra Modi.
As the Chief Minister of Gujarat he visited China four times and
attracted lot of investment. Although Modi has been taking a
tough approach on border issues with China but they may not
affect the economic ties. The bilateral trade is 65 billion
dollars which is very less when you compare it with 4 trillion total trade volume of China or 800 billion total trade
volume of India.
As per the Ministry of External Affairs Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi received Mr. Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister and Special Envoy of Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping.
Modi appreciated an oral message from President Xi conveyed by the Special Envoy, which underlined the importance attached by the Chinese government to building relations with the new government of India, reaffirmed its positive
perception of India's role in the world and conveyed its expectation
and desire for the future direction of bilateral relations as both countries pursue their respective developmental dreams.
Modi reiterated to the Special Envoy the invitation to President Xi to
visit India later this year. He also accepted the Chinese Premier Mr. Li Keqiang's invitation to pay an early visit to China.
The two sides will remain in touch through the diplomatic
channel to make necessary arrangements for these visits
and for other meetings and exchanges of leaders on the sidelines of multilateral Summits. He emphasized the potential
for greater cooperation between India and China for a strong
and prosperous Asia, working for mutually beneficial trade
and investment as economic par tners, joining hands in various areas like counter-terrorism as neighbours, and promoting vigorous cultural exchanges as inheritors of ancient
civilizations having extensive historical and spiritual contacts.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi believes India and China
share a long term relationship and the latter need not get
insecure about the former's strengthening relationship with
other neighbouring countries. However, the Tibetan issue
remains a bone of contention between the two countries as
China expects India to 'accommodate its neighbour's concerns'. Wang, who promised suppor t for India's economic
development, insisted that the dreams of both China and
India have commonalities and that Beijing was ready to engage with the new government. Foreign ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin described the talks as "cordial, useful,
substantive and productive".
"There has been an enormous amount of interest among a
variety of leaders across the globe to meet our new political
leaders," Akbar uddin told repor ters on June 6. "The prime
minister's inbox relating to foreign policy is very crowded."
Modi met with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and
other regional leaders who attended his inauguration on May 26
after his Bharatiya Janata Party became the first party to win an Indian
parliamentary majority in 30 years. Sharif hailed the meeting as a
"historic opportunity" and said he's ready for talks on all topics to
overcome years of mistrust.
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe declared that he was "looking forward" to
welcoming Modi in Tokyo before the end of the year. Japan wants an
Abe-Modi summit to precede a possible Modi-Xi Jinping summit. Modi has a long history with Japan, with Japanese companies
investing deeply in Gujarat. Modi wants that experience to be replicated in
the rest of India. What will be interesting will be to see how Modi engages
with Japan on the strategic front. How far will India sign on to Japan's
new Asia-Pacific initiative?
I CONTD. ON PAGE 13
6
MidWeek
community
Kajol Panchal to represent Canada at
Miss India Worldwide to be held in Dubai
DESK REPORT
TORONTO - Kajol Panchal was crowned Miss India Worldwide Canada
2014 recently at the Grand Empire Banquet in Brampton, Ontario. This
pageant has contestants par ticipating from all over Canada to celebrate their rich Indian heritage. The pageant was organized by Tony
and Shreyaa Chawla and is affiliated with Miss India Worldwide. Kajol
has been working hard to prepare herself to represent Canada at Miss
India Worldwide 2014, which will be held in Dubai.
She is currently studying at University of Ontario Institute of Technology pursuing a double degree in both criminology and legal studies,
setting the goals to establish herself as a success lawyer. She aims to further
specialize in women empowerment, and contribute to our society by spreading
awareness on relevant issues facing our world. She says that pageant has given
her the platform to build herself, her confidence, and interact with various people.
"Each youth of today, should encouraged to follow their dreams, as the steps
towards it, will help them build themselves and their contribution to their community". She is grateful to her parents, Rita and Rakesh, her brother Kunal, and the rest
of her family and friends for their continuous support, throughout her journey.
Moreover this pageant has given her the opportunity to get closer to the Indian
culture! Kajol is excited to represent the country she was born in, at an international
pageant, hoping bring that crown home and make her country proud. She
will represent Canada among 41 countries at Miss India Worldwide to
be held in Dubai.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Conservative Members of
Parliament attend World
Sikh Organization event on
Parliament Hill
The Honourable Tim Uppal, Minister of State for
Multiculturalism attends World Sikh Organization Event on
Parliament Hill with Honourable Chris Alexander, Minister of
Citizenship and Immigration, and Conservative Member of
Parliament , Ron Cannan.
10 YEAR OLD DIES
IN MAJOR FIRE IN
BRAMPTON
A 10-year old died and several houses were gutted when a
devastating fire engulfed a Brampton townhouse complex.
About 19 trucks and 50 firefighters rushed at the scene to bring
situation under control, but it took them several hours to put it
off completely. The fire that star ted in the centre of the units
spread rapidly killing 10 year old Nicolas Gabriel who was
sleeping over at a friend's house. Brampton Mayor Susan
Fennell spoke to the bereaved family and offered her condolences. Both Yudhvir and Dr Sharda bemoaned Gabriel's death.
You can suppor t those affected with fire as a trust fund has
been set up
You can mail your donation to
Regeneration Outreach Community
156 Main St. N.
Brampton, ON
L6V 1N9
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
community
BIO DATA OF STAR COUPLE
BLOOD DONOR
Brief History
S.Balwant Singh and Smt.
Jaswant Kaur married on July 5th
1980 are Retired Govt. Employees and residing in India at
Mohali (Punjab).According to
them the finest gesture one can
make is save life of by donating
blood. Both star ted to donate
blood together on April 7, 1991 at
Faridkot (Pb). This Couple Blood
Donor donated Blood for7979times each and quantity comes
to about 63litre. Since believe in
doing humanitarian act together,
on their 23rd Marriage Anniversary (July 5,2003) they also
pledged their bodies to Anatomy
Depar tment of P.G.I. Chandigarh
for Research and teachings purposes. Amandeep Singh (Son)
and Sandeep Kaur (Daughter)
donated blood for 33-33 times.
Total Weight of blood donated by
this family comes to 90 litre.
Records Created
Couple donates blood 4 times in
a year i.e. On New Year, World
Health Day (1st week of April) their
Wedding Anniversary (July 5), and National Voluntary Blood Donation Day
(October, 1). Both have created a record
in Blood Donationand being the number
of high donations for which names
have been entered in Record
Books
Limca Book-2005:
"Most Blood donation as a
Couple"
India Book of Records-2011 to
2014:
"First Couple Blood Donor"
Unique World Recors-2013 &
2014:
"Blood Donor Couple"
This Star Blood Donors Couple
has been selected by the
Chandigarh State Aids Control
Society& State Blood Transfusion
Council, Chandigarh as Role
Model for spreading the Blood
Donation Movement through posters and Banners fixed on Public
places.
Currently the couple is on Canada
visit and can be contacted on
P&G Brings #ShineDay to
desiFEST 2014 with
Crest, Olay, Pantene,
COVERGIRL, Gillette,
Duracell, Bounty and Tide
647-857-3734 for fur ther details.
Honors/ Awards for Social Work
About 500 awards has been received from other Social
organisations but out of these,
following prominent award as
under:
desiFEST attendees celebrated #ShineDay with P&G and
its various brands last Saturday. Along with celebrating
South Asian music and culture, festival goers lined up for
Gillette shaves, COVERGIRL lip touch up and Pantene hair
makeovers. Braids were in par ticular ver y popular with
the Pantene fans. Family and friends also gathered around
the Crest photo booth to flash their desi smile. Near the
stage, crowds cheered for the Duracell Power Check
Scream Metre and t-shir t toss. Of course the sizeable crowd
was around the food area to try different cuisines and Bounty
was on guard to wipe away their mess with no quit Bounty
paper towels and Tide to Go pens. Attendees also brought
home free product samples and coupons.
7
8
MidWeek
opinion
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
BRINGING THE STORY OF THE
KOMAGATA MARU TO LIFE
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
FUNDS PROJECT TO
COMMEMORATE 100TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE INCIDENT
Mississauga, ON - A power ful and visually engaging exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the voyage of the Komagata
Maru and exploring the contributions of Sikh immigrants to Canada
will soon be displayed across the country, thanks to suppor t from the
Government of Canada.
Tim Uppal, Minister of State (Multiculturalism), announced InterAction funding of up to $89,500 for the Sikh Heritage Museum of
Canada (SHMC) to create the "Lions of the Sea" exhibit.
The national exhibition with original ar tifacts made available by
the SHMC will travel across Canada, bringing the story of the
Komagata Maru to life and allowing Canadians from coast to coast
to learn about its historical significance.
Once completed, this exhibition will be made available to schools,
libraries and places of worship across Canada.
Quick facts
"
The Komagata Mar u arrived in Vancouver harbour in 1914
carrying 376 passengers of Indian descent, most of whom were
not allowed to land. This was because the ship did not make a
direct journey to Canada, as prescribed by Canada's Continuous
MidWeek
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Asian World Today Inc.
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YUDHVIR JASWAL
SHAZIA MALIK
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DR. PUSHPINDER BRAR
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BASHIR NASIR
Journeys clause, which was in place at the time. After two months
under difficult conditions, the ship and most of its passengers
were forced to return to India where, in a subsequent clash with
British soldiers, 19 passengers died.
"
In May 2008, the Government of Canada passed a unanimous
motion in the House of Commons, recognizing the Komagata Maru
incident and apologizing to those who were directly affected. On
August 3, 2008, Prime Minister Harper conveyed that apology to
the Indo-Canadian community in Surrey, BC.
"
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has provided
previous funding, through the Community Historical Recognition Program
(CHRP), toward a number of projects that recognize and raise awareness of the
Komagata Maru. For example, the Khalsa Diwan Society received a total of $1.4
million for the development of two projects, a monument and a museum which
commemorate the Komagata Maru incident.
Quotes
"The story of the Komagata Maru is a tragic moment in Canada's
DEVELOPING PROSPERITY
FOR ALL CANADIANS
BY - PARM GILL, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
FOR BRAMPTON-SPRINGDALE
PHOTOGRAPHERS
LEGAL ADVISOR
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history, and the lessons we have learned from it should be remembered by all Canadians. Through our government's suppor t
for this project, we are recognizing Canada's past and helping
educate Canadians on the Komagata Maru incident to ensure that
tragedies like this do not occur again."
Tim Uppal, Minister of State (Multiculturalism)
"The Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada is proud to take the lead to
share the story of the Komagata Maru with all Canadians. From
being barred by the tug boat Sea Lion, to being courageous "Lions
of the Sea," the remarkable story of the primarily Sikh passengers on the Komagata Maru will come to life with a national exhibition and lecture series. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary
of this legacy, the suppor t from the Government of Canada will
enable the Sikh Heritage Museum of Canada to engage this historical
Canadian story across our beautiful country."
Pardeep Singh Nagra, Executive Director, Sikh Heritage Museum of
Canada
Conservative Government is doing just that.
Our low-tax plan is putting money back in the pockets of hardworking Canadians, so they can meet the need and priorities of
their families. Over 1 million low-income Canadians including
380,000 seniors no longer pay any taxes. Our Government also
increased the amount families in the two lowest personal
income tax brackets can earn before paying taxes. We created
the Universal Child Care Benefit to provide child care choice for
parents and the Child Tax Credit. In all, the average Canadian
family pays $3,400 less in taxes annually.
Canadian families are benefiting from our measures with
families in all income groups having seen increases of about
10% or more in their take-home pay since 2006.
What's more, we have made notable progress in the fight
against pover ty. Since the previous Liberal government, there
are 1.4 million fewer Canadians living in pover ty including
225,000 fewer children.The number of Canadians living below
the low income cut-off is at its lowest level in history ever, and
Canada currently has one of the lowest pover ty rates among
seniors in the world.
Canada is not immune to global economic challenges, and we
need to work hard to stay on the right track. Canadians can be
confident that as our Conservative Government remains
focused on their top priority, jobs and the economy, we will help
ensure long-term prosperity and financial security for now and
for future generations.
According to a recent New York Times study, Canada's middle
class is the wealthiest in the world. With the highest after-tax
income, Canadian middle-class families have surpassed their
American counterpar ts af ter years of trailing behind. The
study's results reaffirm that Canada is on the right track. In fact, as a
whole, the wealth and financial security of Canadian families in all
income groups have seen significant improvements since our
Conservative Government has come into office.
Our Government knows that the best way to fight pover ty and
suppor t financial security, is to help ensure that Canadians
have access to high-quality jobs and affordable costs of living.
With over 1 million net new jobs created since the depth of the
global recession - 90% full-time and 80% in high-wage industries - and the lowest federal tax burden in half a century, our
DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE THE PERSONAL OPINIONS OF THE AUTHORS.THE INFORMATION, FACTS OR OPINIONS APPEARING IN THE
ARTICLES DO NOT REFLECT VIEWS OF MIDWEEK AND ITS MANAGEMENT AND SO THE PAPER DOES NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR THE SAME.
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
canada
RCMP Keeping Canadians Safe
For a seventh year, the fight against the online sale of counterfeit and unlicensed pharmaceutical products continues through Operation Pangea. This
global week of action led by INTERPOL took place from May 13 to 20, 2014.
It is the largest Internet-based action of its kind targeting the international
black market of illicit pharmaceutical products. At a press conference held in
Montreal today INTERPOL-Ottawa, along with the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police (RCMP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), unveiled the
results of the operation in Canada, sending a strong reminder to the public
that counterfeit and unlicensed pharmaceutical products are unsafe and can
be fatal. This was also an opportunity to highlight the importance of the strong
collective efforts required to protect the health and safety of citizens in Canada
and around the world.
"Crime has no borders and no schedule," said RCMP Commissioner Bob
Paulson. "International collaboration with our partners through operations
like Pangea is vital to disrupt threats by tackling this form of crime at its
source."
Operation Pangea VII spanned 111 countries, and resulted in the arrest of 237
individuals and the seizure of 9,482,646 potentially life-threatening pharmaceutical products worldwide, at a value of $35,859,018 US dollars. The global
endeavour involved police, border security and national regulatory authorities with the support of Internet Service Providers, payment systems providers, and delivery services.
This year in Canada, 2,282 packages originating from 20 countries were
inspected. Of these, 1,869 packages which contained 138,905 illicit and fake
pharmaceutical products at a street value of $627,384 CAD have been seized
or refused entry. The counterfeit and illicit pharmaceutical products confiscated include erectile dysfunction pills, weight loss pills, anti-diabetics, thyroid supplements, dietary supplements, antidepressants, anti-estrogens,
antihistamines, e-cigarettes (with nicotine), muscle relaxants, anti-cancer
drugs, diuretics, antipsychotics, female sex hormones and ACE inhibitors.
It is important to note that these seizures represent only a small fraction of the
counterfeit medications that are available in our country. This is the harvest
“
CHOOSE LEGITIMATE PHARMACIES
WHEN PURCHASING
PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS
of one week out of fifty-two, and in Canada only. Canadian law enforcement
partners take this emerging threat very seriously and continue to work diligently to stop the flow of these illegal products into Canada. "The CBSA is
proud to play a part in Operation Pangea VII alongside the RCMP and
INTERPOL", said Martin Bolduc, Vice-President of Operations at the CBSA.
"Our officers located in Canada's international mail centres work diligently to
protect the health and safety of Canadians from those who seek to threaten it."
One key component remains community engagement. "Working hand in
hand with our communities through awareness and education is essential.
This integrated approach allows us to detect and disrupt criminal activity
making it increasingly difficult for criminals to execute their plans", said
Inspector Richard Baylin, Director of INTERPOL-Ottawa.
The RCMP and its partners remind the public that there is no guarantee that
medication purchased via the Internet is genuine or safe. Buying online via
illegitimate websites also increases the risks of credit card fraud, identity
theft and malware viruses.
Consumers must also be aware that many websites are portrayed as online
Canadian pharmacies with an address in Canada, when, in fact, they are
located in other countries and sell counterfeit medications. In addition, organized criminal networks in Canada and abroad profit from the sale of fake and
unlicensed pharmaceutical products online, diverting funds from hardworking
Canadians.
Canadians are strongly encouraged to choose legitimate pharmacies when
purchasing pharmaceutical products, and to share any information on illicit
activity with the police in their respective region.
Source - rcmp.gc.ca
Apply for the Federal Internship for Newcomers Program
The Federal Internship for Newcomers (FIN) Program provides newcomers
with valuable temporary Canadian work experience and training opportunities with federal government departments and agencies and private sector
organizations.
The number and types of positions available in a given year vary. Internships
are offered in fields like policy, administration, project management, computer science, communications, science and finance.
Interns are hired for 90 working days. The internship may be extended an
additional 90 working days. A mentor is provided for the duration of the
internship.
In addition to gaining Canadian work experience, interns are able to:
"
learn about Canadian workplace culture
"
understand hiring processes
"
network with professionals
"
attend orientation sessions or training
Who is eligible
To be eligible, you must:
1.
be a permanent resident or a Canadian citizen in Canada for less
than 10 years (based on the date you became a permanent resident);
2.
have the necessary language abilities in English or French (minimum Canadian Language Benchmark of 7)
3.
have a post-secondary degree (with the exception of administrative positions where it is an asset);
4.
be registered and successfully screened by one of the program's
immigrant-serving organization partners; and
5.
either
a.
live or work in Ottawa/Gatineau (or within a 125 kilometre radius),
Toronto (or within a 125 kilometre radius), Vancouver or Victoria (or within a
75 kilometre radius) (Note: In the future, additional locations may be added),
or
b.
be a graduate of the World University Service of Canada's Student
Refugee Program.
Past participants: Interns can reapply to the program once.
Not eligible? Canadian citizens can apply online for federal public service
jobs on the Public Service Commission's job website, or participate in other
programs, such as a post-secondary co-op/internship program.
How to apply
If you are eligible, here's how to apply:
1.
Contact one of the program's immigrant-serving organization partners to be assessed for employment readiness (this is mandatory, as the
organization will be contacted to verify that you have successfully gone
through this process).
The organization will meet with you in person and:
"
evaluate your language skills in English or French (minimum Canadian Language Benchmark of 7);
"
refer you to the appropriate licensing/assessment bodies for the
assessment of your credentials, if needed; and
"
refer you to additional job readiness training, if needed (i.e. resume
writing or interview coaching)
2.
Apply online on May 28 and 29, 2014 once you have been successfully assessed. When applying, you will be asked to:
"
Submit a paragraph about what the internship means to you (this
will help organizations evaluate your writing skills)
"
Complete a questionnaire about your education and experience to
see how you fit with the job requirements
"
Provide the name and contact information of the immigrant-serving organization that assessed you.
For each category, there are essential qualifications that all applicants must
meet. These are outlined in the Statement of Merit Criteria. Only apply for
positions in categories for which you have the required education and experience.
You are not required to meet asset qualifications, but are encouraged to
specify and explain those that you do meet. You may also be assessed on
these criteria. Management may choose one or more asset qualifications at
the pre-screening stage to determine the number of applicants who will
advance to the following stage of the selection process.
After you apply
Your application will be shared with CIC or other organizations needing interns.
Qualified candidates will be matched with particular jobs based on their
skills and the needs of the participating organizations.
Please note the number of positions available is limited. Even if you qualify
and are successful through the screening and interviewing process, there is
no guarantee of placement.
Immigrant-serving organization partners
You can contact one of these partner organizations to be screened for job
readiness.
Ottawa/Gatineau:
"
Local Agencies Serving Immigrants (LASI)
"
Service Integration Travail Outaouais (SITO) (In French only)
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA):
"
Organizations that are members of Consortium of Agencies Serving Internationally Trained Persons (CASIP)
"
ACCES Employment Services
"
Collège Boréal
"
COSTI Immigrant Services
"
Humber College
"
Job Skills
"
Job Start
"
JVS
"
Micro-Skills
"
Seneca Workforce Skills
"
Skills for Change
"
WoodGreen
The Greater Vancouver Area and Victoria:
"
Back in Motion
"
Douglas College
"
Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISS of BC)
"
Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria
"
MOSAIC
"
Success
"
Training Innovations
"
Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society
National:
"
World University Services Canada (WUSC), for those who have
been sponsored through the Student Refugee Program only.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
REACHES 7 PER CENT
IP10
Canada Concerned
about Rise in
Terrorism in Iraq
In a recent statement Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said
"Canada is concerned by the rise of terrorism in Iraq that enabled elements of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL) to take temporary control of par ts of the city of Samarra.
"Approximately 3,000 Iraqi civilians have died in acts of terrorism and violence since the beginning of 2014. In Fallujah,
Samarra, and elsewhere in Iraq, civilians are being caught in
the crossfire between ISIL and security forces.
"Canada condemns all acts of terrorism and stands in solidarity with the Government and People of Iraq during these difficult times. We extend our deepest condolences to the families
and friends of those killed in this horrific violence and wish a
speedy recovery to the wounded.
"Canada calls for restraint in the use of force in populated
areas-par ticularly in Fallujah, where ongoing attacks are killing dozens daily-and calls on all par ties to refrain from targeting civilians, and to protect medical facilities."
Source - news.gc.ca
Tougher penalties
credited for fewer
casualties among
young male drivers
700 fewer injuries and fatalities a year
reported among 16-24 year olds
A new study out of Western University has found a significant
decline in speeding-related fatalities and injuries among young
men in Ontario since the province's tough extreme speeding
and aggressive driving laws were introduced in 2007. The
study found a sustained reduction of about 58 speeding-related
injuries and fatalities a month among males aged 16-24. That
means about 700 fewer young men have been injured or killed
in speeding-related crashes yearly since the law was passed.
The study led by Evelyn Vingilis, PhD, a professor in Family
Medicine, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western's
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, evaluated the deterrent impact of Ontario's Street Racers, Stunt, and Aggressive
Drivers Legislation (Bill 203) and found it is making a difference, not only in the number of convictions but also in reducing
the number of collisions.
Under the law,* drivers caught going 50 kph over the speed
limit or engaging in improper actions that constitute a driving
stunt, contest, or race can immediately have their licences
suspended and their vehicles impounded for seven days. Upon
conviction, they also face a fine of $2,000-$10,000, licence
suspension for up to two years or six demerit points, and the
possibility of up to six months in jail. The penalties get even
more severe with a second conviction.
"First of all we looked at males and females, and then we
looked at younger and older individuals because we know from
my earlier research, that street racing and extreme speeding
is an activity that typically younger males are more likely to
engage in," said Vingilis. "What we found was a substantial
reduction in the number of convictions for extreme speeding
for males, and no change for females because they were pretty
low any way. And impor tantly, we found a significant decrease
in the number of motor vehicle casualties of males 16 to 24 quite a significant reduction." Video of Vingilis discussing the
research can be found at http://youtu.be/A2tvOd5gFZc
Vingilis says the study's findings suppor t deterrence theory to
the effect that cer tain, swift and severe sanctions can deter
risky driving behaviour.
The research, conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of
Transpor tation of Ontario (MTO), looked at data from January
1, 2002 to December 31, 2011. The law came into effect September 30, 2007, enabling the researchers to compare the data
before and after implementation. From the time the new law
came into force to the end of 2011, more than 24,000 drivers'
licences were suspended for violating the new street racing
legislation, nearly 8,500 of them in the first year alone.
9
10
MidWeek
canada
MOST OF TORONTONIANS WANT CITY'S MAYOR
AND COUNCILLORS TO SUPPORT LAND
TRANSFER TAX RELIEF FOR HOME BUYERS
TORONTO - A Toronto Real Estate Board repor t shows with the municipal election campaign in full swing, a new poll is showing that a
majority of Torontonians suppor t a reduction of the Toronto Home
Buying Tax (Toronto Land Transfer Tax), and would be more likely to
vote for a Mayoral or Councillor candidates who suppor ts reducing or
eliminating this tax. Since 2008, the average Toronto Land Transfer
Tax has increased 78%, more than double the increase in the average
house price and outpacing inflation.
"The Toronto Home Buying Tax costs the purchaser of an average
Toronto home about $8,000, up front, on top of a similar amount for the
provincial Land Transfer Tax. This is a huge cost that hits people
when they can least afford it. It targets people like growing families
and retirees when they need to move to accommodate their changing
lifestyle. It's no wonder that Toronto voters want municipal election
candidates to commit to relief from this tax for home buyers," said
Dianne Usher, President of the Toronto Real Estate Board.
The poll was conducted by Ipsos Reid, between May 15th and May
29th, and found that:
"
58% of Torontonians suppor t a reduction in the Toronto Land
Transfer Tax, while 28% oppose.
"
A majority (51%) of Torontonians are more likely to vote for
Mayoral or Councillor candidates who suppor t reducing or eliminating the Toronto Land Transfer Tax, while only 10% would be less likely.
"
52% of Torontonians suppor t increasing the maximum rebate of the Toronto Land Transfer Tax allowed for first-time home
buyers, while 32% oppose.
"
67% of Torontonians planning to purchase a home in the next
two years are more likely to consider purchasing outside of Toronto to
avoid paying the Toronto Land Transfer Tax.
"
56% of recent first-time home buyers, in Toronto, had to pay
some Toronto Land Transfer Tax because City Hall's first-time buyer
rebate is insufficient because it has not kept pace with inflation.
"Clearly, the Toronto Home Buying Tax is an impor tant issue for voters
in the upcoming municipal election. Torontonians understand that the
Home Buying Tax is bad for our City's economy and unfairly targets
home buyers to pay more than their fair share of taxes," said Dianne
Usher, President, Toronto Real Estate Board.
Independent research has demonstrated that the Toronto Land Transfer Tax is having a negative impact on the City's economy. A 2012
study conducted by the C.D. Howe Institute found that the Toronto
Land Transfer Tax has dampened Toronto home sales by 16% annually.
A new study, released in April 2014, conducted by Altus Group Economic Consulting, found a significant loss of economic activity in the
City of Toronto, and a corresponding loss of thousands of jobs, due to
the Toronto Land Transfer Tax. The study found that, between 2008
and 2013, the Toronto Land Transfer Tax is responsible for
"
a loss of $2.3 billion in economic activity
"
a reduction of $1.2 billion in GDP
"
a loss of 14,934 full time jobs
"
a loss of $772 million in wages and salaries
"
a loss of 38,278 resale home transactions
Fur thermore, the Ipsos Reid poll found that if recent Toronto home
buyers had not had to pay the Toronto Land Transfer Tax, 19% of them
would have spent that money on home renovations, 21% would have
spent it on furnishings and appliances, and 45% would have used it to
reduce their mor tgage, thereby adding flexibility to their household
budget for other spending.
"The Toronto Real Estate Board looks forward to continuing to highlight the impact of the Toronto Home Buying Tax during the municipal
election campaign, and raising this issue, along with the public, with
municipal election candidates. We believe that Torontonians will,
once again, expect City Council to take action on this issue," said Von
Palmer, TREB's Chief Government and Public Affairs Officer.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
REACHES 7 PER CENT
CONTD. FROM PAGE 1
In Alberta, employment increased by 16,000 in May and the unemployment
rate was 4.6%. This latest employment increase contributed to year-over-year
gains of 71,000 or 3.2%, the highest growth rate of all provinces.
Employment in Newfoundland and Labrador declined for the second consecutive month, down 4,100 in May, pushing the unemployment rate up 0.6 percentage points to 12.7%. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in the
province was down 8,900 or 3.8%, the result of declines since the start of 2014.
In Ontario, employment was little changed, leaving employment in the province 39,000 (+0.6%) above the level of May 2013. The unemployment rate
was 7.3% in May, the same rate as 12 months earlier.
While employment in Quebec was unchanged in May, there were more
people searching for work, pushing the unemployment rate up 0.4 percentage
points to 8.0%. On a year-over-year basis, employment in the province was
little changed.
Industry overview
Employment increased by 22,000 in educational services in May, but was little
changed from 12 months earlier.
Employment rose by 20,000 in accommodation and food services, offsetting
some of the declines in April.
Employment also increased in agriculture, up 19,000. Despite this gain, employment in the industry was little changed compared with 12 months earlier.
The number of people working in natural resources declined by 23,000 in May,
bringing employment in the industry back to about the same level as in May
2013.
There were 21,000 fewer workers in finance, insurance, real estate and leasing in May, the third decrease in four months. The recent losses contributed to
a year-over-year employment decline of 33,000 (-2.9%) in the industry.
Summer employment for students From May to August, the Labour Force
Survey collects labour market data about youths aged 15 to 24 who were
attending school full time in March and who intend to return to school full time
in the fall. The May survey results provide the first indicators of the summer job
market, especially for students aged 20 to 24, as many students aged 15 to 19
are still in school. The data for June, July and August will provide further insight
into the summer job market. The published data are not seasonally adjusted,
and therefore comparisons can only be made from one year to another.
HIGH LIGHTS FROM THE 11TH TOP 20 UNDER 20 AWARDS BREAKFAST
Youth in Motion celebrated
some of Canada's most inspiring young people at the 11th
Annual Top 20 under 20 Awards
Breakfast at the Arcadian
Cour t. Sponsored in par t by
RBC Foundation, the Top 20
Under 20™ Award recognizes
young people across the country for their exceptional leadership, innovation and
achievement. Among this
year's recipients are young
scientists, entrepreneurs, humanitarians and youth advocates. The 2014 Top 20 under
20 recipients have collectively
raised more than $2.7 million
for their various charities and
business ventures.
Selected by five Order of
Canada recipients, who were
in attendance, the Top 20 under
20 are brought in from across the
country to attend the Top 20 Under 20™ Awards Breakfast and
three day Leadership Summit.
Some of today's highlights included:
A video message from Rick Mercer
The Slaight Family Foundation
Community Service Impact
Award was presented to Zameer
Bharwani; 10K will be given to a
charity of Zameer's choice
The 2014 Top 20 Under 20™
Award Recipients are:
Sruti Arulmani, 16 (Mississauga,
Ont.); Zameer Bharwani, 17
(Toronto, Ont.); Mélanie-Rose
Frappier, 16 (Sudbur y, Ont.);
Kourosh Houshmand, 19 (Toronto,
Ont.); Sabrina Hundal, 15
(Mississauga, Ont.); Selin Jessa,
19 (Coquitlam, B.C.); Usman
Kamran, 19 (Calgar y, Alta.);
Sheliza Kassam (Calgary, Alta.);
Alexander Lachapelle, 19
(Montreal, Que.); Alexandra
Lemanowicz,
17
(New
Westminster, B.C.); Laura Luo, 17
(Nor th Vancouver, B.C.); Jessie
MacAlpine, 18 (Woodstock, Ont.);
Arjun Nair, 17 (Calgary, Alta.);
Adam Noble, 19 (Douro-Dummer,
Ont.); Leanne Prendergast, 19
(Woodbridge, Ont.); Wali Shah, 19
(Mississauga, Ont.); James Sun,
18 (Toronto, Ont.); Raymond
Wang, 15 (Vancouver, B.C.);
Brennan Wong, 16 (Richmond
Hill, Ont.); and Jeanny Yao, 19
(Scarborough, Ont.)
Youth in Motion is grateful to our
key program par tners for their
continued suppor t of The Top 20
Under 20™ Award Program: RBC
Foundation, Bell Media, The
Globe and Mail, Char tered Professional Accountants of Ontario,
Right Management and the
Slaight Family Foundation
About Youth in Motion
Youth in Motion fosters the continuing
success of diverse youth and their important contributions to local, national
and international communities. Top 20
Under 20™ is its signature national program, celebrating the next generation of
Canadian leaders. Youth in Motion
champions other employment-focused mentoring programs for youth
with barriers to employment, as
well as school-based workshops that focus on career options.
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
india
MODI, RAHUL
EXCHANGE GREETINGS
IN PARLIAMENT
IP12
Himachal mishap: Bodies
of 5 students recovered
Rescuers on Monday fished out
bodies of five Hyderabad-based
engineering students, who were
washed away in the swirling waters of Beas river along with 20
classmates whose fate is not
known as Chief minister
Virbhadra Singh ordered a magisterial inquiry and suspension of
Resident Engineer of Larji hydropower project.
The Home Ministry has sought a
repor t from the state on the incident in which 25 students, who
were taking photographs on the
bank of Beas, were washed away
last evening when the discharge
of water in the river suddenly increased due to release of water
from the reservoir of 126 MW Larji
hydropower project.
Teams of SSB, assisted by police, homeguard and local divers
and rafters intensified search operations in the area from Thalout
to Pandoh dam.
Five bodies including that of three
boys and two girls have been recovered, SSB officials at Control
Room at Mandi said.
Officials fear that the chances of
survival of the missing students
is slim as the river current is
strong and presence of silt and
waste.
NDRF personnel, who have launched a massive search operation along river Beas, looking out for
survivors. 24 engineering students feared washed away by the flashfloods on Sunday. TV Grab. Photo
“The high discharge of water and
shor tage of boats is causing
some problem but we have list of
missing persons and hope to recover the bodies. Our jawans are
moving in boats and strict vigil is
being maintained along the banks
of Beas and NDRF teams and
divers from BBMB have also
reached the spot,” the officials
said.
Taking serious note of the matter,
the Chief Minister has ordered a
magisterial inquiry by Divisional
Commissioner, Mandi, to fix responsibility for the tragedy and
suggest measure to stop recurrence of such incidents.
The Chief Minister has also ordered suspension of the Resident
Engineer and a case has been
registered against the staff for
11
negligence and not forewarning
the people before releasing water from the dam.
Terming the incident as unfor tunate, the Chief Minister said, “Students had come with teachers. I
think the teachers should have
taken precaution that the students
did not go to the river bed. But
anyway I do not want to blame
anybody.”
RS poll: JD(U)
nominates Sharad
Yadav from Bihar
PATNA: Ending days of speculation, the Janata Dal (United) on
Monday nominated its national
president Sharad Yadav, senior
leaders
Ghulam
Rasool
Baliyavi and Pawan Kumar
Verma for byelection to three
Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar.
The election for the seats is
scheduled for later this month.
Bihar JD(U) president Vashisht
Narain Singh told repor ters
here: "The par ty has nominated
Yadav, Baliyavi and Verma for
byelection and they will file their
nomination papers on Monday."
short
stories
shortstories
Hema Malini’s priorities:
end monkey menace,
clean the Yamuna
The BJP MP from Mathura Hema Malini on Sunday said her priorities
would be to bring an end to the monkey menace in Vrindaban, clean the
Yamuna river and tap the region’s tourism potential.
The actor-turned-politician said after consultations with experts and
local residents, she would work out a plan to overcome the monkey
menace in Vrindaban.”A plan to set up ‘Monkey Safari’ will be taken up
after consulting the local people. It will facilitate the 40,000-odd monkeys to live in natural environment as the forested areas in Vrindaban is
gradually being replaced by concrete jungles,” Ms. Hema Malini told
reporters here. On the Yamuna pollution, she said it would be her first
priority to clean the river, and added that she had requested the Prime
Minister to include it in the Ganga clean-up programme. “Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has assured me on including cleaning of Yamuna in the
Ganga cleaning programme,” she said. “I have also had consultations with
Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Uma Bharti in this regard,” she added. Ms.
Hema Malini said she is contemplating starting a cleanliness awareness
drive in her constituency, and sought cooperation of the people. On the
tourism front, the BJP MP said, “Mathura has immense tourist potential.
Efforts would be made to tap it and make Mathura a tourist hub.” She said
she would also work on improving power, water, and road infrastructure in
her constituency. The yesteryear actor said she would take initiatives
to develop sports and art and culture in the area.
BrahMos missile test-fired from
warship INS Kolkata
NEW DELHI: India on Monday successfully test- fired the 290
km-range BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missile from
the country's largest indigenous warship INS Kolkata off the
coast of Karwar in Karnataka.
The Mazagon Dockyards Limited-built INS Kolkata is yet to be
formally inducted into the Navy and will have the capability to
launch 16 BrahMos missiles in one go when it enters operational service. The missile was test-fired from INS Kolkata,
which is a new ship under Project 15-Alpha series, off the coast
of Karwar on Monday morning and all the parameters were met
during the test, defence officials told PTI here.
INS Kolkata is the first of its class of warships in the country
and is undergoing extensive trials before its planned induction
into the Navy in July, they said.
12
MidWeek
india
Chandrababu Naidu becomes
first CM of Andhra
Vijayawada (Agencies) - Telugu Desam Par ty (TDP) chief N.
Chandrababu Naidu was sworn in as the chief minister of residual
Andhra Pradesh on Sunday evening - less than a week after K.
Chandrasekhar Rao took oath as the chief minister of Telangana.
TV channels repor ted that 19 ministers were also sworn in by Governor ESL Narasimhan along with Naidu at a jam-packed public event in
Nagarjuna Nagar, 18kms from Vijaywada.
Naidu took the oath of office at 7:27pm, the auspicious "muhur tam
(moment)" set for the occasion, in Telugu amid thunderous cheers by
par ty workers.
The TDP leader is the first chief minister of residual Andhra Pradesh
after the decades-old demand for Telangana state became a reality on
June 2.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) leader LK Advani, Union home
minister Rajnath Singh, Union ministers Ananth Kumar and M
Venkaiah Naidu as well as the chief ministers of Punjab,
Rajasthan,Gujarat, Goa and Nagaland attended the high-profile ceremony.
According to repor ts, the TDP has given two cabinet ber ths to ally
BJP. Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi and Telugu film stars Pawan Kalyan,
NTR Junior and Kalyan Ram also attended the event.
Ar t of Living guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, badminton star Pullela
Gopichand, top industrialists such as G Mallikarjuna Rao of GMR
Group and a host of other VIPs were also present on the occasion.
On the road to power, the TDP had bagged 102 seats in the 175member Andhra Pradesh assembly in the recent elections, while ally
BJP had won four seats.
Naidu, 64, had earlier served as the chief minister of undivided Andhra
Pradesh from 1995 to 2004. He was the leader of opposition in the
state for nearly a decade.
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best
wishes to Naidu and assured him of "all possible help".
"As Chandrababu Naidu takes oath as CM of Andhra Pradesh this
evening (Sunday), I convey my best wishes to him and his team in
developing the state," Modi tweeted. "The Centre is committed to
“
Vivek Oberoi, Telugu film stars
Pawan Kalyan, NTR Junior and
Kalyan Ram attended event
extending all possible help to the people and government of Andhra
Pradesh," he added.
Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa too extended her greetings to
Naidu. Residual Andhra will star t its journey under Naidu with a deficit budget of about Rs. 14, 500 crore.
For 10 years, Hyderabad will serve as the common capital for
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Guntur or Vijayawada, two major
towns separated by just 35kms, could be the next Andhra capital
since Hyderabad will eventually go to Telangana.
Naidu's government will function from the old Andhra Pradesh assembly hall, while the present assembly hall has already been handed
over to Telangana.
Modi, Rahul exchange greetings in Parliament
NEW DELHI: It was a spectacle of bonhomie in the Central
Hall of Parliament as Prime Minister Narendra Modi
greeted his political adversary Rahul Gandhi warmly
grabbing his hand, while Congress president Sonia Gandhi
chatted intermittently with BJP veteran LK Advani.
The occasion was the joint sitting of both Lok Sabha and
Rajya Sabha, addressed by President Pranab Mukherjee,
that saw political rivals from Left, Right and Centre
exchanging pleasantries.
The exchange of greetings between Modi and the Congress vice-president caught the attention of ever ybody.
The Prime Minister was seen warmly grabbing Rahul's
hand.
Modi greeted Congress vice-president who was seated in
the eighth row along with senior Congress leaders Motilal
Vora and Jairam Ramesh. As soon as Modi, dressed in
his usual half kur ta and jacket, came close to Rahul, he
held his hand bringing an instant smile on the Congress
leader's face.
Soon leaders of various par ties surrounded Rahul. This is
perhaps the first occasion when Modi exchanged greetings
with Rahul after a bitterly fought Lok Sabha election.
Modi, as the prime ministerial candidate of BJP, had
frequently attacked Rahul mocking him as "shehzada" and
targeting the Gandhi family during campaigning.
Before the President's address began, Sonia was seen
engaged in prolonged chat with Advani sitting next to her in
the packed Central Hall.
A number of MPs, including Chandan Mitra, Babul Supriyo,
Rajyavarhan Rathore and Manoj Tewari, who could not find
a seat, kept standing during the President's 55-minute
address.
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Modi govt promises policies
to push growth, create jobs
PRESIDENT PRANAB MUKHERJEE ADDRESSED THE FIRST
JOINT SITTING OF PARLIAMENT
Seeking to heal the fractured and contentious politics of the
previous years, President Pranab Mukherjee today said the
new government at the Centre will work for development in a
resurgent India in which corruption will have no place.
“They (people of India) have voted for a united, strong and
modern India — Ek Bharat—Shreshta Bharat — My government will work to fulfil these aspirations, with the involvement
of all the 125 crore people of this great country,” he said.
The President was addressing the first joint sitting of Parliament as mandatorily required under the Constitution after general elections that brought in the Narendra Modi government
last month.
In a word of assurance to minorities, the address said the new
government is committed to making all minorities equal par tners in India’s progress.
The address is the political, economic and foreign policy road
map of the Modi government voted to power and covers vir tually all the crucial areas including the need to address the
difficult economic situation in which inflation has to be reined
in and growth to be reignited.
Mr. Mukherjee noted that the just-concluded election has been
an election of hope.
“The surge in aspirations and the belief that these could be
realised through democratic processes, has been amply reflected in the record 66.4 per cent participation by voters and
a clear verdict in favour of a single political par ty after a gap of
nearly 30 years.
“The electorate transcended the boundaries of caste, creed,
region and religion to come together and vote decisively in
favour of ‘Development through Good Governance’,” he said.
Newly-elected Lok Sabha members and those belonging to
the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Modi, his cabinet colleagues,
former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President
Sonia Gandhi and other opposition leaders heard the 50—
minute speech with rapt attention interspersed by occasional
thumping of desks.
The President said putting the economy back on track is paramount.
The government will put it back into a high growth path, rein in
inflation, reignite the investment, accelerate job creation and
restore the confidence of the domestic and international community. “My government will create a policy environment
which is predictable, transparent and fair. It will embark on
rationalisation and simplification of the tax regime to make it
non-adversarial and conductive to investment, enterprise and
growth. “My government will make every effor t to introduce
the Goods and Services Tax (GST) while addressing the concerns of states. Reforms will be under taken to enhance the
ease of doing business. My government will follow a policy of
encouraging investments, including through FDI, which will
be allowed in sectors that help create jobs and assets,”
Mukherjee said. On the foreign policy, the President said while
the government was committed to work towards building a
peaceful, stable and economically inter—linked
neighbourhood, “we will never shy away from raising issues
of concern to us at a bilateral level.
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india
Modi govt to make special efforts for
dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits
Perhaps finding a mention in
President Pranab Mukherjee’s
joint address to the Parliament for
the first time, it was welcomed
by Kashmiri Pandit organisations.
The Narendra Modi Government
has flagged the return of Kashmiri
Pandits to the Valley with “dignity, security and assured livelihood,” an issue on which it will
lay special emphasis during its
tenure.
Perhaps finding a mention in
President Pranab Mukherjee’s
joint address to the Parliament for
the first time, it was welcomed
by Kashmiri Pandit organisations
which have been fighting for the
lakhs of people from the community who fled the Valley in 1990
due to ethnic cleansing during
militancy.
“Special effor ts will be made to
ensure that Kashmiri Pandits return to the land of their ancestors
with full dignity, security and as-
sured livelihood,” the President
said while outlining the agenda
of Modi government for the next
five years.
The BJP had mentioned return and
rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants to the Valley in its manifesto.
According to official data, 24,202
families migrated after militancy
raised its ugly head in the Valley
in 1990. A total number of 38,119
families are registered with the
Jammu and Kashmir Revenue
and Relief Ministry till now.
The
Kashmiri
Pandit
organisation, however, put the
number of total displaced people
anywhere between six to seven
lakh now.
Kashmiri Pandit organisations
welcomed the move of the Government and said it was for the
first time that the plight of the displaced community had been
flagged by the Central Government as its priority.
General Secretary of All India
Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) Romesh
Raina while welcoming the step
said finally the serious issue of
displacement of Kashmiri Pandits has
got its rightful place in the mainstream
politics of the country.
“Our request to the Government
would be that while framing the
blue print for the return and rehabilitation of the community, they
should take the aspirations and
needs of the displaced into the
consideration and must ensure
the political rehabilitation of the
people through Constitutional
mechanism lest its not refouled
again,” he said.
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INDIA'S MODI-FIED
FORIEGN POLICY
CONTD. FROM PAGE 5
Yudhvir also mentioned on the show that Modi might be tweaking his sails towards its long-term ally Russia as it has lifted
arms embargo to Pakistan and India is also improving ties with
US. Russia has good relations with Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and hopes cooperation between the two countries, particularly in defence and nuclear cooperation, will succeed
during his tenure.Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitryi
Rogozin, the pointsman on India relations in Moscow, is
expected to visit India this month to hold talks with new
leadership in India. Modi has visited Russia 3 times as the
Chief Minister of Gujarat.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj are slated to meet in the next two
months, before the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
Washington in September.
The Kerry-Sushma meeting will signal the first political level engagement between the Obama administration and the Modi government,
and is significant given the strain in India-U.S. ties in the past few
months. Restarting talks on Commerce, Infrastructural investments
and FDI, as well as defence sales and cooperation, dialogues that
have been held up since 2013 will be important.
Yudhvir finally said at this moment countries seem to be competing to
welcome Modi, No doubt that his Inbox is flooded with requests. Will Modi or for that matter India rise up to the challenge is up for discussion.
Dehradun fake encounter:
17 cops get life sentence
WATER FOR EVERY FARM, FOOD
INFLATION NDA'S PRIORITIES, SAYS
PRESIDENT PRANAB MUKHERJEE
The NDA government will
launch a "prime minister's
national irrigation programme"
to cut the country's dependence on the monsoon and
clamp down on food prices,
President Pranab Mukherjee
said in a speech to Parliament
on Monday, outlining Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's
policy agenda.
The customary address,
delivered in the first session
of Parliament on behalf of the
government, proposed
measures to ease supply
bottlenecks side of various
farm commodities.
This means rolling out an
infrastructure capable of
quickly moving farm produce
from fields to markets, while
overhauling the public
distribution system, India's
network of over 500,000 fair
price shops. The country
lacks an efficient cold
storage-enabled network of
trucks, warehouses and even
rail wagons, which some
exper ts blame on poor policy
initiatives.
""The country will have a
network of freight corridors
with specialised agri-rail
networks for perishable
agricultural products," the
president said.
Retail food prices have been
hovering around double digits,
averaging 10% over the past
two years, mainly on the back
of costlier vegetables, milk
and fruits. The previous UPA
government's inability to
control food prices is considered to be a major reason for
voters' anger against them.
The president also promised
to crack down on black
marketeering and hoarding, or
the practice by traders to hold
on to stocks to worsen
scarcity in order to earn super
profits.
The president also announced
a "Pradhan Mantri Grameen
Sinchayee Yojana", similar to
the Grameen Sadak Yojana, to
expand the country's irrigation
network, in what could be one
of the largest rural infrastructure programmes of the new
government.
While the previous government successfully raised farm
output to record highs through
better farm practices, a
stagnant irrigation network
has ensured lower productiv-
ity levels and heavy dependence on dodgy monsoon.
"My government is aler t about
the possibility of a subnormal
monsoon this year and
contingency plans are being
prepared," the president said.
The government's motto is
"water for every farm", the
president said. "Each drop of
water is precious. My government is committed to giving
high priority to water security.
It will complete the long
pending irrigation projects on
priority and launch the
'Pradhan Mantri Krishi
Sinchayee Yojana' with the
motto of'Har Khet Ko Paani'.
Mukherjee said the government was committed to
reversing "unfor tunate" farmer
suicides. The broad policy
measure to boost the farm
sector would be by increasing
investment in agriculture, both
public and private, especially
in farm infrastructure, he said.
A Delhi cour t on Monday awarded life imprisonment to 17
Uttarakhand police personnel who were convicted for gunning down
a 22-year-old MBA graduate in a fake encounter in a jungle near
Dehradun in 2009.
Special CBI Judge JPS Malik handed down the jail term to the 17
policemen after holding them guilty on June six of involvement in
the conspiracy to kidnap and kill Ghaziabad resident Ranbir Singh,
who went to Dehradun to take up a job on July 3, 2009.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 each on seven cops-six Sub-Inspectors Santosh Kumar Jaiswal, Gopal Dutt Bhatt (SHO),
Rajesh Bisht, Neeraj Kumar, Nitin Kumar Chauhan, Chander Mohan
Singh Rawat and constable Ajit Singh--who were held guilty of
killing the victim. It has also directed 10 other policemen, convicted for conspiracy to kidnap and kill Ranbir, to furnish a fine of
Rs. 20,000 each. The court asked the authorities concerned to give
the collected fine as compensation to the family of Ranbir, who had
graduated in MBA from Meerut University. However, the family of
the victim, which was present in the court, expressed unhappiness over the verdict and said they will appeal against it in the
higher court. The victim's mother, who was seen crying, said, "I
want death for all the policemen who killed my younger son."
Meanwhile, the wife of one of the convicts, Santosh Kumar Jaiswal,
broke down in the courtroom, saying, "Where will we go? He
(Santosh) is the only earning member in the family." The court,
which convicted policeman Jaspal Singh Gosain for the offence of
a public servant framing incorrect record with an intention to save
a person from punishment (section 218 IPC), however, awarded
him two years imprisonment, which he has already undergone
during the trial period. Gosain, the then head operator at city control room, who was acquitted of all the other charges, was directed
to furnish a bail bond of Rs. 50,000 and a surety of the like amount.
14
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world
G7 Leaders Discuss Economy, Security
Challenges & International Development
"At this year's Summit, G-7 members agreed to take fur ther actions to
promote global economic prosperity and to advance impor tant development challenges, such as improving the health of women and children in developing countries. We also showed strong resolve for suppor ting freedom and democracy in Ukraine under the country's newly
elected President." - Prime Minister Stephen Harper
The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the President of the European Council and the
President of the European Commission met in Brussels, Belgium, on
June 4 and 5, 2014, for the G-7 Summit. This year's meeting provided
G-7 members with an oppor tunity to consider coordinated action on
the global economy, energy security, and international development.
They also discussed ways to preserve and promote a free, democratic and peaceful world.
This included a focus on responses to address Russia's continuing
illegal occupation of Crimea. Additionally, the leaders discussed other
political and security challenges, including in Syria, Iran, and Nor th
Korea.
Global Economy
Canada welcomes the oppor tunity offered by the Brussels Summit to
discuss approaches to strengthen growth and make the global
economy more resilient. It is impor tant to signal the G-7's collective
commitment to free and open markets and a strong rules-based trading system. The leaders met at a time when the economic outlook is
positive as all G-7 economies are expected to grow this year. While
the economic recovery is taking hold, ongoing challenges remain. In
many countries, growth and inflation remain too low and unemployment remains too high. For Canada, the economy has recovered from
the global recession better than many of its G-7 peers and more than
one million Canadians are working today than during the depths of the
economic crisis. Moreover, as announced in Economic Action Plan
2014, Canada will return to a balanced budget in 2015. This reflects
Canada's steadfast commitment to fiscal responsibility and sound
economic management, the principles that will guide Canada's approach to G-7 discussions.
International Political and Security Challenges
The illegal seizure of Crimea and Russia's continued military aggression against Ukraine contravenes the principles and values on which
PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER AND HIS WIFE LAUREEN ARRIVE AT THE INTERNATIONAL CEREMONY OF REMEMBRANCE TO
MARK THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY AND THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY.
SOURCE - HTTP://PM.GC.CA/
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
the G-7 operates, including a shared commitment to freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Since the beginning of the
crisis, Canada and the G-7 have strongly condemned Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine, including by imposing coordinated economic sanctions and travel bans on key Russian and Ukrainian figures and entities responsible for undermining the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Ukraine. For its par t, Canada has put in place
sanctions against over 100 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and
entities responsible for the crisis, contributed hundreds of Canadian
observers to help facilitate free, fair and democratic elections in
Ukraine, and is providing $240 million to help Ukraine implement
needed economic reforms, and promote democratic and social development. Discussions at this year's Summit focused on suppor ting
the newly elected Ukrainian President and considering fur ther measures to deter Russia's continuing illegal occupation of Crimea and
its persistent military aggression in Eastern Ukraine. Beyond Ukraine,
the leaders also discussed ways to address ongoing challenges in
Syria, Iran and Nor th Korea. This included talks on prospects for
ending the ongoing civil war in Syria, as well as outstanding questions regarding Syria's commitment to fully destroy all its chemical
weapons, and the worsening humanitarian situation in the country
and the region. On Iran, the leaders reviewed the implementation of
the Joint Plan of Action and considered how best to press the regime
to comply with all of its international obligations to verifiably end its
nuclear weapons program and to cur tail its continued human rights
abuses. Measures to press Nor th Korea to halt the development of its
nuclear and ballistic missile programs and to address its gross and
systematic human rights violations in the country were considered
as well.
Energy Security
Recent events highlight the need to address energy security challenges. Building on the G-7 Energy Ministers' Meeting held in Rome,
Italy, on May 5 and 6, 2014, the leaders reiterated that energy should
not be used as a means of political coercion, nor as a threat to security. They discussed ways to improve energy security at national,
regional and global levels, including by diversifying energy fuels,
sources, and encouraging the development of indigenous sources of
energy supply. As a major energy producer and net-expor ter, Canada
can play a key role in suppor ting our par tners as they look to diversify
energy supplies. Canada can also share our exper tise in the responsible use and development of energy through technology and innovation and measures to increase energy efficiency. The leaders also
considered ways to deepen G-7 collaboration to ensure energy markets are open and transparent, energy infrastructure is developed and
modernized to bring energy to markets, and energy sources are developed responsibly.
International Development
Canada is pleased that the leaders also had the oppor tunity to discuss development challenges; specifically they discussed ways to
accelerate effor ts to reduce child mor tality and improve maternal
health. In 2010, Canada focused its effor ts on the launch of the Muskoka
Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, which aims to save
the lives of 1.3 million children and 64,000 mothers around the world.
In an effor t to accelerate momentum on this initiative, Canada held a
Summit on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Toronto from May
28 to 30, 2014. The Saving Every Woman, Every Child: Within Arm's
Reach Summit gathered leaders, exper ts, global activists and
policy-makers to build political momentum to ensure that the
health of mothers and children remains a continued global priority, including as a prominent par t of the post-2015 development
agenda. Carrying forward this momentum, Canada encouraged
other G-7 leaders to increase effor ts on the commitment it made
through the Muskoka Initiative.
Building on Previous Summits
Since the 2013 Summit in Lough Erne, the G-7 has made significant progress in implementing the Lough Erne 3Ts agenda (trade,
transparency and tax). On trade, G-7 members were active proponents of renewing the G-20 standstill commitment to refrain from
erecting protectionist measures. The renewal of the standstill
ensures that the world's largest economies keep their markets
open for business. G-7 members also actively contributed to the
World Trade Organization negotiations in Bali, which delivered a
strong trade package that could stimulate world trade by as much
as US$1 trillion. Canada and Europe also helped contribute to increased trade by reaching an agreement in principle on the key
elements of the Canada-EU Trade Agreement. On transparency,
Canada fulfilled its Open Data pledge, releasing over 190,000 government data sets to the public. Canada is also making progress
on its G-8 Action Plan on Transparency of Corporations and Trusts,
having launched public consultations on corporate transparency
and beneficial ownership as par t of a broader public consultation
on the Canada Business Corporations Act. Canada is also on track
to develop a new money laundering and terrorist financing risk
assessment framework by 2014-2015, as per its commitment.
Canada has also made progress towards enhancing transparency
in the extractive sector. Having concluded public consultations on
mandatory repor ting requirements, Canada is now in the process of
developing a repor ting regime consistent with international standards.
On tax, Canada is par ticipating in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development negotiations to bring forward concrete recommendations to address tax avoidance profit shifting. Canada is
also helping developing countries build their tax collection capacity.
Canada is also pleased to see continued G-7 focus on previous Summit commitments, including the New Alliance for Food Security and
Nutrition which seeks to achieve sustained and inclusive agricultural
growth and raise 50 million people out of pover ty, and the Deauville
Par tnership, which is an international effor t launched by the G-8 at
Deauville in 2011 to suppor t countries in the Arab world engaged in
transitions toward free, democratic and tolerant societies.
Source - http://pm.gc.ca/
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His win was also accompanied by a deluge of eye-watering
statistics.
He became the first man to win five successive Roland Garros titles.
His record in French Open finals stands at 9-0.
He has won a record 35 successive matches at the claycourt major.
He has won 90 of his 91 best-of-five-set matches on clay.
He owns a 66-1 win-loss record at Roland Garros.
RAFAEL NADAL AFTER WINNING FRENCH OPEN FOR THE 9TH TIME.
17
Sonakshi Sinha on
her Holiday With
Akshay Kumar
Sonakshi Sinha is back to working with her Rowdy Rathore co-star
Akshay Kumar and the actress, who's looking stunning nowadays,
says working with Akshay is always rowdy since he's a fun person to
work with. (Also read: Holiday is not One of my Regular Films: Akshay
Kumar)
The actress spoke to NDTV about her upcoming film Holiday and
revealed that the film was different from the other movies she had
done with Akshay, was far more serious and had a great plot. She
revealed, "Holiday is about a soldier who comes back on holiday but finds
out about some terrorist activity that's about to happen and he does everything to stop it which is quite
thrilling actually."
Sonakshi, who plays
a boxer in Holiday,
was trained by
ace
boxer
Vijender
Singh for
her role.
JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ
ON A NEW TURF
ACTRESS JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ WHO IS
SHOOTING FOR 'KICK' WITH SALMAN KHAN IS
LAUNCHING AN EATERY IN SRI LANKA
Many Bollywood celebrities may be busy purchasing new
properties for themselves in Mumbai, but trust Jacqueline
Fernandez to do things differently. After buying an island
off the coast of Sri Lanka, this actress is now looking at
launching a restaurant in Colombo. A source close to the
Sri Lankan beauty reveals that the actress will launch the
restaurant in Sri Lanka sometime in mid-June. `Despite
having a busy schedule, Jacqueline is taking a keen
interest in this project. She is also going to design the
interiors of the place, as the restaurant will reflect her style
and personality. In fact, many of Sri Lanka's Who's Who
are expected to attend the launch,` says the source. The
actress, who is currently dubbing for Salman Khan-starrer
Kick, confirms the news. `I have always wanted to open my
restaurant, but I could not get down to it in all these years.
Now I am excited about finally realising my dreams. I am
quite looking forward to the project,` she says.
Previous purchase
In 2012, the actress bought an island off the south coast of her
hometown in Sri Lanka. She plans to build a huge villa there.
CONTD. ON
PAGE 23
Tamannaah lost 5 kg for
'Humshakals'
Big B shot stunts for TV show in body rig?
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan's fiction debut on the small
screen with the series "Yudh" just got a lot more dangerous.
The actor is said to have defied medical orders to per form
some forbidden stunts in a body rig.
It's been 30 years since the Big B wore a body rig for any of
his stunts in a film. After the accident on the sets of "Coolie"
in 1982 and the beating that his body took, the veteran star
was forbidden from wearing the heavy body rigs required for
cinematic stunts.
Until now. For the serial "Yudh" that he is doing, Amitabh
agreed to wear a body rig for a very intricate stunt.
A source said: "It was an impor tant scene where Bachchan
saab's character Yudhishthir Sikarwar had to confront an
impor tant crisis in his life. The director Ribhu Dasgputa had
been told by the Big B's team that he wouldn't be wearing the
body rig. The last time he wore one was for 'Coolie' when the
near-fatal accident happened.
"The director was trying to find a way out of the situation
when the Big B, realizing how impor tant the stunts with the
body rig were, took an impromptu decision, slipped on the
body rig and went right ahead with the stunts."
The director said: "During the briefing for the scene, I wanted
to do something that would create a cer tain atmosphere of
intrigue around the protagonist's character. For this, sir
(Amitabh) was required to wear a body rig.
"Being a thorough professional, he agreed to wear the body
rig although he knew that the action would require him to
carry the weight of the heavy metal rig along with the camera. I guess they just don't make actors like sir anymore."
Actress Tamannaah Bhatia, who is par t of for thcoming multi-starrer
"Hummshakals", believes in including fitness regime in everyday life
and says she lost five kg for her role in the laugh riot.
"Fitness is like brushing your teeth. You must include fitness to your
daily life. For 'Humshakals', I had to lose 5 kg. So, I went to this
famous dietiecian - Pooja Makhija - and she gave me a new diet
plan," Tamannaah told IANS.
"I am allowed to eat everything - rice, pastas, and nuts, but controlled
portions. At one point of time you don't eat too much of anything and it
really helped me to lose weight," she added.
A known name down south, the actress star ted working out "six years
back".
She said: "I was a fussy eater. I had to pull down a few kg to look a
cer tain way. People should not enter into dieting without any guidance. You should take professional help."
"I always kept myself fit compared to other people because I feel if
your lifestyle is not fit, then you can't work properly. If your lifestyle is
unhealthy, it will reflect on screen," she added.
Scheduled for a June 20 release, director Sajid Khan's "Humshakals"
stars a host of big names like Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, Bipasha
Basu, Esha Gupta and Ram Kapoor.
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bollywood
LOOKS LIKE AISHWARYA
AND I WILL STAR TOGETHER
19
Love Ka The End: Ranveer
& Anushka letting bygones
be bygones?
IN A FILM: SUSHMITA SEN
N
ow that Anushka
Sharma has joined the
cast of Dil Dhadakne
Do, all eyes are on her and her
ex-flame Ranveer Singh.
Though the duo never admitted
to their relationship, Ranveer had
spoken about Anushka being
special. They also appeared
together on Koffee With Karan.
However, looks like there won't
be any tension in the air,
considering Ranveer's current
ladylove Deepika Padukone has
flown in from the US, and will be
around. R u m o u r h a s i t t h a t
Anushka's beau cricketer
Virat Kohli will also be flying
in to spend time with his
ladylove on the cruise ship
off the coast of Barcelona. Do
I foresee a double date?
THE KINGMAKERS: THE
REAL STARS BEHIND
BOLLYWOOD SUPERSTARS
Sushmita Sen on signing her first Bangla film, her absence from Bollywood
and more
After being a part of the film industry for nearly two decades, Sushmita Sen
has now signed a Bangla film. Sen will be making her Bangla film debut with
Srijit Mukherji's Nirbaak. hitlist caught up with the actress....
What took you so long to do a film in your mother tongue?
I always wanted to be part of a good Bangla film and whenever I was offered
a project, I always wanted something better. But when Nirbaak came my
way, I found the story so gripping that I said yes right away.
You make appearances at charity events and fashion shows, but it's been a
while since you played the lead in a Hindi film...
None of the scripts that came my way interested me. My ability to say no to
them is the reason why you did not see much of me on the big screen.
So many of your contemporaries are now married. Some have come back to
start their second innings...
Like I said earlier, the scripts did not interest me. As for marriage, I am saving
the best for last and when it happens, it will be beautiful.
There were reports about you playing Benazir Bhutto in a film. Is it happening?
No, that film was shelved a long time ago. But I do know that the people of
Pakistan would've loved to see me as Bhutto.
Do you star alongside Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Prahlad Kakkar's film?
Looks like she and I will star together in the film. It's a matter of time before
the film starts rolling. I look forward to it.
The last time Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan's Cannes, she was criticised by
Indian and international media; this time, they loved her on the red carpet.
Comment.
It's a story of every celebrity. We all get targeted at some point or the other and
then people's perceptions change. One should not worry about what the
world thinks.
You are a single mother who has lived life on her own terms. How difficult
has it been?
BOLLYWOOD STARS MAKE BIG MONEY AND SO DOES THEIR
SUPPORT STAFF. HERE'S A LOOK AT HOW MUCH SALARY
THEY EARN PER DAY
It's not easy but it's beautiful. Being a mother is a 24x7 job. But the highs are
amazing and one does not pay attention to the lows. When I go away, the
world will remember my two beautiful daughters, who I believe will make
me stay on in the minds of the people.
How do you spend your free time?
I play the joker for my kids. Raising children is about playing a part at different
times of the day. I am also an entrepreneur, a daughter and a sister. There is
so much to do beyond films; I am living my life. I'd like to own a chain of
destination spas some day.
An integral part of the lives of
B-Town stars is the support staff
that works for them. Many actors,
in fact, consider their staff an
extended family. It takes more
than just talent and hard work to
make a present-day film star. An
army of professionals, including
stylists, managers and make-up
artistes work diligently to turn an
actor into a brand. Many
Bollywood stars such as Shah
Rukh Khan, Salman Khan,
Katrina Kaif and Priyanka
Chopra have an entourage
working for them day and night.
The amount spent on the stars
does not just constitute their
acting fee, but also goes in
paying members of their
extended staff including
hairstylists, spot-boy, security
personnel and driver. While they
do not work 30 days a month,
they are paid as and when their
services are required. The
Producers Guild issued a diktat
two years ago, asking the stars
to bear the entire expense of
these people? hitlist gives a low
down on their per day earnings:
Driver: Rs 5,000
Hair and make up: Rs 40,00050,000
Man Friday: Rs 7,000-10,000
Security: Rs 5,000-7,000
Salman Khan
Driver: Rs 5,000
Man Friday: Rs 7,000-10,000
Security: Rs 2,000-5,000
Ajay Devgn
Driver: Rs 3,000
Man Friday: Rs 5,000
Security: Rs 2,000
Shahid Kapoor
Driver: Rs 5,000
Man Friday: Rs 5,000
Security: Rs 2,000
20
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Jennifer Lopez pulls out of World Cup opening ceremony
RIO DE JANEIRO: Pop superstar Jennifer Lopez has pulled out of the World Cup opening
ceremony in Brazil, FIFA said Sunday, four days before the tournament kicks off.
Lopez, who recorded the official World Cup song, "We Are One," with rapper Pitbull and
Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte, had been due to perform with them at the opening ceremony
in Sao Paulo but had to cancel, said the football governing body.
"For production issues, Jennifer Lopez, one of the ar tists of the official song 'We Are One,'
will not be able to perform at the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony," it said in a statement.
The 25-minute ceremony will feature 600 ar tists including acrobatic gymnasts, trampolinists, mar tial ar ts-style capoeira performers and stilt walkers.
The grand finale will be a performance of "We Are One" -- now minus Lopez -- accompanied
by Brazilian drumming collective Olodum.
Pitbull did not let J-Lo's withdrawal dampen his enthusiasm. "To be performing 'We Are One'
to the world, especially in such a beautiful country like Brazil, is going to be a lot of fun. But
more than this, it is going to show the world that music is the universal language," he said in
a statement released by FIFA.
Lopez also missed the January event where Pitbull and Leitte unveiled plans for the song
alongside FIFA officials in Rio de Janeiro.
More than 60,000 people will be in Sao Paulo's Corinthians Arena to watch the ceremony and
kick-off match between Brazil and Croatia. Around a billion people are expected to tune in on
TV worldwide.
FIFA
WORLD
CUP
Upcoming
Matches
Thursday June 12
3:45 PM bra
VS
cro
Friday June 13
11:45 AM mex
2:45 PM esp
5:45 PM chi
VS
VS
VS
cmr
ned
aus
Saturday June 14
11:45 AM col
2:45 PM uru
5:45 PM eng
8:45 PM civ
VS
VS
VS
VS
gre
crc
ita
jpn
Sunday June 15
11:45 AM sui
2:45 PM fra
5:45 PM arg
VS
VS
VS
ecu
hon
bih
Monday June 16
11:45 AM ger
2:45 PM irn
5:45 PM gha
VS
VS
VS
por
nga
usa
Tuesday June 17
11:45 AM bel
2:45 PM bra
5:45 PM rus
VS
VS
VS
alg
mex
kor
Wednesday June 18
11:45 AM aus
VS
2:45 PM esp
VS
5:45 PM cmr
VS
ned
chi
cro
Thursday June 19
11:45 AM col
2:45 PM uru
5:45 PM jpn
VS
VS
VS
civ
eng
gre
Friday June 20
11:45 AM ita
2:45 PM sui
5:45 PM hon
VS
VS
VS
crc
fra
ecu
Saturday June 21
11:45 AM arg
2:45 PM ger
5:45 PM nga
VS
VS
VS
irn
gha
bih
Sunday June 22
5:15 AM nga
11:45 AM bel
2:45 PM kor
5:45 PM usa
VS
VS
VS
VS
bih
rus
alg
por
The grand finale will be
a performance of "We
Are One" -- now minus
Lopez -- accompanied
by Brazilian drumming
collective Olodum.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
MidWeek
21
Argentina's men stay on
semifinal course in World Cup
THE HAGUE: Penalty corner specialist Gonzalo Peillat's three-goal
burst kept Argentina on course for
making the semifinals of the men's
hockey World Cup with a resounding 5-0 victory over Asian champions South Korea at the Kyocera Stadium here today.
Logging nine points from four
matches, Argentina stayed ahead
of Olympic champions Germany,
who are in danger of failing to make
the semifinals only for the second
time in World Cup history.
Peillat converted two early penalty
corners to give Argentina a two-goal
lead by the seventh minute. Lucas
Vila then scored a field goal, before
Peillat returned for his third goal in
the 20th minute that gave the Argentines a 4-0 lead at half-time.
Guillermo Schickendantz rounded
off Argentina's scoring midway in
the second session with an open
play strike. Two-time champions
Germany today defeated New
Zealand 5-3 for their second win in
four Group B outings, giving them
six points in four games. But the
lone-goal losses to hosts The Netherlands and Argentina have pushed
two-time champions Germany to
the brink.
Until now, it was only in the first
World Cup in 1971 that Germany
did not feature in the semifinals.
The Netherlands have nine points
from three successive wins and will
play South Africa later tonight. Even
a draw will take three-time World
Cup winners The Netherlands to the
semifinals.
Martin Zwicker scored twice for
Germany today, while Florin Fuchs,
Christopher Zelller and Benedikt
Furk contributed a goal each.
Zellar could have added another
goal, but missed a penalty stroke.
Andy Hayward scored a hat-trick
for New Zealand with his last two
goals coming in the last four minutes of the match.
Germany
beat New
Zealand 5-3
AMSTERDAM: Andy
Hayward scored a hattrick for New Zealand, but
it wasn't enough as
Germany prevailed 5-3 in
a fast-paced match at the
men's field hockey World
Cup on Sunday.
New Zealand's loss
leaves Argentina and the
Netherlands in strong
position to claim the two
semifinals spots in Group
B. Germany went ahead
2-0 on an early goal by
Florian Fuchs and a
strike by Mar tin Zwicker
- his first of two - on a
run through the New
Zealand defense.
Hayward scored his first
in the 33rd minute, but
Germany responded
before the half and then
always led by at least
two goals. Hayward's
other goals on penalty
corners proved too little,
too late. In the women's
draw Sunday, the US
played Germany later.
22
MidWeek
bollywood
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
Midweek Exclusive Interview WITH
"HOLIDAY" STAR AKSHAY KUMAR
CONTD. FROM PAGE 1
A: I would love to play a negative character. It is the negative
characters that rule the screen in those two-and-a-half hours. It is
only in the last five minutes that the hero takes over. I have no
problem being beaten to a pulp in those last few minutes as long
as I have had a large share of the pie. I enjoyed playing the villain
in Ajnabee. It's nice to get your hands dir ty once in a while and be
really mean and obnoxious on screen. You should make the audience hate you, mix it up a little bit!
My character is skillful and patriotic, I've been protecting the
borders of India, but unfor tunately when I return home on Holiday,
I get sucked into defeating the ring leader of the terror 'sleeper
cell' to save the city I was born and raised in. It is a very relevant
film, and it deals with an issue which very few people are aware
of, however the impact of the film is very transient. With the terror
issues going on left right and centre, the screenplay to this film
and its overall treatment has literally never been touched before
in India. In that respect, this is something quite unprecedented.
Q: Can you explain the tagline of the film?
A: I am a soldier as well as a secret Army Intelligence Officer. I
arrive in my home city of Mumbai on holiday, but suddenly things
get out of control and I'm drawn into this deadly terror attack.
Basically, a soldier is 'never off duty'. This is a ver y different type
of film not only for me but for my audience, which has not really
been seen in Indian cinema before. It is a thriller that draws the
audience in with a very strong screenplay. I was shocked at my
own response to this film, for it really throws you, from fear to
emotional turmoil. The story is based on the subject of terrorism,
which is a global concern, but it makes you remember why we
are so safe, we have such an incredible army to thank for keeping
us so comfor table in our homes at night. This story is an eye
opener for many out there, a true experience to witness.
Q: What appealed to you about Holiday?
A: I said yes when I heard just the first half of the script from Vipul
Amrutlal Shah. I was so captivated, I couldn't wait to find out what
happens in the second half. I was impressed by the script and
how true to life the issues it deals with are. I am proud to be par t
of a film which touches upon reality and the very issues we face
today. This is real cinema, not fictional cinema, this is what makes
this role very exciting for me. In fact, I've learnt about the field of
intelligence whilst submerging myself into this role, especially
given the unique concept and narrative. I've heard stories surrounding the notion of sleeper cells, the role they have played in
terrorist attacks and the impor tance of cleaning them up to safeguard populations. This script is raw, gritty and real, and I became addicted to the plot.
Q: What was it like working with director A.R. Murugadoss?
A: I was extremely honoured to work with A.R. Murugadoss. He
is a ver y talented and skilled director. He ver y quickly learnt my
acting style and guided me on how to give the best per formance
possible. I always joke that even though his height is quite shor t,
his imagination and power is through the roof. He is a man of
brains. This is a very special role for me to play as it has chal-
lenged me and has allowed me to por tray a role I was very keen
to get my teeth into. I truly hope that I have done the character
justice for my fans.
Q: How long have you been in the film industry?
A: It's been 24 years and counting ;o)
Q: Was it a challenge to transition from the romantic parts to
the more serious aspects that the role demanded?
A: Not really. I have been acting for a very long time, and it has
become easy to transition from character to character, and from
scene to scene. When you have great co-stars like Sonakshi Sinha
you can bounce of each other's onscreen emotions in seconds.
One of the best things about this job is creating an atmosphere
that draws everyone's attention and sucks them into the film,
rather than leaving them bored in their seats.
Q: So we hear that the action in Holiday is completely different
from your past films?
A: Vipulji (Vipul Amrutlal Shah) is a firm believer that if you want
something different then you have to go elsewhere to get it, so
much so that we brought over one of the best stunt teams in the
world from England, to choreograph most of the film's action sequences. Greg Powell and his team of stuntmen were, in my eyes,
absolutely brilliant, from their discipline to their style, not to mention their incredible talents, it was beyond refreshing to work with
them. One of my favourite sequences in the whole film is the gun
fight that we shot in the old abandoned kitchens in Bombay. There's
no fancy tricker y, no special effects, it's just me and the fighters,
hand-to-hand combat in an enclosed environment. It was a fight
like I've never shot before, hats off to the stunt team, it may not
blow your mind with 'out of this world CGI', but it was never meant
to, it was made to make you go 'wow!!' that had to hur t, it's raw,
it's real, it's how it would have been done back in the real days.
Q: We understand your dad was in the army, Do you have memories of him in the army at all?
A: I don't really have many memories of my dad being in the army,
as he gave up the army by the time I was born. However, I would
say he definitely brought me up with military discipline; he would
wake me up at 5am and take me jogging with him, after that I was
always early to bed and early to rise. Because those moments
with him were precious, I never messed around when it came to
my father; he was a great man and the army knew they were
blessed to have him. I appreciated his every word and every
movement.
Q: How was it working with Ghajini famed Murugadoss?
A: For a little guy he has an imagination that could scare the crap
out of 'the Incredible Hulk'… He's absolutely fascinating once
you get to know him. At first we were both very quiet with each
other, but it didn't take long for our personalities to shine on set.
He's a very intelligent director, he has a cer tain way of how he
perceives things and nothing stands in his way. One minute he'll
be sitting there not saying a word, then he'll jump out of his box
with sheer excitement for his shot, or scream for a gun if he's not
happy, he literally wears his hear t on his sleeve, his emotions
vary in seconds. He's amazing to work with.
Greg Powell and his team of
stuntmen were, in my eyes, absolutely brilliant, from their discipline
to their style, not to mention their incredible talents, it was beyond refreshing to work with them. One of
my favourite sequences in the whole
film is the gun fight that we shot in
the old abandoned kitchens in
Bombay. There's no fancy trickery,
no special effects, it's just me and
the fighters, hand-to-hand combat in
an enclosed environment. It was a
fight like I've never shot before, hats
off to the stunt team, it may not blow
your mind with 'out of this world CGI',
but it was never meant to, it was made
to make you go 'wow!!' that had to
hurt, it's raw, it's real, it's how it would
have been done back in the real days.
Q: How would you describe your overall experience with Holiday?
A: It was fantastic. Playing an army officer is in itself a great
experience, but I especially enjoyed working with the director,
A.R. Murugadoss. When you work with a director who knows exactly what he's doing, and has a clear plan for his vision, it makes
the actor's job so much easier. Mur ugadoss is an exceptional
talent, and it was an absolute pleasure getting the oppor tunity to
work with him.
Q: When you eventually get to take a break from your busy schedule, What is your favourite holiday destination?
A: I love Goa. It's very chilled out. Everyone knows me there and
everyone says hi, without being intrusive. It's the only place in
the country where I can roam around and enjoy myself. My family
and I travel the world, but there's no place like our little Por tuguese cottage in Goa, we spend every Christmas there and have
the best family memories.
Q: How supportive is your wife, Twinkle of your career?
A: Tina is a breath of fresh air when it comes to working in this
industry. She has the sharpest, wittiest tongue, but I always know
where I stand and what she truly thinks of my films. Her taste is
very different to most, but her love and suppor t over the years
has kept me standing strong, for there is always a strong woman
standing behind any successful man. She's been through everything with me, my fans should really thank her more than me!!!
Q: What was your relationship like with your father-in-law, legendary Bollywood actor Rajesh Khanna?
A: I knew Kakaji even before I met his daughter. He was a producer and in my struggling days, I had visited his office 5-6 times
to look for work. On one of my visits, he told me that he was
making a film with Chunky Panday, post which I should come to
him. He would often say to me, 'Buddy what are you doing?' He
was a very chilled out man. One of my favourite memories was
when we all went to Goa for a family holiday, it was unforgettable.
Even though he was very sick, we insisted he came to enjoy
himself, and why not!! What I liked most about him was that he
was very lion-hear ted, and he was a yaron ka yaar. Jo bol diya
soh kar diya. He liked the fact that I was taking good care of his
daughter and he loved my son Aarav a lot.
Q: A great father, a good actor and a successful businessman
too… is there something in your life that you still long for, after
achieving so much in life?
A: I have got more than I have ever dreamt of. I consider myself
very blessed. I love my life and my job has taken me places and
given me a life I never believed existed. All I can ask for now is
health and happiness for myself and my family.
Q: What do you do to emotionally de-stress?
A: I am not a very talkative person, so I don't talk much. I can
offload 30-40% to my wife. That's it. Otherwise, I deal with my
stress myself. A good game of cricket in the garden usually does
the trick, but I'm not the kind of man that takes my worries home
with me, work is work, but it has no place in my family home,
what happens in the outside world stays there. When I walk through
my front door, I leave as much stress or anxiety there and walk in
with a light hear t so my kids don't feel my pressure.
Q: Do you get to spend enough time with your kids?
A: As a father, seeing my kids grow up is one of the things which
makes me happiest. Earlier, when I used to finish shooting, I would
come home and hangout with my wife. But after my kids were
born, I couldn't wait to finish work so that I could rush back home
and spend time with them before bedtime. Fatherhood changes
all your priorities, but there's one thing everyone knows about
me, I always make time for my kids, no matter how small, I miss
nothing!
Q: You've done action and comedy. What kind of role would you
like to do now?
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
bollywood
DEEPIKA IN
'DEBIT-CREDIT'
GAME?
Bollywood's blockbuster actress
Deepika
Padukone
was
Wednesday signed on to
endorse Axis Bank. She will front
the private sector bank's new
campaign 'Badhne ke kai naam
hai...', and says she's happy to
be associated with a service so
important to an individual's
progress. "A bank plays a very
important role in the progress of
so many individuals and I'm
proud to be a part of the Axis
Bank team," Deepika said in a
statement. She is happy that
being a woman, she has been
chosen to represent the brand as
she sees "no reason why any
industry should be dominated by
either gender in today's day and
age". "Like I mentioned earlier, a
bank plays such an important role
in the progress of so many
individuals, and that's what has
excited me the most about this
association," she added.
Deepika, who grew from being a
badminton player to a model and
then actress, says she believes
in the brand's philosophy "Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi".
"I've always believed that if you
stop growing, you stop being.
Moreover, progress is a very
individual thing. What it means
to you might be very different
from what it means to me. But
yet for both of us, it's the most
vital part of our lives. In a way
it's a common thread that binds
us," she said. This is the first
association of the bank with a
celebrity, and the idea behind
zeroing in on Deepika is because
"her journey of progress
represents the new India which
is young, hardworking, in-tune
and aware of the world around
them", said Rajiv Anand,
president - Retail Banking, Axis
Bank. "She is contemporary yet
there is an innate Indian-ness
about her. We believe these
qualities will fit the brand
perfectly," Anand added. The
campaign, designed by Lowe
Lintas lies in the space that
progress has many dimensions
and talks about the ho l i s t i c
nature of progress and
highlights Axis
Bank's
journey as a customer-centric
bank. The new campaign
featuring Deepika is directed
by "English Vinglish" director
Gauri Shinde.
MidWeek
23
SONAKSHI SINHA ON
HER HOLIDAY WITH
AKSHAY KUMAR
CONTD. FROM PAGE 17
She revealed that Vijender taught her the body language of a boxer and luckily she picked it up
well because she had always been a spor tsperson. "Even when I was younger I used to play a
lot of spor ts and I think it comes naturally to me. They didn't have to work much on me. Murugadoss
sir wanted it to come naturally and not look very girly and playful, he wanted it to look professional and Vijender was a big help in that," said Sonakshi in her conversation with NDTV.
When we asked her about her awesome performance in Lootera last year which made her fans
comment that she did not need a hero, an overjoyed Sonakshi said, "How sweet, I'm definitely
going to take that advice very seriously because I do want to do many more scripts like Lootera.
Scripts like that are very rare and I'm waiting for the right one to come. Till I don't feel very
strongly about something, I won't do it just for the sake of it. I need something perfect to come
along. For example, the role of Pakhi in Lootera was perfect for me, that is why I did it.
So, was she disappointed that Lootera was sidelined at the award shows? Sonakshi revealed
she indeed was, "I was hopeful about the film but it's fine. Not receiving an award doesn't make
it any less of a great film and that's what matters. Everyday till today, I get tweets, majorly for
Lootera and that is our reward in itself."
So, does she feel an actress gets lost in these hero-oriented films? Sonakshi was of the opinion
that everybody had a par t to play and if it wasn't required, there wouldn't be a heroine in those
films. "In Hollywood nobody sees how big the role is. Somebody will play the smallest role and
be appreciated for that as well. So these comparisons are not required."
Sonakshi, who is working with superstar Rajinikanth in a Tamil film, said it was an honour to
work with such a big star who was also a very humble person. She confided, "I told Rajinikanth
I was very nervous about working with him. He said why are you nervous, I'm nervous because
you're my friend's daughter. So, that sor t of broke the ice between us. He's so humble and such
a professional man. There is so much to learn from him. It's amazing to work with a personality
like that."
The original Rs 100-crore heroine, who has also shown her mettle in critically acclaimed films,
said she preferred films that did well at the box office since they had a larger reach.
Her expectations from the new government which her father Shatrughan Sinha is a par t of?
Sonakshi said, "I have great expectations as does anybody else from my generation. The reason
they won with such a heavy majority was because people were just fed up of the way things are
being run in this country. I'm sure by the way things are going forward that the change is already
here and I'm really looking forward to it.
Her preferred holiday destination? The actress chose Barcelona which she visited last year. But
there was no body special she wanted to take with her, just some girlfriends. That is something
we are sceptical about Sonakshi.
24
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
RUNNING
SUCCESSFULLY
ACROSS GTA

Part_1 - South Asian Daily

Transcription

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