Delhi Elections - South Asian Daily
Transcription
Delhi Elections - South Asian Daily
MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 1 Delhi Elections Arvind Kejriwal is the Game Changer Election Date - 4th Dec, Result Date - 8th Dec THE INDO-CANADA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HONOURS MR KEN NAZ (EROS INTERNATIONAL) ICCC President Naval Bajaj, Canada's Sports Minister and Member of Parliament Bal Gosal, Consulate l General of India Toronto Akhilesh Mishra, President of Americas Operations for Eros International Ken Naz, Canada India Foundation Board Member Vasu Chanchlani and wife Jaya Chanchlani MORE PICS ON PAGE 3 MODI INVITED THE COUNTRY TO DEBATE ON ARTICLE 370 B JP prime ministerial candidate wanted to start a "debate" on Article 370 of the Indian constitution, while attending the "Lalkar rally" in a Jammu stadium Sunday he challenged the party's demand for abolishing the Article or starting the conversation to see whether it had any benefits. He wanted talks to start to see if the article that provides special state to the people in the state of J&K had benefited or harmed them. His wish for a debate has surely started a debate in the country. Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said, "Even the ordinary students of Constitutional history know that Article 370 providing special status to J&K has gained a permanent status after the Constitutional assembly of the state approved it," reported Time of India. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister tweeted "I challenge him or any of his minions to reproduce verbatim the section of Article 370 that determines the J&K state subject law," saying Modi is misinformed. "I see Modi's impact on ground and it is zero. This is because he is not an organised politician, and he sometimes doesn't know what he says. I feel sorry for the BJP, as I have known them for a long time, for choosing a candidate who knows propaganda but does not know history or politics," saidJammu and Kashmir Congress Chief SaifuddinSoz reported DNA. "When the BJP came to power, did they do anything with the Article 370? Article 370 is irrevocable. It is an integral part of the Constitution of India; no K ejriwal was there but still talking about issues like corruption, which didn't make any sense to people who are struggling with day to day needs like No water Supply, Higher food prices and higher electricity bills. There are areas in Delhi where residents have received no water in 30 days. Kejriwal's bijli-paani (electricity and water) protests made him a familiar face to lower middle and lower class households. Earlier his popularity was restricted to only a sizable middle class population because issues like corruption resonates with middle class more. The electricity protest struck a chord with people who were feeling the biggest pinch. This early success around everyday needs explains why the newly released AAP manifesto promises a 50% rate cut in electricity tariff if it comes to power. Kejriwal's other political constituency has a similar aam aadmi quality: his support among the city's autowallahs. DETAILS ON PAGE 4 POLL NUMBERS IN FAVOUR OF TRUDEAU power is capable enough to remove it completely. It has a permanent nature in India. Article 370 is the unifying factor in Jammu and Kashmir, and the Congress Party fully accepts this factor," he said. BJP said Monday it stands firm on its demand to the provision that special status to J&K should be abrogated in favour of Modi. Leaders of opposition ArunJaitley and SushmaSwaraj said the party has not softened on the issue Times of India reported. "It would be incorrect for anyone to interpret BJP's challenge for a debate on this issue as a softening of stand on Article 370," Jaitley said. DETAILS ON PAGE 4 ANUSHKA SHARMA KISSSES VIRAT KOHLI I t seems something is cooking between "just friends" Virat Kohli and actress Anushka Sharma. If reports are to believed Virat stopped by at Anushka's residence to meet her before he left for South Africa. Quoting an eyewitness, a Mid-Day report says that around 10:45 pm, both, the cricketer and the actress left Anushka's place and stepped out of the lift on the second floor parking area of the building. Both were casually dressed and the actress gave him a quick kiss before he left in the car. The report further says that both looked very happy in each other's company and Virat kept turning back to look at Anushka as the car left the parking area. Both Anushka and Virat met when they were shooting for a shampoo commercial and bonded very well since then. After that they became "good friends" and meet often whenever the cricketer is in Mumbai. Well we sure hope that love is in the air for both Virat and Anushka. Cour tesy: stjacquesphotography/Flickr Commons The Liberal Party is up 6 points while the Conservatives are down by one point - reaching lowest number since 2011 election, reported the Globe and Mail. The Ipsos-CTV poll showed the Liberals are leading with 35 per cent while the Conservatives are at 29 per cent and the NDP at 26 per cent. Globe and Mail reported Canadians who dislike Harper are shifting toward the Liberal government and Trudeau. Poll results from October concluded the two opposition parties were tied in the race with the Liberal Party at 31 and NDP at 30, while a in a matter of a month Liberal Party's support has increased. Darrell Bricker, chief executive officer of Ipsos Global Public Affairs, has said the results show that voters who were committed to dislodging Harper are in favour of the Liberals, which is good news for Trudeau and not so good for the Conservatives and the NDP, reported Globe and Mail. Trudeau won Liberal leadership seven months ago and the NDP will hope is the honeymoon period for Liberal fans is only temporary reported Globe and Mail. The Liberal Party hold a significant lead in three biggest provinces in Canada - Ontario, Quebec and B.C. IN Ontario, Liberals stand at 37 per cent while Conservatives at 20 per cent and NDP following at 20. In B.C. Liberals are leading with 37 per cent while NDP stands at 30 per cent and Conservatives at 28 per cent. 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, DECEMBER 03, 2013 MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 page 3 PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER AND HIS WIFE LAUREEN HARPER WITH YUDHVIR JASWAL (GROUP EDITOR & CEO) & PREET JASWAL AT A RECEPTION HOSTED LAST THURSDAY IN INTERNATIONAL PLAZA, TORONTO I am Virgin, Not friends with SRK, Friends with Katrina: Salman ‘ T he fourth season of talk show Koffee with Karan was aired on Satur day night with 47-year-old superstar Salman Khan telling filmmaker Karan Johar that he was saving himself up for his future bride. When a surprised Karan asked if this meant he was still a virgin, Salman looked at him straight in the face and said yes, nodding. So you did not have sex with all the women you have been with, Karan said, jokingly. They were just friends, Salman said. Salman also said he liked to sleep alone at night and even lay down on the couch at the studio to show the various ways he can spread his legs if there is not one else sharing his bed. Salman also said that there was a time when he seriously wanted to settle down but now marriage question does not interest him anymore. "There was a time that I really did want to get married, and then it just didn`t work out. It always comes so close, but then people have got cold feet," he said. He also admitted that he was on the verge of getting married to Sangeeta Bijlani. Even wedding cards were printed and the preparations were on but the relationship unexpectedly ended as Sangeeta caught him cheating on her with another woman. RANBIR KAPOOR HAS TAKEN EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME... MOVIES AND .... Soon after saying this, Salman went on to say. "I am not the correct person to be with, the way I am right now in this phase of my life," he says. On being asked, how he faces his exes in real life, the 47-year-old bachelor said, "Some I ignore totally. I try and run away from them. I don`t face them. I`m sure by that it would mean you cannot look me in the eye and all. But that`s not the point. The point is now you`re somewhere else. You have your own life. I don`t want that somewhere in somebody else`s mind that thought about ex-boyfriend you know". When asked about the much-talked about animosity between him and Shah Rukh Khan and the hug that took place at the Iftaar par ty earlier this, Salman Khan said: "If I had crossed him and didn't acknowledge him it would have been wrong… I saw him sitting down there and I moved and said salaam alaikum." When Karan Johar asked if he felt that is was the media that propagated this so-called war, Salman Khan said: "It was never a war … It was just two guys that got along fine and one night they didn't get along and it was something that hur t me. He could have just come that same night and finished it off. He chose not to and I said let it be." "After that he came on to your show and spoke about me. He passes my house four or five times a day. He should have come home and rung the bell." It was in 2008 during Salman Khan's then girlfriend Katrina Kaif's bir thday party that there was a heated argument and spat between Salman and Shah Rukh. ATTENDEES AT ICCC WINTER GALA 2013 MidWeek 3 I AM VIRGIN, NOT FRIENDS WITH SRK, FRIENDS WITH KATRINA: SALMAN Salman Khan was all praise for Shah Rukh Khan saying, "I think the romantic scenes that Shah Rukh does and his intensity, I don't think that anybody can touch him in that." Salman Khan said after the hug at the Iftaar par ty, he did sms Shah Rukh Khan. Later, Salman Khan stressed that though the two actors cannot be 'best of friends' now but also made it clear that he has immense respect for Shah Rukh. On asking about his contemporary actors, Salman praised all and said, "There are fore leading actors who are more than competition for me - Aamir, Shah Rukh, Akshay and Hrithik. Among the younger generation - Ranbir, Ranveer, Imran and Arjun are cool." Interestingly, Salman grabbed many oppor tunities to take a dig at his alleged ex-flame Katrina and her current rumoured beau Ranbir Kapoor. When Salman was asked what would he react if he woke up as Ranbir Kapoor, Salman retor ted, ''Salman lucky hai ya main.'' The same question when asked with reference to Katrina Kaif, he said, ''Where's Ranbir?'' Salman, when asked about giving one advice to Ranbir Kapoor, he said, ''Have fun!'' and for Katrina Kaif? ''Make sure he (Ranbir) does not have fun!'' Well, with Salman hinting at Ranbir-Katrina's relationship and even Kareena Kapoor talking about it openly, we hope to see the actors confessing about it openly at least now! When Karan asked the most eligible bachelor, who is the most stunning among Katrina, Aishwarya and Kareena, Salman didn't waste any time o reply, "Aishwarya definitely is the most stunning." Salman and Aishwarya had a publicized break-up. They came close during the shooting of Sanjay Leela Bhasali's 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' but after dating for a year, they had a fall-out. When Karan asked the hunk to pick up any one between the rest two choices - Katrina and Kareena. Salman picked Katrina over Kareena. Here is the entire rapid fire round conversation between Salman and Karan, undoubtedly the spiciest part of the whole episode. React in one word: Marriage: Hey Ram Awards: I believe in reward On screen kissing: No fun Being human: Heartfelt If u wake up as the following people, what is the first thing you would do? Sanjay Leela Bhansali: I would wonder where Karan Johar is..or where Karan Johar was last night.. Shahrukh khan: I would do eh eh eh eh eh...aaj kaun gaya hai Karan ke show par? Salman? Salman kyun gaya re? Ranbir Kapoor: Salman lucky hai ya main? Aamir Khan: (Yawns) dopahar ho gayi! Katrina Kaif: Where is Ranbir? If not in the film industry what should the following people do? Sonakshi: Politics is good for her or designing Kareena Kapoor: House wife Hrithik roshan: Dance academy Priyanka Chopra: Singer or house wife Your advice for the following people: Ranbir: Have fun Katrina: Make sure he does not have fun Hrithik Roshan: You stay out of this Best advice given to you: It got it 25 years ago. Which was gicen by Kailash (Sundernath), I was heart broken when a friend of mine left me and went. We were coming back from Alibaugh. He said put your hand in the water, what do you feel? I said fish. He said there are a lot of fish in the sea. One day at a par ty he put his arm around my shoulder and said stop wasting your time and your father's money. After that I never par tied. At gun point if you were forced to have a gay encounter who would that be? "Aisi gun banehi nahi hai karan (such a gun is never been made!). No. But just to make you feel better...you Karan....But I am the guy ha?" You kill one, you marry one, you are just friends with one - Preeti Zinta, Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif? Marry: Preeeti Zinta. Friends with only Katrina Kaif. The show was aired on Star World. 4 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 Delhi Elections - Arvind Kejriwal is the Game Changer Election Date - 4th Dec, Result Date - 8th Dec Contd. from Page 1 "He is with us. He rallied with us, stayed with us but most importantly he still helps us in whichever legal way possible," says Raman Prasad, an auto wallah from Khanpur. "The party provides us with lawyers whenever there is a case in the court." Kejriwal is seen as a undisputed leader among this community thanks to his resistance to the Delhi government's plan to install a GPS device in all autos. "After the electricity protest only I started noticing [Kejriwal]. Earlier he was there but still talking about issues like corruption, which didn't make any sense to people like us," says Ajit from Chirag Delhi's Jatav Mohalla. The electricity protest struck a chord with people who were feeling the biggest pinch. "I had a pending water bill of seven thousand, which I paid. But that protest made sure that someone is here to talk about the problem that I was facing everyday," says Savitri in Sangam Vihar, where many residents have received no water in 30 days. Kejriwal's bijli-paani (electricity and water) protests made him a familiar face to lower middle and lower class households. His popularity until then, says Yogendra Yadav, "was restricted to only a sizable middle class population because issues like corruption resonates with middle class more." This early success around everyday needs explains why the newly released AAP manifesto promises a 50% rate cut in electricity tariff if it comes to power. Kejriwal's other political constituency has a similar aam aadmi quality: his support among the city's autowallahs. "He is with us. He rallied with us, stayed with us but most importantly he still helps us in whichever legal way possible," says Raman Prasad, an auto wallah from Khanpur. "The party provides us with lawyers whenever there is a case in the court." Kejriwal is seen as a undisputed leader among this community thanks to his resistance to the Delhi government's plan to install a GPS device in all autos. But a year after his official entry into politics, and despite his best efforts, Kejriwal remains hampered by two significant burdens. One is the break from Anna Hazare, and the accompanying suspicion of excess ambition. "Arvind's problem has been that he was too eager to come out of the Anna Shadow, and projecting himself as the leader of the mass movement," says a journalist in Delhi who has been observing Kejriwal since Anna Hazare started his first indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar. "He was with Anna and the movement, and then suddenly he is here asking for votes?" says Ajay Kumar in Patparganj who runs a tea shop. "He had his political ambition and he just used Anna," says Karina, an MBA graduate! who claims she had been to ramleela maidan to show her solidarity during the monthlong fast. Even those who support his political avatar are taken aback by his ambition."It was a good move that he stepped before that she has been around for 20 years. it takes that much time to build a political party." And if Kejriwal at least enjoys some recognition, many of his candidates are outright unfamiliar. As Bardhan points out, many candidates of AAP are barely known among the electorates. Even though 25% voters of Krishna Nagar are Muslim, Ishrat Ali Ansari, the AAP candidate, will undoubtedly lose to BJP's chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan. "Doctor Saab (Harsh Vardhan) has been here for last 20 years. Of course we will vote for him," says Imtiyaz Khan, from Khureji, a Muslim ghetto in Krishna Nagar. Even Kejriwal's loyal middle class constituency wonders if his clean outsider image will work against him. "I'm not worried whether they will turn corrupt themselves but how many people will want a party that is outright against the corruption? The people themselves are corrupt. An anti corruption campaign excludes at least 60 percent of the voter," says Ashok Rawat (name changed), a government into the electoral politics because the Anna movement for it's apolitical nature could never root out a problem like corruption. But Arvind Kejriwal looks like a man in hurry," says Sunil Bhai of Socialist Front. Kejriwal's other problem is his outsider status. While many now know his name, he remains an unfamiliar commodity as a politician. "What is his political ideology? He is cashing in the anti incumbency wave and making false promises," claims A B Bardhan, veteran leftist leader of the CPI, comparing him to Mamata who may be an outsider "but serviceman from INA. However doubtful the voters maybe, everyone agrees that Arvind Kejriwal has finally offered Delhi voters a real choice - a choice not to opt for the same old two national parties. "Is it possible for one man to change everything in a day? If things were this easy then why no one spoke about them ever?", asks Kunal Kumar, from khichripur, a slum in East Delhi. But despite his doubts, Kumar will be voting for jhaadu: "Gave a chance to everyone. The Congress is in the government and the BJP is in the municipality. Why not give him a chance too? Justice delayed: No hearing on plea for Bhopal gas relief in 3 years J ust days before the 29th an niversary of the Bhopal Gas Disaster of 1984, news came last Friday that no hearing took place at the Supreme Cour t on a curative petition filed by the central government to rectify the flawed settlement of 1989, and no fur ther date had been fixed. The petition had been admitted by the apex cour t three years ago, on December 3, 2010. Not a single hearing has taken place since then. Lost in a maze of litigation that stretches from the Supreme Cour t in Delhi to the MP high cour t in Jabalpur and down to the chief judicial magistrate in Bhopal, survivors and family members of the worst ever industrial disaster were baffled but resigned - they are exhausted and hopeless. Nasreen Bi, was just 25 years old when poisonous gases broke out from the Union Carbide pesticide plant and drifted through sleeping Bhopal on the night of 2-3 December 1984. A grandmother now, she feels betrayed by all. "The big political par ties, the cour ts, the sarkari babus - they are all unconcerned of our plight. We have survived till today by our own fate, though weakened by the gas, and poor," she says, breathless due to compromised lungs. In 1989, the Supreme Cour t had approved a settlement between the government and Union Carbide that gave Rs 713 crore ($470 million) as compensation to vic- MODI INVITED THE COUNTRY TO DEBATE ON ARTICLE 370 Contd. from Page 1 Swaraj said, "Modi has asked what have been the benefits of Ar ticle 370. This is not being soft on the issue. Modi questioned whether there has been any gain from Ar ticle 370 and that this issue should be debated." "We need rational & focused debate not only on 370 but other issues relating to J&K, including suffering of sections of J&K society," Modi said on Twitter. While Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he was in suppor t of Article 370 repor ted Indian Express. "Raking up the issue is nothing but an attempt to again draw a line of division in the country," said Kumar. Gap commercial vandalism A picture was posted by ArsalanIftikhar, senior editor at The Islamic Monthly and founder of TheMuslimGuy.com on Twitter that depicted a latest Gap poster featuring Sikh actor and jewelry designer WarisAhluwalia. The picture that was taken in the U.S. and the poster's caption was changed from Make Love" to "Make Bombs," along with a line that read "Please stop driving TAXIS." Iftikhar, said he wanted everyone to see the comments that were made and hence put the picture up on Twitter, he told Huffington Post. "When I first saw my Facebook friend's photo of this GAP subway advertisement defaced by vandals with racist messages, I wanted the world to see how millions of brown people are viewed in America today," he told the news agency. tims estimated at 3,000 dead and over 1 lakh injured. In the following 24 years the number of dead has grown to nearly 20,000 and number of those suffering disabilities to a staggering 5 lakh. The effect of the poisonous gases was becoming clearer as time The poster was par t of Gap's latest campaign in which they made use of various diverse models. GAP repor tedly tweeted back to Iftikhar to find out the exact location of the vandalised poster. The company also changed its Twitter picture and replaced it with the poster to show suppor t and solidarity repor ted Huffington Post. Meanwhile, Ahluwalia's Facebook Page had a post that read, "Make sure to say thank you to those awesome Taxi drivers that take you places. Protests in Ukraine continue Protestors continued to demonstrate in Kyevasking the country's President Viktor Yanukovych to step down after he refused to sign a deal with the EU to make trade and travel easier. Thousands have been gathered at a park before heading to Kyev's Independence Square demanding new president and ousting of the President. Dozens were injured over the weekend when police violently dispersed activists reported BBC News. Ex-Prime Minister who is in jail, YuliaTymoshenko urged the citizens of the country "not to leave the authorities' actions unanswered." A message from him was read by his daughter said, "Fly, drive, walk to Kyev from all par ts of Ukraine, but gather everyone on 1 December," repor ted BBC News. "We can and should remove these authorities," opposition par ty leader VitaliKlitschko said repor ted BBC News. "We should come out and show that we will not allow them to humiliate us, we will stand up for our rights." The White House Monday urged the authorities in the country to respect Ukrainians' rights to freedom of expression repor ted CBC News. "The violence by government authorities against peaceful demonstrators in Kyev on Saturday morning was unacceptable," White House spokesman Jay Carney told repor ters. passed. The compensation needed to be given to many times more than the original number counted. Under pressure from the harried survivors, the government moved the Supreme Cour t to review its order authorizing the settlement of 1989, so that a better compensation could be given to all the survivors and kin of dead. Perhaps the government is purposely allowing the matter to drag on, speculates N D Jaiprakash, activist and a petitioner in several of the key Bhopal cases. "But if that's the case, why is the Supreme Cour t not pulling them up and getting on with the case?" he asks. There is similar disregard of the apex cour t's orders on the shocking neglect of the survivors' healthcare needs. Four teen years after a petition had prayed for improvement in healthcare, the cour t had ordered in August 2012 the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the state government to computerize all records of patients, carry out necessary research, issue healthbooks to all survivors and finalise a protocol for treatment. "Neither the ICMR nor the State Government have taken the necessary steps to comply fully with all the directions of the Court," says Abdul Jabbar, another petitioner. MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 MidWeek breaking news Floating armouries can lead to 26/11-type attack: Navy chief NEW DELHI: Unregulated floating private armouries carrying combatants of certain countries are a matter of concern and can have serious security implications for the country including infiltration of terrorists that can lead to 26/11-type attacks, Navy chief Admiral D K Joshi warned on Tuesday. Addressing the annual Navy Day press conference, he also sought a "reversal" of high risk areas for merchant ships plying in the piracy prone zones, saying such an extension in these zones has resulted in incidents such as the killing of four Indian fishermen by Italian marines near Kerala coast. "Floating armoury is a matter of very serious concern. This is entirely unregulated... This has very serious security implications for us including the infiltration of terrorists. "...If there are unregulated arms and ammunition on a vessel, the existence of weapons is not known as also where guards are transferring them and this could lead to such a situation on anybody's soil," Joshi said when asked if unregulated floating armouries can lead to a 26/11 attack. The Navy chief was talking on the issue against the backdrop TEJPAL BREAKS DOWN, IN CUSTODY FOR 6 DAYS PANAJI: Tehelka founder editor Tar un Tejpal broke down on Sunday while being interrogated by Goa police crime branch at their office in Dona Paula, police officers said. The interrogation lasted five hours after which he was taken to Panaji police station lockup. Earlier, Tejpal was remanded to police custody for six days. He will be taken for a medical examination later. Tejpal was interrogated by investigating officer PI Sunita Sawant and others. Police began interrogating Tejpal around 3pm Sunday, seeking to corroborate the sequence of events which the victim had stated in her complaint. Police have seized Tejpal's cellphone so as to secure the conversation between him and victim. During the hearing on the remand, Goa police had informed the cour t that Tejpal's interrogation was required to bring on record the emails exchanged between him and the girl. Goa police told the cour t that Tejpal must have sent the email either from his personal cellphone, laptop, office computer and friend's computer or from other sources which need to be seized. Goa police also said a police team will be sent to seize the items. Police had sought Tejpal's custody for 14 days. Tejpal's lawyer Geetha Luthra argued in cour t that 14 days police custody was not justified. At the end of arguments Panaji judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) Kshama Joshi remanded Tejpal to six days police custody. BIDEN IN TOKYO AMID 'DANGEROUS' CHINA TENSIONS TOKYO: US Vice-President Joe Biden held talks in Tokyo on Tuesday, saying the United States is "deeply concerned" about a new Chinese air zone that has provoked fury in Japan. The Japanese government said it was confident it would get US backing for its opposition to what it called an "extremely dangerous" move by Beijing, which asser ted rights to control aircraft over a swathe of the East China Sea, including disputed islands. "We remain deeply concerned by the announcement of a new Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ)," Biden told the Asahi Shimbun ahead of his tour of nor theast Asia, which will also take in China and South Korea. "I believe this latest incident underscores the need for agreement between China and Japan to establish crisis management and confidence-building measures to lower tensions. "I will reaffirm the strength of our alliance commitments and emphasize the importance of avoiding actions that could undermine peace, security and prosperity in the region," Biden told the paper. Tensions in the region are their highest in years with China and Japan squaring off over a chain of uninhabited islands in a feud that has some observers warning of the danger of an armed confrontation. of seizure of the American floating armoury MV Seaman Guard Ohio off the coast of Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. He said the government has also received reports about the presence of "combatants from some countries who on a temporary basis take up these employments and become private armed guards." Asked if he meant that these combatants are from Pakistan, Joshi skirted a direct response, saying, "I am referring to what I am referring to." He said over the years, these armouries providing escort to the merchant vessels plying in piracy prone areas have become a "looseknit structure" and the "unregulated manner these ships are operating, there is no track of which ship is coming and what guards it has, what arms does it have and where they are going." He said like the merchant vessels operating under the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) framework, these floating armouries have to be brought under the regulation and all the littoral states must be aware of the identity of such ships, the number of weapons and guards present on them. 5 Prithvi-II missile successfully test-fired BALASORE (Odisha): India on Tuesday successfully test-fired indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile with a strike range of 350 km from a test range at Chandipur in Odisha as par t of a user trial by defence forces. The surface-to-surface missile was test-fired at around 10:05am from a mobile launcher in salvo mode from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range, about 15 km from here, defence sources said. Describing the launch of the sophisticated missile as a complete success, ITR Director MVKV Prasad said all the mission parameters were met during the trial. "The missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the launch activities were carried out by the specially formed Strategic Force Command (SFC) and monitored by scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as par t of training exercise," the sources said. "The missile trajectory was tracked by DRDO radars, electrooptical tracking systems and telemetry stations located along the coast of Odisha," they said. "The downrange teams onboard a ship deployed near the designated impact point in Bay of Bengal monitored the terminal events and splashdown," they said. Test batting on Dhoni's mind ahead of ODIs I ndia are usually short on practice and preparation time in international cricket. MS Dhoni is usually philosophical about it. There are only so many days in a year, he seems to often suggest, and that he and his players have to make the most of what they get. India have landed in South Africa on Monday, and are due to play their first international on Thursday, with only one two-day tour game to follow between the ODIs and Tests. "I don't know if it [preparation time] is enough or not but this is the only time we have," Dhoni said before leaving for South Africa. "We will try to have long practice sessions in the first one or two days that we have with us. We will have one light session before the match, and that is how we will get ready for the ODIs. That is how much we have got, and we have to get the best out of what we've got." During the second of those long practice sessions, which India have to get the best out of, Dhoni seemed to have batted to his heart's content, properly against the India quicks, spinners and throwdowns from fielding coach Trevor Penney, and rashly against the low-quality net bowlers India had at their disposal. Just when you thought he was leaving, Dhoni padded up again. Behind his net at the Wanderers stood coach Duncan Fletcher, and CM Dhananjay, the team's analyst, was asked to bring a camera. The surprise came when the red Kookaburras were brought out. Two days before the first ODI of the tour, Dhoni - a man who loves to stay in the present - spent half an hour doing exclusive Test-match practice, even as others around him played the big hits. With no change of ends and other such delays, you can face a good 10 overs in those 30 minutes. Fletcher remained in constant conversation with Dhoni from behind the net. Dhananjay, who is a decent bowler himself if allowed to bowl from 18 yards, and Penney's throwdowns tested Dhoni. At one point, as the ball began to lose some shine, Dhananjay applied a foreign substance to keep it new. It seemed to be an exercise in moving forward to cover some of the late movement, and after the end of the session you could hear Fletcher telling Dhoni, "You can also ride the swing and play it late." Dhoni's batting was critical to India's success in the home Tests earlier this year, but he has had a weakness against the moving quick ball when he plays with hard hands outside off and edges through. He has in the past said that that is the way he plays and can't do much about it. Not on this net session's evidence. At the very least, Dhoni is looking at his batting with much more responsibility now that he is the more experienced batsman in the side. He is possibly looking at himself as more than the declaration batsman or the saviour on the odd occasion that has been. However, this early Test preparation of Dhoni's could have a bigger implication. It was not just Dhoni's batting in India that worked, but it was also the balance his move up to No. 6 provided, with the extra spinner drafted in. There were no tired bowlers around, no soft overs when the ball would become old and take slow turn. Three years ago, in Cape Town, when India had the upper hand in the second innings, their bowlers playing a third back-to-back Test - lost their sting on day four, although you can't take away from Jacques Kallis' genius that day. You wondered, though, what if India had an allrounder, like Kallis himself, who could bowl a few fresh overs then. Like the limited preparation time, Dhoni knows there is no proper allrounder in the country. So he combined with Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin to kind of contrive one. The natural question was, if he would be able to do the same outside Asia. If he would be confident enough to do so outside Asia. Before leaving Asia, Dhoni kept his cards close to his chest, but didn't rule out a move up to No. 6. "Well it's something that we have to go there and decide," Dhoni said. "We have to see the strength of our batting line-up. And at the same time whether four bowlers are good enough to get the opposition out. It's something that we have to weigh out. "In the last Test match also we played with four ‘ MS DHONI'S HALF HOUR AGAINST THE RED BALL IN THE NETS, TWO DAYS AHEAD OF THE SOUTH AFRICA ODI SERIES, SUGGESTS HE IS THINKING HARD ABOUT HIS TEST-MATCH TECHNIQUE AND TEAM COMBINATION bowlers, and Rohit [Sharma] was the one who batted at No. 6. If you see at times five batsmen are not enough, even six are not enough. And if you see the last two Test matches, the No. 6 batsman has had a lot of impact on the game. We will weigh how it is and then decide as to whether 3-1 [bowling] combination is good enough or we have to play with 3-2." A lot, of course, was going to depend on how Dhoni feels about his batting in the ODIs and in the nets. If he is thinking of not letting "I dare not" wait upon "I would", unlike the cat i' the adage, he is at least spending as much time preparing as he can. 6 MidWeek community FORD STOLE A SEAT AT AN NFL GAME COURTESY: JOHN TAVARES JR/FLICKR COMMONS T oronto Mayor Rob Ford attended NFL game Sunday night between Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons and reportedly stole a seat. Matt Mays, a musician who is a Buffalo Bills fan arrived at the Rogers Centre only to find out his seat was taken by the myor. "The poor usher guy was like, 'dude, I don't really know what to tell you right now Mayor Rob Ford is in your seat, bro,'" Mays said as reported by the National Post. "It was kind of entertaining." Reports confirmed Ford remained in his seat for most of the first half of the game. The night was intensified as fans started turning their seats to take pictures with him which caused Rogers Centre's security to dispatch a guard. Reports said the guard sat the second half of the game sitting on the armrest of an aisle seat in front of the mayor. Two ushers guarded the stairs leading to the section where Ford was seen. "You're not going down for pictures," one usher said, several times, reported National Post. Ford's assistant was reportedly passing out mayor's business card and fridge magnet calling out "Rob Ford - Mayor" reported National Post. Musician Mays didn't confirm if he was a Ford supporter. "Unless I've met someone in person, I don't have any opinion on him," he was quoted as saying in the National Post. Tweets confirmed the mayor was haooy to take pictures with anyone who would ask for it. "It's taking a crapload of police/security effort to keep people away from Ford, who smiles and poses with anyone who ends up next to him," confirmed a Tweet. Mays was two rows far away from his original seat from where he saw the first half of the game, while he came back to his original seat in the second half. "I don't think it was intentional," Mays said with a smile. "But I mean, I just thought it was funny that out of 60,000 seats, he's in mine. I wasn't mad. I just thought it was funny," reported National Post. SONIA GANDHI IS RICHER THAN BRITISH QUEEN ELIZABETH II: HUFFINGTON POST NEW DELHI: According to a repor t in the Huffington Post, Congress president Sonia Gandhi is the 12th richest political leader in the world. With $2 billion wealth, Gandhi is believed to be richer than the British Queen Elizabeth II, Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said and Syrian President Bashar AlAssad. To compile the list, Huffington Post compared each country's GDP per capita juxtaposed with a leader's personal net wor th, just to show 'how different life is for the haves and have-nots'. The list includes kings, presidents, sultans and queens. The richest leaders among the top 20 originated from the Middle East region. The repor t puts Russian President Vladimir Putin on the top of the list with a wealth of $40 billion, followed by King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej with for tunes wor th $30 billion. However, the HuffPost repor t does not clearly state how it has arrived at the conclusion. MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 Time for hard cap on CEO salaries: Horwath New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath introduced a Private Member's Bill that if passed, would cap the salaries of Ontario's highest-paid public employees to ensure that scarce public dollars are spent on front line services not lavish paychecks. "When a public sector CEO takes home more in a year than the average family earns in two decades, people feel like their money isn't being respected," Horwath said. "I'm hoping Ontario can move forward with a simple plan: put a hard cap on the salaries of public sector executives at twice the salary of the Premier." The new legislation would cap publicly-paid executive salaries at double the salary of Ontario's Premier. The Premier's current salary is $209,000. According to the 2012 Sunshine List, over 180 executives made a salary more than two times as high as the Premier, and 25 executives made more than three times the Premier's salary. The bill would apply to all executives in the public sector from the Ontario Public Service to crown agencies like Hydro One and OPG, as well as hospitals and universities. MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 MidWeek community Britain's most Influential Asian: MalalaYousufzai 7 Nominations open January 2 for Brampton's 2014 Municipal Election NOMINATION FORMS NOW AVAILABLE Cour tesy: Hafiz124/Flickr Commons S he is only a teenager, shot in the head by the Taliban for campaigning girl's education in Pakistan and now she is named as Britain's most influential Asian by a weekly publication. At the Garavi Gujarat2 Leadership Awards 2013 (GG2), the teenager was one of the chosen for GG2 Hammer Award for her bravery. Other two chosen incluseKainatRiaz and ShaziaRamzan. British Deputy Premier Nick Clegg was the chief guest of the night where she was ranked number one in the latest GG2 Power List. "We must recognise the children's struggle for their right and help children who are victims of child trafficking. No terrorist threats can deter us and we will carry on with our campaign for the right to education for girls," said Yousufzai over a video message as she wasn't present to receive the Award. It was noted that, "Malala, who was unknown over a year ago, has become synonymous with a type of girl power that should be celebrated and applauded everywhere. Today, presidents, prime ministers, people of influence and power listen to this remarkable 16-year-old." "The GG2 Hammer Award winner of 2013 transcends every boundary and appeals to the very core of our humanity." The teenager now lives and studies in the U.K. Her book "I Am Malala" was released recently but banned in private schools in her own country with many calling her as a trophy for the west. AdeebJavedani, president of the All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association, told CTV News "Everything aboutMalala is now becoming clear. To me, she is representing the West, not us." KashifMirza, the chairman of the All Pakistan Private Schools Federation said in an interview with CTV News that she "was a role model for children, but this book has made her controversial. Through this book, she became a tool in the hands of the Western powers." The teenager had been rewarded for her bravery in different parts of the world including by the United Nations. Early this summer, she said, "One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world," while the United Nations and the world watched. "The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born," she had said. BRAMPTON, ON: Nominations for the City of Brampton's 2014 Municipal Election will be accepted by the City Clerk's Office beginning January 2, 2014 for the following offices: o Mayor o Regional Councillor o City Councillor o School Board Trustee Nomination forms and information packages are available online and at the City Clerk's Office in Brampton City Hall. Nominations must be filed in person (or by an agent) during regular office hours, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, on weekdays starting January 2 until 2 pm on September 12, 2014. At the time of filing, the fee ($200.00 for Mayor, $100.00 for all other positions) is payable by cash, debit card, certified cheque or money order. Applicants will be asked for proof of citizenship and qualifying address. Only original documents will be accepted - no faxes or other electronic versions. Anyone who wants to be a candidate must file their nomination papers prior to receiving any campaign contributions or spending any funds for election purposes. "The City of Brampton is committed to ensuring effective processes in delivering a fair and open municipal election," says Peter Fay, City Clerk and Returning Officer. "Potential candidates and voters are also reminded to take note of the new wards that take effect for the 2014 Municipal Election." City of Brampton Extends Campaign to Support Red Cross Relief Efforts Mississauga's population moves towards 1 million in Philippines The City of Mississauga has completed an extensive growth study that will enable it to better plan for the future as its population approaches one million. This study provides key information about long-term population, housing and employment forecasts to the year 2041. "This is one of the most significant reports that go to Council," says John Calvert, director Policy Planning. "The City of Mississauga is quickly moving towards a city of one million people. This report will be used not only by the City as the basis for all City master plan development, planning and infrastructure decisions but by the Region of Peel as well." Highlights from the report include: o A population of approximately 829,000 by 2031 and 878,000 by 2041, with most of the growth being directed to nodes, corridors and the downtown core o Total employment of 527,000 by 2031 and 552,000 by 2041, with most of the future employment growth to be in large office buildings o Forecast that Mississauga will continue to be an attractive, liveable community with a road network and access to highways that will attract many new residents and jobs Calvert noted the report: Mississauga Growth Forecasts 20112041 will guide management teams as they prepare capital budgets and forecasts, complete transportation studies, and plan for services such as fire, libraries and parks. It is also a valuable tool to outside agencies such as school boards, hospitals, and police as well as private business owners and developers interested in doing business in Mississauga. Hemson Consulting Ltd. prepared the growth scenarios to Donate online or in person until December 23, 2013 update Mississauga's growth forecasts for the Development Charges By-law Review, service and infrastructure planning and to provide input the Region of Peel's growth allocation exercise as part of Amendment 2 to The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Launch of Coalition for Progressive Canadian Muslim Organizations to promote secular values E ight Progressive Canadian Muslim Organizations are launched a Coalition in Parliament Hill, Ottawa on Nov 21 where Minister Jason Kenny and Minister Tim Uppal were the chief guests. The Coalition of Progressive Canadian Muslim Organizations (CPCMO) is an umbrella for progressive Muslims across Canada who uphold Canadian values especially separation of religion and politics, gender equality, one law for all, freedom of expression and education against radicalization. CPCMO is a think tank to provide a platform for diverse voices within the Muslim communities of Canada, who are engaged in following the principles and values stated in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, while understanding the reasons that lead to problems of Muslim radicalization. CPCMO supports Muslims who recognize that sharia is a timebound, humanly constructed, legal-political system created in the 9th Century which is at odds with the modern world, and are working towards reform. CPCMO has been created explicitly to draw upon the talents of experts from within its membership to work upon a variety of challenging issues both locally and globally. CPCMO has been founded and headed by Ottawa based well known activist, Salma Siddiqui. SohailRaza and TahirAslam Gora are directors of this coalition. The member organizations are Canadian Thinkers' Forum, Forum for Learning, Islamic Council for Interfaith Harmony, Muslim Committee Against AntiSemitism, Progressive Muslims Institute Canada, Project Ijtihad, The Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow and Western Canadian Muslims for democracy. The City of Brampton is extending its campaign to collect donations for relief effor ts in the Philippines. This is in keeping with the Government of Canada, which has extended the deadline for how long it will match donations to December 23, 2013. The City of Brampton has par tnered with the Canadian Red Cross to assist in providing relief and aid to victims of Typhoon Haiyan in response to an outpouring of interest and concern, as well as the relationship with its Sister City, Marikina. Until December 23, 2013, donations can be made at City facilities (listed below) or online through the City’s website (brampton.ca). Electronic tax receipts will be issued for all online donations. All funds directed to the Red Cross Typhoon Haiyan appeal will directly help relief effor ts in affected areas. Residents are encouraged to donate what they can as every penny counts. City facilities with Red Cross donation boxes: Brampton Soccer Centre 1495 Sandalwood Parkway East Cassie Campbell Community Centre 1050 Sandalwood Parkway West Central Public School 24 Alexander Street Century Gardens Recreation Centre 340 Vodden Street East Chinguacousy Wellness Centre 995 Peter Rober tson Blvd. Chris Gibson Recreation Centre 125 McLaughlin Road Nor th Chinguacousy Curling Club 9050 Bramalea Road Earnscliffe Recreation Centre 44 Eastbourne Drive Flower City Community Campus 8870 McLaughlin Road Gore Meadows Community Centre 10150 The Gore Road Greenbriar Recreation Centre 1100 Central Park Drive Howden Recreation Centre 150 Howden Blvd. Jim Archdekin Recreation Centre 292 Conestoga Drive Ken Giles Recreation Centre 370 Bar tley Bull Pkwy. Knightsbridge Recreation Centre 1a Knightsbridge Road Loafer's Lake Recreation Centre 30 Loafer's Lake Lane South Fletcher's Spor tplex 500 Ray Lawson Blvd. Terry Miller Recreation Centre 1295 Williams Pkwy. 8 MidWeek opinion MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 CHARACTER, COMMUNITY AND COUNTRY: CM BLOGS ON NATIONAL SPORTS DAY "As seen on Narendra Modi's website” Dear Friends, Greetings to my fellow countrymen on National Spor ts Day! On this day we remember the legendar y spor tsman Major Dhyan Chand, who mesmerized the world with the magic of his hockey stick and made India a force to reckon with in hockey. I also congratulate all the spor tspersons and coaches who would be honoured with the various spor ts awards this year! I am sure every one of us has a lot of memories attached with spor ts. We still remember the first time we held a cricket bat. As youngsters, how we wished that the frequency of the games period were exchanged with long classes on grammar, algebra or history! Did you not rejoice when India won a world cup or a medal? In my view, the three Cs that wonder fully blend with spor ts areCharacter, Community and Countr y. All round character building is incomplete if spor ts are not a par t of our lives. With reference to spor ts I feel, With reference to spor ts I feel, the person who plays, shines. Without spor ts, there cannot be any spor tsmanship! Every spor t has something or the other to offer. It is a unique oppor tunity both to sharpen our skills and for our personality development. No wonder Swami Vivekananda once said, “You will be nearer to heaven through football than through the study of the Gita.” We all live in a community and there are only few better ways to strengthen community bonding than spor ts. It is a great leveler and a unifier- when we play in a team we are not concerned with the caste, creed or community of our teammates. Neither does their economic status bother us. What matters is the victory of MidWeek Published By Asian World Today Inc. 1310, Midway Blvd, Unit # 31, Mississauga Ontario L5T 2K5 Direct Line - 647-272-8182 Tel: 905-670-3687 Fax: 905-670-5344 E-mail : For Advertising [email protected] [email protected] YUDHVIR JASWAL ANJANA RAI CHIEF EDITOR & CEO CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. 647-272-8182 [email protected] NISHAN SHAWN MARKETING EXECUTIVE NISHAN SHAWN CONTRIBUTING WRITER DR. 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No material herein or portions thereof may be printed without the written consent of the publisher. DISCLAIMER: Asian World Today Inc. assumes all advertisers to be reliable and responsible for any and all liability from their claims. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement he may see unfit for publication. The opinions expressed in Midweek may not be those of the publisher. our team. I have seen so many lifelong friendships that have originated from the games field. We are blessed to see such kind of a wonder ful atmosphere of oneness and social harmony during our Khel Mahakumbh. Cutting across all age groups and districts of Gujarat, the athletes compete in various spor ting events. Khel Mahakumbh 2012-2013 witnessed a record par ticipation of lakhs of athletes. For this year ’s Khel Mahakumbh we are star ting a new Under-12 categor y that will enable us to tap young talent. The Government will also bear the various expenses of the talented youngsters, which will help them pursue their spor ting dream in the years to come. A few years ago, we integrated specially abled athletes to participate in Khel Mahakumbh. The genesis of this happened when a group of young specially abled athletes who had won in a tournament in China came to meet me. I spent two hours with them, spoke to them…this touched my hear t. We decided to fur ther our resolve to provide maximum oppor tunity to them so that they can shine on the field and that is when we decided to integrate them in Khel Mahakumbh. Thousands of specially abled athletes left Khel Mahakumbh 2012-13 spellbound with their stellar per formance. Winning a medal or a cup is a great gif t to give to our country. Invariably, success on the games field becomes linked with national pride. Spor ts also blends with culture when a nation hosts an impor tant spor ting tournament like the Olympics or a World Cup that enables it to showcase its history to the entire world. Not to mention the boost to the economy and tourism due to such events. Thus, it is very impor tant to inculcate a spirit of spor ts and spor tsmanship especially among our youth. Apar t from the Khel Mahakumbhs I talked about, Gujarat has set up a Spor ts University, a unique initiative to harness spor ting talent from all across CONSERVATIVES MISLEAD CANADIANS BY RE-ANNOUNCING OLD NEWS The Conservatives are continuing their pattern of misleading Canadians by re-announcing measures on pre-paid credit cards and gas pump accuracy that won’t even take effect until 2014. “If they truly cared about protecting consumers, these regulations would have taken effect months ago,” said NDP Consumer Affairs Critic Glenn Thibeault (Sudbury). “It is downright wrong for the Conservatives to give the impression that they’re giving consumers a Christmas present when, in reality, it’s just a lump of coal—Canadians will continue to be ripped off well into 2014.” Gas pump problems were exposed by an Ottawa Citizen investigation in 2008. Although the NDP immediately called for regulations and inspections, it took the Conservatives until March 2011 to pass legislation to address fairness at the pumps, which they still have not implemented. “Instead of taking action to protect consumers who are paying taxes on phantom gasoline, the Conservatives wasted millions on ads to boost their failed Economic Action Plan,” said Thibeault. the country. Fur thermore, ever y district will have a spor ts school to give an impetus to spor ts. By integrating spor ts with education, a lot can be achieved. As a par t of 150th bir th anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda, Vivekananda Yuva Kendras were set up in every corner of Gujarat with an aim to promote spor ts. Among the other initiatives under its auspices, spor ts kits were distributed to the youngsters. Yet, despite all these effor ts there is a lot we have to do. I notice that due to academic pressures, the attendance on games field in decreasing. And if children are not studying, they are playing games on their computers. This is a very big shor tcoming on our par t. As citizens, let us create the right atmosphere and provide the right oppor tunity so that ever y child goes out to play for some time. Is it not better to hit a six or score a goal in a park nearby rather than on the computer screen? Another good idea is to devote some time where the entire family comes together and plays a game together. I am aware that there are several spor ts players who are extremely talented but they miss the bus due to financial and logistical constraints. As a Government, we are trying but I also seek your help in this. What if corporates can come together set up a corpus so that budding spor tspersons can get constant world class training oppor tunities along with other facilities, with an aim that India emerges with many medals in the future Olympics and other spor ting tournaments? This can be a par t of their CSR. Likewise, our NRI friends who never shy away from helping their Motherland can contribute in the same way or even by sponsoring tournaments and helping create spor ting infrastr ucture in their villages. Together, let us pledge to give our youngsters a happy and play-ful childhood that prepares the foundation of a glorious future devoted to the service of our nation. This could be extraordinary BY LIBERAL LEADER, JUSTIN TRUDEAU We've come a long way since April 14 - and even far ther still since the last federal election. We made it this far - including winning three by-elections this year - because you held fast to the values we cherish, and the idea of the Canada we're working for. Which is why as the shimmering holiday lights lift up our spirits and remind us to let our hopes soar anew, I'm asking you to help us make something extraordinary happen this holiday season. For the first time this fundraising quar ter, we have the chance to out-raise the Conservatives, and send a serious signal to Canadians that change is coming. But to do it, I need you to believe, and I need you to act - so that we can wake up 12 days from now having raised one million dollars for change. Be a par t of it - make something extraordinary happen this holiday season and chip in $3 before midnight, December 12 When you give, you'll also automatically be entered for the chance to join me for dinner in your town - along with four of your friends. I shared a meal in November with the last Win Dinner with Justin contest winner, Dorothy Corbeil, a retired nurse from Golden Lake, Ontario, who has dedicated her life to helping others. (You can read Dorothy's account of the evening below). I love these dinners because they remind me that every Canadian receiving these emails has the power to make a big difference with a single action - which is exactly what it will take to out-raise the Conservatives and show Canadians we're serious about change. MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 canada Trudeau wants answers from the PM over the senate scandal more than resignation JUSTIN TRUDEAU CAMPAIGNING FOR BYELECTIONS EARLY THIS YEAR IN WHICH THE LIBERAL PARTY SECURED TWO SEATS COURTESY: FLICKR COMMONS/JUSTIN TRUDEAU O n CTV's Question Period on Sunday, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau was asked why hasn't he called up on the Prime Minister to resign over the senate scandal and said the opposition should continue to get more answers. He said Harper's resignation is a "is a very, very serious thing," and its much more important to get to the bottom of the issues surrounding the scandal. "Opposition leaders who call for the prime minister's resignation anytime something happens in Ottawa begin to lose credibility," Trudeau said. "And what I'm focused on right now is restoring the credibility of Parliament and of politicians in general for Canadians by emphasizing facts, by getting people to answer honest questions, and to be less focussed on cover-up and more focused on governing." He said if more information is revealed, "it becomes clear that these allegations and these investigations are grounded in the betrayal of trust of Canadians towards their government or seems that it might be, then absolutely there will be a stronger call. But I think we have to be very respectful of our democratic institutions and our Parliament," reported CTV News. Question Period last week surrounded the documents that were revealed by the RCMP that show PMO insiders that were allegedly involved including Sen. Irving Gerstein None of the allegations are proved as yet. Harper has stuck to his claim that he knew nothing about the $90,000 cheque and the two people who are accused are Wright and Duffy who are no longer part of the senate. He has also defended Gerstein in the past saying he is not part of the RCMP investigation. The Liberals want RCMP to look into 12 staff members who were named in the affidavit and continue to investigate, reported CTV News. Just last week, the party bagged two byelection ridings and polls show Trudeau's support has gone up. "…We're pleased with the kind of response we're getting right across the country and I think there's reason to be satisfied that the approach that we are taking. Being positive, reaching out around substantive issues and trusting Canadians with the truth and with honesty is giving a certain amount of interest in the Liberal Party that hopefully will translate into votes in 2015," he said on CTV's Question Period. Liberals and Conservatives embrace Senate-style self-policing The NDP rejects the majority repor t of the Procedure and House Affairs Committee which states that the current level of disclosure is “sufficient for the transparency and accountability of the House of Commons”. “Liberals and Conservatives both seem happy with the current Senate-style self-policing,” said NDP Caucus Chair Peter Julian, after tabling the NDP’s dissenting repor t in the House. “But Canadians are tired of secrecy, entitlement and backroom deals. Liberals and Conservatives will use smoke and mirrors and band-aid solutions to try and deflect the attention from the only real solution, which is an independent oversight body.” An NDP motion that was adopted unanimously by all par ties in the House on June 18, 2013 and reaffirmed on October 21, 2013 instructed the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) to conduct hearings with a view to replace the secretive Board of Internal Economy (BOIE). Against the Auditor General’s suppor tive recommendations, the Committee’s Liberal and Conservative members concluded that the status quo is adequate. “Canadians want to fix Ottawa. The NDP is the only par ty actually trying to do just that”, said Julian. ENGINEER ACCUSED OF GIVING CANADIAN INFORMATION TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT A Toronto based Engineer is accused of making an attempt to pass security information about Canadian naval vessels to the Chinese government, reports confirmed Sunday. Qing Quentin Huang is now a Canadian citizen who is formerly from China. He is a Chinese-educated marine engineer who has lived at Simon Fraser University campus. Beijing has denied all accusations in a single statement. "The remarks saying that a Canadian-Chinese male provided the Chinese government with confidential information is totally groundless," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said. He was arrested Saturday in Burlington Ont., not too far from his home in Waterdown. He would be convicted of a life sentence if convicted in court where he is scheduled to appear Wednesday. Everything will come up in court saidChief Supt. Larry Tremblay, head of the RCMP's federal policing criminal operations as reported by the National Post. "We have deployed a number of techniques to gather the evidence necessary to obtain the attorney-general consent to lay the two charges that were laid this morning," he said. Rick Roth, spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has said, "We don't discuss matters of national security," reported the National Post. "As this matter is before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment." 9 PM LAUNCHES PRE-BUDGET CONSULTATIONS IP10 STRENGTHENING LONGTERM INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING Ontario is proposing legislation that, if passed, would support long-term strategic infrastructure planning to build a stronger economy that suppor ts more jobs and apprenticeship opportunities. If passed, the proposed Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act would require the province to regularly table a long-term infrastructure plan in the legislature covering a period of at least 10 years. The proposed act also includes guiding principles to help planning align with demographic and economic trends to maximize the value of provincial infrastructure investments and promote innovation, competitiveness, and job creation and training. Recognizing the province's need for skilled trade workers, the proposed legislation would also require the government to involve apprentices in the construction of cer tain provincial infrastructure projects. Strengthening communities by suppor ting strategic growth is par t of the Ontario government's plan to invest in people, build modern infrastructure, and suppor t a dynamic and innovative business climate. Auditor General Exposes Conservative Failure to Ensure Basic Safety for Canadians The Auditor General's (AG) 2013 Fall Repor t clearly confirms that the Conservative government has continued to fail Canadians when it comes to ensuring basic safety measures, specifically regarding rail and food safety, said Liberals today. "Canadians would have thought that after the recent tainted meat scandals that occurred under this government, measures would have been put in place to ensure the safety of Canadians so that such situations could be avoided," said Liberal Health Critic, Hedy Fry. "But the Auditor General found that Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) officials do not have enough time available to deliver proper quality verification and that they have been skipping follow-up procedures after a food recall; the Conservatives' solution to this 'lack of time' has been to cut $56 million from CFIA's budget and lay off over 300 staff." In fact, the Auditor General's 2013 Fall Repor t concludes that "even when the government identifies a problem, it takes too long to develop and implement solutions." The AG's global conclusions are worrying and shed light on this government's lack of commitment when it comes to the basic safety of Canadians in communities across the country. "Barely four months after the terrible Lac-Mégantic tragedy, this AG repor t clearly demonstrates that the Conservative government is failing to improve rail safety in Canada," said Liberal Transpor t, Infrastructure, and Communities Critic, David McGuinty. "It is deeply worrying to read about 'significant weaknesses' the AG has identified in rail safety. In par ticular, the AG says 'it is taking too long to resolve significant safety issues' and we don't know if rail safety inspectors have the necessary skills to do their job. Basic information on such impor tant data as the sections of tracks used for transporting dangerous goods and the condition of railway bridges is missing. Canadians deserve a government that will act to protect their safety." 10 MidWeek canada HARPER TO VISIT ISRAEL MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 PM LAUNCHES PRE-BUDGET CONSULTATIONS P rime Minister Stephen Harper might be planning a visit to Israel soon, according to National Post, plans would be revealed at a fancy dinner party scheduled to be held in Toronto by the Jewish National Fund. Harper hasn't visited Israel until now. National Post reported that Stephen Bronfman, the new chief fundraiser for the Liberal Party has made comments that suggested Justin Trudeau is closer to Israel because he has been there. The office of the Prime Minister hasn't commented on any plans of Harper of visiting Israel. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, joined by Matthew Waddington, Vice President of the Canadian Plastics Group Ltd., launches pre-budget consultations at a roundtable discussion with business representatives from the Greater Toronto Area PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER AND HIS WIFE LAUREEN ARRIVE AT THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND OF TORONTO'S 2013 NEGEV DINNER, WHERE HE WAS HONOURED FOR HIS STEADFAST SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE. (PMO PHOTO BY JASON RAMSON) "ePassport Will Improve Security of Travel Documents," - MP Parm Gill Member of Parliament Parm Gill applauded the design and security specifications of the new Canadian ePassport, which was officially made available to the public today. This new ePassport will provide greater convenience for Canadians, and facilitate safe, secure travel," said MP Gill. "Additionally, a 10-year passport provides better value for money for Canadians, as it costs less per year than the previous 5-year passport. It also means that Canadians will not have to renew their passports as frequently." ePassports have quickly become the international standard in travel documents. The new passports contain technologically-advanced features, including an embedded electronic chip, to prevent fraud. The chip stores the same Prime Minister Stephen Harper participated in a pre-budget consultation in Newmarket, Ontario, with business representatives from the Greater Toronto Area. This roundtable discussion is part of a series of events in communities across the country, as well as online consultations, aimed at engaging Canadians in Economic Action Plan 2014 deliberations. "Our Government's number one priority remains creating jobs and economic growth to help hard working Canadians and their families prosper. We will balance the budget by 2015 by controlling costs, while keeping taxes low," said the Prime Minister. "Through these consultations, Canadians will have the opportunity to help inform the next phase of Canada's Economic Action Plan, which will position Canada as a leading competitor in a challenging global economy." Pre-budget consultations are part of the annual budget cycle. In addition to the roundtable discussions, Canadians are also invited to submit their views online. New Democrats put focus on cyberbullying personal information as that which is recorded on the second page of the passport (except for the signature) as well as a photo and a digital security feature that proves that the passport was issued by the Government of Canada. To combat fraud, once the personal information is stored on the chip, it cannot be modified without invalidating the passport. The new ePassport will cost $160 and is valid for 10 years. Replacing the existing maple leaf design on the interior pages, the new passport contains iconic images that celebrate our history and culture, such as Robert Harris's painting of the Fathers of Confederation, a depiction of the last spike completing the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885, and a picture of Pier 21 in Halifax. "The Canadian passport is not only a privilege of citizenship, but a reflection of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship," said MP Gill. "This new ePassport will ensure security in travel, while showing Canadians and those around the world a piece of or national heritage." New Democrats moved to split the Conservative cyberbullying bill (C-13) in order to put the focus squarely on legislative reform to make the distribution of intimate images without consent illegal. This would have ensured that other unrelated provisions were dealt with separately. "It is irresponsible for the Conservatives to play politics with this important and sensitive topic," said NDP Justice critic Françoise Boivin(Gatineau). "Splitting the bill as proposed by the NDP would have allowed the committee to focus solely on cyberbullying. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, f o r t h e Conservatives, playing political games is more important than working together to protect Canadians." Earlier this year, New Democrat MP Robert Chisholm (Dartmouth--Coal Harbour) introduced a bill to make non-consensual distribution of sexually explicit images illegal. However, instead of putting partisan politics aside to fast-track this bill, the Conservatives introduced their own version containing dozens of unrelated provisions. "Many people in the digital community have raised concerns that this bill contains significant items like changing electronic interception laws, which are unrelated to the issue at hand," said NDP Digital Issues critic Charmaine Borg (Terrebonne - Blainville). "At committee, New Democrats will press the Conservatives for answers about the impact of these provisions." MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 india MODI SEEKS DEBATE ON ARTICLE 370 SRI LANKA OPPOSITION AGAINST MANMOHAN VISITING JAFFNA S ri Lanka must not allow Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit the country’s former war zone in the Tamildominated north, since he declined to attend the CHOGM summit in Sri Lanka, the main opposition UNP said on Monday. Speaking in parliament, United National Party’s (UNP) senior leader John Amaratunga expressed vehement opposition to Dr. Singh visiting the island’s war-torn north. He said Dr. Singh’s visit to Jaffna was unacceptable as he had earlier declined to attend the CHOGM summit last month. C.V. Wigneswaran, newlyelected northern chief minister had extended an invitation to Dr. Singh to visit Jaffna. “This should not be allowed to happen. How could the Indian Prime Minister be allowed to visit the country without an invitation from President Mahinda Rajapaksa?” Mr. Amaratunga asked. He said the UNP is against Dr. Singh visiting Jaffna particularly as he chose to skip CHOGM. “We are concerned if this was an attempt to cause separation of the country. The UNP will stand opposed to it,” Mr. Amaratunga added. Dr. Singh had decided against attending the CHOGM summit in view of 11 the stiff opposition by parties in Tamil Nadu as well as a section in Congress party. Political parties in Tamil Nadu and several other outfits had opposed India’s participation at any level in the CHOGM summit alleging that the Sri Lankan government had committed gross violation of human rights during the last phase of the civil war in 2009 and had no plans to devolve powers to the minority ethnic Tamils. Modi seeks debate on Article 370 Addressing his first rally in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, Gujarat Chief Minister and the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi sought ‘at least a debate’ on Ar ticle 370 (that grants special status to J&K) and assured the people that the par ty would transform the ‘separate State’ into a ‘super State,’ even as he laid stress on development and integration. He avoided references to terrorism, border killings and the communal riots in Kishtwar. “Irrespective of whether it remains a par t of the Indian Constitution or not, the time has come for at least a debate to find whether Ar ticle 370 has benefited the common man in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the need of the hour. The Congress has unfor tunately obfuscated this issue with the rhetoric of secularism to the extent where it is hard to count its merits and demerits,” he said. “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has lately scolded us, saying the BJP leaders were uselessly referring to the big names and they had no will to act. We would just remind him one thing about Nehr u: He [Nehru] had said that Ar ticle 370 would get worn out with the passage of time and die. We ask Manmohan Singhji, why doesn’t his government act on Nehru’s wish [to repeal the law],” Mr Modi said. Significantly, Mr. Modi did not push the BJP’s trademark demand for the repeal of Ar ticle 370. He did not make sharp attacks on Pakistan, terrorism and Kashmir’s separatist leadership. His 40-minute speech made no mention of this year’s killing of the Indian troops on the International Border and the LoC, ceasefire violations, the fidayeen attacks at Hiranagar and Samba or the communal riots of Kishtwar. Mr. Modi, never theless, paid rich tributes to the Army and paramilitary forces who sacrificed their lives while fighting terrorism and protecting the country. The BJP claimed that around one lakh people, including a few thousand Muslims, par ticipated in the ‘Lalkaar Rally’ that could mark beginning of a fiery campaigning for the coming Lok Sabha elections in the State. Mr. Modi, accompanied by par ty president Rajnath Singh, spoke at length about the need for ‘transformation’ in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress, he alleged, had sown the seeds of a ‘separate State’. “I assure you that the BJP’s government will transform Jammu and Kashmir into the country’s super State,” he asser ted. 12 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 MidWeek world CAMERON PUSHES EU FREE TRADE DEAL IN CHINA VISIT BRITAIN PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON (LEFT) AND CHINA'S PREMIER LI KEQUIANG TALK AS THEY ARRIVE AT A SIGNING CEREMONY AT THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE IN BEIJING ON MONDAY. B ritish Prime Minister David Cameron met Chinese leaders on Monday as he called for the European Union to negotiate a free trade agreement with the world’s second-largest economy. “I’ve been talking to Premier Li Keqiang about extending trade links and hosting a [China-UK] human rights dialogue next year,” Mr. Cameron said on his Twitter account. Mr. Li hosted a formal welcome ceremony for Cameron at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. Mr. Cameron began his three-day trip, accompanied by what his office said was the largest British trade delegation ever to visit China, by opening a Jaguar Land Rover training academy in Beijing. He witnessed the signing of an agreement worth some £4.5 billion ($ 7.4 billion) for Jaguar Land Rover to provide 100,000 vehicles to China over the next year. Mr. Cameron was due to meet President Xi Jinping later on Monday. Analysts said Mr. Cameron had focussed on economic ties and toned down his rhetoric on human rights after angering China by meeting the Dalai Lama in May 2012. That meeting was a “move that interfered with C h i n a ’s i n t e r n a l a f f a i r s , ” China’s official Xinhua news agency said in a commentary on Monday. The recent shift of focus s h o w e d t h a t M r. C a m e r o n was “very pragmatic” in trying to overcome the differences with China after his meeting with the Dalai Lama, said Beijing-based international relations analyst Shi Yinhong. “Cameron’s visit is the start of a new round of ChinaUK relations with cooperation and mutual respect,” Mr. Shi said. “As long as those sensitive topics] don’t appear, I think China-UK, or we should say C h i n a - U K e c o n o m i c relations, will see a big improvement,” he said Cameron’s office said earlier that he was “ready to put his full political weight behind an agreement to liberalise trade between China and the EU.” “Britain is uniquely placed to make the case for deepening the European Union’s trade and investment relationship with China,” Cameron said in an interview published on Monday by C h i n a ’s influential Caixin business magazine. “Building on the recent launch of EU-China negotiations on investment, a n d o n C h i n a ’s c ontinued commitment to economic reform, I now want to set a new long-term goal of an ambitious and comprehensive EU-China free trade agreement,” he said. The Xinhua commentary said Britain was “lagging behind” compared with the “frequent visits between B e i j i n g a n d the European continent.” “Cameron may be late but he is still in time,” it said. 13 Kate wants to take mum Carole as ‘travel nanny’ on Australia tour Kate Middleton wants to take mother Carole as ‘travel nanny’ to look after her son Prince George when she embarks on a tour to Australia with hubby Prince William. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are determined to keep their four-months-old son close during the action-packed trip next year and hope granny Carole Middleton can join them, the Daily Mirror repor ted. Protective Kate wants only friends and family to be closely involved in raising the third in line to the throne, and hopes her mother Carole, 58, will join them as nanny to George on at least par t of the official visit, the repor t said. William’s former nanny Jessie Webb, 71, a close confidante who attended the royal wedding in 2011, has been working for the couple par t time but is unlikely to join the tour Down Under. “They don’t want just anyone helping out in Australia and think Carole would be perfect,” a friend of the royal couple was quoted as saying by the daily. When Prince Charles and Princess Diana toured Australia and New Zealand in 1983, they left nine-month-old William with a nanny on a remote farm in New South Wales, visiting nine times during their six-week tour. Mr. William and Ms. Kate, both 31, are keen to have George as close as possible during the visit, which will be their most exhaustive yet. “William has always admired the close relationship between Carole and Michael and how they’ve raised their children in such a happy environment. That’s what he wants for George, so he and Kate are enlisting their help whenever they can,” the royal couple’s friend said. PROTESTERS IN UKRAINE BLOCK GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS P ro-European protesters on Monday blocked government buildings in Kiev after the biggest demonstrations in the Ukrainian capital since 2004-05 Orange Revolution. Hundreds of opposition supporters held the mayor’s office and the central unions building, which had been taken by storm during Sunday’s protests. About 150 protesters gathered outside the Ukrainian cabinet building and demanded the government’s resignation, the Interfax news agency reported. Government employees could not enter the building and returned home, the report said. On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people demanded the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych, who on Friday had refused to sign a landmark association agreement with the European Union. Arseni Yatsenyuk of the opposition Fatherland party of jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko had told protesters that a resignation of Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov would be “a first step.” About 5,000 people braved the cold night, setting up barricades and tents on the central Maidan, or Independence Square. More than 150 people -both police and civilians -were injured over the weekend, but no incidents were reported overnight into Monday. The protests escalated after riot police violently ended a protest early on Saturday. Interior Minister Vitaly Sakharchenko later apologised for the incident, and city police chief Valery Koryak offered his resignation. Mr. Yanukovych promised an investigation after several legislators quit his party over the affair. 14 MidWeek world Thailand braces for more violence T he United Nations closed its main office in Bangkok, dozens of schools closed and many civil servants stayed away from work on Monday as the Thailand capital braced for more violence in a spiralling political crisis. After a weekend of chaos in pockets of Bangkok, protesters vowed to push ahead with plans to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra by occupying her office compound along with other key government buildings. Police again used tear gas on thousands of protesters on Monday after repeatedly driving them back with similar attacks throughout Sunday. In an e-mailed statement to its staff, the United Nations’ security department said “there could be violence (Monday) on a large scale .. staff should avoid government offices” and other protest locations. Many of the offices and schools closed on Monday were located near the Government House, in the historic quarter of the capital, where police over the weekend fought off mobs of rockthrowing protesters armed with petrol bombs. At least three people were killed and 103 injured in skirmishes over the weekend. The protests have renewed fears of prolonged instability in one of Southeast Asia’s biggest economies and come just ahead of the peak holiday tourist season. Protest leaders want to replace Ms. Yingluck’s popularly elected government, which they say is illegitimate, with an unelected “people’s council,” but they have been vague about what that means. Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister, has refused to say how such a demand, which has been criticized as undemocratic, could be accepted by a government that was elected with an overwhelming majority. Mr. Suthep met with Ms. Yingluck late Sunday in the presence of top military officials even though he has an arrest warrant against him. He later told cheering supporters that he told Ms. Yingluck that the only way to end the protests was for her to step down. He said his goal is to topple Ms. Yingluck by Wednesday. The military has said it is neutral in the conflict but Army commander Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha has urged the police not to use force. “There was no negotiation during this meeting,” Mr. Suthep said. If Ms. Yingluck “listens to the people’s voices and returns the power to the people obediently, we will treat Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra with politeness because we all are good citizens.” Yingluck’s government has gone to painstaking lengths to avoid using deadly force. The French Embassy issued one of the strongest warnings of dozens of foreign governments, urging citizens to “stay inside” to avoid the conflict on Bangkok’s streets. The French School is located in a northeastern Bangkok neighbourhood where gunshots rang out over the weekend during clashes between Ms. Yingluck’s supporters and opponents. MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 China ready for space cooperation with India China, which successfully launched its first ever mission to land an unmanned spacecraft on the Moon, has expressed interest in space cooperation with India which has sent its first interplanetary mission to Mars. The probe Chang’e-3 was launched into orbit on Monday night aboard an enhanced 56.4 meter high Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. The launch came a day after India’s Mars orbiter Mangalyaan left the Ear th for a 300-day journey to the Red Planet. Chinese space scientists are looking forward to cooperation with other countries, including the country’s close neighbour India, state-run Xinhua news agency said in a repor t on the successful launch of China’s lunar probe. Li Benzheng, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of China’s lunar programme, told media earlier that China’s space exploration does not aim at competition. “We are open in our lunar programme, and cooperation from other countries is welcome. We hope to explore and use space for more resources to promote human development,” the Xinhua repor t quoted him as saying. The Chang’e-3 lunar probe is expected to land on the moon in mid-December to become China’s first spacecraft to soft land on the surface of an extraterrestrial body. The probe’s carrier, an enhanced Long March-3B rocket, put the probe in the designated orbit in a text book launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China. The probe, which is carrying a robotic rover to explore the moon besides a telescope, entered the ear th-moon transfer orbit as scheduled, with a perigee of 200 kilometres and apogee of 380,000 km, officials said. “The probe has already entered the designated orbit,” said Zhang Zhenzhong, Director of the launch centre in Xichang. MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 MidWeek 80 PERTOSA DRIVE, UNIT 12, BRAMPTON ONT., L6X 5E9 15 16 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 R RAJKUMAR MOVIE PROMOTION 17 'I don't know if I am emotionally ready to invest in a relationship' A SONAKSHI SINHA, SHAHID KAPOOR AND PRABHU DEVA WHAT'S COOKING ANUSHKA AND VIRAT? T here must be something on between Anushka Sharma and cricketer Virat Kohli. On Sunday night, the batsman was apparently spotted leaving Anushka's place at Versova in her black Range Rover. In all probability the cricketer was keen to catch up with her before the Indian cricket team's departure to South Africa yesterday. Says an eyewitness, `It was around 10.45 pm when the cricketer and the actress walked out of the lift on the second floor parking area of the building. Anushka was wearing a white Tshirt and pink trousers while Virat was casually dressed in tee and jeans. The actress saw him off in the car, but not before the two shared a quick kiss.` Adds the source, `Virat kept turning back and looking at Anushka as the car made an exit.` As reported 'New friends?' (Hitlist, November 12), the cricketer and the actress were seen together in a car at Seven Bungalows last month. The source continues, `Whenever Virat is in Mumbai, he visits Anushka's house and the two look extremely comfortable in each other's company.` Anushka and Virat met when they did a shampoo commercial together and seems like they have hit it off pretty well. According to the buzz he had even come to drop her home, right after the shoot. Incidentally, this is not the first time that Virat is hobnobbing with Bollywood celebrities. The cricketer loves partying and he has quite a few friends in the industry. Earlier Kohli was linked with Brazilian model, Izabelle Leiti. fter a spate of forgettable films, Deepika Padukone is basking in the limelight with her myriad performances in Cocktail, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Chennai Express and Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela. Very rarely in Hindi films is a heroine's performance lauded as in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela. That's quite a high isn't it? I am overjoyed seeing how the feedback has been. Even though I wholeheartedly believed in RamLeela, I really didn't know what to expect from filmgoers. When I woke up that Friday morning when it released, my brand new CONTD. ON phone kept hanging because the PAGE 19 messages just wouldn't stop. I got so emotional with the appreciation that I was very close to breaking down every time anyone said anything nice. I can't begin to explain how it felt. Six years ago you started with a bang with Om Shanti Om. Then you went through a tough phase with some forgettable films. Good to be back with a bang this year? SHAH RUKH KHAN STILL UNDECIDED ABOUT SIGNING FILM WITH FARHAN RANBIR-KATRINA TO RING IN 2014 IN NEW YORK RANBIR KAPOOR AND KATRINA KAIF ARE LIKELY TO HEAD FOR NEW YORK FOR NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS. Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif are likely to bring in 2014 in the US together. According to industry buzz, the lovebirds will head to New York in the last week of December. Says a source, `Ranbir is currently shooting round-theclock for Anurag Basu's Jagga Jasoos, so that he can take time off just before New Year's eve. Adds the source, `After Katrina's film Dhoom 3 releases on December 20, she will fly off to London to be with her family during Christmas. She will then head to the US.` Sources say Ranbir's buddy, director Ayan Mukerji, might join them on the trip. Ranbir and Kat remained unavailable for comment. A source close to RK says, `As of now, we are not aware of his holiday plans.` B ollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan is yet to make up his mind to sign Rahul Dholakia's untitled movie, which will be produced by director-actor Farhan Akhtar. 'Don' franchise success, has promoted the producer Farhan to team up with Shah Rukh yet again for the Dholakia directed film. "Shah Rukh has not given his dates. We are yet to think about the leading lady. Anything related to the casting and shooting of the film is yet to be finalized. It is too early to talk anything about the film," Rahul disclosed. "The scripting is still on. So I can't talk much about the film including which genre it is," Rahul said. Shah Rukh, 48, is currently busy with Farah Khan's 'Happy New Year" and the shooting of the film will go on till next summer. 18 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 R U N N I N G S U C C E S S F U L LY MidWeek bollywood MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 19 Movie Review Upcoming BOLLYWOOD Movies LUCKY KABOOTAR HI KHAN, SONAKS CAST: SAIF ALI UT HEIRGILL, VIDY SINHA, JIMM S HAN BABBAR, GULS JAMWAL, RAJ GILL GROVER, MAHIE A MANSHU DHULI DIRECTOR: TIG RATING: **1/2 RELEASE DATE: 13 Dec 2013 STARING: Ravi Kissen, Eijaz Khan, Kulraj Randhawa, Shraddha Das, Sanjay Mishra, Madhavi Sharma DIRECTOR(S): Shammi Chhabra PRODUCER: Karan Raj Kanwar LYRICIST : Sameer MUSIC DIRECTOR: Santokh Singh 'BULLET RAJA' IS A STIGMA ON DHULIA'S CINE CREDENTIALS I n the era where commercial cinema is the spice of the season, and where majority of cine sorcerers are fetching maximum goodies at the power of this mantra. It is quite obvious for someone, who otherwise owns a marvelous cine sense to develop a fascination for this desirable dessert and to sacrifice his actual potential in order to join the league. And as they say for surviving in a league you need to follow the the norms established by the league. So probably this would have been the reason which compelled the director of Dhulia's stature to try his hands on commercial form of movie making. After charming the audience with some of the critically acclaimed cine flicks, which left the masses in aw with their brilliance, this time Dhulia stepped in to the aisle which actually is not his cup of tea. But as the thumb rule says "fascination seldom shares a berth with prudence", so even this ace cinematographer belonging to elite league of movie makers could not prevent himself falling prey to it and decided to test his cine dexterity in the commercial form of cinema with Saif, Sonakshi, Jimmy and Vidyut starrer "Bullet Raja". Due to prevailing notions and admiration about Tigmanshu's signature style of movie making, at opening even "Bullet Raja" secured a decent foot fall and opened with an approximate occupancy of 45 percent at the multiplexes. Premise of "Bullet Raja" primarily narrates the story of two commoners, Raj Mishra (Saif Ali Khan) and Rudra Tripati (Jimmy Sheirgill), who have a rendezvous at a wedding and how circumstances transform them into circumstantial strongman or rather dons, who are courageous enough and give a damn to societal norms. And subsequently what follows is forming of a a formidable team under the patronage of a local minister Ram Babu Shukla (Raj Babbar). With frames rolling ahead they emerge as one of the most fearsome duo of the region who in a fit of mild vengeance kidnap a business magnate, Bajaj (Gulshan Grover) and during this stint of their's also saves a budding starlet Mitaali (Sonakshi), with whom Raja falls in love subsequently. With vengeance breeding in his head Bajaj decides to avenge his insult and teams up with Sumer top 10 songs 1 Film: Ram Leela NAGADA SANG DHOL FILM SONG 2 Ram Leela Lahu Munh Lag Gaya 3 R.Rajkumar Gandi Baat 4 Satya 2 Tu Nahi 5 Tose Naina Mickey Virus 6 Gori Tere Pyaar Mein Naina 7 Gori Tere Pyaar Mein Chingham Chabake 8 Mickey Virus Ankhon Hi Ankhon Ne 9 Ishk Actually Aye Dil Bata 10 R.Rajkumar Saree Ke Fall Se MOVIE COLLECTIONS HIT OR FLOP MIDWEEK SINGH SAAB THE GREAT AVERAGE RAM LEELA AVERAGE KRRISH 3 (HINDI) BLOCKBUSTER BOSS FLOP Yadav (Ravi kissen) for the purpose. So to know what follows next watch "Bullet Raja". After viewing some of the path breaking delights which always possessed a captivating plot underneath them, this time many of Dhulia's admirers (even I am one of them) may get surprised to see the quality of script which this ace cine literati has picked to knit his first core commercial cine delight. And you will be surprised because after seeing those sheer visual delights it is hard to believe that someone belonging to Dhulia's stature can also embrace a disastrous worn out script while trying his hand on relatively new genre. But unfortunately Tigmanshu did so, and opted for a flimsy story idea which uptill great extent seems to be rotten and directionless. As soon as the narration of "Bullet Raja" takes off with so much of monotony and lack of expressiveness it starts giving you "I have seen this before" pangs. Although in the second half the plot of "Bullet Raja" transforms into a somewhat gripping saga, but if we talk about the first half then it looks totally confused and lacking captivating potency. Even persona of characters seems to be so ill-defined that none of the characters could leave any impressive impact on the viewers. In fact about "Bullet Raja" it won't be wrong to say that major duration of run-time seems to be so perplexed that throughout your stay in the auditorium you keep on scratching your head in bewilderment that what exactly onscreen proceedings want to communicate to you. On the other hand if try to gauge the script of Bullet Raja on the novelty front then, despite himself being an exceptional author Tigmanshu along with Amaresh Misra has completely failed in developing a refreshing out of the box and engaging tale. 'I don't know if I am emotionally ready to invest in a relationship' Contd. from Page 17 You know these six years I have been working non stop so I have not really had the time to sit down and analyse. I don't know why those films didn't do well because as far as I know I did them with the same gusto, same passion. These six years have been tough and easy. Easy because I was fortunate to get some good films and big banners. Tough because my debut film was such a nice set up where I was protected so beautifully and presented so well, and I assumed this is how it is going to be everywhere. But then suddenly I found myself to be on my own. The unit of my first film used to tell me that it would not be easy for me from my second film onwards, but I didn't listen to them. I am like that. Even when my parents tell me not to do something, I go ahead and do it. You mean you had to drop some inhibitions? Maybe. I have never been on a movie set before I did my debut film. It is right on the sets that I understood the craft, learnt to deal with the people, and most of the time I have let my instinct do the judging for me. I still rely a lot on my instinct. I owe a lot of what I am today to my sports background. You get defeated and you know what to learn from it. You get a better sense of where you stand when you face defeat. I should be grateful also to some fans who believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. Everyone goes through bad phases, but I remember the people who never questioned my decisions and loved me for who I am. So for someone who comes from a different background, is it tougher to deal with adulation? Of course. My life has changed over the past few years. But even when people shower praises, it will not go to my head. Really, within me nothing has changed. But there is something else that has changed. You were open about your personal relationship but now you are more cagey about it. Did you regret being open? I don't think I regretted that. I decided for myself that I don't want to do that anymore. Also, right now I have nothing to talk about. I am in this phase of my career where I have to spend all my energy on work. When I seriously get involved with someone, I will give a lot of myself emotionally. I am scared to do that now. I do not know whether I am emotionally ready to invest in a relationship right now. The beauty of investing all your energy in your work is that it gives you back 100 per cent but in a relationship you are dependent on someone else. So yes, I am scared. And I control myself. R... RAJKUMAR RELEASE DATE: 06 Dec 2013 STARING: Shahid Kapoor.... Rajkumar, Sonakshi Sinha.... Chanda, Sonu Sood.... Shivraj, Asrani, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukul Dev DIRECTOR(S): Prabhu Dheva PRODUCER: Sunil A Lulla, Viki Rajani LYRICIST : Anupam Amod, Ashish Pandit, Mayur Puri, Nilesh Mishra MUSIC DIRECTOR: Pritam Chakrabor ty JACKPOT RELEASE DATE: 13 Dec 2013 STARING: Sunny Leone, Sachiin Joshi, Naseeruddin Shah Makrand Deshpande, Bharat Niwas DIRECTOR(S): Kaizad Gustad PRODUCER: Raina Sachiin Joshi LYRICIST : Turaz, Azeem Shirazi, Raj Hans Abhijeet Deshpande, Remo Fernandes, Kaizad Gustad Sridevi Keshavan, Irfan Siddique MUSIC DIRECTOR: Sharib Sabri, Toshi Sabri, Mika Singh Remo Fernandes, Sridevi Keshavan, Janaka Atugoda Juno Reactor, Rahul Bhatt, Itek Bhutani, Rishi Rich GENRE: Thriller, Comedy 20 MidWeek bollywood Shahid, Sona and their MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 I WAS THROWN OUT OF THE FILM INSTITUTE quirky director S The R...Rajkumar team engage in a full-on legpulling banter.... Sonakshi: Shahid and Prabhu sir would pull my leg as soon as I’d enter the set. Shahid: Really? When? Sonakshi: You all are devils, who make fun of such a sweet girl. Shahid: Despite that, you continue working with Prabhu sir again and again. In fact, both of you would be sitting together and chatting, making me feel like an outsider. I had to request to join you guys. Sonakshi: What a liar! You felt settled on the first day itself. Shahid: Settled? There is no time to settle on the set. What people do in three days, Prabhu sir completes in a day. Where’s the time to sit idle? Prabhu: Except for the two of you, we all knew what we had to do and were quick. Whenever you (Shahid) would ask, ‘Sir, what am I supposed to do now?’, I would say, ‘Nothing’. Shahid: I learnt a new expression from you — no expression. Prabhu: I had given you both a full narration, hadn’t I? Shahid: But what we finally did on the set was completely different. When did you explain how the scene would be executed on the set? Prabhu: How can I tell you what will happen on the set? Shahid: After 15 days of shooting, you looked at me with a smile and said, ‘Now, you may be able to understand why I say I can’t explain what will happen on the set’. Because, it’s all there in your mind. I felt like your personal robot when you would shoot orders — ‘Shahid, look up, jump, stop, turn left, open your mouth, close…’ Sonakshi: Shahid was like a toy for you… chaabi maaro and he started action. However, I understand you very well. Even when I was standing behind the camera after giving a shot and you were behind the monitor, you would do some action from there and I would understand automatically. I also became familiar with Tamil. I could follow your discussions with your team and would know what was expected from me. Producer Viki Rajani joins in at this point to add, “This film is a mixed bag of action, dance, drama and comedy. It will touch the pulse of the audience.” R...Rajkumar, produced by Eros International (Sunil Lulla) and NextGen Films, releases worldwide on December 6. 'Big B', '3 Idiots' iconic in Japan too: Japanese director Lee, best known for directing 'Hula Girls' in 2006, is showcasing his film 'Unforgiven' at a film festival, which features Japanese films. The director, who makes films on Korean settlers in Japan, said that he is a huge fan of the Big B and the 2009 blockbuster '3 Idiots', starring Aamir Khan. "It's my first time in India and I feel great to be a part of this film festival. I can say that Amitabh Bachchan and the film '3 Idiots' are very popular in Japan as well," Lee said during an interactive session. 12 new Japanese films made in the last three years are being screened at the ongoing festival. Lee also pointed out to a unique trait in the Japanese film market, where he said it was not the director who approached producers with projects. It is actually directors who are selected as per the requirements of the project, he said. Filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa, whose film 'Real' was also screened at the festival also expressed his admiration for Guru Dutt and Satyajit Ray films and said he is a great fan of these cinematic geniuses. anjay Leela Bhansali did his editing course at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune (1985-88). While Sanjay completed his course and was sent his diploma cer tificate, he was kicked out of the institute and could not complete his diploma film that haunts him till date. He believes that a par t of his soul is at the Film Institute and despite having directed seven acclaimed films, he still feels a lack of completeness that he believes he may be able to achieve if he were to someday edit another student’s film or teach there. He goes back to the institute every time before star ting a film. This time he went with the Bombay Times post Ram Leela. What did getting into the Film Institute mean to you? The first day I came to the institute was with my sister Bela di in 1982 when she wanted me to fill up the form. That time, we were not allowed in through the gate. Bela di got through in 1982. For me, coming through this gate was a big thing as there were stories of Jaya Bachchan and Kundan Shah and Ketan Mehta and Vinod Chopra coming out of here, so there was always a dream to come out of this campus. That orange gate still haunts me. I first tried in 1984 but could not get in. I tried a second time in 1985 and got through and I can never forget that August rain in Pune when my dream came true. I kept going to the loo till Bela came and told me I had got in. There is a lane just outside where Nana Patekar lives and I kept walking there. Getting in the institute was the turning point in my life. Have you changed as a person from the time you were a student? I was my best and only friend and was extremely quiet. Sriram Raghavan stayed right next to my room and Raju Hirani on the same floor but I would, at best, say only a hello to them. I am better now and I can at least say hello to people. I had decided I won’t allow myself to be ragged even though I knew it was a way to break barriers with other students and overcome your inhibitions. But I found it humiliating and did not allow it as a result and did not form a par t of the gang. I was very insignificant, unobtrusive, unnoticeable and made no mark at all. But people would feel that I was arrogant and rude and therefore when my moment of trouble came and I was to be chucked out of the institute, I did not find the support coming my way which should have as I had no connect with people and no one fought for me. Why were you chucked out? Even though I was a very good student, it came from the director who wanted to revamp the institute and picked up the quietest student of the lot, the person who slept at 9 pm and woke up at 6 am and chucked him out. I was thrown out of the institute. I was an editing student. We did not have a direction batch so they decided to call a director from outside, one director for each student who would give his film to us to edit. This was to be our diploma film. Dilip Ghosh was the director whose film I had to edit. ADITI RAO DOESN'T PREFER EVERYONE IN THIS FAMILY ONLY BIG FAT WEDDING? WANTS TO GET MARRIED! Amarriage track is something most TV producers incorporate in their shows because it works to get eyeballs. No wonder then, there’s a show coming that revolves totally around marriage. This daily sitcom titled Kis Din Mera Viyah Howay Ga revolves around the crazy and hysterical members of the Choudhary parivaar, who are desperate to tie the knot. But owing to their amusing obsessions and strange circumstances, each one lands up with hilarious mismatches. There’s Qayamat Choudhary, the head of the house, his wife Manorama, a 40-year old unmarried younger brother Kamal Choudhary who is obsessed with moustaches since he is unable to grow one of his own, a younger sister Billo who wants to marry a famous dacoit, a dacoit who is hiding in their house disguised as a woman and the housemaid Peeno, who secretly dreams of marrying Kamal. And most of these people have just one thought — kis din mera viyah howay ga? Actor Pankit Thakker, who plays Babloo, Babli and Vikrant daaku, is excited about his three different looks in the show. “The way the dialogues are written is what makes this show so funfilled. What was most interesting for me is that sometimes in a single episode, I’ll be seen in all three getups.”And no points for guessing that transforming into Babli is quite a challenge for Pankit. “Comedy comes naturally to me so it’s not tough playing a woman. But, yes, my makeup in this case, takes a good two hours!” he laughs. Kis Din Mera Viyah Howay Ga launches tonight and airs Monday to Friday 9.30 pm on Big Magic. Actress Aditi Rao Hydari prefers an intimate marriage ceremony over a big fat wedding. Seen in films like "RockStar", "London Paris New York" and "Yeh Saali Zindagi", she said: "I love intimate ceremonies where all the loved ones come together and have fun." "I have seen some of my friends getting married and they had the worst time at their own wedding. But when it is intimate, it is fun and the bride and the groom enjoy the most. That's what I would want," she added. Aditi was speaking on the sidelines of the on going Aamby Valley India Bridal Fashion Week here. Is she in a relationship? "No, no I am very single," said the actress who was recently seen in Akshay Kumar starrer "Boss". She will soon be seen in Manish Jha's new untitled film. MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 21 'GAMBHIR SHOULD BE IN TEAM FOR SA TOUR' MS DHONI SAID PLAYING THE ODIS BEFORE THE TESTS WOULD HELP HIS BATSMEN SETTLE IN BETTER IN SOUTH AFRICA 'There is always a new start' - Dhoni T here was a time when a day before departure for a big tour would be the day for a captain to state intent or unwittingly reveal fears. With India's most successful Test captain MS Dhoni, though, it has always been about cooling things down a bit. Hours before he and team-mates left for the big - not long - tour of South Africa, you couldn't tell if Dhoni was the captain of a side that has won its last six Tests at home or one that has lost its last eight away. Or if the team is going to carry the confidence accumulated over the home season or doubts sown on the previous two trips - to England and to Australia. What is certain is, this is India's most inexperienced batting line-up in a long, long time, India don't have enough time to acclimatise to the conditions, and the conditions will be vastly different from what they are used to. About this being a new side Dhoni said even Sachin Tendulkar at some point played for the first time, about the lack of time he said the big help will be that the ODIs will be played before the Tests, and he didn't shy away from the challenge of facing the bouncing and moving ball, something his side will need to get used to. "Well if you see there is always a new start," Dhoni said when asked about cricket Indian cricket after Tendulkar. "When paaji [Tendulkar] played his first Test match that was his first Test match. "What's fairly important is that they [the new batsmen] have a good amount of exposure - even though it's ODIs - outside India. That always helps you adjust to the pace and bounce of the wicket. It will be a new challenge for all of them, at the same time it is a learning curve. It's the first time that they will be going there, and they will learn a lot in the series." Dhoni knows his team might be kids when it comes to international experience especially in testing conditions - but they won't be treated with kid gloves should they fail. "There is a one thing for sure," Dhoni said. "If you don't perform and you're part of the team, whether you're playing your first Test or 50th Test match, criticism goes hand in hand so that's something you can't really get away from. If you don't perform you will be criticised. "What they need to keep in mind, what's really in their hands, is to prepare properly. Also, concentrate on what little things they need to do so that they're successful. I think it's all about that. Good exposure." Dhoni was hopeful the sequence of the tour - ODIs, followed by a tour game, followed by the Tests - will help his side counter the reality of Indian cricket: no proper preparation for big tours. "I think it is always a challenge when you go and play abroad," Dhoni said. "You are competing against the home team, and they know the conditions well. Their fast bowlers always know which length to bowl and also the areas in which they need to bowl. I feel the batsmen will have to quickly adjust to the bounce, see the deliveries which they can leave and push the bowlers to bowl at them instead of going to the bowlers. "But of course starting with the ODIs it is always a help. When you get to play the shots, you get rid of nerve factor initially. We are playing three ODIs initially, the guys will be expressing themselves, will be playing shots and then they will be carrying it forward into the Test matches as well. The good thing is that there won't be too many changes when you compare the Test squad to the ODI squad." MUMBAI: Gautam Gambhir's presence was felt by his absence on Sunday. In a curious turn of events, Indian skipper MS Dhoni launched a veiled attack on the Sandeep Patil- led selection committee while addressing the media prior to the team's departure to South Africa for a series comprising three ODIs and two Tests. It was apparent that Dhoni didn't like the exclusion of Gautam Gambhir for the series when he was asked who would per form the role of the third opener in the series. "Gambhir is our third opener," he stressed while leaving the media contingent stunned. When reminded that Gambhir wasn't par t of the squad that flew out to SA late on Monday, Dhoni said, "You asked who are you looking at as the third opener, I replied. You didn't specify if you were asking about someone in this team." The No. 4 conundrum He was less cryptic though when asked about the No. 4 position and who would occupy the slot left vacant by the great Sachin Tendulkar. "Is it not possible to not look at number four at all? I mean, why not play 1, 2, 3, and then 5, 6, 7?" "It's not about someone replacing someone else. Whoever walks in at number four will bring a fresh character into the side and will progress from there. As of now we have not decided who will bat at No. 4," he added. 'A New Beginning' With the last member of the senior brigade out of the team, this is very much Dhoni's side and the skipper wants his young turks to express themselves sans fear. So what if this is the first time India will be playing a series in SA without Tendulkar. "There's always a new star t. When Paaji played his first Test, it was his first Test. It's the same for a youngster star ting now. What matters is exposure. When you go to a new place, it's about how well you adjust. It's about figuring out the pace and the bounce of wickets and it's all a par t of learning," the skipper said. 'Advantage playing ODIs first' It's a given that the team will not be given flat tracks and the wickets will be pacy and bouncy and Dhoni admits that the conditions will be trying. However, he feels it will be an advantage playing ODIs before as that will offer the batsman a chance to gauge the wickets. "Our batsman will have to quickly adjust to the bounce and figure out which deliveries we need to leave. We're playing the ODIs first and given the way we've performed in the format, the 50-over game will allow our batsman to play shots, score runs, and in turn get rid of nerves factor. A positive factor is that our Test and ODI squads are almost the same." 'Don't be scared of scrutiny' This series will be the first away assignment for India post the twin 0-4 debacles in England and Australia and Dhoni knows his team, although young, will be criticized if a similar performance is dished out. "If you're par t of the team then regardless of whether it's your first Test or 50th, criticism is bound to follow if you don't perform. That's something they can't get away from." Match Details Telecast Date Start Time EST* Venue 1st Test 20 Nov - 24 Nov, 2013 7.00 PM Brisbane 2nd Test 04 Dec - 08 Dec, 2013 7.00 PM Adelaide Oval 3rd Test 12 Dec - 16 Dec, 2013 9.30 PM Perth 4th Test 25 Dec - 29 Dec, 2013 6.30 PM Melbourne 5th Test 02 Jan - 06 Jan, 2014 6.30 PM Sydney FOR BEST DEALS AND INFORMATION SEE PAGE 27 sports AKRAM KHAN WANTS MORE MATCHES FOR BANGLADESH MISBAH-UL-HAQ MADE PAKISTAN'S ONLY FIFTY AS THEY LOST TO SOUTH AFRICA BY FOUR WICKETS IN THE THIRD ODI IN CENTURION Pakistan leave out Rehman, Jamshed for Sri Lanka Twenty20s L eft-arm spinner Abdur Rehman and batsman Nasir Jamshed have been left out of Pakistan's squad for the Twenty20s against Sri Lanka in the UAE later this month. Left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar, who was not picked for the recently-concluded home and away limited-overs games against South Africa due to a finger injury, has been named in the 14-man squad, which will also play a one-off T20 against Afghanistan in the lead-up to the Sri Lanka series. Middle-order batsman Haris Sohail, who has been on the fringes of the national team but has not played in it since August, makes a comeback. Uncapped Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited opener Sharjeel Khan also earns a call-up. The squad is largely comprised of young players, with the exception of Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and captain Mohammad Hafeez. The selectors have persisted with the newcomers, with batsman Sohaib Maqsood and bowlers Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali retaining their places. Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan has missed out once again due to his brittle body; he sustained an injury during the final match of the series against South Africa in the UAE earlier this month and needs a four-week rest period. He is expected to return for the Sri Lanka Tests. Veteran allrounders Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Malik, who were ruled out of the South Africa games with injury, have not been named. Malik has recovered from his injury and is presently featuring in the Faysal Bank T-20 Cup for in his departmental team, Pakistan International Airlines. Offspinner Ajmal will not play the T20 against Afghanistan on December 8, but will join the team ahead of the two matches against Sri Lanka, scheduled for December 11 and 13. Rehman played only one of the four T20s against South Africa in November, and was taken for 18 runs in his solitary over. Jamshed played three matches, but didn't touch 20 in any of them and also failed to score at over a run a ball. Sharjeel, 24, hails from Hyderabad and has earned a name for himself with his T20 blitzes. In the format, he has scored 688 runs - at a strike rate of 134.11 - and has a century to his name. He scored 72 to set up ZTBL's victory in their opening game of the Faysal Bank T-20 Cup last week, and has hit two cameos in successful chases since. He has also been in decent touch in the first-class competition, with three fifties in his previous three matches. He averages 51.44 after 30 List A matches. PLAYING WITHOUT SACHIN A CHALLENGE MUMBAI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni says playing in alien conditions and that too without Sachin Tendulkar is a big challenge for his side but the Indian skipper is hopeful that playing One-dayers first will allow his batsmen settle well ahead of the Test series against South Africa. India will play three-match ODI series ahead of two-Test series in South Africa. "If you see there is always a new start," Dhoni said about absence of Tendulkar, who retired recently last month. Dhoni said his batsmen have plenty of experience in the shorter format of the game and playing ODIs first will give them confidence for the Tests. "Many of them have had good exposure if not in Tests, but in ODIs. It is a new challenge for all of them and a new learning curve. It is always a challenge when you go outside. Which length to bowl and to adjust to the bounce of the wickets. It is good to start with ODIs. As the batsmen can play their shots and express themselves and carry it into the Tests," he said ahead of team departure. Asked who will perform the duties of the third opener in Tests, which has only two regulars in Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay, Dhoni surprised everyone by naming Gautam Gambhir, who is not part of the 17member squad. "If you see, Gautam is definitely our third opener that we are considering. As of now, Vijay and Shikhar they have done really well for us. So third opener as of now is Gautam." Later he clarified, "I know (gambir not being in team) but he is the third opener. But he never asked if he is part of the team." Nevertheless, the statement by Dhoni makes it clear that Gambhir is still in the scheme of things for at least Test side. Asked who was likely to replace Tendulkar at number four in the Test squad, Dhoni they are to yet to decide on that. "We are not decided on number 4. No one is going to replace anyone else," he said before adding in lighter vein, "If possible we will omit the number 4. And try to bat 1,2,3, 5,6... and 12." Bowling in slog overs has been a worry for India but Dhoni was hopeful of a better performance in South Africa. "In different conditions the statistics would be different. There will be pace and bounce on offer for the fast bowlers. Along with the yorkers, they can use bouncers and a little bit pace. So we will see how it goes," he said. Akram Khan, the former Bangladesh captain, has kicked off his role as BCB's new cricket operations committee chairman by seeking to bring more solidarity with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He was given the most influential cricketing position in BCB after he was elected as director unopposed last month. The cricket operations committee is in overall charge of the Bangladesh team as well as the Bangladesh A side, and Akram believes there ought to be more tours to the neighbouring countries. The senior side has never toured India, while their visits to Sri Lanka have substantially reduced over the last five years. The BCB's relationship with the PCB is at rock bottom after they failed to send over a side to Pakistan twice last year. "I want to build more understanding with the neighbouring countries before we go to Australia and New Zealand," Akram told the Bangla daily Prothom Alo. "If we can arrange more A team, Academy and Under-19 matches with them regularly, we can hold more international matches in that way. They cooperated with us before we became a Test nation. So why not now? I will try hard to develop relations with them. We have to play regularly with them, and at the same time, reduce our differences." Akram however said that he would have to arrange for more matches outside the new Future Tours Programme which isn't favourable to Bangladesh, and added that the previous board's bargaining capabilities left a lot to be desired. Cheteshwar Pujara warms up for SA with double ton CHENNAI: The fourth day of the Tamil Nadu-Saurashtra Ranji Group B game here was once again about one man - Cheteshwar Pujara (269, 33x4) - and his ability to carry the team on his shoulders. The ever-solid Pujara continued from where he had left off on Saturday to give his team the all-impor tant firstinnings lead. The India No. 3 stood tall as Saurashtra finished at 581-6 in chase of TN's 565-8 declared. It helped them gain the crucial three points while TN had to be content with one. Pujara's batting was about his refined approach and finesse. There was hardly a false stroke and the Saurashtra batsman ensured that he doesn't play anything in the air. Having commenced the day on 152, Pujara quickly got off the blocks as the TN bowlers struggled to find answers. More than the Tamil Nadu bowlers, it was bad light apart from rain that seemed to come in the way of Saurashtra taking the first innings lead. Pujara was left stranded on 193 for about an hour in the morning session. But once the covers were off, he did not take much time to script his ninth double century in first-class cricket, courtesy a square-drive off right-arm medium-pacer J Kaushik. Pujara, along with skipper Jaydev Shah (195, 17x4, 8x6) proved to be biggest difference between the two sides. Earlier, a cloud cover greeted the teams as they arrived for the final day, but that did not deter the Shah-Pujara pair from getting the runs at will. From their overnight total of 326-3, the visitors swelled their total to 419 before right-arm medium-pacer Aswin Crist dismissed Shah off his very first over of the day, caught by B Aparajith at gully. The Shah-Pujara stand fetched 353 runs in 93 overs. CLARKE TRAINS WELL AFTER INJURY SCARE Michael Clarke sent a scare through the Australia camp on Monday when he appeared to roll his right ankle at training at Adelaide Oval. Clarke left the field after hur ting his ankle while running and appeared ginger when he returned, although he was able to bat in the nets later in the afternoon. Cricket Australia tweeted a photo of Clarke holding his ankle along with the message "He has since completed a nets sessions and is OK." The Australians were taking par t in their first training session in Adelaide after the team members gathered in the city on Sunday ahead of the second Test, which begins on Thursday. Clarke scored 113 in the second innings of the victory at the Gabba, which was his first win as captain in an Ashes Test. MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013 MidWeek R U N N I N G S U C C E S S F U L LY 23 24 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2013