Part 1 - South Asian Daily

Sidhu makes political
comeback with Rajya
Sabha nomination
THE CANADA INDIA FOUNDATION CHANCHLANI GAVE THE GLOBAL INDIAN AWARD TO DR SUBHASH CHANDRA, CHAIRMAN OF
ESSEL GROUP AT THE AWARD GALA HELD RECENTLY IN MISSISSAUGA. SEEN IN THE IMAGE ARE KATHLEEN WYNNE, PREMIER OF
ONTARIO; NAVDEEP BAINS, MINISTER OF INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND VISHNU PRAKASH, HIGH
COMMISSIONER OF INDIA IN CANADA.
I DETAILS ON PAGE 4 & 5
INDIA, PAKISTAN TALK, BUT NO FORWARD MOVEMENT
India seeks 'visible'
Pakistan raises Kashmir,
progress in Pathankot probe
Balochistan
NEW DELHI, (IANS) India on Tuesday sought "early and visible
progress" in Pakistan's investigation into the January 2 cross-border
terror attack on the Pathankot airbase in which seven Indian security
men were killed. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, during talks with his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, emphasised the need for "early and
visible progress" in the Pathankot terrorist attack investigation as well as the 26/11
Mumbai terror attacks trial in Pakistan, the external affairs ministry said in a
statement, adding that the "discussions were frank and constructive". Jaishankar
also brought up the inclusion of Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Masood Azhar in the
UN 1267 Sanctions Committee listing and his labelling as a terrorist. The JeM was
behind the Pathankot terror attack. "Foreign Secretary Jaishankar clearly conveyed that Pakistan cannot be in denial on the impact of terrorism on the bilateral
relationship," the ministry statement said. "Terrorist groups based in
Pakistan targeting India must not be allowed to operate with impunity." India also pressed for immediate consular access to
Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former naval officer who was abducted and
taken to Pakistan.
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Pakistan on Tuesday raised India's alleged involvement in the
Balochistan insurgency and also described Kashmir as the "core issue" between
the two countries as their foreign secretaries met on the sidelines of a global
conference on Afghanistan here. Aizaz Chaudhry and S. Jaishankar discussed "all
outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute," a statement from
the Pakistan High Commission said. "The Foreign Secretary (Chaudhry) emphasized that Kashmir remains the core issue that requires a just solution, in accordance with UN resolution and wishes of the Kashmiri people," it said. The statement said Chaudhry "also took up the matter of capture of RAW officer, Kulbushan
Jadhav, and expressed serious concern over (India's) involvement in subversive
activities in Balochistan and Karachi". Pakistan has long accused India of stoking
the insurgency in the gas and mineral-rich Balochistan -- Pakistan's biggest province. India has always denied these allegations. Jadhav was arrested in Balochistan
in March on charges of spying for India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
India has denied that Jadhav, a retired Indian navy officer, worked for RAW. The
Pakistan statement added that Chaudhry told Jaishankar that spying by Indian
agents "undermine efforts to normalize relations between the two countries".
LIBERAL PARTY MEMBERS ALONG WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN KHALSA DAY PARADE, IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO.
SEEN HERE ARE (FROM L TO R) MP RAMESH SANGHA, MP RAJ GREWAL, MP OMAR ALGABRA, NAVDEEP BAINS, MINISTER OF
INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MP RUBY SAHOTA, MP GARY ANANDASANGAREE, MP SONIA SIDHU, MP
SVEN SPENGEMANN AND MP GAGAN SIKAND.
I DETAILS ON PAGE 6
BY BRAJENDRA NATH SINGH
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu's nomination to
the Rajya Sabha is not only expected to improve the BJP's prospects in next year's assembly polls in Punajb but the party is also
expected to gain from his ar ticulation of issues in the upper house. Sidhu, who was sidelined in the party apparently due to his critical views
on the Shiromani Akali Dal, had preferred to lie low
over the past year in an apparent strategic move.
Sidhu had won the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat in 2009 but did not contest in 2014
when senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley was fielded from there, apparently under Akali
Dal pressure. Jaitley lost. Sidhu's nomination has also put at rest speculation that
he may join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) due to his known unhappiness with the
Akali Dali leadership. His wife Navjot Kaur, a legislator from Amritsar East, has
been taking on the Akalis on several issues. The Bharatiya Janata Party and SAD
are allies in Punjab and are expected to together fight next year's assembly
polls. BJP vice president and in-charge of Punjab, Prabhat Jha, indicated that Sidhu will play a role in national politics.
Trudeau deplores Canadian
hostage killing by Abu Sayyaf
OTTAWA, (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has condemned heinous killing of Canadian John Ridsdel after he was held
hostage for more than six months in the Philippines. "This was an act
of cold-blooded murder, and responsibility rests squarely with the
terrorist group who took him hostage," Justin Trudeau said a statement issued via his office. Trudeau is currently visiting Alber ta,
Canada, Xinhua repor ted. Trudeau said the Canadian government will
work with the Philippine government to bring those responsible to
justice. He also offered deepest condolences to the family and friends
of Ridsdel. Ridsdel, 68, was the former chief operating officer of
mining company TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of Canada's TVI Pacific. He was captured along with three
other people, including a Filipino woman, by gunmen in September
2015 from a marina on southern Samal Island. The kidnappers repor tedly demanded 300 million pesos (some 6 million U.S dollars)
for each of the foreign hostages, who were believed to have been
taken to Jolo Island in Sulu, a jungle-clad province where the militants are believed to be holding several hostages. Apar t from Ridsdel,
three other hostages included Rober t Hall, a fellow Canadian, held by
the Abu Sayyaf militants, who had issued a ransom deadline that
lapsed earlier Monday morning. There's no immediate news about
the other three being held hostage.
AMARINDER FORCED TO CANCEL
POLITICAL RALLIES IN CANADA
CHANDIGARH, (IANS) Former Chief Minister and Punjab Congress
president Capt Amarinder Singh has been forced to cancel his political rallies in Canada following objections raised with the Canadian government. "On the request of the Foreign
Ministry of Canada, Punjab Pradesh
Congress Committee (PPCC) President
and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in
the Lok Sabha, Capt. Amarinder Singh,
has cancelled his plans to hold political
rallies in Toronto and Vancouver,"
Amarinder's spokesman said here.
The spokesman said Amarinder Singh
was informed by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishanker that the Canadian
rules, under Global Affairs Policy, prevent foreign governments and
individuals from conducting election campaigns in Canada. "Since
his political conference could have violated the rules of the host country,
he has decided to cancel them," the spokesman said.
Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a human rights advocacy group, had lodged a
complaint with the Canadian government against the election activities planned by Amarinder Singh. "By targeting Non-Resident Indians
(NRIs) living in Canada, canvassing for their votes and holding
fundraising events in Toronto and Vancouver, Amarinder Singh would
be in violation of Canadian government policy," the SFJ said.
I CONTD. ON PAGE 9
DETAILS ON
PAGE 23
CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
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TUESDAY,
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28, 2012
2016
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SUNNY LEONE HOPES TO WORK
WITH MORE TOP STARS AFTER
SRK STARRER 'RAEES' SONG
KATRINA KAIF SIZZLES IN ORANGE BIKINI WITH SIDHARTH MALHOTRA IN THE OFFICIAL POSTER OF THE MUCH-AWAITED MOVIE BAAR BAAR
DEKHO BEING PRODUCED BY EROS INTERNATIONAL AND DHARMA PRODUCTIONS.
DON'T EMPLOY LITTLE ONES: BIG B
MUMBAI, (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has urged his
fans and well-wishers to pitch in to make "this world a better
place for children" by not employing them. He tweeted: "Each
of us has the power to make this world a better place for
children. #dont_employ_little_ones."
The cine icon has raised his voice against the social menace
of child labour at a time when several celebrities like
cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar and chess maestro
Viswanathan Anand, along with a number of stars like Soha
Ali Khan, Mandira Bedi, and actor Kunal Kemmu, have joined
Reliance General Insurance's Twitter campaign against child
labour that was launched last week.
Amitabh, who has been enter taining his fans with his films
for over four decades now, also appreciated the dedication
and talent of the young minds working in filmmaking. He
posted: "What a day at 'Pink'! Watching young talent put in
amazing work ... whole unit claps ... so deserving. Happiness
is being in the company of incredible young talent! Laughter
and tears of joy! God bless them." Produced by Shoojit
Sircar, "Pink" is being directed by Bengali filmmaker
Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, and also stars Taapsee Pannu.
MUMBAI, (PTI) Sunny Leone
says she is happy that superstar Shah Rukh Khan
showed faith in her by
working with the actress in "Raees" and
she now hopes more Alisters would be open to
work with her. Leone has
shot a special song with
Shah Rukh, 50, in the upcoming action-thriller. "I hope
different people in Bollywood
of the calibre that of the three
Khans (Shah Rukh, Salman and
Aamir) and others decide to work with
me. He (SRK) has taken a leap of faith
by working with me, giving me a chance.
I feel so happy. It was a very proud and
amazing moment for me, my husband and my team," Leone told
PTI, when asked if she thinks
her appearance in "Raees"
will make her more popular.
WHO IS VYING TO WORK
WITH SRK, SALMAN?
MUMBAI, (IANS) Writer-director R. Balki, who has worked
with megastar Amitabh Bachchan in all his four films, says he
would love to work with Shahrukh and Salman Khan provided
he gets the correct idea for them. "I want to work with all of them, but the
idea should be there. I'd love to work with Shah Rukh (Khan), love to work
with Salman (Khan), but the thing is you have to get the correct idea for
them," Balki told IANS in an exclusive interview.
"Who does not want to work with them (Khans)? But there's no point in me
working with them unless I really get an idea, then I chase them and ask
them if they want to do it," he added. Balki's wife Gauri Shinde, after her
debut venture "English Vinglish", is presently busy working on her next film
which stars Shahrukh Khan and Alia Bhatt.
"Gauri always says, 'I wish that you could at least become 10 per cent of
the characters that you write. Why can't you be like Kabir? Or like others?'
I always tell her that if I would become my characters, then why would I
write them. I'll always write what I am not. I never write what's there in life,
but what I want to become in life. Like we think, this is how a man or a
woman should be, every writer has qualities of both male and female.
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016
SUBHASH CHANDRA GETS AWARD
FROM CANADA-INDIA FOUNDATION
TORONTO - The Canada India Foundation Chanchlani Global Indian
Award added one more name to its list of illustrious recipients,
when media moghul and philanthropist Dr Subhash Chandra,
Chairman of Essel Group and Zee Media, accepted the award in
front of an audience of nearly 500, at a glittering Award Gala hosted
by Canada India Foundation (CIF) recently at The International
Conference Centre in Mississauga, ON.
The high profile event, one of the marquee events in the Indo-Canadian calendar, also featured Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario;
Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Vishnu Prakash, the High Commissioner of India in Canada
as distinguished guest and a host of other well-known political, business and community leaders.
Other dignitaries present included, federal Minister of Science, Kirsty
Duncan, former Minister in the Harper Government Jason Kenney,
MPs Deepak Obhrai, Ruby Sahota, Rob Oliphant and Gagan Sikand,
and from Ontario, Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care,
Dipika Damerla, MPPS Amrit Mangat, Indira Naidoo-Harris and the
Harinder Takhar as well as the Mayor of Brampton, Linda Jeffrey.
Ontario's Opposition Leader Patrick also joined the event.
Prominent business community leaders who attended included Senior
Vice-President of TD Bank, Karl Brecht, National Manager - Business
Development, Air Canada, Andrea Merluzzi, Vice-President - RBC, Imtiaz
Seyid and Vice-President - CIBC, Venki Raman, Real Estate baron Iggy
Kaneff, Dr. Colin Saldanha Chair & Steve Hoscheit - President of Trillium
health partners Foundation and many others.
Media was also well represented, including Zee TV North America's
head, Sameer Targe of Asia TV USA, President - Ethnic Channels, Hari
Srinivas, CEO - Y Media, Yudhvir Jaswal, President of CHIN radio, Lenny
Lombardi, Editor-in-Chief of the Toronto Sun, Adrienne Batra and several
others from print, radio and online media.
Canada's Prime Minister led off the event with a personal video message
applauding Canada India Foundation and the Indo-Canadian community.
Premier Kathleen Wynne acknowledged the contributions of Indo-Canadians indicated that she would look at ways within her government to ensure
equitable representation of Indo-Canadians in decision making bodies. Minister
Navdeep Bains stressed innovation as an essential element in maintaining Canada's
position in the world and offered to work with Indo-Canadian businesses in this
regards. Earlier, High Commissioner Vishnu Prakash recommended the elevation
of parliamentary dialogue between the two nations from a "friendship" level
to something more formal and structured.
I CONTD. ON PAGE 5
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TUESDAY,
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SUBHASH CHANDRA GETS AWARD
FROM CANADA-INDIA FOUNDATION
CONTD. FROM PAGE 4
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the CIF
Chanchlani Global Indian Award to Dr. Subhash Chandra. It was
a poignant moment when Dr Jaya Chanchlani and her daughter
Dr Tina Chanchlani handed the Award trophy to Dr Chandra, and
evoked memories of the late Vasu Chanchlani, whose initial
endowment enabled the Award to become a reality. Dr Chandra
became the 6th recipient of the Award, after Sam Pitroda, Tulsi
Tanti, Ratan Tata, Deepak Chopra and Narayana Murthy.
The Award carried with it a cash contribution of $ 50,000, made
up of contributions from CIF Members and corporates. The
amount, as in previous instances, was donated to a charity of
the Award recipient's choice, in this case, Ekal Vidyalaya
Foundation of Canada, which provides educational solutions for
remote villages in India through a unique one-teacher concept.
For the first time, the receiving organization was also present at
the event, enabling the donors to connect directly with the
beneficiary.
Making his acceptance speech, Dr Chandra combined personal
anecdotes about star ting up with his current business vision
and immediate plans and in a lighter vein, indicated to Minister
Bains that he would be happy to move the international operations of Zee TV to Canada, if offered appropriate tax incentives.
With its classy ambience, prominent dignitaries and the
highlight of the Global Indian Award, the CIF Award Gala event
was a hit with the audience. CIF Chair Ajit Someshwar and CIF
National Convener/Gala Chair Anil Shah confirmed the positive
reaction of all those who attended. "The Gala sets the stage for our
10th year celebratory Gala next April, which will not only showcase
how far the organization has come, but also how far the community
has come to become a Canadian community success story" they
said.
Canada India Foundation (CIF) is a national, non-profit, nonpar tisan, non-governmental organization (NGO) established in 2007
to foster support for stronger bi-lateral relations between Canada
and India; to educate Canadians on India; and to increase the
par ticipation by Indo-Canadians in political process in Canada.
CIF's founding members include industrialists, senior Canadian
business executives and top tier professionals.
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CHIEF OF THE PEEL REGIONAL POLICE JENNIFER EVANS WITH YUDHVIR JASWAL, GROUP EDITOR AND CEO OF YMEDIA WITH HIS
TEAM AT CHANNEL Y STUDIOS. CHANNEL Y CAN BE VIEWED ON ROGERS 857 AND BELL FIBE 828.
ONTARIO INVESTING $15.3 MILLION
TO SUPPORT 200 FESTIVALS, EVENTS
Celebrate Ontario Program Boosting Local Tourism, Creating Jobs
ONTARIO - Ontario is investing $15.3 million to suppor t 200 festivals
and events across the province that will draw tourists, stimulate local
economies and create jobs. Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism,
Culture and Spor t, announced 2016 Celebrate Ontario recipients. He
was joined by representatives from Peterborough Musicfest, one of
Nor th America's largest free outdoor music festivals, which is receiving suppor t for its 30th anniversary season.
Festivals and events showcase Ontario's culture, heritage and diversity. This investment will help organizers to enhance their programs,
activities and services so they can attract more tourists and increase
visitor spending. Investing in festivals and events is par t of the
government's economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its
number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs.
The four-par t plan includes investing in talent and skills, including
helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding
access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is
making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's
history and investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative,
high-growth, expor t-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping
working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.
Saving life with Mercedes-Benz,
Heart and Stroke Foundation
TORONTO - The Hear t and Stroke Foundation and MercedesBenz Toronto Corporate Stores are pleased to announce the continuation of their par tnership which provides customers and noncustomers alike the oppor tunity to learn the life-saving skill of
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). For the fourth consecutive
year, complimentary Hands-Only CPR training sessions will be
offered to the general public. These sessions will take place at all
seven Mercedes-Benz Corporate Stores in the Greater Toronto
Area beginning in April 2016. More than 40,000 cardiac arrests
occur in Canada every year - 7,000 in Ontario alone - and more
than 80 per cent of those happen in public places.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016
UDHAY SHARMA, PUPIL OF GEORGE BROWN UNIVERSITY
RECEIVED A FULL SCHOLARSHIP FROM CIBC FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.
FLYING SIKH FLAG
OUTSIDE QUEEN'S PARK
QUEEN'S PARK- Ontario NDP's Deputy Leader Jagmeet Singh
recently presented and passed unanimously a motion calling
on the Legislative Assembly to fly the Sikh Flag or Nishaan
Sahib outside of Queen's Park. "This marks the first time in
Ontario's history and possibly the first time in any Parliament or Legislature in the world that the Nishaan Sahib was
raised. The fact that this motion was presented and
passed unanimously on
April 14th, 2016 the day
Sikhs celebrate Vaisakhi
makes this all the more
meaningful." The flag raising ceremony was followed by the annual Sikh
H e r i t a ge Month Queen's
Park reception in the Legislature hosted by the Sikh
Heritage Month
Foundation.
KHALSA DAY PARADE HELD IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO
NEARLY 85,000 ONTARIO SIKHS ALONG
WITH MPS, MINISTERS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ATTENDED THE ANNUAL
KHALSA DAY PARADE IN DOWNTOWN
TORONTO. LEADERS THANKED ONTARIO'S
200,000-STRONG PUNJABI SIKH COMMUNITY FOR THEIR COMMITMENT AND HARD
WORK TO THE PROVINCE.
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
APRIL 26,
28, 2012
2016
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$14 Million In Music Grants
Given to 151 Recipients
PREMIER WYNNE DELIVERED A SPEECH AT THE INFLUENCERS OF TOMORROW SUMMIT REGARDING THE EMPOWERMENT OF GIRLS IN
TODAY'S SOCIETY AND THE POSSIBILITIES TO CREATE POSITIVE CHANGES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES FOR A BETTER FUTURE
(PREMIERPHOTOS).
Dr Eric Hoskins call for fair payment as 500 doctors
billed OHIP over $1m a year, one a staggering $6.6m
By Dr Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
Physicians play a vital role in the lives of Ontario patients and I know
how hard they work to deliver the highest quality care to their patients
every day. For that, they are the best paid doctors in Canada, making
$368,000 on average per year before expenses according to the Canadian Institute
of Health Information. And they deserve to
be well compensated because they are the
best at what they do.
For more than a year now, my ministry and
I have been urging the Ontario Medical Association to return to the table and negotiate a new agreement with doctors - an
agreement that will ensure that they remain
well compensated, but that also results in
a predictable and fair budget for physician
compensation.
We increased the budget for paying physicians by $140 million. This is evidencebased and recognizes the fact that Ontario
has a growing and aging population. We
also need to address a fundamental issue
of fairness in how we pay physicians. The current structure allows
cer tain high-billing physicians to generate income many times the
average doctor's salary, which is due, in part, to the fact that the fee
structure has not kept pace with medical and technological advances.
As a result of technological advances, cer tain high-billing physicians
have seen their incomes rise to three or more times that of family
doctors, paediatricians, psychiatrists, public health doctors and others. In 2014-15, more than 500 physicians each billed OHIP more
than $1 million a year, with a single physician billing OHIP a staggering $6.6 million. Although these top billers represent less than two
per cent of physicians, they account for nearly 10 per
cent of billings. The number of physicians billing over
$1 million has risen in recent years, and we need the
OMA to come back to the table and negotiate a deal
that addresses this impor tant issue of fairness and
sustainability.
Over the last four years, physicians billed $744 million dollars over the budget that had been set for them.
We pay physicians more than $11 billion each year
and when they bill more than that budget, the money
has to come from elsewhere in the health care system, limiting our ability to invest in home care, hospitals, mental health and other services.
We have a solid track record of working together to
improve the health care system as par tners. Our government has consistently and repeatedly indicated to
the OMA our readiness to resume negotiations, but the
OMA has refused to return to the negotiating table. On
April 4, I sent the OMA a letter, outlining our continued desire to return
to formal negotiations. I continue to urge the OMA to come back to the
table and help us manage the system in a way that benefits both
physicians and patients in a fair and sustainable way. We remain
focused on achieving that goal. But we can only do that if we have a
willing par tner.
Canada-Wide Science Festival coming to Montreal
MONTREAL - Canada's future scientists will gather en masse at Montreal's McGill University May 14-21for the 55th edition of the
Canada-Wide Science Festival, Canada's only national science festival.
The national event encourages youth from Grades 7 to 12, along with students from CEGEP in Quebec, to follow a path of "curiosity
to discovery" as they pursue a local, regional or global issue of concern to them and build a solution through their science project tackling issues ranging from cancer research to climate change and beyond. Students are competing for nearly $1 million in cash
awards and scholarships.
"We are proud to host this showcase of 500 finalists from 100 regional science fairs across the country to celebrate and encourage
excellence in science, engineering, technology and math among youth," said Brad McCabe, executive director of Youth Science
Canada, of which the Canada-Wide Science Festival is a program.
The Educational Alliance for Science and Technology (EAST), a non-profit organization that offers extracurricular science and
technology activities, is the local host committee in Montreal. As Montreal hosts the event for the second time, there are 40 finalists
hailing from the province of Quebec, along with 375 judges and 400 teachers.
"Through encouraging youth to be our nation's future innovators, Youth Science Canada hopes to inspire their career paths which will,
in turn, impact Canada's ability to be a global leader in innovation. EAST is proud to be a partner in making this a reality." said
Agostino Porchetta, president of EAST.
Alongside the competition, the festival features more than 50 par tners providing hands-on programming in the Discovery Zone and
a speakers series featuring Canada's leaders in science, the environment and industry. Members of the public are welcome to attend
the festival from May 18 to 20.
ONTARIO - Ontario is supporting a healthy, vibrant and competitive
music industry by awarding 155 grants to 151 recipients totalling
$14 million, through the Ontario Music Fund (OMF). Premier Kathleen
Wynne announced the 2016 grant recipients today at the Rivoli, a
concert venue in Toronto, alongside representatives from the Toronto
Urban Roots Fest, one of the organizations the program is supporting
this year. The OMF provides grants to music businesses that produce, distribute and promote Ontario-based music and artists. This
support spans all segments of Ontario's music industry and helps
the sector to innovate, create jobs and increase the production and
performance of music across the province. Investing in a vibrant
music industry is part of the government's economic plan to build
Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy
and create jobs. The four-part plan includes investing in talent and
skills, including helping more people get and create the jobs of the
future by expanding access to high-quality college and university
education. The plan is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history and investing in a low-carbon economy
driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The
plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement. "Ontario is home to the largest music industry in Canada and
one of the most diverse anywhere in the world. Through the Ontario
Music Fund, our government is supporting a dynamic and important cultural sector, helping to create good jobs here in Ontario
while expor ting our sound to the world." - Kathleen Wynne,
Premier of Ontario. "By investing in the music industry through
the Ontario Music Fund, our government has ensured that
Ontario continues to be the best place in Canada for recording
and per forming music. I'm proud that through this newly permanent fund, our government will continue to create opportunities that showcase our talented ar tists and producers, and
attract visitors from around the world." - Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Spor t.
Most Fires are Preventable:
Home Safe Home Campaign
Kicks Off in Mississauga
MISSISSAUGA - Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services
(MFES) want you to open your door this Spring and Summer
when fire crews come knocking to talk about fire safety.
Home Safe Home (HSH) is a free city-wide education and awareness
program that teaches residents about fire prevention and life safety. Until
September, fire crews will be going door to door distributing fire safety
materials and conducting fire safety surveys to ensure that residents have
working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. "In Mississauga we are on
a mission to zero - zero deaths and zero injuries due to fire," said Jamie
Zimmerman, Assistant Chief, Fire Prevention and Life Safety, MFES. "It
should be unacceptable in today's society for people to die in fires. Most
fires are 100 per cent preventable. Think about it. It's up to you."
Free Dental Care for Eligible
Children and Youth
OTTAWA - More than 323,000 children from low-income families are getting free dental care through the new Healthy Smiles
Ontario program. Under the expanded program, Ontario is providing free dental care to help families raise healthier kids.
Children from low-income families can access free preventive, routine, emergency and essential care from licensed dental
providers.
Ontario has integrated six publicly funded dental programs into
one, providing a simplified enrolment process and making it
easier for eligible children to get the care they need. These
changes also mean that 70,000 more children from low-income families have become eligible for free dental services.
Applicants can now sign up for this program online at ontario.ca/
healthysmiles. They can also contact their local public health
unit for information and suppor t.
Required 1 position- Home Support Worker-Private home
in Markham, full time
Salary- Can$ 13.76/hour, language known – English,
qualification: secondary (high) school. Elderly Care.
Experience: 1 year to less than 2 Yrs.
Duties: Administer bedside and personal care, Assume
full responsibility for household (in absence of
householder), Provide companionship, Provide personal
care, Launder clothing and house linens, Perform light
housekeeping and cleaning duties.
Work Location: 394 Elson Street, Markham, ON, L3S
4R9. Contact Balvinder Kaur at
[email protected] your resume.
MINISTER MACCHARLES, BRAMPTON MAYOR LINDA JEFFREY AND MPP HARINDER MALHI AT THE YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES
FUND ANNOUNCEMENT IN BRAMPTON.
Cook wanted for an Indian Restaurant in
Whitby Oshawa area. Experience 3-5 years in
Indian Cooking and Tandoor required . Pay
$18-22 per hour. Accommodation can be
arranged for deserving candidate. Call right
now at 905 556 1416
Or email resume to [email protected]
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opinion
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016
LEGAL BATTLES TO IMPACT RAWAT
GOVERNMENT'S MAJORITY TEST
BY BRAJENDRA NATH SINGH
NEW DELHI, (IANS) With the Uttarakhand High Cour t setting aside
President's Rule in the state and asking Chief Minister Harish
Rawat to prove his majority in the assembly on April 29, the fate of
the government now hinges on the members of Progressive
Democratic Front (PDF) and the outcome of the case relating to
nine rebel Congress legislators.
The PDF -- a group of two Bahujan Samaj Par ty (BSP) legislators,
one Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) lawmaker and three independents
-- has been suppor ting Congress government in the state since its
formation in 2011. The Uttarakhand High Cour t on Thursday set
aside President's Rule in the state, restoring Congress leader
Harish Rawat as the chief minister, nearly a month after he was
ousted.
The central government moved the Supreme Court on Friday,
challenging the high cour t verdict. The Rawat government had 36
members in the 70-member state assembly with one nominated
lawmaker, and it was reduced to 28 members, including the
nominated member, after nine of its legislators rebelled against the
par ty leadership.
The high cour t in its decision also upheld the disqualification of nine dissident Congress legislators by the assembly Speaker. The nine legislators have decided to move the
apex cour t to seek restoration of their membership or at
least get permission to take par t the confidence vote. If
the nine rebel legislators are not allowed to vote, the
effective strength of the assembly will come
down to 61 and the majority figure would
come down to 32.
This situation will be in favour of Rawat. But,
if the rebel legislators, led by former chief
minister Vijay Bahuguna, are able to take
par t in the trust vote, the BJP is likely to
have an upper hand. A writ petition of rebel
legislators, challenging the Speaker's decision
disqualifying them, is already pending before a
single judge bench of the high cour t.
The matter would come up for hearing in the high court on April 23.
The BJP, which has 28 members, including one of its suspended member Bhimlal Arya, is also eyeing the suppor t
from PDF legislators. The BJP has said that the Congress
does not have majority in the assembly. BJP vice-president
Shyam Jaju said the par ty will wait for the apex cour t
verdict before making fur ther comments.
"Let Supreme Cour t decide, then we will
comment. But it's cer tain that key of
government formation will depend on the
court's decision on rebel Congress
legislators and also PDF members," Jaju
told IANS. Harish Rawat has expressed
confidence of continued PDF suppor t.
"The PDF stands with me. They have
shown the country that for them principles
are supreme and horse trading has no place. I
don't have words to express respect for their
solidarity," Rawat told a news channel.
Kohinoor's tragic tale from Lahore to Buckingham Palace
BY PREETHA NAIR
“
NEW DELHI, (IANS) As the row over the Kohinoor diamond intensifies
with political par ties demanding its return to India, accounts of historians establish that the majestic stone was forcibly taken away by the
British and was never gifted by Duleep Singh, the last king of Punjab.
The government on Tuesday altered its stand and resolved to bring
back the 105 carat Kohinoor, now adorning the crown of the British
monarch and which is kept under tight security in the Tower of Lon-
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don. The government had earlier told Supreme Cour t that the diamond
was a gift to the British and it wasn't taken away.
Rubbishing the "gift" theory, historian and author Vikram Sampath
said that the British East India Company had usurped the Sikh kingdom and taken away the Kohinoor under the 1849 Lahore Treaty, signed
after the second Anglo-Sikh war. The author believes that British engineered a situation of political uncertainty after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1839. The king, also known as the Lion of Punjab,
was succeeded by his eight-year-old son Duleep Singh.
"Duleep Singh was only eight years when he ascended the throne.
The Kohinoor was never a gift. How can a minor gift it to the East India
Company? The war was also contrived by the British," Sampath told
IANS. Revisiting the 2008 book, 'The Exile' by Navtej Sarna, the Indian
High Commissioner to the UK, further corroborates the claims of historians. Heavily drawn from history, the fictional work traces the tragic
story of Duleep Singh, narrated by six characters. It tells the poignant
story of a boy king who was converted to Christianity and forcibly
separated from his mother, Jindan Kaur, after his father's death.
Sarna's meticulously documented work, which took nine years to
complete, details all the major events of the maharaja's life. It includes documented dates, addresses, journeys and even the list of
precious items taken away from the treasury with proof of this. 'The
Exile' opens with Ranjit Singh on his deathbed, making his last wish
to gift the Kohinoor to the Jagannath temple at Puri. However, his wish
remained unfulfilled as his prime minister, Dhyan Singh, refusing to
obey the wish. Through accounts of various characters including
Duleep Singh, and his guardians Lord and Lady Logan, it documents
the systematic and engineered downfall of the Sikh kingdom, which
finally led to its annexation by the British. The book chronicles how
the young prince was deposed and his proper ty and his immense
wealth, including the Kohinoor, was confiscated. He was promised a
pension of 12,000 pounds per annum, to terminate on his death. The
boy king was also exiled from the Punjab. However, after realising,
what the British had done to him and his family, Duleep Singh, who
was in exile in London, star ted to rebel. One of the accounts demonstrates his anger towards the British.
"Mrs. Fagin. That is what I once called Queen Victoria. The biggest
pickpocket of them all. The receiver of stolen kingdoms, stolen jewels. Smuggled away to her by her loyal viceroys, men like Dalhousie,
with immaculate records and long panegyrics. The thousands of pearls
and emeralds and rubies and diamonds taken from my toshakhana
and presented to her by the East India Company after the Great Exhibition of 1851," it says. The book has a poignant description of Duleep
Singh's encounter with the Kohinoor when queen Victoria once showed
him the precious stone.
"I looked again at the magical diamond that had been mine, that had
meant so much to me, my father, my beautiful, fiery mother, my
people... I took it between my thumb and forefinger and held it up to
RUBBISHING THE "GIFT" THEORY, HISTORIAN
AND AUTHOR VIKRAM SAMPATH SAID THAT THE
BRITISH EAST INDIA COMPANY HAD USURPED
THE SIKH KINGDOM AND TAKEN AWAY THE
KOHINOOR UNDER THE 1849 LAHORE TREATY,
SIGNED AFTER THE SECOND ANGLO-SIKH WAR.
THE AUTHOR BELIEVES THAT BRITISH ENGINEERED A SITUATION OF POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY AFTER THE DEATH OF MAHARAJA RANJIT
SINGH IN 1839. THE KING, ALSO KNOWN AS
THE LION OF PUNJAB, WAS SUCCEEDED BY HIS
EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SON DULEEP SINGH. "DULEEP
SINGH WAS ONLY EIGHT YEARS WHEN HE
ASCENDED THE THRONE. THE KOHINOOR WAS
NEVER A GIFT. HOW CAN A MINOR GIFT IT TO
THE EAST INDIA COMPANY? THE WAR WAS ALSO
CONTRIVED BY THE BRITISH," SAMPATH TOLD
IANS. REVISITING THE 2008 BOOK, 'THE EXILE'
BY NAVTEJ SARNA, THE INDIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER TO THE UK, FURTHER CORROBORATES
THE CLAIMS OF HISTORIANS.
the light. I stood staring at it and a rush of emotions began to drown
me. I was no longer a king. I was only being made to dress up like one
and amuse the Queen's cour t. I was sad. I was demeaned." The
author fur ther pens the disillusionment of the deposed king and his
late realisation of the lost legacy.
"I would make it clear that the Kohinoor was mine by right. So far, it
had been stolen from me. Now I would gift it to her. Handing the box
with the diamond back to her, I said, 'It is to me, Ma'am, the greatest
pleasure thus to have the opportunity of myself tendering to my sovereign the Kohinoor. I don't think she understood how I had felt. For
her, it was only a show of preposterous royal magnanimity, or a fitting
show of loyalty. But how does it matter now, all this business of so
long ago?" The book follows Duleep Singh till his end where he dies in
a cheap hotel room in Paris, still as an exile.
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9
TRUDEAU SIGNS PARIS
AGREEMENT; ANNOUNCES $5M
FOR UNDERDEVELOPED
NATIONS IN FIGHT AGAINST
CLIMATE CHANGE
PREMIER WYNNE MET WITH MAYOR OF TORONTO, JOHN TORY, TO DISCUSS CONTINUING WORK TO BUILD UP TRANSIT AND
INFRASTRUCTURE (PREMIERPHOTOS).
Ontario Begins Follow-Up Mission to China
Mission to Focus on Increased Trade and Investment in Province
ONTARIO - Deputy Premier Deb Matthews and Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade Michael Chan are beginning a trade mission to China to strengthen economic, political and
cultural ties with Ontario's second-largest trading par tner and the
world's largest economy.
This mission will build on the success of the Premier's two recent
business missions to China - which have brought an estimated total
of $3.8 billion wor th of investment to the province and approximately
3,500 jobs to Ontario - and will lay the groundwork for future agreements. The Deputy Premier and Minister will meet with Ontario companies in China to sign additional agreements that have been finalized
since the Premier's last visit.
The mission itinerary includes visits to five key cities - Beijing,
Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Shaoxing and Hong Kong - and will formalize
agreements and memoranda of understanding within the agri-food,
life sciences, financial technology, information communications technology and manufacturing sectors.
Attracting new investment and helping the province's businesses
compete globally is par t of the government's economic plan to build
Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy
and create jobs. The four-par t plan includes investing in talent and
skills, including helping more people get and create the jobs of the
future by expanding access to high-quality college and university
education. The plan is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history and investing in a low-carbon economy
driven by innovative, high-growth, expor t-oriented businesses. The
plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.
"China is Ontario's second-largest trading par tner. The strength of our
friendship has allowed us to help each other grow our economies and
create good jobs. I look forward to forging new par tnerships and creating new investment that will benefit our province for years to come."
- Michael Chan, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International
Trade
"Ontario is one of the best places in the world to do business. We offer
a highly skilled and educated workforce, a competitive business climate, modern and efficient infrastructure and a culture of innovation.
We're looking forward to building on our strong business relationship
with China during this mission and to bringing more investment to
Ontario." - Deb Matthews, President of the Treasury Board
NEW YORK - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concluded his visit
to New York where, on behalf of Canada, he officially signed the
Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
The Government of Canada views climate change not only as a
challenge, but as an oppor tunity. It is a chance to build a clean
growth economy that will help to fight climate change, while
also creating well-paying jobs for middle class Canadians. In
his address during the signing ceremony, the Prime Minister
affirmed Canada's suppor t for the Capacity Building Initiative
for Transparency, announcing a $5 million contribution to help
developing countries address climate change by meeting their
transparency commitments.
The Prime Minister also joined with his fellow heads of state
and government to endorse a carbon pricing vision statement. It
is only when nations work together - to learn from each other,
build on shared knowledge, and develop clean economies - that
there is any hope to sufficiently fight climate change.
The Government of Canada knows that a sustainable, low-carbon economy is necessary for the collective prosperity, competitiveness, health, and security of all Canadians. Today, we
have taken impor tant steps - in collaboration with our international par tners - to leave a cleaner, more prosperous world for
our children and grandchildren.
Trudeau said: "Canada has previously committed $2.65 billion
over the next five years to help the developing world grow in a
cleaner, more sustainable way. When nations work together, we
can address climate change. It's only when we work together that
we can learn from each other, build on shared knowledge, and
develop economies that are as clean as they are competitive.
"The Canadian government is working with provincial, territorial and Indigenous par tners to develop a more coordinated,
pan-Canadian approach to climate change and carbon pricing
so that our children and grandchildren can inherit a Canada
more prosperous and sustainable than the one we know today."
$10 million over four years
for Advanced Transportation
and Technologies
CONGRESS LEADER CAPT AMARINDER SINGH RECEIVED WARM WELCOME DURING HIS INTERACTION WITH NRIS AT CHICAGO
(FACEBOOK).
AMARINDER FORCED TO CANCEL POLITICAL RALLIES IN CANADA
CONTD. FROM PAGE 1
Amarinder Singh said in a statement that he had cancelled his earlier scheduled "large interactions" with the people, where he could not
have avoided making political statements, but would be meeting the Punjabi diaspora during his six-day visit to Canada that begins on
Saturday. "Since the host country does not allow such events, I thought it was better to cancel them," his statement said. "I would,
however, look forward to meeting my fellow Punjabis in their homes and small groups to ensure the compliance of the host country's
laws," it added. Amarinder Singh, whose wife Preneet Kaur was union minister of state for external affairs in the previous UPA government, had embarked on a 20-day visit to the United States and Canada on April 19 to muster political and financial suppor t from Punjabi
NRIs.
He met Punjabi NRIs in Chicago, US, this week. NRIs from Punjab have a considerable presence in the two countries and have been
suppor ting political parties and leaders from Punjab, especially during election times. Punjab is due to vote early next year to elect the
state's 117-member assembly.
ONTARIO - Industry and academic researchers are collaborating through CUTRIC to develop next-generation transportation
technologies to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions. This includes R&D on new technologies such as
lightweighting materials and autonomous software leading to demonstration and commercialization. This investment is part of the
province's Climate Change Strategy, supporting the transition to a
low-carbon economy.
CUTRIC is also partnering with Brampton Transit to lead the PanOntario Electric Bus Demonstration Trial, a large-scale demonstration trial of zero-emission buses by seven transit agencies. The
project will also involve a number of partners from transit agencies
to utilities and bus manufacturers to demonstrate how electric buses
can help the province meet its GHG emissions targets.
Ontario is a hotbed of activity in innovation and supporting technologies that will protect the environment, create good jobs and boost
export sales around the world. Investing in the development of advanced
transportation technologies is part of our four-part economic plan to
create jobs and growth. - Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario
Keeping Ontario's transpor tation network moving safely, efficiently and sustainably suppor ts a globally competitive
economy and a high quality of life in Ontario. That's why it is
impor tant for us to explore ways that keep Ontario at the
forefront of research and technology when it comes to public
transpor tation. - Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transpor tation
Ontario needs to continue investing in innovative technologies so that we can compete and win in the global economic
marketplace. Technologies across vir tually all sectors of
our economy are changing at a rapid rate. That's why this
timely investment in CUTRIC will help Ontario foster the
right climate to create world-leading businesses who also
positively contribute to our environmental well-being. - Brad
Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and
Infrastructure.
416-907-4420
10
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MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
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TUESDAY,
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11
WILL NOT LET PARLIAMENT
FUNCTION TILL UTTARAKHAND
ISSUE SETTLED: CONGRESS
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Congress on Monday said it will not
compromise on the Uttarakhand issue and will not let parliament
function till the issue was settled. The issue of imposition of President's
Rule in Uttarakhand is presently being heard by the Supreme Court
which, on April 22, stayed till April 27 the Uttarakhand High Court order
quashing President's Rule in the hill state. "Uttarakhand is the most important issue. There will be no compromise on it," Congress leader Jairam
Ramesh said. "There is no prospect of parliament functioning till the
Uttarakhand issue is settled," the Congress leader said. He said the Narendra
Modi-led government did not want parliament to function. The parliament
session began on Monday and will continue till May 13. Pandemonium and
slogan shouting against the imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand
marred the first day of the Lok Sabha on Monday as the opposition members flayed the government for its "autocratic" decision. Even the Rajya
Sabha was repeatedly disrupted as protesting Congress members
raised slogans against the Narendra Modi government.
Kanhaiya predicts 'social
revolution' in India India
STUDENTS OF NIT SRINAGAR STAGE A DEMONSTRATION TO PRESS FOR THEIR DEMANDS AT JANTAR MANTAR IN NEW DELHI (IANS).
Modi, Shah ordered staged shootout
in Ishrat Jahan case: Congress
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Congress has said the Gujarat Police killed
Ishrat Jahan in a staged shootout in 2004 on the orders of the then
chief minister Narendra Modi and BJP leader Amit Shah.
The opposition par ty also said that accusations against Sonia
Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the case were "preposterous and
diversionary tactics", adding that the central government was
obstructing trial in the case to protect those accused in the staged
gun battle. "The fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan and three others was
ordered by the then chief minister and his then minister of state for
home Amit Shah," the Congress said in a statement here. Senior
par ty leaders Kapil Sibal told reporters: "The plain and simple
intrigue of the central government is to ensure that the most
impor tant persons of the BJP/government are not brought to trial. A
metropolitan cour t in Ahmedabad, Special Investigation Team
formed by the Gujarat High Court and a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry have affirmed their involvement in this case," Sibal said
asser ting that all three dubbed the gun battle as fake. "It is,
therefore, obvious that the present tsunami of misinformation is to
save the then chief minister (Modi) and the then MoS (Shah) from
having to appear before the sessions court as an accused," the Congress
leader added. "The CBI filed a charge sheet in 2013 and called it a fake
encounter. We are in 2016 and the case hasn't moved forward at all,"
Sibal said, asking "why is this case not proceeding?"
Another senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi asser ted:
"If this trial goes to cour t, Modi and Shah may be summoned as
accused. This entire campaign of misinformation is based on the
version of (Pakistan-American Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David
Coleman) Headley who has become a paragon of vir tue for the
BJP."
"It was the then United Progressive Alliance government that tried
and got executed terrorists like Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru. We are
proud that unlike our neighbours we give a full trial to those whom
we think are terrorists. But, we don't execute them in fake encounters," Singhvi added. There are repor ts suggesting that files related
to the Ishrat Jahan case have gone missing and the home ministry
has appointed a one-man inquiry panel on the matter.
Aligarh varsity violence, VC meets agitators
ALIGARH, (IANS) One person was shot dead and at least a dozen others were injured when two groups of students clashed
in the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus here, police said on Sunday. The vice chancellor met the agitating students
and tried to pacify them so that there is no fur ther disturbance on the campus.
A dozen students were injured in the violence that began on Saturday night and continued into early Sunday. Police sources
said one student was seriously wounded and taken to a Delhi hospital for treatment. "An altercation between two groups in
the morning of April 23 resulted in several incidents of firing near the proctor's office, where the groups had assembled to
get their respective FIRs lodged with the police," a university official told IANS.
"Later, some more incidents of firing were repor ted in which one ex-student, Mahtab, was wounded and who subsequently
succumbed to his injuries. Another youth, Waqif, who is not a student of AMU, received serious injuries and was later
shifted to Delhi for treatment."
University proper ty, including vehicles, was set on fire, a police officer said. The proctor's office was par tially burnt. The
trouble began when an unidentified person fired at a student from Moradabad near Mumtaz hostel, some students said. Two
people suffered bullet wounds, of whom one died later. The injured student was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi.
PUNE, (IANS) JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Sunday
predicted a "social revolution" in the country when hunger and deprivation will unite the masses irrespective of their caste, creed or religion. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the second consecutive day during his two-day visit to Maharashtra, Kanhaiya Kumar
said the Bharatiya Janata Party was attempting to divide the country
along caste-communal lines without solving the core issues. "Hunger
is common to all. Where are the promised jobs, food and water for the
masses? This hunger will unite the people one day and they will
march on the streets," Kanhaiya Kumar said at a rally in Pune.
Dwelling on a wide range of issues confronting the country, the
Jawaharhal Nehru University Students' Union
(JNUSU) president posed
questions about the Modi
government "squandering" public resources for
giving huge media ads,
his radio programme
'Mann Ki Baat' and television publicity. "First it was
their own 'Mata' (mother), then 'gaumata' (cow), and now it is 'Bharat Mata'.
They want to decide what the people will eat, what festivals they will
celebrate, what they can wear. Who gave you this right," he asked.
"Stop giving these 'jumlas' (false promises) to the people.
Kanhaiya fined, Umar, Anirban
suspended from JNU
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The JNU on Monday fined student leader
Kanhaiya Kumar Rs.10,000 over a controversial event on Kashmir in the campus and rusticated students Umar Khalid, Anirban
Bhattacharya and Mujeeb Gatto. According to a university order, Khalid and Bhatacharya will lose a semester of their academic session while Gatto has been suspended for two semesters. The action comes after a probe panel set up by the Jawaharlal
Nehru University found them guilty of "misconduct" and "indiscipline."
Khalid, Bhattacharya and Gatto were found guilty of staging a protest
demonstration under the pretext of holding a poetry reading of "A Country
Without a Post Office", the chief proctor said. Khalid was also fined
Rs.20,000, the order said.
Khalid told IANS: "Seems like we have been rusticated. No official communication to us yet from the administration. Just read the press release.
It does not mention names but not difficult to guess them." Kanhaiya
Kumar, the first president of the JNU Students Union from the CPI-affiliated
All India Students Federation, was only fined. The February 9 event led to
the arrests of Kanhaiya Kumar, Khalid and Bhattacharya on sedition charges
after it was alleged that par ticipants at the event shouted antinational slogans.
12
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016
PUNJAB PROCURES 80
LAKH TONNES OF WHEAT
CHANDIGARH, (IANS) Food grain producing state Punjab has
procured 80 lakh tonnes of wheat wor th Rs.4,200 crore in this
season, an official said on Monday. Government agencies
procured 79.04 lakh tonnes of wheat, whereas the private
millers procured 1.20 lakh tonnes till date, said a spokesman
for the state food and supplies depar tment. Punjab is the biggest contributor (over 60 per cent) of food grain to the national
kitty despite having just 1.54 per cent of the country's geographical area.
Sikh gurdwara amendment bill
secures parliamentary approval
WOMEN COVER THEIR FACES TO AVOID DIRECT CONTACT WITH SUN AS MERCURY BEGINS TO RISE ABOVE 40 DEGREES
CELCIUS IN NEW DELHI (IANS).
CONGRESS COMPROMISED NATIONAL
SECURITY FOR POLITICAL GAINS: BJP
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The BJP on Friday accused the Congress and
former home minister P. Chidambaram of "compromising national
security" for their political gains. "In this era of global terrorism, when
India is among its biggest victims, the Congress has practised very
low-level politics and compromised on national security for its political gains," BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told the media at the
par ty headquar ters here.
He questioned as to how could the Congress humiliate an entire community through the term "Hindu terror. The BJP as a party has never
associated terrorism with any particular community, sect or religion.
But the Congress functionaries, for their political gains, repeatedly
used the term 'Hindu terror' and 'saffron terror'," Trivedi said.
"How can you associate a colour which is par t of our national flag
with terrorism?" he said. In the context of Ishrat Jahan shootout and
Samjhauta Express blast, Trivedi said that although the National Investigation Agency lodged the First Information Repor ts (FIRs) in
2011, but the Congress leaders had star ted using the term 'Hindu
terror' back in 2009. "Was it premonition or was it their prejudice
coming to the fore," Trivedi asked. Raking up the Ishrat Jahan case,
Trivedi said that Chidambaram must tell whether he informed - and if
yes, at what point - the then prime minister Manmohan Singh and the
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi "when the altered the second affidavit"
that made "investigative agencies took a sudden U-turn" on the Ishrat
Jahan case. Trivedi also alleged that the Congress had communalised
the country's education system, apar t from the process of disbursing
bank loans on communal lines.
Committed to bringing Mallya back to India: Government
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The central government was committed to bringing liquor baron Vijay Mallya back to India to face justice, the
external affairs ministry said. "The government is committed to bringing Vijay Mallya back to face justice. We are considering
steps for Mallya's depor tation," foreign ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup told the media here. He said that the Enforcement
Directorate (ED) had requested the ministry initiate the process of his depor tation after a Mumbai cour t issued non-bailable
warrant against him. "We are currently consulting legal exper ts on the next steps in this par ticular matter," Swarup said. A
special cour t in Mumbai issued an undated non-bailable arrest warrant against the beleaguered businessman on April 18 in
response to a plea by the Enforcement Directorate on April 15 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Mallya, who owes
more than Rs.9,000 crore to various Indian banks, have failed failed to honour ED summons for questioning in various cases per taining
to his loans and allegations of money laundering.
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Sikh Gurdwara (Amendment) Bill, 2016,
on Monday secured parliamentary approval with the Lok Sabha
unanimously adopting the measure -- but only after a heated debate
involving members of the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Congress and
the AAP. Introduced in the Rajya Sabha by Home Affairs Minister
Rajnath Singh on March 15, the bill was passed by the upper house
on the next day. According to the amending bill, every Sikh above the
age of 21 years and registered as a voter will be entitled to vote in Sikh
Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and various gurdwara management committee elections.
However, no person who trims or shaves his beard or hair will be entitled
to vote in these elections. The bill, in this manner, seeks to amend the
Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, which regulates the administration of
gurdwaras in Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The
Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 creates an exception for Sehajdhari Sikhs
who trim or shave their beard or hair, and allows them to vote. The
amending Bill removes this exception, disentitling Sehajdhari Sikhs from
voting if they carry out these activities. During the discussion in the Lok
Sabha on the legislation, acrimonious scenes were repeatedly witnessed
as Akali Dal members, led by union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal,
exchanged heated words with Congress and AAP members.
Wrong to label Kanhaiya antinational: Uddhay Thackeray
NASHIK, (IANS) Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on
Sunday said it was wrong on the government's par t to label
JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar as "anti-national. Who
gave bir th to Kanhaiya Kumar in the first place? The government should think over this. It is wrong to label him anti-national," Thackeray told a meeting of par ty office-bearers here. If
youth are branded "anti-national" in this manner, they will not be
able to work freely for the country and the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) will forfeit the support of youths, he warned. Thackeray's
comments came hours after Kanhaiya Kumar alleged that a copassenger tried to strangle him on a Jet Airways Mumbai-Pune
flight in the morning. Both Kanhaiya Kumar and the passenger -identified as Manas D.J. of Kolkata -- were off-loaded by Jet Airways. Joint Police Commissioner Deven Bharati said the incident was actually a scuffle in which around eight people were
involved and that Kanhaiya Kumar's claims were exaggerated. "When
Kumar was asked to lodge a complaint, he declined and what his friend
said about the incident in his complaint was found to be false," Bharati
said. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Ram Shinde
asserted that there was no attack on Kanhaiya Kumar, president of the
Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union.
General Accounting & Bookkeeping
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
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OBAMA AND MERKEL DEFEND
US-EU FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
13
Six arrested for Pakistani Sikh
politician's murder
ISLAMABAD, (IANS) Six men paid to kill a prominent Sikh
politician in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have
been arrested, the media repor ted on Tuesday. According
to police, the assassination of Minority Affairs Minister
Sardar Soran Singh on Friday in Buner was ordered by a
rival politician, Baldev Kumar, Efe news repor ted.
Baldev Kumar had sought a seat with the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf par ty but had been passed over for Soran Singh
which led to the murder, said Deputy Inspector General
Azad Khan on Monday. The Pakistani Taliban had falsely
claimed responsibility for the murder, said the police.
The murderers were caught when officers received a tip
that traced the shooting to one of them who revealed the
plot, The Nation repor ted. Soran Singh was a prominent
leader of the Sikh community in Pakistan. Religious leaders condemned the killing and vowed to initiate a campaign against terrorism and sectarian violence, media repor ts said. They were speaking at a gathering organised
by Pakistan Ulema Council to pay homage to Soran Singh.
One of the religious leaders, Hafiz Mohammad Tahir
Ashrafi, said Soran Singh sacrificed his family for the
cause of Pakistan, referring to the slain lawmaker's refusal to leave Pakistan along with his wife who took divorce
and settled in India.
IS to attempt more sensational
attacks in Bangladesh: Stratfor
HANOVER, (IANS) US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended a free trade agreement under negotiations between the US and European Union on Sunday, saying the agreement will benefit the economy on both sides of the Atlantic.
In a joint press conference in the nor thern German city of Hanover,
Obama said it is "indisputable" that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Par tnership (TTIP) will make both the EU and US economy
stronger and more competitive compared to other regions of the world.
"The United States and the European Union need to keep moving forward with the TTIP," he said after holding talks with Merkel in his final
visit to Germany as the US President. "It is very helpful to allow our
economy in Europe to grow, It' s important for the German economy,
it's impor tant for the European economy," said Merkel, adding that
both the EU and US have an interest to speed up negotiations which
was launched in July 2013. A new round of talks over the agreement
is scheduled to star t in the US next week. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people protested in Hanover streets against the agreement.
A recent survey found that public suppor t for the agreement dropped
sharply in both Germany and the US in recent years. Concerns of the
opponents include declines in consumer and labour protection, environment standards as well as the secrecy of the negotiations. Obama
said differences between the two sides are narrowing and he's confident that the agreement will be completed finally although he cannot
anticipate that the deal will be ratified by the end of this year.
UN SLAMS NORTH KOREA SUBMARINELAUNCHED BALLISTIC MISSILE
UNITED NATIONS, (IANS) The UN Security Council on Sunday "strongly" condemned on Saturday's firing of a submarine-launched
ballistic missile by North Korea.
"This incident constituted yet another serious violation by the DPRK of United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874
(2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013) and 2270 (2016)," the Security Council said in a statement issued to the press here. "The members of
the Security Council emphasized that the DPRK's development and testing of new ballistic missile capabilities, even if launches are
failures, is clearly prohibited by these resolutions."
Pyongyang announced it has conducted a successful underwater test-fire of strategic submarine ballistic missile and the country' s top
leader Kim Jong Un guided the test-fire, the official news agency KCNA repor ted Sunday.
The test-fire aimed to "confirm the stability of the underwater ballistic launching system in the maximum depth of waters, flying kinetic
feature under the ver tical flight system of the ballistic missile powered by the newly developed high-power solid fuel engine, the
reliability of the phased heat separation and the working accuracy of nuclear detonating device of the warhead."
Brussels' Maalbeek
metro station
resumes operations
BRUSSELS, (IANS) The
Maalbeek metro station in
Brussels reopened on Monday and all metro stations are
running normally, an official
said. According to the
spokesman of the League of
Intercommunaux Transpor t of
Brussels (STIB), Francoise
Ledune, all Brussels metro
stations are functional, Xinhua
news agency repor ted. However, the access to the stations remains limited to two
entries with police and military providing security.
Italy rejects Indian
jurisdiction in
marines case
ROME, (IANS/AKI) India's jurisdiction over two Italian
marines accused of killing
two Indian fishermen in 2012
during an anti-piracy mission is
"suspended", the Italian government said on Tuesday. "Italy considers India's jurisdiction over
the case to be suspended and
therefore legally overridden," the
Italian foreign ministry said in a
statement. The statement came
after India's Supreme Court ruled
on Tuesday that one of the marines, Massimiliano Latorre, could
stay in Italy until September 30 for
medical treatment. Italy took the
case to international arbitration last
June and the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of
the Sea ruled in August that India
had no jurisdiction in the case, referring it to the International Cour t
of Justice in The Hague.
WASHINGTON, (IANS) The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group
wants to expand its operations in Bangladesh to boost its
image among local radicals, US-based intelligence assessment company Stratfor said in a repor t on Tuesday. "The Islamic State will attempt more sensational attacks in
Bangladesh to gain the suppor t of extremists in the country,"
the repor t stated, according to Sputnik News.
The IS militants have published their goals for expansion
in the latest edition of their magazine Dabiq, according to
Stratfor. IS head of operations in Bangladesh Sheikh Abu
Ibrahim al-Hanif said the group wants to target Christian
missionaries and foreigners, along with Hindu and Shiite
figures. Al-Hanif also noted that Bangladesh is strategically impor tant due to its proximity to eastern India and
Myanmar, as well as its involvement with the UN peacekeeping missions in Muslim-majority countries.
"Bangladeshi nationals and foreign extremists of
Bangladeshi descent fighting in Iraq and Syria will provide the Islamic State with skilled bombmakers and operational planners in Bangladesh," the repor t added.
The Islamic State, also known as Daesh, has been designated as a terrorist group and is outlawed in the United
States, Russia and numerous other countries. The infamous group has seized large areas in Iraq and Syria, and
declared a caliphate on territories under its control.
Iran in talks with Russia to
sell heavy water
TEHRAN, (IANS) The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI)
was in talks with the Russian officials to sell par ts of its
heavy water to its nor thern neighbour, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari announced here on
Monday. According to the decisions made by the AEOI,
Iran will sell 70 metric tons, out of its existing 200 metric
tons of heavy water reserves, in the international market,
Jaber Ansari said. This has been recognized in the nuclear
agreement between Iran and the world powers, he said,
adding that Iran's presence in the international markets
per taining to heavy water transactions is par t of the
country's plan for peaceful use of atomic technology. Iran
had already made technical negotiations with the United
States and reached an agreement for selling its heavy
water and is currently engaged in the same negotiations
with the Russians, the spokesman said.
On Saturday, senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Abbas
Araqchi confirmed that the AEOI and a US company have
signed an agreement to sell 32 metric tons of heavy water
produced in its Arak Reactor to the American side. The
agreement, signed following three months of negotiations,
was wor th $8.6 million and would be delivered to the
American side in the following week, Araqchi said on the
sidelines of a joint commission meeting between Iran and
the P5+1 group, namely Britain, China, France, Russia, the
United States, and Germany.
French initiative to hold peace
talks 'waste of time': Hamas
GAZA, (IANS) The Islamic Hamas movement on Sunday
said the French initiative to hold an international peace
conference to end the decades of conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis is "a waste of time and a vaudeville".
Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zohri said: "All proposed
initiatives to resume the settlement process (peace process) in the current phase is a waste of time and vaudeville to Palestinians." The initiative was "like other initiatives that are being proposed in light of the continued Israeli occupation and its denial of Palestinians rights, which
makes any initiative meaningless", he said. He also said
the Palestinian National Authority "backs such initiatives
in order to misguide and distract the people although it is
aware that the settlement process has come to a dead
end."
Meanwhile, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat welcomed France's proposal to convene a peace summit on
May 30, including Arab and European states. Erekat said
the international community should back France and all
influential countries in attempts to hold the international
peace conference with pre-set references in compliance
with international law.
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016
US ASKS PAKISTAN FOR
CONCRETE ACTION
AGAINST HAQQANIS
FEDERAL MINISTER FOR SAFRON LET. GEN (R) ABDUL QADIR BALOCH ADDRESSING A JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE
AFGHAN MINISTER FOR REFUGEES SAYYED HUSSAIN AALMI BALKHI IN ISLAMABAD.
MERKEL VISITS REFUGEE CAMP IN
TURKEY TO PROMOTE MIGRANT DEAL
ISTANBUL, (IANS) German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European Union officials visited a refugee camp on the Turkish-Syrian
border on Saturday, one month after helping finalize a controversial
EU plan to cope with the largest migration crisis since World War II.
Merkel's visit to the Nizip camp -- a sprawling complex where migrants are housed in tents and metal containers, about 30 miles east
of the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep -- is intended to counter
opponents of the deal, which has been criticized by human rights
groups, CNN repor ted. A tweet from European Council President
Donald Tusk included a photo of Merkel and others being greeted with
flowers presented by young women in white dresses: "Visiting victims of Syria war at #Nizip refugee camp in Turkey." Prime Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu led the EU representatives on a tour of the camp,
where they greeted children and inspected living conditions. They
also inaugurated a child protection center in Gaziantep.
European Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans told
repor ters the camp was evidence of the "commitment of the Turkish
people to accommodate en enormous influx of refugees. I think we,
as Europeans, should state very clearly today that you are not alone
in this," he said.
IRAN TO TAKE LEGAL ACTIONS TO RETAKE US-SEIZED ASSETS
TEHRAN, (IANS) Iran's First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri said that his country will harness every legal channel to retake the
impounded assets subject to a US cour t ruling, Press TV repor ted recently. "The Iranian administration will definitely use all legal
means to regain the assets, and the US knows that we can do that," Jahangiri was quoted as saying.
On Wednesday, the US Supreme Cour t ruled the transfer of nearly $2 billion to the American victims of terrorist attacks, including the
1983 truck bombing of a Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. Investigators of the court concluded that Iran was responsible for
that attack, which Iran has denied. Jahangiri said the US cour t's decision amounted to "stealing" the funds of Central Bank of Iran (CBI)
which had mainly been kept in European banks. The US carried out such a measure under a baseless excuse and accusations against
Iran, he added. Iran's foreign minister has denounced the recent US ruling which allows the families of American victims of terrorist
attacks to recover damages from Iran's frozen assets in the US banks.
WASHINGTON, (IANS) The US has said that after last week's
massive car bombing in Kabul it has asked Pakistan to take concrete action against the Haqqani Network. The Taliban claimed
responsibility for the attack outside a building of the National Directorate for Security in Kabul on Tuesday that killed 64 people and
left more than 300 others injured, Dawn online repor ted.
Pakistan had condemned the attack hours after the attack took
place. "We extend our hear tfelt sympathies and condolences to
those who have lost their loved ones and pray for early recovery of the injured," Pakistani Foreign Office said in a statement.
Commenting on the Afghan government's claim that Pakistan
suppor ted the group that carried out the attack, the US State
Depar tment's director of press office Elizabeth Trudeau, on Friday said Islamabad continued to allow terrorists to use its soil.
"We have consistently expressed our concerns at the highest
level of the government of Pakistan about their continued tolerance for Afghan Taliban groups such as the Haqqani Network
operating from Pakistani soil," she said.
"And we did again -- after this week's attack. We have pressed
the government of Pakistan to follow up on its expressed commitment not to discriminate between terror groups regardless
of their agenda or their affiliation by under taking concrete action against the Haqqanis," she added.
FBI paid over $1 million to
crack San Bernardino iPhone
WASHINGTON, (IANS) The Federal Bureau of Investigation paid
more than $1 million to access San Bernardino attacker's
iPhone, the agency said recently. It is for the first time the
agency has offered a possible price tag in the high-profile case,
the Washington Post reported.
Director James Comey did not offer a precise dollar figure,
saying it cost "a lot" to get into the phone. Comey said the cost
of the tool was "more than I will make in the remainder of this
job, which is seven years and four months, for sure." Comey is
paid at the rate set for Level II of the executive salary schedule.
That means he makes $185,100 a year, under the pay schedules that went into effect this year. As a result, Comey's remarks strongly implied that the bureau paid at least $1.3 million to get onto Syed Rizwan Farook's iPhone. Farook, with his
wife Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people in the December 2 terror
attack in San Bernardino. "But it was, in my view, wor th it," the
FBI director said of what it cost to access the phone's data.
Federal authorities have not publicly revealed who helped the
FBI unlock the iPhone, which was at the center of an extended
fight between the government and iPhone maker Apple.
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Pakistan military overcomes
Taliban in Waziristan
ISLAMABAD, (IANS) Pakistani troops have overcome Taliban
militants and their foreign allies who had set up hideouts on
the treacherous terrain in the Nor th Waziristan tribal region.
Hundreds of ground troops star ted their last phase of one of
the most difficult operations in the forest-covered Shawal
Valley in February. On April 18, army chief General Raheel
Sharif visited the area to praise the forces for their achievement. With this, the Pakistani Taliban militants are no longer
a threat as most of them have either been eliminated or have
fled across the border into Afghanistan, Xinhua news agency
quoted unnamed officials as saying. The security forces now
control most of the peaks and overlook all narrow routes to
check the movement of militants who may still be hiding in
inaccessible areas.
Afghan president vows to
root out terrorists
PEOPLE CELEBRATING 206TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CALL FOR VENEZUELA'S INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN AT THE BOLIVAR SQUARE
IN CARACAS, VENEZUELA (IANS).
IS TERROR SUSPECT PLOTTED
BEHEADINGS IN US FROM JAIL
WASHINGTON, (IANS) A Rhode Island man awaiting trial on
terrorism charges plotted with others -- from behind bars -- to
behead people in the US, federal prosecutors said. A superseding
indictment said Nicholas Rovinski, arrested last June and
charged with plotting Islamic State-inspired attacks, "has
attempted to recruit people to assist" in carrying out a plan "to
commit violent attacks in the US and to decapitate non-believers". He was one of three New England men accused of plotting
to behead a New York woman, Pamela Geller, who organised
last year's Draw Muhammad contest in Texas. The Federal
Bureau of Investigation said one of the men, Usaamah Rahim of
Roslindale, Massachusetts, later changed his mind and decided
to attack police in Boston. He was shot and killed last June as
he prepared to board a bus armed with a long knife, NBC
repor ted. The FBI said wiretaps picked up Rahim telling the
third man in the plot, David Wright of Everett, Massachusetts,
that he decided to "go after the boys in blue". Rahim was
Wright's uncle. Prosecutors said Rovinski met Wright online
and the three men began talking with Rahim about the need to
commit violent acts in suppor t of IS. The FBI said they formu-
lated their plan last May to attack Geller and discussed it in
detail on a secluded beach in Rhode Island two days before
Rahim was shot and killed. Law enforcement officials have said
Rahim also considered staging an attack on Boston's July 4
celebration on the Esplanade.
Obama urges Britain not to leave EU
LONDON, (IANS) US President Barack Obama called on the
British people on Friday to suppor t their country's continued
stay in the EU in the referendum scheduled for June 23. In an
ar ticle published on Friday in the Daily Telegraph, Obama, who
arrived in London on Thursday on a three-day visit, stressed
that Britain being par t of the EU increases the country's prestige
in the world, Efe news repor ted.
Obama's opinion on the EU debate is a boost to the campaign of
British Prime Minister David Cameron in favour of the country
staying in the EU, but has been criticised by suppor ters of Brexit,
led by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who believe that Obama
should not intervene in Britain's affairs.
KABUL, (IANS) Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani
on Monday toughened his government's stance in the war on
militants and vowed to root out Taliban and like-minded
groups fighting in the war-plagued country. "Since the Taliban
and Haqqani network in harmony with other terrorist groups
are fighting in Afghanistan to ensure each other's interests,
therefore, it is our obligation to stand against them," president said in his speech at the joint session of the Afghan
parliament here, Xinhua news agency reported.
He made the speech in parliament amid the ongoing Talibanled bloody insurgency and in the wake of the deadly attack in
Kabul on April 19, in which 64 people were killed and 347
others injured, some critically. The Taliban outfit claimed responsibility for the attack and vowed to continue the war
against government. However, the president categorically
said his government's doors were open for peace talks with
those Taliban who renounce violence, sever ties with terrorists and accept Afghanistan's constitution.
30 militants killed in Egypt
CAIRO, (IANS) Egyptian forces killed 30 militants on Monday
in air raids in the country's restive Nor th Sinai province, an
official said. The raids coincide with the military celebration
of the 34th anniversary of Sinai Liberation Day marking the withdrawal
of the Israeli troops from Taba, the last occupied part of the Sinai Peninsula, Xinhua news agency reported.
Weapons and ammunition caches were also destroyed in the strikes
that targeted southern Sheikh Zuweid city, the statement said, noting that
the forces also managed to foil an armed attack on a security checkpoint.
Egypt has been facing growing anti-government terror attacks since the
military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 and
later blacklisted his Muslim Brotherhood group. The Egyptian
Armed Forces also announced they will celebrate the national day by air and water shows and military music concer ts in major cities nationwide.
16
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016
THERE SHOULD BE
MORE COMEDY SHOWS:
KAPIL SHARMA
CAST OF SAJID NADIADWALA'S HOUSEFULL 3 IN MUMBAI - AKSHAY KUMAR, RITEISH DESHMUKH, ABHISHEK BACHCHAN, JACQUELINE
FERNANDES, LISA HAYDON AND NARGIS FAKHRI.
Very nervous at doing 'Housefull 3',
says Abhishek Bachchan
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Abhishek Bachchan, who will be seen in Sajid
Nadiadwala's much awaited "Housefull 3", reveals he was nervous at
being a par t of this immensely successful franchise. "I was very
nervous... I had first worked with Sajid-Farhad (directors of 'Housefull
3') in 'Bol Bachchan' and they came and said they want me to do this
film, then Nadiadwala came and spoke to me about this.
"When you are working on a franchise which so immensely successful, you don't want to let down fans of 'Housefull', so I was nervous
and we all worked very hard," Abhishek told repor ters at the film's
trailer launch on Sunday. "Boman Irani is my acting coach... every
night he used to sit in my room and rehearse. Nadiadwala does a
great job of packaging a film, it looks great. For me personally since
I was the new one it was hard work but, I had a lot of fun doing this,"
he said.
"Housefull 3", featuring a multiple star cast including Akshay Kumar,
Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri,
and Lisa Haydon, is releasing on June 3. Riteish and Abhishek, who
have worked together in "Bluff Master", will be seen collaborating
again in "Housefull 3". About this, Riteish said: "I was waiting to work
with Abhishek for a very long time... when Sajid Nadiadwala called
me for this film I was really happy that I will get to work with Abhishek
again." Also present at the launch, Akshay Kumar, who is known for
doing back to back films, says it is no rocket science.
HOPE SRK WILL REMAIN
HIMSELF LIKE SALMAN: RGV
MUMBAI, (IANS) Maverick filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma lashed
out at superstar Shah Rukh Khan saying that he might lose his star status to
Salman Khan just like Kamal Haasan did to Rajinikanth. He also questioned
SRK's movie selection process saying that he "should learn from Kamal's
mistakes and just be Salman". In a series of tweets, the "Satya" filmmaker
took digs at Shah Rukh's recent decision to turn into an obsessed fan in "Fan"
and also upcoming Aanand L. Rai's project in which he will be seen as a
dwarf. He also hinted at Kamal's "Appu Raja". He shared: "Megastar SRK
becoming ordinary fan, dwarf etc is as big a same blunder as what Kamal
Haasan did to lose his stardom to Rajinikanth (Salman Khan). Kamal was as
big a superstar as Rajinikanth till he started doing dwarf, fat, tall etc and as a
fan I hope SRK doesn't listen to wrong advisers."
THE GOODWILL AMBASSADOR OF THE INDIAN CONTINGENT FOR THE RIO OLYMPICS SALMAN KHAN AND IOA PRESIDENT N
RAMACHANDRAN DURING A PROMOTIONAL EVENT OF INDIAN OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION IN NEW DELHI. ALSO SEEN INDIAN SPORTS STARS
MC MARY KOM, SARDAR SINGH, RITU RANI, DEEPIKA KUMARI, APURVI CHANDELA AND MANIKA BATRA (IANS).
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
CALL ROGERS AT 1.800.929.5723 & BELL FIBE AT 1.888.748.9196
NEW DELHI, (IANS) Comedian-actor Kapil Sharma believes that there
should be more comedy shows in India. With his new comedy show
"The Kapil Sharma Show", which went on air on Saturday, Kapil shared
that a lot of reality TV shows on television these days are depicting
the problems that bug our society, and that is why comedy shows
should multiply. "I feel there should be more comedy shows. There
are so many shows out there... although they show what is going
on in our society, but it spreads a lot of negativity too. That is how
I roll, I feel there should be more comedy. If we sleep with a good
mood, we get a better sleep. This is what we all want," Kapil told
IANS in a group interview here. The "Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon"
actor has now joined Sony Enter tainment Television for his new
show which also features Sunil Grover, Ali Asgar, Kiku Sharda,
Sumona Chakravar ti and Chandan Prabhakar.
SHRADDHA KAPOOR
UNDER THE WEATHER
MUMBAI, (IANS) Shraddha Kapoor is not feeling well, and the actress
was forced to skip promotions of her forthcoming film "Baaghi" due to her
health. The actress took to micro-blogging site Twitter on Sunday to share
an update about her health, but refrained from getting into details about
what's ailing her. She posted: "Missing promotions today because I'm
really unwell. Miss me ok Tiger Shroff, Sabbir Khan #BaaghiOn29thApril".
"Baaghi", produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, is a rebellious love story which
will release on April 29. It also stars Telugu star Sudheer Babu.
IPL: PUNE BEAT HYDERABAD
TO END LOSING STREAK
HYDERABAD, (IANS) Rising Pune Supergiants ended their fourmatch losing streak in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a 34-run
win via D/L method over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi
International Stadium here on Tuesday.
The foundation of the big win for Pune in the rain-marred contest was
set up by medium pacers Ashok Dinda (3/23) and Mitchell Marsh (2/
14) as Sunrisers Hyderabad were restricted to 118/8 in 20 overs.
In a match marred by delayed start, half of the Hyderabad team was
back in the dug-out by the ninth over with only 32 runs on the board.
But a 47-run stand between Shikhar Dhawan (56 not out) and Naman
Ojha (18) came to Hyderabad's rescue as it ensured that the team
crossed the 100-run mark.
Dhawan was the only bright spot for Hyderbad as the left-hander
scored his second consecutive fifty. With the help of two fours and a
six, he made 56 off 53 deliveries. At the fag end, Bhuvneshawar
Kumar's brisk cameo of eight-ball 21 lifted them to 118/8. In reply,
Steve Smith (46 not out) and Faf du Plessis (30 off 21 deliveries) put
Pune in strong position to overhaul the target. Pune lost Ajnikya Rahane
(0) early - dismissed by Bhuvneshwar. But South African du Plessis
and Australian Smith forged an 80-run stand for the second wicket to
put the chase in commanding position.
They were cruising at 94/3 in 11 overs when rain halted play, forcing
the umpires to decide the match Duckworth/Lewis method through
which Pune were declared triumphant by 34 runs.
This was Pune's second win - having won the opening match, while
Hyderabad suffered a loss after hat-trick of wins and overall, third
defeat in six outings.
Earlier, put into bat by Pune captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hyderabad
batsmen were undone by reckless batting and poor shot selection. It star ted with the very first over when in-form David
Warner hit a wide ball from right-armer Dinda straight to Ajnikya
Rahane at backward point in the first over. The wicket of the
Australian left-hander, who had scored four fifties in five games
before Tuesday, for a duck gave a big relief to Pune.
18
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bollywood
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016
HRITHIK HAD NO
RELATIONSHIP WITH
KANGANA: LAWYERS
DIA MIRZA DURING THE LAUNCH OF TELEVISION TRAVEL SHOW TITLED GANGA THE SOUL OF INDIA IN MUMBAI (IANS).
BIG B'S NIGHTMARISH
EXPERIENCE WITH PINK!
MUMBAI, (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is filming the
final days of his upcoming movie "Pink", shared that "the relish with
which films are made is a film by itself. The relish with which films
are made is a film by itself... working on the final days of 'Pink' is a
delight and a nightmare simultaneously and not necessarily in that
order," the 73-year-old actor posted on his blog.
Adding that the umpteen number of lines are well beyond human
consumption, the "Wazir" actor posted: "The pages and pages of lines
is well beyond human consumption for me at this moment... And so
this missive is shor t and hopefully sweet." In the film, Amitabh is
playing the lead role of a lawyer. Produced by Shoojit Sircar, the film
is being directed by Bengali filmmaker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury.
This will be Sircar's third project with Amitabh after their unreleased
film "Shoebite" and "Piku". "The problem with being the senior most
on such sets is the belief by all else except myself that 'all shall be
well'... NO... It shall not all be well... well not until those words that
float through the atmosphere of the linear shall with the juxtaposition
of the hemoglobin present themselves in a less sophisticated manner
to a rhetorician...."
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Hrithik Roshan and his lawyers seem
to be in no mood to step back a bit from the ongoing legal battle
with Kangana Ranaut. They said they will prove their client
Hrithik has had no relationship with the actress.
Hrithik's lawyers told IANS: "The facts have been now presented to the authorities. Let's not get confused in this war of
words. We will prove that our client Hrithik Roshan has had no
relationship with Kangana Ranaut. We have presented solid
evidences of this nature to the investigating authorities. They
should present any credible evidence if they have to those who
are authorized to investigate this matter."
The lawyers added: "We are not interested in playing the game
of notices and counter-notices. We are only pursuing this to
bring out the correct facts and that will happen through bonafide
investigation. Facts will very soon come out. We would like to
remind that this case is not about man vs woman, powerful vs
weak, it's about lie vs truth."
The counter statement was sent by Hrithik's team after
Kangana's lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee issued a statement on
Thursday evening. Siddiquee stated: "My client Ms. Kangana
Ranaut has alleged that Mr. Hrithik Roshan was continuously
hacking her email accounts due to which she was forced to
shut and abandon her two primary email accounts more than
eight months ago. These allegations were also contained in my
counter notice cum reply dated March 1, 2016, to which Hrithik
has still not replied despite lapse of more than fifty (50 days)."
"It is a matter of record that Hrithik filed his FIR only on March
5, 2016, i.e. after my client claimed that her emails were hacked.
It is therefore apparent that the emails that Hrithik is referring to
or relying upon, in all probabilities are not genuine at all and
could largely be fabricated. In any event my client is bold enough
to admit and accept the emails which were genuinely communicated to Hrithik on his correct email id, only once she verifies
the contents of the same."
KARAN SINGH GROVER'S
TRIBUTE TO BIPASHA
ANUSHKA SHARMA-DILJIT DOSANJH
IN 'PHILLAURI', WHO'S EXCITED?
MUMBAI, (IANS) The shooting for actress Anushka Sharma's second
production "Phillauri" has star ted. The 27-year-old actress is co-producing the film with Fox Star Studios. She will be sharing screen
space with singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh and Suraj Sharma, of the "Life
of Pi" fame. The tweet from the page of Yash Raj Film Talent, which is
followed by the official account of actors Ranveer Singh and Arjun
Kapoor, stated that the shooting has star ted. "And so it begins! 'Phillauri'
with Anushka Sharma and Diljit Dosanjh! Who's excited?" read a tweet
on the page. The movie has been tagged as an uncommon romantic
film set in Phillaur, Punjab. It will be directed by debutant Anshai Lal.
The "Band Baajaa Baaraat" actress's first production venture was the
thriller "NH10", directed by Navdeep Singh. The film also starred Neil
Bhoopalam with Anushka. Co-produced by Phantom Films and Eros
International, the hard-hitting and intense movie revolves around a
young couple whose road trip goes awry after an encounter with a
group of violent criminals.
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Karan Singh Grover, who is set to marry
actress Bipasha Basu on April 30, shared a poem dedicated to his
soon-to-be wife, expressing his love for her. Karan took to
Instagram, sharing an image of himself and Bipasha in a black
and white tint where the two can be seen in a playful mood.
Bipasha is clad in a white gown and Karan, who is wearing a suit,
can be seen holding the veil of Bipasha's white dress in his mouth.
The poem reads: "You take away all the darkness, you take away
all my pain...You walk me through the storm, you take away all
the darkness, you take away all my pain...You walk me through
the storm, through sunshine and even the rain...You give me peace,
you shower me with love and fill every moment of my life with
glee...With your faith and your trust you show me not who I am but
who I can be..."
"You pat me on my back when I'm right and kick my a** when I'm
wrong...You show me how beautiful this life is even if our path sometimes seems weary and long...You are my partner, my lover, my soulmate,
my own, my friend and much more than any word can portray...I promise
to be with you as you are with me forever and a day..."
SHIV SAINIKS PROTEST
GHULAM ALI'S VISIT
TIGER SHROFF AND SHRADDHA KAPOOR DURING THE LAUNCH OF ACTION SONG, GET READY TO FIGHT OF FILM BAAGHI IN MUMBAI
(IANS).
Ahmedabad, (IANS) Ten Shiv Sena members were detained on
Friday for protesting against Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam
Ali's visit to India to receive an award. The singer arrived in
Gujarat's Mahuva town in Bhavnagar district on Thursday to
receive the 'Hanumant Award' conferred on him by a religious
organisation, Chitrakoot Dham Trust, run by preacher Morari Bapu. The
trust organises an annual cultural festival 'Asmita Parva' and honours
achievers in different fields. "The Shiv Sena members were briefly detained for trying to stage demonstrations against the Pakistani singer,"
Mahuva Inspector V.S. Manjaria said. "They were rounded up from
Talgajarda village when they tried to reach the venue of the awards function." Ghulam Ali, who has performed at the annual event in the past, was
to perform this time as well but cancelled the programme scheduled for April 19 due to "unavoidable circumstances".
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
APRIL 26,
28, 2012
2016
bollywood
'Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd.' doesn't hurt
religious sentiments: Boman Irani
GURGAON, (IANS) Comedy-drama "Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd." has no
connection with the Santa-Banta jokes that are made on the Sikh
community and the film does not hur t anybody's religious sentiments,
actor Boman Irani said. Boman was here to promote his for thcoming
film along with his co-stars, Neha Dhupia and Vir Das.
A petition was filed against "Santa Banta Pvt. Ltd." earlier this month
by Punjab Cultural Heritage Board president Charan Singh Sapra and
others claiming that the film depicts the Sikh community in poor light
and it could pose a threat to public order. However, the Bombay High
Cour t refused to grant an interim stay on the release of the Akashdeep
Sabir directorial. "Our film is not at all hur ting anybody's religious
sentiments. The characters which Vir and I are playing -- Santa and
Banta -- have no similarity to the Santa-Banta jokes that we have
heard," Boman told repor ters here. "I'm playing Santa and Vir is Banta.
The film is based on two detectives who are sent on a mission to
solve a crime. The story is about their journey. The jokes that are in
the film are totally different from those (Santa-Banta jokes)," he said.
Sabir, who was also present, said the Central Board of Film Cer tification (CBFC) passed the film without any cuts. "If CBFC has given a
green light to the film, then I feel it's not hur ting anybody's sentiments. They haven't cut a single shot which means the film is made
for everyone to watch. It's a crime caper," he said. The film, which
will release on Friday, also features Lisa Haydon, Johnny Lever, Ram
Kapoor, Vijay Raaz and Sanjay Mishra.
NO FAN SEQUEL PLANNED: SRK
MUMBAI, (IANS) Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has delivered yet another success with "Fan", reveals that there won't be any sequel
to the film. However he is geared up to collaborate with the director of the latest release Maneesh Sharma yet again but with a different
script altogether. "The Fan is dead (in the film) so I don't think there is any sequel to this movie," the 50-year-old told IANS. "Fan" featured
Shah Rukh as Gaurav, a fan of superstar Aryan Khanna, who is also played by the superstar. Shah Rukh says that he has associated with
Maneesh for another film that will be different from "Fan". "Maneesh and me are working on another film which is not similar to 'Fan' at
all. It's a very different story and we will star t working on it by next year. It will be a nice film.."
I AM A HUGE FAN OF RANDEEP HOODA: IMRAN KHAN
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Imran Khan has confessed that he is a big fan of Randeep Hooda. "I am a huge fan of Randeep Hooda. I think he
is an excellent actor. He has done a fantastic job in this film too," Imran said at a screening of Randeep's film "Laal Rang" here. Imran,
who has last seen onscreen in Nikhil Advani's romantic comedy "Katti Batti" opposite actress Kangna Ranaut, said he is not choosy with
genres. "I never thought that I should do only a specific type of film. If the story excites me and seems to me that the film would be
enter taining, I would like to do it. I don't believe in limiting myself to any specific genre," he said. Directed by Syed Ahmad Afzal, "Laal
Rang" also stars Akshay Oberoi and Pia Bajpai in prominent roles and is slated to release on April 22.
MidWeek
19
Not sure why I get
cricket match-fixing
movies: Emraan Hashmi
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Emraan Hashmi, who features in another cricket-based film "Azhar" after "Jannat", says he doesn't
know why he always gets films with the controversial matchfixing angle. "Jannat' released six years ago, and there was a
match-fixing sub-plot in that film as well. So I don't know why I get only
these controversial parts of cricket.
"But there is an inspirational story in 'Azhar' as well, because Azhar bhai
(Mohammad Azharuddin) with his captaincy helped us win for 10 years,
and unfortunately in 2000, a big controversy happened," Emraan said at
a radio station while promoting the film. In "Jannat", Emraan played the
role of a bookie who had a particular gift of predicting cricket scores but
eventually starts fixing matches. The film was a success at the boxoffice. Emraan now plays a character based on former
Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who
was accused of match-fixing in 2000. After the incident,
he was banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) for life. The ban was, however, lifted in
2012. "Jannat' was the starting point. From 'Jannat' to
'Azhar', it's been a very good journey," he said.
On Azharuddin's inputs for preparation of his role, he
said: "This (match-fixing) is one dimension of
cricket which Azhar bhai shared with us and
also a lot of anecdotes about the sport. The
world of cricket is such that we have seen it
from a distance. We obviously love
the sport, but we don't know about
the conversations that take place in
the locker rooms or the camaraderie between the players, the jokes
and fights between them.
20
MidWeek
bollywood
Movie Review
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016
hollywood
ANISTON TO BE PEOPLE'S
'MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN'
UPIA,
I, VIR DAS, NEHA DH
CAST: BOMAN IRAN
NY LEVER, SANJAY
LISA HAYDON, JOHN
POOR,
H HIRJEE, RAM KA
MISHRA, VRAJES
Y RAAZ
VIJAY PATKAR, VIJA
RATING: *
'SANTA BANTA PVT LTD'
- A DUD COMPANY
BY TROY RIBEIRO
Santa-Banta, our very own
Indian comedy duo, are a
brand by themselves. Humour
in their banter sur faces
through their stupidity, rather
than intelligence. Unfor tunately, director Akashdeep
Sabir takes their stupidity so
literally that he lands up
making a dud.
With crudely gummed up
gags, "Santa Banta Pvt Ltd"
chronicles the story of two
good-for-nothing, best friends
Santeshwar Singh aka Santa
(Boman Irani) and Banteshwar
Singh aka Banta (Vir Das).
When Shankar (Ayyub Khan)
the High Commissioner of Fiji
is kidnapped, RAW, the
Intelligence Agency of India,
gets into a tizzy. The management in Delhi try to locate
their secret agents who also
go by the pseudonym "Santa
Banta".
Now in a desperate situation
Agent Arvind (Vijay Raaz),
who happens to meet
Santeshwar and Banteshwar,
decides to present them as
the real secret agents and
sends them to Fiji for the
rescue operation.
With a convoluted plot that is
neither exciting nor convincing, the narration trudges
along an idiotic route that
crosses paths with Shankar's
wife Kareena Roy (Neha
Dhupia) and Shankar's best
friend Sonu Sultan (Ram
Kapoor) along with Fiji's RAW
agents Cutie (Lisa Haydon)
and Akbar Illahabaadi (Sanjay
Mishra). They are also chased
by Nepal No. One Don (Johnny
Lever), who is in Fiji and has
his own inexplicable axe to
grind with them.
On the per formance front,
every actor especially Boman
Irani and Vir Das seem to be
in their own space, per functorily prancing around in a
buffoonish manner and the
rest of the cast are equally an
eyesore. The music and songs
like, "Machli jal ki rani hai",
"Lo aa gaye Santa Banta", "Hit
kardi" and "Ishq karle anytime", are a bane in the
narration. With dim-witted
lyrics and loud music, they
are an assault to the senses.
The writing by Asad Ajmeri
and Pawan Soni is sloppy
with utterly inferior jokes that
neither elicit a grin nor a
chuckle. Sabir's treatment of
the film too is frivolous and
chaotic. The film is expectedly
a frothy enter tainer which
does not delve deep into the
plot's premise, direction or
characterisation.
"Santa Banta Pvt Ltd" is
packaged in a shoddy manner
with poorly done animation
sequences and badly handled
scenes. The humour is forced
and the film leaves you pining
for substance that could strike
an emotion chord. Overall,
"Santa Banta Pvt Ltd" is a
totally avoidable film.
NEVER APPROACHED TO BE BRAND
AMBASSADOR OF INCREDIBLE INDIA: BIG B
MUMBAI, (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan says that he has never been approached to be Brand Ambassador for the 'Incredible India'
campaign contrary to media repor ts that his name might be put on hold after the Panama Papers leak.
"There have been queries from the media regarding my being Brand Ambassador for 'Atulya Bharat' (Incredible India). I wish to state that
I have not been formally approached for this position. The speculation of the media regarding its discontinuance is, therefore, not
relevant as far as I am concerned," said a statement released on behalf of Amitabh Bachchan.
The "Panama Papers" -- based on an investigation by the International Consor tium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and over 100
other news organisations around the world -- is a global list revealing offshore links of over 500 Indians, including Big B and his
daughter-in-law Aishwarya.
In India, The Indian Express daily newspaper released pages of the investigation repor ts alleging, among other names, that Amitabh and
Aishwarya were directors in companies in Panama. The megastar says that those who are asking for his feedback on Panama Papers
leak can send their queries to the Government of India (GOI) for clarification.
"On the Panama disclosures, I wish to state that queries continue to be sent to me by the media. I would humbly request them to kindly
direct these to the GOI where I, as a law abiding citizen, have already sent, and shall continue to send, my responses.
LOS ANGELES, (IANS) Actor Jennifer Aniston will reportedly be
named People magazine's
Most Beautiful Woman 2016. A
publishing source has said the
"We're the Millers" actress has
been tapped to get the honour for the
second
time,
repor ts
gossipcop.com. Aniston will repor tedly appear on the
magazine's Most Beautiful
Woman cover, which is tied to the
release of her upcoming comedy
"Mother's Day", on April 29. Her
co-stars in the movie like Kate
Hudson and Julia Rober ts had
been previously awarded the honour. Kate held the Most
Beautiful Woman title in 2008 and Julia was chosen in 1991,
2000, 2005 and 2010. Other female celebrities who will be
included in this year's Most Beautiful Woman issue are
Carrie Underwood, Christina Milian, Reese Witherspoon,
Sofia Vergara, Keke Palmer and Selena Gomez.
Music superstar Prince dead
WASHINGTON, (IANS) Flamboyant pop musician Prince died
at his home in Minnesota on Thursday, media repor ts said.
He was 57. However, there was no formal announcement
yet as officials at the spot said they had to notify family first.
According to BBC, police were called to a medical emergency at Prince's Paisley Park estate earlier on Thursday.
An investigation was underway. According to CNN, police
were investigating a death at the estate of Prince in Carver
County in Minnesota but were still not disclosing the identity of the person.
"We are not releasing any information regarding the identity
of the person who died until next of kin is notified," it quoted
Carver County Sheriff spokesman Jason Kamerud as saying. Prince
Rogers Nelson became a global superstar in the 1980s, with albums
such as "1999", "Purple Rain" and "Sign O' the Times". He sold more
than 100 million records during his career.
MIDWEEK BOX
OFFICE REPORT
FAN
155 CR
KI & KA
80 CR
ROCKY HANDSOME
55 CR
LOVE GAMES
11 CR
SANTA BANTA PVT LTD
5 CR
top
10
songs
SONG
1
FILM:
FAN
JABRA FAN
FILM
MOST WANTED MUNDA
KI & KA
DO PEG MAAR
ONE NIGHT STAND
PAANI PAANI
CABARET
HIGH HEELS
KI & KA
LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE
BAAGHI
BOL DO NA ZARA
BOL DO NA ZARA
IJAZAT
ONE NIGHT STAND
BOLNA
KAPOOR & SONS
SAB TERA
BAAGHI
HIT OR FLOP MIDWEEK
BOMAN IRANI, NEHA DHUPIA AND VIR DAS DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE TO PROMOTE THEIR FILM SANTA BANTA PVT. LTD
IN NEW DELHI (IANS).
FAN
KI & KA
ROCKY HANDSOME
LOVE GAMES
SANTA BANTA PVT LTD
HIT
HIT
HIT
FLOP
FLOP
MIDWEEK NEWS
NEWS WEEKLY
WEEKLY
TUESDAY, AUGUST
TUESDAY,
APRIL 26,
28, 2012
2016
MidWeek
bollywood
21
Parineeti to start shooting for
'Meri Pyaari Bindu' in two weeks
MUMBAI, (IANS) Parineeti Chopra is all set to por tray an
aspiring actress in "Meri Pyaari Bindu", which will begin
shooting in the next two weeks. Parineeti was last seen in
2014 in the romantic action comedy film "Kill Dil" directed by
Shaad Ali. The 27-year-old also thanked her fans, who made
a hashtag "#GoodluckParineeti" trend on Twitter. "Thanks so
much guys means a lot. The film star ts in two weeks. Preparations on in full swing! 'Meri Pyaari Bindu'," Parineeti tweeted.
The "Ishaqzaade" star will also be crooning a number for the
very first time in the film. "Meri Pyaari Bindu" is set in Kolkata
and also features actor Ayushmann Khurrana. The film is
directed by debutant Akshay Roy and is a Maneesh Sharma
production.
Women no longer playing victim
in Bollywood: Madhuri Dixit
FILMMAKER KIRAN RAO AT THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE BLUE ICON PHOTO EXHIBITION, AN IDENTITY AND EMERGENCE
OF BLUE INSIGNIA IN MUMBAI (IANS)
SHARING SCREEN SPACE WITH NANA
'ICING ON CAKE' FOR TAAPSEE
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Taapsee Pannu, who will soon be seen
opposite Nana Patekar in actor Prakash Raj's directorial "Tadka",
says it is an "icing on the cake" for her. "It's so exciting that finally
Prakash sir will direct me. I have acted with him in two movies in
Telugu before and we had such great time working with each other.
His energy is infectious. Icing on the cake being I will get to share
screen space with Nana Patekar," Taapsee said in a statement. "I
have seen the film in south, but a lot has changed in it now to suit
the sensibilities of Hindi audience, and I'm nothing shor t of thrilled
to be doing this role in such an amazing star cast," she added.
The film is a remake of Tamil film "Un Samayal Arayil". Also
starring Ali Fazal and Shriya Saran, the film is set to be shot in Goa
star ting first week of May. The plot of the film is based on a cross
connection, which changes fates of two strangers.
PARINEETI A BRILLIANT
SINGER: AYUSHMANN
Azharuddin a phenomenal person: Lara Dutta
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Lara Dutta says that former cricket player
Mohammad Azharuddin, on whose life the film "Azhar" is based, is a
phenomenal person. "He (Azharuddin) has tremendously lent his suppor t to the film and has obviously remained very involved. He's an
incredible person. Having worked with him over this year, I got to
know him. He's quite a phenomenal person," said Lara, who presented Fair & Lovely Foundation scholarships to 200 women here.
Like the trailer suggests, Azharuddin was one of the most successful
and most controversial cricket captains of the country because of his
accomplishments on the cricket field, match-fixing allegations and
relationships. Lara plays a lawyer in "Azhar", who is hell bent on
proving the match-fixing allegations levelled against Azharuddin
(played by Emraan Hashmi) in the film.
"The film is releasing and it feels good. People's reactions to the
trailer have been very good. I'm excited after having worked very hard
in the film. It's a slightly big responsibility as well because it is based
on real-life incidences. Hope people go and watch it and like it," she
MUMBAI, (IANS) Dancing diva and actress Madhuri Dixit,
who was last seen in women-centric film "Gulaab Gang" which
was inspired by women activists in Bundelkhand and talks
about women's empowerment, says women are no longer
playing victim or avenger in Bollywood. With debut film "Abodh"
and others like "Dedh Ishqiya", "Lajja", "Devdas" and
"Mrityudand" to her credit, Madhuri said "it is very interesting
the way and the kind of roles that being written for women
now". "It is very interesting the way kinds of roles are being
written for women now. They are no longer just victims or
avengers, they are like different characters with different roles
in society, which is so wonderful. They are not just eye candy,
women are not perceived in a par ticular way anymore,"
Madhuri told IANS in a group interview. When she star ted her
journey in the film industry, there were hardly any women on
the sets, but that is no longer the case, the "Aaja Nachle"
actress said, adding that it was a good change indeed.
said. Asked if she anticipates any problem for the film from the Board
Of Control for Cricket In India (BCCI), the national governing body for
cricket in India, Lara replied in negative, saying "the filmmakers have
done a good research on it".
"They have made the film with a
lot of care and thought. The film
will have a destiny and we'll see
what the destiny is when the film
releases," she added. Considering she wants Emraan behind
bars in the film, will she also stop
him from doing his trademark
kissing scenes? "I haven't
stopped him. Like I said at the
trailer launch, I was saved (from
kisses)," Lara quipped. "Azhar"
releases on May 13.
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who has also
sung for many of his films and music videos, finds his "Meri
Pyaari Bindu" co-star Parineeti Chopra a brilliant singer and
is excited to work with her. "We're undergoing workshops
now, so I'm reading every day. After the event again I'll be
going for the workshops, and it's going pretty good,"
Ayushmann told repor ters. "She is a talented actor and a brilliant singer as well. She's playing a singer in the film and it'll
be exciting because it might be the first time two singers are working
together for the first time," said the actor who was present at an event for
the clothing brand Arrow. Parineeti had showcased her singing skills in
an interesting video announcing Yash Raj Films'"Meri Pyaari Bindu",
her first film after a gap post "Kill Dil".
Enjoying this phase of my career: Shahid Kapoor
MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Shahid Kapoor, who will be seen playing rockstar Tommy Singh in his
for thcoming film "Udta Punjab", says he is "enjoying" this phase of his career and feels good that he
is getting chance to portray varied characters. From drugs to alcohol, Shahid will be seen authenticating the after-effects of all these substances on celluloid in "Udta Punjab" through his character. In real life,
Shhahid refrains from consuming even alcohol because of religious beliefs. Many Bollywood celebrities have
appreciated his role over social media. "Through Tommy Singh I have explored a new space in my journey as an actor.
I am enjoying this phase of my career where I am getting to play varied set of characters that are extremely interesting,"
Shahid said in a statement. Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, "Udta Punjab" also stars Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan
and Diljit Dosanjh. The film highlights the issue of rampant drug abuse among youth in Punjab. It features Alia as a
migrant Bihari labourer, Kareena as a doctor who is determined to fight the illegal transpor tation of drugs,
and Diljit as a police officer. The film is slated to release on June 17.
ACTOR VARUN DHAWAN DURING THE LAUNCH OF CAPTAIN AMERICA FIGURINES IN MUMBAI
(IANS).
To Advertise or to feature your business on the show Please call 647-242-4746 / 905-670-3687/ 647-965-6370
IPL: All-round Hyderabad
thrash Kings XI Punjab
by five wickets
VIRAT KOHLI OF ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE CELEBRATES HIS HALF CENTURY DURING AN IPL MATCH BETWEEN ROYAL
CHALLENGERS BANGALORE AND GUJARAT LIONS AT SAURASHTRA CRICKET ASSOCIATION STADIUM IN RAJKOT (IANS).
IPL: Mumbai beat Punjab
by 25 runs for third win
MOHALI, (IANS) Mumbai Indians defeated Kings XI Punjab by 25 runs
to bag their third victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium here on Monday. Mumbai rode
on strong batting per formances by Par thiv Patel (81) and Ambati
Rayudu (65) to post 189/6 in 20 overs. The duo added 136 runs between them for the second wicket to lay the foundation for a big total.
In reply, Punjab were lifted by an 89-run third wicket stand between
Shaun Marsh (48) and Glenn Maxwell (56). But at the end, the combined brilliance of Mumbai pace trio -- Jasprit Bumrah (3/26), Mitchell
McClanaghan (3/32) and Tim Southee (2/28) -- ensured that Punjab
fall shor t by 25 runs, scoring 164/7. It was Mumbai's second win in
last five matches that takes them to the fifth spot in the points table,
while Punjab succumbed to their hat-trick of losses and remained at
the bottom. In a match between two struggling sides, Punjab captain
David Miller won the toss and asked Mumbai to bat. Mumbai had a
shaky star t as skipper Rohit Sharma lasted all of two balls before
edging a Sandeep Sharma inswinger to the wicketkeeper. That was
the only piece of celebration the Punjab players and their home crowd
could indulge in for a considerable period of time as Patel and Rayudu
proceeded to hit the bowlers to all par ts of the ground.
Pakistan hoping to host West Indies in day-night Test
LAHORE, (IANS) Pakistan are hoping to play the West Indies at home in a day-night Test in October ahead of their pink-ball Test cricket
match against Australia in December. Their captain Misbah-ul-Haq also has said that they will be playing in domestic day-night
matches to prepare for the event.
Pakistan have also sent a proposal to the West Indies for the Test, cricket.com.au reported on Tuesday. If the offer is accepted, it would be a
major boost to Pakistan, who generally play their home matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in front of empty stands.
"If you don't have match practice it will become difficult to play at Test level," Misbah, who is an advisor to the PCB's cricket
committee said. "It was one of the things discussed in the cricket committee's previous meeting. The bowlers are at advantage
in the evening session and it becomes very difficult for batsmen under lights. That is one reason the cricketers from other
countries are also reluctant to play Tests under lights.
"One more reason is the lack of match practice with the pink ball. The players have hardly played any cricket under these conditions at the
domestic levels. They need more match practice before playing it at international level." Misbah said that although he has
concerns about batting under the lights he would still suppor t the format as it is necessary for rejuvenating Test cricket."
ICC slams West Indies behaviour after World T20 win
DUBAI, (IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) has blasted the behaviour of some members the West Indies team following
its win in the final of the World Twenty20. The ICC labelled the players' behaviour as "inappropriate and disrespectful", and
argued that it "brought the event into disrepute," repor ts CMC.
In a statement on Monday following a meeting of its board over the weekend, the ICC said it hasd even given "serious consideration" to bringing sanctions against the players. "The Board considered the behaviour of some of the West Indies players in the
immediate aftermath of the final, and unanimously agreed that cer tain comments and actions were inappropriate, disrespectful
and brought the event into disrepute," the governing body said.
"The Board acknowledged an apology by the WICB but was disappointed to note that such behavior had detracted from the
success of what was otherwise a magnificent tournament and final." The West Indies beat England by four wickets in a dramatic final
over in Kolkata to win their second World Twenty20, following their triumph four years ago in Sri Lanka.
HYDERABAD, (IANS) Riding on a superb bowling per formance
followed by skipper David Warner's quick-fire 59, Sunrisers
Hyderabad outclassed a spiritless Kings XI Punjab by five
wickets in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Rajiv
Gandhi International Stadium here on Saturday.
Warner continued his sublime form in the tournament as he
struck seven boundaries and three sixes in his 31-ball innings to help team chase down Punjab's meagre total of 143/
6 by posting 146/5 with 13 balls to spare. Warner was well
suppor ted by Shikhar Dhawan (45).
Mustafizur Rahman (2-9) and Moises Henriques (2-33) were
the pick of the bowlers for Hyderabad. Chasing a target of 144,
the hosts got off to a flying star t scoring 65 for no loss in the
powerplay. Leading the way was skipper Warner who smashed
the Punjab bowlers to all par ts off the park to being up his
half-century in just 23 balls.
The Australian kept his good form in the tournament going as
he returned back to the top of the leading run scorer list with
294 runs from five games. But the 90-run partnership for the
first wicket came to an end in the 10th over when Warner
trying to up the scoring rate was caught by David Miller at
long-on off the bowling off Sandeep Sharma.
Hyderabad received a double blow when incoming batsman
Aditya Tare (0) trying to sneak an impossible single off his
first ball finally ran himself to have his team at 90/2 in the tenth
over. Next up, Eion Morgan (25) stayed calm to help team close in on the
target after Dhawan was dismissed in 14th over.
IPL: Gujarat down RCB in
high scoring affair
RAJKOT, (IANS) Gujarat Lions rode on a strong batting performance to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by six
wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Sunday.
Chasing a target of 181 runs, the Lions scored 182/4 in 19.3
overs. The result saw the Lions climb to the top of the table
with eight points. The IPL debutants thus continued their superb
start to their maiden season as they have now won four the five
matches they have played so far. RCB are at the fifth spot with
four points after two wins and three losses.
Openers Dwayne Smith (32) and Brendon McCullum gave
Gujarat's chase a healthy start before the former holed out to long
on. But Kane Richardson, who claimed Smith's wicket, could not
celebrate for long a McCullum hit for two sixes and an equal
number of boundaries in the last four balls of the over.
By the time Tabraiz Shamsi pulled off an excellent caught and bowled
effort to send him back to the pavilion, McCullum had laid the foundation for a successful chase with a 24-ball 42 that included five hits
to the fence and a couple of sixes. Dinesh Karthick then scored an
unbeaten 50 off 39 balls to lead the Lions to victory.
KKR PIP PUNE SUPERGIANTS BY TWO WICKETS
PUNE, (IANS) Suryakumar Yadav's 49-ball 60 was the backbone of the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) run chase as they
hunted down Rising Pune Supergiants' 160/5 with two wickets
and three balls to spare in a closely-fought Indian Premier
League (IPL) encounter at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Sunday.
With the win, KKR go atop the points table with four wins from
five matches. Yusuf Pathan (36) and Andre Russell (17) were
the other major contributors for KKR. Albie Morkel and Rajat
Bhatia picked up two wickets each for the hosts. Chasing a
target of 161, KKR got off to a disastrous star t as Robin Uthappa
was adjudged leg-before-wicket off Albie's very first delivery
of the innings. But then skipper Gautam Gambhir and
Suryakumar got together to put on a breezy 31-run partnership
of just 2.3 overs.
Unluckily for KKR, Gambhir was run out as he misjudged a
double. His desperate dive to make the ground was not enough
as Mahendra Singh Dhoni took the bails off in a flash. But the
visitors kept the scoreboard ticking at a rapid pace and with
six overs gone, they were 59/2. Shakib Al Hasan (3) then
played on a Rajat Bhatia delivery in the next over which helped
Pune pull back things a little.
IPL 2016 SCHEDULE, TIME TABLE & FIXTURES
INDIAN WOMAN GYMNAST DIPA KARMAKAR WHO HAS CREATED HISTORY BY BECOMING THE FIRST INDIAN WOMAN GYMNAST TO QUALIFY FOR OLYMPICS WELCOMED BY FANS AT DELHI AIRPORT WITH HER COACH BS NANDI (IANS).
SPORTS ICONS CRITICIZE SALMAN'S APPOINTMENT AS
GOODWILL AMBASSADOR; IOA DEFENDS
NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) rushed to justify its decision to appoint Bollywood star Salman Khan as the goodwill
ambassador of the national contingent for the Rio Olympics after several current and former sports icons criticised the move. The IOA announced its
decision at its headquarters here on Saturday in the presence of the actor and several Indian sportspersons, including five-time World Champion
boxer M.C. Mary Kom and Indian men's hockey team captain Sardar Singh. The move was questioned by several members of the Indian sports
fraternity with 2012 London Olympics bronze medalist Yogeshwar Dutt making his displeasure public with a series of tweets barely an hour after the
decision was announced. "We are very happy and thankful on Salman's offer to support Olympic Sports in this country. This association is only a
gesture and does not include any monetary consideration," IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta said in a statement on Sunday. According to Mehta,
roping in Salman as the ambassador of the Indian contingent is intended to attract more public attention towards Olympic sports in the country by
drawing on the Bollywood star's mass appeal and popularity among the youth. "He is the biggest Bollywood star in the country in terms of mass
following and our key objective of bringing him on board is to draw maximum attention from the masses, due to which there will be more eyeballs
and viewership which will eventually result in popularizing Olympic sports in the country," the IOA official asserted. "We may appoint more icons
from other walks of life like music, cricket, art culture and Olympic sports etc. Mr. Salman Khan is only being appointed from Bollywood segment
and we are in talks with two other big names in music and cricket. We are more than willing to have as many icons including the likes of Ms. Anju
Bobby George and Ms. P.T. Usha who have the capacity and capability to popularize Olympic sports in the country," he added.
Pink-ball Ashes game in 2017 a distinct possibility: Cricket Australia
MELBOURNE, (IANS) Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland on Thursday said there is a "distinct possibility" the first day-night
Ashes Test will be played when Australia take on England in the summer of 2017. The CA recently announced a schedule for the
upcoming summer which has a day-night Test against Pakistan to be staged at Brisbane and another proposed pink-ball battle with
South Africa in Adelaide. Sutherland also seemed confident of a pink-ball Ashes encounter.
"I think it's a distinct possibility," Sutherland was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. "I think over the course of the next 12 months or
so we'll see day-night Test cricket being played in other countries other than Australia. I'm really confident that other member boards
are very keen to do that. As we've talked about, there's going be more (day-night) Test cricket played into future and it will be a par t of
regular series. And it may well be that there is a day-night Test match in the Ashes series in 2017-18."
Doping scandals not to effect 2018 Russia World Cup: Russian Sports Minister
MOSCOW, (IANS) Doping scandals will have no effect on the 2018 World Cup and Russian football, Russia's spor ts minister Vitaly
Mutko has said. "Doping scandals will not have any effect on the World Championship and our football as a whole," Mutko said in the
Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament on Wednesday, repor ts Tass.
The doping scandal erupted in December 2014 after the German TV Channel ARD aired a documentary entitled Geheimsache Doping
(Secret Doping Case). The documentary said that Russian athletes systematically took banned substances on instructions from their
coaches. The main characters in the documentary were athlete Yulia Stepanova and her husband Vitaly Stepanov who used to work for
the Russian Anti-Doping Agency. After the documentary was aired by the German TV channel, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
set up a commission to investigate the case.
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