MidWeek 1 INDIA POLL 2013

MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21,
2013
1
INDIA POLL 2013
CAN INDIA TRUST CHINA ?
?
INDIANS CONSIDER BIGGEST
FROM CHINA, PAKISTAN OR US
WHAT DO INDIAN THINK ABOUT
ECONOMY & CORRUPTION ?
HOW DO INDIANS VIEW THEIR
ARMY & DIPLOMATS ?
‘
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during joint press conference and
signning of agreements at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Monday.
THE INDIA POLL 2013 REPORTS THE RESULTS OF
A NATIONALLY REPRESENTATIVE OPINION SURVEY
OF 1233 INDIAN ADULTS CONDUCTED FACE-TOFACE BETWEEN 30 AUGUST AND 15 OCTOBER 2012.
IT IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE LOWY
INSTITUTE AND THE AUSTRALIA INDIA INSTITUTE,
WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE
MACARTHUR FOUNDATION.
DETAILS ON PAGE 11
Danielle Smith requests RCMP
investigation into Sandhu case
I
n response to allegations that
Edmonton-Manning MLA
Peter Sandhu filed a false
affidavit, Wildrose Official
Opposition Leader Danielle Smith
has sent a letter to the RCMP
requesting
a
criminal
investigation. Sandhu recently
left the governing PC caucus
after media reports provided
evidence that he had not
reported the full extent of his
business liabilities to Alberta's
ethics commissioner along with
documents
showing
that
Sandhu was in Calgary doing
government work during a period
which he, in a sworn affidavit,
indicated that he was in India and
unable to meet obligations to the
court. In the letter, Smith cites
Section 131 of the Criminal Code
on "Misleading Justice". Section
INDIANS WORRIED ABOUT
PAKISTAN, CHINA AND
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT ECONOMY
DETAILS ON PAGE 8
NRI girl invents device
that can charge phone
in 20 seconds
A
131 holds that an individual
"commits perjury who, with
intent to mislead, makes before a
person who authorized by law to
permit to be made before him a
false statement under oath or
solemn affirmation, by affidavit,
solemn declaration or deposition
or orally, knowing that the
statement is false."
"With the significant
discrepancies between evidence
in the courts and the Legislative
Assembly Office, we believe it is
of utmost importance to ensure
that this matter is investigated
thoroughly to not only maintain
the integrity of our legislative
process, but to ensure the
confidence of Albertans," Smith
said.
WOULD A NEW POLITICAL RISE IN PAKISTAN
MAKE IT A NEW COUNTRY?
BY - TAHIR GORA
As Pakistan is a hub and battlefield for Islamic ideas and
extremism, its geopolitics and mode of governance have
been a concern for rest of the world.
Apar t from this fact, there is another reason to keep eyes
on the nation's political scenario due to the presence of
large Pakistani communities across the world.
Pakistanis living abroad, including Canada, U.K. & U.S.A.
get affected by any political change in Pakistan.
As Pakistan's recent election results reflect the divided
nature of nation one more time. The division appears
more within the right wing par ties, Pakistan Muslim
League and Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI). The same
division could be witnessed in respective chapters of
Pakistani political par ties in Toronto, New York and London
etc.
For instance, the emerging political leader of PTI, Imran
Khan's repetitive visits to Canada and the U.S. in the past
few years have already created a strong following for him
and his par ty.
Imran Khan's rise on Pakistani political horizon is also for
the fact that the ordinary Pakistanis are fed up with existing
political leadership in the country.
CONTD. ON PAGE 8
n 18-year-old Indianorigin girl in the US has
developed a potentially
revolutionary device that can
charge a mobile phone in just 20
seconds, a media report said.
The charging device has
been dubbed a 'supercapacitor'
by Esha Khare of Saratoga,
California, the Daily Mail
reported. Khare won $50,000 for
her invention at the Intel
International Science and
Engineering Fair, held in Phoenix.
Khare has only used her
'supercapacitor' to power a lightemitting diode (LED), but says
that one day her invention will
power cell phones, cars and any
gadget
that
requires
a
rechargeable battery.
The charging device has
been dubbed a 'supercapacitor'
by Esha Khare of Saratoga,
California.
Asked what inspired her to
work on the technology, Khare
said, "My cell phone battery
always dies. It has a lot of
different applications and
advantages over batteries in that
sense."
The 'supercapacitor' is
flexible and tiny, and is able to
handle 10,000 recharge cycles,
more than normal batteries by a
factor of 10. Khare is a student
of nanochemistry, and is now
heading to Harvard.
Google has been in contact
with Khare to explore how she
plans to change the makeup of
cell phone battery life, the report
said.
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON
2
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21,
2013
page 3
VEENA MALIK PLANS
TO JOIN POLITICS
Pakistani actor Veena
Mallik, who is currently
busy with her Bollywood
films, says that she plans to
join politics and fulfil her
father’s dream. “I have
intentions to join politics,
but right now, I feel I am
very immature. When I feel
it’s the right time, I shall
join politics,” she
says. “My father always
wanted me to be in Pakistan
and join politics.
I will certainty fulfil his
dream as his daughter,” she
adds.
The actor says her father
wants her to be in Pakistan
and wants her to always
wear a salwar suit. “My
father wanted me to be a
lawyer and be in Pakistan.
As I was associated with
Pakistan news channels, he
understood that I have my
personal views and vision
and can be a politician,”
says Veena. “He likes me in
salwar kurta and always
wants to see me in them.
Whenever I am with him, I
try to wear a salwar kameez
with a duppata,” she adds.
She is also gearing up for
her film, Zindagi 50:50,
releasing on May 24. “I am
excited that this is my first
film which will release in
Pakistan on the same day
(as in India),” says Veena.
When I feel it’s the
right time, I shall join
politics,” she
says. “My father
always wanted me to
be in Pakistan and join
politics.
I will certainty fulfil
his dream as his
daughter,” she adds.
3
RITEISH
DESHMUKH
BACK WITH
SALMAN KHAN
Riteish Deshmukh back
with Salman Khan
Riteish Deshmukh walked out on Salman Khan’s Mumbai Heroes
in the Celebrity Cricket League to form his own team, Veer
Marathi. However, he will now once again play for his former
team. The actor will be a part of the Mumbai Heroes line-up, led
by Suniel Shetty, in the charity match against Members of
Parliament (MP) at the HPCA stadium in Dharamshala on May
20. Suniel is excited to have one of the most promising players in
Bollywood back in the team. “Riteish was our vice captain for
two seasons before moving on to a new franchise as the owner
and captain. It’s certainly a nostalgic feeling and I am happy to
have him back,” says Suniel. The funds raised from this match
will go towards the welfare of sports in India.
The Mumbai Heroes line-up features Sohail Khan, who is the
owner of the team, as well as actors like Aftab Shivdasani, Sonu
Sood, Vatsal Seth, Sachin Joshi and Varun Badola.
They will take on MPs like Mohammad Azharuddin, Navjot Singh
Sidhu, Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora, among others.
Russell Brand is smelliestlooking celebrity: poll
Funnyman Russell Brand has
been voted as the smelliestlooking male celebrity in
show business, while singer
Kesha topped the female
poll. The 37-year-old topped
the Panasonic Steam
Washing Report poll, which
asked people from across the
UK to name the celebs they
felt looked the smelliest,
reported Contactmusic.
Despite his enduring
popularity, Brand finished
narrowly above ‘X Factor’
reject Frankie Cocozza,
Beady Eye frontman Liam
Gallagher, Rolling Stones
rocker Keith Richards and
Robert Pattinson.
Now, a fossil is named after
Johnny Depp
An ancient extinct creature with been named after movie star
scissor-like claws, newly Johnny Depp. The 505-milliondiscovered in fossil records, has year-old
fossil
called
Kooteninchela deppi is a distant
ancestor of lobsters and
scorpions. Kooteninchela deppi
lived in very shallow seas, similar
to modern coastal environments,
off the cost of British Columbia
in Canada, which was situated
much closer to the equator 500
million years ago. The creature
was named after the actor Johnny
Depp for his starring role as
Edward Scissorhands — a movie
about an artificial man named
Edward, an unfinished creation,
who has scissors for hands.
Beyonce `pregnant`
second time over
B
eyonce and her husband Jay-Z are expecting their second
child, according to reports. The news comes just two days
after the 31-year-old singer called off a concert in Belgium. At
that time Beyonce had cited dehydration and exhaustion as the
reason behind the pull out, but many took it as confirmation of
the pregnancy rumours that started swirling when the pop diva
was seen attending the Met Gala in a stomach-concealing, highwaist Givenchy dress, Fox News reported. Earlier this month,
she said on the Good Morning America that she and Jay-Z were
looking to expanding their brood, asserting that she would like
to have more kids. She said that in her opinion her daughter
Blue Ivy needed some company.
4
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
page 4
‘
I JUST HEARD POP POP': SURVIVOR TELLS OF HOW HE AND SORORITY TWINS
TRIED TO GIVE FELON WHO TOOK THEM HOSTAGE TVS, COMPUTERS AND
JEWELRY BEFORE HE SAW ANDREA REBELLO, 21, SHOT DEAD
"He kept saying, 'I'm going to kill her'
*
Andrea Rebello, a junior at Hofstra, was shot dead at 2.20am
on Friday in her Uniondale sorority house
*
A masked male intruder, today named as Dalton Smith, was
also shot dead
*
The victim's twin, Jessica, was also held hostage along
with her boyfriend
*
Police were alerted when their friend Shannon Thomas was
allowed out to get cash from an ATM and immediately called the
authorities
*
Police accidentally killed Robello after Smith grabbed her
and used her as a human shield
*
Smith had three previous convictions for robbery and one
for assault, there was a warrant out for his arrest after he absconded
parole in April
The survivor of a horrific hostage situation at an off-campus Hofstra
University house told of how he and and sorority twins Andrea and
Jessica Rebello tried tried to appease their captor by giving him their
TVs, computers and jewelry.
John Kourtessis revealed on Saturday that he heard the 'POP POP'
of police gunshots that accidentally killed 21-year-old Andrea as
she was used for a human shield by convicted felon Dalton Smith.
Smith, who was wanted for a parole violation at the time he took the
students hostage, had grabbed the diminutive college student in a
headlock and declared 'I can't go back to jail!' when Nassau County
police officers entered the house.
Mr Kourtessis - who is Jessica's boyfriend - told the New York
Post that he and the Rebello twins and their friend Shannon Thomas
desperately tried to appease Smith after he burst into their house
near the campus of Hofstra University on Long Island, New York.
None of it, though was enough, for Smith - who had an extensive
criminal history dating back 15 years.
Andrea's boyfriend, 22-year-old Brad Wilson, told the Post that
he is anguished he wasn't there when his girlfriend was taken
hostage. Mr Wilson has been partying with the twins, Miss Thomas,
and Mr Kourtessis at the popular student bar McHeeb's on Thursday
night to celebrate the end of the school year.
But Andrea wasn't having a good night and Mr Wilson parted
ways with the group after they left the bar about 2am, he said. He
and Andrea were separated abruptly.
'We never got a chance to say goodbye,' Mr Wilson said.
Victim: Andrea Rebello (right), has been shot dead by a masked
intruder during an invasion of the home she shares with her twin
sister Jessica (left). The suspect was also shot dead at the scene
The Rebello twins, Mr Kourtessis and Miss Thomas went home
after a trip to 7-11.
They were settling in when suddenly, a ski-mask clad man burst
into the house and pointed a gun at the horrified students.
'Somebody in this house f***** up and owes this Russian guy
$10,000,' Smith, 30, demanded.
None of the students knew anything about the 'Russian guy'
that Smith was talking about - but they knew the gun he was wielding
meant business.
The Pos t r e p o r t s t h a t
Smith followed the home to
the girls' California Avenue
sorority house. He targeted
them after seeing them
spending large amounts of
money in the drinking spot.
Around
2.20am
he
allegedly peered through the
window in his ski mask and
knocked on the door before
forcing himself in and taking the
group hostage.
Raiding the home he
shouted: 'I saw you at the bar
drinking. I know you have more
money than this!', according to police sources quoted in the Post
report.
Mr Kourtessis said he tried to calm everyone down, believing
that if they gave Smith what he wanted, he would leave.
'He was saying . . . that he
just needed us to cooperate. I
said, "Listen, we have all this
money here."'
The students handed over
their computers, their TVs, their
jewelry.
Mr Kourtessis said he tried
to show Smith that they were
doing what he asked, explaining,
'This is worth $3,000, this is
worth $1,500, we're almost there.'
But it wasn't enough for the
greedy Smith. The Rebello twins
and Miss Thomas were sobbing.
Mr Kourtessis said he was doing
his best to protect the women by
keeping them - and especially
Smith - calm.
They moved to the upstairs
of the home to go through the
twins' jewelry box.
When Miss Thomas, a high
school friend, said she could
give him $700 cash, if she could
go to an ATM, he let her out of
the house.
As soon as she left, she
called the police.
"HE KEPT
SAYING, 'I'M
GOING TO KILL
HER'
Nassau County police officers arrived and knocked on the door.
Thinking that Miss Thomas has returned, Jessica answered the door.
When she saw police - she ran to safety.
However, Mr Kourtessis and Andrea were still upstairs with
Smith - who was now panicking that officers were in the house.
'I can't go back to jail! One of you, get over here,' Smith said.
He grabbed Andrea in a headlock and forced Mr Kourtessis to
crawl with him down the stairs in an effort to evade the officers
inside.
'I see an officer there, with his gun out, standing by the steps.
So I'm thinking, "Good, there's a cop there,"' he told the Post.
At that point, he escaped, running and hiding behind a couch.
Police spotted Smith and trained their guns on him.
'Put the gun down and let her go,' officers shouted.
Smith replied, 'I'm going to kill her.'
'I hear POP POP, two shots,' he said.
'I run out and I run toward where they are.'
He then saw officers fire twice more at Smith.
He screamed for Andrea. She did not answer.
Nassau police said she was shot in the head. Officers fired
eight times at Smith.
He was hit by seven bullets and died at the scene. The eighth
struck Andrea Rebello.
Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Dale said he had
traveled to Rebello's Tarrytown, New York, home to explain to
Rebello's parents what happened.
The shooting came just days before the school's commencement
ceremonies, which are scheduled to take place Sunday.
A university spokeswoman said Saturday students will be
handed white ribbons to wear in memory of Rebello.
Smith, 30, of Hempstead, had a warrant put out for his arrest on
April 25.
He had been found guilty of robbery in the 1st degree and had
an extensive criminal background going back to 1999 with multiple
convictions for theft and assault.
He also spent time in prison and was convicted again for
handling contraband goods while behind bars.
Victoria Dehel, who lives four doors down told the New York
Times that she heard shouting.
At first is sounded like 'a bunch of drunk college students,' she
told the Times.
'And then the screaming just got worse and worse and worse.
And then we heard thuds, like five bangs,' she said.
Dehel said she and her boyfriend stepped onto their porch and
they could hear what sounded like a woman pleading for her life,
just as police cars raced down the street.
'I turned to my boyfriend and I said, 'I think someone just got
murdered'. It was awful,' she said.
'[Police] drew their weapons and went inside,' neighbor Frank
Pugliese, 19 told the Post.
'She was pleading for her life. You could tell she was scared. It
was a surreal moment... She was pleading - her voice was trembling
and she yelled, "No, no!"'
Thomas told the 911 dispatcher that he had a silver handgun
pointed at her friend's head in a bedroom, NBC reported.
The dispatcher passed the information to police and less than a
minute later, Nassau County police officers reached the home.
Anthony Kourtessiss said his son was being questioned by
police last night and Jessica was 'inconsolable'.
CONTD. ON PAGE 5
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21,
2013
MidWeek
breaking news
OKLAHOMA TORNADO
MANY CHILDREN AMONG 91 FEARED
MOORE, OKLAHOMA: At
least 91 people, including 20
children, were feared killed when
a 2 mile wide tornado tore
through an Oklahoma City
suburb, trapping victims beneath
the rubble as one elementary
school took a direct hit and
another was destroyed.
President Barack Obama
declared a major disaster area in
Oklahoma, ordering federal aid to
supplement state and local
efforts in Moore after the
deadliest US tornado since one
killed 161 people in Joplin,
Missouri, two years ago.
Emergency crews were
desperately searching the
wreckage of Plaza Towers
Elementary School that took a
direct hit from the tornado on
Monday afternoon, Oklahoma
Ricky Stover said while
surveying the devastated
remains of his home.
Moore was devastated with
debris everywhere, street signs
gone, lights out, houses
destroyed and vehicles tossed
about as if they were toys.
Rescuers were searching for
survivors throughout the swath
of devastation into the early
hours of Tuesday, while the
dangerous
storm
system
threatened several southern
Plains states with more twisters.
Severe weather was expected
through the night from the Great
Lakes south to Texas.
STORM ALERTS
Speaking outside Norman
Regional Hospital Ninia Lay, 48,
said she huddled in a closet
through two storm alerts and the
more than 40 people and
destroying thousands of homes.
That tornado ranked as an EF5,
meaning it had winds over 200
mph.
The 1999 event in Oklahoma
ranks as the third-costliest
tornado in US history, having
caused more than $1 billion in
damage at the time, or more than
$1.3 billion in today's dollars.
Only the devastating Joplin and
Tuscaloosa tornadoes in 2011
were more costly.
SCHOOL DESTROYED
The National Weather
Service Storm Prediction Center
provided the town with a warning
16 minutes before the tornado
touched down at 3:01pm (4.01pm
EDT), which is greater than the
average eight to 10 minutes of
warning, said Keli Pirtle, a
Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb
told CNN.
There was an outpouring of
grief on the school's Facebook
page, with messages from around
the country including one
pleading simply: "Please find
those little children."
Another elementary school,
homes and a hospital were
among the buildings leveled,
leaving residents of the town of
about 50,000 people stunned at
the devastation and loss of life.
The Oklahoma medical
examiner said 20 of the 91
expected to have been killed
were children. The office had
already confirmed 51 dead and
had been told by emergency
services to expect 40 more bodies
found in the debris, but had not
yet received them.
At least 60 of the 240 people
injured were children, area
hospitals said.
"We thought we died
because we were inside the cellar
door ... It ripped open the door
and just glass and debris started
slamming on us and we thought
we were dead to be honest,"
tornado hit on the third.
"I was hiding in the closet
and I heard something like a train
coming," she said under skies
still flashing with lightning. The
house was flattened and Lay
was buried in the rubble for two
hours until her husband Kevin,
50, and rescuers dug her out.
"I thank God for my cell
phone, I called me husband for
help."
Her daughter Catherine,
seven, a first-grader at Plaza
Towers Elementary School, took
shelter with classmates and
teachers in a bathroom when the
tornado hit and destroyed the
school. She escaped with
scrapes and cuts.
The National Weather
Service assigned the twister a
preliminary ranking of EF4 on the
Enhanced Fujita Scale, meaning
the second most powerful
category of tornado with winds
up to 200 mph.
Witnesses said Monday's
tornado appeared more fierce
than the giant twister that was
among the dozens that tore up
the area on May 3, 1999, killing
spokeswoman for the center in
Norman, Oklahoma.
The notice was upgraded to
emergency warning with
"heightened language" at
2:56pm, or five minutes before
the tornado touched down, Pirtle
said.
Television media measured
the tornado at more than 2 miles
wide, with images showing entire
neighborhoods flattened.
The US Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) imposed
a temporary flight restriction that
allowed only relief aircraft in the
area, saying it was at the request
of police who needed quiet to
search for buried survivors.
Oklahoma activated the
National Guard, and the US
Federal Emergency Management
Agency activated teams to
support recovery operations and
coordinate responses for multiple
agencies.
Briarwood
Elementary
School, which also stood in the
storm's path, was all but
destroyed. On the first floor,
sections of walls had been peeled
away, giving clear views into the
building; while in other areas,
cars hurled by the storm winds
were lodged in the walls.
Across the street, people
picked through the remains of
their homes.
The number of injured as
reported by several hospitals
rose rapidly throughout the
afternoon.
Oklahoma
University
Medical Center alone was
treating 65 patients, 45 of them
children, though it was no
longer expecting a further mass
influx of casualties, spokesman
Scott Coppenbarger said.
Moore Medical Center itself
sustained significant damage.
"The whole city looks like a
debris field," Glenn Lewis, the
mayor of Moore, told NBC.
"It looks like we have lost
our hospital. I drove by there a
while ago and it's pretty much
destroyed," Lewis said.
The massive twister struck
at the height of tornado season,
and more were forecast. On
Sunday, tornadoes killed two
people and injured 39 in
Oklahoma.
5
INDIANS TAKE OVER LONDON
CENSUS SHOWS THEY ARE
LARGEST FOREIGN-BORN
GROUP IN CITY NOW
LONDON: Indians have become the largest foreign-born
group in London. Nearly 9% of all foreign-born residents in
London are now Indians.
In sheer numbers, this means 2.63 lakh people born in India
are now living in London. London had about 3 million foreignborn residents in 2011 (37% of the total London population
and 40% of the total foreign-born population of England and
Wales).
London's foreign-born population increased by 54% since
2001, accounting for 105% of the total population increase,
as the UK-born population decreased in the decade. A slight
majority of 52% of London's foreign-born were women. Nearly
half, 47%, of all London's foreign-born were aged between 20
and 39 years of age.
According to the 2011 Census, the number of usual residents
of London stood at 81.7 lakhs - 15% of the total resident
population of England and Wales in 2011.
Of this total, nearly 30 lakh of London's residents (36.7% of
the total London population) had been born outside the UK.
Moreover, London concentrates a large propor tion (40%) of
the entire foreign-born population of England and Wales.
Between 2001 and 2011, the total resident population of England and Wales increased by 14%, by about 1 million residents. However, the UK-born population in London actually
declined, by 1% (about 50,000 residents). This means that
the entire growth of the London population can be accounted
for the by increase in the number of residents that had been
born outside of the UK.
The foreign-born population grew by an estimated 10.5 lakh
residents, representing a 54% increase since 2001. This accounted for 105% of the growth of the total London population. Of the estimated 30 lakh foreign-born residents in 2011, 48%
were male and 52% were female.
In terms of age, the most common age group was that of 30 to 34 years
of age. Indeed, 47% of all foreign-born residents of London were aged
between 20 and 39 years of age. This was also reflected for both men
and women. However, while there were more women in the foreignborn population overall, this was only the case for those aged 20 years
or more.
For those younger than 19, there were actually more men (51%) in the
foreign-born population. For the rest of the age-groups, women remained
more numerous, and this got more pronounced as the population's age
increased. UK's office of national statistics has already earlier pointed to
the fact that Indians had overtaken the Irish to become the largest
foreign-born ethnic group in the whole of England and Wales. The latest
census had revealed that the number of Indians went up by over 52%,
from 4.56 lakh in 2001 to 6.94 lakh a decade later.
In comparison, the number of the Irish dipped to just 4 lakhs in 2011,
against 4.7 lakh 10 years back. The overall foreign-born population
increased from 46 lakh to 75 lakh. The highest overall increase has been
among Poles, whose numbers increased nearly 10 fold, from 58,000 in
2001 to 5.79 lakh. Oxford University's migration observatory deputy
director Scott Blinder described the increase in foreign-born population
from 9% to 13% in 2011 as "a very noticeable change" and said the rise
in the numbers of Poland and Indian-born people has particularly driven
it. "These two countries alone account for more than a quarter of the
increase in the size of England and Wales' migrant population."
The ONS data identified 10 countries, where migrants are most likely to
have been born, as India, Poland, Pakistan, Ireland, Germany,
Bangladesh, Nigeria, South Africa, US and Jamaica. The number of
Pakistan-born people increased by over 56%, from 3.08 lakh to 4.8
lakhs. The Bangladeshi origin people have increased by 39% to 2.1
lakh. People born in Poland represent another major foreign-born group in London with 158,300 persons born in Poland living in London in 2011. This number represents 27% of
all residents with Poland as their country of origin living in
England and Wales.
Other impor tant foreign-born groups in London, with more
than 100,000 residents, include those born in Ireland
(129,807), Nigeria (114,718), Pakistan (112,457) and
Bangladesh (109,948).
"HE KEPT SAYING, 'I'M
GOING TO KILL HER'
Contd. from Page 4
'It's a terrible situation,' he told the newspaper. '[Jessica] was
very upset, inconsolable right now.'
Rebello was a member of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority and
lived with six of her sorority sisters at the home, including her
sister.
Students flocked to Twitter to express their grief at the killing,
with many writing 'R.I.P' messages to Andrea and sending her
twin sister their best wishes and prayers.
A private vigil was held at the Hofstra Student Center last
night and it was announced today that her funeral will take
place on Wednesday. Rebello's father, Fernando, was too distraught to discuss the incident outside the family's home in
Tarrytown, New York, yesterday. 'It's my daughter, my baby
daughter,' the landscaping company chief told the Journal News
outside the home he shares with wife Nella.
'She was so beautiful. I'm so confused. 'I don't know what to
do,' he added.
Her godmother told the newspaper: 'It's just too tragic'.
Andrea was a junior at Hofstra studying Public Relations and
Sociology and had attended Sleepy Hollow High School alongside her sister. 'I'm 100% Por tuguese and have an identical
twin sister so I guess that makes me kind of unique?' she
wrote on her blog. Principal Carol Conklin-Spillanesaid the
girls were 'a set' and Andrea was devoted to her family who
are close to other members of the Por tuguese community in
the area. 'She had a devotion to family and sense of purpose
and of oppor tunity,' she said.
6
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
community
INDIAN-ORIGIN MLA IN CANADA
ACCUSED OF PERJURY
TORONTO: A criminal
investigation has been sought
against an Indian-origin MLA
of Canada's Alberta Province
on charges of ethics violation
and perjury.
Leader of the opposition
Wildrose party, Danielle Smith,
has requested the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) to conduct a criminal
investigation into the
actions of EdmontonManning MLA Peter Sandhu
following reports that he
owned a home-building
company that was being
pursued by creditors for not
paying debts.
According to Smith, Sandhu
- a member of the ruling
Progressive Conservatives
party, should be charged with
perjury as he had lied in court
by saying that he was out of
Canada when, in fact, he was
present in Calgary, CBC
reported yesterday.
"With the significant
discrepancies between
evidence in the courts and the
legislative assembly office, we
believe it is of utmost
importance to ensure that this
matter is investigated
thoroughly - to not only
maintain the integrity of our
legislative process, but to
ensure the confidence of
Albertans," Smith said in a
statement.
In her letter to the RCMP,
Smith cites Section 131 of
the Criminal Code, which
states that making a false
statement under oath — as
Sandhu is accused of doing
— is, in fact, perjury.
Sandhu, who resigned from the
Conservative caucus following
the allegations earlier this
week, is also being
investigated by Alberta's ethic
commissioner.
MidWeek
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Indian sentenced to three
years for human trafficking
WASHINGTON: An Indian has
been sentenced to three years of
imprisonment on charges of
trafficking immigrants from India
into the United States, the
department of justice said.
Kaushik
Jayantibhai
Thakkar, 33, along with Brazilian
national Fabiano Augusto
Amorim,
was
sentenced
yesterday to serve 36 months in
prison for their roles in
smuggling
undocumented
migrants to the US for private
financial gain, the acting
assistant US attorney general
Mythili Raman said.
In addition to their prison
terms, Thakkar and Amorim were
sentenced to serve two years of
supervised release, as per the
order of the US District Judge
Ewing Werlein in the southern
district of Texas.
On December 2, 2012, and
January 4, 2013, respectively,
Thakkar and Amorim each
pleaded guilty to one count of
conspiracy
to
bring
undocumented migrants into the
US for profit and to one count of
unlawfully
bringing
two
undocumented migrants into the
United States for profit.
They worked together and
with other co-conspirators to
smuggle individuals from India
into the United States, according
to court documents. In support
of the conspiracy, Thakkar and
others recruited individuals in
India who were willing to pay up
to USD 60,000 to be smuggled
into the US. For their smuggling
operations, Thakkar, Amorim and
their associates used a network
of co-conspirators in South
America, Central America, the
Caribbean and the United States,
including the state of Texas.
Using this network, they,
and
their co-conspirators,
transported
groups
of
undocumented migrants from
locations within India through South
America, Central America and the
Caribbean and then into the US by
various means, including by air
travel, automobiles, water craft and
foot, the justice department said.
Many of these smuggling
events involved illegal entry into
the US via the border between
the United States and Mexico
near McAllen and Laredo, Texas,
it added.
Toronto Sikhs organising
marathon to help children in need
TORONTO: Britain's Fauja Singh, believed to be the world's oldest
marathoner, will be among those par ticipating in the first ever
marathon being organised by the Sikh community of the Greater
Toronto Area (GTA) in Canada May 19.
The event is being organised by the Guru Gobind Singh Children's
Foundation (GGSCF) to raise funds for children in the developing
world and promote "a healthy and active lifestyle", The Globe and
Mail repor ted.
Founded by children and youth in 1999 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa and to honour the 10th Guru of the Sikhs,
GGSCF organises "interesting, challenging, and enjoyable charity
fundraising events with a focus on children helping children".
"Our major achievement is getting youth involved. We keep them
engaged in different activities around the GTA," Sarpreet Khera,
one of the five-member board of the GGSCF, was quoted as saying.
"We bring children on board to get involved to do positive things in
the community, the community in which they live, thereby taking
them away from other things like loitering, joining gangs, etc."
MATRIMONIAL
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DAUGHTER, 25 YEARS OF AGE , 5`-2" TALL CANADIAN
CITIZEN , FAMILY ORIENTED. WELL VERSED N BOTH CULTURES, WORKING AS REGISTERED NURSE IN A REPUTED
TORONTO HOSPITAL,THE BOY SHOULD BE CANADIAN
CITIZEN OR PERMANENT RESIDENCE, WELL EDUCATES, WELL
SETTLED IN JOB. PLEASE EMAIL RECENT PICTURE AND BIO
DATA TO msshinjer@hotmail.com OR CALL 416 985 7107
CHICAGO NRIS MEET
EXTENDS SUPPORT TO
KEJRIWAL'S PARTY I P8
BRIEFS
Senate approves
Chandigarh-born
Srinivasan's nomination
to a top US court
WASHINGTON: Indian-American Srikanth Srinivasan inched
closer to scripting history as the first South Asian judge after a
key Senate committee confirmed his nomination to the DC Circuit Cour t, America's second highest.
Described as "trailblazer" by US President Barack Obama,
Chandigarh-born Srinivasan's nomination to the US cour t of
appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was unanimously
approved by the 18-member Senate Judiciary Committee
yesterday. He was first nominated to the post by Obama
nearly one year ago, and if confirmed, he would fill one of
the four vacancies on the DC Circuit. "I am glad we are
moving forward with this fine nominee in a bipar tisan way,"
said Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Srinivasan, 46, now has to be confirmed by the Senate before he becomes the first Indian American to be appointed to
the top American cour t. Srinivasan is currently principal US
deputy solicitor general and is a former clerk for Supreme
Cour t Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Congressman Ami Bera,
the only Indian American lawmaker in the US House of Representatives, in a statement said he is "pleased" that the
Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved his appointment to the DC Circuit Cour t of Appeals. Bera hoped
that the Senate majority leader Harry Reid will swiftly bring
the appointment to the Senate floor for a vote. "Sri is widely
regarded as one of the best legal minds in the country, and
his breadth of experience makes him extremely well-qualified for the appointment to one of our country's most important cour ts," he said. "His appointment would also be historic for the Indian American and Asian American community. Representation of Indian Americans within our judicial
system is overdue," Bera said. Srinivasan successfully
worked for both Republican and Democratic Administrations
and has bipar tisan suppor t from the legal community.
If confirmed, he would become the first Asian American on the
DC Circuit and the first Indian American to serve as a federal
circuit cour t judge. DC Circuit Cour t is America's second highest after the Supreme Court.
Four Indian Americans
charged with
healthcare fraud
WASHINGTON: Four Indian Americans, including a physician
and three co-owners of a health clinic from Chicago area, have
been charged with healthcare fraud estimated to be running into
millions of dollars.
Federal law enforcement officials said three Indian Americans Ankur Roy, Akash Patel and Dipen Desai owned and
operated Selectcare Health Inc., that provided outpatient
physical and respiratory therapy in Park Ridge and Skokie.
They have been charged with submitting more than $4 million in false billings to Medicare between March and July
2011.
Each of them have been charged with six counts of healthcare
fraud in an indictment that was returned by a federal grand
jury last Wednesday and unsealed on Tuesday.
Another Indian-American, Doctor Nalini Ahluwalia, has been
charged with one count of violating the anti-kickback law
for allegedly receiving USD 1,000 in exchange for referring
two patients to a home healthcare agency in August 2012.
Charged in a complaint filed in US District Cour t, she will be
ordered to appear on a date to be determined, the Depar tment of Justice said in a statement.
Roy, 36, of Miami was arrested Tuesday in South Florida,
while Patel (33) of Mor ton Grove and Desai (33) of Chicago
will be ordered to appear for arraignment on a later date in
US District Cour t in Chicago.
According to the indictment, Roy, Patel and Desai submitted
false claims to Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield on
behalf of Selectcare patients for respiratory therapy services that were never provided.
The alleged false billings sought reimbursement for services purpor tedly provided on days that Selectcare's sole
respiratory therapist was not working.
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21,
2013
MidWeek
community
7
CHICAGO NRIS MEET
EXTENDS SUPPORT TO
KEJRIWAL'S PARTY
In a resolution at the first convention of AAP USA on May
18, Indian-American supporters of Kejriwal said nonresidents have a crucial role to play in the political
movement being spearheaded by the anti-graft activist.
On May 16, Brampton City Councillor Vicky Dhillon and Regional Councillor John Sprovieri officially opened Batsman Park with
teachers and students from Lougheed Middle School in attendance. The park, located on Father Tobin Drive, is named after the
“batsman” position in a game of cricket, and Lougheed Middle School has officially adopted the park.
SIKH GROUP TO CHALLENGE
DISMISSAL OF BADAL CASE IN US
WASHINGTON: A US-based
Sikh group has said that it will
challenge the decision of an
American district court last week
to dismiss alleged human rights
violations case against Punjab
chief minister Parkash Singh
Badal. The Sikh for Justice (SFJ)
had filed the case of alleged
human rights violations against
Badal last year, but it was
dismissed by a US district court
in Wisconsin last Friday.
The group said it will appeal
against the order in the US Court
of Appeals asking for a remand
to depose Badal personally
before a US Federal Judge on the
issue of the service of summons.
SFJ has retained the
services of a top Chicago based
law firm and famed Super
Lawyers "Pavich Law Group"
with Ian Levin, a former US
federal judge, who have
experience in cases related to
human rights violations filed
under Alien Tort Claims Act and
Torture Victim Protection Act, the
rights group said in a statement.
In its order, the US District
Court in Wisconsin on May 17
ruled that Badal was never
served with the court summons
as being claimed by the New
York-based Sikh for Justice,
which had filed the case against
him. In fact judge Jynn Adelman,
in his five page order, said that
Sikh for Justice came out with
"creative" but unconvincing
argument that the court
summons were served to Badal,
which indeed was served by
Christopher Kratochvil and his
brother on behalf of SFJ to
another Surinderpal Singh Kalra,
believing that he was the Punjab
Chief Minister.
"I have no doubt that
Christopher Kratochvil and his
brother sincerely believe that
they served defendant, but I
conclude that they made an
honest mistake, one that was
understandable under the
unusual circumstances of this
case," the judge wrote.
In a statement, SFJ said the
appeal to the US Circuit Court
will be based on that "Judge
Adelman erred in his ruling while
dismissing the law suit on the
ground that it is a simple case of
"mistaken identity" and a US
Department of Justice interpreter
received the summons instead of
Badal". Badal and his attorney,
backed up by strong evidence
from the State Department which
had provided him the necessary
diplomatic security, argued that
the Chief Minister was not at the
Oak Creek School when
Kratochvill brothers claimed that
they served summons to him on
behalf of Sikh for Justice.
The State Department
testified before the court that
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Badal was shopping at a
restaurant supply store, some 17
miles from the Oak Creek School.
The judge in his order said
that Sikh for Justice in an attempt
to "overcome the strong
evidence" in favor of Badal,
made "a number of creative
arguments" but none are
convincing.
Sikh for Justice in its court
case alleged that Badal violated
the Torture Victim Protection Act
and the Alien Tort Statute in
Punjab.
WASHINGTON: A group of Indian-Americans from as many as
20 cities held a meeting in Chicago over the weekend and
extended full suppor t to the political movement of change being spearheaded by Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) led by social
activist Arvind Kejriwal.
In a resolution at the first convention of AAP USA on May 18,
Indian-American suppor ters of Kejriwal said non-residents
have a crucial role to play in the political movement being
spearheaded by the anti-graft activist.
"We NRIs (non-resident Indians) and PIOs (People of Indian
origin) look with great interest at this political experiment and
extend full suppor t to Aam Aadmi Par ty that wants to change
the culture of politics in India," said the resolution which was
introduced before the convention by its member Munish
Raizada.
"As a community, we have our own expectations from the
government. Thus, it is crucial that political class do justice to
our country keeping in mind that India has a long history of
glory, richness and civilization and all that needs to reclaimed,"
the resolution said.
Addressing his suppor ters through a live video conference,
Kejriwal spoke about AAP's role in India's growth and the role
that non-resident Indians can play in furthering this cause.
Optimistic about India's future, Kejriwal said he believes AAP
could be the catalyst that can bring change in the country by
redefining the rules of politics.
He stressed on the impor tance of decentralization in governance which would empower the "aam aadmi", or the common man.
Two AAP leaders - Kumar Vishaws and Yogendra Yadav - addressed the first convention in Chicago which was attended
by Indian-Americans from as many as 20 cities, organisers
said.
Yadav said polity has failed to take the key ideals of democracy- "of the people, by the people and for the people" to the
grassroots.
As such India needs a new vision that is all inclusive. AAP is
committed to begin this transformation to par ticipatory democracy by being truly democratic in its own set-up, taking
measures such as eliminating the concept of a high command, ensuring a bottom-up approach in candidate selection,
transparency in its finances and appointing an independent
ombudsman, he said.
Raizada, a member of organizing committee of AAP USA convention, said such a convention would be an annual event and
the next convention would be in New Jersey.
MidWeek
8
opinion
INDIA POLL 2013
Indians worried about Pakistan,
China and Optimistic about Economy
W
ith the rapid growth and reach of the Indian media, the citi
zens of the world's largest democracy increasingly recognise
the challenges confronting their nation. Leaders and decision-makers in New Delhi are facing a more complex and demanding
foreign policy environment.
External power balances are shifting, other nations are competing for
India's attention, transnational challenges are accumulating, and more
and more domestic actors - from business to the Indian diaspora,
political parties to journalists, state governments to civil society are insisting on playing their par t in India's engagement with the
world.
Not long ago, Indian external policy was the preserve of a small
and professional elite, seemingly removed from public opinion
and the news cycle. Those days are over.
Professional opinion polling is regularly conducted in India on
domestic issues, while international research organisations have
polled Indian attitudes on specific foreign policy questions, such
as attitudes to America. The India Poll 2013 goes a step fur ther: it
looks comprehensively at what Indians think about a wide range
of foreign and security policy challenges and how these connect
to vital domestic questions about India's future.
The results, presented in this repor t, suggest that Indians from all
sectors of society are taking an interest in the outside world as
well as their nation's future.
This data provides an impor tant resource for decision-makers
crafting policy choices within India, as well as those from other
countries seeking to engage withthis emerging giant.
HOPES AND FEARS
Most Indians (74%) are optimistic about prospects for their
economy. But Indians are divided about whether the fruits of rapid
growth are being justly distributed: while a small majority (56%)
of Indians see themselves as economically better off than five
years ago, about 18% feel worse off and 27% do not think their
economic situation has changed.
Most Indians see major problems looming. Shor tages of energy,
water and food, along with climate change, register as the most
impor tant challenges, with 80-85% of Indians rating these issues
as 'big threats' to their country's security.
Other issues rated as big threats by large majorities of Indians
include possible war with Pakistan (77%), home-grown terrorism
(74%), foreign jihadist attacks (74%), possible war with China
(73%) and a continuing Maoist insurgency (71%).
FEELINGS TOWARDS OTHER COUNTRIES
Indians like the United States most and Pakistan least.
Asked to rate their feelings towards 22 other countries on a scale
of 0 to 100, Indians rank the United States first at 62 degrees, then
Singapore (58), Japan (57) and Australia (56).
Indians feel warmer towards these countries than those in the socalled BRICS group with which India is often seen to share diplomatic or economic interests: Brazil (44), Russia (53), China (44)
and South Africa (47). In fact, 78% of Indians think it would be
better if India worked more like the United States, while about
60% think the same about Australia, Japan and Singapore, well
ahead of other countries.
SOLDIERS AND DIPLOMATS
Indians are exceptionally attached to their armed forces:
95% see the possession of a strong military as ver y impor tant
for India to achieve its aims in the world. Most Indians also believe that nuclear weapons (79%), India's image in the world (78%),
wise political leadership (78%) and strong political leadership
(75%) are impor tant for achieving their nation's goals. Despite a
tradition of strategic autonomy, 72% of Indians attach great impor tance to India having strong countries as par tners.
PAKISTAN
An overwhelming majority (94%) of Indians see Pakistan as a
threat, citing terrorism as a major reason. Other reasons identified include a belief that the Pakistani army sees India as its
enemy, that Pakistan has nuclear weapons, and that it claims
sovereignty over Kashmir. Even so, 89% of Indians agree that
ordinary people in both countries want peace, 87% agree that a
big improvement in India-Pakistan relations requires courageous
leadership on both sides, and 76% agree
‘
THE INDIA POLL 2013 REPORTS THE
RESULTS OF A NATIONALLY
REPRESENTATIVE OPINION SURVEY OF
1233 INDIAN ADULTS CONDUCTED FACETO-FACE BETWEEN 30 AUGUST AND 15
OCTOBER 2012. IT IS A COLLABORATION
BETWEEN THE LOWY INSTITUTE AND
THE AUSTRALIA INDIA INSTITUTE, WITH
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM THE
MACARTHUR FOUNDATION.
that India should take the initiative.
CHINA
The poll results suggest wariness towards China from the Indian public. A large majority (83%) considers China a security threat. The poll
reveals multiple reasons for this mistrust, including China's possession of nuclear weapons, competition for resources in third
countries, China's effor ts to strengthen its relations with other
countries in the Indian Ocean region, and the China-India border
dispute. Although China has become India's largest trading par tner, only 31% of Indians agree that China's rise has been good for
India. But in responding to
China's rise, most Indians want an each-way bet: 65% agree India
should join other countries to limit China's influence yet a similar
number (64%) agree that India should cooperate with China to
play a leading role in the world. Almost two thirds of Indians
(63%) would like relations with China to strengthen.
THE UNITED STATES
Most Indians (83%) consider India-US relations to be strong.
And 75% of Indians want US-India ties to strengthen further over the next
10 years. Still, a substantial minority (31%) of Indians think the United
States poses a threat to India, though only 9% see it as a major threat.
DEMOCRACY
Most Indians value democracy: 70% consider it preferable to any
other kind of government. Still, 21% say that in some circumstances
a non-democratic government can be preferable.
Indians overwhelmingly believe in basic democratic rights:
at least 95% suppor t the right to a fair trial, the right to free expression
and the right to vote, while 87% suppor t the right to a media free from
censorship.
PRIORITIES AT HOME
Indians consider social peace and harmony to be the highest priority
for domestic policy (82% consider it very impor tant), followed by
reducing corruption (78%), jobs and healthcare (76%), education (74%),
infrastructure (72%), economic growth (71%), and protecting democratic rights and the environment (69%).
CORRUPTION
The poll confirms intense feelings about corruption: 94% of Indians
consider there to be a lot of corruption in their country, and 92% think
it has increased in the past five years.
An overwhelming 96% think corruption is holding India back and 94%
believe that reducing corruption should be a top priority for their government. Most Indians (80%) think anti-corruption campaigners have
made India a better place.
KASHMIR
Many explanations have been offered for the bloodshed andunrest
in the Kashmir Valley. An overwhelming majority of Indians polled
(93%) consider that forces within Pakistan use the Kashmir issue
as a reason to continue fighting with India. A very large majority
(85%) agree that extremists use the Kashmir issue to justify terrorism.
Substantial
minorities agree with other reasons offered as explanations for violence
in Kashmir: 47% consider the security forces in Kashmir as too harsh;
43% believe that many Kashmiris do not want to be part of India; and 42%
of respondents consider that these governments of India and of Jammu
and Kashmir have not done enough to improve the lives of ordinary
Kashmiris.
Due to political and security sensitivities, surveys for this poll were not
conducted in Jammu and Kashmir.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
Taking Guard
Against Cancer
I stand for cancer awareness,
because of what happened to
me and what can be done for
others
- Yuvraj Singh
You know what feels great these days?
The ability to breathe without gasping for
air every few minutes, each time I run between wickets. There
was a time when I felt like I had half of a pair of lungs when,
unknown to me, I had a tumour that had set up home in the
cavity between my lungs – a tumour which would have probably killed me.
The thought of dying can be very frightening, and the possibility
comes with its own set of questions about the future. I struggled
with frustration, pain and doubt, in what was quite easily the
biggest test of my life – my battle with cancer.
Cancer survivors will understand this. It’s the stigma of the Cword that hits you first and I was no different. In fact, to be
honest, many things hit me all at the same time. Selfdenial –
how can this happen to me? I had to deal with both of them – the
self-imposed stigma, and the fear of death. Thinking about those
days in hospital brings back memories that I try to block out,
even today.
I read a tweet the other day:
Dear cancer, someday I hope you’re just a zodiac sign. That’s
what I hope for every day of my life now. Until that happens,
however, we have to learn to fight back. When I meet people
who are battling cancer, the first thing I say to them is, “Fight,
and believe that you will beat it. The first step has to be yours –
and that first step is to take guard.”
When I look back at my battle with cancer, I realise that I neglected the symptoms that something was wrong with my body.
I was unable to breathe properly, and then eventually became
unable to keep down anything I ate. Little drops of blood star ted
to appear every time I threw up. Sheer fatigue star ted to overtake me. However, I ignored all these signs and carried on as if
nothing was wrong. If I am alive today it is simply due to providence. I just got lucky. It was a bit like nicking the ball and then
being dropped by a slip fielder.
Today, when I visit the various cancer screening camps that
my cancer awareness NGO, YouWeCan, organises for cancer
prevention, if there is one message I try to pass on to every
person I meet, it is, to use an old cliché – prevention is better
than cure, and that holds true for all kinds of cancer.
As a survivor of germ cell cancer, I know the kind of havoc
cancer can cause when it settles down comfor tably in your
body, ready to attack and bring you to your knees. When I see
people at our screening camps fighting cancer in its various
devious forms, whether breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung
cancer or leukaemia, I see them as fellow travellers and comrades.
Recently, I was approached to be a par t of a global conference
on cervical cancer prevention. When I star ted doing my homework before attending this conference, what shocked me the
most is how so little is being done when so much can be done.
Like any other Indian, I have been shocked by the recent events
of gruesome violence against women. Today, as the entire country rallies behind its women, it is time to look beyond their
physical safety and focus on their health as well.
How many of you have insisted that the woman in your house –
be it your wife, your sister or your daughter – gets herself
screened at least once a year for breast or cervical cancer?
Why must a woman feel ashamed or scared of going to a hospital and asking for a mammogram or a pap smear?
What makes it worse is that there seems to be a cer tain stigma
attached to cervical cancer. In fact, the moment you mention
the words cervix and screening together – women will feel
embarrassed and men, be it fathers or husbands, will shy
away from the subject, simply because it is associated with
sexual behaviour. This is the biggest mistake that is taking
place in households across India, be it in the cities or villages.
The result of this lack of knowledge and awareness is that
today more Indian women die of cervical cancer than breast
cancer. In India, nearly 73,000 women die of cervical cancer every year with close to 1,35,000 cases being repor ted.
And yet cervical cancer is the only cancer that can be prevented to a large extent through vaccination.
WOULD A NEW POLITICAL RISE IN PAKISTAN
MAKE IT A NEW COUNTRY?
Contd. from Page 1
Imran Khan though represents Islamist agenda as he recently
happened to refuse suppor ting Ahmaddies's equal rights in Pakistan but he enjoys wide spread suppor t from Taliban mindset
suppor ters as well as liberal celebrities, musicians, catwalk beauties, fashion show designers, social media savvy youths & ABCD
(American Born Confuse Desis).
Imran Khan's rise is though evident in Pakistan's most populated
province, Punjab, and most troubled province, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, which is bordered with Afghanistan. Him and his
par ty couldn't make any notable breakthrough in other two provinces of Pakistan, Sindh and Balochistan. But his presence could
be felt in the largest cosmopolitan city of Karachi in terms of
some youth suppor t there.
His slogan that he will turn the country into New Pakistan was
received very well on social media and amongst the desperate
Pakistani youth but no one is clear about how he and his suppor ts
would give an afresh star t to the nation and what do they meant by
stating it too.
However, Imran Khan gave a tough time to another right wing politician Nawaz Sharrif and his par ty, Pakistan Muslim League Noon
(PMLN).
These are the two par ties along with Jamaat-e-Islami that Taliban
promised not to attack but Pakistan Peoples Par ty (PPP), Awami
National Par ty (ANP) and Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) were
the open targets of Taliban before the vote day. Taliban declared these
three par ties secular and enemies of Islam and deserved to be attacked by them.
ANP lost badly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as it's the only nationalist
par ty of that province and replaced by Taliban's favourite party, PTI.
PPP maintained its position in rural Sindh and MQM in Urban Sindh.
Their decline is not just due to Taliban threats but their poor perfor-
mance mainly during the past five years.
Balochistan, the largest resourceful province but least populated
remained a battlefield between Baloch separatists and Islamist
agenda driven establishment and political groups.
The divided results clearly show that PPP & MQM alliance would
govern in Sindh, PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PMLN in Punjab.
The fate of Balochistan would be in the hands of separatists and
Pakistan army.
The federal government would be formed dominantly by Pakistan Muslim League Noon.
Apparently, PMLN has strong ties with extremist sectarian and
terrorist organizations but also have the means to stop them.
With these anticipated divided results, let's see how the country
overcomes tremendous issues faced by the nation in coming
days.
Follow Tahir Gora on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TahirGora
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21,
2013
canada
CANADIAN FAMILIES
BENEFITING FROM
HARPER
GOVERNMENT'S LOWTAX PLAN IP10
Harper promises accountability
Anyone, who wants to use public office for
their own benefit, should LEAVE
C
olleagues, I want to speak
to you about events that
have transpired recently.
You will not be surprised to hear
that I am not happy with the
conduct we have witnessed,
conduct of parliamentarians, and
the conduct of my own office.
We have worked hard,
collectively as a party, as a
caucus, and as a government, to
dramatically
strengthen
accountability
rules
in
Ottawaand to apply those
standards to ourselves. I need
not remind you that in 2006 this
government was first elected to
clean up the Liberal sponsorship
scandal, to ensure the rules are
followed, to ensure there are
consequences when they are
not. Since that time we have
taken unprecedented measures
to achieve that end.
Our Federal Accountability
Act, the toughest accountability
legislation in the history of this
country, forever changed the
way business is done in Ottawa.
We have:
Strengthened the powers of
the Auditor General. Toughened
the office of the Ethics
Commissioner, reformed political
party financing, dramatically
tightened lobbying rules and
beefed up auditing and
accountability
within
government departments.
Canada now has one of the
most
accountable
and
transparent
systems
of
governance in the world. This is
something of which Canadians
are rightly proud. It is also
something we can never take for
granted …because colleagues,
as I said in the room across the
hall, in the fall of 2005, when we
first pledged to bring in the
Federal Accountability Act: …no
government will be perfect,
because none of us are perfect.
We cannot dream of a system so
perfect that no one will have to
be good.
Therefore, just as we
continue to toughen rules, we
must also uphold a culture of
accountability. And I know that
the people in this room have. We
have reduced our budgets and
travel as a government. We are
the caucus that finally bit the
bullet and reformed the M.P.
pension plan, so that we will pay
our fair share.
And I know, that like me and
my family, you are scrupulous
about paying expenses of a
personal nature yourselves. But,
that said, let me repeat something
else I said in that same speech,
in 2005, And let me be very
blunt……
…Anyone……anyone,
who wants to use public office
for their own benefit, should
make other plans -or better yet,
leave this room! Colleagues, let
me also address the issue of
Senate reform. As Canadians
know, it was this party that put
Senate reform on the national
agenda.
And in this room are
colleagues from the Senate who
have agreed to sit in that place
in order to support our efforts to
achieve
fundamental,
irreversible, reform.
Colleagues, we have heard
from Canadians loud and clear.
They want us to continue our
efforts. They are asking us to
accelerate those efforts.
The Senate status quo is not
acceptable. Canadians Want
Change! As you know, earlier this
year, we asked the Supreme
Court of Canada whether the
reforms we have proposed can
be accomplished by Parliament
alone. We have also asked the
Court to rule on options for
abolishing
the
Senate
completely.
And as we prepare to
receive, and act on the
judgement of the Supreme Court,
we will also take further steps in
the area of Senate expenditure
and accountability. Senator
LeBreton and I have discussed
this, and she has my full
support to accelerate changes
to the Senate's rules on
NO Spring Elections in Ontario,
NDP will support the Budget
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath
says she's proud of what New
Democrats have achieved this
Legislative session and will
ensure passage of the Budget
so they can deliver results for
families concerned about jobs
for youth, wait times for home
care, the high cost of auto
insurance and making govern-
ment accountable.
"Last January, I made it clear
that people wanted action on
jobs, health care and the
growing cost of everyday life.
We said we'd work hard to
deliver results for them and we
have done exactly that," said
Horwath. "We will pass this
Budget based on the commit-
ments this government has
made and we will keep working
hard to ensure promises are
kept."
On Friday, Premier Kathleen
Wynne agreed to the NDP's call
for an independent financial
accountability officer and new
accountability measures in the
health-care system.
9
expenses, and close any
loopholes in those existing
rules.
Colleagues, we have an
active and important agenda on
the issues that matter to hardworking Canadian families, and
much work to do. When
distractions arise - as they
inevitably will- we will deal with
them, firmly. But we will not
lose sight of our top priority.
The world remains a deeply
uncertain place.
Canadians are looking to
us to protect them …their jobs,
their families, and their
communities. That is what we
must be focused on and what
we will continue to do
…Continue to implement our
economic action plan, continue
our work on expanding trade,
continue our focus on jobs,
growth, and long-term prosperity
…and continue to ensure that,
through all the ups and downs
in the world economy, there is
no better place to be than
Canada. Now, let's get back to
work.
Harper Government
Announces Safe
Food For Canadians
Action Plan
Saskatoon: Building on its long-standing commitment to food
safety, the Harper Government unveiled its Safe Food for Canadians Action Plan today. The Action Plan aims to fur ther improve Canada's food safety system by strengthening food safety
rules, more effective inspection, a renewed commitment to service and more information for consumers.
"Canada has a world-class food safety system and our Government is committed to taking real steps to make it even stronger," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "This Action Plan is
one of the steps our Government is taking to ensure that our
system continues to provide safe food for Canadian families
today and in the future."
Through the Action Plan, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
(CFIA) will launch a number of significant food safety enhancements over the next two years. Most notably, the CFIA will work
with consumer groups and industry to develop new regulations
that will bring into force the Safe Food for Canadians Act, passed
in November 2012.
As a first step, the CFIA is strengthening some of its beef safety
rules and has implemented new mandatory requirements that
will strengthen the control of E. coli in federally-registered beef
plants.
Also, by July 2, 2013, federally-registered plants that produce
mechanically tenderized beef cuts, such as steaks or roasts,
will be required to label those products as tenderized and with
cooking instructions.
While these actions are specific to federally-registered plants,
Health Canada also intends to propose broader mandatory labels to identify beef that has been mechanically tenderized at
retail outlets like supermarkets. This voluntary practice has
been in place since 2012.
This spring, the CFIA will launch a review of the food regulations in Canada that will need to be revised in order to bring the
Safe Food for Canadians Act into force. It is expected this work
will take up to two years. Active consumer and stakeholder
engagement in the process will be impor tant to the success of
effor ts to bring the new legislation into force.
Consumer groups and stakeholders will have that oppor tunity
at an upcoming food safety regulatory forum in June.
For more information on the Action Plan, visit the CFIA's website
at www.inspection.gc.ca/safefood.
10
MidWeek
canada
Minister Kenney promotes Canada's new
Start-Up Visa in Silicon Valley
Recruiting the world's best and brightest entrepreneurs to Canada
Ottawa, May 21, 2013 - Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism
Minister Jason Kenney concluded a productive visit to Silicon Valley
to promote Canada's new Start-Up Visa, the first of its kind in the
world.
"The message was delivered loud and clear to the entrepreneur
community in Silicon Valley that Canada is open for business," said
Minister Kenney. "The new Start-Up Visa will help Canada attract
the world's best and brightest entrepreneurs to build businesses,
create jobs, and fuel economic growth."
During his time in Silicon Valley, Minister Kenney met with
foreign entrepreneurs and influential figures in the start-up and tech
communities, including founders of start-ups, accelerators, other
business leaders, venture capitalists, angel investors and immigration
experts to promote the Start-Up Visa and explain why Canada is a
great place to start a business and invest.
Minister Kenney met Dave McClure, the founder of 500 StartUps, one of America's leading start-up accelerators which provides
mentorship and seed fund investments to help entrepreneurs become
successful. He also met with members of C100, a Silicon Valleybased organization that supports Canadian technology
entrepreneurship through mentorship, partnerships, and investment.
Minister Kenney also took time to visit Plug and Play Tech
Centre which houses business accelerator programs for
entrepreneurs designed to strengthen the growth of their ideas and
start-ups.
Minister Kenney attended TiEcon 2013, the world's largest
conference for entrepreneurs, where he spoke with many
international entrepreneurs, angel investors, and venture capitalists
first-hand.
During his visit, Minister Kenney was a featured guest speaker
at Stanford University where he spoke to scholars, researchers, and
students who have a high potential for becoming candidates for the
Start-Up Visa. While at Stanford, he also met with Dan Siciliano, a
legal scholar and entrepreneur with expertise in corporate governance,
corporate finance, and immigration law, and Vivek Wadhwa, Director
of Research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research
Commercialization and author of The Immigrant Exodus, one of The
Economist's Books of the Year for 2012.
He was also the featured guest speaker at an event hosted by
the Silicon Valley Business Journal, attended by many prominent
entrepreneurs and investors.
Minister Kenney also officially unveiled the new Start-Up Visa
billboard.
"There is huge interest in Canada's new Start-Up Visa and in
Canada's expanding tech sector," said Minister Kenney. "Canada's
strong economic growth, low taxes and business costs, excellence
in research and innovation, and top quality of life all make Canada a
top country for innovative entrepreneurs looking to build their
businesses. If you are a start-up entrepreneur and want to build a
dynamic company that can compete on a global scale, then Canada's
Start-Up Visa Program is for you."
The Start-Up Visa, which opened for applications on April 1, is
an important part of the Government of Canada's plan to build a fast
and flexible economic immigration system. The Start-Up Visa Program
is the first of its kind in the world and provides Canadian private
sector organizations with access to a broad range of entrepreneurs
- including the world's best and brightest - in whose ideas they can
invest. At the same time, the program provides immigrant
entrepreneurs with valuable assistance in navigating the Canadian
business environment, which can be a challenge for newcomers,
and enables them to build innovative companies that can create
Canadian jobs and compete on a global scale.
Visit cic.gc.ca/startup for more information on the Start-Up Visa
program.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
CANADIAN FAMILIES
BENEFITING FROM
HARPER GOVERNMENT'S
LOW-TAX PLAN
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Ontario: The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue and Minister for the Atlantic Canada
Oppor tunities Agency, today announced that Canadian families
are receiving significant tax refunds as a result of the low-tax
measures introduced by the Harper Government since 2006.
"Our Government is committed to a low-tax plan that suppor ts
hardworking Canadian families," said Minister Shea. "We understand that keeping taxes low allows Canadians to keep more
of their hard-earned money and meet the financial challenges of
raising a family."
The average individual tax refund so far for the 2012 tax year is
approximately $1,620. That is a significant increase from the
average individual tax refund of $1,230 in 2007.
The Harper Government's strong record of providing tax relief to
Canadians is delivering real results. The average family of four
now saves more than $3,200 annually in taxes, including an
average of $1,000 from reducing the Goods and Services Tax
(GST) rate by two percentage points.
"Canadian families are seeing the results of our Government's
low-tax plan and can reinvest their refunds in impor tant family
priorities," said Minister Shea. "We will continue to suppor t tax
relief measures that will help reduce the cost of every-day living."
The Harper Government has increased the amount of income
that all Canadians can earn before paying federal income tax
and reduced the lowest personal income tax rate from 16% to
15%.
Minister Shea joined many hardworking Canadian families at a
Soccer Nova Scotia's event celebrating 100 years of soccer in
the province, where she took the oppor tunity to highlight the
many tax-saving measures that are available to Canadian families. These credits include:
The Children's Fitness Tax Credit allows eligible Canadian families to claim a 15 per cent non-refundable tax credit on an amount
up to $500 for the cost of registering a child in eligible physical
activity programs, such as soccer or hockey teams. For the
2011 tax year, over 1.5 million families took advantage of the
Children's Fitness Tax Credit.
The Children's Ar ts Tax Credit allows eligible Canadian families
to claim a 15 per cent non-refundable tax credit on an amount up
to $500 for the cost of registering a child in eligible ar tistic,
cultural, or other programs, such as music lessons or tutoring.
Over 460,000 families claimed the Children's Ar ts Tax Credit in
the 2011 tax year.
The Family Caregiver Tax Credit is a 15 per cent non-refundable
tax credit on an amount of $2,000 that provides tax relief to
caregivers of infirm dependent relatives. This includes, for the
first time, infirm spouses, common-law par tners, and minor
children. Canadians were able to claim this new, non-refundable tax credit for the first time when filing their 2012 taxes.
The Tradesperson's Tool Deduction allows tradespeople to deduct from their income par t of the cost of tools purchased throughout the year. The Textbook Tax Credit provides increased tax
relief to students in addition to the Tuition and Education Tax
Credits. Students must first claim their credit on their own returns, but may be able to transfer unused amounts to a parent,
grandparent, spouse or common-law par tner.
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21,
2013
world
india
11
INDIAN WOMEN
FIRST TWINS TO
SCALE EVEREST
IP12
CAN INDIA TRUST CHINA ?
125 Congress workers booked
for attempt to murder, rioting
at CM' native district in Punjab
MUKATSAR: Lambi police of the district has registered case
against Shivlal Singh and 125 other congress workers on the
accusation of attempting to murder Shiromani Akali Dal
candidate' polling agent Baljinder Singh and accomplices with
fire arms and sharp edged weapons. The Congress workers
have also been accused of trying to capture the election booth
and putting some vehicles of SAD workers on fire in the FIR
registered at Lambi police station. An altercation had taken
place between SAD and Congress workers on Sunday during
the ongoing polling for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti
elections at village Mann polling station. The Congress workers
had accused the SAD workers of forcibly entering the polling
booth and capturing it and beating up two congress workers
including firing at one of the workers. Angry over it, the
congress workers had held hostage the SAD workers and had
set their vehicles on fire. Police had resorted to lathicharge and
had fired in the air. Bathinda IG Nirmal Singh Dhillon said "the
Congress workers had held SAD workers hostage and had
attempted to kill a polling agent before setting vehicles on fire,
case has been registered under attempt to murder charges,
under arms act and various other sections as per the complaint
filed by polling agent."
C
hinese premier Li
Keqiang headed out
from Beijing for his first
visit abroad in that role. His
first stop: India. He probably
wished the trip had taken place
about a month and a half ago.
At that time, there was a sense
in India that the new leadership
in China was reaching out to
India for a number of reasons.
Over the last month, however,
temperatures rose in the
Himalayas, as the long
festering China-India boundary
dispute flared once again. The
good news for those interested
in stable Sino-Indian relations:
the two governments seem to
have got past the recent
incident. They continued to
communicate throughout the
crisis. Pre-scheduled ChinaIndia talks on Afghanistan
were held in the midst of the
crisis-their first such dialogue
focused on the subject.
Chinese and Indian military
officers held a border meeting.
The Indian foreign minister
traveled to Beijing. And Li's
visit is going ahead. The bad
news: The border incident
reinforced the mistrust that
many in India feel toward
China and its intentions.
Furthermore, it was a reminder
that despite increased
engagement, bilateral
differences have the potential
to stall, if not, reverse
progress toward more stable
relations. Li's challenge: to
get the relationship back on a
positive trajectory and begin
to convince a skeptical Indian
public that the border
incident was not
representative of the new
Chinese leadership's
approach toward India.
Overall, the premier has his
work cut out for him.
Before mid-April, many
observers of Sino-Indian
relations noted that under the
new Chinese leadership there
seemed to be an "upswing in
relations." Chinese president
Xi Jinping proposed a fivepoint formula to improve ties
with India. The two countries
agreed to discuss
Afghanistan. "Positive vibes"
were detected at Xi's
subsequent meeting with
Indian prime minister
Manmohan Singh on the
sidelines of the BRICS summit
in Durban. The Chinese
government indicated that Li
soon planned to travel to
India.
This trend did not surprise
observers. After all, there
were enough reasons for
Beijing to seek a stable
relationship with India:
economic ties, cooperation in
the multilateral realm and a
desire to limit India's
burgeoning relationships with
the U.S. and Japan (reports
indicated that Chinese officials
were eager for the premier to
visit India before the Indian
prime minister headed to Tokyo
in late May), as well as other
countries in the region. There
were also reasons for the
political leadership not to want
the relationship with India to
deteriorate: such as
preoccupation with China's
eastern maritime disputes and
the North Korean situation, as
well as the need for stability in
the region with the impending
American withdrawal from
Afghanistan.
What did surprise observers
was the border incident. Former
U.S. deputy secretary of state
James Steinberg, who was in
India as the crisis played out,
said "I don't know what the
Chinese leadership is up
to…confronting India and
Japan, especially when they
have been trying to build
strong bilateral relations...The
Chinese leadership should
understand, it will not benefit
them in the long run." The
opacity of Chinese decisionmaking meant that various
theories were floated about
why Chinese troops had taken
the unusual step of setting up
camp across the Line of Actual
Control (LAC): differing
perceptions of the LAC; "a
rush of testosterone by local
officers;" in response to India
building up its border
infrastructure; the desire of the
People's Liberation Army to
assert authority; the result of
an internal political power
struggle; Chinese
expansionism; or Chinese
strategic designs against India.
One observer contended that a
clear motive was near
impossible to pinpoint: that
"Chinese foreign policy is an
enigma wrapped in a
mystery."
Since the resolution of the
crisis, Beijing has tried to
press a "reset" button, trying
to return the relationship to
its pre-crisis trajectory. The
Chinese ambassador to India
unusually took to the editorial
pages of an Indian newspaper
to emphasize, "To strengthen
good-neighbourly and
friendly cooperation with
India is China's strategic
choice and established policy
which will not change."
Chinese officials indicated
that greater efforts should be
made toward a boundary
settlement.
The Chinese government also
signaled that the choice of
India as the premier's first
stop was very deliberate and
a sign of the importance
Beijing placed in the SinoIndian relationship. Hosting
an Indian youth delegation, Li
put a personal spin on the
choice, noting the "the seeds
of friendship sown" when he
visited India 27 years ago-a
trip that he said left a "lasting
impact." Beyond trying to win
hearts and minds, he also
seemed to want to appeal to
Indians' pocketbooks, talking
about the economic benefits
of greater ties. Finally, he
pointedly mentioned
experiencing the "warmth and
hospitality of Indian people."
That hospitality will certainly
be forthcoming on the part of
key policymakers in the
Indian government. Delhi has
its own reasons for seeking
stable relations with Beijing.
Thus, Indian officials had
joined their Chinese
counterparts in playing down
the border incident and
seeking to resolve it speedily.
Since it's been resolved, both
sides have sought to
highlight their success in
defusing the crisis, pointing
to that as a sign of progress
in the relationship. During
that visit, they will work
toward agreement on certain
issues. Expectations are that
there will be developments on
the economic front. ChinaIndia watchers will also be
looking for any sign of
progress on the border and
Brahmaputra river issues.
Among the Indian public, the
welcome for Li is likely to be
cooler. The recent tensions at
the border-heavily covered in
the Indian media-reinforced
negative impressions of China
among many in the Indian
public. Many-even beyond
the public-will take with a
larger grain of salt the new
Chinese leadership's
assurance that it intends for
China to rise peacefully, be a
responsible state, and seek
good relations with India. The
crisis has reinforced the
narrative that has prevailed in
many quarters since the 1962
China-India war: that China
only understands strength;
that while Beijing's leaders
say China and India "must
shake hands," they cannot be
trusted-that one hand held
out might just be a precursor
to the other stabbing one in
the back.
The border incident has also
kept the focus on bilateral
differences and even beyond
the border issues there are
many of those: China's
growing political and
economic ties with India's
neighbors, its Indian Ocean
ambitions, the overall lack of
trust, cyber-security
concerns, Tibet, the diversion
of the waters of the
Brahmaputra, a trade
imbalance and restricted
market access in China for
Indian companies, the sense
that China does not respect
India and/or that it will seek
to prevent India's rise and,
significantly, China's
relationship with Pakistan,
which, of course, is Li's
second stop.
The incident also seemed to
strengthen the hands of those
inside and outside
government who are skeptical
of China's intentions towards
India and weakened the
voices of those urging
engagement with that
country. Furthermore, the
crisis negatively affected the
credibility of the Indian
government on issues related
to security broadly and China
in particular. This matters
because significant bilateral
progress on crucial fronts will
require concessions from
both sides-concessions that
might now be harder for the
Indian government to sell on
its side.
Overall, that's a lot of mistrust
and skepticism to turn around
in one visit. But if Li Keqiang
wants to see the relationship
prosper, this is a good time to
start trying on two fronts.
First, substance: progress on
key issues will go a long way
in building trust. Second,
style: Li should take the
opportunity to introduce
himself and reintroduce the
new Chinese leadership not
just to Indian government
officials and private sector
leaders, but also to the Indian
public-for it might be tempting
to dismiss public sentiments,
but they will play a key role in
setting the limits of the
relationship.
Indian embassy starts
delivering exit papers in
Saudi Arabia
DUBAI: India on Monday started verification and issuance of
emergency certificates allowing its citizens to leave Saudi Arabia
following concerns over a new labour policy in the Gulf
Kingdom. The schedule currently announced is for the delivery
of the first batch of 12,000 emergency certificate applications
received at Indian embassy in Riyadh and nearly 3,000 in Saudi's
Eastern Province. The schedule for verification and delivery of
subsequent batches for all Indian nationals who have applied
at other collection centres in Saudi Arabia will be announced
soon, the Indian embassy in Riyadh said in a statement. There
has been a rush for the emergency travel documents with about
60,000 applicants looking for one, amid concerns about possible
job losses after the new 'Nitaqat' labour law comes into effect.
The 'Nitaqat' law makes it mandatory for local companies to hire
one Saudi national for every 10 migrant workers. There has been
widespread perception that the new policy will lead to denial of
job opportunities for a large number of Indians working there. Over
two million Indians are currently working in Saudi Arabia.
"The embassy would like to reiterate that anyone who obtains ECs
from the embassy will have their current passports cancelled. They
would not be able to travel out of India on such passports," the
statement read. The embassy said that a large number of Indians
who obtained emergency certificates from the embassy during 2010
and 2011 could not return to India on their basis. "The embassy of
India in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah would revalidate their
unutilised ECs issued during 2010 and 2011 for a period of three months
as an exceptional measure to facilitate their departure to India utilising
the concessions announced by Saudi authorities. The immigration
authorities in India have also been sensitised appropriately to ensure
smooth entry of the revalidated EC holders to India," the statement
said. Meanwhile, the embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah will
continue to collect EC applications directly and also through various
collection centres throughout Saudi Arabia. More than 200,000
foreigners have been deported from the country over the past few
months as part of labour market reforms aimed at putting more Saudi
nationals into private sector jobs, where they now make up only a tenth
of the workforce.
BJP objects to Yasin
Malik's presence at proTamil Eelam meeting
CHENNAI: BJP on Monday objected to the presence of JKLF
president Yasin Malik at a pro-Tamil Eeelam meeting by the Naam
Tamizhar Katchi at Cuddalore on Saturday. "Political leaders were
banned from visiting even the violence-hit areas of Dharmapuri
and Marakkanam. But allowing a separatist like Malik into Tamil
Nadu is dangerous and the state government should understand
this," party's state unit president Pon.Radhakrishnan said in a
statement. He said the issues of Jammu and Kashmir and Sri
Lankan Tamils were completely different as Government of India
had accorded special status for the state while ethnic minorities
in the island republic were struggling and seeking India's help to
retrieve their lost rights.
12
MidWeek
india
MIRWAIZ UMER FAROOQ PLACED UNDER
HOUSE ARREST IN SRINAGAR
THE MODERATE HURRIYAT GROUP HAS CALLED FOR A MARCH TO THE MARTYRS' GRAVEYARD IN EIDGAH AREA TO COMMEMORATE
THE DEATH ANNIVERSARIES OF MIRWAIZ MUHAMMAD FAROOQ AND ABDUL GANI LONE.
SRINAGAR: Mirwaiz Umer
Farooq, chairperson of the
moderate faction of Jammu and
Kashmir's separatist Hurriyat
Conference, was placed under
house arrest on Monday, a day
before the group has called for a
march to the Eidgah here. The
Mirwaiz's movements have been
restricted to maintain law and
order, a police official said.
The moderate Hurriyat group
has called for a march to the
martyrs' graveyard in Eidgah area
to commemorate the death
anniversaries of Mirwaiz
Muhammad
Farooq
(the
Mirwaiz's father) and Abdul Gani
Lone. While unidentified
gunmen
killed
Mirwaiz
Muhammad Farooq in his
Nigeen residence on May 21 in
1990, Lone was killed during a
separatist rally in Srinagar city
on May 21 in 2002.
Sources
in
the
state
administration told IANS that the
proposed separatist march
would not be allowed keeping in
view the past experience.
"Such marches and rallies have
often turned violent in the past.
We will not take any chances
with the law and order situation
in the city or elsewhere in the
state", a top official said.
Indian women first twins
TO SCALE EVEREST
KATHMANDU: Two 21-year-old Indian students from Dehrahdun
became the first twins to climb the Mount Everest on Sunday.
Nunshi and Tashi Malik were among the 135 people to reach the
summit of the world's highest peak at 8,848-metre above sea level
along with their two sherpas who are also twins, Gyanendra Shrestha,
an official said. The two sisters had been staying on mountains in
the region to acclimatize to the atmosphere since March. The 11member joint Indian and Nepal army expedition also reached the
summit on Sunday. Of the 350 foreigners permitted to climb Mount
Everest this year, 60 years since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay
became the first people to summit Everest in 1953, 80 are from India,
according to mountaineering officials. Similarly, 74 from the US have
been given permission. Last year, 62 Indians tried to climb Everest,
45 being successful. This year, 248 people have scaled the peak
from the south side, including 27-year-old Raha Hassan Moharak,
the first Saudi Arabian woman to climb the Everest.
CM Kiran gives ‘marching
orders’ to Sabita, Dharmana
HYDERABAD: It was the end of
the road for chargesheeted
ministers Dharmana Prasada Rao
and Sabita Indra Reddy with
chief minister N Kiran Kumar
Reddy making it clear to them on
Sunday night that the Congress
high command prefers they stay
out of the state cabinet until their
names are cleared. The two
ministers drove off without
speaking to the media after their
meeting with the chief minister
late on Sunday night. Sabita is
believed to have submitted her
resignation to the CM and
sources said the resignations of
both ministers will be formalised
soon with Kiran Kumar Reddy
forwarding them to the governor
for acceptance. While roads and
buildings minister Dharmana has
been chargesheeted in the
Vanpic aspect of the Jagan
assets case by the CBI, Sabita is
named as accused in the Dalmia
Cements aspect of the same case.
In a day of swift developments,
the chief minister summoned
Dharmana, who was in his native
Srikakulam district, as well as the
home minister for a meeting to
discuss their future in the state
cabinet. The roads and buildings
minister had a series of meetings
with his followers in Srikakulam
and finally landed in Hyderabad
on Sunday evening.
With Kiran Kumar Reddy pre-
occupied with a wedding in the
evening, the meeting between
him and the two ministers finally
took place at his Jubilee Hills
residence late in the night.
Perhaps aware of what is in store
for them, both Dharmana and
Sabita came for the meeting in
their private vehicles.
Dharmana was chargesheeted in
August last year, and had
submitted his resignation soon
after to the chief minister, who
has been holding on to it. Sabita
was chargesheeted in April this
year and offered to resign, but
was held back by Kiran Kumar
Reddy. But the two ministers
were told by the chief minister
on Sunday night that the high
command is uncomfortable with
them continuing in the cabinet,
especially in the wake of the
resignations of ministers
Ashwani Kumar and Pawan
Kumar Bansal from the Union
cabinet.
CM may go for minor cabinet
reshuffle soon
In response, Dharmana is
believed to have told the CM
that he had submitted his
resignation long ago and that it
was Kiran Kumar who had
refused to forward it to the
governor. "If the resignation is
forced upon Dharmana, he might
also quit the assembly and join
the YSR Congress, as there is
tremendous pressure to do so
from his followers," said an aide
of Dharmana. Sabita, meanwhile,
had offered to resign from the
cabinet after her name figured in
the CBI chargesheet in April this
year, but was prevailed upon by
the CM not to press for it.
However, according to the
sources, Sabita tendered her
resignation to Kiran during their
meeting on Sunday night. The
chief minister is expected to act
on the resignations at the earliest
and possibly carry out a minor
cabinet reshuffle in the coming
days.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
Rajnath allocates
work to BJP leaders,
does the balancing act
NEW DELHI: Rajnath Singh on Sunday formally allocated work
among BJP office-bearers, acknowledging Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi's growing clout in the party even as he tried to
assert his autonomy as president. While giving charge of Uttar
Pradesh to Amit Shah, the newly-appointed general secretary
and Modi confidant, the BJP chief also ensured that the Gujarat
unit had a supervisor that Modi is comfortable with. Om Mathur,
who oversaw party affairs earlier, has been brought back.
Importantly, Rajnath showed attempts at asserting his
autonomy in the face of saffron grandees dictating plans.
Dharmendra Pradhan has been given charge of Bihar. Brought
in by former party chief Nitin Gadkari, Pradhan's retention among
office-bearers had been resisted bitterly by a strong faction in
Delhi. To give him the charge of Bihar — a state where the
saffron camp faces the prospect of breakup by chief minister
Nitish Kumar ahead of Lok Sabha polls — seems a deliberate
political riposte to those who have been opposed to RSS
involvement in decision-making. J P Nadda, another Gadkari
recruit, has been retained as party pointsman for the poll-bound
Chhattisgarh. The appointment of Radha Mohan Singh as incharge of Uttarakhand bears the clear imprimatur of Rajnath as
does the appointment of Ramapati Ram Tripathi as in-charge
of Jharkhand. Singh and Tripathi are close to Rajnath.
There was no consensus on who should be in-charge of Delhi.
It was a toss-up between Radha Mohan Singh and Ravi Shankar
Prasad, and Singh's assignment of Uttarakhand shows that
Prasad may still be in contention for the capital.
For the first time, BJP has constituted 13 working groups to
give policy direction on key subjects of interest like foreign
policy, economy and security among others. The working group
on economy will be headed by Yaswant Sinha, foreign affairs
by Jaswant Singh and neighbouring countries by Ravishankar
Prasad. The BJP has also formed a "programme implementation
and coordination committee" to be headed by Naqvi with
Rajnath's trusted aide and key political advisor Sudhanshu
Trivedi as a member among others. Importantly, the retention
of Nadda in Chhattisgarh and of Ananth Kumar in Madhya
Pradesh reflects the caution against disturbing the CMs who
have important elections to fight in December. BJP's fate in the
2014 polls depends largely on the momentum it can gain from
its twin-strong turfs in central India. The charge of Rajasthan
to Kaptan Singh is likely to be interpreted in many ways given
that Vasundhara Raje was recently appointed the state unit
chief and is the chief ministerial candidate for December polls.
Karnataka, where BJP was swept out of power, has been given
to Thawar Chand Gehlot and Varun Gandhi has been asked to
manage party affairs in West Bengal. Chandan Mitra will
oversee BJP affairs in Odisha while Rajiv Pratap Rudy will look
after Maharashtra, an important state where BJP is in alliance
with Shiv Sena.
Nitish says he can digest
Lalu's barbs, but some won't
Saarc nations to harmonize
norms for motor vehicles
NEW DELHI: Moving a step closer to seamless movement of
cargo across South Asia, top transport officials from Saarc
countries are likely to finalize the norms for convergence of motor
vehicle rules of all the member countries. The officials are likely
to come out with a final draft of the proposal this week, after a
two-day meet in Udaipur in Rajasthan. Road transport and
highways ministry officials said the second meeting of the expert
group on the Saarc Motor Vehicle Agreement was crucial as it
came ahead of a meeting of Saarc transport ministers. "The topics
to be considered by the expert group include creating a framework
for issuing online permits for cargo vehicles across the borders
of the member nations and how to address concerns relating to
driver's licence. The focus is to make transport hassle-free at the
borders while security and mandatory clearances are not
compromised," a ministry official said.
PATNA: Criticising Lalu Prasad for using unparliamentary
language against him and his party leaders, Bihar chief minister
Nitish Kumar on Monday said he could digest such comments,
but those who could not would go to court. "I have capacity to
digest such baseless comments, but people who do not are not are
justified in seeking justice in court," the chief minister said referring
to party MLC Sanjay Singh filing a criminal defamation suit against
Prasad for making a derogatory remark at the RJD's 'Parivartan
rally'. Kumar said that the people of Bihar gave Prasad a long time
to rule, "but he wasted it." "Now people have given us the mandate
to work for their welfare," he said. "He has become unemployed
and to seek employment he is making vulgar comments at me and
JD(U) leaders," he told reporters. RJD's tally in the Lok Sabha has
been reduced to three from 40 seats in Bihar while its strength in
the 243-member Assembly is only 22.
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21,
2013
world
CAR BOMBS KILL
AT LEAST 31 IN
IRAQ
IP13
BRITAIN'S CAMERON FACES PARTY
REBELLION OVER GAY MARRIAGE
LONDON: British Prime
Minister David Cameron faces
further dissent from within the
ranks of his Conservative Party
as a bill to legalise gay marriage
returns to Parliament on Monday.
Cameron faces a setback in the
lower chamber, the House of
Commons, if the opposition
Labour Party joins forces with
Tory rebels in a vote on his bill.
While Cameron, several senior
party colleagues and his LiberalDemocrat coalition partners back
the bill legalising gay marriage,
large
sections
of
his
Conservative party are fiercely
opposed to the idea. Dozens of
disgruntled lawmakers are
expected to deliver a heavy blow
to Cameron's agenda by backing
an amendment on Monday
calling for civil partnerships to
be offered to heterosexual
couples. Downing Street called
it a "wrecking amendment" which
could cost £4 billion ($6 billion,
4.7 billion euros) in pension
changes and delay the passing
of the same-sex marriage bill by
up to two years. Labour
however, while it backs gay
marriage, is set to join the rebels,
arguing that the government has
not made a convincing case
against
extending
civil
partnerships.
France
on
Saturday became the 14th
country to legalise gay marriage
when Socialist President
Francois Hollande signed it into
law, despite fierce protests from
the main opposition right-wing
UMP party. In Britain however,
the ruling Conservative Party
appears to be at war with itself
over the issue. A letter signed by
more than 30 current and former
Conservative
association
chairmen, handed to Cameron on
Sunday, gave an indication of
the bitterness felt by some
sections of the party. They
accused him of "treating the
membership with contempt" over
the issue. "You have failed thus
far to keep the manifesto promise
you made to recognise and
incentivise marriage through a
tax break for married couples," it
said. "The [gay marriage] Bill
could
cost
us
the
election...therefore,
Prime
13
Minister, for the sake of the
wellbeing of the country and the
integrity and future success of
the party, we urge you not to
continue with your policy of redefining marriage," it urged.
Last week, Cameron's defence
minister Philip Hammond
suggested that the bill was a
waste of parliamentary time.
"There is a real sense of anger
among many people who are married
that any government thinks it has
the ability to change the definition
of an institution like marriage," he
said during a televised debate. The
vote comes just days after a member
of Cameron's inner circle fiercely
denied claims that he had branded
grassroot party members as "mad,
swivel-eyed loons".
Obama exhorts good
deeds by Morehouse
graduates
ATLANTA: President Barack Obama, in a soaring
commencement address on work, sacrifice and opportunity,
on Sunday told graduates of historically black Morehouse
College to seize the power of their example as black men
graduating from college and use it to improve people's lives.
The president said his success was due to "the special
obligation I felt, as a black man like you, to help those who
need it most, people who didn't have the opportunities that I had
- because there but for the grace of God, go I. I might have been in
their shoes. I might have been in prison. I might have been
unemployed. I might not have been able to support a family. And
that motivates me." Noting the Atlanta school's mission to
cultivate, not just educate, good men, Obama said graduates
should not be so eager to join the chase for wealth and material
things, but instead should remember where they came from and
not "take your degree and get a fancy job and nice house and
nice car and never look back." "So yes, go get that law degree.
But if you do, ask yourself if the only option is to defend the
rich and powerful, or if you can also find time to defend the
powerless," Obama said. "Sure, go get your MBA, or start
that business, we need black businesses out there. But ask
yourself what broader purpose your business might serve, in
putting people to work, or transforming a neighborhood." "The
most successful CEOs I know didn't start out intent on making
money, rather, they had a vision of how their product or service
would change things, and the money followed," he said. For
those headed to medical school, Obama said "make sure you
heal folks in underserved communities who really need it, too."
Before Obama arrived in Atlanta, thunderstorms drenched hundreds
of people who gathered on the campus lawn for the outdoor ceremony,
forcing many guests to wear clear plastic ponchos over what amounted
to their Sunday-best clothes. Rain began falling again, accompanied
by more thunder and lightning, minutes after Obama began to speak.
Obama used the speech to once again share his personal story of
growing up without a father, confessing that along the way he made
unspecified bad personal choices "like too many men in our
community." "Sometimes I wrote off my own failings as just another
example of the world trying to keep a black man down," he said.
14
MidWeek
world
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
23 Hezbollah members killed Car bombs kill at
least
31
in
Iraq
in Syria: Report
BEIRUT: Syrian government forces pushed deeper into a strategic
rebel-held town near the Lebanese border, battling rebels in fierce
street fighting, Syrian state-media said on Monday. An activist
group said at least 23 elite fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah militant
group have been killed in the clashes. The Britain-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the country's civil war,
said that in addition to the deaths more than 100 Hezbollah members
have been wounded in the fighting around the town of Qusair. If
confirmed, it would be a blow to the Shia group that has come under
harsh criticism in Lebanon for its involvement in Syria's civil war.
Observatory director Rami Abdul-Rahman cited "sources close to
the militant group" for the death toll but declined to reveal their
identity. The Observatory relies on a wide network of activists in the
ground in Syria. For weeks, fighting has raged around Qusair, located
in the central province of Homs. The regime launched a push Sunday
to regain control of the town, which has been in rebel hands since
early last year. Before Sunday's offensive, Qusair had been ringed
by regime troops and fighters from the Lebanese militia Hezbollah,
an Assad ally, for several weeks. The town lies along a land corridor
between Damascus and the Mediterranean coast, the heartland of
Assad's Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Many rebel fighters
are Sunni Muslims and Qusair, overwhelmingly Sunni, had served
as a conduit for shipments of weapons and supplies smuggled from
Lebanon to the rebels. Lebanese security officials confirmed at least
four funerals were being held Monday morning for Hezbollah fighters
killed in Syria. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with
military regulations. In the mostly Shiite Lebanese border village of
Qasr, located opposite Qusair, pillars of smoke could be seen
billowing from the Syrian side of the border the crackle of gunfire
along with the heavy thud of artillery and airstrikes forced residents
to keep their children away from school. Syria's state news agency
said President Bashar Assad's troops took control of most of Qusair
on Monday. But the state news service also said government forces
are still fighting "terrorists" in several town districts. The Syrian
regime claims there is no civil war in the country but that the army is
fighting foreign-backed terrorists trying to topple Assad's
government. More than 70,000 people have been killed in Syria since
March 2011.
North Korea fires fifth missile in three days
SEOUL: North Korea fired its fifth short-range missile in three days on Monday and condemned South Korea for criticising what it said were its
legitimate military drills.South Korea's Defense Ministry said a missile had been fired on Monday morning, according to the South's Yonhap news
agency, although it was unclear what type of missile was used. The launches come hard on the heels of more than two months of threats from North
Korea that it would wage a nuclear war against South Korea and the United States if it were attacked. The North condemned joint U.S. and South
Korean military exercises, that ended in late April, as a rehearsal for an attack on its territory. "We are conducting intense military exercises to strengthen
our defence capacity," North Korea's KCNA news agency quoted the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, the body that handles interKorean issues, as saying on Monday. "Our military is conducting these exercises in order to cope with the mounting war measures from the U.S. and
South Korea, which is the legitimate right of any sovereign country." North Korea frequently fires short-range missiles, although the current spate of
launches has drawn criticism from South Korea and the United States after the recent threats from the North. Seoul on Monday condemned the
launches for stoking tension in the region while Beijing, the North's sole major ally, called for restraint. "These launches are its tactic of signalling to the
world that the regime is willing to negotiate now, while at the same time saving face," Kim Yeon-su, a professor at Korea National Defense University
in Seoul, which is part of the Defense Ministry, said of North Korea.
BAGHDAD: At least 20 people were killed by a series of car bombs
in mainly Shi'ite districts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Monday
and 11 others were killed by attacks in the southern city of Basra,
police and medics said. Scores of people have been killed in attacks
over the past week as tensions between minority Sunni Muslims
and Shi'ites who now lead Iraq have reached their highest level
since U.S. troops pulled out in December 2011. Eight car bombs in
mainly Shi'ite districts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, killed at least
20 people on Monday, police and medics said. Two car bombs hit
Basra, a predominantly Shi'ite southern city 420 km (260 miles)
southeast of Baghdad. The first struck the Hananiya
neighbourhood, near a busy market and restaurants, and the
second was detonated inside a bus terminal in Saad Square, police
and medics said. Eleven people were killed. More than 700 people
were killed in April by a U.N. count, the highest figure in almost
five years. Relations are coming under more strain by the day
from the increasingly sectarian conflict in neighbouring Syria.
Minority Sunnis, embittered by Shi'ite dominance since the
overthrow of Saddam Hussein by U.S.-led forces in 2003, have
also been staging street protests against Shi'ite Prime Minister
Nuri al-Maliki since December. Police officials say the blasts struck
bus stations and outdoor markets on Monday morning. Hospital
officials confirmed the casualty tolls. All officials spoke on
condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to
the media. Earlier in the day, two car bombings in the southern
city of Basra killed at least 10 people and wounded 27.
Iraq has seen a spike of attacks, including bombings hitting both
Sunni and Shiite civilian targets over the last week. The bloodshed
has raised fears of a return to the widespread sectarian violence
of 2006-2007 that brought the country to the edge of civil war.
Pakistan: Gunmen attack
polio team, kill policeman
ISLAMABAD: Militants on Monday attacked a team of polio
vaccinators in the restive Bajaur tribal region of northwest Pakistan,
killing a security personnel. The members of the polio vaccination
team were unharmed, officials were quoted as saying by TV news
channels. The attackers gunned down a paramilitary personnel
protecting the vaccinators. Pakistan is one of only three countries
where the polio virus is endemic. Taliban factions in the country's
northwest have banned polio vaccination campaigns over the past
two years. Health experts have estimated that thousands of children
have been left vulnerable to polio in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province
and the tribal areas. In April, a policeman was killed and another
seriously injured when militants attacked a team of polio vaccinators
in Mardan town of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21,
2013
MidWeek
15
16
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
AJAY, SONAKSHI TO
TEAM UP AGAIN?
BOLLYWOOD AT CANNES 2013
‘
VIDYA BALAN
SONAM KAPOOR
FREIDA PINTO
SRK AND SALMAN IN GOA AT THE
SAME TIME! ‘
It seems too much of a coincidence that both
Shah Rukh Khan and his arch rival Salman
Khan were in the party capital recently
T
AFTER 'SON OF SARDAAR', ACTORS AJAY DEVGN AND
SONAKSHI SINHA WILL REPORTEDLY COME
TOGETHER AGAIN FOR ONE OF PRABHUDHEVA'S
UPCOMING DIRECTORIAL VENTURE
I
f sources are to be believed, the actors will be seen in
Prabhudheva's next untitled film produced by Gordhan Tanwani
of Baba Films. Buzz is also that Yami Gautam of 'Vicky Donor'
fame has been finalised for an interesting role for the new project.
This will be Ajay's first film with Prabhudheva, while Sonkashi
has already worked with the talented director in 'Rowdy Rathore' as
well as in 'Rambo Rajkumar', which is still under production. Sonakshi
had also grooved with Prabhudheva in the 'Go Govinda' song from
the film 'OMG: Oh My God!'
OLD ADVERSARY ANDRE
NEL SLAMS SREESANTH
hey are practically neighbours in Bandra Bandstand where
both the actors reside. And looks like Shah Rukh Khan and
Salman Khan were not many kilometers apart even while they
were shooting for their respective films till recently. Sources say
both the stars were in Goa till about two days back.
A source says, “People shudder to imagine what would happen
if SRK and Salman shared the same roof. It’s an unwritten diktat that
when one enters the venue, the other would promptly leave. It came
as a surprise to know that both of them were in Goa, busy shooting
for their films.”
So while Shah Rukh filmed for Chennai Express in north Goa,
Salman shot for Mental in the south.
The source adds, “Production people who were managing the
respective films knew about the presence of the other party. Salman
wrapped up his work and is back in Mumbai now. SRK is still
continuing with his schedule without Deepika Padukone. Thankfully,
not once did either him or Salman cross each other’s paths.”
‘
South African bowler, whom India's controversial
pacer famously teased after hitting him for a six
in the 2006 Johannesburg Test, terms alleged
spot fixer ?'pretty stupid ?'
Amitabh Bachchan addresses Cannes audience in Hindi
I
t was a historic moment for
Amitabh Bachchan to be
invited to open the
prestigious
Cannes
International Film Festival with
his, The Great Gatsby co-star,
Leonardo DiCaprio. Big B made
the experience more special by
addressing the audience in his
mother tongue Hindi. "Truly a
historic moment for me, but
immensely historic and
honourable for the Indian film
industry, a fraternity that I am
and shall always be most
proud of," Bollywood Amitabh
posted
on
his
blog
srbachchan.tumblr.com. The
Cannes
extravaganza
celebrates 100 years of Indian
cinema this year, and Amitabh
was there also for the premiere
of his Hollywood debut movie
"The Great Gatsby". The 70year-old veteran was truly
delighted at the importance
given to him at the fest. It was
an emotional experience, he
shared on Twitter. "The honour
A
Amitabh Bachchan At The Great Gatsby Premiere At Cannes 2013
and respect meted out by Cannes,
incredible. Announcing suddenly
for Leonardo DiCaprio and myself
to open the festival. With the entire
world film fraternity at Cannes,
applauding and welcoming our
presence, treating us like royalty
... it's emotional. "For a complete
alien in the midst of Cannes to be
acknowledged, is the proudest
moment for me as an Indian.
Acknowledging Cannes in
recognising 100 years of Indian
cinema, it was absolutely
imperative for me to address, in
my mother tongue," posted Big
B. He shared how the director of
Cannes (was) delighted to hear
the music of the Hindi language
spoken as it brought in the
universality of the occasion. Big
B also loved watching, The Great
Gatsby, directed by Baz
Luhrmann. "I loved The Great
Gatsby better the second time
... understood the nuances, the
words, the pathos and energy,"
he added. The actor plays
Meyer Wolfsheim in the $125
million 3D project, an
adaptation of F. Scott
Fitzgerald's novel of the same
name.
ndre Nel, the South African fast bowler, who S
Sreesanth dramatically hit for a six after being given
some lip service in Johannesburg back in 2006, is left
wondering how a talented bowler has made headlines for all
the wrong reasons. Nel (35) played international cricket last
in 2008 and was similar to Sreesanth in temperament. His onfield antics made him a controversial figure. However, he was
never embroiled in a corruption controversy. “He (Sreesanth)
was a decent bowler, but I don’t know why he got involved
with fixing. I was shocked when I read about this. It’s pretty
stupid that he got involved with fixing when everybody now
is on the lookout for people who indulge in it. It’s pretty
stupid of him to do it,” Nel told from Pretoria. The incident
involving Nel and Sreesanth caused much laughter when,
after being sledged by the South African in India’s second
innings, the tailender hit him over his head for a six. Sreesanth
then danced and waived his bat emphatically. In an interview
to ESPNcricinfo, Sreesanth revealed what Nel said to him: ‘I
am playing for this (pointing to the SA emblem on his shirt).
You are a scared fellow, rabbit. I will get you next ball.’ While
Nel may have not enjoyed that incident as much as Sreesanth,
who had the last laugh since he led India to their first Test win
in South Africa with an eight-wicket haul, he is saddened by
the possibility of the closure of Sreesanth’s cricketing career.
18
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21,
2013
MidWeek
bollywood
19
Movie Review
Upcoming
BOLLYWOOD Movies
oor,
Cast: Arjun Kap
ishi
Sasheh Agha, R
Shroff,
Kapoor, Jackie
nupam
Amrita Singh, A
val,
Kher, Deepti Na
Swara Bhaskar,
Sumeet Vyas
Director: Atul
Sabarwal
Rating: **1/2
SHORTCUT ROMEO
RELEASE DATE:
21-May-2013
STARING:
Neil Nitin
Mukesh, Ameesha Patel, Richa
Gangopadhyay
DIRECTOR(S):
Susi Ganeshan
PRODUCER:
Susi Ganeshan
MUSIC: Himesh Reshammiya
WRITER: Susi Ganeshan
YEH JAWANI HAI DEEWANI
RELEASE DATE: 31, May 2013
STARING: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone,
Aditya Roy Kapur, Kalki Koechlin
DIRECTOR(S):
Ayan Mukerji
PRODUCER(S): Karan Johar
TOO MANY SUB-PLOTS GET
'AURANGZEB' DEFEATED
It looks like after harvesting cine
themes pertaining to "glittery
and grey" lanes of, Mumbai,
now the fascination of our cine
thinkers have shifted to National
Capital Region, which is slowly
and steadily turning into the
breeding ground for some of the
novel
cine
ideas.
And
"Aurangzeb" is recent cop-mafia
nexus cine cantata, which has
found its roots in this new found
wild-west of Bollywood.
After seeing "Aurangzeb" it
won't be wrong to say that, it's
an amalgamation of two of the
most adored fascinations of the
Bollywood, one the "Delhi Love"
and another one dating back to
70s and 80s, that is of double
role. After seeing, Arjun adroitly
performing in, "Ishaqzaade", cine
buffs were quite eager to see
"Aurangzeb" on celluloid.
Besides, Arjun, it was, Sasheh
Agah and her somewhat sassy
avatar which amply warmed the
buzz
market
with
the
apprehensions pertaining to
"Aurangzeb." After inducing
ample ripples in the grapevine,
this maiden cine stint of
debuting director, Atul Sabarwal
opened with an approximate
FUKREY
RELEASE DATE:
14-Jun-2013
STARING: Pulkit Samrat, Manjot
Singh, Ali Fazal, Richa Chadda, Priya
Anand, Vishakha Singh
DIRECTOR(S): Mrighdeep Singh Lamba
PRODUCER: Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh
Sidhwani
MUSIC: Ram Sampath
SHORTCUT ROMEO
RELEASE DATE:
21-Jun-2013
STARING: Sahil Khan, Nigar Khan,
Monalisa
DIRECTOR(S): Kumar Jaywant
PRODUCER:
Dilshad Shama
MUSIC: Shankar Mahadevan,
Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa
LOOTERA
RELEASE DATE:
05-Jul-2013
STARING:
Ranveer Singh,
Sonakshi Sinha
DIRECTOR(S): Vikramaditya Motwane
PRODUCER: Ekta Kapoor, Shobha
occupancy of 17% at the
multiplexes.
Soon after the unveiling of the
promos of, "Aurangzeb" buzz
arena got fumed with a fragrance
that, it is somewhat an inspired
cine saga w h i c h o w n s a
conceptual resemblance to
two of the memorable cine
flicks of the golden era i.e "Don"
and "Trishul." And frankly
top
10
songs
MUSIC: Pritam Chakraborty
telling,
while
watching
"Aurangzeb", traces of these
two memorable movies keep on
popping in your head (provided
you have seen them). But at
the same time there is no
denying the fact, that
"Aurangzeb" is painted in
altogether a different texture
keeping in mind the orientation
of the Gen-X audience.
Anyhow,
leaving
the
comparative arena, let's come
back to "Aurangzeb." The plot
of "Aurangzeb" is a fair
combination of ambitiousness,
vendetta,
greed,
corrupt
practices, familial bonding and
cop-mafia tug of war. Premise
of "Aurangzeb" takes off with
a voice-over, narrating the
identity
of
characters,
Ravikant Phogat (Rishi
Kapoor) and his family of
policemen and Yashvardhan
Singh (Jackie Shroff) who is
otherwise a business tycoon but
governs an illegitimate world of
mafia while being under the guise
of a gentleman and has a
debauched son Ajay (Arjun
Kapoor).
NARGIS FAKHRI'S
mantra for a fit body
1
Film:
Aashiqui 2
TUM HI HO
FILM
SONG
2
Aashiqui 2
Sunn Raha Hai
3
Ek Thi Daayan
Yaaram
4
I Love New Year
Aaja Meri Jaan
5
Ek Thi Daayan
Kaali Kaali
6
Aashiqui 2
Chahun Main Ya Naa
7
I Love New Year
Judaai Unplugged
8
Shootout At Wadala
Babli Badmaash Hai
9
Nautanki Saala
Mera Mann Kehne Laga
10
Shootout At Wadala
Yeh Junoon
MOVIE COLLECTIONS
HIT OR FLOP MIDWEEK
HIMMATWALA
FLOP
AATMA
AVERAGE
MERE DAD KI MARUTI
BELOW AVERAGE
JOLLY L.L.B.
HIT
Nargis Fakhri was asked by a couple of young
girls about her fitness regime and how she keeps
herself so slim
The Rockstar actress, who prefers being curvy, detests the size zero
obsession. She would rather eat healthy than starve to be skinny.
Nargis focusses on regimes that help her maintain her killer curves
even if that means yoga or swimming at 4 am.
Eat healthy and work out is what she told the young girls.
Kapoor, Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl,
Vikramaditya Motwane
MUSIC: Amit Trivedi
BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG
RELEASE DATE:
12-Jul-2013
STARING: Farhan Akhtar,
Sonam Kapoor
DIRECTOR(S): Rakesh Omprakash
Mehra
PRODUCER:
Rakyesh Om
Prakash Mehra Productions
MUSIC: Himesh Reshammiya
WRITER: Susi Ganeshan
20
MidWeek
entertainment
Salman's girls at
war: Sonakshi Sinha
sunbs Kangna
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013
B-Town hotties flaunt
their 'desi' side on
Cannes red carpet
Apparently, Sonakshi
refused to come out of
her vanity van at an
event even though she
was on the guest list
Though the invite for the day
distinctly mentioned Sona's
name among the celebrities
gracing the occasion, the actress
apparently refused to come out
of her vanity van parked at the
venue and left without meeting
anyone. And apparently it had
something to do with the
presence of another B-Town
actress at the same party. Our
source says, `Sonakshi was not
informed by the organisers that
Kangna Ranaut would also be a
part of the event. While she
reached the venue on time with
her mother Poonam, one of her
staff members informed her that
Kangna was also present at the
event. `
Change of heart
Sona apparently was already
looking irritated when she came
in and lost her cool, even
refusing to step out of the van
in spite of the organisers
pleading to her.
Last year when Anurag Kashyap and Co
(read cast of Gangs of Wasseypur) draped
gamchas around their necks to beam at the
global media at Cannes, the world sat up
and took notice
She didn't exit the van until the
event was over. Surprising, since
Sonakshi is known to be
extremely professional and
people who have worked with her
consider her as completely
tantrum-free. ` Industry insiders
say that Sona's no-show could
have been because of the two
actress' close connections with
Salman Khan.
Turf war
The source explains, `While
Sona and Kangs actually do not
have any history, the bone of
contention is Salman. While
the actor gave Sonakshi her
first
Bollywood
break,
Kangna is known to be
extremely close to him. It is
Guys don't like girls who are
too done up and full of
themselves: ALIA BHATT
Alia Bhatt doesn't really need any makeup.But when she does, she does it right! At
a recent event of a high-end make-up
brand, Alia was seen giving make-up tips to
her young female fans.
She told CS, `You don't need to
change the way you look with
make-up. You just enhance your
features, adding a bit of colour
and have fun experimenting.`
Here are some of Alia's thumb
rules and her perception of herself:
Kiddy fun
As a child, I used to not like my
mother wearing lipstick at all.
It used to smudge all over. But
the one thing I loved was kajal.
It makes your eyes look so
beautiful. I would sometimes
apply kajal on myself but it would
smudge everywhere. I mastered the
art of applying it much later. Makeup essentials
I try to keep it very simple. Depending on the weather and the season, I
pick colours. I think for every girl,
understanding your own complexion
and body type is important. You must
know what suits and fits you. You
should always be comfortable in
whatever you are weari n g a n d
must smell good.
o b v i o u s t h a t b o t h o f them
cannot stand each other. `
Incidentally, Sona apparently
has been denying that she was
ever present at the venue. The
informer adds,
`She has even told people she
was never invited. `
We have a few video grabs to
affirm her presence at the venue.
Unarguably, desi fashion was having its
spot in the sun amidst the razzle-dazzle of
designer couture draped on the Hollywood
biggies at the French Riviera.
And with Sonam Kapoor sporting a classic ornate nath (nose
ring) with her lace saree on the red carpet the day before, the
quintessential elements associated with the Indian woman
are out there for everyone to see. There is no denying the
popular argument these days how Bollywood has mostly
graced Cannes on the red carpet instead of at the marquee.
But a girl's got to do what a girl got to do, some would argue.
So from parading with a head-to-toe desi touch, our
Bollywood girls have definitely put India on the world
fashion map. Back in 2005, when actress-filmmaker Nandita
Das walked the red carpet in the French Riviera in a plain
red silk saree, gajra, choker-necklace, maang tika, et al,
fashion critics almost jumped out of their chairs. There
was a lone woman among hundreds of Gucci or Dolce
and Gabbana clad ladies who had dared to walk off the much
trodden path of shimmering gowns and party frocks. Cannes
had its very own showstopper! Soon sarees became a
passe on the Cannes red carpet, and our leading ladies
started adorning their ethnic looks with very-Indian
embellishments. Back in 2010, when Deepika Padukone
proudly flaunted a dazzling Rohit Bal saree and a resplendent
bindi on the red carpet, the shutterbugs went into a frenzy.
Fashion critics, world over noted her Indian-ness oozing out
from every thread of her attire!
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21,
2013
MidWeek
bollywood
Coming Soon: Saif's
daughter in Bollywood?
S
aif Ali Khan says his daughter Sara
likes the idea of getting into movies
and he would love to see her on the
screen With a bevy of star kids making
their Bollywood debuts this year, it
doesn't come as a surprise when Saif Ali
Khan says he would love his 16-year-old
daughter Sara to join the Bollywood
brigade. The Nawab of Pataudi feels
facing the camera is the `most incredible
profession in the whole world`.
If her father's dreams come true, Sara
would be joining the likes of Tiger Shroff,
Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor
and the others to romance the cameras.
However with just a hint of caution, the
proud father says, `Whether she can be
or not is a separate question. I don't know
for sure. I think she likes the idea of
getting into movies. But at the moment
she is pursuing academics, so let's see
where that goes. ` While Saif's first film
Parampara was at the age of 22, the actor
feels there is no real rush these days to
join tinsel town. He says, `Gone are the
days when you had to do it by the
age of 16. ` A few months back, Sara
posed with her mother Amrita Singh
on the covers of a magazine that led
to a lot of speculation about her entry
into Bollywood. Says proud papa Saif,
`Sara has just joined Columbia
University and I am very happy and
relieved. `
Paintings are
windows to
the mind,
thinks
Sushmita
Sen. Sreya
Basu chats up
with the
actress in
Mumbai on
her latest
inclination for
art
Paintings are windows to the mind, thinks
Sushmita Sen. Sreya Basu chats up with the
actress in Mumbai on her latest inclination for
art. You seem to have become an art lover of
late. Oh, I love art ... from children's drawings
to Picasso's bacche ki tahar paintings to (MF)
Husainsaab's interpretations of horses,
Ganpati and Mother Teresa to (SH) Raza's
graphical kind of portrayals.
I have a huge collection of art not because
they are expensive (though that too is an
important aspect), but because we stay within
four walls and if you put paintings on those
walls, they become windows.
Whenever you want to be at peace with
yourself, want to be inspired, imaginative, you
look at those windows and they take you to
their world.
Have you ever tried your hand at painting?
So far, I have done everything in life at least
for once; I still do that and will continue to do
that. I even did painting.
A painting of mine was even auctioned for
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital
and Research Centre, which is built in the name
of Imran Khanji's (Pakistani cricketer-turnedpolitician) mother. My painting titled Ibadat
was sold for Rs 50 lakh and was used for
cancer patients.
What is your genre of art?
I don't paint for the world but for myself and
hence do it like a child.
How Sanjay Dutt got his most requests
granted in Jail including cigarettes
“
Dutt's advocate pleads for several facilities
for the actor for his prison stay, gets most
requests granted
A
forlorn Sanjay Dutt
surrendered in court
yesterday, along with coaccused Kersi Bapuji Adajania
and Yusuf Rasool Nalwalla.
Dutt's wife Maanyata, sister
Priya Dutt and brother-in-law
Owen Roncon accompanied him
into the box.
Maanyata was seen holding
hands with her careworn
husband
and
constantly
comforting him. Dutt, dressed in
blue sneakers and jeans and a
white kurta, looked haggard and
had bloodshot, baggy eyes.
Appearing on behalf of the
accused, Advocate Rizwan
Merchant told special judge GA
Sanap that all of them were
entitled to facilities inside prison.
Merchant urged the court to
provide Dutt with an 'electronic
cigarette' inside jail. `It is a form
of medication. I have been told
to quit smoking because my
cholesterol and triglycerides are
high. I am such a chain-smoker
that if I don't smoke I get
headaches and migraine attacks.
It is not a cigarette. It is a
medicated tube containing 15 per
cent nicotine, ` said Dutt through
his lawyer Merchant.
Not buying the argument, Judge
Sanap jokingly pointed to
Merchant and said, `This is
prescribed by this doctor!`
Dutt also requested for
medication for his Stenosis,
a disorder afflicting arteries in
the legs. Dutt requires the
medication to prevent the
arteries from bursting, and
was granted permission to
keep the same with him in
prison. `He should also be
allowed a thin mattress and
thin pillow as a vein is jutting
out between two bones of his
spine, ` Merchant added. For
Nalwalla, the court has
allowed 'homemade' diet
food.
I HAVE NO
LIMITATIONS, WILL
DO BOLD ROLES:
PUJA GUPTA
‘
'I took painting from
Salman's home because
he had no time for me'
21
MODEL-ACTRESS PUJA GUPTA SAYS SHE
KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION IN
LIFE AND WANTS TO BE A GRADUATE
The former Miss India Universe was a bright student during her
school days. But after her father's death, she somehow managed
to take her board examinations and then decided to enter the
glamour world. While her film career has started with successful
films like 'Faltu' and the recent zombie comedy 'Go Goa Gone',
Puja is sure that she wants to complete her education and acting
is not the only thing she is aiming at. "My mother is a doctor and
brother an engineer. They wanted me to finish my education and
unfortunately I could not complete it. When I decided to enter
into glam world, films and modelling, it was a shocker for my
family, " Puja, who had even got herself enrolled for a course in
New York, told. "Though my family is now quite happy with my
work, I am sure my mother still wishes for me to finish my
graduation, " she said "I don't plan things as to when and how I
will do it. But the day I quit these things I will go back and focus
on my education, " she said. Puja is aware that being a school
pass-out won't take her ahead in her life and hence she will look
at completing her college education. "This is a promise that I
made to my mother and brother before I stepped into the world of
glamour, " Puja said.
The actress is excited about her first romantic role opposite Neil
Nitin Mukesh in south director Susi Ganeshan's upcoming
romantic thriller 'Shortcut Romeo'. 'Shortcut Romeo' is the remake
of southern film 'Thiruttu Payale'. But Puja says she was asked
not to watch the original Tamil film. Talking about her role, Puja
says, "In the first half of the film, I get to play a glamorous girl
and in the second half I play a simple girl, it is the same character.
I feel fortunate to get to play two parts in the film. " Her co-star
Neil helped her in improvising her role. "Neil is a talented actor. I
liked him in 'Johnny Gaddar' and 'New York'. It is a treat to watch
him on screen. He helped me a lot during the scenes, " she said.
The film also stars Ameesha Patel and releases on June 21. Pooja,
who is gearing up for her next film "Shortcut Romeo", says as an
actress she doesn't have any limitations. Pooja Gupta told: "I don't have
any limitations as an actor. As an actor you shouldn't limit yourself. An
actor should have the liberty to do whatever they want to and the director
is the one who will decide." The model-turned-actress has featured in
two films "F.A.L.T.U." nad "Go Goa Gone" so far and said: "I am loving
that I have become an actress. I never thought I will be an actress. I will try
to do the best with the roles given to me...I will do bold roles if I am
comfortable with it." The 24-year-old describes Ameesha Patel, with
whom will share the screen space in "Shortcut Romeo", as a "wonderful
co-star". "She is so gorgeous. She is senior to me and has spent
a decade in the industry. There is lot to learn from her."
KIM KARDASHIAN
EXPECTING
A BABY GIRL?
Pregnant reality star Kim
Kardashian has fuelled
rumours she is expecting a
daughter with rapper Kanye
West as the invitations to her
baby shower feature a dancing
ballerina. The socialite's
sisters Kourtney and Khloe
are hosting a special bash for
the mother-to-be on June 2.
They
have spared no expense when
sending out the party
invitations,
which
appropriately contains music
boxes that, when opened, play
West's song Hey Mama and
put into motion a twirling toy
ballerina, reported E! online.
The over-the-top mailings
have prompted many to
suspect the socialite and
fashion designer is planning
for a girl, especially since
photographers
snapped
multiple
photos
of
Kardashian's
assistant
carrying a pink-themed baby
gift basket into her home in April.
Actress-turned-TV host Kathie
Lee Gifford, who is the beauty's
godmother, first sparked
speculation the couple was
expecting a girl on a TV show in
February, when she said
Kardashian was "four months
pregnant, I think now with her
little girl".
sports
DID RAHUL DRAVID
SNIFF SREESANTH'S
CONSPIRACY?
‘
Protesters make their voices heard in the wake of the IPL spot-fixing revelations, New Delhi.
SUNRISERS NEED TO GEAR UP
FOR CHALLENGE AHEAD: MOODY
‘
"
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD COACH TOM MOODY HAS SAID REACHING THE PLAYOFFS
OF THE INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE IS A ONLY A STEP FORWARD AND HIS TEAM NOW
NEEDS TO GEAR UP FOR THE CHALLENGE AHEAD.
This is only one step. We
had set the goal to qualify,
we have achieved that. Now,
we need to gather ourselves and
plan and prepare appropriately.
We got a few days to do that,"
Moody told reporters after the
Sunrisers Hyderabad got the
better of Kolkata Knight Riders
by five wickets on Sunday night
to make it to the playoff stage.
"The challenge ahead is an
exciting one. Lot of people at the
beginning of the tournament
gave us no hope whatsoever. So,
it is very rewarding and
satisfying that we managed to
evolve as a team, gel well as a
team and qualify," he added.
Moody said he would look
at the playoffs as no different
from the other games so far in
the league stage of the
tournament.
"I don't think the playoffs
will bring more pressure than
what today was. Today was final
for us. The next game is no
different than any other game we
played in this tournament.
"As far as we are concerned,
every game is the same for us.
The playoffs in Delhi is no
different. Our preparation will be
no different," he insisted.
Although the loss of
BCCI STARTS DAMAGE CONTROL,
INSTRUCTS RAJASTHAN
ROYALS TO FILE FIR
CHENNAI: House-cleaning operations have started in the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Cornered by the
spot-fixing scandal, the board has not only started its own
internal inquiry, but has made Rajasthan Royals a party to it.
BCCI bosses made it clear to Manoj Badale, the Royals'
representative in the working committee meeting here on
Sunday, that it's the franchise that will file an FIR against the
tainted trio of S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan.
"Ravi Sawani, the head of the Anti-Corruption and Security
Unit (ACSU) of the BCCI will start an inquiry and we will take the
help of the Delhi police. He will send a report to the BCCI's disciplinary
committee and we will take action accordingly," BCCI chief N
Srinivasan later told reporters. He dismissed suggestions that BCCI
didn't crack down on corruption despite warnings from the ICC.
"The ICC ACSU confirmed today that they had not informed us of
anything. That information is incorrect," Srinivasan clarified. It was
decided at Sunday's meeting that an ACSU official will
accompany every team, and it will start from the playoffs.
"The official will monitor the movements of the players and
once in the dressing room, they won't be able to communicate
with the outside world. Mobile phones in the dressing room are
already banned, but it's up to the official now to ensure that
these measures are followed strictly," sources added. The
movement of players' agents, too, will be curbed to a significant
degree. With its backs to the wall in the wake of the spotfixing controversy, the BCCI has been forced to come up with
some tough measures. However, how strictly they will be
implemented and how effective they will be only time will tell.
wickets while chasing a modest
target of 131 against the Knight
Riders, had brought the
Sunrisers under some pressure,
Moody said the experienced
players in the side dealt with the
situation well.
"We won with an over to
spare. Quick wickets was a little
bit of pressure. But it really
depended upon how we reacted
in that situation and we reacted
in our own way. We did not panic.
We have experienced people in
the middle. We have batting
capabilities. We made it
interesting.
"We should have probably
finished with a few overs to
spare. They fought well. They
tried to get back into the
contest," explained the coach.
Heaping praise on openers
Parthiv Patel (47) and Shikhar
Dhawan (42) who gave a solid
platform to the team, Moody
said, "The partnership of Shikhar
Dhawan and Parthiv Patel is very
pleasing.
They
batted
exceptionally well. Parthiv is in
nice form. Shikhar is taking time
to get going, but is really hitting
the ball and show exactly why
he is playing international
cricket."Moody said in the
absence of Ishant Sharma, who
was down with fever, Anand
Rajan (1/22) did a good job.
"Ishant Sharma is suffering
from fever. He is disappointed
that he could not make it. Anand
Rajan showed that he was more
than capable of stepping up and
take the opportunity," he said.
Meanwhile, KKR coach
Trevor Bayliss said the team
could not play the way they
would have liked to.
"In a nutshell, four-five
overs of some poor cricket cost us
dearly. That happened in a number
of games throughout the season. In
20 overs of cricket, you cannot give
the opposition five or six overs of
bad play and hope to win lot of
games," he said.
DID RAJASTHAN ROYALS HAVE AN INKLING
ABOUT SREESANTH'S ACTIVITIES LONG
BEFORE DELHI COPS KNOCKED ON THE
PACER'S DOOR AT A MUMBAI HOTEL?
Team sources said skipper Rahul Dravid didn't want the pacer
to play against Punjab in Mohali on May 9. But Sreesanth
kept his spot, tucked in a towel and gave away 13 runs as per
instructions from a bookie.
By the next match, against Mumbai on May 15, the mediumpacer had been thrown out of the team. In fact, Sreesanth had
no business being in Mumbai on May 16, when special cell
sleuths came calling.
A Rajasthan Royals official confirmed to TOI that the bowler
had officially been told after the match against Chennai on
May 12 that he was no longer part of the squad due to his
increasing tantrums. "He had been asked to leave the team
hotel in Jaipur itself," the official said, adding that RR also
cleared a large par t of the its financial commitments towards
Sreesanth at the time of his release.
Rajasthan Royals had 'sacked' Sreesanth before the game
against Mumbai Indians on My 15, a team official told TOI.
He, though, clarified that the decision had nothing to do with
any suspicion of spot-fixing.
"We had no idea that spot-fixing was happening. He was asked
to leave because he had been throwing tantrums for the past
few days," he said. "This spot-fixing thing hit us out of the
blue."
Sreesanth was apparently upset at having been left out of the
playing XI. He is said to have confronted Dravid and demanded
that he be included in the playing XI as he was the best medium-pacer in the country. "At that time, we thought he was
just frustrated at having to sit out," the official said.
"Now, as we look back, we realize that perhaps he was doing
that under pressure from bookies."
Sreesanth had been throwing tantrums for the last few
matches of Rajasthan Royals. Before the Mohali match on
May 9, in which he is alleged to have indulged in spot-fixing,
he had last played against RCB here on April 9. He had been
left out for the matches against Pune Warriors and Delhi Daredevils here. This apparently did not go down too well with
him. Even in Mohali, Dravid was said to have been reluctant
on playing Sreesanth.
There was apparently an air of suspicion around Chandila
too. "Probably they could smell something fishy. But because
there was no concrete proof, they didn't drop these guys," a
source added.
The Royals team, currently stationed in Jaipur, had a training
session on Saturday at the RCA Academy and Sawai Mansingh
Stadium ground. Clearly, the energy level evident in the past
training sessions was missing as the Royals got cracking
ahead of the qualifiers. Dravid, along with Ajinkya Rahane
and a few others, preferred to practice at the SMS, while rest
of the squad trained at the RCA Academy.
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21,
2013
'Amazing to be in top four' - Dhawan
I
n a must-win situation
Sunrisers
Hyderabad
registered yet another win at
their home ground, this time
against defending champions
Kolkata Knight Riders, and
became the fourth team to qualify
for the playoffs in their first
season under new
ownership. Shikhar
Dhawan,
the
opening batsman,
told the IPL site
that
it
was
"amazing to see
our name in the
‘
THE FEELING TODAY IS QUITE SIMILAR AS NO
ONE GAVE THE SUNRISERS A CHANCE IN THE
TOURNAMENT, AND TODAY WE HAVE
QUALIFIED FOR THE PLAYOFFS."
top four", after not many had
given the team a chance.
Kris Srikkanth, Sunrisers'
mentor, was also overjoyed with
the result and compared the
team's successful league-stage
run to that of the Indian team
during the 1983 World Cup.
"My memories went down
to the 1983 World Cup,"
Srikkanth told the site. "Nobody
gave us a chance in the World
Cup that year, but we qualified
and won at the end of the day.
The feeling today is quite similar
as no one gave the Sunrisers a
chance in the tournament, and
today we have qualified for the
playoffs."
Chasing 131, Dhawan set up
the platform with an 89-run
opening partnership with Parthiv
Patel, before the team slumped
to 112 for 5 in the 18th over. But
Darren Sammy shrugged the
team's nervousness aside with
two consecutive sixes in the
penultimate over to spark wild
celebrations.
"I feel it was a great opening
partnership between me and
Parthiv," Dhawan said. "We got
off to a good start and did the
job for our team. Also, hats off
to Darren Sammy who held his
nerve to finish the game for us."
Once again Sunrisers'
bowlers didn't allow a visiting
team to go past 130 (as has been
the case in all games except in
the one against Chennai Super
Kings), despite the absence of
Ishant Sharma, who missed out
due to illness. His replacement,
Anand Rajan, gave away 22 runs
in his four overs and picked up a
wicket to maintain the team's
strong showing in the field.
"We have a lethal bowling
attack with Dale Steyn and
Ishant Sharma adding firepower
in the beginning and at the
death; and we have quality
spinners like Amit Mishra and
Karan Sharma who thrive in pairs
in the mid-innings," Dhawan
said. "We have a similar logic
with respect to our batting too."
Sunrisers will now face
Rajasthan Royals in the
Eliminator, which is to be played
in Delhi on Wednesday.
SOME PLAYERS GETTING AHEAD
OF THEMSELVES: MARK WAUGH
MELBOURNE: Reacting to David Warner's twitter rant against two
journalists, former Australia Test batsman Mark Waugh on Monday
said that some players are getting ahead of themselves and need to
pull their heads in. "It's a pretty inexperienced squad (Australia
national team)...there's not many senior players...we lost Mike Hussey
and Ricky Ponting. You don't really have the core group of senior
players who can knock things on the head. "Young players are
getting a lot of money and getting there pretty easily aren't they?
They're getting to the top without having to do a whole lot of hard
work, so maybe they're getting ahead of themselves," said Waugh.
"There's probably certain players who need to pull their heads in
and concentrate on cricket," he added. Waugh although said
Warner's outburst was "no big deal", he insisted that the explosive
batsman showed "signs of a bit of immaturity". "Dave Warner has
only played 19 Tests... He shouldn't even worry about these sorts of
things. He should just be concentrating on his cricket," Waugh
said. "I mean it's not a good look
for David Warner I think it's the
second or third time he's sort of
tweeted out some words which
haven't been that smart. He's got to
learn from this. Its not the ideal
situation you want to see from
supposedly one of your senior
player or one of the most important
players in your squad," said Waugh.
"He's probably got to get a thicker
skin really... As a player you're not
going to get people telling you how
great you are every day of the week.
There's times you've got to cop the
good with the bad and I think he's
had problems doing that so far in his
career," he added.
23
ANOTHER SEASON IN
THE BOTTOM HALF
WHERE THEY
FINISHED
Just like last season,
Kings XI Punjab finished sixth with 16
points and for the
third season in a row
they
were
left
agonisingly close to
a place in the qualifiers. Had they won
one more match and
ended with 18 points,
they too would have
been in contention for
a place in the playoffs along with
S u n r i s e r s
Hyderabad
and
Royal Challengers
Bangalore. Traditionally they are poor star ters but this season
they began with a commanding win. However, they lost their
next two matches and followed it with some more inconsistent performances.
WHAT WENT RIGHT
The overseas players. From the first match, in which Ryan
Harris and Azhar Mahmood helped the other bowlers restrict
Pune Warriors to 99, to the last, it was the overseas players
who first kept them in the top half of the points table, then kept
their hopes alive till their penultimate match and then gave
them a 50-run win in their last match against the mighty
Mumbai Indians in Dharamsala.
Their top three run-scorers, their highest wicket-taker, their
38-year-old allrounder - all foreign players. Ryan Harris did
his bit too with an economy of six runs per over from three
matches before injuring his heel.
What also worked very well for Kings XI was their pace attack,
comprising mainly of Indian bowlers. Sixty-three out of the 77
wickets their bowlers took were through the pacers, a whopping 81.81%. Praveen Kumar's swing fetched him 12 wickets
- mostly disturbing the top order, Parvinder Awana struck 15
times in 14 matches - a first or second change bowler breaking par tnerships in the middle overs, Mahmood also took 15
with his precise line and length, complementing Kumar with
seam options. When changes were made in the pace attack,
Sandeep Sharma took eight wickets in four matches, Manpreet
Gony took seven and Harmeet Singh chipped in with five wickets in three.
WHAT WENT WRONG
Opening par tnerships. Whether Mandeep Singh opened with
Adam Gilchrist, Shaun Marsh or Luke Pomersbach, the highest he could manage with any of them was 45 with Gilchrist.
Their highest opening stand, of 60, was between Gilchrist and
Marsh in their penultimate match which came a little too late.
An out-of-form captain and an average opening stand of 16.50
at a run-rate of 6.68 means Kings XI will have to buy some
specialist openers in next year's auction as Gilchrist won't be
there, whether they want him or not.
BEST PLAYER
While Mahmood put his hear t and soul into his performances,
making 196 runs with two fifties and picking 15 wickets (joint
highest wicket-taker for Kings XI), the player who changed
their batting for tunes along with Marsh was David Miller. After
missing their first three games, Miller grabbed everyone's
attention with an unbeaten 41-ball 80 to chase 186 in the last
over against Pune Warriors. Hungry for more, he helped them
chase a modest 121 in the next game and struck another fifty
a match after that, but his five sixes weren't enough as they
fell shor t by four runs.
WORST PLAYER
Since Gilchrist's performances were waning in the last couple
of years, the nucleus of the Kings XI squad was made of other
Australian batsmen David Hussey, a T20 veteran, and Marsh.
But Hussey, unlike his brother, failed to make a mark this season and
was unable to win them a single match. On the field, he was more
entertaining during the short stints when he was miked up - providing
jokes and insights - than with bat and ball. No fifties, 235 runs at a strikerate of 112.55 and 11 overs for 91 runs without a wicket sum up a sorry
season for a man on whom Kings XI splashed out $1.4million.
IPL Standing 2013
24
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013