Six arrested in Hong Kong boat crash that killed 37

Justin Trudeau launches his campaign for Liberal leadership
REPORT ON PAGE 10
Six arrested in Hong Kong
boat crash that killed 37
HONG KONG/BUREAU NEWS
Hong Kong police have arrested six
crew members from the two boats
involved in a collision that left 37
people dead. The vessel and
another boat - reportedly operated
by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry
- collided, causing the HK Electric
vessel to list. Police said on
Tuesday that crew members from
both boats were detained on
suspicion
of
endangering
passengers by operating the craft
unsafely.
More than 120 passengers and
crew were on the Hong Kong Electric
company's vessel to watch the huge
fireworks display in Victoria harbour
on Monday evening when the
collision occurred near Lamma island.
Twenty-eight
people
were
pronounced dead at the scene. Five
children were among the dead. More
than 100 people were taken to
hospital, with nine suffering serious
injuries or in critical condition.
US PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Obama, Romney all ready
to trade verbal sallies
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND REPUBLICAN
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY BOTH CAMPAIGN
IN THE BATTLEGROUND STATE OF OHIO ON SEPT. 26.
WASHINGTON/BUREAU NEWS
President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney
have been spending hours upon hours behind closed doors
preparing for a face-off in a tradition that first began in 1960. That
was when the Presidential debate tee'd off with Republican vicepresident Richard Nixon taking on a fresh-faced Democratic Senator
John F.Kennedy in a nationally televised jaw-jaw to show who was
better suited for the White House. The story goes that the two
camps keenly engaged CBS television network to make sure there
were more face shots of their candidate. But when the Nixon camp
realized that their candidate was prone to sweat under the studio
lights, they backed off. As it turned out, Nixon, who was recovering
from a knee-injury and a two-week stay at a hospital during which
he had lost weight, arrived in an ill-fitting suit. He refused make-up
to improve his color and lighten his famed ''five o'clock'' shadow. He
went through the debate sitting uneasily and gripping the arms of
the chair. In contrast, Kennedy, looking tanned and well-rested, sat
cross-legged and relaxed. Although they were evenly matched in
terms of delivery and content, some 70 million viewers who watched
the debate on television pronounced Kennedy the winner. But those
who heard it on radio felt Nixon had done better. Much has changed
since those early days, including the arrival of debating-doubles,
image-makers, gag-writers, spinmeisters etc.
Contd. on Page 5
War of words: Krishna fights
back Zardari K-bomb at UN
Indian FM reiterates Kashmir integral part of India
A PARTIALLY SUBMERGED BOAT IS STABILISED ON TUESDAY BY THE CRANE OF ANOTHER
VESSEL AFTER IT COLLIDED WITH A FERRY ON MONDAY NIGHT, NEAR LAMMA ISLAND, OFF
SOUTHWESTERN HONG KONG ISLAND. (AP)
Blasphemy case: Witnesses turn hostile
WITNESSES SAY THAT POLICE HAD 'COERCED' THEM TO
TESTIFY AGAINST THE CLERIC.
ISLAMABAD/BUREAU NEWS
Three prosecution witnesses in the blasphemy case on Monday
backtracked from their earlier statements in which they had accused
the prayer leader of a mosque of altering the evidence against a
Christian girl. The three witnesses, who had earlier recorded
statements against cleric Khalid Chishti, submitted a fresh statement
in the court of a district and sessions judge in Islamabad that said
police had forced them to blame Chishti for the incident. The witnesses
claimed police had tortured them and made them give statements
against Chishti. One of the witnesses, Hafiz Mohammad Zubair, works
as the muezzin in the mosque where Chishti is the cleric. Rimsha
Masih, who suffers from learning disabilities, was charged more
than a month ago with blasphemy for allegedly burning pages of the
Quran for cooking fuel. She has denied the charges. Police officials
investigating the blasphemy case against Rimsha had earlier
submitted an interim charge-sheet declaring cleric Khalid Jadoon
Chishti guilty before the trial court. The cleric was accused of adding
pages from the Holy Quran to ashes seized from 14-year-old Rimsha
to implicate her and was sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand by
the judicial magistrate hearing the case on September 2, 2012.
NEW DELHI/BUREAU NEWS
India-Pakistan bonhomie stops
at the gates of Kashmir. Foreign
minister SM Krishna made a
spirited rebuttal of Pakistan
president Asif Zardari's contention
that Kashmir was
a symbol of the
failure of the
United Nations
process.
In
his
speech at the
UNGA
on
M o n d a y,
Krishna said,
"The people of
Jammu
and
Kashmir have chosen and
reaffirmed their destiny repeatedly
through India's well established
democratic processes."
Asserting that J&K was an
integral part of India, Krishna
criticized what he called "an
unwarranted reference to J&K from
this podium. ... We wish to make it
abundantly clear that J&K is an
integral part of India." In his UNGA
speech on Wednesday, Zardari
restated Pakistan's support of
Kashmir. "We will continue to
support the right of the people of
J&K to peacefully choose their
destiny in accordance with the
United Nations Security Council's
long-standing resolutions on this
matter." Labouring the point,
Zardari said, "Kashmir remains a
symbol of the failures, rather than
strengths of the UN system."
Pakistan, in the past few months
has stepped up infiltration
attempts in J&K.
2
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
page 3
3
SALMAN KHAN
AT BIGG BOSS 6
LAUNCH
GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2012
Complete list of winners of 'GQ Men of the year awads 2012
GQ Agent of Social Change - Mohandas Pai
GQ Artists of the Year - Thukral and Tagra
GQ Chef of the Year - Vikas Khanna
GQ Director of the Year - Anurag Kashyap
GQ Writer of the Year - Rahul Bhattacharya
GQ Emerging Talent of the Year - Ayushmann Khurrana
GQ Award for The Ultimate GQ Man - Shahid Kapoor
GQ Award for Lifetime Achievement - Anil Kapoor
GQ TV Personality of the Year - Shekhar Gupta
GQ Breakthrough Personality of the Year - Nawazuddin
Siddiqui
GQ Legend of the Year - Rahul Dravid
Gq Sportsman of the Year - Sushil Kumar
GQ International Businessman of the Year - Tony Fernandes
GQ Businessman of the Year - Sanjay Reddy
GQ Cinematic Icon of the Year - Ajay Devgn
GQ Most Stylish Man of the Year - John Abraham
GQ Inspiration of the Year - Shekhar Kapur
GQ Designer of the Year - Rohit Bal
GQ Woman of the Year - Deepika Padukone
GQ Woman Cinematic Icon of the Year - Vidya Balan
Bollywood at the fifth Airtel
Delhi Half Marathon
his time around, some
big names, who're either
regulars at the Airtel
Delhi Half Marathon or had
promised to come, failed to turn
up. That didn't stop the
whispers and a rush of photogs
each time a name was
mentioned. During the event,
there was news that Siddharth
Mallya was participating, which
turned out to be a rumour.
Mediapersons were told that
Vivek Oberoi and Anil Ambani
would be participating, but that
was also little more than the
T
next year." Shah Rukh Khan
was another name doing the
rounds. Delhi like home;
would've loved to run: Bips and
Hussain Bipasha Basu, the
brand ambassador of the
annual event, told us that she
would have loved to run, but
couldn't do so. "It's my third
time at the marathon. I love
running and it would have been
great if I'd been able to. But I
am not allowed to do so," she
said. The actress told us that
Delhi holds a special place in
her heart. "I was born in Delhi
buzz doing the rounds. Gauhar
Khan, who was supposed to be
there with Hussain and the
gang from the musicals,
couldn't make it because,
according to reliable sources,
she "couldn't get up early in the
morning (!)." Sonakshi Sinha
and S Sreesanth were also
expected, but they were
nowhere to be seen. According
to
Sudesh
Sonawane,
coordinator for the Harmony
foundation, "Sreesanth had
agreed
to
attend,
but
unfortunately, his evening
flight from Kochi was cancelled
and he would not have been
able to reach Delhi on time. Sree
was very keen to attend, and
has promised that he will
definitely make it to the event
and spent the first eight years
of my life here," she said.
When she arrived, Bips
went on a meeting and greeting
spree as she hugged, chatted
and laughed with other celebs
present. Starting with Madhur
Bhandarkar, she met everyone,
including actor and anchor
Hussain Kuwajerwala. She also
had an old-times chat with
designer Tarun Tahiliani in the
VIP lounge. She caught up with
Rahul Bose when they were in
the VIP lounge between backto-back
flagging-off
ceremonies. Hussain spent
most of his time with other
actors from Zangoora and
Jhumroo, the two musical
productions
staged
in
Gurgaon.
Salman Khan at Bigg Boss 6 launch
T
here is no stopping
Salman Khan when he in
his true elements. His
uncanny sense of humour can
often land you in the trickiest of
situations, especially when you
come across as someone
vulnerable. The Rs 100-crore
actor was at his jovial best when
he chose to don the hat of a
journalist and called some
scribes on the stage, to find out
from them how different Bigg
Boss will be in its sixth season.
While some were awestruck,
there were others who expressed
the desire to see him locked
inside the house. They wanted
to know what he would do during
his stay. Will he be seen in the
swimming pool? To this, the
Bollywood beefcake replied,
"Why would I spend time in the
swimming pool? Main Salman
hoon, Sunny Leone nahi." The
actor, who was unhappy with last
year's content, has ensured that
it's cleaner and suitable for
family-viewing this time around.
Pssst: 1. This time, even the
aam junta will get a chance to
stay in the Bigg Boss house. The
number of contestants have not
been finalised yet. 2. Salman had
a companion on stage — a
Macaw parrot — who is named
after one of his famous onscreen characters, Radhe from
Tere Naam. The actor chatted
with him for a good 15 minutes
and their conversation had the
media in splits. 3. The host
emphasised on the fact that the
show will be cleaner this time and
stressed the word parivaarik. 1.
This time, even the aam junta will
get a chance to stay in the Bigg
Boss house. The number of
contestants have not been
finalised yet. 2. Salman had a
companion on stage — a Macaw
parrot — who is named after one
of his famous on-screen
characters, Radhe from Tere
Naam. The actor chatted with
him for a good 15 minutes and
their conversation had the media
in splits. 3. The host emphasised
on the fact that the show will be
cleaner this time and stressed the
word parivaarik.
4
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
Flashback from last year's
Midweek South Asian Awards
A
nother year, another successful awards night!!! And so continues the grand tradition of
honouring remarkable South Asian achievers who symbolize entrepreneurial spirit,
sportsmanship, and philanthropy. The 4th Annual Midweek South Asian Awards gala, presented
by Aureus University, School of Medicine, was held on Saturday, November 12, 2011, at the plush Grand
Victorian Convention Centre at Radisson Plaza, in celebration of the accomplishments of nine South Asian
trailblazers from all walks of life. The Midweek South Asian awards are a testament to the hard work and
fortitude of South Asians who have made a mark for themselves in this beautiful country and honour their
continued commitment to a strong, diverse, multicultural society. Speaking at the event, Yudhvir Jaswal,
chief editor of Midweek News Weekly, said that it is important to acknowledge the success stories of South
Asians as they not only represent the talent of today but are an inspiration for the achievers of tomorrow.
Last year the grand addition of a glitzy red carpet punched up the sense of
occasion while the ornate interiors of the Grand Victorian further reinforced the
grandeur of the evening. With a great turnout of over 500 guests, the event
kicked off with a rocking Bollywood dance performance by Jadoo Entertainment
who wove their magic right through the show.
Jake Dheer, Rogers TV station manager, shared his emcee role with Surbhi
Guleria, host of Badhai Ho on Omni TV. Jake's charming ability to connect with
the audience coupled with his razor-sharp wit along with Surbhi's graceful style
livened up the evening while maintaining the flow of the event. This one-of-akind gala was attended by several high-profile Canadians and a host of politicians
such as Hon. Bal Gosal, minister of state (sport), Conservative MP Parm Gill, Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan,
MPP Hon. Harinder Thakhar, minister of government services, MPP Dipika Damerla, Mayor of Brampton
Susan Fennell, councillors Elaine Moore and John Sanderson from the city of Brampton, and councillors
Ron Starr and Chris Fonseca from the city of Mississauga. Ms Preeti Saran, Consul-General of India, and
Sheldon Lieba, CEO of the Mississauga Board of Trade, were also present along with some other luminaries
such as Dr Jaya Chanchlani and Nimmi Papneja. The event was covered by Rogers TV, Sony TV and
several other ethnic media. Bollywood actress and former Miss India World, Sayali Bhagat, flew in all the
way from Mumbai to put up a scintillating live performance - a first for the Midweek South Asian Awards
event. Showing no trace of any jetlag, the ravishing and well-poised Sayali, who will be starring in the
upcoming movie Ghost, talked to the media, posed with guests for pictures and signed autographs. A
fashion show by Silver Tulip, featuring Indo-western creations, added to the glam quotient. Models
strutted down the stage in stylish skirts, halter-neck suits and elegant saris. The highlight of the evening
was the Midweek awards presented to nine movers and shakers amongst the South Asian community. Rick
Walia, the young, enterprising owner of Solutions retail stores, was awarded the South Asian Businessman
of the year (SME). First opened in 1999, the company offers a one-stop shopping solution for all your
organizational needs and is one of Canada's fastest growing companies with 15 locations across Ontario.
Herman Kahlon took the South Asian Sports Person of the year award for his outstanding sportsmanship
in cricket, and was cheered by his Chandigarh Tigers team members from the Canadian Professional Cricket
(CPC) association as he walked up to receive his award. Abhinav Kumar received the South Asian Youth
of the year award. A technology, engineering and management expert, Abhinav is the CEO of Telkin Corp,
a business process outsourcing and medical transcription company. Anu Srivastava, financial controller of
the Rose Theatre, Brampton, was felicitated for excellence in the field of community service. Ms Srivastava
has been instrumental in promoting South Asian cultural heritage while creating international exposure for
the city of Brampton. She was involved in creating the IIFA Buzz weekend in 2011 in Brampton and
organized the TIFF Breakaway launch party with the movie's entire star cast. Terry Papneja, president of
AIM for Seva, a Canadian not-for-profit organization working towards educating underprivileged children
in India, was awarded with the South Asian Humanitarian of the year. An accomplished dentist by profession,
Mr Papneja's heart lies in empowering poverty-stricken children of India through education. AIM for Seva,
run entirely by volunteers, has to its credit eight successful years of fundraising, where 100 per cent of the
donation received goes directly to the sponsored child. The organization has also achieved special
consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. S.P. Singh Oberoi,
chairman of Apex group of companies based in Dubai, won the Sher-e-Punjab
award for his unwavering efforts towards the welfare of his fellowmen.
Mr Oberoi has opened a school for special needs children in Punjab,
India, organized more than 5000 mass marriages for the less privileged of
Punjab, and rescued 17 youth from the state who were incarcerated in a
Sharjah jail, to name but a few of his contributions. Satish Thakkar, a dynamic
entrepreneur and president of Excelsior Financial group, was honoured with
the South Asian Professional of the year. Excelsior provides advisory services
to individuals and corporations in financial structuring and planning,
accounting, taxation and business consulting. As an active member of the
South Asian business and professional community in Canada, Mr Thakkar is also the president of IndoCanada Chamber of Commerce, which focuses on strengthening Indo-Canadian cultural and business
ties. Ravi Subramanian, founder and chairman of Silverline Technologies, received the Philanthropist of
the year award.
A deeply spiritual person, Mr Subramanian has strived for the past two decades to build strong
communities through various spiritual, healthcare and fundraising initiatives in Canada, USA and India,
since 1992. In Canada, he has helped build a magnificent temple and community centre in Etobicoke,
Toronto, dedicated to the followers of Sanatana Dharma. Mr Subramanian co-founded Canada-India
Foundation (CIF) in 2007 to further bi-lateral relations between the two countries. Harpreet Sethi, owner of
the award-winning Grand Victorian and Radisson Plaza, was presented with the South Asian Person of the
year award. Mr Sethi has always championed positive change in the community. He has used his business
acumen in a number of successful ventures such as the development of many commercial, residential and
retail properties, which have in turn contributed to the establishment of vibrant communities across the
GTA. Mr Sethi is also a firm believer of philanthropy, recognizing that giving back to the community can
really make a difference. He has supported numerous charitable organizations such as the Canadian
National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), the William Osler Health Centre, and the KK Eye Institute in India.
Mayor Susan Fennell commended the organizers, Yudhvir and Preet Jaswal of Asian World Today Inc., on
completing four years of the Annual Midweek South Asian awards and said that the gala event has grown
in strength and popularity. On a reflective note, Yudhvir Jaswal said that the distinguished recipients are
role models for the community. He went on to add that if there is one pertinent export from South Asia, it is
the message of peace and goodwill disseminated by Mahatma Gandhi himself - a message he hoped
everyone present at the event would take with them.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
MidWeek
breaking news
Canada to Start Sharing
Diplomatic Missions with UK
OTTAWA/BUREAU NEWS
The Canadian and British
governments announced last
week that they had signed a
Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) that will have the two
countries share diplomatic
missions in order to cut costs and
expand their diplomatic reach.
The agreement was signed
during a visit by UK Foreign
Secretary William Hague to
Ottawa, Canada on September
24th, and was accompanied by
an exchange of offers of
diplomatic office space between
the countries, with the UK
offering Canada space in the
British embassy in Myanmar
(Burma) and Canada offering the
UK space in the Canadian
embassy in Haiti.
Some in Canada have expressed
concern that the joint missions
would put Canadian diplomats at
risk in countries with anti-British
sentiment, while others have
said it endangers Canada’s
FOREIGN MINISTER JOHN BAIRD AND BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY WILLIAM HAGUE IN THE LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT
independence in foreign policy.
Promoters
of
the
partnership cite the potential
efficiency gains in sharing
diplomatic resources and the
cultural links between the
countries as reasons to support
the decision. Before his meeting
with Canadian political leaders
last week, Mr. Hague quoted
British Prime Minister David
Cameron to describe British-
Canadian ties: “As the prime
minister said when addressing
the Canadian parliament last
year: ‘We are two nations, but
under one Queen and united by
one set of values.’
Canadians too comfortable with debt, poll finds
OTTAWA/BUREAU NEWS: Canadians are alarmingly accepting of
debt as a financial strategy, according to a Hoyes Michalos/ Harris/
Decima poll. “It’s frightening to see that Canadians have become
totally blasé about debt - it’s becoming their new ‘normal’ and they’re
numb to this dangerous trend,” says Douglas Hoyes, a bankruptcy
trustee with Hoyes, Michalos & Associates Inc. Canadians are very
comfortable with high levels of debt The survey reveals that
Canadians are far too comfortable carrying high levels of debt.
Respondents were asked how comfortable they were with their
current financial situation and how confident they were that they
could come up with $2,000 within a month if an unexpected need
arose. While the majority of Canadians (55%) are extremely or very
confident they could raise $2,000 with a month, 92% would consider
some form of borrowing to come up with at least some of the cash.
“It appears that saving money ‘for a rainy day’ has been
replaced with access to debt to deal with financial problems,” says
Ted Michalos, a bankruptcy trustee with Hoyes, Michalos &
Associates Inc. “What’s even more shocking is that 19% of
Canadians believe it would take them two months or longer to come
up with $2,000, even if they could borrow, and of those who could
not raise the money within a month, 26% said they couldn’t raise the
money no matter how much time they were given. That’s a lot of
people who are already at their maximum borrowing capacity,” adds
Hoyes.
"Canadians are carrying record levels of debt and yet,
surprisingly, 62% of those surveyed are comfortable with their
financial situation. That is quite a disjoint. It’s concerning to see
that access to credit and taking on more debt has become an accepted
part of financial planning,” says Michalos.
The research also reveals that while 45% of Canadians say they
have never faced a debt problem, 70% admit to needing immediate
help with day-to-day financial matters, including paying down debt
(20%), increasing savings (16%), and improving cash flow (13%).
"For many, the use of debt to not only pay for big ticket items
like cars, but also to cover day-to-day living expenses, has become
commonplace," adds Hoyes. The trend does not seem to be
reversing. One in four Canadians (26%) agrees their debt level is
higher than one year earlier. "The best advice we can offer all
Canadians is to make a plan now to deal with emergencies and start
paying down debt today," cautions Michalos.
PM, Sonia to bat for FDI at Oct 28 rally
NEW DELHI/BUREAU NEWS: With ally-turned-rival Mamata
Banerjee raising her anti-FDI pitch, PM Manmohan Singh and
Congress President Sonia Gandhi will address a rally at the Ramlila
Ground on October 28 as part of campaign to explain the benefits
of FDI in retail and other reform measures of UPA government.
The strident Congress pitch was
evident when AICC spokesman
Manish Tewari made light of
Banerjee's threat to bring a noconfidence motion against the
government. "There comes a time
in the life of every political party
and politician when you have to
evolve from an agitator to an
administrator...from a street fighter
to a statesman," Tewari said.
The new-found Congress
aggression has been roundly backed by the Congress Working
Committee (CWC), which unanimously endorsed the government's
bid to roll out a slew of reforms to offset its image of policy paralysis.
Tewari's comment came in retaliation to Trinamool Congress's dharna
here where it attacked the Centre for allowing multinational companies
in retail which, it said, would risk livelihood of small retailers.
Trinamool's no-confidence threat may discomfit the ruling party since
even DMK in Chennai suggested it could vote against a resolution
on FDI. The collective protest against FDI continued to show the
ruling party as isolated on the critical reform measure though
government has ruled out a rollback. Congress dismissed any threat
to the government from allies after the exit of its largest partner recently.
Even Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav,
who rescued the government, refused to rule out
backing a resolution against FDI. "Government is
not in minority. If some of our partners have
concerns, we will continue to provide them the
empirical evidence to allay their apprehensions.
Same cycle was witnessed during the Indo-US
nuclear deal," the Congress spokesperson said. In
fact, he attributed the anger against FDI to inability
of political leaders to adjust to the changing times.
"At times when you break from the past, it is
wrenching for some people," Tewari said. Congress
leaders said winter session of Parliament was still three months away
and there was little evidence that allies would join hands with
opposition to embarrass the government. They expressed confidence
that SP and DMK would not be swayed by the TMC. In fact, Tewari
said Mamata's anti-fuel hike stance was doublespeak. "She is
opposing FDI and diesel hike in New Delhi but in West Bengal, her
government has increased the power tariff," he said.
5
US PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Obama, Romney all ready
to trade verbal sallies
Contd. from Page 1
There is now a formal Commission for Presidential Debate which
handles the whole process, which, while not constitutionally
mandated, is considered a part of the election process. On
Wednesday night (630 am IST Thursday morning), at the
University of Denver in Colorado, under the professorial eye of
PBS Newshour host Jim Lehrer, President Obama and Mitt
Romney will go toe-to-toe or eyeball-to-eyeball, watched by
some 60 million viewers.Or maybe not. Presidential debates has
evolved a lot and have been fine-tuned to such an extent that
one misstep, not to speak of one misspoken word, can shake up
a campaign, although some studies have shown that they don't
substantially change voting intention. In a 1992 debate, then
President George Bush Sr was caught stealing a look at his
watch as a voter was asking a question about the struggling
economy during a town hall-style debate, suggesting he was
bored. He lost to Democratic challenger Bill Clinton, then a callow
governor of Arkansas. In the 2000 election presidential debates,
Democratic nominee and vice-president Al Gore clearly carried
more intellectual heft than Republican challenger George W
Bush. Perhaps too much. Gore put off many viewers by
appearing superior, even supercilious, sighing loudly at Bush's
answers and rolling his eyes. In an effort to look informal, he
even wandered on stage, once coming too close to his challenger,
a sight which didn't look good on television. All this was spoofed
on comedy shows; and Bush came out looking like a simple,
straight-talking guy even if he lacked Gore's depth.
The teams minding and preparing Obama and Romney for the
debate are all too aware of such missteps. They have toiled for
hours to prepare their candidates. Both candidates know the
issues like the back of their hand and have honed their position
on them over months. There will be no dramatic pronouncements
or deviation from script. But everyone will be watching for that
one magic moment which can shake up the campaign.
The Obama camp is apprehensive that the President often comes
off as long-winded and professorial and has sought to curtail
his verbosity. The Romney camp is wary of any zingers that
may be in store, considering their candidates many off-the-cuff
utterances such as his remarks about 47 per cent of Americans
not paying taxes and not being responsible.
Three pivotal moments in Presidential debate:
1. Perhaps the greatest zinger ever delivered in a presidential
debate came from the man dubbed the ''great communicator.''
But it was a carefully scripted moment. Ronald Reagan was
already the oldest man elected to White House in 1980 when he
was 69. So when the inevitable question came during the 1984
debate when he was running for a second term at 73, Reagan's
delectable response was: "I am not going to exploit, for political
purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."
2. It's not smart-alecy responses that win over viewers,
empathizing is important. In the 1992 debate, George Bush was
caught looking at his watch when he was asked a long-winded
question about the tough economic situation and responded initially
by saying he was not sure he understood the question. He looked
like he was "just anxious for the whole thing to be over," one
observer noted. Bill Clinton stepped in smoothly with his famed "I
feel your pain" replies, presenting himself as a champion of average
Americans, and claiming, "in my state, when people lose their jobs
there's a good chance I'll know them by their names." Even though
it was hyperbolic, it was effective. 3. One misspoken word or phrase
can change the tenor of the campaign. John McCain was already
having a tough time against Barack Obama in 2008, carrying the
burden of party incumbency and a light-weight running mate (
Sarah Palin), But he did his campaign no favors when he referred to
Barack Obama as ''this one'' after asking viewers to guess who
had voted in a particular way in the Senate.
Hilary Clinton to try and 'recitify'
US decision of hike in visa charges
NEW DELHI/BUREAU NEWS: Secretary of state Hillary Clinton
has promised to take up the issue of hike in visa charges with
concerned authorities
in the US in the light
of protests by Indian
software companies.
In a meeting with
foreign minister S M
Krishna on Monday,
Clinton assured India
that the US will try and
"rectify" the decision.
The US in 2010
announced a hike in
work visa charges,
including H 1B, apparently to meet the cost of securing its border
with Mexico. Even though the decision was not country-specific,
top Indian software companies impacted by the decision alleged
that they were being discriminated against leading to India taking
up the matter diplomatically with the US. India has also been
contemplating filing an appeal in the WTO against the move. "She
has assured to take it up with the concerned and rectify," said an
Indian official after the meeting.
MidWeek
6
editorial/opinion
Op-ed: Saving Taxpayers’ Money
-Contributed by Kyle Seeback, M.P. Brampton West
MidWeek
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food, correctional officers should be able to focus on
legitimate cases, not just troublemakers.
The demise of the Anna movement
PRASHANT PANDAY/TNN
he Anna movement has died. Instead of achieving something
tangible for the nation, the movement has died an
embarrassing death, mired as it was in an intrigue of personal
political ambitions, prime time TV fame, and a penchant for
thuggery. I cant say I am happy with this end, but I think this end
was perhaps better than what the movement could have ended up
with – a dismantling of all that democratic India stands for.
From the moment the movement began, there were seriously
doubts about its political affiliation. Rather than curb those doubts,
considering how important it is for any such movement to be so,
Team Anna went about the issue in a cavaliar manner. Focusing
on attacking solely the Congress, Team Anna’s pathetic reasoning
for doing so made matters worse. For if one believed them, the
reason was that it was the Congress that ruled at the Center.
Observers pointed out that most corruption happens at local, state
levels, and that the team should equally focus on that aspect, but
Team Anna didn’t want to understand. Even a political novice
understood that the Congress was only heading a coalition
government and that other parties had a role to play as well, but
Team Anna did not want to understand this. Given the general
level of intelligence in the team (not that Magsaysay awards are
any evidence of that), one was led to believe that Team Anna
knew everything and still did what it did. The last straw – for the
common man, not the Congress – was the campaigning in Hisar. It
was clear by then that the man from Hisar – Arvind Kejriwal – had
a different agenda for himself. The man from Ralegan Siddhi was
merely a tool to pitchfork himself right to the top. If there was one
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SHOBHAA DE/TNN
ho! Love happens. And
it has happened. That
the love birds happen
to be Bilawal Bhutto and Hina
Khar, makes this particular ishqvishq saga most riveting,
especially to those of us across
the border who have recently
been exposed to Khar's
irresistible
charms.
So
irresistible, in fact, that our
dapper foreign minister, S M
Krishna, who went totally latoo
over the lovely lady, behaved
like a smitten schoolboy,
drooling in her alluring presence
and forgetting all about the
Indian agenda.
It's possible he is nursing
a broken heart even as young
Bilawal (23) and Hina (34) deal
with the storm that has been
matters'. This is remarkably
gutsy of her, considering it was
Zardari who found the two in a
' c o m p r o m i s i n g
position'.Known for his fiery
temper and happy relationship
with guns, it's a miracle that the
president didn't reach for his
favourite weapon when he
walked in on the lovers at his
official residence. Instead, he
tamely asked for Hinaji's mobile
phone records! No point in
such a silly exercise,
considering the lady has not
bothered to deny anything!
The real fun starts now.
Will Zardari have the guts
to fire his minister-sahiba?
What charges can he frame
against her? Will he send
Bilawal into exile? Where will
that leave the PPP? More
unleashed in Pakistan after a
Bangladeshi tabloid ran a juicy
expose on the scandal. Bilawal
is a bachcha Majnu to Hina's
seasoned Laila. Reports
suggest that President Asif
Zardari is far from amused by
his son's dangerous liaison
with his external affairs minister.
Not only is Bilawal the
chairman of the ruling Pakistani
People's Party, but he is also the
nominated heir to his mother's
and
father's
respective
legacies. If the love-struck chap
does indeed push off to
Switzerland to begin a fresh
chapter in his life with the
begum he adores, the
repercussions of such a
decision could prove very
costly to the government.
The buzz in Islamabad is
that old boy Asif plans to rein
in his handsome son, and
perhaps sack the seductive
Khar. Spoilsport! Really Asif
miya, we expect you to be far
more understanding, given your
own personal history. Look at
it this way - Bilawal is seriously
cute. And loaded. Hina Khar is
seriously gorgeous, and
married to a loaded guy. Feroz
Gulzar, Hina's smart husband,
has rubbished the scoop and
called it 'social media gossip'.
Yes, there is an 11-year age
difference between Bilawal and
the luscious mother of two. So
what? Some of the most
enduring love stories in the
world have been similarly
scripted. Think about it - Hina
is keen to take the relationship
forward, as her love notes to
Bilawal establish. Now that their
secret is out, there's no
stopping this pyar ki jodi. 'Dil
Toh Pagal Hai' is how we put it
in Bollywood lingo. Hina has
apparently told Asif to keep his
nose out of her 'personal
importantly, since Bilawal is the
one with access to his mother's
considerable (but undisclosed)
wealth, how can Daddyji kiss
the impressive funds goodbye?
Unfortunately, the most
dispensable member of the cast
is Feroz Gulzar. But blowing him
away serves no purpose - it will
be one more body in an
overcrowded morgue. There is,
however, one solution: India
could immediately step in and
offer a safe haven to the
lovebirds.
Why go to
Switzerland when there is
India? We can create an
attractive destination for their
nikaah. Maybe throw in a luxury
houseboat on Dal Lake for the
honeymoon. Sarpanches in
Omar Abdullah's state may not
be safe. But he'll take good care
of his mehmaans from across
the border. After all, when it
comes to matters of the heart,
Omar knows a thing or two
about unbridled passion.
Apart from asylum in India,
we could make life a lot more
fun for this couple. As
neighbours, we owe them this
much.
Cross-border
romanticism is so much more
civilized than cross-border
terrorism. Hina can happily
shop for pearls and more Birkins
in our luxury malls. We can get
her to host a talk show and
perhaps, design a signature
fashion collection. Bilawal
could consider Bollywood. This
is a fabulous, heaven- sent
opportunity to strengthen
bilateral relationships between
the two nations. Hina Khar has
already charmed half the
country, and reduced S M
Krishna to putty. If India can
manage to bag two for the price
of one, it will rank as a major
political coup. Come on over,
you two. Your honeymoon
suite is waiting!
T
MIHIR OZA ( SPORTS )
RK BATRA ( COMMUNITY)
MANAV SHARMA
Why Zardari hates
this 'love story'
O
T
he Harper Government is committed to keeping our
streets and communities safe, and saving taxpayer ’s
money. Our Government will hold offenders in federal
institutions accountable and address those who abuse the
grievance process by filing numerous frivolous complaints
In recent years, a group of 20 offenders in federal institutions
have each submitted more than 100 grievances a year (some
submitting 500-600 each), accounting for 15% of all grievances
filed. This wastes time and taxpayers’ money.
MP James and Senator Boisvenu recently highlighted that
An Act to Amend the Corrections and Conditional Release
Act (vexatious complainants) will be put to a final vote in the
House of Commons. Some examples of such complaints by
offenders include: an offender grieved that he was
discriminated against because there was no White History
Month at the institution; an offender grieved over the size of
his omelet; an offender grieved that his ice cream was too
cold; an offender grieved that he was not allowed to purchase
a pedicure tool that has razor-like blades.
With this legislation, our Government will hold offenders
in federal institutions to account and address those who
abuse the grievance process by filing numerous, frivolous
complaints. This Bill will help the Correctional Service of
Canada meet its legal obligation to resolve legitimate offender
grievances, and make better use of resources. This Bill is
currently in its third reading in the House of Commons before
moving to the Senate.
The Harper Government has stated that ensuring offender
accountability is a key priority of the criminal justice system.
The changes are also consistent with the reforms found in
the Safe Streets and Communities Act to increase emphasis
on offender accountability. Instead of being bogged down
with frivolous complaints like the temperature of offenders’
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
other last straw moment, it would have to be Kiran Bedi’s “nautanki”
on the stage at the Ramlila grounds. Her mockery of the entire
political class – with no inclination to explaining her own “hand
in the till” accusations – forced people to wonder if they were
any different really.
There were many other things of course. Anna’s association
with the very RSSesque Ramdev and his aversion to criticizing
the BJP (the only lame excuse being that it was Justice Santosh
Hegde – a Team Anna member – who had exposed the Karnataka
mining scam) firmly established the movement’s political
ambitions.
It now appears – and this is surprising – that Anna was
unhappy from the beginning with Kejriwal’s political posturing.
That he never wanted to associate with politics. But there is a
problem with this approach also. For most have said that it is
easy to criticize something from the outside, but the real test
would be if someone could clean up the mess from the inside.
Anna’s movement grew on the back of a huge public
disenchantment with corruption, but it was fading because the
movement appeared to lack any serious commitment to finding a
solution. In fact, finding a solution was never the plan.
The Jan Lokpal Bill was in fact the Jan Jokepal Bill; but the
team attempted to give this description to the Government’s
Lokpal Bill. No one was convinced with the provisions of the
JLB, and yet Team Anna was unwilling to budge. Silly handling
the issue in the early days gave Team Anna a huge lift upwards,
and the government a quick burial. But as the truth emerged,
people were fed up with the repeated acts of drama – fasts
included – being enacted in the public domain. Enough was
enough. The movement was damned.
Now, the two camps – Kejriwal’s and Anna’s – cannot
badmouth each other enough. Kejriwal’s deceit is apparent again
– claiming Anna had always supported his political plans and
that he will come around eventually – though Anna clearly denies
all this. Anna’s own credibility is suspect considering he was
the fount of the entire movement which was orchestrated by
Kejriwal. His own statements had always been raucous and
destructive and similar sounding to Kejriwal’s. How could he
now claim to be the innocent saint? The mistake Anna made was
that he surrounded himself with politically motivated bunch of
narcissistic people. Those who valued TV prime time more than
the success of the movement itself. But Anna had himself to
blame also. He failed to recognize when the movement should
have ended. He failed to be pragmatic; he should have taken the
Lokpal Bill that the government passed in the Lok Sabha and
then worked towards its improvement. But no, he wanted nothing
but his own bill. In a democratic set-up, this was unfair and too
much to expect. What else could the outcome have been.
The wait for the Lokpal will now be much longer – though I
for one have not been in favor of yet another law on curbing
corruption; especially one that would have ended up creating
another corrupt bureaucratic body. The real truth is that Anna
himself is responsible for the way his movement has got derailed.
He is now trying to make amends. He has declared he wont fast
again. Thank god for that. He will still engage with the movement.
But the time has passed. The country has moved on. The golden
moment has been lost for ever.
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
community
7
PALM TREES, PYRAMIDS
TOP CANADIANS' DREAM
DESTINATIONS IP8
Crack Up Crowd
Omar Khadr returns to Canada Comics
at the 10th Annual
OTTAWA/BUREAU NEWS:
After years of detention at the
U.S. naval base in Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, Omar Khadr has
returned to Canada to serve the
rest of his sentence. Khadr
landed at CFB Trenton military
base Saturday morning after
being
transported
from
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.He has
been transferred from CFB
Trenton to Millhaven maximum
security prison at Bath, Ontario.
Omar Khadr is a known
supporter of the Al-Qaeda
terrorist network and a convicted
terrorist. He pleaded guilty to the
murder of Sergeant First Class
Christopher Speer, an American
Army medic, who was mortally
wounded in a firefight in
Afghanistan on July 27, 2002 and
died on August 6, 2002.The
Toronto-born Khadr was 15
when he was accused of killing
an American medic during a
firefight in Afghanistan.
Public Safety Minister Vic
Toews in a statement said, "Omar
Khadr was born in Canada and
is a Canadian citizen. As a
Canadian citizen, he has a right
to enter Canada after the
completion of his sentence."
The minister noted the
remainder of Khadr’s sentence
will be administered by the
Correctional Service of Canada.
"I am satisfied the Correctional
Service of Canada can administer
Omar Khadr's sentence in a
manner which recognizes the
serious nature of the crimes that
he has committed and ensure the
safety of Canadians is protected
during incarceration."
The safety minister also said
that Khadr still holds his late
father -– alleged al Qaeda
financier Ahmed Said Khadr -- in
high regard. The Khadr family
patriarch was an Egyptian-born
Canadian killed by Pakistani
security forces in 2003.
Khadr applied to return to
Canada in April 2011.
Canadian of Punjabi origin
held with heroin worth Rs 15cr
SARABJIT SINGH WAS TO BOARD JET AIRWAYS FLIGHT ON
WAY TO CANADA VIA DELHI WHEN HE WAS HELD WITH THE
DRUG, WHICH WAS CONCEALED IN A HIDDEN CAVITY MADE
IN HIS BAG.
AMRITSAR/BUREAU NEWS: Canada-based international drug
mafia is now roping in young Indo-Canadian youths to smuggle
heroin from Punjab on allurement of handsome returns. Their
nefarious plans were exposed after the arrest of 22-year-old Sarabjit
Singh, a Canadian national of Indian origin, who was trying to
smuggle 2.9 kilograms of heroin valued at around Rs 15 crore in the
international market from Sri Guru Ram Das International Airport on
Tuesday night. According to sources, Sarabjit Singh was to board
Jet Airways flight on way to Canada via Delhi on Tuesday night
when he was held for smuggling the narcotic, which was concealed
in a hidden cavity made in his bag.
The consignment, which was wrapped in carbon papers, was
detected during X-ray examination of the luggage. Assistant
commissioner, customs, P K Tikku, told TOI on Wednesday that
during preliminary interrogation of Sarabjit Singh, a resident of Ghuna
Chaur village in Nawanshahr district, it was revealed that the Canadabased drug mafia had 'stage-managed the complete smuggling
operation for Sarabjit Singh'.
He was told that someone in a car would meet him at Banga and
he was to board the car. On way to Amritsar he was delivered a bag
containing narcotics in which he had to put his belongings and
board the plane. Sources revealed that given the large quantity of
heroin produced in Afghanistan being smuggled into India via the
Punjab border and large number of overambitious Punjabi youths,
especially those who have obtained Canadian nationality, it may be
presumed that the drug cartel has already established a new smuggling
route. "Sarabjit Singh is not innocent. He knew about the consignment
and told us that he was to get thousands of dollars per kilogram of
delivered heroin," said Tikku. Police also arrested Sarabjit's
accomplice Binda who had driven him to Amritsar from his village.
UK Sikh woman laughs off facial hair taunt
LONDON/BUREAU NEWS: An unidentified man
surreptitiously took a picture of Ohio State University student
Balpreet Kaur and posted it on Reddit, in the Funny section,
with the caption: "I'm not sure what to make of this." The
aspiring neurosurgeon discovered the picture, which shows
her standing in a queue - and, instead of flying into a rage at
the person behind the cheap dig, she posted a comment
explaining why she didn't remove her hair.
Balpreet, an Ohio State University student, said, "I'm
not embarrassed or even humiliated by the attention
[negative and positve] that this picture is getting because,
it's who I am.
"Yes, I'm a baptised Sikh woman with facial hair. Yes, I
realise that my gender is often confused and I look different
than most women." She refused to attack the person who
had posted the photo, which many viewers accused of being
mean and deliberately trying to draw laughs at Balpreet's
expense.
Balpreet said to the original poster that if he had wanted
a picture he should have just asked and she would have
smiled, and invited people to say hello if they saw her on the
University campus.
Her graceful response to the person behind the picture
drew her an army of fans, who called her 'inspiration'.
MyBindi Comedy Night
TORONTO/BUREAU NEWS: MyBindi.com, North America's
premier online South Asian network, celebrated its Tenth Annual
MyBindi Comedy Night, Sept. 21st, 2012 with two back-to-back
shows inside The Projection Booth in Toronto. Fans enjoyed a
hilarious evening Sept. 21st at the 10th Annual MyBindi Comedy
Night hosted by MyBindi and presented by Chevrolet.
To start off the night, the comics were greeted by enthusiasts
as they each rolled up to the venue, one-by-one, in a black 2012
Chevrolet Equinox. Even some of the guests felt like celebrities
posing for photos infront of a white 2012 Chevrolet Cruze decked
in 'MyBindi' style that was parked outside the venue for the entire
duration of the event.
How's that for a car? Now hyped up for the evening ahead,
both the comics and fans were in for a 'good good night'!
Showcasing both Canadian and international talent, the impressive
line-up included five funny and edgy comedians: Suneet Luthra,
Aastha Lal, Crystal Ferrier, host Dave Merheje and headliner Vidur
Kapur, one of the original "Gurus of Comedy".
Aspiring comic Suneet Luthra captured the audience with
his comedic chops and charm. Aastha Lal amused the crowd with
her funny impressions, facial expressions and unique accents.
Crystal Ferrier had the crowd chuckling to candid jokes about
her "weighty" issues and living the life of a South Asian female in
Toronto. Dave Merheje's improvisational and high energy style
kept the audience entertained throughout the event.
Both shows ended with a bang with headliner Vidur Kapur.
He had fans bursting out in laughter as he shared his experiences
as a gay man and an immigrant son of a conservative upper middle
class. MyBindi's CEO Syerah Virani says, "Many thanks to all
our fans and volunteers who came out for our event. With your
support, we can bring you an even bigger and better MyBindi
Comedy Night in 2013."
CIBC Run For the
Cure 2012
BRAMPTON-SPRINGDALE MP PARM GILL AT THE CIBC RUN
FOR THE CURE.
TORONTO/BUREAU NEWS: Thousands of people across the
country took part in the CIBC Run For the Cure, raising money for
Breast Cancer research. The run started at 10 a.m. at Queen's Park.
The crowd moved along Queen's Park Circle to Bloor St, west to St
George St, then down to College St and end at King's College Circle.
"Breast cancer is a cause that's very close to the hearts of so
many because it impacts us all," said Christina Kramer, Executive
Vice-President, CIBC and National Run Champion. "I encourage all
Canadians to join us for this year's CIBC Run for the Cure on Sunday,
September 30 to help create a future without breast cancer." Since
1992, the annual Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for
the Cure has been the largest, single-day, volunteer-led national
event in support of creating a future without breast cancer. In 2011,
close to 170,000 participants raised over $30 million to fund
innovative breast cancer research, education and awareness
programs. Last year more than $13 million was raised in the Toronto
run alone. For more information, visit www.cbcf.org.
Peel Region bans tanning beds for teens under 18
BRAMPTON/BUREAU NEWS: Peel Regional Council passed a
by-law yesterday restricting minors under the age of 18 from using
commercial tanning equipment as of January 1, 2013. Peel joins the
provinces of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec,
and the Town of Oakville which already prohibit the use of tanning
equipment by minors.
“We are compelled to act quickly to protect minors in Peel from the
harmful effects of indoor tanning,” says Dr. David Mowat, Medical
Officer of Health, Peel Region. “Peel Public Health considers this
matter an urgent one since the risk of melanoma is 75% greater for
those who use a tanning bed before the age of 35, compared to
those who never tan.” Regional Councillor, Bonnie Crombie has
been a vocal advocate for tanning restrictions and strong supporter
of the by-law. “This by-law means we can help protect minors –
particularly young girls – from the risk associated with indoor
tanning,” says Crombie. “I’m thrilled that Peel is among those
jurisdictions acting quickly to protect residents.”
8
MidWeek
community
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
Canada's Ambassador to Afghanistan attends Polio E V E N T S
Campaign Inauguration and Inoculates Afghan Children NetIP Toronto's Speed Networking and Gala Launch Event
When: Tuesday, Oct 2
Where: 488 Wellington Street West, Toronto
Join NetIP Toronto at Marben for an evening of great connections. Meet new people and learn how to
effectively network! Bring your business cards and be prepared to meet and build relationships with
many local professionals.
In Conversation with Naseeruddin Shah
When: Thursday, Oct 4
Where: 350 King Street West, Toronto
Naseeruddin Shah will join director Richie Mehta to introduce Mehta's award-winning Canadian film
Amal (2007). In association with Why Not Theatre, internationally renowned Bollywood star
Naseeruddin Shah joins TIFF on October 4 for a celebration of his prolific and versatile career on
stage and screen.
Canadian Council of Muslim Women celebrates its 30th anniversary
OTTAWA/ KABUL/BUREAU NEWS: Canada's Ambassador to Afghanistan, Glenn V. Davidson
attended the Polio Campaign Inauguration Ceremony with President Karzai, at the Presidential
Palace in Kabul. Canada is currently the largest bilateral donor to the Global Polio Eradication
Initiative in Afghanistan with investments totalling 96 million dollars from 2008 to 2014.
Afghanistan is one of three countries in the world where children can still contract polio.
Through the Polio Eradication project, Canada partners with UNICEF and WHO to insure that
more than seven million children across Afghanistan receive polio vaccinations. Polio
vaccination campaigns occur regularly throughout the country at the national level and also
at the provincial level in areas where there is a higher rate of incidence of the disease. The
polio campaigns are also used as a platform for delivering other essential health services
such as micronutrient supplementation and health promotion.
When: Sunday, Oct 14
Where: 3 Park Home Avenue, Nor th York
The Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) is celebrating its 30th anniversary at its Women
Who Inspire Awards brunch in Toronto on Sunday, October 14, 2012. This year is also the 30th
anniversary of the Canadian Char ter of Rights and Freedoms. At the event a distinguished panel of
speakers will address the confluence of CCMW and the Char ter and how the two have changed our
communities for the better. Michael Enright, host of CBC Radio’s The Sunday Edition, will moderate
the panel. For more information, please visit www.ccmw.com.
11th Annual Trillium Diwali Fundraiser
When: Friday, Oct 19
Where: 2638 Steeles Avenue East Brampton
Join over 1,000 attendees, comprised of prominent business and medical professionals, corporations, affluent and community-minded individuals from across the GTA to celebrate the South Asian
Festival of Lights- all in suppor t of the life-saving Endoscopy Suites, where specialists at Trillium
screen, diagnose and treat conditions like colon cancer and diseases of the digestive and respiratory
tracts. For more information, visit www.trilliumdiwali.ca.
International Festival of Authors Markham 2012
When: Tuesday, Oct 23
Where: 171 Town Centre Blvd N. Markham
The City of Markham in par tnership with the Markham Ar ts Council is pleased to present the second
annual International Festival of Authors (IFOA Markham) Touring Event on Tuesday, October 23, 2012,
inside the beautiful Flato Markham Theatre. For more information, visit
www.markhamar tscouncil.com.
5th Annual Midweek South Asian Awards
When: Saturday, Nov 3
Where: 175 Derry Road East, Mississauga
Midweek South Asian Awards is an exclusive event honouring the achievements of South Asian
Canadians and who have done tremendous work at the professional and social level. The winners
exemplify the talent of today’s South Asian Canadian community and are the inspiration for the
achievers of tomor row. For sponsorship and ticket inquiries, contact Yudhvir Jaswal at
yudhvir@southasiandaily.com or call 647-272-8182. For more infor mation, visit
www.southasianawards.ca.
Palm trees, pyramids top
Canadians' dream destinations
TORONTO/BUREAU NEWS:
Canadians who carry reward
cards consider Honolulu and
cities in Europe as their most
popular dream destinations,
while the Great Pyramids,
Machu Picchu and Disney
World also listed among top
tourist spots, according to the
2012 RBC Travel Rewards Poll.
In the current economy, it
appears Canadian reward card
holders are mindful of costs
when planning a trip, as twothirds (67 per cent) say their
budget
is
the
top
consideration. Friends and
family (49 per cent) and a great
bargain (45 per cent) are also
strong
influences
when
planning a vacation. "The
results show that Canadians
value their vacation time, prefer
far-flung locations and are
cost-conscious travelers who
like to plan," said Donna LueAtkinson, vice-president of
Global Loyalty Programs and
Rewards, RBC. "By planning
ahead and effectively using
your travel rewards points, you
can enjoy a relaxing vacation
filled with memories without
breaking your budget."
Among those who plan to
go away on vacation, four-in10 Canadian reward card
holders (40 per cent) estimate
their next trip will be a week
long, while 30 per cent expect
to take two to three weeks and
almost one-fifth (18 per cent)
plan a weekend getaway. The
majority (56 per cent) of those
surveyed said they are most
likely to make their own travel
arrangements online, while the
remainder will have some form
of help with a travel agent (19
per cent), by phone (12 per
cent) or have someone else
make the arrangements (eight
per cent). The poll found that
the top activities likely to be
part of the next vacation
include sightseeing (64 per
cent), staying in a hotel (51 per
cent), shopping (49 per cent)
and relaxing on a beach (45 per
cent).
Canadians' preference for
sightseeing is reflected in their
top choices of cities and tourist
landmarks. Honolulu remains a
top choice city among most
reward travelers, if only one
city in the world could be
chosen (13 per cent, unchanged
from 2011). European cities also
maintained high ranking, with
Paris (12 per cent compared to
11 percent in 2011): Rome (11
per cent in 2012, 10 per cent in
2011), and London (nine per
cent, unchanged). Tied at six
per cent each, Las Vegas
(unchanged from 2011) and
New York (up from four per cent
in 2011) rounded out the top
desired cities. The top-ranked
tourist destination was the
Great Pyramids in Egypt (18 per
cent), followed by Machu
Picchu (11 per cent), Disney
World (10 per cent), Canadian
Rockies (nine per cent) and the
Great Wall of China (nine per
cent).
These are some of the
destinations that may become
a reality for 10 lucky people
this fall, courtesy of the RBC
Avion Dream Getaway Contest.
The contest, which runs until
November 30, 2012, offers a
chance to win one of 10 $20,000
trips of a lifetime.
Entry is automatic for
anyone applying for the RBC
Visa Infinite Avion card, the
RBC Visa Platinum Avion card
or the RBC Royal Bank Visa
Business Platinum Avion card,
all of which feature no points
expiry, no blackout periods and
no seat restrictions when
redeeming points for travel. For
full contest details, please visit:
rbc.com/getavion.
"Dream travel doesn't have
an expiry date, why should
your travel points?" added LueAtkinson.
"Choosing a loyalty
program that is easy to use and
simple to understand can help
you reach your dream
destination without any
hassle."
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
canada
PM TO CELEBRATE
40TH ANNIVERSARY
OF HISTORIC
SUMMIT SERIES
I P10
One-in-four Canadians say Harper
is worst Prime Minister since 1968
TORONTO/BUREAU
NEWS: The Angus Reid
P u b l i c O p i n i o n s u r v e y,
released Tuesday, found that
while 16 per cent of those
polled believe Harper is the
best prime minister since 1968,
26 per cent believe he is the
worst. While Pierre Trudeau
is still regarded as the best
Prime Minister of Canada
since
1968,
animosity
towards the current head of
the federal government has
grown markedly since last
year, a new Angus Reid Public
Opinion poll has found. In
the online survey of a
representative
national
sample of 1,510 Canadian
adults, 36 per cent of
respondents think Trudeau
has been the best Canadian
Prime Minister since 1968.
Stephen Harper is second on
the list with 16 per cent—
down three points since
2011—followed by Jean
Chrétien with 11 per cent, and
Brian Mulroney with five per
cent. Trudeau is well
regarded by respondents in
Atlantic Canada (46%),
Ontario (42%) and British
Columba (38%), while Harper
is the most popular choice for
Albertans
(32%).
Respondents who voted for
the Liberal Party (57%) or the
New Democratic Party (NDP)
(48%) in the last federal
election select Trudeau as
their first choice, while those
who
backed
the
Conservatives (42%) pick
Harper. In every Angus Reid
Public
Opinion
poll
conducted on this topic since
2007, Trudeau has been
supported by at least a third
of Canadians in the Best Prime
9
Minister question. Mulroney
has dropped nine percentage
points in five years. The
biggest change observed
since 2011 is in the second
question.
One-in-four
Canadians (26%, +7) think
H a r p e r h a s b e e n C a n a d a ’s
Worst Prime Minister since
1968. Mulroney is a distant
second with 17 per cent,
followed by Trudeau (11%)
and Chrétien (9%). Harper is
judged to be the worst recent
head of government by more
than a third of Atlantic
Canadians
(40%)
and
Quebecers (36%), as well as
26 per cent of British
Columbians. Trudeau fares
poorly in Alberta (21%), and
Mulroney has a negative
showing in Atlantic Canada,
British Columbia and Ontario.
While
one-in-four
respondents who voted for
the Conservative Party in last
year’s federal election (25%)
think Trudeau has been the
worst recent Prime Minister,
Canadians who voted for
opposition parties all select
Harper as their top choice,
including three-in-five Green
Party voters (59%), almost
half of NDP voters (47%) and
more than a third of Bloc
Québécois (37%) and Liberal
(36%) voters.
GDP grew 0.2% in July: Statistics Canada
Average weekly employee
earnings rose in July: StatsCan
OTTAWA/BUREAU NEWS: Statistics Canada says the average
weekly earning for non-farm payroll employees was $906.68 in July,
up 1.1 per cent from the previous month. The Agency says earnings
were also up 4.1 per cent from July 2011. The 4.1% increase during
the 12 months to July reflects a number of factors, including wage
growth, changes in the composition of employment, as well as average
hours worked per week. In July, non-farm payroll employees worked
an average of 32.9 hours per week, down from 33.1 the month before
but up from 32.8 in July 2011. Year-over-year growth in average weekly
earnings outpaced the national average of 4.1% in five of the largest
industrial sectors: professional, scientific and technical services;
educational services; accommodation and food services;
manufacturing; and construction. Weekly earnings in professional,
scientific and technical services increased 6.1% to $1,279.82, with
gains in all industries within the sector. Average weekly earnings in
educational services rose 6.0% to $1,010.22 over the 12 months, with
all the growth in post-secondary as well as elementary and secondary
schools. Weekly earnings in accommodation and food services were
up 5.2% to $377.30 in the 12 months to July. Increases were most
notable in special food services and limited-service eating places. In
manufacturing, weekly earnings increased 4.8% to $1,012.30 in the
12 months to July, with the most notable growth among manufacturers
of transportation equipment; paper; primary metal; wood products;
machinery; as well as plastics and rubber products. In construction,
weekly earnings rose 4.5% to $1,133.10. Growth was widespread
across most industries in this sector. Average weekly earnings of
non-farm payroll employees increased in every province in the 12
months to July. Growth was highest in Saskatchewan, Newfoundland
and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Alberta. In Saskatchewan,
average weekly earnings were $929.31 in July, up 7.1% from 12 months
earlier. These weekly earnings were among the highest of all provinces.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, average weekly earnings increased
6.9% to $934.21, also among the highest provincial earnings. Average
weekly earnings in Prince Edward Island were $762.67 in July, up
6.5% compared with 12 months earlier. At $1,094.85 in July, average
weekly earnings in Alberta were the highest among all provinces, up
6.1% from 12 months earlier. Weekly earnings in British Columbia
were $876.98 in July, up 4.9% from 12 months earlier.
Safeguarding principal top
priority for Canadians: Poll
STATISTICS CANADA SAYS THE ECONOMY GREW BY 0.2 PER CENT IN JULY, AFTER A DOWNWARDLY REVISED 0.1 PER CENT RISE
IN JUNE.
OTTAWA/BUREAU NEWS: Statistics Canada says the economy
grew by 0.2% in July, after edging up 0.1% in June. The agency
says, goods production increased 0.2% in July, on the strength of
manufacturing and utilities. In contrast, mining and oil and gas
extraction as well as construction declined. The output of service
industries rose 0.2% in July, mainly as a result of increases in retail
and wholesale trade, the finance and insurance sector, and
accommodation and food services. The public sector (education,
health and public administration combined) was essentially
unchanged in July. Manufacturing grew 0.6% in July after declining
0.7% in June. Durable goods production expanded 0.7% in July,
mainly as a result of increases in computer and electronics products,
as well as non-metallic mineral, primary metal and fabricated metal
products. However, manufacturers of machinery recorded declines.
Manufacturing of non-durable goods rose 0.6%, as increases in
petroleum and coal products, plastics and rubber products and
chemical products more than offset decreases in printing and related
support activities and paper manufacturing.
Utilities grew 2.0%, the fourth consecutive monthly increase,
as both electricity production and natural gas distribution advanced.
Demand for electricity and natural gas was up due to warmer than
usual weather and increased industrial activity.
Retail trade rose 0.6% in July after edging down 0.1% in June.
Notable increases were recorded at motor vehicles and parts dealers,
general merchandise stores, as well as health and personal care
stores. In contrast, retailing activity at food and beverage stores
was down. Wholesale trade was up 0.2% in July, after declining
0.9% in June. Wholesaling of petroleum products and personal and
households goods increased. Conversely, wholesaling of food,
beverage and tobacco as well as machinery, equipment and supplies
declined. Construction edged down 0.1% in July, as declines in
residential building and non-residential building construction
outweighed the increase in engineering construction and repair work.
The output of real estate agents and brokers declined 1.5%, down
for a third consecutive month, as activity in the home resale market
decreased in July.
TORONTO/BUREAU NEWS: Canadians rank safety of their
investments as more important than the highest interest rates
when considering Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs),
according to The Guarantees in Life: RBC 2012 GIC Poll. Fourin-10 Canadians (44 per cent) who hold GICs - or would
consider holding them - place safety first; highest interest
rates come in second, at 32 per cent. "While the popular belief
is that the best rate is paramount when choosing to invest in
GICs, our findings confirm that Canadians consider
guaranteed principal first and foremost, for the protection and
safety of their investment," said Rosalyn Kent, head, GICs
and Savings, RBC.
(Contd. on page 10)
Canada introduces new language requirements for citizenship
OTTAWA/BUREAU NEWS: Most citizenship applicants will soon be required to provide up-front objective evidence of their language
ability at the time they apply, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today. This change will be
implemented as of November 1, 2012. Currently, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) assesses the language ability of applicants,
aged 18–54, solely through interactions with CIC staff and by using the results of the citizenship knowledge test. “Extensive research has
consistently shown that the ability to communicate effectively in either French or English is a key factor in the success of new citizens in
Canada,” said Minister Kenney. “We believe it is important that new citizens to be able to participate fully in our economy and our
society.” The Citizenship Act already requires that applicants be able to communicate in one of Canada’s official languages. This
regulatory change will not increase the language level required but will change the way that citizenship applicants aged 18–54 demonstrate
their language ability. Under the old rules, there was no objective way to test language abilities of applicants. Under the new rule,
applicants must provide objective evidence that they meet the language requirement, achieving the Canadian Language Benchmark/
Niveau de compétence linguistique canadien 4 in speaking and listening, when they file their application.
(Contd. on page 10)
10
MidWeek
canada
JUSTIN TRUDEAU LAUNCHES HIS
CAMPAIGN FOR LIBERAL LEADERSHIP
MONTREAL/BUREAU NEWS
Justin Trudeau, Member of
Parliament for Papineau, kicked
off his campaign to become the
next leader of the Liberal Party
of Canada, citing the need for a
strong middle class as key to a
healthy Canadian economy and
a united Canada. “A thriving
middle class provides realistic
hope, a ladder of opportunity for
those seeking to better their lives.
A robust market for business. And
a sense of common interest for all,”
stated Trudeau.
In his Montreal riding of Papineau,
alongside his wife Sophie Grégoire
and their two children, Xavier
and Ella-Grace, Justin Trudeau
made his announcement in a
local community center where
hundreds of friends and
supporters loudly expressed
their genuine and overwhelming
excitement.
“I love this country and I want to
serve it,” stated Trudeau. “I am
running because I believe
Canadians want and need new
leadership. The Conservative
government is taking this
country in a direction most
VOWS TO FOSTER A NEW LEADERSHIP AND STRENGTHEN
MIDDLE CLASS FOR A STRONGER CANADA
Canadians don’t want it to go.
We want a vision for Canada’s
future grounded not in the
politics of envy or mistrust. We
must understand that, despite all
the blessings beneath our feet,
our greatest strength is above
ground, in our people. All
Canadians, pulling together,
determined to build a better life,
a better Canada,” added
Trudeau.
Justin Trudeau’s leadership bid
will also serve as a reminder to
Canadians that they, themselves,
built the Liberal Party. That the
Liberal Party’s past is rooted in
a deep connection with
Canadians, their values, their
dreams and their fights. The 40
year old candidate wants his
campaign to be driven by a
movement of Canadians that
seeks to create and foster a
future for the Liberal Party drawn
from those shared Canadian
values.
“Part of what it means to be a
citizen is to step up when you
think you can make a positive
difference by serving your
fellow citizens. This is one of
those times. And the Liberal
Party of Canada, together with
its current members and its new
members and supporters to
come, is ready to make that
positive difference again,” stated
Trudeau.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
Harper Government
supports green
building partnerships
TORONTO/BUREAU NEWS: Businesses in southern Ontario
working on innovations in sustainable construction will benefit from
George Brown College's new Green Building Centre, thanks to an
investment from the Harper Government. The Honourable Diane
Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
and Member of Parliament for Haldimand–Norfolk, on behalf of the
Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal
Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev
Ontario), made the announcement today at the centre.
"Our Government's top priority remains creating high-value
jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for Canadians," said Minister
Finley. "By supporting the growing green building market, our
Government is not only helping to create smarter, more energy
efficient buildings while creating high quality jobs here at home, but
we are also strengthening Canada's leadership in the sustainable
building industry on the world stage."
With FedDev Ontario's $6.6 million contribution, in addition to
George Brown College's own investment of $6.8 million, the college
will be bringing together the resources to create a full-scale applied
research, technology development, and industry innovation service
centre that will focus on green building construction, also known as
green construction or sustainable building. These innovations will
Minister Steven Blaney participates
in the 2012 Canada Army Run
THE HONOURABLE STEVEN BLANEY, MINISTER OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS, AS HE FINISHES THE 5 K RACE DURING THE OTTAWA
ARMY RUN. THE RACE BROUGHT TOGETHER MEN AND
WOMEN IN UNIFORM, VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND
NUMEROUS RUNNERS.
OTTAWA/BUREAU NEWS:
The
Honourable
Steven
Blaney, Minister of Veterans
Affairs, participated in the 2012
edition of the Canada Army Run
today in Ottawa. "I feel
honoured and privileged to
have had the opportunity to run
alongside men and women in
uniform, Veterans and their
families," said Minister Blaney.
"It makes me proud to witness
first hand their determination
and perseverance, and to see
people from all walks of life and
from all ages take part in this
very special event. Events like
the Canada Army Run provide
an opportunity for Canadians
to join together with the
Canadian Forces in the spirit of
camaraderie and mutual
respect." Many Veterans
Affairs Canada staff also
participated in the run, providing
yet another example of the
Department's commitment to
work with the Canadian Forces
to create a culture of knowledge
and respect for military service.
2012 marks the 5th
anniversary of the Canada Army
Run. This annual event,
organized by the Canadian Army
in Ottawa, raises awareness of
the Army and promotes fitness.
It includes two events: the 5K
and the half marathon.
Participants can walk, run, or roll.
This is the fastest growing
running event in Canada, and
more than 18,000 participants
have registered this year.
PM to celebrate 40th anniversary
of historic Summit Series
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
will join members of the 1972
Canadian team in a celebration
marking the 40th anniversary of
the 1972 Summit Series, the epic
eight-game hockey series
between Canada and the Soviet
Union, which captured the
attention of hockey fans around
the world and united Canadians
from coast to coast to coast. The
Prime Minister will mark this
occasion at an event in Toronto
with the members of the 1972
Canadian team. “The 1972
Summit Series was one of those
rare and defining moments in
sport that means much more than
winning a game or a series,” said
Prime Minister Harper. “This was
a grueling competition between
exceptionally talented teams that
redefined how hockey is played
battle ahead, needing to win the
remaining three games in order to
win the series. With sound
determination and fierce rivalry, the
Canadian team fought back to
defeat the Soviet Union and
emerge victorious from the Summit
Series. Paul Henderson’s winning
goal to end the series is considered
one of the greatest moments in
Canadian sport history. To this
day, the Summit Series is
remembered fondly for being a
defining moment for Canada.
around the globe, reinforced
Canada’s claim of hockey
supremacy and demonstrated
the true power of sport during a
challenging Cold War era.”
Beginning on September 2, 1972,
the first four games of the
Summit Series took place across
Canada while the final four
games were held in Moscow.
Following the fifth game, Canada
stood with three losses, one win
and a tie against the Soviet team,
which demonstrated remarkable
skill and exceptional training.
The Canadian team had an uphill
Canada introduces new language requirements........
(Contd. from page 9)
Applicants will be required to submit acceptable evidence, such as: the results of a CIC-approved
third-party test; or the evidence of completion of secondary or post-secondary education in English
or French; or the evidence of achieving the appropriate language level in certain governmentfunded language training programs. While CIC will continue to use the applicant’s interaction with
CIC staff and with citizenship judges as part of the language ability assessment, the new regulations
mean that applicants must first provide objective evidence that they meet that requirement when
they file their application. CIC will return the applications of those who do not provide evidence of
language ability up front, enabling CIC to focus resources on processing those who do meet the
requirements. The requirement for adult applicants to provide objective evidence of their language
ability with their citizenship submission applies to every application received as of
November 1, 2012.
help meet consumer demand for healthier, more environmentally
friendly places to live and work. The Green Building Centre will offer
a range of services aimed at providing small- and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) with the resources they need to accelerate the
lab-to-market process. These include business development,
intellectual property management, venture creation, product
development, third-party validation and testing through the Business
Accelerator and Entrepreneurship Centre, the Advanced Prototyping
Lab, the Building Science Lab, and the International Business Office.
This project will create opportunities for SMEs to develop and test
novel building products, systems and materials such as building
retrofit materials and smart building automation. The college's
enhanced training programs will also ensure that more job-ready
graduates enter the market and advance the building sector's
adoption of new approaches, methods, standards and technologies.
The project will support up to 80 research collaborations with industry
partners and will also create 35 new full-time, high-value jobs. "This
generous and strategic investment will allow George Brown College
to build upon our success in serving the innovation economy and
creating the workforce that Canada needs," said Anne Sado,
President, George Brown College. "Students in our Centre for
Construction and Engineering Technologies will be at the forefront
of the sustainable building industry and our industry partners will
be able to bring new services, techniques and products to market
faster. The Green Building Centre is an excellent example of how
industry and colleges like George Brown can work together to serve
the economy."
Safeguarding principal top priority for Canadians.....
(Contd. from page 9)
"We also found that most Canadians are taking a long-term view of their
GIC investments, with 65 per cent saying that, when deciding to purchase
a GIC, having the flexibility to cash in their GICs before their maturity date
was the least important consideration." The RBC 2012 GIC Poll found
that today's GIC investors would be interested in increased benefits and
flexibility, such as: GICs that offer an interest rate that increases every
year (80 per cent) GICs that provide a regular income (70 per cent) GICs
that are linked to the stock market (65 per cent) "There are many GIC
options available, including GICs that help you maximize your rate of
return and GICs that provide you with regular income. Information is
readily accessible in our branches and online to explain the benefits of
each," added Kent. "RBC's GIC Selector and GIC Comparison Tool, for
example, are easy and informative resources which can help investors
choose the type of GIC that best fits their lifestyle and goals."
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
india
PARKASH SINGH
BADAL'S US CASE:
GOVT CORNERED
OVER SPENDING
PUBLIC MONEY
Nepal plane crash: 19 dead
after bird hits aircraft
Seven British tourists among 19 killed near Kathmandu
ONLOOKERS ARE SEEN NEAR THE WRECKAGE OF THE SITA AIR DORNIER PLANE CRASH SITE IN NEPAL.
KATHMANDU/BUREAU NEWS: Nineteen people were killed when a small plane in Nepal caught fire
and crashed soon after take off on Friday. "During take off a bird hit the plane and this was a contributing
factor," said general manager of Tribhuwan International Airport Ratish Chandra Lal Suman said. Among
the dead were seven British, five Chinese and four Nepali passengers and three Nepali crew member. The
plane was travelling to Lukla, the
gateway to the Everest region.
The British nationals were going
on a 13-day trek to Everest Base
Camp. According to eye
witnesses, the plane was on fire
as it took off and landed about 20
metres from a settlement of
squatters at a riverbank. The
black eagle that hit the plane has
been recovered in three pieces.
"After the bird struck the control
was not smooth and it
contributed to the accident,"
Suman
said.
"We
are
investigating whether the proper
procedure was followed or not
after the bird struck. The black
box has been recovered." The
bodies of the people were charred
beyond recognition. The same
plane was scheduled to make
three flights to Lukla on Friday
and this was the first flight of the
German made Dornier aircraft.
New India-Pakistan visa regime
may come into force next month
NEW DELHI/BUREAU NEWS:
The recently-signed liberalized
visa agreement between India
and Pakistan is likely to be
operationalised sometime next
month. Modalities are being
worked out to bring the new visa
regime into effect simultaneously
in both the countries in such a
way that it can be formalized
jointly by home minister Sushil
Kumar Shinde and his Pakistani
counterpart Rehman Malik.
One of the options is to
issue 'group' visa to citizens of
both countries at the same time
and have the first batch of
visitors from India and Pakistan
welcomed by Shinde and Malik
jointly in a function at Wagah
border post. The new visa
agreement — introducing for the
first time group tourist and
pilgrim visas and separate visas
for businessmen — was signed
early this month during the visit
foreign minister SM Krishna to
Islamabad. Sources said India
had earlier planned to
operationalize at least the group
visa component of the agreement
by notifying the rules on
October 1 with other parts of the
pact being taken up in a
staggered manner over the
month. Pakistan also had, more
Operation Blue Star hero Lt Gen
Brar survives attack in London
LONDON: More than 28 years after he spearheaded Operation
Bluestar to flush out pro-Khalistan militants from the holiest of
Sikh shrines, the Golden Temple, Lt General Kuldeep Singh Brar
was stabbed by four men just as he stepped out of a hotel along
with his wife, Meena, at around 10:40 pm here on Sunday. The
assailants tried to slit his throat with kirpans but he fought back
until his wife raised alarm and people rushed to help.
Lt Gen Brar, 78, has the highest 'Z' category security, but that's
only when he is in India. He had no protection when he was
attacked in London, where he is on a private visit. He was rushed
to a hospital where his injuries were described as "serious but not life-threatening". He was discharged on Monday afternoon.
"Officers are on the scene, no arrests
have been made, inquiries continue,"
said Scotland Yard, investigating who
could have been behind the attack. The
decorated general saw action in the 1971
war against Pakistan, which led to the creation of Bangladesh.
Lt Gen Brar 'Bulbul' was commander of the 9 Division based in
Meerut as Major General and he headed Operation Blue Star.
After Indira Gandhi was assassinated in October 1984 by her
Sikh bodyguards incensed with the Army action on Darbar Sahib
and General A S Vaidya was killed by terrorists in Pune on August 10, 1986, Brar was the main target of the militants.
Recounting the incident, a close family member of Lt Gen Brar
based in Mumbai said the Army man and his wife, Meena, had
just left the hotel after dinner when four turbaned men surrounded
him. One pushed his wife inside the hotel door, while the other
three attacked him with kirpans. Brar, known to be very fit, fought
with his attackers.
"For tunately, it being a Sunday evening, the street was crowded.
He was injured on his face and throat. The attackers were trying
to slit it," the relative, who spoke to the couple, told TOI. The
Brars are returning to India in three or four days.
Anna Hazare blames Arvind
Kejriwal for splitting group
NEW DELHI/BUREAU NEWS:
Anna Hazare on Friday launched
a blistering attack on Arvind
Kejriwal, accusing him of
wrecking the anti-corruption
campaign because of his
political ambitions. Writing in his
blog, Hazare repeated that he
had nothing to do with Kejriwal's
political project, saying it was
launched in violation of his
wishes. The veteran agitator also
warned people not to trust those
who used his name and tried to
associate themselves with his
movement.
The blog cast aside the
or less, a similar plan, they
added. But now, officials are
working to notify the rules for
all components of the new visa
agreement in one go and make it
operational in both the countries
simultaneously. "Using the
opportunity of attending the
function by Shinde and Malik,
both the leaders may hold a
dialogue at the venue to discuss
issues concerning India and
Pakistan," an official said. The
new visa pact has replaced the
38-year-old restrictive visa
agreement and has paved the
way for time-bound visa
approval and greater people-topeople contacts and boost trade.
While there was no time-frame
for issuance of non-diplomatic
visas, the new pact says visa has
to be issued within a period not
exceeding 45 days of application.
Under the new regime, one can
visit five places instead of three
at present and those above 65
years of age and children below
12 years and "eminent"
businessmen are exempt from
police reporting.
The new group tourist visa
will be issued for not less than
10 people and not more than 50
people. This visa will be valid for
30 days and will have to be
applied through tour operators
registered
by
the
two
governments.
Parkash Singh Badal's US case: Govt
cornered over spending public money
CHANDIGARH/BUREAU NEWS: Though the cash strapped
SAD-BJP government in Punjab has bitten the bullet and imposed
property tax to generate revenue for the government, at the same
time it is shelling out $10,000 to fight a case slapped against chief
minister Parkash Singh Badal in a district court in Winsconsin,
USA. The government's move has kicked up a political storm back
home. Congress has slammed the government for spending from
the public exchequer and 'squandering away people's hard earned
money given as taxes in defending personal cases of the CM.'
Former Congress MLA said, "On the one hand the government is
defaulting on the RBI limit of overdraft every week, imposing
property tax, hiking VAT to generate sources and on the other,
money is being spent from public exchequer for personal benefits."
Shiromani Akali Dal, the ruling party in Punjab, has termed
Congress' opposition as proof of 'sick mentality'. Punjab has hired
US law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP to defend the CM in a federal law
suit. Badal is fighting allegations of human rights violations and
11
torture of Sikhs in Punjab. New York-based organization Sikhs for
Justice (SFJ) and members of SAD (Amritsar), are the petitioners in
the case and the lawsuit has been filed under Alien Torts Claims
Act and Torture Victims Protection Act. The cash strapped
government will cough up $10,000, which is only 'an initial payment',
said sources in the advocate general's office.
The government has also sought assistance from a Milwaukeebased firm — Michael Best and Friedrich LLP — to defend Badal
who had time till August 30 to respond to the US court's summons.
A three-member team headed by advocate general Ashok Aggarwal
had visited the US in the last week of August to hunt for law firms
which could defend Badal.
On August 30, attorney Michelle L Jacobs of Michael Best
and Friedrich LLP represented Badal and pleaded dismissal of the
petition on the grounds that the defendant (Badal) had not been
served the notice properly. It was also argued that the proof of
service was not signed by a notary.
bless his enterprise after a while.
He has downplayed the
differences making them seem
like a case of estrangement.
However on Friday, Hazare
made it plain that their parting
was final, leaving little room for
reconciliation. "Those who
favour party have been saying
that if Anna says, then they will
not form a party. But despite that,
they have decided to go ahead
with the plan against my
decision. Sometimes, it is also
said they were forming the party
because Anna has decided so.
This is not right," he said. The
ANNA AT TACKS KEJRIWAL, SAYS 'POLITIC S' DIVIDED
MOVEMENT.
pretense
of
continuing
engagement with Kejriwal and
comrades, virtually blowing
always the ambiguity that the
latter have sought to maintain
even when they are going their
respective ways. Although left
stunned by Hazare going public
with his opposition his plan to
foray into political arena,
Kejriwal has maintained that
Anna would come around to
Kejriwal-led group refused to
comment on the blog. The blog
followed suggestions in proKejriwal circles that the
Gandhian from Ralegan could be
playing into the hands of RSS. It
has been claimed that Anna had
meet with Baba Ramdeve and
other pro-RSS people the
evening before he publicly
disengaged himself with
Kejriwal's plan to enter politics.
12
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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
world
MidWeek
13
Khar's husband rubbishes
rumours about her love
affair with Bilawal Bhutto
Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar is allegedly in a
love affair with Bilawal Bhutto, son of Pakistan President Asif
Ali Zardari and late Benazir Bhutto. Reportedly, both of them
have plans to settle in Switzerland
PPP LEADER BILAWAL BHUTTO (LEFT) AND PAK FOREIGN
MINISTER HINA RABBANI KHAR.
ISLAMABAD/BUREAU NEWS: A Bangladeshi tabloid claimed that
Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar is allegedly in a love
affair with Bilawal Bhutto, son of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari
and late Benazir Bhutto. A Bangladeshi tabloid, Weekly Blitz, reported
that Hina has decided to end her marriage with Gulzar to settle down
with Bilawal in Switzerland. Bilawal is 11 years younger than Khar,
said the report in the Weekly Blitz of Bangladesh. Khar is married to
millionaire businessman Firoze Gulzar and has two daughters. The
report says Khar's marriage is on the rocks and she is likely to seek
a divorce. However, Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar's
husband Feroz Gulzar has rubbished rumours about differences in
their relationship as a campaign to malign his wife. The tabloid even
revealed few content from one of the hand-written letters which
were sent by Hina to Bilawal. The foreign minister, according to the
tabloid, wrote, "The foundation of our relations is eternal and soon
we shall be just ourselves." The tabloid also claimed that Bilawal
had threatened to quit PPP when he was advised by his father to
end his relationship with Hina.
Majority of Indian-Americans back Barack
Obama for second term as president
WASHINGTON/BUREAU NEWS : Perhaps it's those high-profile state
visits; or maybe those White House events to celebrate Diwali and Guru
Nanak anniversary. More likely, it's the familiar immigrant predisposition
for the Democratic Party. All things considered, Indian-Americans are
going to vote for in droves for Barack Obama second term in the November
2012 Presidential election, notwithstanding occasional heartburn in India
over perceived cooling of ties under Democratic dispensation. A new
national survey of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) released
on Monday reveals that Indian-Americans are by far the strongest
supporters of Barack Obama among the larger AAPI group, siding with
him by an overwhelming 68% to 5%, over Republican rival Mitt Romney,
with around 25% undecided. At a broader AAPI level, the divide is 43-24
in favor of Obama. The survey comes at a time when growing AsianAmerican political influence is already apparent in many states and
metropolitan areas, including key presidential battleground states such
as Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia.
14
MidWeek
property & decor
Use old scrap for chic interiors
T
here's more you can do with your interiors; use old scrap to
make pretty home decor items We have moved into an era
where all people can think is about going green. Recycling is
passe. The trend that has made a buzz now is upcycling, that is,
reusing vintage products such that you can make it into something
of a higher value. Basically, it is about using products for a little
more time before there is place in the landfill so it can be discarded.
Though greentailing is not all that hyped up in India as it is abroad,
it sure has grabbed many an eyeball. Gone are the days, when all
that youth could think of is draining their brains. A lot of our
youngsters are making a business out of recycling and well, what's
better when you can both make money and tell mother nature that
you care.
Upcycling, like mentioned earlier, is quite a rage in the West,
especially when it comes to home decor. But fret not! For all of you
who like trying out and customising goods at home, here are some
fun ideas for you to try out yourself at home:
1. Bind your old hard cover books together (side by side), such
that it looks like a plank. You can use this as a book shelf and place
them on your wall. This is a funky way of upcycling.
2. To get that rustic look, you can use cane sieves (the ones
with which your moms and mom-in-laws sieve rice in) to make it into
a photo-frame. How? Well, just paint them in funky
ways, give them different strokes with different hues and you
can paste your photographs on them before placing them on the
wall. You could also make a photo wall, by placing many sieves in
different angles (like if you place one horizontally, place the other
vertically and otherwise).
3. Use your old coasters as a wall hanging. Use colourful ribbons
or threads to tie up the coasters after they're painted in your style,
and then place them on your wall. You could do the same with your
tea sieves, by painting them up and hanging them on the wall.
4. You can use old baked beans tins, or beer bottle tins in many
ways. Clean the tins up and paint it to use it as a flower vase. You
can stack many a newspaper together, glue them up together and
cut them such that they make pretty coasters.
5. Take small boxes, glue up your favourite magazine articles on
them, and also sequence the edges to use it as a showpiece for your
desk.
6. You can use tetra pack containers to make pen stands by
cutting them partially in the middle. This is a good and easy way to
upcycle.
7. Use your old cartons and boxes, paint them or cover them up
with colourful paper, place sequins on them, and use the end-product
as a magazine or newspaper holder.
These are just some simple methods you can use to make your
home decor look both classy and eco-friendly.
Well, there are a lot more ways to do the same and customise
your home decor according to your personal style. After all, your
home should reflect your personality and what better way to do up
your interiors your way.
How red can
your walls get
I
t's said to be the colour of
passion, romance, excitement
and danger. Red, more
importantly, is one of the few
colours that can dramatically
brighten up the mood of the
entire room. The colour is a
bright spark that can liven up any
interior. However, if it's
overdone, the room will
definitely look garish. Hence,
red, in any shade, is best used
sparingly. How much of the
house or the room one decides
to paint in the colour reflects the
personality of the home owner.
Unfortunately, not too many
people are comfortable using this
colour excessively. The reason?
Red is also famed as a dangerous
colour, one that can make people
irritable and invoke feelings of
rage and hostility. Hence, one
option is to use it on a single wall
and
then
accessorise
(upholstery and decor) using the
colour or to go in for a dual tone
painting style using two
complementing shades of the
colour. So, if you've been
debating about getting your
bedroom or living room painted
in this awesome colour, here's
what you need to keep in mind.
Choose the right shade
Like most colours, red comes
in a number of shades ranging
from a light blushing red to deep
crimson, from a rustic village red
to dark burgundy and from a
tomato red to a cherry red among
others. It's most important to
choose the right shade.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
A cramped room can
also look beautiful
I
t's one of the most common problems people living in
the city face. You may have a home but constantly feel
that it's too small and crowded for your liking.
Decorating a tiny living room or bedroom can be a bit hard
as you may have to let go of some of the furniture. Here
are some helpful tips to make your room look wider and
clutter-free. -If you have good wall space, why not put up
mirrors. They can help open up tiny spaces and make your
room look much bigger. A large mirror helps because it
creates the illusion of depth. -Before painting your living
room, keep in mind the colour. Remember dark shades of
paint can make the walls look narrower. Instead opt for
lighter hues. You don't have to restrict yourself to boring
shades of white, but try colours like beige or light yellow
or blue that will brighten up the room. -Choose your
furniture carefully. The more you try and fit in to your room,
the less walking space you will have. Try and opt for pieces
that have double utility. Like a chest that can hold your
television and music set together.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
property & decor
MidWeek
15
16
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
Australian actress
joins 'Dhoom 3' cast
INDIA BEAT SOUTH AFRICA BUT
CRASH OUT OF WORLD TWENTY20
M
COVERAGE ON PAGE 22
TORONTO ARGONAUTS TO HOST
FOOTBALL 101 FOR NEW CANADIANS
TORONTO/BUREAU NEWS : The Toronto Argonauts have been
part of the fabric of our community for 139 years, and now the club
is inviting the newest members of our community to learn about our
great game from those who know it best. Through a pair of Football
101 sessions hosted by local TV personalities, participants will be
welcomed by hometown defensive back Matt Black and
Canadian offensive tackle Chris Van Zeyl. Those in
attendance will learn about the basics of the Canadian
game and, by the end of the sessions, be able to
join all Canadians and Torontonians in celebrating
every first down and touchdown by the Double
Blue!
Commented Toronto Argonauts Executive
Chairman & CEO, Chris Rudge, “There are few
things as dear to us all as the Canadian Football
League, and there is no sports franchise more
entrenched in the history of our city than the Toronto
Argonauts. This is an outstanding opportunity to learn
about our game, meet some of our players and join us in
being part of something that is truly Canadian.”
Registration is free. Please sign-up by clicking here: argonauts.ca/
football101
Below are the details for both Football 101 sessions for New
Canadians:
SESSION 1
DATE: October 10, 2012
TIME: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: David Suzuki Secondary School, inside the cafeteria
45 Daviselm Drive, Brampton, Ontario, L6X 0Z3
(Chinguacousy Rd. & Queen St. W.)
ARGOS PLAYERS: DB Matt Black and OT Chris Van Zeyl
SESSION 2
DATE: October 11, 2012
TIME: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: SATEC @ W. A. Porter Collegiate
Institute, inside the auditorium
40 Fairfax Crescent, Toronto, Ontario, M1L 4V7
(Warden Ave. & St. Clair Ave. E.)
ARGOS PLAYERS: DB Matt Black and OT Chris
Van Zeyl
The Toronto Argonauts are North America’s oldest
professional football club, celebrating their 139th
anniversary in 2012. As Toronto’s #1 community team
through player involvement, community programs and The
Argos Foundation, the Toronto Argonauts, a member of the
Canadian Football League (CFL), have 15 Grey Cup championships
to their credit. For 2012 game tickets and group sales packages,
please contact the sales team at (416) 341-ARGO. For more
information on the Toronto Argonauts Football Club, please visit
argonauts.ca.
Leading ladies at Ranbir's birthday bash
P
roducer
Manmohan
Shetty's
younger
daughter Aarti Shetty
threw a birthday party for Ranbir
Kapoor on the night of
September 27. The guest list,
included Katrina Kaif, Deepika
Padukone, Anushka Sharma,
Anurag Kashyap, Kunal Roy
Kapur, Rohit Dhawan and many
other friends of Ranbir. What
isn't public knowledge, though,
is the the behind-the-scene
machinations of this birthday
bash. All through September 27;
Deepika was shooting with
Ranbir for Ayan's Yeh Jaawani
Hai Deewani at a Mumbai
studio. So obviously she was in
the loop about the celebration to
be held for her ex-boyfriend later
that night. However, till a couple
of hours before the party, there
was huge stress on whether
Deepu will make it to the party
or not. In fact, Deepu is said to
have confessed to someone
close that she may or may not
actually make it for the party. One
hears that the reason for
Deepika's dilemma is the fact that
Katrina, who is reportedly in a
close association with Ranbir
currently, didn't fancy having
Deepika at the party.
Our source says, "There is
nothing between Deepika and
Ranbir currently. They are costars in Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewani
and share a cordial equation. It
is clear that Ranbir has moved
on in life. However, Kat allegedly
didn't fancy having Deepu at
RK's party because she is still
threatened by her presence."
Source also added that a lot of
people had to intervene and
ensure Deepika got invited
because her absence would have
made things more obvious;
especially since Anushka, the
other girl with whom Ranbir is
slated to do Bombay Velvet and
who has also been very friendly
with him, had also made it to the
guest list. Says one of the
guests from the party, "Just
imagine how odd it would've
looked if Katrina and Anushka
were at the party.
odel-turned-actress Tabrett Bethell will join
the likes of Aamir Kahn and Katrina Kaif in
the action thriller, which marks her debut in the Hindi film
industry. "Please welcome the lovely Tabrett Bethell who joins the
cast of 'Dhoom 3' today," co-star Uday Chopra tweeted Thursday
night. "Dhoom 3" is the third instalment of the successful actionadventure "Dhoom" franchise and it also stars Abhishek Bachchan
and Uday Chopra who were in the first two films. Bethell started her
acting career in 2008 with TV series " Legend of the Seeker" and then
starred in small screen thriller "The Clinic". She was also seen in
movies such as "Strangers Lovers Killers" and "Anyone You Want".
Sri Lanka brushes
West Indies aside
MAHELA JAYAWARDENA EASED SRI LANKA TO VICTORY WITH
65 NOT OUT.
COLOMBO/BUREAU NEWS:
Mahela Jayawardena and
Kumar Sangakkara took Sri
Lanka to a comfortable win over
the West Indies in a match that
calmed the somewhat jangled
nerves of the 35,000-plus
spectators at the Pallekele
International Cricket Stadium in
Kandy. After the tie against
New Zealand, which Sri Lanka
won in the Super Over, the game
against the West Indies was a
veritable walk in the park.
Darren Sammy got it right at the
toss and chose to bat, perhaps
expecting the wicket, on which
England had just beaten New
Zealand, to be a touch tired. By
the end of the game, though, it
was the shoulders of West
Indies’ players that were
drooping. While Jayawardena
helped himself to some
invaluable time out in the middle,
it was Sri Lanka’s bowlers who
set up the win. Ajantha Mendis,
who had struggled with a side
strain earlier in the tournament,
was fit to go and snaffled the first
wicket when Johnson Charles
charged down the pitch without
a good idea of which way the
ball would turn.
If Mendis accounted for
the form player, it was Nuwan
Kulasekara, who often goes
uncelebrated, who knocked the
big man over. Chris Gayle had
an airy waft at a slower leg-cutter
and the thick edge was well
caught by Sangakkara diving to
his left.
At 16 for two, West Indies
was in trouble, and Marlon
Samuels was forced to
consolidate in the company of
Dwayne Bravo. Sri Lanka’s
bowlers sensed a chance to slip
in some quiet overs, and only
two overs resulted in 10 runs or
more in the first 14. While the
pitch did not grip exceptionally,
it was on the slow side and this
played into the hands of Sri
Lanka’s bowlers. Sri Lanka was
patient, anticipating the
opportunities that would come
its way when the batsmen tried
to force the pace.
18
MidWeek
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
MidWeek
bollywood
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
19
Upcoming
Movie Review
BOLLYWOOD Movies
Oh My God
BIHAAD
RELEASE DATE: 17-Oct-2012
STARING: Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan,
Vidya Balan
DIRECTOR(S): Milan Luthria
PRODUCER(S): Kumar Gaurav, Parag
Sanghavi, Bunty Walia
AIYYA
Critic's Ratin
Story: Atheist Kanjilal Mehta
takes 'God' to court after an
earthquake destroys his
s h o p . S u d d e n l y, ' K r i s h n a
Vasudev Yadav' shows up does divine intervention
occur?
Movie Review: Movie
Review: Straight on, OMG is
Paresh Rawal's movie - and
one of his best. Akshay
Kumar plays a small and
sacred role but OMG is
largely powered by Rawal's
performance as Kanjilal
Mehta, a cynical Gujarati
shopkeeper in Mumbai's Chor
Bazaar, hardcore atheist who
merrily dupes the believing
into buying Krishna statues
before whom Kanji trills,
"Kootchie
kootchie,
natkhat!" The atheist even
disrupts a matki phoro
ceremony for Krishna where,
despite a cracking guest
performance by Sonakshi
Sinha and Prabhudeva to 'GoGo-Go-Govinda' - watch the
latter's buttery moves and the
former's rock-chick hair Kanjilal rains on the party.
An earthquake follows,
reducing just one shop to
rubble - Kanjilal's. His
insurance company refuses
to pay, citing an act of God.
Facing ruin, Kanji takes God
- as represented by 'collection
officers', religious leaders
Swami
Leeladhar
( C h a k r a b a r t y,
super),
Siddheshwar
(Namdeo,
hamming it up to Italian deli-
level) and sexy sanyasin Mata
Gopi (Poonam Jhawar) - to
court
demanding
compensation. Goons try to
kill Kanji - but 'consultant'
K r i s h n a Va s u d e v Ya d a v
saves him via a thrilling
motorbike ride - then moves
into his house. The trial
circles deep philosophy, yet
tongues stay firmly in cheek
as Kanji tells the outraged
swamis, "Ye mujhe kya Gita
sikhayenge - inka IQ room
temperature se bhi low hai."
Rawal is pure pleasure
when he naughtily points out,
"Recession mein toh inka
dhanda double ho jata hai!",
when debating being boiled
in oil down in hell, he asks,
"Mein aadmi hoon ya
pakora?" or, when he states
that
such
religion
superstition, fear, ignorance
- "insaan ko bebas ya
aatankwadi banata hai." It is
f a r b e t t e r, h e r e m a r k s , t o
donate milk to the hungry
than pour it over a shrine and into a drain, to give to the
needy rather than enrich
religious commerce working
on human weakness and woe
via 'exchange offers' with the
divine.
Rawal's conviction is
OMG's bedrock - but its
beauty comes from his
dynamics with Krishna
( K u m a r,
channeling
a
Tw i l i g h t - l i k e
zone
of
motorbikes, overcoats and
chiseled looks), who saves
top
10
songs
1
Film:
English Vinglish
GUSTAKH DIL
FILM
SONG
Bar fi
Bar fi
Bar fi!
English Vinglish
Student Of The Year
English Vinglish
Student Of The Year
Heroine
Aashiyan
Phir Le Aya Dil (Reprise)
Bar fi!
Badla Nazara
Radha
Navrai Majhi
The Disco Song
Tujhpe Fida
Saiyaan
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Ishkq in Paris
MOVIE COLLECTIONS
HIT OR FLOP MIDWEEK
EK THA TIGER
BLOCKBUSTER
RAAZ 3
SUPER HIT
JOKER
DISASTER
SHIRIN FARHAD KI TOH NIKAL PADI FLOP
GANGS OF WASSEYPUR 2
FLOP
JISM 2
AVERAGE
g: 3.5/5
hay
Rawal, Aks
h
s
re
a
P
t:
s
Ca
orty,
un Chakrab
Kumar, Mith
h
deo, Mahes
Govind Nam
m Puri
Manjrekar, O
mesh Shukla
Direction: U
edy
Genre: Com
tes
urs 15 minu
o
h
2
:
n
o
ti
Dura
his life, educates
him via sacred
texts and gently
instructs
an
a n n o y e d
housewife yelling Kanji is a
nastik to eat her ice-cream
before
it
melts.
Few
Bollywood actors do loopyplus-hot as well as Kumar
and he's silken here, all
delicate hints and half-smiles,
smoothly playing the flute as
Kanji shouts, "O Hari Prasad!
O Chaurasia!"
Their
chemistry
is
electric, Rawal wryly noting,
"Suit-boot
mein
aya
Kanhaiya",
backed
by
Chakrabarty too, biting into
the role of a long-haired
swami speaking in softly
mincing tones, using his
hands down to one finger in
a terrific take-off. Other acting
(Puri, a Muslim lawyer
helping Kanji, Manjrekar as
lawyer Sardesai, Lubna Salim
RELEASE DATE: 03-Oct-2012
STARING: Prithviraj, Rani Mukerji
DIRECTOR(S): Sachin Kundalka
PRODUCER(S): Anurag Kashyap,
Viacom 18
as Kanji's wide-eyed wife
Susheela) is strictly average
but
covered
by
an
astonishingly
good
background track pepping up
the pace, adding zing but
never distracting from a
complex story told in a simple
way. On the downside, OMG's
production values are not
high-gloss and it sags and
looks stagey at times.
Importantly though, in a
nation
obsessed
with
taweezes and tonsures, fasts
and fasaads, the symbolic
over the sensible, OMG
conveys a serious message
this festive season - God is
to be found in human beings.
And, rather like Hindi films of
an earlier age, it does so in a
light and unusual way.
KISMAT LOVE PAISA
DILLI
RELEASE DATE: 05-Oct-2012
STARING: Mallika Sherawat, Vivek
Oberoi, Anshuman Jha
DIRECTOR(S): Sanjay Khanduri
PRODUCER(S): Amit Chandra
GREAT DADU
RELEASE DATE: 18-Oct-2012
STARING: Amitabh Bachchan, Hema
Malini, Sanjay Dutt
DIRECTOR(S):
Abhishek Chhada
PRODUCER(S): Abhishek Chhada
MUSIC :A R RAHMAN
GURU DAKSHINA
RELEASE DATE:
STARING:Sunny Deol, Rituparna
Sengupta
DIRECTOR(S): Ashwini Chaudhary
PRODUCER(S): Sunny Deol, Parag
Sanghavi
Katrina to play the
desi Cameron Diaz
RUSH
RELEASE DATE: 26-Oct-2012
STARING: mraan Hashmi, Neha Dhupia,
Sagarika Ghatge, Aditya Pancholi
DIRECTOR(S): Shamin Desai,
Priyanka Desai
Music: Pritam
T
he actress has been finalised for Siddharth Anand's Hindi
remake of the Hollywood film Knight And Day A week
back, it was reported how Hrithik Roshan in keeping with
his current streak
of action films,
has
signed
S i d d h a r t h
Anand's
next
project. The film,
an official desi
remake of the Tom
Cruise
and
Cameron Diaz
starrer Knight
And Day, required
its hero to have a lean and mean acrobatic image. And Hrithik,
who had recently got into superhero shape, fit the bill perfectly.
However, the hunt for his perfect partner in this spy-on-the-run
romantic thriller was still on. And now, we learnt that Anand has
found his leading lady. Katrina Kaif, who was last seen on the
big screen fighting goons alongside Salman Khan in Ek Tha
Tiger, has been roped in to play Diaz's Indian counterpart. The
film, yet untitled, goes on floors early next year. It is produced
by Fox Star India.
Baby girl for Akshay-Twinkle
A
kshay Kumar and Twinkle became parents the second
time round when their daughter was born early Tuesday
morning. The new member of the family is the third person
to have a September birthday. The first is Akshay (September 9)
and the second is the couple's son, Aarav (September 15). "My
lovely baby girl looks just like her mother and grandmother and
I have no words to express my happiness. I'd like to thank
everyone for their blessings and best wishes", says
Akshay Kumar.
15-Oct-2012
Every comedy cannot
be a rom-com: Neeru
F
or an actress who heralded the romcom genre in Punjabi
films with 'Jatt & Juliet', Neeru Bajwa says every film she
would pursue now need not fall into the same genre.
Clarifying that the upcoming 'Pinky Moge Wali' is not 'yet
another romcom', Neeru says the film is a, "Masala, more than a
romantic comedy alone." Though the tenor of the film is light,
Neeru says Pinky is
not another Juliet. "It
has all ingredients of a
typical entertainer, but
it doesn't go the same
way as Jatt & Juliet,"
she adds. Loaded with
three item numbers, the
first for a Punjabi
script, Pinky , directed
by Vikram Dhillon, gives Neeru more reason to rejoice as she
gets to dance as an item in Punjabi cinema too. Yet, the film
does more than just illicit a few laughs.
Now Jatt & Juliet 2!
A
fter the resounding success of Jatt & Juliet, the makers
of the film are all set to launch it sequel , Jatt & Juliet 2.
With this, the film
creates history as it is the first
Punjabi movie to have a
sequel. "Actually none of us
had expected that the film
would turn the tide in Punjabi
industry. Hence, we weren't
at all aiming for its sequel. But
now, things are different. People want to see more of Jatt and
Juliet. I guess the producers are compelled to make its sequel,"
laughs Neeru Bajwa, adding, "Who can now think of Jatt &
Julietwithout Diljit Dosanjh? So, yes, Diljit will be a part of the
sequel too." The film starts shooting next month and is expected
to release early next year.
20
MidWeek
hollywood
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Lindsay Lohan attacked by man at NYC hotel
Stewart patch-up, a pretense? A
R
obert Pattinson's friends believe
that the reported reconciliation
between the actor and Kristen
Stewart is all for show. The duo split
after it was revealed that Stewart
cheated on Pattinson with director
Rupert Sanders. But now it is being said
that they have reconciled after Stewart,
22, said she did not sleep with Sanders
d u r i n g t h e a ff a i r, r e p o r t e d R a d a r
Online. "Kristen and Rob's friends
absolutely don't believe that this
reconciliation is going to last.
Rob believes that Kristen didn't
sleep with Rupert Sanders, but
the fact is, she still cheated on
him.
"Rob's pals think it was
easier for him to get back
together with her right now
because of the upcoming
publicity blitz they are going
to embark on to promote
Breaking Dawn," a source
said.
young man who got into
an argument with
Lindsay Lohan in her
New York City hotel room over
cell phone photos has been
released from police custody, a law
enforcement official has revealed.
Law enforcement officials, who
interviewed both Lohan and
Christian LaBella and determined
that the accusations against him
could not be substantiated, said
that his arrest would be voided.
Officials said that, instead, Lohan
and LaBella sought harassment
complaints against each other.
According to the New York Post,
sources revealed that the 26-yearold actress was allegedly
assaulted by LaBella, who she met
at a nightclub in Manhattan, after
she confronted him about pictures
he was taking on his phone. Lohan
met the suspect, 25-year-old
Labella, at 1 Oak in Chelsea early
on Sunday morning before
returning to the W Hotel. Police
sources said that LaBella was
taking cell phone pictures of
Lohan partying and then they got
into a tussle in the room before
going out into the hallway of the
hotel, where he allegedly tried to
choke her.
A fire alarm was pulled during
the incident, but the hotel told
visitors there was no need to
evacuate. After police arrived at
the hotel, Lohan was questioned
while cops remained outside her
room for six hours. “They thought
I took pictures but I didn’t,” Fox
News quoted LaBella as telling the
police in the lobby, where he was
caught.
The NYPD said that the
victim of the alleged attack was a
white, 26-year-old female, but
would not confirm it was Lohan.
LaBellawas taken into police
custody at about 6 a.m. and has
been charged before with two
counts of misdemeanour assault
and two counts of harassment.
“Lindsay was assaulted
early this morning in a New
York hotel. While she did
sustain some injuries, she
was not hospitalized,”
Steve Honig, Lohan’s
publicist, said in a statement. “The
assailant was arrested and is
currently in police custody.
Lindsay has spoken with police
and is fully cooperating with the
investigation,” the publicist said.
Upcoming
Voice course for Nargis I miss the warmth of
HOLLYWOOD Movies
I
THE PAPERBOY
RELEASE DATE: 05 Oct 2012
STARING: Matthew McConaughey,
Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, John Cusack...
Story :A directionless young man
helps his reporter brother investigate
the possible wrongful conviction of a
man on death row, and in the process,
falls for the woman whom the convict
has been romancing through prison
correspondence.
BUTTER
RELEASE DATE: 05 Oct, 2012
STARING: Hugh Jackman, Jennifer
Garner, Ashley Greene, Olivia Wilde...
PRODUCER(S): Jennifer Garner
STORY: A young orphan discovers
her uncanny talent for butter sculpture
in an Iowa town where her adoptive
family lives. The talent pits her against
the ambitious wife of the reigning
champion in the annual butter sculpture
competition.
TAKEN 2
RELEASE DATE: Oct 5, 2012
STARING: Liam Neeson, Famke
Janssen, Maggie Grace
PRODUCER(S): Luc Besson
DIRECTOR(S): Olivier Megaton
STORY: In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his wife are
taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his
daughter.
KILLING THEM SOFTLY
RELEASE DATE: Oct 5, 2012
STARING: Brad Pitt, Richard Jenkins, Ray
Liotta
PRODUCER(S): Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner
DIRECTOR(S): Andrew Dominik
STORY: Adapted from George V. Higgins
novel and set in New Orleans, Killing Them
Softly follows professional enforcer, Jackie
Cogan, who investigates a heist that occurs during a high stakes.
ARGO
RELEASE DATE: Oct 12, 2012
STARING: Ben Affleck, Br yan
Cranston, Taylor Schilling, John
Goodman
PRODUCER(S): George Clooney,
Grant Heslov
DIRECTOR(S): Ben Affleck
Genre : Drama, Thriller
SKYFALL
RELEASE DATE: Nov 1, 2012
STARING: Judi Dench, Daniel Craig,
Javier Bardem
DIRECTOR(S): Sam Mendes
STORY: Bond's loyalty to M is tested
as her past comes back to haunt her.
As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must
track down and destroy the threat, no
matter how personal the cost.
Genre : Action, Adventure, Thriller
t's not surprising to hear of actors heading overseas for short
courses to improve their craft, and the latest to join the
bandwagon is Nargis Fakhri. The actress, who is keen to
improve her skill-set,
was recently in the US,
where she underwent a
voice
modulation
course. A source close
to the actress tells us
that she has recently
signed a big banner
Bollywood film, and
the role requires her to
have two-to-three kinds
of voice tones. That's
why Fakhri went to Los
Angeles
for
this
month-long course in
August so that she
could perfect her
dialogue delivery and
voice modulation before the film goes on floors.
The actress, who is currently caught up with shooting seven
back-to-back advertisements, was last in the news when she was
reportedly replaced by another contemporary in an Akshay Kumarstarrer, which she was supposed to have signed after Rockstar.
However, it seems that she has spent her time well since then.
India: Mallika Sherawat
M
allika Sherawat is happy doing one film a year and claims
that she loves travelling around the world. However, the
a c t r e s s
admits that she misses
the warmth of her own
country. On being
asked whether she
plans to move her base
outside India, she said,
"I will never move my
base from India. I am a
true desi girl." "I enjoy
travelling and meeting
people round the
world. However, I miss
the warmth and care of
my own country,"
added the actress. The
actress is excited about
her upcoming film
'Kismat, Love, Paisa,
Dilli'. "I don't want to do
films for money. I will
do movies only when I read the script and love doing the film,"
concluded Mallika.
Kareena lost film due to no pregnancy clause?
B
ollywood film contracts are becoming more stringent and
watertight by the day. One hears Kareena Kapoor allegedly
got a taste of this when she was negotiating for Sanjay
Leela Bhansali's Ram Leela. Trade sources say that with the trend
of foreign studios making movies in Bollywood, film stars' contracts
these days stipulate several dos and don'ts that weren't spelt out
earlier. Contracts in the early 80s specified things like the number
of shooting dates required, the remuneration amount and the breakup pattern (how much would be paid on signing, how many
installments would come thereafter) and it also mentioned things
like the amount for annuity policies, etc. However, in the last decade,
film contracts have seen a sea change in the way they are being
drafted. Production houses/studios ask actors to sign an NDA
(Non Disclosure Agreement) on day one. This stops the actor from
talking about his role, what he will wear, etc. Most queries from the
media have to be directed through the production houses' in-house
PR machinery.
A source confirms to us that an A-list production company
even specifies things like 'the actress will not make a fuss about
kissing, the actress will not object to wearing revealing clothes/
swimming costume/bikini.' And then there are the general clauses
like, the actor will allot a certain number of days for film promotion
because marketing of the film today assumes monstrous
proportions and is of crucial importance. There are some
film producers who even specify how actors will not come
on the set accompanied by anyone other than their staff;
how they will not attend to mobile calls while on the set,
how they will not leave the set for their vanity vans
even if they are not required for a particular scene, etc.
But having said this, we realise that many of the
clauses that one finds in the present-day contract are
still, more or less, similar to those that existed in the 80s,
with certain minor modifications, keeping contemporary
situations, contexts and circumstances in mind.
And now there's this most recent twist to the tale of film
contracts in Bollywood. And how B-town producers are not
leaving anything to chance. Apparently, the latest clause in
the contracts of leading ladies (married, engaged or those in
live-in relationships) specifies that the actress agree to not get
pregnant during the time of the principal photography because
filmmakers do not wish to sit on the set, minding the baby (pun
intended) while their shooting is in progress. A reliable source tells
us that Sanjay Leela Bhansali, like all practical filmmakers, reportedly
wanted Kareena Kapoor to sign a contract with a clause that said
she will not get pregnant during the making of Ram Leela. Our source
says, "The bone of contention between Bebo and Bhansali wasn't
the money; as is being speculated in the media. It is reportedly the
pregnancy clause that Bebo refused to sign." Bollywood is prickly
when it comes to discussing such issues but the fact of the matter
remains that as more and more married actresses are being given a
second innings in their careers, this is one clause that seems to
make maximum sense to the filmmakers. And then there are the
general clauses like, the actor will allot a certain number of days for
film promotion because marketing of the film today assumes
monstrous proportions and is crucial. There are some film producers
who even specify how actors will not come on the set accompanied
by anyone other than their staff, how they will not attend to mobile
calls while on the set, how they will not leave the set for their vanity
vans even if they are not required for a particular scene, etc. But
having said this, we realise that many of the clauses that one finds
in the present-day contracts are still, more or less, similar to those
that existed in the 80s, with certain minor modifications, keeping
contemporary situations, contexts and circumstances in mind.And
n o w,
there's this most recent twist to the tale of film contracts
in Bollywood. And how B-town producers are
not leaving anything to chance. Apparently,
the latest clause in the contracts of leading
ladies (married, engaged or those in live-in
relationships) specifies that the actress
agree to not get pregnant during the time of
the principal photography, because
filmmakers do not wish to sit on the set,
minding the baby (pun intended) while their
shooting is in progress.
A reliable source tells us that Sanjay
Leela Bhansali, like all practical filmmakers,
reportedly wanted Kareena to sign a
contract with a clause that said she
would not get pregnant during the
making of Ram Leela. Our source
says, "The bone of contention
between Bebo and Bhansali wasn't
the money, as is being speculated in
the media. It is reportedly the
pregnancy clause that Bebo
refused to sign."Bollywood is
prickly when it comes to
discussing such issues, but
the fact remains that as more
and more married actresses
are being given a second
innings in their careers,
this is one clause that
seems to make maximum
sense to the filmmakers.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
MidWeek
cricket
T20 WC: Pak qualify for Super Eights
Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets. Imran Nazir is the Man of the
Match for his wonderful innings of 72 runs from just 36 balls
IMRAN NAZIR SMASHED 72 IN PAKISTAN'S VICTORY AGAINST BANGLADESH.
COLOMBO/BUREAU NEWS:
Despite a poor bowling effort,
Pakistan cruised into the Super
Eights on the back of a
spectacular batting performance
in their ICC World Twenty20
match against Bangladesh in
Pallekele.
Pakistan's batting more than
made up for a thoroughly
disappointing show on the field,
as it put Bangladesh's attack to
the sword and charged headlong
to a eight-wicket win that
booked a place in the next phase.
Imran Nazir clobbered the fastest
half-century of the ICC World
Twenty20 2012, and was calmly
abetted by Mohammad Hafeez,
as Pakistan ensured that
Bangladesh could not pull off an
upset. Faced with a dual target Pakistan needed 176 for victory
but only 140 to qualify for the
Super Eights - Nazir and Hafeez
made
calculators
and
statisticians redundant during a
first-wicket stand that broke the
back of Bangladesh's bowlers.
Not learning a thing from the first
half of the game, Mashrafe
Mortaza and Shafiul Islam tried
to bounce the openers out. Nazir
greeted this form of attack with
panache, picking the length early
and pulling with ferocity.
When Hafeez realised that it was
Nazir's day, he gladly played
second fiddle, feeding the strike
to Nazir and watching as he
powered his team to a total of 64
off the Powerplay overs. When
Mushfiqur Rahim switched to
spin to stem the rot, Nazir was
already in full cry, and even the
smallest error in length was
brutally punished. Shakib Al
Hasan learnt the hard way as he
dropped one short and Nazir
rocked on to the back foot in a
flash to pull the ball deep into the
stands. When Nazir brought up
his half-century, off only 25 balls,
the game was already as good as
in the bag. But, after celebrating
the end of a dry spell with much
relief, Nazir knuckled down. It was
only in the 14th over of the
innings, with 124 on the board,
that Bangladesh managed to
separate the openers, as Nazir (72)
flat-batted Abul Hasan down to
long-off.
As is so often the case in these
situations, one wicket brought
another as Hafeez (45) chased a
wide one from Hasan to be caught
behind. The qualifying mark was
breached when Nasir Jamshed
pulled Hasan over midwicket for
six. Jamshed, who scored a
cultured half-century against
New Zealand in Pakistan's first
match of the tournament, helped
himself to 29 in a 52-run
partnership with Kamran Akmal
that took Pakistan home with
eight balls to spare.At the break,
it seemed like Bangladesh had
finally done enough to break its
13-year jinx against Pakistan. Ever
since a win at the ICC World Cup
1999 in Northampton, Bangladesh
had failed to get the better of
Pakistan, though it recently came
close in the Asia Cup.
If Bangladesh was allowed
to dream, it was only thanks to a
series of enterprising innings,
none more so than Shakib's 54ball 84. While Tamim Iqbal and
Mushfiqur made valuable
contributions, it was Shakib who
controlled the tempo of the
innings from No. 3. On a skiddy
pitch, first Sohail Tanvir and Umar
Gul, and later Yasir Arafat, tried
to bounce Shakib out. Cutting
and pulling fearlessly, Shakib had
answers for all questions asked
of him. The kind of day Pakistan
was having on the field was
typified by Tanvir's blooper at
midwicket, when a flailed pull
from Mushfiqur off Arafat floated
towards the fielder like a feather
on a light breeze.
In a moment that will no
doubt be reprised endlessly on
Youtube, Tanvir fobbed the ball
off, dropping perhaps the easiest
catch you will ever see in
international cricket.
The real damage, though,
was not done by fielding lapses,
but by Pakistan's bowlers failing
to hit the right length at any
stage of the innings. Shakib
feasted, doing well to deal with
full tosses and long hops with
equal aplomb. When he finally
fell, Shakib had muscled 84 off
only 54 balls, with 11 fours and
two sixes, to take Bangladesh to
175 -6. Eventually, though, even
this would prove too little.
Toughest selection of my
life, says skipper Dhoni
COLOMBO/BUREAU
NEWS: There is a reason why
Indian skipper MS Dhoni was
asked how he handles 'off the
field' issues as captain in the
press conference ahead of
their Super Eights clash
against Australia on Friday.
There
is
immense
speculation
across
TV
channels and newspapers
that Virender Sehwag, after
being 'rested' for the final
group game against England,
is unhappy at being told that
he will be left out of the final
XI for subsequent games. The
reporters here read every bit
of the body language being
displayed by Sehwag on the
eve of the match against the
Aussies.
The star bat from Delhi,
of course, himself fuelled a
fair bit of speculation by not
choosing to bat at the nets on
Tuesday, despite having no
fitness concerns. Dhoni's
way to deal with this
needless 'road show' is
simple. "The most important
thing is how understanding
your teammates are. There are
a lot of things that happen
outside the ground, but all
these should be ignored.
There is a lot of stress in
international cricket.
So, instead of focusing
on the wrong things, it makes
more sense to focus on the
right areas like the nets or the
cricketing skills," he said.
"No newspapers, no news
channels, no phones for me.
I feel it's important to be
thinking in the right direction,
but it's up to every
individual. The energy that
21
Virender Sehwag
mystery: Is he fit? Will
he return as opener?
COLOMBO/BUREAU NEWS: The extent of Virender Sehwag's
finger injury, and whether the opener will retain his place in the
team given the need to field an effective bowling combination, is
the issue vexing Team India at the moment. The star batsman was
"requested to rest" by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the
game against England on Sunday night, although the opener is
struggling for runs and the extra match practice in an
inconsequential game would have helped. On Tuesday, as the
Indians geared up for the Super 8 campaign by going through a
rigorous training session at the Colts Cricket Club here, Sehwag,
who took part in the fielding drills, chose not to bat at all.
For almost the entire time, Sehwag sat in the tent before being
taken for a routine 'random' dope test by the International Cricket
Council (ICC) along with off-spinners R Ashwin and Harbhajan.
Incidentally, allrounder Irfan Pathan, who did a poor job as
opener as Viru's replacement on Sunday, had an extended session
with the bat in the nets. There has been a bit of a fitness concern
about Sehwag after he was hit on the knuckles by a short ball by
a net bowler on Friday at the P Sara Oval. The 'hit' looked to have
hurt him quite a bit but the batsman recovered soon enough to
take a few throwdowns later in that session.
Was Sehwag taking it easy on Tuesday to avoid aggravating
that injury? RN Baba, the media manager of the Indian team here,
confirmed to TOI that "Viru is 200 per cent fit". To buttress his
point, Baba even pointed out the fact that the Delhi dasher "did
some fielding practice" earlier in the session too. So then, what
was it that prevented Sehwag from taking strike in the nets? When
you have come into the tournament in average form, played just
one game and scored just eight against a side like Afghanistan,
you would want to feel the ball hitting the middle of your blade
again in the nets. He has now given enough food for thought to
conspiracy theorists here who say Viru is now 'sulking' after being
dropped against England. Dhoni had said after that game he
"requested" some senior players to take a breather. India still
have a couple of days of training left before they play Australia at
the Premadasa on Friday night in their first Super 8 game. If
Sehwag continues to skip nets, there is a possibility he isn't getting
back his spot in the final XI any time soon and India will continue
to open with Pathan and play five bowlers. India still need Sehwag
at the top. Against the quality pace attacks of Australia, South
Africa and Pakistan, you need a batsman of his class to gain early
advantage.
Lanka beat New Zealand
in Super Over
we are spending right now, it's most important that
we spend it on cricketing aspects." The skipper now
has to take a call on who to leave out against the
A u s s i e s . To o v e r c o m e t h e h a n d i c a p o f a p o o r
bowling attack, he played five bowlers on Sunday
night against England and asked seniors pros
Sehwag and Zaheer to 'rest'. The experiment more or
less worked, though Irfan Pathan flopped in
Sehwag's slot. Now, does he continue playing five
bowlers, or keep Sehwag and Zaheer out again? "It
is one of the toughest decisions I have taken so far.
We will have to see what fits the combinations.
Ultimately the decision we take has to be a good one
that benefits the team," Dhoni said.
"We will most likely go in with five bowlers, but
I still don't know what the combination will be. It will
be a fresh wicket and we have to take into
consideration how it will be before the start of the
match," was all he would divulge. Tackling the
bouncer in these conditions shouldn't be a big ask,
and Dhoni was right when he said that Pat Cummins'
threats of bombarding India with short balls shouldn't
be taken seriously.
COLOMBO/BUREAU NEWS:
Sri Lanka beat New Zealand in a
Super Over after the teams
played out a tie in their Super
Eights match in Pallekele. On a
surface that appeared dry and
dusty, and yet played well
enough, Sri Lanka, led by
Tillakaratne Dilshan, appeared to
be cruising to victory when a late
twist, engineered by the pressure
of falling wickets and some grim
New Zealand determination, led
to the first Super Over of the ICC
World Twenty20 2012.
Lahiru Thirimanne was run out
off the last ball going for the
single that would have won the
game, and Sri Lanka was
stranded on 174-6. In the Super
Over that followed, Sri Lanka
batted first, and despite not
managing to hit a single
boundary, reached 13-1, helped
along by Tim Southee bowling
two wides. Lasith Malinga, who
delivered Sri Lanka's Super Over,
kept the batsmen down to just
eight, spearing the ball into the
pads at pace with metronomic
efficiency. Having put a decent
score on the board - the average
score at this venue ahead of the
game was 176 - New Zealand
needed to back it up with a
disciplined
bowling
performance.
For reasons best known to
Ross Taylor, who has made some
inexplicable decisions this
tournament, Nathan McCullum
opened the bowling. While
Mahela Jayawardena politely
worked the singles, Dilshan was
more direct, pulling a short ball
for four before dancing down
the pitch to deposit one over
long-on and send another over
the bowler's head for a onebounce four.
TILLAKARATNE DILSHAN HIT 76 IN SRI LANKA'S TIE WITH NEW
ZEALAND BEFORE TAKING A MATCH-WINNING CATCH IN THE
SUPER OVER.
22
MidWeek
cricket
Shane Watson threat
looms over South Africa
ICC Test Ranking
Team
Matches
Points
Rating
South Africa
England
Australia
Pakistan
India
Sri Lanka
West Indies
New Zealand
Bangladesh
25
36
34
29
32
29
28
24
12
3002
4195
3952
3148
3394
2834
2509
1832
0
120
117
116
109
106
98
90
76
0
ICC ODI Ranking
Team
Matches
Points
Rating
England
South Africa
India
Australia
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
West Indies
New Zealand
Bangladesh
Zimbabwe
Ireland
Netherlands
Kenya
25
18
30
28
32
28
20
17
16
14
6
4
4
3016
2170
3598
3164
3470
2907
1879
1258
1134
700
207
63
45
121
121
120
113
108
104
94
74
71
50
35
16
11
ICC T20 Ranking
Team
Sri Lanka
South Africa
England
Pakistan
India
Australia
West Indies
New Zealand
Bangladesh
Ireland
Zimbabwe
Matches
10
12
14
16
10
13
10
13
7
8
7
QFY Points
Matches
13
17
20
24
13
18
14
18
10
12
10
1291
1461
1647
1844
1150
1499
1106
1261
597
659
306
Rating
129
122
118
115
115
115
111
97
85
82
44
COLOMBO/BUREAU
NEWS: Beware South
Africa! A 'tornado'
called Shane Watson is
about to strike. It has
already blown away
Ireland, West Indies and
India. This is a warning
the Proteas better take
seriously, before going
into
a
potentially
exciting Super Eights
c l a s h o f t h e Wo r l d
Tw e n t y 2 0
against
Australia
at
the
Premadasa on Sunday
afternoon. Everything
Watson is touches since
he landing here, seems
to be turning into gold.
The 31-year-old allrounder started this
tournament with a bang,
taking Irish skipper
Wi l l i a m P o r t e r f i e l d ' s
scalp off the first ball he
bowled. He took three
for 26 and scored 51
against Ireland, a team
the
Aussies
were
determined to crush since they were rankled
after being ranked below
them thanks to some
poor form - and never
looked back. Against the
Wi n d i e s ,
Wa t s o n
dropped
dangerman
Chris
Gayle,
but
recovered from the horror
quickly to take the
Jamaican's wicket, and
then score a quick,
unbeaten 41 that helped
the Aussies win despite
the
Wi n d i e s
having
scored 191 earlier. It was
on Friday, however, when
Wa t s o n u n l e a s h e d h i s
real terror.
After taking three
Indian
wickets,
the
Queenslander sent the
ball into the orbit seven
times in an entertaining 72
off 42 balls. It was a
performance that won
Australia the game in a
c a n t e r, a n d i t g a v e
Watson his third man-ofthe-match
award.
To g e t h e r w i t h ' p o c k e t
d y n a m o ' D a v i d Wa r n e r,
Wa t s o n f o r m s t h e m o s t
fearsome
opening
partnership
of
the
tournament,
as
was
visible during their 81-ball
'destruction'
against
India, that yielded 133
runs. In Dale Steyn, the
best fast bowler in the
world, and Morne Morkel,
the Proteas have a
fabulous new ball pair.
So this would be one
battle
that
could
effectively seal the fate of
the contest pretty early!
South African coach Gary
Kirsten's
biggest
challenge here is lifting
the team after the moralesapping two-wicket defeat
against
Pakistan
on
Friday.
Having
reduced
Pakistan to 76 for seven
after making 133 for six,
they seemed to have nicely
wrapped it up till Umar Gul
and Kamran Akmal added
49 runs in 27 balls to stun
them into silence. The old
bogey of 'choking at the
sight of victory' is staring
at SA again. "I'm proud of
the way we fought back.
We lost it in the last five
overs," SA skipper AB
de Villiers admitted after
the loss.
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
India beat South
Africa but crash out
of World Twenty20
COLOMBO: India would say that they were a bit unfor tunate to
exit from the World T20. They beat England and Pakistan, and
then pipped South Africa by one run in a thriller, as L Balaji
castled Morne Morkel, who has just smashed the first six of his
T20I career. India's chances were dented grievously by Pakistan's
big win over the favoured Aussies which left the Men in Blue with
the stiff ask of beating the Proteas by a minimum margin of 31
runs in their final Super Eights game on Tuesday in order to make
the semis. They sneaked out a close win, but couldn't do enough
to make the cut for the last four.
India made 152 for six, and needed to stop the Proteas at 121, but
Faf du Plessis, who had a highest T20I score of 13 before this
match, smashed 65 (38b, 6x4, 2x6) to spoil their plans.
However, questionable team composition for Tuesday's mustwin game, along with a major captaincy gaffe by skipper MS
Dhoni didn't help India's cause. In the end, the hammering at the
hands of Shane Watson and David Warner, which won Australia
their Super Eights game against India with 31 balls to spare,
came back to haunt them. It just proved too costly.
Dhoni will have much answering to do about why he didn't play
veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on a wicket on which Pakistan played four spinners against Australia with much success.
The Proteas are as bad players of spin as anybody in the world,
so why was Harbhajan, who took four for 12 against the English
earlier in the tournament, not brought on in this game at the
expense of a seamer, preferably Balaji?
Zaheer and Balaji bowled their hear t out, picking up three wickets each, but India needed to win a bit more easily. Harbhajan
could have helped them do that.
That wasn't enough. Even as South Africa, especially Du Plessis,
seemed to be rather comfortable against the seamers after suffering the initial blows, Dhoni perhaps forgot that he had R
Ashwin's services up his sleeve.
One of the best off spinners in world cricket was brought on after
even part-timer Rohit Sharma had tried his arm around! Ashwin
came on in the 10th over but it was too late by then.
Yuvraj Singh did his bit for India, scoring 21, and then taking two
wickets, but he would trade his Man of the Match award with a
spot in the last four for his team any day.
Earlier, Suresh Raina's run out off the final ball of the Indian
innings summed up India's campaign in the World T20 this time.
The stylish left-hander, who had kept India's challenge alive till
then with a 34-ball 45, was found inches shor t of the crease
while going for the second run. For both India, and Raina, it was
a case of being so near, yet so far! India fumbled initially, slipping
to 36 for three, as the top-order batsmen panicked in search of
quick runs, throwing their bats around at everything. It was always going to be difficult to go bang bang against the likes of
Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel from ball one. Gautam Gambhir
and Virender Sehwag fell trying to be too adventurous. Sadly,
Virat Kohli, who normally steps up on these occasions, had an
off day, gloving Jacques Kallis down the leg side.
MARKHAM GLADIATOR WON THE 5TH ANNUAL
CPC T-20 INTERCITY CRICKET TOURNAMENT
MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
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23
Dhoni ascribes defeat to flop batting, rain
Australia 141 for 1 (Watson 72, Warner 63*) beat
India 140 for 7 (Pathan 31, Watson 3-34) by 9 wickets
COLOMBO/BUREAU NEWS: Indian captain MS Dhoni said his team needed to analyse what really
happened after the big debacle against Australia on Friday. "We got off to a good start, but lost quick
wickets and finished 20 runs short." Dhoni added, "The rain came at the wrong time, just after the wicket
was rolled. The wet ball is not good
for spinners. It was like bowling in
England. That was the main reason
we lost. But we need to give
Australia credit for the way
they batted."
Australian captain George Bailey
said the one-sided contest was set
up by some good bowling. "Patty
(Cummins) was outstanding, the
best we have seen him bowl in this
tournament so far. We were
probably behind after six overs but
we came back very well. And the
beauty of those two openers is that
when they are on, there are no
better hitters. We have to be up
and ready for the SA game."
Steady India thrash anxious Pakistan
I
ndia-Pakistan matches never mind the tournament
context - often tend to be a
contest as much of nerves as of
cricketing skills. Keeping in with
recent times, where India have
tended to come out the mentally
stronger side, Pakistan's batsmen
tried too hard and imploded to
waste a dream start and post
the lowest total of the Super
E i g h t s s t a g e o f t h i s Wo r l d
Twenty20. Virat Kohli, who
had scored 183 in his previous
match against Pakistan, then
steered the chase of 129 with
his eighth fifty-plus score in
his last 11 international
innings. This was a game
where one of two jinxes would
be broken. It was India,
needing to win this to stay
alive, who posted their first
Super Eights win in World
Tw e n t y 2 0 s
since
2007.
Pakistan were still without a win
over India in any World Cup
match. Pakistan were every bit a
team with a bogey attached to
them. They tried flamboyance
with the bat and failed, and didn't
show heart to back up their
talented bowling and attack.
India, on the other hand, did the
small things well after a nervous
start, and were there to accept
every opportunity that Pakistan
presented. Anxious more than
enthusiastic, Pakistan began
with 26 runs and five
boundaries in the first two
overs, but regressed in the
coming overs. Some of their
batsmen just froze, including
captain Mohammad Hafeez
who scored 15 off 28, and they
took 6.5 overs to score the next
26. Pakistan played 53 dot
balls against bowling that was
steady at best. Add to that two
balls they didn't even make
India bowl. It might look like a
canter
looking
at
the
scorecard, but the match had
got off to an edgy start. India
even looked a little meek and
Pakistan tried to intimidate
them. Zaheer Khan brought
back memories of his first over
in the 2003 World Cup final,
bowling three wides in his first
over here. One of them, nearly
a regulation take for the keeper,
found its way to the boundary.
The first ball Imran Nazeer
faced he smoked away to the
ICC Cricket World Cup T20 2012 Schedule
VIRAT KOHLI SCORED HIS EIGHTH FIFTY-PLUS SCORE IN HIS LAST 11 INTERNATIONAL INNINGS
cover-point boundary. The
first ball he faced from the
other end, he inside-edged
Irfan Pathan for four, but the
bowler came back with a
trademark lbw in the same
over. In the second over, out
came the six-or-nothing
Shahid Afridi. It was a pair of
Pathans opening for India
against one of the more
celebrated Pathan cricketers,
who was full of intent. The
first ball: whacked away to
long-on, the fourth: thrashed
through covers. Even against
Zaheer, Afridi kept swinging at
everything. MS Dhoni went to
the surprise pick, L Balaji, in
the fifth over. Balaji began
with a slower bouncer that
Afridi didn't pick, and then got
him caught in the deep with the
regulation bouncer in the same
over. If this was a pressure
match, it showed the most on
Pakistan captain Hafeez,
playing his 100th consecutive
international for Pakistan. He
would have had a perfect day
had he gone to a shooting
range. Almost every shot he
played went straight to a
fielder. As the dot balls piled
on, it seemed the perfect time
to introduce Yuvraj Singh,
whose fitness has recently
been questioned. Yuvraj had
set the tone for the day early
when he dived full length to
save four runs off the first
legitimate delivery of the
match. Now he teased the
Pakistan batsmen with his
slow tossed-up non-turners.
ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2012 TWELVE TEAM SQUADS
Bangladesh Cricket Team Squads
for ICC T20 World Cup 2012
Mushfiqur Rahim (c), Abdur
Razzak, Abul Hasan, Elias Sunny,
Farhad Raza, Jahurul Islam,
Junaid Siddique, Mahmudullah,
Mashrafe Mor taza, Mohammad
Ashraful, Nasir Hossain, Shafiul
Islam, Shakib-Al-Hasan, Tamim
Iqbal, Zia-ur-Rahman
ICC T20 World Cup 2012
William Por ter field (c), Alex
Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent
Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce,
Tim Murtagh, Kevin O'Brien, Niall
O'Brien, Boyd Rankin, Max
Sorensen, Paul Stirling, Stuar t
Thompson, Andrew White, Gary
Wilson.
N e w Z e a l a n d C r i c k e t Te a m
Squads for ICC T20 World Cup
2012
Ross Taylor (c), Doug Bracewell,
James Franklin, Mar tin Guptill,
Ronnie Hira, Brendon McCullum,
Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills,
Adam Milne, Rob Nicol, Jacob
Oram, Tim Southee, Daniel
Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane
Williamson.
Afghanistan Cricket Team Squads
for ICC T20 World Cup 2012
Nawroz M a n g a l ( c ) , D a w l a t
Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid
Hassan, Izzatullah Dawlatzai,
Karim Sadeq, Mohammad
Jawed Ahmadi, Mohd Nasim
Baras, Mohammad Nabi,
Mohammad
Shahzad,
Mohammad Asghar Stanikzai,
Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah
Shinwari, Shafiqullah Shafaq,
Shapur Zadran.
Australia Cricket Team Squads
for ICC T20 World Cup 2012
George Bailey (c), Daniel Christian, Pat Cummins, Xavier
Doher ty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad
Hogg, David Hussey, Michael
Hussey, Glenn Maxwell, Clint
McKay, Mitchell Starc, Matthew
Wade, David War ner, Shane
Watson, Cameron White.
England Cricket Team Squads for
ICC T20 World Cup 2012
ICC WORLD CUP TWENTY20, 2012 WILL BE THE 4TH WORLD CUP T20 COMPETITION BETWEEN
12 COUNTRIES AND THE INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL (ICC) CONFIRMED THE SQUADS OF
THE 12 PARTICIPATING TEAMS FOR THE ICC WORLD TWENTY20 WHICH GETS UNDERWAY IN
SRILANKA SEPTEMBER 18 TO OCTOBER 7, 2012. THE SQUADS WERE SELECTED AND ANNOUNCED BY THEIR TEAM’S RESPECTIVE CRICKET GOVERNING BODIES AND CRICKET BOARDS.
Stuart Broad (c), Jonny Bairstow,
Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Danny
Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade
Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex
Hales, Craig Kieswetter, Michael
Lumb, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel,
Graeme Swann, Luke Wright.
India Cricket Team Squads for
ICC T20 World Cup 2012
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c),
Ravichandran
Ashwin,
Lakshmipathi Balaji, Piyush
Chawla, Ashoke Dinda, Gautam
Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh,
Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Ir fan
Pathan, Suresh Raina, Virender
Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Manoj
Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh.
Ireland Cricket Team Squads for
Pakistan Cricket Team Squads
for ICC T20 World Cup 2012
Mohammad Hafeez (c), Abdul
Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, Imran Nazir,
Kamran Akmal, Mohammad
Sami, Nasir Jamshed, Raza
Hasan, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid
Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohail
Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul,
Yasir Arafat.
South Africa Cricket Team Squads
for ICC T20 World Cup 2012
AB de Villiers (c), Hashim Amla,
Farhaan Behardien, Johan Botha,
Jean-Paul Duminy, Faf du Plessis,
Jacques Kallis, Richard Levi, Albie
Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin
Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin
Pietersen, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo
Tsotsobe.
Sri Lanka Cricket Team Squads
for ICC T20 World Cup 2012
Mahela Jayawardena (c), Dinesh
Chandimal, Tillakaratne Dilshan,
Akila Dananjaya, Shaminda
Eranga, Rangana Herath, Nuwan
Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Angelo
Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Jeewan
Mendis, Dilshan Munaweera,
Thisara Perera, Kumar Sangakkara,
Lahiru Thirimanna.
West Indies Cricket Team Squads
for ICC T20 World Cup 2012
Darren Sammy (c), Dwayne Bravo,
Samuel Badree, Darren Bravo,
Johnson Charles, Fidel Edwards, Chris
Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard,
Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre
Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl
Simmons, Dwayne Smith.
Zimbabwe Cricket Team Squads for
ICC T20 World Cup 2012
Brendan Taylor (c), Elton Chigumbura,
Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Kyle
Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza,
Stuar t Matsikenyeri, Chris Mpofu,
Forster Mutizwa, Richard
Muzhange, Ray Price, Vusi
Sibanda, Prosper Utseya, Brian
Vitori, Malcolm Waller.
24
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012