india - southasiandaily.comsouthasiandaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/part_1.pdfelections in...

CIRCULATED THROUGH : TORONTO, MARKHAM, SCARBOROUGH, RICHMOND HILL, VAUGHAN, WOODBRIDGE, ETOBICOKE, NORTH YORK, MALTON, REXDALE, BRAMPTON, MISSISSAUGA, OAKVILLE, HAMILTON, MILTON, STONEY CREEK, BURLINGTON

INDIA - PAKISTAN HANDSHAKE: INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI SHAKES HANDS WITH PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN,NAWAZ SHARIF AT THE 18TH SAARC SUMMIT, IN NEPAL (IANS). I DETAILS ON PAGE 13

I CONTD. ON PAGE 10

HOMICIDE RATEDECLINES IN CANADA

71 PER CENT POLLING IN KASHMIR,65 PER CENT IN JHARKHAND

AUSTRALIADISPLACEINDIA AS TOPODI TEAM

Ottawa - Canada's Citizenshipand Immigration Minister ChrisAlexander has confirmed it is onemonth and counting until ExpressEntry launches a new phase ofactive immigration recruitment tomeet economic and labour marketneeds. Potential candidates can cre-ate their profile on January 1st, 2015,with the first Invitations to Apply is-sued within weeks.Express Entry will help selectskilled immigrants based on theirskills and experience. Those withvalid job offers or provincial/territorial nominations will be picked first.Detailspublished today in the Canada Gazette explain how candidates will be rankedand selected, based on these factors that research shows are linked tosuccess in the Canadian economy. Research shows these criteria will helpensure newcomers participate more fully in the Canada's economy andintegrate more quickly into Canadian society.Minister Alexander also highlighted that additional information waspublished on the CIC website to help potential immigrants and em-ployers understand the new system, and to promote Canada as adestination of choice based on a strong economy, low taxes and joboppor tunities.Express Entry will result in faster processing and will allow the Gov-ernment of Canada to be more flexible and respond better to Canada'schanging labour market needs.Quick facts" Express Entry will manage applications for three federal eco-nomic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program,Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class.

CANADA LAUNCHESEXPRESS ENTRY - VISA

IN JUST 6 MONTHS

ONTARIO - According to a Statistics Canada study, Canadianpolice services reported 505 homicides in 2013, 38 fewer thanthe previous year. The homicide rate fell 8% from 2012 to 1.44victims per 100,000 population. This marks the lowest homiciderate since 1966.The overall decrease in homicides was the result of 40 fewerhomicides repor ted in Quebec. The decrease in Quebec followedtwo years with higher than average numbers of homicides. Therewere 68 homicides in the province in 2013, representing a rate of0.83 per 100,000 population. This was the lowest rate recordedin Quebec since repor ting began in 1961.While Quebec experienced a marked decline, six provinces re-por ted modest increases in the number of homicides in 2013.Taking these increases into account, the homicide rates in nearlyevery province and territory were below their 10-year averagesin 2013. The exceptions were Newfoundland and Labrador andPrince Edward Island, where the 2013 homicide rates were abovetheir previous 10-year average.Homicide rates continued to be generally highest in the West andthe Nor th. Provincially, Manitoba repor ted the highest homiciderate (3.87 per 100,000 population), followed by Saskatchewan(2.71), Alberta (2.04) and British Columbia (1.66). Nunavut (11.24)and the Nor thwest Territories (4.59) repor ted homicide rateshigher than any province, while there were no homicides in Yukonfor the third consecutive year.Among Canada's census metropolitan areas (CMAs), Regina re-por ted the highest homicide rate (3.84 per 100,000 population),followed by Winnipeg (3.24) and Thunder Bay (2.46). Homiciderates were below the national average in Canada's two largestCMAs, Toronto (1.34) and Montréal (1.08), while the third largestCMA, Vancouver (1.72), repor ted a homicide rate above the na-t ional average. No homicides were repor ted in Moncton,Saguenay, Sherbrooke, Peterborough or Guelph in 2013.

I CONTD. ON PAGE 10

CALGARY STAMPEDERS WON THE 102ND GREY CUP OVER THE HAMILTON TIGER-CATS WITH A 20-16 TRIUMPH AT VANCOUVER,BRITISH COLUMBIA. SOURCE: CP I DETAILS ON P4

New Delhi (IANS): Jammu and Kashmir recorded a voter turnout of 71per cent while Jharkhand recorded 65 per cent in the second of thefive-phase assembly elections held in the two states today.People defied a boycott call by separatist groups and turned up inlarge numbers today to vote in the second of the five-phase assemblyelections in Jammu and Kashmir.A turnout of 71 per cent was recorded in the 18 constituenciesthat voted today, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Umang Narula saidat a media conference in Jammu. "Polling remained peaceful, andno untoward incident of any significance was repor ted from any-where," he said.In Kupwara town, barely 40 km from the site of the gunfight, vot-ers stood in long lines to cast their ballot. Narula said the highestvoter turnout of 80.73 per cent was recorded in Gulabgarh con-stituency in Reasi district, while the lowest of 36.5 per cent wasin Homshalibugh constituency in Kulgam district.Karnah recorded 75 per cent, Kupwara 62, Lolab 55, Handwara71, Langate 71, Noorabad 77.6, Kukgam 55.44, Devsar 60.3, GoolArnas 80.25, Reasi 80, Udhampur 79.74, Chenani 75.48, Ramnagar75.19, Surankote 65, Mendhar 72 and Poonch Haveli 73.39 voterturnout. The Election Commission had done webcasting in 178polling stations, while 61 flying squads, 53 static observers andtwo excise teams were also deployed to ensure free and fair polls.

"Our flying squads seized Rs16,33,965 in Poonch Haveli constitu-ency today during the poll process. An inquiry is on. If the amountis found unrelated to the poll process, it will be returned to those from whomit was seized," he said. Separatist groups gave a shutdown call as well as acall to boycott the polls. While businesses were closed at most places,voters defied the boycott call.In Langate constituency, voters at Kargama polling station said they alsowant change for development and a better tomorrow. Voters also turned up inlarge numbers in Udhampur, Chenani, Ramnagar and Reasi in Jammuregion.In the Kashmir Valley, the turnout was low initially due to thewinter cold, but it gained momentum as the day progressed. Over1.5 million voters were eligible to decide the political fate of 175candidates. Polling star ted at 8am and ended at 4pm. The peopleof Jharkhand today defied a Maoist threat and turned up in largenumbers to break previous records in the second of the five-phaseassembly elections in the state, an official said."A record around 65 per cent polling took place in the 18 constitu-encies in the second phase. Polling was by and large peaceful,"an election official told IANS. The highest polling of 73 per centwas recorded in Bhragora, followed by Majghao and Kharsawa with72 and 71 per cent, respectively.

I CONTD. ON PAGE 4

2 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2014

MidWeek 3MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2012

MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


PAGE 3SONAM KAPOOR:BOLLYWOOD'S'HUNGRY YOUNGWOMAN'

Witherspoon's nude scenes makeher daughter feel 'weird'Los Angeles (IANS): Actress Reese Witherspoon says her nude scenesin her forthcoming movie "Wild" embarrassed her daughter Ava.During an interview with new! magazine, the actress said she had toexplain the reason behind baring in front of the camera, reportscontactmusic.com. "Ava's 15 and there are parts in the film that I hadto explain to her. I told her, 'I'm naked in the movie...' and she was like,'Mom, that's so weird!" said the 38-year-old."I said, 'I had to be brave Ava, and I couldn't just tell the parts I wascomfortable with, because Cheryl (Strayed) was brave to tell her wholestory, so I had to tell even the parts that I was scared to do'," she added.Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, the film is an adaptation of the novel withthe same name, which is set to release Dec 5.In the film, Witherspoon plays a former heroin addict who decided totackle a 1,100-mile hike after experiencing several tragic events, mainlya devastating divorce caused by drug use and infidelity.Witherspoon also has 11-year-old Deacon with her former husbandRyan Phillippe and two-year-old Tennessee with current husband JimToth.

SHORT FILM ON DRUNKDRIVING GOES VIRAL ONLINENew Delhi (IANS): "My Husband Made Me a Prostitute", a short filmthat spreads the message of "Don't Drink and Drive" through a fictionaltale, has been viewed over 700,000 times online.Published on online video-sharing website YouTube Monday, the overthree-minute video has been viewed 796,280 times -- and still count-ing.Directed by Pankaj Thakur, the film shows what is the worst thing thatcan happen to a man who drinks and drive. It is a fictional account abouthis family -- how his wife battles the world to survive and to pay thebills.The movie opens with the protagonist getting ready for a party, sitting infront of a mirror and voicing her thoughts out loud to herself. She ex-plains how her husband compelled her to become a prostitute withouteven saying a word.Her family has also accepted her choice of profession, a choice sheopted for, to keep her husband alive after his near-fatal accident left himin coma.The movie closes with her wishing her husband had decided to take ataxi rather than driving himself and shattering his spinal cord. It givesout a final message in the end: "It's your family who'll pay the price.Don't drink and drive."Thakur said in a statement: "The video stresses out one clear message-- Realise how you, as an individual affect the life of your family to theextent of them becoming handicapped by just one wrong decision madeby you."

POCKET-SIZED DRONES ARE HERENew York (IANS): Two new pocket-sized drones have made their debuton the crowd-funding website Kickstarter.Anura - which shrinks to a phone-sized package with retractable wings- and the Zano - an intelligent and autonomous drone - are now seekingfunds for mass production.Anura is the size of an average iphone, but a little thicker.It has four retractable wings which can be tucked into the package andthen carried around without a box.With a flight time of about 10 minutes, it connects to the controllerthrough Wi-Fi. The drone also streams video and images back to thesmartphone to capture and stream live video. On the other side, Zano isslightly smaller and looks more like a conventional drone. It claims aslightly longer flight time of 10-15 minutes though it does need a case tocarry around because of the exposed propellers. Both the drones havebuilt-in cameras to shoot still images and high-definition video. Thedrones can be controlled via apps for android and iOS mobile devices,the information available on Kickstarter read.

Madonna's new track leaks onlineLondon (IANS): Singer Madonna's latest track "Rebel heart" has leakedonline, and fans are less than impressed with the song.Madonna has been hashtagging #rebelheart in her Instagram photosfor months. The track was produced by Swedish DJ Avicii and re-corded around March.A Twitter account named @RebelHeartLeak claimed it would be leak-ing the song soon after it was recorded and described the track as a"mid-tempo song with pulsating electronic beats, ambient trance, andan underlying melody influenced by guitar." The account has sincebeen deleted and is not believed to have been involved in this latestleak which came about Thursday, reports mirror.co.uk.

ANUPAM KHER DURING THE INAUGURATION OF INDIA ART FESTIVAL IN MUMBAI (IANS).

SONAM KAPOOR: BOLLYWOOD'S'HUNGRY YOUNG WOMAN'New Delhi (IANS): Actress Sonam Kapoor seems to have takeninspiration from Bollywood's angry young man title, but with atwist. The actress has given herself a new tag - Bollywood's 'hungryyoung woman' - as she transforms into a different person when she ishungry. "Hunger changes you and anyone who has crossed paths with ahungry me can testify to that. I am a totally different person when I amhungry, and become Bollywood's 'hungry young woman'," the actresssaid in a statement. The actress has taken over an advertisement forSnickers, a chocolate brand of Mars International India, from actressesRekha and Urmila Matondkar. She features in a campaign advertise-ment named "You're Not You When You Are Hungry", which was beamedNov 29. In the advertisement, the daughter of veteran actor Anil Kapoorwill portray the hunger-induced 'personality change' in a quirky way.The "Khoobsurat" actress says one of the reasons to be associated withthe brand is the attraction of "unlimited supply of chocolates" itpromises. "I am thrilled to be par t of this campaign and lookforward to the association and to an unlimited supply of choco-lates," she said. On the big screen, Sonam will next be seen in"Dolly Ki Doli" and "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo."

Recently, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was inthe news for signing a Karan Johar film.Now KJo has made an official announce-ment that the film starring Aishwarya RaiBachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and AnushkaSharma is titled Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.This will be the first time Karan will beassociated with Aishwarya and thedirector is very pleased with the associa-tion. Not just that, this is the first time thatRanbir also will share screen space withAsh. Karan who has worked with Ranbirand Anushka in Bombay Velvet said it'stheir outstanding chemistry in the film thatpropelled him to cast them in his film.The movie will be yet another Karan Joharlove story dealing with relationships.hear tbreaks and how love makes a mancomplete.Ae Dil Hai Mushkil will hit the screenson June 3, 2016 and will be shot inDelhi and in places like New York,London and Paris.

Karan Johar's next starring Ranbir Kapoor,Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2014s p e c i a l r e p o r t

Calgary Stampeders winthe 102nd Grey Cup overthe Hamilton Tiger-CatsCALGARY - The Calgary Stampeders won the 102nd Grey Cupover the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with a 20-16 triumph at Vancouver,British Columbia over the weekend. Both offences struggledon their opening possessions, as a Tiger-Cat punt precededa two-and-out from the Stampeder offensive unit.Though winning the 102nd Grey Cup was a daunting task butproving to be a better side, the Calgary Stampeders clinchedthe cup thus giving a deadly blow to Hamilton though itstar ted the season 1-6. Though Hamilton tried at severalinstances to catch up and dominate the game, Stampederstoughened their defence and pulled to within 20-13 in thefour th quar ter. With two minutes remaining, Cory Mace'ssack stalled the drive and set up Medlock's 37-yard fieldgoal to cut the Stampeders' lead to 20-16.On this occasion Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued thefollowing statement congratulating the Calgary Stampeders:"On behalf of al l Canadians, I congratulate the CalgaryStampeders on their 2014 Grey Cup victory over the HamiltonTiger-Cats at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver."For generations the Grey Cup championship has captivatedthe hear ts and attention of Canadians from coast to coast tocoast and this year's contest was no different, providing footballfans from across the country with memorable moments in spor t."I would like to commend both teams - including coaches andtrainers - on their remarkable seasons and thank them and theorganizers of this year's Grey Cup championship for anothersuccessful chapter in Canadian football history."Sources: Stampeders.com/ pm.gc.ca

CREATING DREAMS GLOBAL OUTREACHORGANISE A STUNNING GALA

Desk report: Brampton - Creating Dreams Global Outreach organizeda hugely successful third annual gala recently that was attended bymore than 450 people.The event was spearheaded by Neeraa Rishi and Joti Grewal andattended by the who's who of the city including Patrick Brown (MP,Barrie), Parm Gill (MP, Springdale), Deepti Arora, Asha Luthra andmany other A listers. The cause was suppor ted by many individuals,businesses and organizations.Patrick Brown appreciated the great cause of taking care of the under-privileged kids in India . He congratulated Neeraa Rishi and Joti Grewalfor their effor ts. Parm Gill also expressed his strong support for the cause and en-

couraged to help needy children inIndia and around the world.The program was opened by Jake Dheer and a shor t speech by ShivamRishi on the impor tance and power of education in one's life. It fol-lowed by national anthum by Priya Sethi. Neeraa Rishi welcomedand thanked all the guests, sponsors and volunteers. She thanked allthe attendees for their suppor t. The program was very enter tainingand included performances by Diva Dancers followed by Dj engage-mentsand other dances.The purpose of this event was to create awareness and raise funds tohelp less for tunate children to gain education.

Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey an-nounced reforms at Inauguralspeech. Mayor Jeffrey said "Work-ing together I hope to be able to dropthe baggage of the past and focus onthe issues of tomorrow. Followingthe election I have had some time toconsider how best to tackle some ofthe challenges our City has facedover the last year. To get started on the road to reform Iwill be seeking Council's approval tohave former Ontario Auditor GeneralJim McCarter undertake a review ofBrampton's financial operations andmanagement. It is my understand-ing from discussions with senior staffthat our financial position is far worsethan we have been led to believe. Itis important that both residents andbusinesses have confidence in thefinancial integrity of our city particu-larly as we begin budget delibera-tions. During the campaign I madefinancial accountability and transpar-ency a key issue. It is my intention topresent to Council as soon as pos-sible a motion to get this review un-derway. As well, I have had somepreliminary discussions with theProvincial Ombudsman Andre Marin.

We will revisit the current Code ofConduct and Conflict of Interest policyfor Council and staff, and other ac-countability measures like a full timeIntegrity Commissioner and Lobby-ist Registry system to ensure trans-parency at City Hall. Furthermore, Ipropose establishing a gift registryfor all staff and elected officials; rigidguidelines for sole source contracts;and banning all city funded promo-tional materials by elected officialsduring an election year. To ensurecompliance and allow Brampton resi-dents to keep watch I will proposemaking modifications to update ourcity website so this information isposted in a timely and open fashion.It is my ultimate goal that in the fu-ture Brampton become a model ofmunicipal governance in the prov-ince. Making us a model of gover-nance includes the Office of theMayor. I will shor tly be tabling amotion before council that rolls backthe pay of the Mayor to that equal to aprovincial cabinet minister in Ontario.It is my intention to post every quar-ter my expenses and those of mystaff for travel and hospitality in aclear and easily understood format.

I will ask all elected officials, theirstaff and senior management to dothe same. There is no reason todaythat this is not done. It has becomestandard practice with other levelsof government and has proven to bean effective measure to ensure the

Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey announcesreforms at Inaugural speech

public has faith in municipal officials.These reforms will help estab-lish best practices for our mu-nicipal government and set astandard of excellence that willrestore faith in the decisions madeat City Hall.

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1The turnout in these constituencies in the 2009 assembly elec-tion was 58.26 per cent, while it was 63.82 per cent in this year'sLok Sabha polls, Election Commission officials said in New Delhi.Former chief minister Madhu Koda is contesting the polls from Majhgaon.High turnout was witnessed in Maoist affected and rural areas of the state, butthe urban areas registered low voting. Former Lok Sabha deputy speakerKaria Munda caste his vote in Khuti. Young voters said they wanted a stablegovernment in the state, as Jharkhand has witnessed nine governments andPresident's rule four times in the last 14 years.Over 44 lakh voters were eligible to elect their representatives from among223 candidates in 18 constituencies. Among the key candidates whose fateswere sealed in the voting machines were two former chief ministers - ArjunMunda and Madhu Koda - contesting from Seraikela and Majhgaoseats, respectively. Three Jharkhand ministers - Banna Guptaand Geetasri Oraon of the Congress and Champai Soren of theJharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) also contested the polls.Balloting took place at 5,051 polling booths. Polling began at 7amand ended at 3pm in 18 seats, while it continued till 5pm in thetwo constituencies of Jamshedpur (East) and Jamshedpur (West).

71 per cent polling in Kashmir,65 per cent in Jharkhand



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


RUNNING SUCCESSFULLYACROSS CANADA


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2014community

FUNDRAISING EVENT

Desk report/Toronto - Association of Fundraising Professionals, GTA Chapter, 2014 Philanthropy AwardsLuncheon which took place recently at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The awards celebrated thehard work and dedication of 10 individuals, organizations and corporations making this world a betterplace at the 2014 Philanthropy Awards. Each year, the Philanthropy Awards program pays tribute to theexceptional contributions and achievements of Canadians in time, leadership, and financial suppor t.

PICS COURTESY: JOEL NADEL

The 2014 Philanthropy Awards recipients at the 2014 Philanthropy Awards Luncheon hosted by Associa-tion of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Toronto Chapter. Back row (L-R): Marcel Desautels, JudyMatthews, Denny Young, Roberta Lacey of Avon Canada, Bill Holland, Douglas McNabney of TorontoSummer Music, Ric McDonald from Kin Canada. Front Row (L-R): Sarah Jordan, Claire Jordan.

Gord Martineau hosts the Association ofFundraising Professionals, GTA Chapter, 2014Philanthropy Awards on November 26, 2013.

Susan Storey, President of theAssociation of FundraisingProfessionals Greater TorontoChapter, during opening remarksat the 2014 Philanthropy AwardsLuncheon.

Susan Horvath, Chair of the AFPGreater Toronto Chapter PhilanthropyAwards Selection Committee,addresses the room at the 2014Philanthropy Awards Luncheon.

Marcel Desautels (right) recipientof the Association of FundraisingProfessionals, GTA Chapter, 2014Philanthropy Awards OutstandingPhilanthropist with SusanHorvath (left), Chair of the AFPAwards Selection Committee.

PARTICIPANTS DRESSED AS SANTA CLAUS TAKE PART IN THE 2014 SANTA RACE IN HAMILTON(IANS).



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2014 community

MISSISSAUGA TRAFFIC SAFETY COUNCILAWARD FOR PETER WESTBROOK

MISSISSAUGA - At today's meeting of Mississauga City Council, Pe-ter Westbrook, chair of the Traffic Safety Council, received the TrafficSafety Council's Dr Ar thur Wood Safety Award for advocating andpromoting safety for students travelling to and from school. "Helpingensure students arrive safely at school is extremely impor tant," saidFrank Dale, Ward 4 Councillor and Traffic Safety Council member. "Iam pleased to see Peter's work in helping to promote safety beingrecognized.""Peter's dedication to the safety of students travelling to and fromschool was exemplary," said Sue McFadden, Ward 10 Councillor andTraffic Safety Council member. "Safe travel to and from school for ourstudents cannot be compromised and this award reflects his out-standing commitment to student safety.""It is an honour to receive this award," said Peter Westbrook, chair ofthe Traffic Safety Council. "Student safety and getting people to walkto and from school is very important. We need to encourage it to helpimprove child health." The award was presented to Westbrook byMayor Hazel McCallion and Members of Council and Louise Goegan,vice chair of the Traffic Safety Council. The Traffic Safety Council is anadvisory committee of Council which makes recommendations tohelp protect students from the dangers of vehicular traffic. Dr Ar thurWood founded the Mississauga Traffic Safety Council. His work pro-moting traffic safety for children was recognized with the naming ofthis award.

TORONTO - Canada's largest out-door event venue, Burl's CreekEvent Grounds is now under newmanagement. Located in Oro-Medonte, ON, with the capacityto accommodate up to 80,000people and up to 45,000 campersdur ing specia l events, thegrounds are slated to become aleading outdoor special eventspace, hosting Boots and Hear ts,Canada's largest camping andcountry music festival in 2015.With over 700 acres of pristinegrounds, Burl's Creek is the per-

fect destination for both large- andsmall-scale events. From globalfestivals and must-see concer tsto automotive flea markets andspor t ing events, Burl 's Creekboasts a lush forested landscape,two natural amphitheaters, andretrofitted barns housing exclu-sive VIP areas and a farmer'smarket. Burl's Creek has broughtRyan Howes on board as vice-president of venue operationsand business development. Pull-ing from his extensive experiencespanning 18 years, Howes has

built a team of industry exper ts tooversee venue development, day-to-day site operations and busi-ness development.Burl's Creek is an exciting venuethat will showcase talent on a lo-cal, national and internationallevel, whether it's a per formerdown the street or a GrammyAward-winning musician," saidHowes. "We now have the abilityto host major music festivals,world-renowned concer ts andglobal ly recognized specia levents in one of the largest mu-

sic markets in Nor th America."Located between Barrie, ON andOrillia, ON, Burl's Creek will con-tinue to host local soccer clubs,the long-running Barrie Automo-tive Flea Market and will servicevisitors to the region with localproduce, wine vendors and ready-to-eat foods, at a newly launchedFarmer & Arts Market in 2015.

Burl's Creek Event Grounds launched as Canada'slargest outdoor festival, major event venue

MississaugaFirefighters AwardedHonourable Medal ofBravery

MISSISSAUGA - Firefighters from Mississauga Fire and Emer-gency Services (MFES) were honoured at a special ceremonyhosted at Queen's Park by the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell,Lieutenant Governor of Ontario last night. Nine MFES firefightersreceived the Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery for their actsof courage and bravery this past April during a massive three-alarm fire at an industrial warehouse in Mississauga. Thesenine firefighters made up the rescue team that worked to freeand treat their injured colleagues immediately after an explo-sion occurred."I am extremely proud of the individuals being honoured," saidTim Beckett, fire chief, MFES. "We are grateful to these firefighterswho put their lives on the line during an emergency that threat-ened the safety and lives of people living and working where theincident occurred. These dedicated individuals did everythingthey could to save their teammates and ensure they protectedand safeguarded the city and the local community."On April 23, MFES responded to an industrial warehouse fire onThamesgate Dr. in nor theast Mississauga. The warehouse con-tained unknown combustible chemical substances that causedan explosion, which injured four on-duty firefighters. In total,sixteen firefighters from across the province are receiving med-als, nine of the recipients from MFES include:" Captain Bruce Hicks" Captain Derek Wilson" Acting Captain Brian Chapman" Acting Captain Marcus Middleton" Firefighter Matthew Attwell" Firefighter Anthony Colabufalo" Firefighter Larry Douglas Mar tin" Firefighter Travis Robbins" Firefighter Daryl RoyThe Ontario Medal for Firefighter Bravery recognizes individualacts of outstanding courage and bravery by members of Ontario'sfirefighting services. This honour is an impor tant way to demon-strate public suppor t for Ontario firefighters who often face haz-ards while rescuing the proper ty and lives of others as par t oftheir jobs.

NDP NOT TOSUPPORT BILL 15By Jagmeet Singh, MPP from Bramalea-Gore-Malton

Queen's Park - I, NDP Attorney General and Consumer ServicesCritic Jagmeet Singh, and MPP from Bramalea-Gore-Maltonspoke out against the Liberal Government on Bill 15, TheFighting Fraud and Reducing Automobile Insurance RatesAct in the legislature recently.I told the Liberal government that it has named very strategi-cally Bill 15 The Fighting Fraud and Reducing AutomobileInsurance Rates Act but the majority of this bill has nothingto do with fighting fraud. What it does do is puts more moneyin the pockets of the insurance companies. Not only doesthis bill actually help to put MORE money into the pockets ofinsurance companies, but it will strip Ontarians of the rightto sue companies if they deny accident benefits to an injuredperson. This government is taking away people's access tojustice and that is unacceptable.Bill 15 removes the right of individuals injured in motor ve-hicle accident to bring a claim against insurance companiesin cases where benefits are denied. The bill also reducesthe interest rate insurance companies have to pay on de-layed awards to accident victims? which could in effect re-ward insurance companies who delay the payment of settle-ments to injured people.So I told the government that it is not being straight with thepeople of Ontario. It is not telling them the truth about what isin this bill, and we will not lie to the people of Ontario bysuppor ting this bill.

PREMIER WYNNE PARTICIPATED IN THE PRAYER CEREMONY AT THE SANATAN MANDIR COMMUNITY CENTRE AND PRESENTED THEONTARIO TRILLIUM FUND PLAQUE TO THE SANATAN MANDIR OFFICERS. SOURCE: PREMIER.GOV.ON.CA

PREMIER WYNNE MET WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS TO DISCUSS HOW TO PUT AN END TODOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SUPPORT VICTIMS. SOURCE: PREMIER.GOV.ON.CA


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DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE THE PERSONAL OPINIONS OF THE AUTHORS.THE INFORMATION, FACTS OR OPINIONS APPEARING IN THEARTICLES DO NOT REFLECT VIEWS OF MIDWEEK AND ITS MANAGEMENT AND SO THE PAPER DOES NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR THE SAME.

GURPREET SINGH LOONAGURPREET SINGH LOONAGURPREET SINGH LOONAGURPREET SINGH LOONAGURPREET SINGH LOONAMEDIA COORDINATOR

SIDHU AT THE CENTRE OF AKALI DAL-BJP SHADOW BOXING

BY JAIDEEP SARIN / (IANS)

In the last couple of months, the "time-tested" ruling alliance of theShiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is feelingthe strain, forcing senior leaders from both sides to step in and claimthat all is well. Both sides have indulged in shadow-boxing in recentweeks with the centrepiece being cricketer-turned politician NavjotSingh Sidhu.From the results of the April-May Lok Sabha polls, which did not givethe alliance a clean sweep in Punjab, to the recent assembly polls inneighbouring Haryana where the Akali Dal dumped its "natural ally"BJP to join hands with "family friends" Indian National Lok Dal (INLD)to the open barbs being traded between Sidhu and Akali Dal top brass- the alliance is cer tainly on a political downslide.The BJP and Akali Dal are definitely indulging in shadow-boxing overNavjot Sidhu. The former cricketer and now a popular TV personalityis not known to mince words, especially when referring to Punjab'sruling Badal family and Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram SinghMajithia - the brother-in-law of Akali Dal president and Deputy ChiefMinister Sukhbir Badal and younger brother of Sukhbir's wife andunion Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Badal.The Akalis too have hit back at Sidhu, even officially asking the BJP to"tame" him. Sidhu openly blamed the Badals for "back-stabbing" theBJP in Haryana by joining hands with the INLD.The bad blood between Sidhu and the Badal-Majithia combine is overthe BJP denying Sidhu the Amritsar Lok Sabha ticket earlier this year.It was at the insistence of the Badals and Majithia that Sidhu, whowas elected thrice from Amritsar - in 2004, 2007 (bypoll) and 2009 -was dumped by the BJP without assigning any reason and senior BJPleader and now Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was fielded instead.Jaitley lost the election by a huge margin of over 100,000 votes toCongress leader and former chief minister Amarinder Singh. The

Amritsar debacle was an embarrassing one for the Akali Dal-BJPrelationship. An upset Sidhu did not campaign for Jaitley at all. TheBadal-Majithia gamble to oust Sidhu from Punjab's political space, inconnivance with some Punjab BJP leaders, failed miserably.The BJP, after its recent alliance-breaking experience in Maharashtraand Haryana just before assembly polls in both the states, is cer-tainly looking at a bigger role for itself in the 2017 Punjab assemblyelections. It is cer tainly not going to be satisfied with the 23 seats thatthe Akali Dal gave it in 2012 to contest in the 117-member assembly.

The barbs from the BJP leadership, especially Sidhu, are cer tainlylooking at the future scenario.With the Badal government facing allegations of corruption andMajithia's name figuring in Punjab's recent drugs scams, the BJP isunlikely to now play second fiddle.BJP leaders in the state are already flexing their muscles, forcing theBadals and the Akali Dal to run to the BJP central leadership for cover.With nearly two years to go for the next assembly polls, the BJP isunlikely to let the Akali Dal have a free run.

INDIA-ARAB NATIONS KEEN TO PAVENEW PATH FOR ECONOMIC TIES

New Delhi (IANS): Projects wor th billions of dollars, notably inenergy, railways and finance were discussed at the two-day India-Arab Par tnership Conference that concluded here Thursday in whatwas the first engagement on this scale for Prime Minister NarendraModi's government with the 22-member Arab League.More than 150 delegates from nearly 20 countries deliberated overtwo days on ways to boost trade between India and the Arab worldthat today stands at nearly $200 billion, besides securing India'sgrowing appetite for energy and inputs for plant nutrients."The Indian growth story will be incomplete without the participa-tion of friends like the Arab League," said Commerce MinisterNirmala Sitharaman, setting the tone for the two-day deliberations.She was seconded by her Saudi counterpar t, Tawfiq Fawzan AlRabiah, who also laid emphasis on the historical ties that the Arabcountries enjoyed with India, which has today grown into a strate-gic par tnership - the theme of the conclave."Relations between India and the Arab world have a long history.The Indian rupee was a currency in the Gulf till not very long ago.Geographical closeness has given a new dimension to our rela-tions. Urdu and Indian culture are very popular in the Arab world,"he said.On the sidelines of the event, Mazin Al Masoudi, in-charge of theLeague of State Missions here, told IANS that in a major initiative,the foreign ministers of all the Arab League member countries willengage with their Indian counterpar t next year to char t the nextsteps forward in pushing ties."The previous three editions of the conference played a pivotal rolein laying the foundations of a strategic roadmap and synergizingcooperation between India and Arab League member states", AlMasoudi said.The two-day event also took stock of projects wor th $30 billion ininfrastructure, real estate, small and medium enterprises,healthcare, education and food processing, both from India and theLeague of Arab States, that were discussed at the previous con-clave.The impor t of two-way ties was fur ther emphasised by the fact thatmember countries of the Arab League are home to over sevenmillion Indians, with a collective GDP of some $3 trillion, besidesbeing a major destination for India's expor ts.Their investments in India have crossed $3.5 billion since April2000. This apar t, Arab countries today account for more than 70percent of India crude oil needs, even as much of the inputs forfer tilisers, notably phosphates and potash, comes from the region.The two-day conference also came against the backdrop of the firstsenior officials' meeting between India and the League here earlierthis month, where emphasis was laid on expanding business ties,especially in energy and information technology.Some of the specific areas discussed at the conclave includedpharmaceuticals, food and energy security, notably from renewablesources, healthcare, tourism, banking, human resource develop-ment, education, research and technology development.Among the major projects discussed include Arab companies'par ticipation in the $90 billion Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor."There are oppor tunities available in other industrial corridorsincluding the Chennai-Bengaluru, Amritsar-Kolkata, Nor th East-Myanmar and East Coast Industrial Corridors", Sitharaman said.Adressing the concluding session Thursday, Anil Wadhwa, Secre-tary (West) in the external affairs ministry, said: "The Delhi Declara-tion adopted by the two sides would act as a blueprint for India-Arab cooperation."The conclave came at a time of crisis and conflict in Iraq and Syria,

while oil prices have plummeted to levels below $80 per barrel.The India-Arab Par tnership Conference takes place under themechanism of the Arab India Cooperation Forum established by anMoU in 2008, that also provides for annual consultations at thepolitical level.In the previous such event in Abu Dhabi in May 2012, more than400 businesses from 15 nations par ticipated, including 50 Indiancorporate chiefs.

URDU AND INDIAN CULTURE ARE VERY POPU-LAR IN THE ARAB WORLD," HE SAID.ON THE SIDELINES OF THE EVENT, MAZIN ALMASOUDI, IN-CHARGE OF THE LEAGUE OF STATEMISSIONS HERE, TOLD IANS THAT IN A MAJORINITIATIVE, THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ALL THEARAB LEAGUE MEMBER COUNTRIES WILL EN-GAGE WITH THEIR INDIAN COUNTERPART NEXTYEAR TO CHART THE NEXT STEPS FORWARD INPUSHING TIES. "THE PREVIOUS THREE EDITIONSOF THE CONFERENCE PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLEIN LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS OF A STRATEGICROADMAP AND SYNERGIZING COOPERATIONBETWEEN INDIA AND ARAB LEAGUE MEMBERSTATES", AL MASOUDI SAID.

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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


416-907-4420

canada HOMICIDE RATEDECLINES IN CANADAIP10

PM ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT NEWSUPPORT TOWARD LIFE-SAVING VACCINESFOR CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

DAKAR, SENEGAL - PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER HELPS ADMINISTER THE ROTAVIRUS VACCINE TO A YOUNG PATIENT DURING HIS VISIT TOTHE PHILIPPE MAGUILEN SENGHOR HEALTH CLINIC IN ADVANCE OF THE 15THSUMMIT OF LA FRANCOPHONIE. (PHOTO BY DEB RANSOM)

Today, in advance of the 15th Summit of La Francophonie, PrimeMinister Stephen Harper announced that Canada will provide significantnew support towards life-saving vaccines for children around the world.The Prime Minister made the announcement at an event with SenegalesePrime Minister Mohammed Dionne and Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVIAlliance, at the Philippe Maguilen Senghor Health Clinic in Dakar to markthe introduction of the rotavirus vaccine in Senegal.The substantial support being announced today will answer the GAVIAlliance's call, issued in May 2014, to fund its 2016-2020 strategy toimmunize an additional 300 million children against a variety of dis-eases, and to save an estimated five to six million young lives.The GAVI Alliance is a global health par tnership representing stake-holders in immunization from both the private and public sectors. Theprimary goal of GAVI is to increase access to basic and inexpensivevaccines that were not previously available in developing countries.In making this announcement, the Prime Minister delivered on hiscommitment to suppor t immunization as a key pillar of Canada'smaternal, newborn and child health strategy to eliminate preventabledisease amongst the world's most vulnerable citizens. The PrimeMinister's actions also challenge other countries to follow Canada'sleadership and to increase investments in life-saving vaccines.Canada's contribution to the GAVI Alliance is a core element of theForward Strategy announced by the Prime Minister at the SavingEvery Woman, Every Child: Within Arm's Reach Summit in Torontoearlier this year.Quick Facts

" Childhood immunization is one of the most cost-effective solutionsto ensure child survival. Ensuring children have access to life-savingvaccinations is a critical element of Canada's forward strategy onmaternal, newborn, and child health." Canada invests significantly in key global immunization par tnerssuch as GAVI and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, as par t of itseffor ts to promote maternal, newborn and child health." The global reduction of child deaths from nearly 12 million to 6.6million between 1990 and 2012 is due in large par t to the scaling-upof essential vaccinations." On May 28 to 30, 2014, the Prime Minister hosted the Saving EveryWoman, Every Child: Within Arm's Reach Summit in Toronto. At theSummit, Canada committed additional funds to continue suppor t to2020.Quotes"Families in Canada have access to immunizations for their new-borns and children so that they can grow up happy and healthy. I amproud of Canada's leadership to promote maternal, newborn and childhealth in developing countries so that women and children around theworld can also live healthy and productive lives." - Prime MinisterStephen Harper"Access to life-saving vaccines in developing countries is a criticalelement to saving millions of young lives. The GAVI Alliance canmeet this goal with its next replenishment." - Prime Minister StephenHarperSource: pm.gc.ca

Promoting Well-Being at SchoolOntario - Premier Kathleen Wynne announced today a partnershipwith ACTIVE AT SCHOOL and the Ontario Physical and Health Educa-tion Association (Ophea) to get children more active every day.ACTIVE AT SCHOOL will be working with Ontario and Ophea to helpimplement 60 minutes of physical activity for kids connected to theschool day.Meeting this goal of 60 minutes of physical activity a day is part of thegovernment's renewed focus on student well-being, including healthyeating, physical activity, a supportive school climate, and mental healthinvestment in our schools. The partnership announced today will workto meet this goal by:" Establishing the Physical Activity Advisory Committee with mem-bers from ACTIVE AT SCHOOL, Raise the Bar, ParticipACTION andother organizations to provide advice and share best practices on howto reach 60 minutes of physical activity for students each day;" Developing a program, led by Ophea, to formally recognizeschools and school communities that provide an oppor tunityfor 60 minutes of physical activity each day;" Establishing pilot sites, star ting with 20 in early 2015, andgrowing to up to 250 in 2016, to identify factors that contribute tosuccessfully achieving 60 minutes of activity each day;" Creating a new ACTIVE AT SCHOOL Champion Program thatwill recognize teachers, principals, parents, and students whoencourage physical activity at school;" Developing online resources and training to suppor t this ini-tiative.Canadian Tire Corporation, a leading member of the ACTIVE ATSCHOOL initiative, will be making a multi-year investment ofmore than $1 million to suppor t the initiative.Providing more oppor tunities for children and youth to stayhealthy and succeed in school suppor ts the government's eco-nomic plan for Ontario. The four-par t plan is building Ontario upby investing in people's talents and skills, building new publicinfrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, sup-por tive environment where business thrives and building a se-cure retirement savings plan so everyone can afford to retire.QuotesThe ACTIVE AT SCHOOL program is a great way to help childrendevelop healthy habits for life. We want to make sure we put ouryoung people on the path to a healthy future.Kathleen WynnePremier of OntarioStudent well-being is one of our key priorities. We know thatwhen children and youth are physically active, they are healthierand better able to succeed in the classroom and beyond.Liz SandalsMinister of EducationWe know that healthy eating, proper sleep and physical activityare key to wellness, and I see this as a great investment in ouryouth, their health, and their future.Dipika DamerlaAssociate Minister of Health and Long-term CareOphea recognizes that making 60 minutes of physical activity a day areality is a shared responsibility between schools, parents, studentsand communities which requires attention and commitment beyondthe hours of the school day. We look forward to working with both theOntario Government and ACTIVE AT SCHOOL in supporting this com-mitment with a new recognition/certification program to celebratehealthy, active schools across Ontario.Chris MarkhamExecutive Director and CEO, Ophea

New Democrats pleased with government supportof Opposition Day motion for Thalidomide victimsONTARIO - The NDP welcomes the confirmation that the Conservative government intends to suppor t our Opposition Day motion tocompensate Canadian Thalidomide survivors, who have been fighting to get the care they need for more than five decades."Thalidomide is one of the worst drug scandals in the history of Canadian health care. It's time the survivors of this tragedy get thecompensation they deserve, so they can afford the long-term care they require to live with dignity," said NDP Health Critic LibbyDavies (Vancouver East).MPs will be debating the motion today, and a vote is set to take place next week. The NDP anticipates all-par ty suppor t for themotion, bringing Parliamentarians from all sides together on this impor tant issue.Thalidomide was a drug prescribed to pregnant women in the 1960s, resulting in severe bir th defects and a lifetime of challengesmany of us can hardly imagine. The Canadian government delayed recalling the drug, which remained on the market more thanthree months after being banned in the UK. An apology was never issued for the harm it caused the many victims, and sufficientcompensation was never granted. This motion seeks to right the wrong that was done."Now in their 50s, it isn't too late to offer compensation to the Thalidomide survivors, whose needs continue to grow as they age.It's time we right the wrong, and provide much-needed suppor t to survivors for the care they need," added NDP MP DjaouidaSellah (Saint-Bruno-Saint-Huber t).Source: ndp.ca


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2014c a n a d a

ONTARIO - Ontario - According to a Statistics Canada repor t, Realgross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.7% in the third quar ter, follow-ing a 0.9% gain in the second quar ter. On a monthly basis, realGDP byindustry increased 0.4% in September.The main contributors to GDP growth were expor ts of goods (+2.2%)and household final consumption expenditure (+0.7%). Businessgross fixed capital formation (+1.5%) was also up. Final domesticdemand rose 0.7% after increasing 0.8% in the previous quar ter.Household final consumption expenditure advanced in the third quar-ter as outlays on durable goods increased 3.0%. Semi-durable goodswere also up while non-durable goods edged down. Expenditure onservices slowed to 0.5%.Business investment in residential structures rose 3.0%, the fastestpace since the first quar ter of 2012. Ownership transfer costs (+7.3%),an indicator of resale activity, and new home construction (+2.3%)were the main contributors to the growth. Business investment innon-residential structures, machinery and equipment edged up 0.1%.Expor ts of goods and services advanced 1.7% after increasing 4.4%in the second quar ter. Impor ts rose 1.0% despite a 1.4% decline inimpor ts of services.The value added of service industries grew 0.8% in the third quar ter.There were notable gains in wholesale and retail trade, finance andinsurance services, at offices of real estate agents and brokers and inprofessional services. Increases were also recorded in the publicsector (education, health and public administration combined), trans-por tation and warehousing services as well as accommodation andfood services.The output of goods-producing industries edged up 0.1% in the thirdquar ter. Notable gains in manufacturing and construction were mostlyoffset by declines in the agriculture and forestry, mining and oil andgas extraction, and utilities sectors.Expressed at an annualized rate, real GDP expanded 2.8% in the thirdquar ter. By comparison, real GDP in the United States rose 3.9%.Household spending continues to increaseHousehold final consumption expenditure advanced 0.7% in the thirdquar ter, a slower pace than in the second quarter (+1.1%). Consum-ers increased spending on goods by 0.9%, led by durable goods(+3.0%), whereas spending on services grew 0.5% following a stron-ger second quar ter.Transport purchases (+2.1%) contributed the most to the growth inhousehold final consumption, boosted by a 4.6% increase in pur-chases of vehicles.Outlays on housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (+0.5%),recreation and culture (+1.0%) and furnishings, household equip-ment and other goods and services (+1.1%) also contributed to the

growth in household spending.Expenditures by Canadians abroad fell 0.1%, following a 0.7% in-crease in the second quarter.Housing demand upThe third quar ter was marked by par ticularly strong business invest-ment in residential structures (+3.0%), the fastest pace since thefirst quar ter of 2012. Ownership transfer costs (+7.3%), new con-struction (+2.3%) and renovations (+1.5%) all contributed to growthin the housing sector.Increased business investment in plant and equipmentBusiness investment in non-residential structures, machinery andequipment grew 0.1% in the third quarter, following a 0.2% increase inthe second quarter.Business investment in non-residential structures decreased 0.5%after edging up 0.1% in the second quarter. This was the third declinein four quar ters.Investment in machinery and equipment picked up 1.3%, as outlayson medium and heavy trucks, buses and other motor vehicles in-creased 6.5%.Investment in intellectual property products upAfter two negative quar ters, business outlays on intellectual proper typroducts grew a robust 3.8% in the third quarter.Investment in mineral exploration and evaluation increased 8.7% af-ter falling 17.5% in the previous quarter. Investment in research anddevelopment was up 3.3% whereas investment in software grew 2.2%.Exports remain strongExports of goods and services rose 1.7% in the third quarter, follow-ing a strong 4.4% increase in the second quarter.Expor ts of goods advanced 2.2%, with intermediate metal products(+6.7%), crude oil and crude bitumen (+2.2%) and basic chemicalsand industrial chemical products (+10.0%) contributing to the in-crease. Expor ts of passenger cars and light trucks rose 2.2%, follow-ing a 10.8% advance in the previous quarter.Expor ts of services were down 1.0%, as commercial services de-clined 2.3%.Impor ts increaseImports of goods and services rose 1.0% after advancing 2.4% in thesecond quar ter. Growth was driven by increased impor ts of goods(+1.5%).Imports of crude oil and crude bitumen (+14.1%) and refined petro-leum energy products (+16.8%) contributed to the increase in im-ports of goods.Imports of services decreased 1.4%, mostly because of a decline inimpor ts of commercial services (-1.9%). Impor ts of travel (-1.3%)and transpor tation (-0.3%) services were also down.

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1" Provinces and Territories will be able to use the Express Entry system toselect a portion of candidates for their Provincial Nominee Programs." Express Entry will launch at 12 noon EST January 1st, 2015. The first drawfor an invitation to apply is scheduled for the last week of January." Once candidates have been selected from the pool they will need to com-plete the immigration process, which includes health and security checks.Applications will be processed in six months or less." Canada is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, with clean

EXPRESS ENTRY LAUNCHES NEW PHASE OF ACTIVEIMMIGRATION RECRUITMENT

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1FIREARM-RELATED HOMICIDES DOWN, BUT FATALSTABBINGS INCREASEThere were 131 firearm-related homicides in 2013, down41 from 2012. This resulted in the lowest rate of firearm-related homicide since comparable data became avail-able in 1974. Despite the decline, shooting was the causeof death in about one-quar ter (27%) of homicides.The majority (68%) of firearm-related homicides werecommitted with the use of a handgun, a trend that hasheld over the last 20 years. Despite this trend, the rate ofhandgun-related homicides reached its lowest point since1998. While firearm-related homicides decreased in 2013,the number of fatal stabbings grew. There were 195 fatalstabbings, 31 more than in 2012. Stabbings accounted for40% of all homicides in Canada in 2013.GANG-RELATED HOMICIDE DECLINESPolice confirmed or suspected the involvement of gangsin 85 homicides in 2013. This compares with 96 repor tedin the previous year and marks the first decline afterthree years of no change. The rate of gang-relatedhomicide was 0.24 per 100,000 population, its lowestlevel since 2004.The rate of gang-related homicide was highest in BritishColumbia and Manitoba, the only two regions where thenumber of gang-related homicides increased comparedwith 2012. Among CMAs, Kelowna and Regina recordedthe highest rates of gang-related homicide. Rates ofgang-related homicide tend to be higher in CMAs than innon-CMAs, a trend that continued in 2013.MOST VICTIMS KNEW THE ACCUSED PERSONAlmost 9 in 10 (87%) solved homicides in 2013 involved avictim being killed by someone they knew, comparedwith 13% of victims who were killed by a stranger. As aresult, the rate of stranger homicide (0.14 per 100,000population) was the lowest recorded in over 40 years.More specifically, victims of homicide in 2013 typicallyknew the accused person as an acquaintance (45%), afamily member (33%) or through a criminal relationship(9%). While the number of homicides involving strangersdecreased 25% in 2013, those involving acquaintances ornon-spousal family members were relatively stable. Thenumber of homicides committed in the context of acriminal relationship increased 57% from 23 to 36.FEWER INTIMATE PARTNER HOMICIDESThe number of victims of intimate par tner homicide(homicide committed by a current or former spouse,common-law par tner, dating par tner or other intimatepar tner) decreased in 2013. There were 68 intimatepar tner homicides repor ted in 2013, 14 fewer than in theprevious year. As has been the case historically, mostvictims of intimate par tner homicides were female (82%).The rate of intimate par tner homicide for both male andfemale victims has declined considerably over the pasttwo decades. The 2013 intimate par tner homicide rate formales was 73% lower than it was in 1993, while the ratefor females (-48%) declined by nearly half over the sameperiod.

and friendly cities, world-class universities, and business and job opportuni-ties. Choose Canada.Quote"With the launch of Express Entry in January, our Government will build on ourstrong and proven record of helping immigrants succeed, and helping Canada'seconomy thrive. Starting January 1st, we will be able to select the top eco-nomic immigrants who will contribute to our economy, labour market andcommunities."Chris Alexander, Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister

CANADIAN GDP EXPANDS BY 2.8% INTHIRD QUARTER COMPARED WITH 3.9%

GROWTH SHOWN BY USA

Homicide ratedeclines in Canada



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


PAKISTANI THEATREARTISTS ARRIVE ININDIA IP12india

PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) PATRON MUFTI MOHAMMAD SAYEED WITH PARTY PRESIDENT MEHBOOBA MUFTI AT THERELEASE OF PARTY MANIFESTO AHEAD OF ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS IN SRINAGAR (IANS)

TO WIN DELHI, BJP WOOS YOUTH,MUSLIMS, SECT LEADERS

New Delhi, (IANS) Determined to win Delhi hands down, and not justtouch the magic figure of 36 in the 70-member assembly, the BJP hasidentified three target groups in the city - youth, Muslims and sect leaders -and is going all out to woo them with public meetings and membershipdrives.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party in theDec 2013 polls, winning 31 seats along with the support of a lone Akal Dalcandidate. However, it failed to form a government as it needed four moreseats for a simple majority.Not in a mood to take any chances this time round, the party is seekingsupport from religious and spiritual gurus who have thousands of followersin the city while at the same time it is personally approaching the city's youthand Muslims hoping to influence their opinions.According to a senior party leader, a section of the BJP's support base haddrifted towards the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the last assembly elections.However, with Narendra Modi becoming the prime minister coupled with theAAP's 49-day rule in Delhi, many of these people have now returned to theBJP fold, claimed a leader in the know of things."If elections are held today, our prospects are bright. However, we won't besatiated with touching the 36 seats mark and the central leadership in par-ticular wants to win Delhi comprehensively and that is possible only whenwe create a new support base," the leader told IANS, not wishing to beidentified."This is why we need to focus on these new target groups," he added.Taking a cue from its Haryana victory, part of which is credited to the supportthat the party received from Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim, the head of DeraSacha Sauda which has a huge following in the state, a team of centralleaders is in talks with religious and spiritual leaders who have their deras in

Delhi and have the power to influence voters."We already have the support of (yoga guru) Baba Ramdev and we arehoping that the religious heads will give us their blessings to a leader (Modi)who has no hesitation in calling himself a proud Hindu," said the leader,refusing to give out any names.As far as the Muslim votes are concerned, the BJP wants to make seriousinroads as it feels that the community would turn to the party after the Con-gress failed to make a mark in the assembly elections.In the December 2013 assembly elections,, the BJP won 31 seats, while AAPbagged 28 seats and formed the government with the backing of the Con-gress, whose tally was reduced from 43 to 8.To improve its image among the minorities, the BJP has begun a series ofpublic debates in over a dozen Muslim dominated constituencies. Themeetings have been on since Nov 11."We are meeting the residents personally and clearing their doubts aboutthe communal tag attached to the BJP. We are telling them about theschemes that the PM has launched, schemes that will benefit the poor ofall religions. We want to make it clear that the BJP is not only for Hindusbut others too," Atif Rashid, president of the Delhi BJP's minority cell, toldIANS.Rashid claimed that since Nov 11, over 20,000 Muslims have joined thepar ty from various areas like Okhla, Chandni Chowk, Seelampur,Jaffarabad and Nangloi, where Muslims have a sizable presence. Mus-lims account for 11 percent of Delhi's 11.5 million voters."An ever-increasing number of people from these areas are now willingto listen to what we have to say about their future. The young Muslim toohas dreams and now he is star ting to realise that perhaps Modi is theman who can make it possible," Rashid added.

Will restore Article 370 tooriginal form, promises PDPJammu and Kashmir's Peoples Democratic Par ty (PDP) saidFriday it would restore Ar ticle 370 in its original form, if itwins power, as this provision of Indian constitution providesspecial status to the state and is "necessary for the empower-ment of thepeople here"."Ar ticle 370 impacts everything in Jammu and Kashmir, frompolitical discourse to personal responses, from economy toemotions, from society to sensibilities and from institutions toideologies," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti while releasingher par ty's poll manifesto here."If PDP comes to power, we would strive towards makingJammu and Kashmir politically empowered and economicallyself reliant," she said.Mehbooba also said Self-Rule Document of PDP provides acomprehensive framework for the resolution of Kashmir is-sue. "We will work towards building closer ties across theLine of Control, making borders irrelevant in Jammu and Kash-mir, reviving Jammu and Kashmir's traditional connectivitywith the rest of the world, promoting economic and socialintegration of the region, creation of a regional Free Trade Areaand Common Economic Market as enshrined in the document."PDP will put in place mechanism for politico-economic re-modelling of the state," she emphasised.The par ty's election manifesto talks about rehabilitation ofKashmiri Pandits, resettlement of Pakistan Administered Kash-mir refugees and empowerment of minorities.The PDP president said her par ty would renegotiate all naturalresource sharing agreements with the central government."We would seek share in the profits of National HydroelectricPower Corporation emanating from Kashmir's waters," shesaid. Mehbooba, who was accompanied by her father andPDP patron, Mufti Sayeed and par ty's senior leaders, said thepar ty will also press for the revocation of Armed Forces Spe-cial Powers Act (AFSPA). "We (PDP) will assess the issuesrelating to notifying of 'Disturbed Areas' to pave the way forrevocation of AFSPA. We would also review all the casesagainst the youth and stop use of inhuman crowd control meth-ods like the pellet guns," she added.

PAKISTAN MUST MOVEBEYOND SHAKING HANDS TOIMPROVE TIES: RAJNATHSrinagar (IANS): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Fri-day that India wants to have good neighbourly relations withPakistan, but cautioned that mere shaking of hands would notrestore such relations between the two c ountries.Addressing a Bharatiya Janata Par ty election rally in Uri townon phone after inclement weather prevented his scheduled ar-rival to the border town in Kashmir, he said: "Our prime minis-ter (Narendra Modi) shook hands with the prime minister ofPakistan (during SAARC summit yesterday)."But just shaking hands won't help. The hear ts should cometogether."Our prime minister took the initiative to help Pakistan at thetime of the floods but Pakistan refused the offer. Instead, theystar ted firing on the border as a result of which five to six of ourpeople lost their lives."Rajnath Singh said the atmosphere of terrorism has been goingon for a long time in Jammu and Kashmir and an entire genera-tion has been its victim."Hundreds of families have been destroyed. I want to assureyou that once you elect the BJP government in the state, wewill take Jammu and Kashmir out of the shadows of terrorism."We will not allow Kashmir, which was once known as heaven,to become a hell."Targeting the state government, he said the central govern-ment had to step in to provide relief to flood victims."The prime minister visited the state immediately and an-nounced a special package but whatever we gave, we gavethat to the state government and I cannot say if you got somerelief or not. You know better than me," he said.Rajnath Singh sought a decisive mandate for the BJP in thestate assembly elections, charging the Congress, NationalConference and the Peoples Democratic Par ty with trying todeceive voters by installing fear about his par ty in the minds ofthe people of Jammu and Kashmir.

ANIL KUMAR SINHA NAMEDNEW CBI DIRECTORNEW DELHI: Senior IPS officer Anil Kumar Sinha was on Tues-day appointed the new CBI director to succeed Ranjit Sinhawho retired in a glare of controversy with the Supreme Cour tdirecting him to recuse from 2G spectrum scam case probe.Sinha, a 1979 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre, was the specialdirector in CBI.The appointments committee of the Cabinet, headed by PrimeMinister Narendra Modi, cleared the name of Anil Kumar Sinhawho was among the candidates shor tlisted by the search com-mittee earlier this evening.The term of Sinha will be for two years from the date he takescharge, an official notification said.Earlier in the day, Modi held discussions with the Chief Justiceof India and leader of the main Opposition in Lok Sabha onselecting a new CBI head. The panel discussed the names ofabout 40 officers shor tlisted by the depar tment of personneland training (DoPT), sources said.


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2014i n d i a

PAKISTANI THEATRE ARTISTS ARRIVE IN INDIA VIA ATTARI LAND BORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN SAANJH - THE11TH AMRITSAR-LAHORE PEACE FESTIVAL (IANS).

80 PERTOSA DRIVE, UNIT 12,BRAMPTON ONT., L6X 5E9

MAHARASHTRA SEEKS RS.4,000 CRORECENTRAL AID FOR DROUGHT

Mumbai/Aurangabad (IANS): The Maharashtra government hasdecided to seek a central assistance of Rs.4,000 crore to tacklethe drought situation plaguing large par ts of the state, ChiefMinister Devendra Fadnavis announced recently.Describing the drought situation in the state as "grim", he saidthat a 30-page memorandum has been prepared and would besent to the central government soon in this regard."We will also request for a central team to come and assess thedrought situation at the earliest and clear the assistance,"Fadnavis told media persons in Aurangabad.He added that nearly 19,000 villages, mainly in Marathwadaand Vidarbha regions are facing acute shor tage of water supply,both for drinking and irrigation purposes.Until the central relief, the chief minister announced a series ofmeasures to mitigate the sufferings of the people in the affectedregions. These include waiver of tuition fees for studentsstudying in the senior and higher secondary schools, waving offthe compulsory 'panchnamas' for the affected farmers to seekassistance, and no forcible recovery of unpaid electricity bills,among others.

Earlier this afternoon, a high-level delegation led by Shiv Senapresident Uddhav Thackeray, Leader of Opposition EknathShinde and others met Governor C.V. Rao in Mumbai to demandimmediate relief for the people of the drought-hit regions in thestate.The meeting came in the wake of a tour of the drought-affectedregions carried out by Thackeray and all his 63 par ty legisla-tors and 18 MPs earlier this week for a spot assessment of thesituation.Among other things, Thackeray demanded the restoration ofpower supply to farmers whose connections were cut off due tonon-payment of bills, complete halt to all farm loans-debtsrecoveries, completing 183 incomplete irrigation projects inMarathwada region and directly depositing government assis-tance into the 'Jan Dhan' bank accounts of the affected farmers.He urged the governor to under take a tour of the drought-hitregions along with the leader of opposition and oppositionlegislators for a first-hand study of the ground situation.Governor Rao assured that he would tour the affected regionsshor tly and also discuss the issue with Fadnavis.

April-October fiscal deficit 89.6percent of full year targetNew Delhi (IANS): India's fiscal deficit has hit 89.6 percent of the bud-get estimates for 2014-15 by the end of October, crossing Rs.4.75lakh crore, data released by the Controller General of Accountssaid here Friday.The deficit was 84.4 percent during the corresponding period in2013-14.Total expenditure of the government during the April-Octoberperiod was over Rs.9.62 lakh crore or 53.6 percent of the esti-mates for entire 2014-15.Out of the total expenditure, plan expenditure was in the tune ofRs.2.67 lakh crore and non-plan was Rs.6.95 lakh crore. Net tax rev-enue receipts between April-October of 2014-15 stood at over Rs.3.68lakh crore, or 37.7 percent of the budget estimate.The non-tax revenue receipts was Rs.1.11 lakh crore or 52.3 percent ofthe budget estimate. The total revenue receipts during the period wasRs.4.8 lakh crore or 40.4 percent of the budget estimate, the data re-vealed. Revenue deficit during the period was at Rs.3.7 lakh crore or98.5 percent of the estimate.

No homeless to be leftunsheltered this winter: Delhi LGNew Delhi (IANS): Thousands of homeless people in Delhi should getnew blankets and be served tea and rusks every morning at nightshelters, Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung ordered.The direction came a day after union Urban Development Minister M.Venkaiah Naidu asked Jung about the preparedness of the Delhi gov-ernment to save the homeless during the winter.Jung reviewed the preparedness at the night shelters. He was informedthat there are 85 permanent night shelters and 102 porta cabins and 18tented accommodations.Delhi has a population of the homeless ranging between 60,000 and100,000. Jung asked the Delhi Urban Slum Improvement Board (DUSIB)to serve tea and rusk to each person at night shelters from Dec 1.He asked officials to discard old blankets and get the usable ones dry-cleaned by next week.A statement from the LG House stated that "40,000 brand new blanketsshall be added to the existing capacity". Jung directed the authoritiesthat no bus should be used to house the homeless during winters. Theywill be housed in permanent structures or porta cabins. The Delhi JalBoard has been directed to ensure that water tanks at night shelters arefilled daily, and in places where there is greater demand, filled twice aday. The DUSIB has been asked to double the capacity of water tanksfrom 500 litres to 1,000 litres in places where there is greater demand.Health secretary has been directed to ensure that each night sheltergets visited by a mobile clinic twice a week. The secretary of the publicworks department has been directed to carry out all repairs in the nexttwo weeks. Municipal commissioners have been directed to providemobile toilet vans on site. Jung said that surprise checks and inspec-tions of night shelters would be conducted by his office and secretary-level officers and "any laxity observed shall not be overlooked".



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2014 i n d i a

CONGRESS VICE PRESIDENT RAHUL GANDHI DURING A RALLY AHEAD OF ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS IN JAMSHEDPUR, JHARKHAND(IANS).

India defence exports overRs.1,800 crore since 2011New Delhi (IANS): India has exported defence equipments wor thover Rs.1,812.17 crore in last four years, Minister of State forDefence Rao Inderjit Singh Friday told parliament.Highest expor ts - wor th Rs.686.27 crore - was in last finan-cial year (2013-14), while this year, till September, equip-ment wor th Rs.166.67 crore have been expor ted, he told theLok Sabha in a written reply.The figures include expor ts by public sector under takings,the ordnance board and private industries that have no objec-tion cer tificates. In 2011-12, the expor ts were wor th Rs. 512.48crore and in 2012-13, it was wor th Rs. 446.75 crore. Theminister said the government is taking steps to promote do-mestic production."In the Union Budget 2014-15, government has announced atechnology development fund with an initial sum of Rs.100crore to provide necessary resources to public and privatesector companies, including small and medium-sized enter-prises (SMEs) as well as academic and scientific institu-tions to suppor t research and development of defence sys-tems that enhance cutting edge technology capability in thecountry," he said.In another reply, Defence Minister Manohar Par rikar saidsome of the defence systems designed and developed byDefence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)may be expor ted to "friendly countries"."DRDO is not involved in the expor t of defence equipment.However, some of the DRDO's developed products, systems,like radars, electronic war fare systems, missiles, etc. can beexpor ted to our friendly countries," he said.

US based EcoSikh backs waterconservation efforts in IndiaWashington (IANS): EcoSikh, a Washington based organization,has launched a water conservation programme in India's Punjabstate amid repor ts of severe groundwater depletion there andother par ts of Nor thern IndiaEcoSikh's Punjab team is actively working to teach localsabout how and why they should conserve water and live inharmony with the Ear th, it said.The group has also asked the Punjabi diaspora to relay envi-ronmentally-friendly practices to their counterpar ts in Indiaby teaching them how to farm plants that use less groundwa-ter.CBS News' 60 Minutes programme last week highlighted withsatel l i te images how Punjab and rest of India are losinggroundwater at an alarming rate posing an impending disas-ter."The evidence is credible that the food basket of India is inserious danger and this issue should be treated with urgencyand with immediate action by the state and central govern-ments," EcoSikh President Rajwant Singh said."When people in Punjab do not have access to water becauseit is being overused, the results wil l be disastrous," saidIndia Project Manager, Ravneet Singh.In the US too, California is facing its four th year of summerdroughts, which has forced residents to take major steps toconserve water, such as not irrigating their land and takingshor ter showers, Eco Sikh noted.Like in Punjab, Californian farmers must find new ways toconserve water, or else face major water droughts that willleave their plots of land l ike deser ts, said Eco Sikh's USprogramme manager, Sumeet Kaur.

ADB to provide $200 mn for Punjab'sfiscal consolidation programmeNew Delhi (IANS): The gvernment Friday entered into an agree-ment with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a loan of $200million to facilitate Punjab's comprehensive fiscal consoli-dation programme.According to the Finance Ministry, the agreement with ADBwill generate fiscal savings and make better use of scarcebudgetary resources to help with socio-economic develop-ment of the state.The ministry said that the program will provide necessarysuppor t to the state government to improve fiscal manage-ment, rationalise spending, and introduce new revenue mea-sures."Punjab development finance program will improve targetingof public expenditure in the areas of health, education, power,and public works," said Tarun Bajaj, joint secretary, Depar t-ment of Economic Affairs, Finance Ministry."Moreover, it addresses environmental issues that are un-dermining sustainability considerations through direct feed-back loops from subsidy to water table depletion.”

Jung meets demolition affectedpeople, assures all helpNew Delhi (IANS): Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung Friday metthe representatives of those affected in the demolitions in southDelhi and assured them of providing immediate relief.He assured the residents of the Rangpuri Pahari slum that allimmediate aid shall be provided to them and the governmentwill consider providing long term solutions to their problems,said a statement.On Thursday, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi visitedthe slum in Vasant Kunj of south Delhi, where 900 housingunits were razed to the ground in the government's demoli-tion drive.Jung issued directions to the chief secretary and concernedofficials to provide immediate succour to those affected inthe demolitions.A representative from the Lt. Governor's office visited thesite Thursday night to oversee the assistance being provided.According to the repor ts submitted to the Lt. Governor, tentswere being erected on site to provide shelter to those affected.Jung issued directions to the officials that the elderly, womenand children be provided shelter first.

Kathmandu (IANS): After a day when they apparently ignored eachother in front of cameras, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi andPakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif shook hands and met briefly dur-ing the retreat at the Saarc Summit on Thursday."Yes, they have met and shook hands at the retreat," Nepal For-eign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey told IANS over phonefrom Dhulikhel, where the retreat is being held on the second dayof the two-day 18th South Asian Association for Regional Coop-eration Summit.Multiple diplomatic sources told IANS that both the prime minis-ters were also seen talking during a reception hosted by NepalesePrime Minister Sushil Koirala Wednesday evening in honour ofthe visiting Saarc heads of state and government. Both the primeministers also spoke to each other in a waiting room.Both Modi and Sharif were in the same row at dinner and werechatting with each other, said a diplomat, adding that the talkingappeared to be informal in nature.Both the prime ministers have taken a tour in and around theDhulikhel resor t which is famous for its magnificent view of theHimalayas.Leaders will spend almost five hours at the retreat.Nepal, the host country, is pushing for talks between India andPakistan and at least a Saarc related energy accord. But a plannedmeeting between the two South Asian leaders has not taken place.As of now, both leaders have not met separately at the retreat, butNepal and other Saarc members are pushing them to sit for talksas they believe that Saarc cannot get off the ground till India andPakistan resolve their bilateral problems.Other countries have in the past accused the region's two biggestcountries of holding down Saarc's growth and development.

Both Modi and Sharif also briefly shook hands after the inauguralsession of the summit as well as in the holding room adjacent tothe Saarc summit hall.Pakistan Wednesday played spoilspor t by blocking three majorSaarc connectivity projects initiated by India.While Modi, who gave a forceful maiden speech at the summit onthe need for seamless connectivity, met his Bangladeshi andBhutanese counterpar ts Sheikh Hasina and Tshering Tobgay, andlater the presidents of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives, AshrafGhani, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Abdulla Yameen, Sharif was noton the list.India's external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed AkbaruddinWednesday said there was "no structured meeting" planned be-tween the two leaders as India has not received any request forsuch a meet from Pakistan.

MODI, SHARIF HANDSHAKE'SIGNIFICANT', SAYS NEPAL PMNepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said the handshake betweenIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif was "significant".Responding to queries by journalists at a media briefing after theclosing ceremony of the 18th SAARC Summit, Koirala said themeeting between Modi and Sharif means a lot to the South Asianregion.Asked if he had taken personal initiative to make Modi and Sharifmeet each other, Koirala said, "It is not impor tant who initiated it,rather what happens matters", according to the Himalayan Times.

Modi, Sharif shake hands,chat at reception



world BRITISH PM FACESHEAT OVER FAILURETO CUT IMMIGRATION

'PAKISTAN WANTS GOODRELATIONS WITH NEIGHBOURS'Islamabad, (IANS) Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asifhas said that Pakistan wants good relations with all neighbouringand regional countries to establish lasting peace in South Asia.Asif said that Kashmiris in India should be given their due rightswithout delay, Radio Pakistan repor ted Saturday.He urged India to resolve this core issue to achieve progressand prosperity for the people of South Asia.The minister also said that the government is desirous of betterrelations with the US on the basis of mutual respect and equality.The US should trust the military operation successfully continu-ing in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) against terror-ist groups without any discrimination.

EGYPT COURT DESIGNATES ISAS TERROR ORGANISATIONCairo, (IANS) A cour t in Cairo Sunday designated Islamic State(IS), also known as Daesh, as a terror group, a media repor tsaid. The ruling of the Cour t for Urgent Matters came in favour ofa lawsuit filed by an Egyptian advocate that demanded the groupbe labeled as a terror entity, Xinhua repor ted citing state-runMENA news agency.In his lawsuit, the lawyer claimed that the Sunni radical groupfully backs terrorist acts the Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis terror grouphas carried out against Egypt's army in restive Sinai Peninsula.IS, which rules large par ts of war-torn Iraq and Syria, is labeledas terror group by the US, the West and many Arab and Islamicstates. IS has no activities in Egypt, however, many Egyptianshave joined the group in Syria and Iraq. The Sinai-based AnsarBayt al- Maqdis was designated by cour t verdict as a terrorgroup in April. The US also blacklisted Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis asa terror group earlier this year.The group, which was founded in 2011, claimed responsibility ofdozens of deadly attacks against Egypt military and police per-sonnel and institutions across the country since the ouster ofIslamist president Mohamed Morsi in July last year.Last week, the Egyptian cabinet approved a draft anti-terrorismlaw incriminating any group that attempts to disturb general or-der or harm social peace as a terrorist group.

UGANDA, UN SIGN $6.5 MNDEAL FOR EBOLA FUNDKampala (IANS) Uganda and UN agencies operating in the coun-try have signed an agreement to establish a 6.5 million dollarEbola and Marburg Response Fund.The five-year Development Assistance Framework agreementwas signed by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and UN Resi-dent Coordinator Ahunna Eziakonwa-Onochie, Xinhua quoted aPrime Minister Office statement as saying Friday."We are extremely happy with Uganda for having managed tobattle Ebola and stem its escalation in West Africa, and we com-mit to walk side-by-side with the government to ensure the planis fully funded," Eziakonwa-Onochie said.Eziaknowa-Onochie hailed Uganda for being one of the first coun-tries to develop a course for fighting Ebola at Makerere Univer-sity.She said by Uganda sending health workers to West Africa wherethe disease has so far killed over 5,000 people the country hadraised the bar.

SUPPORTERS OF PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF (PTI) ATTEND AN ANTI-GOVERNMENT RALLY IN FRONT OF THE PARLIAMENT INISLAMABAD, CAPITAL OF PAKISTAN. PAKISTAN'S INFLUENTIAL POLITICAL LEADER IMRAN KHAN STAGED A MAJOR RALLY INISLAMABAD RECENTLY AND HAS THREATENED TO SHUT DOWN THE WHOLE COUNTRY ON DECEMBER 16 AS PART OF HIS ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTEST PLAN (IANS).

British PM faces heat over failure to cut immigrationLondon (IANS): With net annual migration soaring to more than aquar ter of a million, British Prime Minister David Cameron's promiseto reduce the figures has been questioned.Official figures Thursday showed net migration has risen to 260,000in the 12 months to June, compared with 182,000 in the previous year.His Liberal Democrat deputy Nick Clegg hit out at Cameron Thursdayfor undermining public confidence in the immigration system by "over-promising and under-delivering" on the issue, the Independent re-por ted. Before the election, Cameron had promised to reduce thefigure from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands, asking to bejudged on whether he hit the target.The latest figures, however, show net migration is presently runningat higher levels than the government inherited from Labour.They will add to the pressure over immigration on the prime minister,who is set to outline proposals within days for limiting migration fromthe EU, the Independent repor ted. The bulk of the new arrivals areeconomic migrants from the EU, principally from eastern Europe aswell as Mediterranean countries, who have full entitlement to work in

Britain.Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said the latest statisticswere proof of the need to limit freedom of movement within the EU.But Clegg turned on Tory coalition par tners, saying that their failure tomeet Cameron's migration target, which his par ty had opposed, wouldundermine public confidence in the immigration system."This was a Conservative preoccupation. They made that promise.They have now broken that promise and they will have to suffer theembarrassment of having done so," he said."It does damage public confidence in the immigration system by over-promising and under-delivering in this way."According to the Office for National Statistics, 583,000 people movedto Britain over the period, a "statistically significant increase" fromthe 502,000 in the previous 12 months. It included a 45,000 rise fromthe EU and 30,000 from outside the EU.Net migration to Britain or, the difference between those arriving andleaving was 260,000 in the period, up from 182,000 in the previous 12months, as 323,000 people emigrated from the country.

US plans to release more detainees from Guantanamo BayWashington (IANS): The Pentagon is preparing to release more prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention centre in Cuba, in thecoming weeks, official sources in the US have revealed.According to officials, there would be more transfers of detainees from Guantanamo Bay in December, but details on their numbers ornationalities were not provided, The Wall Street Journal repor ted Thursday.The Pentagon last week transferred five detainees from the prison, sending two to Slovakia and three to Georgia."There does seem to be a renewed effor t to make the transfers happen," said Laura Pitter, the senior national security counsel for HumanRights Watch, which favours closing down the prison.President Barack Obama had promised to close the Guantanamo Bay prison since he assumed office, but many Republicans haveopposed those plans. There are 143 detainees now at Guantanamo Bay, which at one time held nearly 800 terrorism suspects in the wakeof the Sep 11, 2001 attacks.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


ACTRESS KARISMA KAPOOR LAUNCH A FLAGSHIP STORE OF FASHION HIUSE IN BENGALURU (PHOTO: IANS)

Mannara has lived up toher role in 'Zid': Priyanka

BOX OFFICE REPORTMIDWEEK

CHAAR SAHIBZAADE BREAKINGALL RECORDSChaar Sahibzaade has done unprecedented business till date and con-tinues to run very strongly. The film has grossed 3.5 crore nett in Delhi/UPin Punjabi and around 50 lakhs nett in the rest of the country. The Hindiversion has grossed 2 crore nett approx in India giving it an all India total of17.50 crore nett. The gross figures are 22.50 crore. The overseas total is $3 million in three weeks which makes it a totalgross of 40 crore worldwide.

UNGLI COLLECTS 12.5 CRORES(APPROX) IN 1ST WEEKENDThe movie Ungli starring Emraan Hashmi, Randeep Hooda, KanganaRanaut, Sanjay Dutt, Neil Bhoopalam , Angad Bedi and Neha Dhupiahas completed three days including the first weekend.Ungli made a Box Office collection of Rs 12.50 crores (approx) at theend of its first weekend that is in three days.

HAPPY ENDING is disappointingSaif Ali Khan and Ileana D'Cruz-starrer Happy Ending opened to a lowoccupancy, clocking in a mere Rs 4 crore, as reported by Koimoi.com. Butthe film that also stars Govinda and Kalki, managed to fare decently at theticket windows on Saturday. The opening weekend collected only 19 crores

Kill Dil remained disappointing in its second week at the Box Office in India.The film did not pick up much post the second weekend. This RanveerSingh, Govinda, Ali Zafar and Parineeti Chopra starrer now stands with atotal collection of 34 crores at the domestic box office.

KILL DIL DYING SLOWLY

Mumbai, (IANS) Actress Priyanka Chopra is all praise for her cousinMannara's debut Bollywood performance in "Zid" and says she hasperfectly lived up to the "challenging" role."She (Mannara) is extremely free. She is not conscious of herself.For the first time, I have seen her act and I can say it is a verydifficult par t that she has been given in the film. There are a lot ofcomplications in her role," Priyanka, 32, said here Tuesday at themusic success party of "Zid".For the film, which has managed to generate much hype and curiositysince its first look was released, Mannara has shot extremely bold scenes."Being her first film, her role in the film asked for a lot, but she lived up toit and I think this is her strong point. She has perfectly lived up to herrole, according to me. I think, from the first film point of view, she isfantastic," said Priyanka.

Actors Priyanka Chopra and Mannara Chopra during the musiccelebration of film Zid, in Mumbai on Nov 25, 2014. (Photo: IANS)

New Delhi, (IANS) Renee Dhyani, the latest to be evicted from "Bigg Boss 8"house, says she should not have entered this season of the reality show.The former "Roadies" contestant says she lacked confidence and was de-pressed after she heard about her father's heart attack."I think this was not the right time for me to enter the show," Renee told IANSover phone from Mumbai and added: "Inside the house, one has to share theirthoughts and feelings with fellow contestants, but I was unable to do so.""The reason for my eviction was lack of entertainment from my side. I was

It was not the right time to enter 'Bigg Boss': Renee Dhyani

Mumbai, (IANS) Emraan Hashmi will play Mohammed Azharuddin inthe biopic of the former Indian cricket captain and the actor says thefilm may have spor ts as the theme, but it focuses more on cricketer'slife, which is difficult to capture.Talking about the biopic, Emraan told repor ters: "The research en-compasses speaking to Azhar bhai on anecdotes and moments fromhis l i fe. He has probably led the most exci t ing l i fe that anyspor tsperson could have.""Since it is extremely tough to capture his life in a two and a halfhours' film, there is a lot of planning we have undergone. The filmmay have spor ts as a theme, but it is more about his life."Emraan, who has gone through ups and downs, says his current slateof films will give a push to his career."There is no road map here. You do films with honesty and integrity. Idon't believe that the box office is the only benchmark for success. Iam not the guy who will go down the same path which everybody istaking. When you do something different, there are chances that yourfilms may flop," he said."My current slate of films will reinvent me as an actor," added the"Raja Natwarlal" actor.

TOUGH TO CAPTURE AZHARUDDIN'SLIFE: EMRAAN ON HIS BIOPIC

unable to fulfil the requirements of the audience."What I did before was pretty loud and upfront. I have heard from many that Iwas in the limelight in the first week, but all went wrong in the followingweeks. Because of my father's illness, I was unable to focus on the show,"she added. Like most of the contestants, who have been voted out, Renee toobelieves that Puneet Issar is the most fake person in the show."Puneet is totally fake. He has never appreciated anybody inside the houseapart from Gautam (Gulati). He thinks that he has a lot of respect for girls, butaccording to me, he is responsible for all the garbage inside the house."As Puneet has a strong personality, so nobody wants to mess with him. Itried to stand up against him, but was unable to do anything," she said.Renee, who became captain for a day, feels inmates were not in favour of herholding the post."Nobody wanted me to be the captain. Everything inside the house is goingagainst female contestants. During my captaincy, I thought of doing some-thing, but things went wrong," she added. Last week Ali Quli Mirza wasallotted a different room as he was unwell. Talking about Ali's situation,Renee said: "It's hard to say anything about him. I do respect him. But I feel,till the time he is inside the house, you cannot decide whether he is trustwor-thy. During her stint in the show, Renee enjoyed a good camaraderie withUpen Patel, Pritam Singh as well as former contestants Aarya Babbar, NigaarZ. Khan and Shushant Divgikar. Hosted by Bollywood superstar SalmanKhan, the show is now left with 10 contestants.


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2014b o l l y w o o d

UpcomingBOLLYWOOD Movies

Movie Review

'UNGLI': RELEVANT AND TIMELY, 'UNGLI'FINGERS THE CORRUPT

CAST: SANJAY DUTT, EMRAAN HASHMI,

RANDEEO HOODA,KANGNA RANAUT, NEEL

BHOOPALAM, ANGAD BEDI, NEHA DHUPIA

DIRECTOR: RENSIL D'SILVA

RATING: ***

Mumbai (IANS): "Ungli" is what one would call a late bloomer. Don’t get mewrong. It doesn’t take long to get to the point. In fact the film’s vigilanteintentions are unmasked immediately after the film opens. No beating aroundthe bush. No introductory songs."Ungli" is what one would call a late bloomer. Don't get me wrong. It doesn'ttake long to get to the point. In fact the film's vigilante intentions are unmaskedimmediately after the film opens. No beating around the bush. No introduc-tory songs.NO NONSENSE?Well, not quite that. An utterly unnecessary and badly-choreographed itemsong by Shradha Kapoor shows up like a bad omen. Before I finished shakingmy head in dismay and disbelief, the corruption in this anti-corruption film gotworse. Emraan Hashmi was forced into doing what he knows best. Thesmooch is stuck into the script like a tail pinned to a donkey. And accordingto the script, Emraan is a cop.We always knew the law is an ass. Four youngsters out to cleanse ourcountry of corruption make a total ass of the law. Masked but alas not men-acing Randeep Hooda, Neela Bhoopalam(remember his stellar turn as thehonourable politician in Anil Kapoor television series "24"?), Angad Bedi andKangna Ranaut go for the jugular like four highschool students playing EnidBlyton's Adventure 4.There is a sense of mischief about the Swachch Bharat andolan undertakenby d'Silva's adamant quartet. I don't know whether that's good or bad. Whilethe twinkle-eyed approach prevents the plot from tripping over with self-importance, it also undermines the gravity of the situation where the rich andthe privileged are shown to get away with much more than murder.Significantly Rensil's film is able to show the murder of values without maul-ing the characters' innate sense of joie de vivre. This is where "Ungli" partsways with "Rang De Basanti", the other far more important film on youthfulvigilantism that Rensil d'Silva wrote. In the earlier film the youngsters(theyoungest of the group was Aamir Khan) took to the gun after being personallypushed to the wall.

In "Ungli", the belligerent bunch is driven into lawless lawry from the word go.For a film that wastes no time in preambles, the narration is strangely sap-less in the beginning, with episodes reading like scenes from a televisionserial, albeit a series you wouldn't want to miss to catch "Bigg Boss".Ironically it's Sanjay Dutt's entry that livens up the proceedings considerably.He plays a jaded cop with refreshing candour and he precipitates the film'sclimax .WE MISS YOU, MR DUTTThe rest of the cast too is above average even at the lowest level. BarringKangna who has a what-am-I-doing-here look whenever she appears, thesmallest of characters are played with conviction. Randeep Hooda as a ClarkKent-Superman kind of newshound leading a dual life while wooing his LouisLane (Neha Dhupia, capable as always) is unusually blithe in his grim part.I wish there was more of Neil Bhoopalam and Angad Bedi on screen.Whateverthey do, they do with feeling and passion.Emraan Hashmi's role seems inspired by Matt Damon in Martin Scorcsese's"The Departed". Except that Damon wouldn't go around kissing justbecause he is expected to. The angst never reaches any pinnacle,though the cinematographer Hemant Chaturvedi struggles to givethe characters a life beyond the limitations imposed on the scriptby the absence of a vitality in the execution.Maybe the director wanted to keep the sloganeering against cor-ruption quiet. Rensil takes a potshot at his own "Rang De Basanti"brand of protest when someone sneers at the culture of candelightvigil.Ominously "Ungli" seldom rises above expectations. But it does manage tokeep afloat, touching raw nerves in the audience by addressing corruption onthe streets.There is a sequence where Reema Lagoo(long time no see) is snubbed by aseries of autorickshawallahs as she huffs for a ride home.This is a moment when you want to murder the perpetrator of callousness.In moments such as these, Rensil d'Silva kills it.

Mumbai, (IANS) Warren Anderson had shut his life out and choseto remain inhuman, says the very accomplished Hollywood actorMar tin Sheen, who essays the Union Carbide chief in "Bhopal: APrayer For Rain", a movie which relives the Bhopal gas disaster,30 years after its occurence.In an interview, Sheen has spoken about his life, cinema, careerand new role as Anderson in Ravi Kumar's "Bhopal: A Prayer ForRain", which releases Dec 5.Excerpts from the interview:Q. You've por trayed Warren Anderson in "Bhopal: A Prayer ForRain" as an out-and-out villain?A. We didn't want to do a hatchet job on him, if you'll pardon theexpression. We didn't want to make him an easy target. Andersonwas still very much alive when we did the film. We tried to con-tact him and his family to show him our script. But he never made

a single move towards us.Q. It was almost as though he had shut that entire episode out?A. Well, in that case, he had shut his life out. He had an oppor tunityto become human. He chose to remain inhuman.Q. You have spent a major par t of your life trying to be a respon-sible human and ar tiste. Amazingly enough, you've never won anOscar?A. (laughs hear tily). I am not amazed.Q. Why? Aren't you aware of your talent?A. It's a gift from god. So it's nothing I can brag about. I'm veryhappy that I've been able to make a living doing what I love most inthe world. I've been able to do things that I never thought possible.I've travelled to many enchanting places, including India. I've ledan amazing life and I give thanks every day that I've had such a life.I don't think I can be any happier even if I received an Oscar.Q. So you don't covet an Oscar in spite of your brilliant body ofwork?A. It wouldn't make me sad if I received it. But I don't lookforward to it. In life, sometimes, you just do what you have todo without thinking of the rewards and affect on the audience.You do it (the acting) for yourself. I do what I do because Icannot not do it and be myself.Q. You've worked with some of the best directors includingFrancis Coppola, Richard Attenborough, Oliver Stone, TerenceMall ick, Mike Nichols and Mar tin Scorsese. Whom did youenjoy working with the most?A. All my directors have a place in my hear t. Terence is an oldand dear friend. I also enjoyed working with Mike Nichols andFrancis Coppola. But if you're asking me which of these directorsI'd like to work with again, I'd say Mar tin Scorsese without hesita-tion.Q. Why is that?A. I've never worked with a director who loved his actors more. Iadore him. And I'm a huge fan of his work. When I did 'The De-par ted' with him, it was a great experience.

WARREN ANDERSON CHOSE TO REMAININHUMAN: MARTIN SHEEN

ACTION JACKSONRELEASE DATE: Dec 12, 2014

STAR CAST: Ajay Devgn,Sonakshi Sinha,

Yami Gautam

DIRECTOR(S): Prabhu Deva

PRODUCER(S): Gordhan Tanwani

PKRELEASE DATE: Dec 19,2014

STAR CAST: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma,

Sushant Singh Rajput, Sanjay Dutt

DIRECTOR(S): Rajkumar Hirani

PRODUCER(S): Rajkumar Hirani,Aamir Khan

TAKE IT EASYRELEASE DATE: Dec 05,2014

STAR CAST: Vikram Gokhale,Dipannita Sharma,

Raj Zutshi,Anang Desai,Joy Sengupta

DIRECTOR(S): Sunil Prem Vyas

PRODUCER(S): Narendra Singh, Dharmesh Pandit

MAIN AUR MR. RIIGHTRELEASE DATE: Dec 12,2014

STAR CAST: Barun Sobti,Shenaz Treasurywala, Danny

Sura, Maia Sethna, Kavi Shastri,

DIRECTOR(S): Adeeb Rais

PRODUCER(S): Pooja Singh Gujral,Aseem Rais

OBJECTION MY GODRELEASE DATE: Dec 12,2014

STAR CAST: Makarand Deshpande,Sanjay Mishra,

Rajesh Khattar,Zarina Wahab

DIRECTOR(S): Amit Khan

PRODUCER(S): Babu Tyagi, Sameer Antulay

TEVARRELEASE DATE: Jan 09,2015

STAR CAST: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha,

Manoj Bajpai

DIRECTOR(S): Amit Sharma



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2014 e n t e r t a i n m e n t

ACTOR EMRAAN HASHMI DURING THE PROMOTES OF FILM UNGLI ON MUMBAI STREETS WITH AUTO RICKSHAW DRIVERS, (IANS).

AJAY DEVGN DOESN'T SUPPORT

EIGHT-PACK TRENDMumbai (IANS): Actor Ajay Devgn believes in being muscular and fitrather than running after six-pack and eight-pack abs that other actorshave flaunted in their films."For 'Action Jackson', the makers wanted me to spor t a bulky body,which was very easy for me to achieve."I believe six-pack and eight-pack abs make you weak. They looknice, but they can make you physically weak. I believe you should bemuscular and fit. I don't want to promote eight-pack abs," Ajay said.The actor, who's currently busy promoting his film "Action Jackson",says there is no buffoonary in the film."Prabhudheva is a very good actor himself and there is no buffoonarycomedy in the film, and his comic timing is great. I enjoyed workingwith him," he said.Directed by Prabhudheva, "Action Jackson" also features SonakshiSinha.

AJAY DEVGAN AND FILMMAKER PRABHUDEVA DURING THESONG LAUNCH OF FILM ACTION JACKSON, IN MUMBAI (IANS).

LISA RAY LIKES TO PROMOTEINDIA WORLDWIDENew Delhi (IANS): Indo-Canadian actress Lisa Ray, who has beenendorsing luxury travel brand InsightVacations, says she pitches In-dia as a "Full on" destination for foreign tourists to visit."It is my primary passion to promote the image of India and encour-age foreigners to visit here. While it's hard to encompass the com-plexity of modern India in a single phrase, I've been using the refrain'Full on' to describe the engaging experience of India for travellers,"the 42-year-old, who likes to call herself a "global Indian", said in astatement.During her recent visit to Australia, which coincided with the visit ofPrime Minister Narendra Modi, Lisa stayed in the same suite whereUS President Barack Obama once resided.Lisa feels "honoured" that she was in the same suite and said "thesuite is the most stunning one in the Intercontinental in Sydney with aview of the Opera House from every window".

AMOL PALEKAR ALONG WITH HIS WIFE SANDHYA GOKHLE AND DAUGHTER SAMIHA DURING HIS PAINTING EXHIBITION, INMUMBAI (IANS).

GAUAHAR SLAPPED, FILMFRATERNITY SHOCKEDMumbai, (IANS) Members of the film fraternity are shocked and speech-less after hearing the news that actress-model-host Gauahar Khan wasslapped by a man for reportedly wearing skimpy clothes.Director Madhur Bhandarkar finds it "disgusting and highly condem-nable"."Shocked to hear that Gauahar Khan got slapped for alleged indecency.Absurdity just touched a new level. Disgusting and highly condem-nable," tweeted the "Chandni Bar" director.Gauahar was slapped Sunday night on the sets of singing reality show"India's Raw Star" here. The accused was one of the audience mem-bers.Farhan took to Twitter to express his anger."Dearest natural selection, pleasehelp us out-evolve morons likethe one who slapped GauaharKhan. Sincerely," he tweeted Mon-day.Actor Rohit Roy was left "speech-less" after reading the headline:"Man slaps actor Gauahar Khanfor 'wearing indecent clothes'."Sharing a shot of the story, he cap-tioned it: "Headlines of today! Imean, seriously?? Have I movedto Taliban country ?! #speech-less".The case is being investigated.An official from Aarey Colony po-lice station told IANS: "Last night(Sunday night), the accused Mohammad Akil Malik was brought hereand he is in our custody. We are investigating this case."The "Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year" actress had sought help frompolice Sunday night itself.Zonal DCP Panjabrao Ugle added: "Gauahar Khan was shooting lastnight so, after finishing her shoot she came to the police station and wehave already recorded her statement. Now, the case has been registeredand we are taking care of it".The accused had been reportedly observing the model for the last threedays. On Sunday night, he suddenly got up and went to the stage.He initially tried to touch her and then slapped her. He is likely to bebooked on charges of molestation and assault.He asked her how could she wear skimpy outfits and dance to cheapsongs despite being a Muslim.

New Delhi, (IANS) Deven Verma, Bollywood's veteran comedianknown for spreading laughter with his endearing performancesin films like "Angoor" and "KhattaMeetha", died Tuesday morning,leaving behind a void hard to fill.Deven was 77. He died Tuesday fol-lowing a hear t attack and kidneyfailure. He breathed his last around2 a.m. at his home in Pune, the cityof his bir th from where he gradu-ated in politics and sociology be-fore joining the film industry.He is survived by his wife RupaGanguly, the younger daughter ofthe legendary actor Ashok Kumar. Deven's last rites were held atthe Yerawada crematorium.His colleagues expressed their grief over his demise and alsothanked him for making their childhood memorable."Deven Verma - incredible actor, comic excellence second tonone. Thank you for making my childhood so memorable. Willmiss you sir - RIP," actor Riteish Deshmukh tweeted.Apar t from a string of actors and filmmakers, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi also condoled his death, saying he was "admiredby film lovers".Ever since the news of his death spread, condolences kept pour-ing in."RIP Deven Verma saheb... the reason for many a smiles throughchildhood and more," tweeted singer Mohit Chauhan.Deven was also seen in comedy film "Andaz Apna Apna" asactor Aamir Khan's father. Aamir remembered his co-star for hisexuberance."He was a wonderful co-star. I remember on the sets of 'AndazApna Apna' he always had a joke on his lips and kept us all inhigh spirits," Aamir said.Actress Anushka Sharma talked about his one-liners fromRajkumar Santoshi's film."RIP Deven Verma...How much I love his scene in 'Andaz ApnaApna' "Main betiyon ko chudiyaan pehnaoonga...Aap ma ko,"Anushka tweeted.Filmmaker Karan Johar applauded his comic timing."#RIPDevenVerma ...your straight-faced impeccable comic timing stilldoesn't have a successor," Johar tweeted.Filmmaker B.R. Chopra's discovery, Deven made a transition from theatre tofilms with 1961 partition drama "Dharmputra". However, the actor known forhis light-hearted roles started his stint with comedy with "Gumraah", a filmthat starred Ashok Kumar in the lead role.After that the actor bagged roles in films like "Anupama", "Khamoshi", but itwas his performance in "Chori Mera Kaam" that won him his first FilmfareAward.Then there was another masterpiece "Angoor", in which he teamed up withSanjeev Kumar. The actor, known for his jolly nature and rib tickling gigs, wonthree Filmfare Awards in the best comedian category and one of them wasfor "Angoor".In the latter part of his life, Deven turned to character roles with filmslike "Judaai", "Dil To Paagal Hai", and "Kora Kagaz". He last fea-tured in "Calcutta Mail" in 2003.In his long career, the actor also produced and directed moviessuch as "Besharam" and "Dana Paani".He tried his hands in television too and enter tained telly audi-ence through "Gubbare", "Zabaan Sambhal Ke" and "MamlaGadbad Hai".

Bollywood's veterancomedian Deven Verma dead

where south asians meet daily

Schedule - India, Australia & England ODIsand India Vs Australia -Test Matches,

Australia Test Team : Michael Clarke (c) (NSW*), Brad Haddin (vc) (NSW), Ryan Harris (QLD), Josh Hazlewood(NSW), Mitchell Johnson (WA), Nathan Lyon (NSW), Mitchell Marsh (WA), Chris Rogers (VIC), Peter Siddle (VIC),Steve Smith (NSW), David Warner (NSW), Shane Watson (NSW). *Notes subject to fitness

JUST SPORT

IPL 8 - CHENNAI SUPER KINGS &RAJASTHAN ROYALS WILL BE BANNED ?

BY VETURI SRIVATSA

On a day when the spor ts worldwas mourning the tragic death ofyoung Australian cricketer PhillipJoel Hughes, struck by a bouncer,India 's apex cour t to ld thecountry's cricket chiefs not to bethe pal l-bearers of the gamehere.If Hughes's death is a scar upona lot of minds, what happened inthe Indian Supreme Cour t is a bloton cricket itself as it became clearthat the world's richest board isbecoming rancid from within. Thetwo happenings have left cricketin a sad state.Even as the legal eagles are de-bating the impor t of the scathingobservations made by the two-judge Supreme Cour t bench hear-ing the 2013 Indian PremierLeague (IPL) corruption case, thesenior Indian cricket board mem-bers are preparing for life afterNarayanaswamy Srinivasan, theman who ruled the board with aniron fist.Normally, observations by judgesare in the nature of queries andsurmises in given circumstances,but they sometimes provide aninsight into their thinking.Every observation of the judgesin this case is widely interpretedas a severe indictment ofSrinivasan and his dispensation.Some exper ts on television chan-nels screamed as if the judgmentwas pronounced and Srinivasanis going. Some clearly went bay-ing for his blood and some othersperceived the proceedings in thecour t as calamitous for the gameof cricket.The judges asked Sr in ivasansome searching questions forwhich he may find it difficult togive convincing answers. Not thatthese questions suddenly poppedup, the media has been pointingout these issues ad nauseam,only to be brazened out by theboard and the IPL GoverningCouncil.When the Supreme Cour t asksquestions that the media has been

raising all along, the wrongdoerstake it seriously and answer care-fully, if not truthfully, with swornaffidavits in some cases.It would be interesting to see ifthe judges take all their observa-tions to the logical conclusion assome opinion-makers feel. If theydo, then the IPL will be reducedby two teams - two of the betterperforming sides in the last sea-son - and Sr in ivasan wi l l bebarred from continuing as boardchief.Ideally, the guilty officials of bothIPL franchises - Chennai SuperKings and Rajasthan Royals -should be punished, not the team,unless it is proved that the play-ers are in cahoots with the man-agement in tanking matches.Else, the managements must beforced to sell the teams to somecricket-loving franchisees so thatthe players do not suffer.The court asked cer tain inconve-nient questions about people onthe payroll of Srinivasan's com-pany, India Cements, working forthe board. This has been a tradi-tion with key board officials.In the past the board presidents,secretaries and treasurers usedtheir personal staff and in somecases the board paid their sala-ries.Srinivasan appears to have un-derestimated his opponents, par-t icularly Lalit Modi, who nowgleefully says that he is behindthe campaign and the cour t casesagainst the exiled chief. The othersuspect, former board chiefAshwin Muthiah, however, flatlydenied having any hand in it ormeeting the petitioner, though hisexplanation why he himself hadwithdrawn the conflict of interestcase against Srinivasan was notconvincing.Srinivasan and the cricket board'slawyers on Monday have the op-por tunity to make one last-ditcheffor t to bail their client out be-fore the court pronounces its judg-ment. One thing is clear, that theapex court does not trust the boardto act against the erring teams

managements. The judges, there-fore, want the Justice MudgalCommittee to decide on the quan-tum of punishment for all thosenamed by it.The board members are so be-holden to Srinivasan for all thebenevolence he has showered onthem that they are not openly re-volting against him - but the un-dercurrent is there. Most of themknow they have to go by the po-litical clout their leaders enjoy.The big-wigs have jumped intothe wrangle. The man who cantake control of the board with mini-mal opposition is Sharad Pawarand he is expected to keep theseat warm for Bharatiya JanataPar ty chief and president of theGujarat Cricket Association AmitShah to take over in two years whenhe will be eligible after getting electedas vice president in the next AnnualGeneral Meeting (AGM).A clear indication of his intentioncame in the form of the time Shahspent watching the last One-dayer against Sri Lanka at Ranchiand the constant focusing ofcameras on him.The board rules stipulate that any-one who attends two AGMs or isvice president for two years iseligible to contest for any boardpost. But will he be saddled withthe board work when his par ty atthe centre will be preparing forthe next general e lect ions in2019?How will Pawar get into the equa-tion? A common friend of theformer board and ICC presidentand the two top bosses of the BJPare trying to bring the three to-gether.Arun Jaitley is another candidate,but will he get permission fromthe par ty bosses to add addi-tional work to an already heavilyloaded finance and informationand broadcasting por tfolios?Then he has his health issues.Jaitley apparently doesn't mind aflexible Congressman, RajeevShukla, as interim arrangement,but this is a long shot.Then, there is the eternal optimist

Jagmohan Dalmiya, who seemsto be Srinivasan's preference, butage and health are not on his side.There are some takers for anotherformer president ShashankManohar, who maintained a cleanimage till he sullied it somewhatjoining hands with Srinivasan toget rid of Lalit Modi, the man whorode roughshod over board mem-bers as chairman and commis-sioner of the IPL.

Shashank could only be Pawar'scandidate in case the latter de-cides against another stint. EvenJaitley, who is opposed to Pawartaking over, may not mind thelawyer from Nagpur.Still, most board members are notwilling to write Srinivasan off ina hurry. They think the cour t hasalready dropped a hint for him to

make a choice between his IPLteam and the board chief's post.If seriously pursued, he will pre-fer to be in the board and be will-ing to sell his team since he isalready the chairman of the Inter-national Cricket Council (ICC).(Veturi Srivatsa is a senior jour-nalist. The views expressed arepersonal.

India have a strong chance to winChampions Trophy: Australian skipperBHUBANESWAR: Australian hockey skipper Eddie Ockenden saidthat India can win the Champions Trophy star ting December 6, ifthe Sardar Singh-led team continues to play like it did in the AsianGames and the recent Australian tour."India is a much improved team and they are playing well. Whenwe played against them last month, they were really good and sothey are the team we are looking at closely," Ockenden, who playsas a striker, said at the Kalinga Stadium."They are a very experienced team and if they continue playing in thesame manner as they per formed in the 17th Asian Games andthe India tour of Australia, they have a strong chance to winthis championship as well," Ockenden said.The 27-year-old skipper said that his team is also shaping upwell to defend the tit le, despite the absence of some starplayers."We have a good mix of experienced and semi-experiencedplayers as well as a lot of youngsters in our team. We havebeen per forming really well so far and in spite of some reallyexperienced players not here with us, we are comfor tableplaying with this squad."Australian chief coach Graham Reid said that their aim is towin the title for sixth time on the trot."We have won this championship five times in a row and themain aim this time would be to keep that going and take thenumber to six. But before that we have three really tough poolgames, the quarterfinals and then the semifinals - a tough tourna-ment altogether. All the teams here are fantastic and equally dif-ficult and it is not going to be easy."

RISE OF NEW ZEALAND AS A TEST TEAM

3RD TEST - NEW ZEALAND BEATPAKISTAN, LEVEL SERIES 1-1

PAKISTAN 351 AND 259 (TRENT BOULT 4-38,MARK CRAIG 3-109, ISH SODHI 2-82, ASADSHAFIQ 137) LOST TO BLACKCAPS 690 BY ANINNINGS AND 80 RUNS IN SHARJAH.“

The BLACKCAPS have beaten Pakistan by an innings and 80 runs atSharjah Cricket Stadium, in a Test which entralled from star t to finishand saw numerous record broken. The victory sees New Zealanddraw the series 1-1, a truly significant result considering the tragicevents around Phil Hughes, which deeply affected both teams.The BLACKCAPS posted an all-time high score of 690 in their innings,which featured a double-century from Brendon McCullum and 192 toKane Williamson. Facing a deficit of 339, Pakistan could only manage259 in their second stint with the bat, with Trent Boult (4-38) and MarkCraig (3-109) leading the New Zealand bowling attack.Records:- 690 is New Zealand's highest test total eclipsing the 680-8 declaredagainst India in February.- Three of NZ's six highest totals have come in the last 12 months.- The 297-run par tnership between Brendon McCullum and KaneWilliamson is NZ's best for the 2nd wicket against all countries.- McCullum has made the most double centuries (4) by a NewZealander; it's one of five to be scored at a better than 100 strike rate.- McCullum made NZ's fastest test century in 78 balls.- McCullum joins Sir Donald Bradman and Michael Clarke as playersto make a triple century and two or more double centuries in a 12-month period.- Mark Craig's 7 for 94 are the best innings bowling figures at thevenue; his 10 for 203 are the best for tests.- Ross Taylor became the 2nd New Zealander to take 100 test catches.- Daniel Vettori's 112th test is a NZ record.

Since the time the side was shot out for 45 in January 2013 by SouthAfrica, New Zealand has gone about slowly but surely rebuilding theline-up for Test cricket. McCullum revealed the kind of effor t that wasput in behind the scenes to "get the attitude right"."From the low of being bowled out for 45 against South Africa, we canonly go up," said McCullum. "What that allowed us to do was stripthings right back to what was impor tant to us, how we wanted to beknown as a team, how the country wanted us to play, the traits thatthey wanted to see from the New Zealand team. We got our character-istics right. We have got a culture which is desperate to representNew Zealand and per form well during the time that we have (as aplayer)."The "desperation" to do well for the country has resulted in New Zealandnot losing a Test series since they were beaten 0-2 by England awayin June 2013. Since drawing 0-0 away in Bangladesh in 2013-14, NewZealand have beaten West Indies both home (2-0) and away (2-1), gotthe better of India at home (1-0) and have now shared a three-Testseries in the UAE 1-1 against Pakistan.In the last 11 Test matches, New Zealand have registered six winsand have suffered just two losses to signify their rise as a Test side.

Series against New ZealandPCB names T20I and ODI squadsMoin Khan: "Both squads decently balanced"LAHORE-November 30, 2014: Following its recommendation by thesix-member selection committee headed by former captain MoinKhan, Chairman PCB Shaharyar M. Khan has approved 14 and 16-member squads for the two T20I and the first two one-dayinternationals against New Zealand respectively. The two T20Is are scheduled for Dec. 4 and 5 in Dubai, followed bythe ODI series, with the first of the two contests slated for Dec. 8 atDubai and the second on Dec. 12 at Sharjah. Both the squads are nicely balanced. And I expect Team Pakistanto perform to its potential in both the T20Is and ODIs. "This is our final oppor tunity to test all our potential players beforethe ICC World Cup 2015. That is why we have tried to induct all ourfit players in contention for a slot. This is also pretty much the lastopportunity for the players to perform and cement their places inthe World Cup squad," said chief selector Moin Khan.The 14-member T20I squad (in alphabetical order):1. Ahmed Shehzad2. Anwar Ali3. Mohammad Hafeez.4. Haris Sohail5. Mohammad Irfan6. Owais Zia7. Raza Hasan8. Saad Nasim9. Sarfraz Ahmad (wicket-keeper)10. Shahid Afridi (Captain)11. Sohail Tanvir.12. Umar Akmal13. Umar Gul14. Wahab RiazThe 16-member ODI squad (in alphabetical order):1. Mohammad Hafeez2. Ahmed Shehzad3. Asad Shafiq4. Bilawal Bhatti5. Haris Sohail6. Misbah-ul-Haq (Captain)7. Mohammad Irfan8. Nasir Jamshed9. Sarfraz Ahmad (wicket-keeper)10. Shahid Afridi11. Sohail Tanvir12. Umar Akmal13. Umar Gul14. Wahab Riaz15. Younis Khan16. Zulfiqar BabarMoin Khan said "I expect Team Pakistan to perform to its potentialin both the T20Is and ODIs."This is our final opportunity to test all our potential players beforethe ICC World Cup 2015."That is why we have tried to induct all our fit players in contentionfor a slot. This is also pretty much the last opportunity for theplayers to perform and cement their places in the World Cup squad"Both the squads are well-balanced, with a decent blend of in-formbatsmen and good all-rounders, with the bowling attack a potentmix of pace and spin combinations."Quite a few players have been included either after returning frominjury or on the basis of current form."In the ODI squad, Younis Khan has been recalled for the ODI squaddue to his sparkling form. Similarly, Sarfraz Ahmed is featuring in aT20I for the first time. Young and promising Haris Sohail is alsopar t of both squads, while Sohaib Maqsood was not considered onfitness grounds."Among our pace bowlers, Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul are makingcomebacks from injury to make the pace attack more potent."Source - pcb.com.pk

BLATTER INSISTS 2022WORLD CUP WILL BE

STAGED IN QATARManila, (IANS) FIFA president Sepp Blatter said here Sunday thatthe 2022 World Cup will in all surety be staged in Qatar."Believe me, if we see what has been said, what's told aroundthe world, it 's by those who are not involved exactly (in)what happens in football," Blatter told delegates at the AsianFootball Confederation (AFC) awards here, repor ts Xinhua."The World Cup 2022 will be played in Qatar."A 42-page summary made by FIFA's chief judge Hans-JoachimEcker t cleared the bids from Russia and Qatar of any wrong-doing, but Michael Garcia, the former US attorney who ledthe FIFA investigation, said the world body had misrepre-sented his findings.Ecker t has blocked the release of the Garcia repor t citingconfidentiality agreements and legal restrictions.FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke Sunday insisted therewas "no need" to publish the investigation in full, despitewidespread calls to make it public.

PAKISTAN T20AND ODI SQUADS

FOR SERIESAGAINST KIWIS

SINDHU RETAINS MACAUOPEN TITLE BEATINGCANADIAN SHUTTLER

MICHELE LIMacau, (IANS) Indian shuttler P.V. Sindhu successfully defended her MacauOpen Grand Prix Gold women's singles title, beating South Korean Kim HyoMin in straight games at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion here Sunday. Two-time World Championships bronze medallist Sindhu registered a compre-hensive 21-12, 21-17 victory in 45 minutes in the final of the $120,000 event.

Playing against the World No.91 Kimfor the first time, the Indian WorldNo.11 won the first game with ease.This win marked Sindhu's third GrandPrix title triumph.In the men's singles competition, XueSong defeated Wong Wing Ki Vincent16-21, 21-13, 21-19 in an hour andfour minutes. In the men's doublesfinal, Singapore's pair of Danny BawaChrisnanta and Chayut Triyachartedged Indonesian team of AnggaPratama and Ricky Karanda Suwardi21-19, 22-20 in 43 minutes.While Chinese women's doublespairing of Ou Dongini and Xiaohan Yuwon 19-21, 21-19, 21-9 in an hourand five minutes against compatriotYaqiong Huang and Zhong Quanxin,Chrisnanta and Yu Yan Vaneesa Neosettled for a runners-up finish in themixed doubles event.The Singaporean pair lost to Indonesianpair of Edi Subaktiar and GloriaEmanuelle Widjaja 15-21, 30-29, 20-22 in a marathon encounter thatlasted an hour and 16 minutes.


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2014e n t e r t a i n m e n t

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STILL FROM MOVIE EXODUS GODS AND KINGS (IANS)

EXCITED TO PLAY AGAINST INDIA,SAYS DUTCH HOCKEY SKIPPERBhubaneswar, (IANS) The Netherlands hockey team skipper Rob-er t van der Horst Sunday said that his team is excited to playagainst India in the Champions Trophy star ting Dec 6 at the KalingaStadium here."Initially, our focus is on the pool matches, where we play Argentina,India and Germany, as all of them are strong contenders. We arelooking forward to our game against India. Matches against Ar-gentina and Germany are also going to be tough games," the 30-year-old said.

"We try to win in every tournament that we play and in this tournamentwe are looking forward to competing with the several top class teams,"Rober t, who has played in 222 international matches, added.Dutch chief coach Max Caldas revealed his team's strategy for theeight-nation tournament."Our hockey is always about attacking and scoring lot of goals -something we as a team are good at. This time we are focussingon our defence because I believe we need to be very tight in thatdepar tment."

'THE PENGUINS OFMADAGASCAR' - FLYING HIGHThese animated, flightless birds fly high in the enter tainment arena!In this edition, the no-nonsense tactical team of penguins, who stolehearts in the previous three "Madagascar" films, get their own featureto prove that they are high-profile enter tainers.Directed by Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smith from a finely tuned scriptdesigned by screenwriters Brandon Sawyer, John Aboud and MichaelColton, the film is a high-pitched and action-packed, revenge saga.The film begins by reintroducing, to the audience, the illustrious globe-trotting spy team of the "Madagascar" series.The back-story: Three penguins -- Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski(Chris Miller) and Rico (Conrad Vernon) step out of the norm of theirtraditional "flocking together" group to save an abandoned rolling eggfrom hungry seals. The little penguin that hatches from the egg isnamed Private (Christopher Knights). Together, they form a formi-dable group unear thing covert operatives ever since.Ten years later, during one of their espionage expeditions at the be-hest of Dave (John Malkovich), also known as Dr. Octavius Brine whois a super genius Octopus disguised as a human scientist, the quar tetare captured by Nor th Wind rescue team. This is an elite undercoverinter-species task force dedicated to helping animals who can't helpthemselves.Now in captivity, the four of them realise that Dave is nursing a grudgeagainst them for stealing the attention showered on him years ago atthe San Diego Marine Park, although they were oblivious of the inci-dent.And now he is out to seek revenge against all penguins for being themore popular and beloved attractions at soos. He intends carrying outhis plan by subjecting all penguins to "Medusa Serum", a solution hedeveloped which would change them and thus render them unappeal-ing to humans for the rest of time.Luckily for the penguins, the Nor th Wind rescue team arrive to help.The team is headed by the arrogant gray wolf known only as Classi-fied (Benedict Cumberbatch). He is assisted by the loving bear Cor-poral (Peter Stormare), the hot-headed, explosive and demolition ex-pert harp seal known as Shor t Fuse (Ken Jeong) and the intelligent"Intelligence Analyst" snowy owl Eva (Annet Mahendru),



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