30th May 2013 Canadian Pakistani Times by CanadianPakistaniTimes

Canadian Pakistani Times

Thursday

May 30, 2013

Volume 1, 60

Mosque, orphanage burned in Myanmar violence YANGON, Myanmar: A police officer and a monk in the remote Myanmar city of Lashio have confirmed that a mob burned down a mosque, a Muslim orphanage and shops in the northeastern town after rumors spread that a Muslim man had set fire to a Buddhist woman.

However, the website of the Muslimoriented M-media Group said Lashio’s biggest mosque had been torched by a mob

The sectarian violence began in western Rakhine state last year, when hundreds died in clashes between Buddhist and Mus-

nationalism and the dominant Buddhist religion, so leaders have been reluctant to speak up for the unpopular minority.

while firefighters stood by, and a Muslim school and orphanage was also burned down. It did not say if there were any casu-

lims that drove about 140,000 people, mostly Muslims, from their homes. The violence had seemed confined to that re-

Deadly sectarian violence between Buddhists and Muslims has broken out since last year in other parts of the country, first in a

According to the policeman and the Buddhist monk contacted

western region then in central towns. The

by telephone Wednesday morning there were no fatalities after vio-

new flare-up will reinforce doubts that

lence erupted the night before in the northeastern city.

Pr es ident T hei n Sein’s government can or will act to contain the violence.

A politician in Lashio in Shan state, Sai Myint Maung, said authorities banned gatherings of

Thein Sein’s admini-

more than five people after about

stration, which came

150 massed outside a police station demanding that the alleged culprit in the unconfirmed immolation be handed over. The mob

to power in 2011 after half a century of military rule, has been heavily criti-

also burned some stores, he said.

cized for not doing enough to protect

According to the rumors, the Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Guan Maw, center, of Kachin Independence Army and representatives arrive to attend their cease fire talks Muslims. man doused the woman with with Myanmar government in Myitkyina, Kachin state Tuesday, May 28, 2013. — Photo by AP gasoline and set her alight. The attack could not be confirmed, but a Muslim-oriented news website that de-

He vowed last week alties. Its report acknowledged the burning of the woman but said the perpetrator was

gion, but in late March, similar Buddhistled violence swept the town of Meikthila in

not a Muslim.

central Myanmar, killing at least 43 people.

fied for fear of reprisals confirmed by phone that some shops were burned near the police station and the hospital where the

While the account could not immediately be confirmed, the website’s accounts of past violence against Muslims in Myan-

Several other towns in central Myanmar experienced less deadly violence, mostly involving the torching of Muslim

victim was said to have been taken. A

mar were subsequently reported in other

businesses and mosques.

Lashio resident, Than Htay, said he could see smoke and had heard about the ban on gatherings. He said calm had been restored.

media. Several photos circulating on Facebook also showed what was purported to be the mosque in flames.

Muslims account for about 4 per cent of the nation’s roughly 60 million people.

scribed it said the attacker was not Muslim. A resident who asked not to be identi-

Ex-Alberta town official arrested amid corruption allegations A former Alberta town manager at the centre of construction kickback allegations uncovered in a Toronto Star/Radio-Canada investigation has been arrested.

RADIO-CANADA FILE PHOTO

Quebec developer Gilles Filiatreault , above, alleges that Tom Miller, the former chief administrative officer of Lamont, Alta., demanded a 5-per-cent commission on construction projects while he lived in the province.

Anti-Muslim sentiment is closely tied to

during a US trip that all perpetrators of the sectarian violence would be brought to justice, but so far, only Muslims have been arrested and sentenced for crimes connected to the attacks. Muslims, however, have accounted for far more of the victims of the violence, and rights groups have accused certain authorities of fomenting a campaign of ethnic cleansing.

Today's Horoscope SCORPIO (24 Oct-22Nov) Aggression in speech and action in coming week. Keep your calm to maintain peace at home. You need to put more effort to get your work accomplished. Your favourable number : 4 and 8

SAGITTARIUS (23 Nov-21 Dec) Good chance to travel. Help from siblings can be seen. Gains in profession. Enemies will be defeated. Your favourable number : 5 and 7

CAPRICORN (22 Dec-20 Jan) Relaxed atmosphere around. Be careful while signing paper .Professional disturbance can be seen this week. Avoid arguing with your offspring. Your favourable number : 2 and 3

AQUARIUS (21 Jan-19 Feb) Financially good but emotionally down week ahead. You may get support from your boss. Deprivation of internal happiness. Your favourable number : 3 and 6

PISCES (20 Feb-20 Mar) Not good for siblings. Ray of hope for long awaited fluctuating profession. Financial gain through business is unstable this week.

Cisco takes Microsoft to court over Skype

BRUSSELS: Cisco Systems, the world's leading network equipment maker, will try to convince Europe's second highest court on Wednesday that it should overturn the EU's approval of Microsoft's purchase of Skype. If Cisco wins the challenge at the Luxembourgbased general court, the European Commission would have to annul its decision, which allowed Microsoft to buy the internet video and voice company without having to make any concessions. Cisco, which is appealing together with Italian fixed-line and internet telephone provider Messagenet SpA, will argue that the Commission made several "manifest errors" in assessing the $8.5 billion Microsoft-Skype deal.

May 30, 2013

Alberta PC's calling for a probe into Wildrose Robocalls Alberta's Chief Electoral Officer is being asked to probe the opposition party on a robocall scandal in last year's election. Just last week the Wildrose party was fined $90,000 by the CRTC for violating automated call rules in last year's election. Premier Allison Redford is calling on the Chief Electoral Officer to probe the Wildrose robocalls to make sure that it did not have an impact in the

provincial vote in 2012. Opposition Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith believes their Party followed the rules a lot more than other parties. "I think that if you look at the way we did our polls and our dialing compared to the way they did it, I think we're probably in greater compliance than they are" says Smith. The Wildrose Party has said that they

Liver cancer on the rise in Canada Liver cancer incidence has tripled in Canadian men and doubled in women since the 1970s, the Canadian Cancer Society says. The death rate for all cancers combined has been declining for males in most age groups and for females in all age groups except over 70, the society said in releasing its annual cancer statistics Wednesday. Overall, the society estimates 187,600 people in Canada will learn they have a new cancer this year (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers). About 75,500 Canadians will die from some form of malignancy. This year, the society focused on liver cancer, which it called one of the fastest rising types of cancer, and one with a poor prognosis. Primary liver cancer that hasn't spread from another site to the organ is still rare. About 2,000 new cases of liver cancer are expected this year with about 1,000 deaths from the disease. The greatest risk factors for liver cancer are chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections, but the viruses aren't wellrecognized as health threats, the society said. Test and treat infections Since 1970, the incidence of liver cancer has tripled in Canadian men and dou-

Pamela Anderson raised awareness of hepatitis in 2002 after announcing she has hep C. The infection is one of the main risk factors for liver cancer. (J.P. Moczulski/Canadian Press)

bled in women, rising every year by 3.6 per cent in men and 1.7 per cent in women. "One of the problems with this disease is that it does not develop symptoms or patients aren't aware that they have the problem until the disease is very advanced, at a very large and untreatable stage," Dr. Sean Cleary, a surgical oncologist at Toronto's University Health Network. To lower rates, the society said, it's important to find and treat people with hepatitis B or C. There is currently a vaccine against hepatitis B but not for hepatitis C. The Canadian Cancer Society also encouraged primary health-care providers to offer hep B vaccination or testing to those at risk, including newcomers to Canada if they come from parts of the world where hepatitis infections or liver

cancer are common. Other risk factors for liver cancer include: Heavy alcohol use. Diabetes. Smoking.

Last year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control urged all baby boomers to have a one-time test for hepatitis C. The Canadian Liver Foundation recommends a hepatitis C test for those born between 1945 and 1975. But the Public Health Agency of Canada is studying whether it makes sense to issue a similar recommendation in Canada, saying the rate of hepatitis C is lower than in the U.S. Specialists at the Canadian Association for the Study of the Liver came to the same conclusion about hepatitis screening last year.

Canada and U.S. clash over Peace Bridge redevelopment Andrew Cuomo, the charismatic political star many expect to eventually run for president, fired the opening shots in what is turning into a messy border skirmish soon after he moved into the New York’s governor’s mansion two years ago.

The last time a company successfully challenged a Commission merger-approval decision at the court was in 2002 in a case involving the Sony Music and BMG record labels. In the vast majority of cases, the court rules with the Commission.

Out went the five former U.S. members of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority – known as the Peace Bridge Authority – the binational agency that runs the busy spans linking Fort Erie, Ont., and Buffalo, N.Y. In their place, five Cuomo loyalists.

A decision by the EU's general court can be appealed to the European Court of Justice, the EU's highest court. Cisco's challenge is one of four court cases against the European Commission's rulings in merger cases.

Ryanair has similarly said it will fight the Commission's veto of its plan to buy Aer Lingus.

- CBC News

Treating people who have hepatitis B or C could reduce liver cancer

It is expected to argue that the combined company's dominant share in the communications market gave it the ability and the incentive to refuse to provide data that would allow rivals to work with the merged firm's products.

Deutsche Boerse last year filed an appeal against the Commission's rejection of its merger with NYSE Euronext while UPS has take action against a regulatory veto of its proposed TNT buy.

trusted the company who made their calls to follow the rules. The $90,000 fine was the biggest fine ever levied by the CRTC to a political party. Tory Cabinet Minister Doug Griffiths says it's critical that the Chief Electoral Officer determine whether these automated calls may have changed the results in some closely contested ridings won by the Wildrose party.

Kyle Horning, left, and Gordon Carlson fishing under the Peace Bridge on the American side in Buffalo, N.Y., May 9, 2013. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's handling of differences over the international bridge is giving the wider world a glimpse of how he often wields power. (BRENDAN BANNON/NYT)

May 30, 2013

Stock futures dip as investors seek Fed stimulus clarity Supportive monetary policies from central banks around the world have lifted equity markets this year, with the S&P 500 up more than 16 percent. On Tuesday, stocks soared and the Dow closed at another record high after the Bank of Japan and European Central Bank reassured investors that policies designed to boost economic growth would stay in place.

S&P 500 futures fell 9.3 points and were below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures slipped 79 points and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 13.75 points. Cyclical companies, closely tied to the pace of economic growth, have been volatile on rumors over the Fed's stimulus measures. Bank of America (BAC.N) fell 1 percent to $13.21 in premarket trading while JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) was off 1.1 percent at $54.

Last week, indexes fell on concerns that the program may be scaled back sooner than expected, and strong economic data on Tuesday stirred speculation that the Fed may begin tapering off its program soon. The concerns sent U.S. Treasury debt yields to their highest levels in over a year and pulled equities back from session highs. "(Tuesday) was the first time we saw rates spike on concerns about the Fed tapering, and if that spreads, it will have negative ramifications for the rest of the market," said Adam Sarhan, chief executive of Sarhan Capital in New York. (Reuters) - Stock index futures fell on Wednesday, indicating a drop off record highs at the open, as invesWhile strong corporate earnings have tors continued to question the longevity of the Federal Reserve's stimulus program. also contributed to the equity market's surge in 2013, central bank stimulus has pushed investors to add to positions on market de"There's still a question about how go up," Sarhan said. clines, limiting extended sell-offs. So, any much we can grow without stimulus, and change to the stimulus program may prompt what will happen to the market when rates a round of profit taking.

In company news, Smithfield Foods (SFD.N) surged 27 percent to $32.90 in premarket trading after China's Shuanghui Group agreed to buy the company for $34 a share. Trina Solar Ltd (TSL.N) slumped 11.5 percent to $6.01 in premarket trading after the company reported its seventh straight quarterly loss. Apple Inc (AAPL.O) Chief Executive Tim Cook said late Wednesday he expected the tech giant to release "several more game changers," hinting that wearable computers could be among them.

Senate will ask the RCMP to review Mike Duffy’s expense claims The Senate will ask the RCMP to review the expense claims of Sen. Mike Duffy — and the $90,172 cheque he received from Nigel Wright — after a second look at his books suggested a pattern of abuse. OTTAWA—The Senate will ask the RCMP to review the expense claims of Sen. Mike Duffy — and the $90,172 cheque he received from Nigel Wright — after a second look at his books suggested a pattern of abuse. The Senate committee on internal economy, budgets and administration held a rare open-door meeting Tuesday evening to hear how a closer look at the living and travel allowances claimed by Duffy revealed that things may be worse than they initially feared. The embattled senator was the one who had called for the committee meetings investigating his expense claims to be held in public, but his chair remained empty. Chief among the new details that came to light were 49 days between April 2011 and March 2012 when Duffy claimed to be on Senate business in Ottawa — claiming a per diem to cover his mortgage payments, meals and incidentals — when a review by auditors at Deloitte concluded he was actually outside the city. They included a dozen days for which Duffy had claimed a daily allowance of $87.55 while in Florida, which the senator blamed on a clerical error by a temporary worker when the Deloitte review flagged it as inappropriate, but the Senate administration decided the presence of many other days pointed to a bigger problem. “The review leads to a conclusion that

the Deloitte’s finding in relation to per diems claimed in January 2012 when the Senator was in Florida is not an isolated incident, but represents a pattern that raises concerns,” Gary O’Brien, the committee clerk, said as he briefed senators on the findings.

who represents Prince Edward Island, was also reimbursed by Conservative campaigns — both local and central — for his ex-

$409.91 for related expenses. The committee heard Duffy actually received payment for just 25 of those 49

Senators on the committee also voted unanimously to ask police to look into how Duffy came to reimburse the government for the $90,172 in improperly claimed expenses — now known to have been with the help of a personal cheque from Wright, who has since stepped down as chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper — in its referral to the authorities. The committee also agreed to essentially restore its report on Duffy to its original form, to include strong language about the clarity of the rules surrounding primary and secondary residences and eligibility for expenses. Two Conservative senators had earlier moved to soften its language to reflect the fact that Duffy had already paid the money back. Regarding Duffy’s expenses, O’Brien noted Deloitte had issued a caveat related to whether Duffy, who refused to meet the auditors or provide additional information requested, was the only person who used the mobile telephone they used to establish his whereabouts. The findings also confirmed Duffy was billing taxpayers for expenses during the 2011 election, even claiming living expenses for time spent in Ottawa on six days when he was actually out of town and on the campaign trail. Elections Canada records show Duffy,

CHRIS WATTIE / REUTERS FILE PHOTO

Nigel Wright resigned as the prime minister's top aide on May 19.

penses on at least five of those days for appearances in the Northwest Territories and the Greater Toronto Area. The committee also heard Duffy had his lunch and incidentals — through a partial per diem claimed through travel expenses — paid for by the government on another day, April 21, 2011, after flying from Moncton to Ottawa. Elections Canada records show Duffy had spent at least part of that day campaigning in Nova Scotia with Conservative MP Scott Armstrong and billed his campaign

days, which raised questions about why Senate administration did not detect the pattern of suspicious claims earlier. Eighteen of those daily living allowance claims submitted for August 2011 were rejected, the Senate administration revealed, because Duffy had simultaneously submitted a travel claim for time spent in P.E.I., proving he could not have been in Ottawa.

U.A.E. lifts visa requirements on Canadians signalling end of diplomatic dust-up Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and United Arab Emirates Ambassador Mohammed Saif Helal Al Shehhi hold a joint a news conference regarding visas between Canada and the United Arab Emirates, in Ottawa, Tuesday, May 28, 2013

a key Canadian Forces staging base outside Dubai and the imposition of visa requirements for Canadians.But Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and his UAE counterpart signalled the end of the visa regime during a meeting in Abu Dhabi April.

In a statement Tuesday. the UAE's ambassador to Canada said he looks forward to continuing OTTAWA -- Canadian passport holders travel- to build a strategic partnership between the two ling to the United Arab Emirates will no longer countries. require visas in advance. Baird says the removal of visa requirement as of The move marks the end of a diplomatic dust- Saturday is an important signal that bilateral up over Canadian landing rights for UAE-based relations between the two countries are getting stronger. airlines, which began in 2010. The dispute eventually prompted the closure of

May 30, 2013

LIBERAL-NDP COALITION HOLDING ONTARIO’S ECONOMY BACK

MISSISSAUGA – Ontario has so much potential for new jobs and prosperity, but it’s even further down the wrong track after the Liberal-NDP coalition budget, PC Leader Tim Hudak said today. “Ontario can do so much better,” Hudak said. “Yet we’ve spent the past two weeks talking about everything except what matters – like getting Ontario’s economy on the move again. “That’s because these two parties put

saving their political jobs ahead of creating real jobs for our more than half-million unemployed. It’s taken the deep hole we’re in and dug it deeper.”

now run by two parties that are the identical twins of more spending, debt, job losses and eroding investor confidence.”

First came the $1 billion gas plants fiasco to save a few Liberal seats, Hudak continued. “Now comes a $1 billion bribe in even more spending and debt for the NDP to support the budget.

Hudak said investors, credit rating agencies and Peel Region businesses are waiting for a credible plan to bring down spending and pay down debt. “They’re looking for a government that lives within its means and builds a climate for job growth.”

“The Liberals are renting the majority they were denied by angry voters. Ontario is

Hudak said the sooner we change course, the sooner we’ll get Ontario growing

again to afford the things we care about the most – like dependable health care, excellence in education and the roads and subways we need to keep our people and goods on the move. “Ontarians need to know there’s an alternative, a plan to boost job creation and hope for the future. Only the PC Party has that plan.”

Treasury Board President Announces Major Initiative toward a High-Performing Public Service May 28, 2013 Ottawa – The Honourable Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board, today announced a new mandatory system for tracking emplo yee performance aimed at boosting productivity and ensuring Canadians receive modern, effective and efficient public service. “Hard-working Canadians look to us to provide high quality, affordable service. The Government’s new performance management regime will ensure that we are employing the public service to its fullest potential,” said Minister Clement. “Complacency and the status quo are not an option. Excellence must be the benchmark. Canadians deserve no less.” The new Directive on Performance Management introduces, for the first time, a government-wide system for tracking employee performance. The goal is three-fold: To recognize and reward excellent performance; Work with all employees to maximize performance; and To deal decisively with unsatisfactory performance. “Performance management is about ensuring good workers have an opportunity to become great workers and dealing effectively with poor performers,” said Minister Clement. “Either poor performers improve and become productive employees or we will let them go.” The Directive, which comes into effect in April 2014, includes a number of standardized measures for tracking performance. These measures include: establishing annual performance objectives for all employees, mid-year evaluations, annual written performance assessments and an action plan for improving performance with clear established time-lines, as well as steps to be taken if performance does not improve. These steps could include demotion or termination. Processes will ensure that employees are treated fairly. “Doing things the way they have always been done is no longer good enough if we want to build a 21st century public service,” said Minister Clement. “We owe it to Canadians and we owe it to the vast majority of committed, hard-working public servants to make sure everyone is pulling their weight.”

U.S. drone kills Pakistan Taliban Number two: security officials PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike killed the number two of the Pakistan Taliban, Wali-ur-Rehman, in North Waziristan region on Wednesday, three security officials said in what would be a major blow in the fight against militancy.

allied to the Afghan Taliban. Known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), they have launched devastating attacks against the Pakistani military and civilians.

Drone casualties are difficult to verify. Foreign journalists must have permission from Wali-ur-Rehman had been poised to succeed the military to visit the tribal areas along the Hakimullah Mehsud as leader of the Pakistan Afghan border. Taliban, a senior army official based in the South Waziristan tribal region, the group's Taliban fighters also often seal off the sites of drone strikes immediately so Pakistani jourstronghold, said in December. nalists cannot see the victims. The Pakistani Taliban are a separate entity

May 30, 2013

SPORTS England beat rain and NZ to win series 2-0

England's Ian Bell (L) catches New Zealand's Doug Bracewell during the fifth day's play in the second international cricket Test match between England and New Zealand at Headingly in Leeds, northern England, on May 28, 2013. – AFP Photo

LEEDS: England beat New Zealand and the rain at Headingley on Tuesday, winning the second test by 247 runs on the last day and the series 2-0. After a second break for rain, the English picked up the last two wickets to dismiss the Kiwis for 220 in mid afternoon.

Spinner Graeme Swann took two of the last four wickets on the final day to take 6-90 and achieve a match haul of 10-132, the third 10-for of his career and first in England. He came to Headingley without having taken a test wicket at the ground. England had New Zealand on its knees throughout a match which was shortened to four

days of play after the first day was washed out. Even so, the hosts could have delivered the coup de grace on Sunday but didn't enforce the follow on.

The Kiwis clung on to stumps on Monday and hoped rain would save them on Tuesday, but despite two delays for rain, there were enough breaks for England to mop up in 21.5 overs.

Instead, they batted past lunch on Monday and posted an untouchable chase score of 468, 19 more than New Zealand had scored in its first three innings of the series combined.

It was New Zealand's ninth defeat in its last 10 tests away from home in the last 10 months.

I was asked to ‘fix’ a Pakistan-Sri Lanka match, says former umpire

AFP

LONDON: Former umpire John Holder alleged Sunday he was offered 10,000 pounds ($15,139) to help sway the course of a one-day international in the United Arab Emirates. Holder, who stood in 11 Tests, said the approach related to a match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Sharjah. “They said if I can somehow lull the Sri Lanka batsmen into putting on a partnership of 85 they would give me 10,000 pounds in cash,” the 68-year-old Holder told BBC Radio's Test Match Special. “I said, 'You've got the wrong person'." Barbados-born Holder, a former bowler for English county Hampshire, became a first-class umpire in 1983 and stood in 11 Tests and 19 ODIs from 1988 to 2001. Amid recent corruption charges relating to the Indian Premier League, Hoder was asked if he'd ever been approached to 'fix' a match. “I was in Sharjah in 1993 for a one-day international series between Sri Lanka, West Indies and Pakistan,” he said. “I was introduced to a man and offered 10,000 pounds to make sure Sri Lanka batsmen put on a partnership of 85. “He told me his syndicate were in-

John Holder said he was offered 10,000 pounds to sway the course of an ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Sharjah.

volved in making money as the game fluctuates.

ruined. You'd lose your self-respect, the players and commentators would know.

“I said, 'You've got the wrong person'. Players and umpires who get involved in match-fixing have got to realise there's no such thing as easy money.

“I couldn't live my life looking over my shoulder, and I'd always be remembered as a cheat, so I had to say no, and reported it.”

“Once you get into that, your career is

The IPL was rocked by a scandal this

month which saw India Test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and fellow Rajasthan Royals players Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan arrested for alleged spot-fixing. And on Thursday, Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf was withdrawn from next month's ICC Champions Trophy in the UK in June following reports he too was being investigated by Indian police.

May 30, 2013

Bollywood's 100-year kiss sparks debate on gay films

A scene from the movie "Bombay Talkies" Published 27th May, 2013, 4:50 PM MUMBAI: New Bollywood film “Bombay Talkies” is billed as a milestone

Zoya Akhtar shows a young boy exploring his feminine side by emulating and dressing

with wider audiences: last week saw the fourth Kashish Mumbai International Queer

“Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd”, a comedy drama about six couples on a honeymoon

not only for marking 100 years of Indian cinema - it is also one of the country's few

up as Katrina Kaif, his Bollywood heroine.

Film festival, the first such event to be held

bus tour, including two newlywed men at-

in a mainstream Indian theatre.

tracted to each other.

Organisers picked 132 films from 40 countries, including 18 from India, on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)

But Deepa Mehta's 1996 film “Fire”, which looked at a lesbian relationship between two sisters-in-law, had to be pulled

themes, from about 300 entries.

out of cinemas after protests from far-right

mainstream movies ever to have shown a gay kiss. The centenary film, which had a special screening at Cannes, comprises four selfcontained short stories by leading directors looking at the impact of Indian cinema on people's lives. The short film from director Karan Johar features a kiss between a young man and his best friend's husband as part of an exploration of sexual identity and marital discord. While such scenes in the past may have elicited catcalls in India's populist singlescreen theatres, this time the kiss has been winning applause from audiences, according to gay rights advocate Nitin Karani. “That's a positive reaction, which may indicate that society is more ready than film producers when it comes to gay stories,” he said.

“Bombay Talkies was an important film for Karan and Zoya as it was projected as a movie celebrating 100 years of cinema,” said Karani. “ So for them to take up issues of sexuality

Numbers for this year are not yet collated but last year saw about 1,000 festival-goers attending, a third of whom were not LGBT themselves, said festival director Sridhar Rangayan.

“Mainstream Hindi cinema has portrayed gay characters as feminine, over the top, obsessed with sex, and to be laughed at,” said

Despite the growing success of the festival, Rangayan - whose own films on gay topics include “Gulabi Aaina” (The Pink

“These themes do not have the support of big actors or big names enacting the parts. It's usually newcomers or lesser known ac-

director Onir, who only uses his first name.

Mirror, 2006) - said homosexual themes remain underexplored even after 100 years of Indian cinema.

tors,” he said.

“When they are not stereotyped like this, they are shown as boyfriend stealers or home -breakers,” he said, pointing out than even “Bombay Talkies”shows “the gay boy hitting on his best friend's husband”.

And with one of the characters in the kiss played by 'sex symbol' actor Randeep Hooda, the film “shatters stereotypes faster”,

Onir's 2005 film “My Brother... Nikhil” won acclaim for portraying the story of a gay relationship and the issue of HIV with both maturity and sensitivity - traits that remain confined largely to the independent

Karani believes.

and documentary fields.

In another of the short stories, director

Hindu groups.

and gender was commendable.”The tales in “Bombay Talkies” have sparked debate over such issues in Bollywood, where homosexuality has long been kept in the closet -- or portrayed in stereotypical roles.

But alternative films are gaining ground

“If films are being made, but not seen, then they are still in the closet. Kashish tries to spotlight these films and issues but we are only able to reach a small audience.”Homosexuality remains a generally taboo topic in India despite a 2009 court order decriminalising gay sex - a decision that met with strong opposition. A few mainstream films have broached the subject with success, such as 2007's

Vajir Singh, editor of trade magazine Box Office India, believes that a conservative society such as India will take time to warm up to such themes.

“If a brand-name filmmaker or actor were to make a gay love story, people would watch it. But you need a brand.”While a Bollywood superstar is yet to step up to the role, filmmakers such as Reema Kagti, who directed “Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd”, are upbeat about the industry's evolution as it enters another century. “Hindi cinema is not as divorced from reality as it was, say, in the 80s. There is far greater awareness of sexuality and sexual choices,” she said.

Canada’s Grange Prize for photography undergoes a makeover The Grange Prize, since 2008 one of Canada’s top awards for excellence in contemporary photography here and abroad, is undergoing a name change, revising its nominating procedures and adding a formal education component.

The changes were announced on Monday in Toronto by the prize’s partners, the Art Gallery of Ontario and Aimia.

May 30, 2013

Pakistani TV smashes taboos with its answer to 'Glee'

LAHORE: Gay romance, Islamic extremism and a soundtrack of classic love songs make for Pakistan's taboo-breaking answer to the hugely successful US television series 'Glee'. Like its smash hit forerunner, 'Taan' follows the lives and loves of a group of young people who regularly burst into song. But this time they attend a music academy in Lahore, instead of an American high school. Taan - which is a musical note in Urdu tackles subjects considered off limits in Pakistan's deeply conservative Muslim society, with plotlines including love affairs between two men and between a Taliban extremist and a beautiful Christian girl. The plan is for the 26-episode series to air in September or October, and while producer Nabeel Sarwar insisted the programme was not a “political pulpit”, he is determined to take on the tough issues. “Nobody wants to have controversy for the sake of controversy, nobody wants to have an assignment to violence, nobody wants to push a button that would result in a disaster for anyone,” he told AFP. “But the truth has to come out somewhere. Where are we going to put a line in the sand and say,

'Look, this is what we are'?” Taking a public stand to defend liberal values like this is rare in Pakistan, where forces of religious conservatism have risen steadily in recent years. Risque scenes in foreign films are routinely cut by the authorities and the team behind ‘Taan’ is acutely aware that they must tread carefully with their challenging material. In one scene the two gay lovers dance and sing in a small room but never embrace their relationship is suggested rather than overtly shown. The moment is interrupted when a radical Islamist character bursts in. Director Samar Raza said representing the lives of gay characters was difficult in a country where homosexuality is still illegal. “Let's say in a certain scene, there are two boys talking to each other, they are not allowed to show their physical attachment to each other,” he said. “So I bring a third character who says: 'God designed Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve'.” It is not only the sensibilities of the censors the producers must navigate. While 70

per cent of Pakistan's population is under 35, a huge and potentially lucrative audience for advertisers, it is the head of the household who decides what families watch on TV, explains Sarwar. “The head of the household during the day is the matriarch and the head of the household at night is the patriarch - they control access to TV,” he told AFP. “You have to find programming that allows the matriarch and the patriarch to join in and participate, but there has to be room for the younger audience.” In a bid to appeal to older viewers the makers of ‘Taan’ have licensed around 100 classic Pakistani songs, some by legendary artists such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and have reworked them to suit modern tastes, as Glee does. “We try to find music that resonates with the older generation which control the access to the TV but we contemporise that music so that the younger audience does not feel left out,” Sarwar said. The show hopes that by taking on difficult issues in a light-hearted way it will both reflect the changing nature of Pakistani society

Joni Mitchell to appear at Luminato next month in Toronto Joni Mitchell speaks! In public! In Toronto!

and attract a young audience currently hooked on imported Turkish soap operas. Local dramas struggle to compete with the likes of “Manahil and Khalil” and “Ishq-eMamnu” (Forbidden Love) - Turkish serials starring Westernised characters with fair skin and dubbed into Urdu. Turkish soaps are widely watched across the Muslim world, but the popularity of “Ishq -e-Mamnu” has prompted a lively debate about the “Turkish invasion” of the small screen in Pakistan, with local production companies complaining that they do not have the resources to rival them. Yasmin Huq, one of the stars of ‘Taan’, told AFP a homegrown show could speak more clearly to Pakistanis than foreign imports. “Today's generation is watching Turkish and Indian dramas,” she said. “But no one can make a musical story like Pakistanis. Even if you watch the Turkish and Indian dramas, you will see that nobody can talk about Pakistan like Pakistanis.”

Television

Tuesday the Luminato Festival confirmed that the reclusive, Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter will not only appear as a guest at two concerts in her honour next month, she has also consented to an onstage interview.

Joni Mitchel at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala in Toronto, Sunday, January 28, 2007. (AARON HARRIS/THE CANADIAN PRESS) — The Globe and Mail

Mitchell, accompanied by drummer/ occasional music collaborator Brian Blade, will be interviewed June 16 at 6 p.m. by Jon Pareles, chief pop music critic for The New York Times. The conversation, part of the live Times Talks series at Luminato 2013, will take place at Isabel Bader Theatre at the University of Toronto, with a live webcast to luminatofestival.com and nytimes.com/artsbeat.

May 29, 2013 12:01AM EDT - Hubert Lacroix’s request for an amendment to a budgetimplementation bill didn’t get the attention it deserved

May 30, 2013

Vintage Apple computer auctioned off for $668,000

Will use all available resources to eliminate loadshedding: Nawaz LAHORE: PML-N president and Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prime minister in waiting, Nawaz Sharif said Wednesday that all available resources would be used to eliminate loadshedding in the country. During a party meeting in Raiwind, Sharif said during the initial phase, unannounced loadshedding would be stopped. The meeting discussed different options to eliminate the energy crisis in the country and was attended by Chaudhry Nisar, Ishaq Dar,

Khawaja Asif, Sartaj Azizi, Ahsan Iqbal, Parvez Rasheed, Shaukat Tareen, Mian Mansha and renowned energy experts. Nawaz said that everyone had to work day and night to eliminate loadshedding and options such as generating energy via coal and sugarcane would require time. The PMLN chief added that both local and foreign businessmen need to invest in the energy sector.

The Apple logo is displayed on the exterior of an Apple Store on April 23, 2013 in San Francisco, California. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; AFP File Photo BERLIN - An auctioneer says one of Apple's first computers - a functioning 1976 model - has been sold for a record 516,000 euros ($668,000).

Breker claims it is one of only six known remaining functioning models in the world. Breker already sold one last year for 492,000 euros.

German auction house Breker said Satur-

It says the computer bears Wozniak's sig-

day an Asian client, who asked not to be named, bought the so-called Apple 1,

nature. An old business transaction letter from the late Jobs also was included.

which the tech company's founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak built in a family garage.

The Apple 1, which was sold for $666 in 1976, consisted of only the circuit board. A case, a keyboard and a screen had to be bought separately.

May 29, 2013 - Updated 1610 PKT

Firing incidents claim three more lives KARACHI: Two political activists among three people were gunned down in separate incidents of firing in metropolis on Wednesday, Geo News reported. According to police sources, unknown assailants killed a political worker, identified as Saleem, in sector 5 area of North Karachi. Another political activist was shot dead by unknown armed men in Paposh Nagar area of Nazimabad. The firing incidents spread anarchy in New Karachi and Nazimabad, where unknown people forcefully got the shops shut. On the other hand, another person was shot dead in a firing incident near ICI bridge.

May 30, 2013

Iraq death toll passes 500 in May

Iraqis gather at the scene of a car bomb attack at a used cars dealers parking lot in Habibiya neighborhood of eastern Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, May 27, 2013. — Photo by AP

BAGHDAD: Violence in Iraq has killed more than 500 people in May, AFP figures showed on Tuesday, as authorities struggled to contain a wave of unrest that has raised fears of new sectarian conflict. And the UN envoy to Iraq urged the country’s leaders to meet to resolve long-running political crises that have paralysed the government and been linked to its inability to reduce the violence. As of Monday, 503 people were killed and 1,273 wounded, making May the deadliest month in at least a year, according to the data, based on reports from security and medical officials. May is the second month in a row in which more than 400 people have been killed, for a total exceeding 960 people in less than two

cal crises over issues ranging from power- Analysts say government policies that have sharing to territorial boundaries, that have disenfranchised Sunnis, coupled with Shia-led authorities’ refusal to make any major concesA wave of attacks, including bombings in paralysed the government. sions to the protesters, have given militant Baghdad that mainly targeted Shia areas, killed 58 people on Monday and wounded The US embassy, meanwhile, issued a state- groups fuel and room to manoeuvre among the ment in which it said it “strongly condemns disillusioned community. 187, officials said. the wave of bombings,” expressing condoThe government has made some concessions “I once again urge all Iraqi leaders to do eve- lences to the victims. aimed at placating protesters and Sunnis in rything possible to protect Iraqi civilians. It is their responsibility to stop the bloodshed Iraq has seen a heightened level of violence general, such as freeing prisoners and raising now,” UN envoy Martin Kobler said in a since the beginning of the year, coinciding the salaries of Sunni anti-Al Qaeda fighters, with rising discontent among Iraqi Sunnis that but underlying issues have yet to be adstatement on Tuesday. dressed. erupted into protests in late December. “It is the politicians’ responsibility to act immediately and to engage in dialogue to resolve Members of Iraq’s Sunni minority, which Violence in Iraq has fallen from its peak at the the political impasse and not let terrorists ruled the country from its establishment after height of the sectarian conflict in 2006 and benefit from their political differences,” he World War I until Saddam Hussein’s over- 2007, but attacks remain common. throw by US-led forces in 2003, accuse the said. Shia-led government of marginalising and Iraq is faced with various long-running politi- targeting their community. months.

May 30, 2013

Industry Canada may let current rules apply on the sale of Mobilicity: analysts MONTREAL—Industry Canada may let its current rules apply when it comes to the sale of Mobilicity to avoid having the small, struggling carrier swallowed up by Telus, some telecom analysts predicted on Monday. Ottawa could also extend the five-year period that prevents the early transfer of Mobilicity’s licence for spectrum, radio waves over which cellphone networks operate, to a big wireless carrier, analysts said. “The government is looking at this restriction as a way of ensuring that competition exists,” said Iain Grant, executive director of SeaBoard Group. Mobilicity, as well as Wind Mobile, bought spectrum that was set aside for new players to bid on in order to bring more competition to the cellphone market.

Both Grant and Hoey said other buyers could emerge for Mobilicity if Telus’s bid fails. “If you’ve got a going concern with a quarter of a million customers, sure it’s not going to be easy, but you will be able to find somebody,” Grant said. He noted that Accelero Capital Holdings, cofounded by Egyptian telecom player Naguib Sawiris who originally backed Wind Mobile, is buying Allstream, the business division of Manitoba Telecom Services. Sawiris came up with the money to buy Allstream and his “other pocket might have more money it” to make a bid for Mobilicity, Grant said. Wind Mobile, with its just over 600,000 subscribers, has been put up for sale by Dutch owner VimpelCom. Sawiris’ Accelero and founder Anthony Lacavera are reportedly bidders.

As a result, their licences can’t be sold and transferred to any of the big carriers until next year, however Telus has urged the deal be ap- A Telus employee speaks to customers at a Telus Mobility sales location in Toronto, on May 5, 2011. However, Scotiabank analyst Jeff Fan said if proved because Mobility is in dire financial Telus is preparing to buy Mobilicity for $380 million, if it gets approvals from federal authorities. THE the government denies the deal, Mobilicity CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese straits. will likely either fail or receive a lower offer Mobilicity has said the acquisition by Telus from a strategic investor. would provide continuing service for its “In either scenario, we think Mobilicity could 250,000 customers and jobs for its 150 emtake legal action against the government, pro“When a government says it’s going to take its bilicity. ployees. longing uncertainty and reducing the likelitime that would be the very opposite of ur“Why should we break principles that were Industry Minister Christian Paradis has said he gency,” he said. hood of a strategic investor emerging,” Fan well established just so that we can bail out wrote in a recent research note. will take whatever time is necessary to review Debtholders of Mobilicity have approved the debtholders,” asked Hoey, of Hoey Associates the acquisition carefully. “We believe the best deal for Mobilicity (and plan to sell the company to Telus Corp. The Management Consultants Inc. Grant said he doesn’t expect a quick decision company is to seek court approval Tuesday. Wind) stakeholders is a sale to one of the inHoey said Ottawa also could do a “gigantic cumbents.” and the June 11 deadline for bidders to hand in their applications for the 700-megahertz spec- Analyst Eamon Hoey said Industry Canada review” of the situation and let the clock run should uphold its own rules on the transfer of out that way. trum auction may come and go. spectrum licences for new players such as Mo-

Consumer confidence rises in May OTTAWA—The Conference Board of Canada says consumer confidence rebounded in May as more Canadians became less gloomy about the job market. The Ottawa-based think-tank’s confidence index rose 5.1 per cent this month, more than offsetting the previous month’s decline. But the Conference Board notes that, at 80.7, the index is still well below its base value of 100. As well, the pick-up was not uniform across the country. Central Canadians generally were more sanguine about their economic and financial prospects, while the West generally became more pessimistic. The balance of opinion on jobs remained negative, but less so than was the case in April. As well, Canadians were marginally more positive about their future finances, with more saying they expected their personal situation to improve and fewer saying they expected a The Conference Board of Canada said consumer confidence rebounded in May as more Canadians became less gloomy about the job market. deterioration in their finances.

May 30, 2013

Photos from PTC network annual gala

Mayor Rob Ford denounces Metrolinx transit taxes Mayor Rob Ford has blasted the Metrolinx slate of new taxes to pay for expanded public transit, saying people can’t afford them. Metrolinx, the province’s regional transit agency, says the cost to the average household would be $477 annually while a five-person family with two cars would pay $977 a year. The new money would come from a 1 per cent HST hike, a 5-cent-per-litre gas

tax, a commercial parking levy and increased development charges to fund the Metrolinx Big Move plan. Ford weighed in on the new measures a day after they were announced in a city hall news conference late Tuesday where he refused to answer questions about the crack video scandal. “What I do not support is the province’s plan to slap new taxes on the back of hardworking families in this great province,”

Ford said. “I will not support any of these new taxes on the residents of Toronto who are telling me, ‘We just can’t afford it.’ They’ve said it over and over and over to me.” After his remarks, reporters tried to ask about the video issue. Ford wouldn’t respond and left the room after saying the news conference was called to focus only on the tax issue.