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Vol-22
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Much on this list seems the way you’d think they would be — but some things seem a bit strange. For one thing, not all the actors featured here have five films to their credit at all. Sonakshi, for instance, has only two. But the ...
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AWARD WINNING FIJI STUDENTS TO PERFORM AT GIRMIT FESTIVAL
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Former Fiji PM jailed
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Iftar Dinner Baitul Masir Mosque SEE PAGE -33
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Ms Zaibun Nusha
FIJI WOMEN IN BUSINESS NEW FEATURE NISHA’S HIDDEN TALENT FOR PAINTING
Nisha (Nigar) is seen gifting her younger brother one of her best paintings she did specially For the brother who visited her late July from Sydney Australia.
SEE FIJI WOMEN TODAY PAGE -2
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Gading Mosque
NATIONAL MARKETING SELLS HARAM MEET TO MUSLIMS WITH HALAL LABEL PASTED ON IT
Fiji’s last democratically elected prime minister, who will hear Friday whether he is going to jail, has been endorsed as an honest man who served his people with integrity. Laisenia Qarase, 71, was yesterday convicted by the Fiji High Court of nine corruption related charges going back to the early 90s, before he became prime minister in 2000. Fiji police and military were today on alert as several hundred people gathered outside the High Court to offer support. Such large gatherings have been strictly outlawed in Fiji since military strongman Voreqe Bainimarama in 2006 overthrew Qarase’s government. Justice Priyantha Fernando, held a sentencing hearing today and said he would impose the sentence on Friday. Qarase could face a maximum of thr
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Evelyn for congress
SEE PAGE -22
CHARLIE JAHANGIR GETS GLOWING TRIBUTE BY JOHN MOHAMMED AT HIS 60TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Page-12
New President of india
SEE PAGE -39
FIJI SUN IS NOW ON FACEBOOK FOR ALL
Eid Mubarak August 19, 2012
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August 2012 H. Koya (PhD)
Editor-Publisher
Sanjna Chand (MA) Associate Editor
Karso Conway
FIJI WOMEN TODAY PO BOX 56491, Hayward, CA 94544 PHONE : 1-800-757-6619 Email: fijisun@gmail.com www.fijisun.org
FIJI WOMEN TODAY Nisa’s hidden passion for painting H
aving come to America the land of opportunities – Nisha did not sit back merely as a house wife. She took every opportunity to turn her dream for being business woman into reality. Nisha got into real investment and secured herself with a few income generating properties. Over the years Nisha has been
tapping into her other hidden talents and perfected some of them by classes. She took dancing classes at San Francisco and painting classes. With her growing connections in the theatrical performances and movies, she has developed a new plan to produce first a documentary film on Fiji Diaspora in collaboration with Fiji Sun US
editor. A production team is being readied to choose a cast in Fiji soon. The documentary will be a tribute to the Indians who taken out of India by British agents to work in cane farms in Fiji.Nisha will be performing at the first Bay Area Fiji US Girmit Festival on Saturday August 25 ,2012 at the Weekes’s Library in Hayward.
To be a union representative requires being Ms. Zaibun Nisha Shaheed retired Kaiser RN knowledgeable, fair and just to all: Annie Koya FOREIGNERS CALLED HER NARGIS – DAUGHTER OF LATE MIRZA SALIM BUKSH AND SARAH FOXING WHIPPY
F
ifteen years ago she was shy, reluctant and bogged with lots of misgivings about getting into business mode. Sending a fax from the comfort of her own home was a big deal. She was told that it was not a fancy but a must in today’s world. She also had reservation for using a PC and login onto her own email. OK, no compulsion. The social forces have their own ways. Soon email and PC use became common. If you did not have an email, you felt you are left out. At work internal communication and PC-based work activities became increasingly important. To keep pace, she took to learning everything at home. Soon she was faxing dozens of mortgage papers to various companies. Hurriedly she signed up for a computer classes. An avid listener she paid attention how I spoke and communicated with different people and how I insisted on professionalism when answering business calls. In a few short months her motivation, knowledge, confidence level sky-rocketed as make more articulate picking up English expressions and Urdu language simply being active listener. Soon she attempted
(With the negotiation team for Eden Medical Center here at Union Carnival)
to read Urdu Nazms with accuracy and melody. On job, her work knowledge and skills also gained a new high. Many times she is able to recite the dietary menu by heart adding efficiency to her performance and helping co-workers who sometimes inadvertently miss on certain items. Given her confidence, knowledge and ability to articulate, her union representatives began impressing on her to be the union steward which she shied away for a few years. Then it dawned on her they needed someone to fill in what seemed like vacuum. Her friends persuaded her again. This time a veteran of more than 20 years of service in hospital industry, Annie Koya felt that it was a service needed to be performed for the good of all. She decided to be the union steward at her workplace and adopt a fair and just approach not siding the Union or her Employers.She explained to one of her friends: “ I need to look at the issue not the staff or the supervisor and how the issue is rooted in the work contract.” “Then I ask the staff to first take the matter with her/his
supervisor and show the relevant part of the contract. If it is resolved at this stage then there is no further action is required. However, if there is any disagreement then I and take the matter up with the supervisor in the presence of the employee.” To a large extent she is self-taught without having been to college. However, she has been closely involved with AIM, American Institute of Management with her spouse and has had the opportunity to attend several management courses conducted by him. Annie is an Associate of AIM in the professional category that equates her educational achievement to a BA degree. Working alongside her spouse in the Multi-media field, Annie has acquired great photographic skills and how to relate to the media and public relations work. These couples with the training given by union have made Annie a better communicator and confident and articulate Annie says that most of the time issues are resolved at the local level. She tipped be the Executive Board Member of her Union.
Zaibun was born in Suva but moved around Fiji with her family as her father was a civil servant working as an interpreter in the court. The Fiji government had recruited her father directly from Madras India to interpret for the GIRMITYAS of Fiji. She spent most of her teen in Nadi where she obtained her high school education. At age 24 at her mother’s instance, she went to New Zealand to get her four year nursing degree. Upon her return after graduation, she worked at the Lautoka Hospital as a sister a fairly senior post that mostly the Colonial Whites held. She was among the first few overseas trained registered nurses then. She later worked with Sister Halima Shahabud Dean the owner of famous of Dean Transport and sister to late Mrs. Amina (SM) Koya. While the patron of the nurses an Fiji Indian lady was a hardliner and spoke harshly with patients and staff, Ms. Zaibun Nisha spoke in her natural soft and kind style to them which won her a lots of friends great reputation at work place.. A few years later she met a famous and handsome soccer hero, high school teacher Shaheed Mohammed and married him. Shaheed later became a FIFA certified referee and got deeply involved with Fiji Football Association. Having worked most of their life in Fiji, the coupled immigrated to US
when Zaibun’s younger sister sponsored them for US residency. She recently retired as an RN from Kaiser Permanente.
August 2012
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Charlie Jahangir and wife furious over “fraud” article
COMMUNITY NEWS
HAYWARD – Dozens of Muslims along with Charlie Jahangir expressed their outrage at the “fraud articles” the largest newspaper out of Fiji wrote against Charlie. Celebrating his 60th birthday at Mehran July 7, 2012, Charlie told Fiji Sun editor, “We were very nice to him. He always came to our place to drink grog and socialize. My wife always cooked and fed him. We didn’t he will bore a whole in the pot he ate from.” Charlie’s close Muslim friends sounded upset and furious and said the paper must be shut down. They complained that the owner thinks he is the judge and can say anything about everyone.
Backed by National Marketing
Some complained that it was all because the National Marketing supports the paper in a big way and pointed out that 50% of the AD belongs to National Marketing. The source said that explains the whole story. Charlie said he has a good mind of telling all his family and friends to stop buying from National Marking as they seem to be working as hand in glove relationship.“As far as my family and I are concerned, we are not going to entertain him at our place any more. He is not wanted here at my place anymore,” Charlie added.
Editor served with civil suit summons by CEO
T
he owner of the US FIJI TIMES – Rocky Buksh has served summons to sue editor of Fiji Sun USA, Dr. H. Koya after he failed to prosecute the editor in a civil harassment case last year. The judge dismissed the case because Buksh failed to meet,
“clear and convincing evidence.” The attorney in this case has “demanded” a jury trial. Over the past almost 10 years we have been constantly abused, assaulted and harassed and now this law suit. We have been caused deep psychological distress and fear.
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August 2012
His game plan
“We all know his game plan. First he will abuse us and then come around and apologize that he did not what he was doing that he was very upset. Well can do with Pandit Manik Chand and not us. We all know his plan.”
Sick and tired
Another close friend of Charlie said, “Everyone is sick and tired of this guy. His editor another ….. who has no idea what he is doing. He doing everything like “monkey see, monkey do. The editor thinks he can get away. He is equally liable. We are thinking of a big law suit to stop this nonsense.”
Arlene Mabanta has excellent program for Muslim services at Chapel of the Chimes
HAYWARD – Speaking to the Fiji Sun editor last week, Ms. Arlene explained how Muslims can save a lot money buying space at the GARDEN OF NOOR at Chapel of the Chimes through her. We have special packages for groups and associations who plan to buy in bulk and pass on the discounts to their members. Row now there a great RAMADAN Offer for any Muslim associations to take advantage of and make a great saving before the price back to regular rate.
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Fiji President calls on President Mukherjee in Delhi 6
FIJI NEWS
August 2012
New Delhi : President Pranab Mukherjee received his counterpart from Fiji Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, who is in India on a private visit. This is the first president to be received Mukherjee after he assumed office. The President of Fiji was also on his first visit to India and had stopped over in Delhi on his way back to Fiji from the London Olympics. President Mukherjee extended a warm welcome to the President of Fiji and recollected the close historical relations between the two countries as well as presence of a large number of persons of Indian origin in Fiji. The Indian Cultural Center in Suva, set up in August 1972 is India's oldest cultural center in the world. President Mukherjee called
for an expansion of bilateral trade and investment. He also referred to the assistance provided to Fiji by India in the agriculture and sugar sectors. He expressed happiness that India's development experience was being shared with Fiji through provision of training slots for Fiji nationals and scholarships for students. He referred to assistance being provided in the health sector as well as cooperation in the defence field. Fiji has recently joined the NonAlignment Movement. Mukherjee welcomed its joining of NAM and the support provided by Fiji for reform of the UN Security Council as well as multilateral financial institutions. The President of Fiji congratulated Mukherjee on his attain-
South - South Project Meeting to Benefit Fiji
Fiji's first meeting on the South-South Cooperation Project kicked off today at the JICA office in Suva chaired by the Public Service Commission permanent secretary Mr Pramesh Chand and attended by the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) resident representative Mr Shumon Yoshiara and Permanent Secretaries from various government ministries. The South to South Cooperation is the mutual cooperation aimed at fostering self -sustaining development and involves deepening relations amongst countries while conducting technical and economic cooperation. JICA's resident representative Mr Shumon Yoshiara said the South to South Cooperation supports countries through the provision of Third Country Training and Third Country Experts. "In Fiji, the PSC will setup the mechanism for implementation of the SouthSouth Cooperation supported by JICA and will be carried out initially in Kiribati, Tuvalu
and later roll out to other Pacific Island countries in the future", Mr Yoshiara said. Public Service Commission permanent secretary Mr Parmesh Chand said that it is the right time for Fiji to join the South to South cooperation in line with global trends. "Countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines have reaped the benefits of numerous South-South cooperation programs, simply because they have a definite framework in place and their work is well coordinated", Mr Chand said. He added that the project is in line with Government's drive towards building a better Fiji. "This should enhance the evolution of Fiji towards beneficial technologies, services and trading relationships". Mr Chand expressed his optimism towards the project saying that it also has the potential to allow Fiji to achieve its Millennium Development Goals and the Pacific Plan for Oceania.
The President of the Republic of Fiji, H.E. Mr. Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, meeting the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on August 7, 2012.
Fiji unionist files complaint over alleged assault A Fijian union leader has lodged a police complaint against members of the defence force, 18 months after the alleged assault took place. Trades Union Congress secretary Felix Anthony said he did not bother filing a complaint at the time because he believed there was no point. In his official complaint to police, Mr Anthony said he was assaulted by military personnel. But he said reports that interim prime minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama was involved were incorrect. "No that was not the case. He only threatened, but his officers assaulted me," Mr Anthony told Radio Australia. In a statement, Fiji's interim government said the complaint was aimed at promoting the union leader's personal agenda.
International School Nadi to show how Fijian culture is slowly fading away
It will be a cultural performance by the students of International School Nadi in next week's Tadra Kahani with Connect as they show how the Fijian culture is slowly fading away through westernization. Class six student Hannah Allan said with their theme “My Culture, My Identity”, the students will be conveying the theme through music and dance of the Fijian culture which attracts many visitors to our shores. There is an audio file attached to this story. Please login to listen. The students are urging people to come forward and witness Fiji’s biggest stage show.
LIME IN HAYWARD
Total Event Company Director, Loretta Jackson said Tadra Kahani's music productions are combined with professional audio with 15,000 watts of sound plus tens of thousands of dollars worth of lighting equipment to bring the one of a kind stage show to life. Dilkusha Methodist School, Suva Grammar School, International School Suva, Cathedral Secondary School, Marist Champagnat Institute, Dudley High School, LDS College, Lomary Secondary School, Blue Light Fiji and Ratu Kadavulevu School will take part in the Senior Division.
ing the pinnacle of his career. He said he was honoured to be the first President to call on the President of India. This was an honour to all the people of Fiji. He said Fiji has close cordial relations with India and was beneficiary of India's gracious assistance especially in the field of agriculture. Fiji has much to learn from India. The cultural center in Suva has added tradition and colour to the fabric of Fiji society. He said that the Prime Minister of Fiji had returned from India a few months back with glowing reports of his visit and Fiji looks forward to strengthening its relations with India in the coming years. The President of Fiji extended an invitation to President Mukherjee to visit Fiji.
Fijian identity debate THE Constitution Commission has received more than 36 submissions since day one from members of the public covering a wide range of issues. Commission chairman Professor Yash Ghai told The Fiji Times the turn out on Saturday was bigger than the first day but the themes were similar. He said submissions included rights of indigenous people, particularly about land and the role of chiefs including the Great Council of Chiefs. Professor Ghai said not all those who came made submissions. "Those who made submissions seemed well prepared," Prof Ghai said. "Most had written submissions so that means they have considered the issues carefully," he said. He said some felt that the rights of indigenous Fijians were at risk. They urged that the constitution should be based on the rights of indigenous declared in international instruments.
Miss India-Fiji Contestans
"But they also said that the rights of others should be recognised, and Fiji should seek both diversity and unity," he said. He said a number of presenters favoured the retention of the 1997 Constitution with a number of amendments which were set out in their submissions. A number of young people made submissions, while welcoming the grant of the vote to 18-year-olds, they wanted youth representation in Parliament as well. Prof Ghai said there were differences of view on the electoral system, being divided almost equally between the supporters of communal seats and the supporters of all open seats. He said some people had wanted all the citizens of Fiji to be known as Fijians while others preferred that the term Fijians be restricted to iTaukei, using Fiji Islander to designate all Fijians.
Chaudhry to face only 3 counts of Breach of Exchange Control Act
FIJI NEWS
Former Prime Minister, Mahendra Chaudhry will now only face three counts of breach of the Exchange Control Act. This follows the High Court decision to quash the five counts of money laundering charges against Chaudhry yesterday. Justice Daniel Goundar has also ruled that Chaudhry’s four counts of making false statements in his income tax returns under the Penal Code are permanently stayed for an abuse of process arising from the same conduct being time barred under the Income Tax Act. It has been revealed in court that Chaudhry fully complied with the Fiji Revenue Customs Authority’s assessment in 2004 on the donated funds and paid his outstanding taxes. After 2007, the offence of making a false tax return under the Income Tax Act was time barred. So by the time Chaudhry was charged in July 2010, he could not be prosecuted for making a false return under the Act. The judge ruled on two pre-trial applications by Chaudhry. The first was seeking an order for a stay of prosecution on the grounds of abuse of process while the second application was an order to quash the information for not disclosing an offence. Justice Goundar said these money laundering charges are quashed on the ground that the Court has no jurisdiction to try those charges
since they are for alleged acts prior to 1st September 2005. He said these money laundering laws came into effect in 2005, and the intention of the Parliament was to give jurisdiction to the courts in Fiji over properties abroad. Justice Goundar said the courts in Fiji do not have jurisdiction over money laundering offences allegedly committed before 1st September 2005, in relation to properties abroad. However, Judge Goundar ruled that no abuse of process has been established in relation to the charges under
Fiji, China agree on fight strategy
FIJI and China have agreed to strengthen their co-operation in the fight against climate change. Minster for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, who was wrongly referred to as Joketani Cokanasiga in yesterday's edition, yesterday met with the visiting Chinese Minister of State Development, and Reform Commission Xie Zhenhua on Monday to address climate change. Mr Cokanasiga is the Acting Minister for Defence, National Security and Immigration. "Climate change is a real threat to all Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Fiji," Mr Xie said. "With current trends of global warming, sea level rise is expected to cause existential threat not only to the economic development of SIDS but more so the survival of many of them. "In addressing climate change, the Fijian government is taking a two track approach — we believe that it is imperative if we are to comprehensively address climate change to focus on
Fiji Hai Kot i rausim sampela sas agensim olpela PM
Ripot bilong Fijilive itok, ol ibin sasim Mr Chaudhry wantaim tripela ol sas bilong brukim Exchange Control Act, faivpela ol sas bilong salim oa kisim ol hait moni na foapela ol sas bilong putim ol giaman ol income tax return bilongen. Tasol Hai Kot i bin rausim planti bilong ol despela sas, wantaim tu ol sas bilong salim na kisim ol hait moni. Kot bai harim ol sas olsem, Mr Chaudhry ibin feil long givim ol foren currency, moni we, ol i sutim tok long em olsem, em ibin kisim na usim, maski em ino kisim blong Fiji Reserve Bank Governor.
both the current international negotiations and our national laws and policies." Ratu Inoke added Fiji's main challenge in addressing climate change was financial and capacity building. "Climate change financing is an issue that is of great importance to us. We can have policies and laws and treaties, but these would not be effective if we do not have the tools to implement them. We need finance for mitigation and adaptation activities. An issue for us is the accessibility of international funding which is always complex and bureaucratic. Apart from that, a good portion of funds allocated for developing countries are taken off by implementing agencies of these funds as administering costs," Ratu Inoke said. "Essentially, we would prefer funding mechanisms that are easily accessible and which are directly given to countries. We have also found that bilateral funding mechanism is the most effective. This is an area we hope China could assist us on, particularly our Climate Change Unit."
the Exchange Control Act and the trial will proceed on three counts of Breach of the Exchange Control Act. Following the High Court ruling, Chaudhry yesterday pleaded not guilty to the three counts of breach of the Exchange Control Act. The first count against Chaudhry is in relation to failure to surrender foreign currency, where it is alleged that Mahendra Chaudhry between November 2000 and July 2010 retained the sum of AUS$1.5 million for his own use and benefit, without the consent of the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji.The second count is in relation to dealing in foreign currency where it is also alleged that Chaudhry lent AUS$1.5 million to persons without the permission of the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji. The third count relates to failure to collect debts where it is alleged that Chaudhry having the right to receive a sum of AUS$1.5 million from the Financial Institutions in Australia and New Zealand, caused the delay of payment of the sum, in whole or in part, to himself by authorizing the continual reinvestment of the sum together with interest acquired back into the Financial Institutions without the permission of the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji. The case has been adjourned to 13th August for the pretrial conference.
Govt to give $2m for Fijian elections
Govt to give $2m for Fijian electionsNZâ s McCully in FijiBainimarama ‘not surprised’ about alleged plotRaids over alleged Fiji assassination plotGoogle shows off coolest views yetPacific worst placed for acid threatMissing helicopter pilot found deadTongan Queen Mother absent from weddingSamoans file lawsuit for US citizenshipTongan marriage bad for piglets The Government will provide $2 million to help Fiji prepare for its 2014 general elections. Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully, who met with his Fijian counterpart Ratu Inoke Kubuabola in Suva over the weekend, said the funds would be to help with voter registration, constitutional process and voter education. The Government has yet to decide how it would be allocated, though McCully said $500,000 would go to the Constitutional Commission for work on consultation. A further announcement was expected in the next couple of days.
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August 2012
Fiji drops tax charges against Chaudhry
A FIJI court has quashed money laundering charges against former prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry, but he will still stand trial for allegedly breaching foreign exchange laws, reports say. Chaudhry, who became Fiji's first ethnic Indian prime minister in 1999 but was ousted in a coup a year later, faced 12 charges after allegedly giving false information to tax authorities about bank accounts in Australia. The High Court threw out five money laundering charges after accepting an application from Chaudhry's lawyer that it did not have jurisdiction over the foreign accounts, the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) reported on Wednesday. A further four counts of making false tax returns were dis-
missed because the three-year time limit under which the alleged offence could be prosecuted had expired, the Fijivillage news website reported. The FBC said Chaudhry still faced three counts of breaching foreign exchange laws for failing to declare the accounts to the Reserve Bank of Fiji, and that the case would be the subject of a pretrial conference on August 13. Chaudhry has reportedly pleaded not guilty to the charges. The leader of the Fiji Labour Party, Chaudhry is a fierce critic of the military regime of Voreqe Bainimarama, who seized power in a 2006 coup. However, a criminal conviction could potentially bar him from running in elections scheduled to held in the South Pacific nation in 2014.
Joint Mission here to understand Fiji's Political Situation
The 12-member delegation from the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group and the European Union (EU) to Fiji on a fact-finding mission has had a fruitful three-day meeting with government officials, civil society organisations, political leaders and the Constitutional Commission. The co-president of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA), Mr Musikari Kombo said their objective is to try and understand Fiji's political landscape and to take the views of a wide cross section of organisations. The fact finding mission was also presented Government's reforms programmes and the work undertaken through the Roadmap. "We have been given a roadmap. We have asked questions- are you going to live within this roadmap or
not? We have been assured as a mission that they will follow the roadmap." The mission has also encouraged the Government and civil society organisations to have an ongoing dialogue on behalf of Fiji's citizens."The process of constitution making is not a day's event. It is a process and the process cannot be successful if there is not a proper dialogue. We are encouraging civil society organisations and government to hold that dialogue on behalf of the people of Fiji," Mr Kombo highlighted. The mission will submit its full report on Fiji's visit to the Bureau of the ACPEU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) at its meeting which will be held in Brussels in September 2012, and will eventually be made available to the Government and all the political stakeholders.
Acting Minister for Defence , National Security and Immigration, Joketani Cokanasiga, left, with PS Jale Fotofili, centre and Dr Marco Gercke, right, during the opening of the Cyber Security workshop at the police academy in Nasova yesterday.
cybercrime activities arising from a number of factors; the technical complexity of cybercrimes, the sophisticated nature of electronics, lack of inadequate legislation to monitor cybercrime activities and the high level of skills and expertise required to investigate and prosecute cybercrime," Mr Cokanasiga said. He said while studies showed that ICT was an enabler for economic growth, studies also showed that the illicit use of ICT could have a debilitating impact on Fiji's critical infrastructures, affect social and economic development, national security and stability of a country. "Today cybercrime is no longer about those who seek access to computer systems for fun or simply to prove that it can be done. "The threat is constantly evolving as new opportunities to old crime to new ways are being developed," Mr Cokanasiga said.
Fiji faces dramatic change in security
FIJI'S lack of resources and capacity are limitations to the effort to provide adequate measures against international criminal acts probing the country. This was one of the revelations made by the acting Minister for Defence, National Security and Immigration, Joketani Cokanasiga during the opening of the Cyber Security Workshop at the Fiji Police Academy in Suva yesterday. Mr Cokanasiga said Fiji faced a dramatic change in the security of its environment because of the emergence of globalisation and trade liberalisation. He said globalisation and trade liberalisation have created a borderless state bringing with it new security concerns and diverse implications like transnational crime, money laundering, human and drug trafficking and terrorism. "Island states, including Fiji are vulnerable to
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August 2012
ACP-EU group hopeful Fiji follows roadmap to democracy
The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly fact finding mission is encouraged with the process that Fiji has taken toward its return to democracy. ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly Co-President Musikari Kombo said they are hopeful that Fiji does follow its roadmap to democracy. There is an audio file attached to this story. Please login to listen. The team will give a report to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly Bureau which will be made available to government and all political stakeholders. The fact finding mission consisting of a 12 member delegation arrived into the country three days ago where they have met with the civil society, government, political leaders and the constitution commission and trade unions.
Voter Registration in Fiji one-third of the way to target
FIJI NEWS
SUVA, Momentum continues to increase Fiji's Electronic Voter Registration (EVR) is now more than onethird of the way to reaching the Government's target of registering 600,000 Fijians. At the end of the third week of EVR, the total stands at 211,291. "We are happy that momentum is continuing to grow for voter registration," the Attorney-General and Minister Responsible for Elections, Aiyaz SayedKhaiyum said. "EVR is now in full stride as we continue to open new registration centers across the country." In order to reach the 600,000 mark, an average of 10,000 Fijians a day must register over the course of the 60-day registration period. As of Sunday, July 22, EVR has averaged slightly more than 10,550 a day, a figure that includes totals for the first week when only a limited number of registration centers were open. "This is an encouraging sign to all Fijians that we are on track," said the Attorney-General. "Government continues to urge those
Site of a bombing that killed six soldiers of the British forces in Afghanistan. The command includes Fijians, says a veterans group
Britain kicks out Fijian soldier
A British military veterans assistance organisation has called on Fijians to write to the British prime minister over the case of a Fijian soldier denied UK citizenship. Site of a bombing that killed six soldiers of the British forces in Afghanistan. The command includes Fijians, says a veterans group. (Credit: Reuters) Lance-corporal Isimeli Baleiwai em-bar-lay has been given three weeks to leave Britain. This is despite serving 13 years in the British Army, including active tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The UK Border Agency refused his application on character grounds because he got into a fight with another soldier, and consequently has an
assault conviction. Hugh Milroy, from soldiers charity, Veterans Aid, says kicking the Fijian out of Britain is unfair. He told Radio Australia the case has caused mass outrage in Britain. "It's an outrageous situation and I have to tell you I've met this guy and his wife, they are a lovely couple. This is an iniquitous situation they find themselves in," he said. "David Cameron has been in Afghanistan talking to troops and the same troops, which will include Fijians, are assisting the Olympics security team. "They're throwing this man out. He's an excellent young man, Fiji should be proud of young men like him," said Mr Milroy.
The 1st Fiji Heads of Missions Regional Consultation for the AsiaPacific region was held in Seoul, Korea earlier this month. This meeting was a follow up to review implementation of commitments made earlier at the Heads of Mission Consultation held in Fiji from 15-18 February 2012. The regional consultation itself was an agreed outcome of that Fiji meeting. In his opening remarks at the meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation Ratu Inoke Kubuabola acknowledged the appropriateness of the theme of the
regional consultation: 'Punching Above Its weight- Widening Fiji's Diplomatic Footprint in the AsiaPacific region' and stressed the importance of the work of Fiji's diplomatic missions in the region and globally to ensure Fiji's socioeconomic development. The meet also commits Fiji's foreign ministry and in particular, the heads of missions of these diplomatic missions towards pillar 11 of the Charter which amongst other things, promotes and strengthens Fiji's global presence. The agenda of the meeting
Fijians who have not yet registered to do so, and for those who have registered, to act as ambassadors for the process by telling friends and family how simple and quick registration is." Tuesday, July 03, marked the nation-wide launch of Fiji's EVR. This followed the official launch on Friday, June 29, in Suva, where the Prime Minister received the first voter card. The eight-week period of voter registration is being undertaken with the collaborative guidance of CODE Inc., a Canadian company that has assisted in voter registration processes in a number of developing countries that subsequently held successful elections. CODE, Inc. has provided biometric voter registration systems (BVRS) that incorporate biometric technology and electronic voter registry software to ensure accurate voter identification, which will help to eliminate voter fraud during the scheduled 2014 elections. Additionally, 1,050 volunteers, who were selected on merit, have been trained as registration clerks to travel
No pay for directors
throughout Fiji to more than 1,000 voter registration centers to help uphold standards of accuracy and transparency in the registration process. "This is a historic moment for Fiji, particularly considering the country's political history," stated the Attorney-General. "The Bainimarama Government has taken care to ensure the challenges and issues pointed out in the 2006 EU report will not be repeated, and that moving forward we establish, for the first time in Fiji, a democratic system that is based on the principle of one person, one vote, one value." While the official statistics remain to be confirmed, a significant percentage of voters in the scheduled 2014 elections will be under the age of 35, and many of them will be first-time voters. Much of this is due to the Bainimarama Government's decision to lower the voting age from 21 to 18, empowering young Fijians to engage with and participate in the elections process in order to have a say in the future direction of the nation.
Registration hits 227,595
Voter Registration Centres (VTC) around the country have recorded 227,595 registrations so far. The grand total includes the registrations made in the third week which recorded 114,907, the highest number of registrations recorded so far per week. As registrations head into the fourth week, the total registered so far on Monday was 16,304. Below are the registration statistics provided by the Elections office yesterday for Monday, plus the current divisional grand total [X/Y]: Central – [6369 / 92,885] Western – [5221 / 76,971] Northern – [2517 / 47,116] Eastern – [2197 / 10,623] X= Today’s total Y= Total for division so far The first week of the electronic voter registration (EVR) recorded 18,058, the second week tallied 78,326, and the third recorded 114,907.
Joe Mar gives evidence in Qarase trial
A SHAREHOLDER of Mavana Investments Limited took the witness stand in former prime minister Laisenia Qarase's case yesterday as the defence case proceeded. Referring to a meeting in 1991, Naulumatua Josateki Koroi confirmed that it was to discuss acquiring shares in Fijian Holdings Limited. He also confirmed that directors of Mavana Invesments were not paid. The High Court in Suva heard during cross examination of Mr Koroi that Mr Qarase was a director and secretary of Mavana Investments while his son Laisenia Bale Qarase was also the secretary. Mr Qarase is charged with six counts of abuse of office and three counts of discharge of duty with respect to property in which he has a private interest. During cross examination Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption senior counsel Michael Blanchflower asked Mr Koroi to confirm if Leba Qarase, the wife of Mr Qarase, was the fourth largest shareholder in the company in 1995 with 8000 shares. Mr Koroi confirmed. Referring to a annual tax return for Mavana Investments dated December 31, 1999, Mr Koroi agreed that he owned 3500 shares while Mrs Qarase owned 8000 shares and that a total of 375,480 shares were issued. Mr Blanchflower asked Mr Koroi if he was aware of an investor called Q10 which owned 42,000 shares. He agreed. FICAC senior counsel then asked Mr Koroi why he earlier denied being aware of companies investing in Mavana Investments.
The defense counsel of former Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase in the Fijian Holdings Limited trial will make their closing submission in the High Court tomorrow as they have finished off their case. After more than three hours of questioning of the last witness Joe Mar via skype from England today, defense lawyer Tupou Draunidalo said they have decided not to call Qarase’s son, Laisenia Qarase Junior, as a witness and they will wrap up their case tomorrow. Upon questioning by Draunidalo, Mar said that he cannot recall Qarase verbally declaring his interest in FHL board meetings but he repeatedly said this does not mean that it did not happen. Mar, who was a board director of FHL during the time of the alleged offences, also said that the FHL board minutes at the time only had board resolutions and all the discussions were not minuted. He said it would be wrong to say that all the discussions were recorded in the minutes. Mar confirmed to Draunidalo that his family company Nabuabua Holdings Limited also purchased 100,000 Class A FHL shares. He said they raised $20,000 and took a loan of $80,000 from the Fiji Development Bank. Mar said he verbally declared his interest in the board meeting but confirmed after seeing the minutes today that it was not recorded. He said the late former FHL chairman Lyle Cupit was a no nonsense type of person, a strong and bulldozing leader. Mar said he had a few clashes
with Cupit in the meetings because he was not allowing too much participation. But he said in fairness to Cupit, he tried to get consensus before a vote was taken. He said Cupit was also the main driver of the proposal to open up the purchase of Class A shares to indigenous Fijian owned companies and individuals as there was a lack of interest to purchase shares by the Provincial and Tikina councils. Mar said FHL was not being run on a ‘vakavanua’ system. He also revealed that he had asked the FHL board if the directors can purchase shares to also show people that the board has confidence in the company. He said the chairman and CEO said the directors could purchase shares. Mar said he cannot recall Qarase declaring his interest when the applications for shares from Cicia Plantation Co-op Society, Mavana Investments and Q-Ten Investments were discussed however he said that does not mean that Qarase did not do that. He went on to say that there were board papers submitted which contained the names of the shareholders and directors of the companies applying for shares. Mar said Qarase’s involvement in Mavana Investments would not surprise him as Qarase is from Mavana village.Upon questioning by Draunidalo, Mar said he decided to give evidence in the case because he has a good professional relationship with Qarase and he believes that he has got very high integrity.
focused mainly on trade, investment and development assistance cooperation. In each of these areas, the envoys discussed the work program undertaken by each of them in their country of accreditation as they increase Fiji's market share for Fijian-Made goods and services. Heads of missions also discussed and identified sector specific investment proposals for Fiji. Looking at widening the scope of development assistance for Fiji which exists beyond government was also part of the discussions. The idea is to encourage non government and pri-
vate sector participation in this process. A significant feature of the regional gathering is the peer support offered from some of the HOMs to their peers who may need assistance in specific areas. The objective behind this is to promote Fiji and ensure that each diplomatic mission is working-hand-in-hand to build a common vision for Fiji in the Asia-Pacific region. The unity and feeling of support generated from the meeting will be beneficial for the work of the Ambassadors and High Commissioners when they return to
their missions. The Heads of Missions that participated included Fiji's Ambassador to Indonesia HE Ratu S.T Cavuilati; High Commissioner to Malaysia HE Ratu Meli Bainimarama, High Commissioner to India HE Mr Yogesh Karan, Ambassador to the Peoples Republic of China HE Esala Teleni, Ambassador to Korea HE Mr Filimone Kau, High Commissioner to PNG HE Mr. Romanu Tikotikoca, and Ambassador to Japan and the Russian Federation HE Mr. Isikeli Mataitoga.
1st FIJI HEADS OF MISSION REGIONAL CONSULTATION FOR ASIA-PACIFIC
Heaviest rains in 60 years kill 20 in China, 37 in Beijing WORLD NEWS
BEIJING: The heaviest rain storm in six decades to hit the Chinese capital killed at least 10 people and caused widespread chaos, flooding streets and stranding 80,000 people at the city's main airport, state media reported on Sunday. The storm, which started on Saturday afternoon and continued late into the night, flooded major roads and sent torrents of water tumbling down steps into underpasses. In the Beijing suburb of Tongzhou, two people died in a roof collapse and another person killed was struck by lightning, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Other deaths were caused by electric shocks from downed power lines and drowning, it added, without giving an exact breakdown. More than 500 flights were cancelled at Beijing's Capital International Airport, the Beijing News said. However, the subway system was largely unaffected, aside from being swamped with people desperate to get home and unable to use cars, buses or taxis.
The city received about 170 millimetres (6.7 inches) of rain on average, though a township in
Fangshan district to Beijing's west was hit by 460mm (18.1 inches), Xinhua said.
LONDON: British business leaders are increasing pressure on PM David Cameron to loosen the recently hardened immigration policy towards overseas students aspiring to read in UK. In an open letter signed by 37 captains of industry , they wrote, "The UK is a favoured destination for international students and we Amust protect this position. We, therefore, back the call for international university students to be removed from the domestic net migration statistics for policy purposes." The letter published inthe British media has among its signatories Lord Karan Bilimoria of Cobra Beer; Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP head
and chairman or chief executive of Centrica, Unilever, KPMG; and, Stephen Carter of Ashridge Business School. Stewards of Institute of Directors and the British Chambers of Commerce, too, have lent their signatures. Cameron is set to water down some of the measures which include scrapping of post-study visa. The businessmen acknowledged that bogus applicants enter in the garb of higher studies; and supported a lockdown on such illegality. Nevertheless, they said, the government should "send a clear message that genuine international students are welcome to study here (the UK)."
TOKYO: A U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of northern Japan on Sunday and efforts are underway to rescue the pilot, a spokeswoman for the Misawa Air Base said. The jet took off from the U.S. air base in Aomori and crashed about 11:30 Japan time (0230 GMT) some 200 miles northeast of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, the spokesperson said. "One person, the pilot, was on board. Efforts are currently underway to retrieve the pilot," she said, reading from a statement. "The aircraft was enroute to North America when the incident occurred. The cause of the incident is unknown at this time."
BAGHDAD: At least 107 people were killed in bomb and gun attacks in Iraq on Monday, a day after 20 died in explosions, in a coordinated surge of violence against mostly Shi'ite Muslim targets. The bloodshed, which coincided with an intensifying of the conflict in neighbouring Syria, pointed up the deficiencies of the Iraqi security forces, which failed to prevent insurgents from striking in multiple locations across the country. As well as the scores of deaths, at least 268 people were wounded by bombings and shootings in Shi'ite areas of Baghdad, the Shi'ite town of Taji to the north, the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul and many other places, hospital and police sources said, making it one of Iraq's bloodiest days in weeks. No group has claimed responsibility for the wave of assaults but a senior Iraqi security official blamed the local wing of alQaida, made up of Sunni Muslim militants bitterly hostile to the Shi'ite-led government, which is friendly with Iran. "Recent attacks are a clear message that al-Qaida in Iraq is determined to spark
a bloody sectarian war," the official said, asking not to be named. "With what's going on in Syria, these attacks should be taken seriously as a potential threat to our country. al-Qaida is trying to push Iraq to the verge of Shi'ite-Sunni war," he said. "They want things to be as bad as in Syria." The last two days of attacks shattered a two-week lull in violence in the run-up to the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, which started in Iraq on Saturday. Sectarian slaughter peaked in 2006-2007 but deadly attacks have persisted while political tensions among Iraq's main Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions have increased since US troops completed their withdrawal in December. "I ask the government if security forces are capable of keeping control," a man named Ahmed Salim shouted angrily at the scene of a car bomb in Kirkuk. "With all these bloody bombs and innocent people killed, the government should reconsider its security plans," he told Reuters Television. The security forces themselves were often the targets or victims of the assaults perpetrated across Iraq. Gunmen
using assault rifles and hand grenades killed at least 16 soldiers in an attack on an army post near Dhuluiya, 70 km (45 miles) north of Baghdad, police and army sources said. In Taji, 20 km (12 miles) north of Baghdad, six explosions, including a car bombing, occurred near a housing complex. A seventh blast there caused carnage among police who had arrived at the scene of the earlier ones. In all, 32 people were killed, including 14 police, with 48 wounded, 10 of them police. Two car bombs struck near a government building in Sadr City, a vast, poor Shi'ite swathe of Baghdad, and in the mainly Shi'ite area of Hussainiya on the outskirts of the capital, killing a total of 21 people and wounding 73, police said. Nine people, including six soldiers, were killed in attacks in the northern city of Mosul, police and army sources said. In Kirkuk, five car bombs killed six people and wounded 17, while explosions and gun attacks on security checkpoints around the restive province of Diyala killed six people, including four soldiers and policemen, and wounded 30, police sources said.
A replica of a Chinese military aircraft is seen sitting amid mud after a flood caused by heavy rainfalls, at a military school in Fangshan district of Beijing.
UK businessmen urge PM to ease student visa norms
US F-16 fighter crashes off coast of Japan
Spate of attacks kills 107 across Iraq
August 2012
The Beijing city government said on its website (www.beijing.gov.cn) it was working to get the metropolis back on its feet, but reminded people to prepare for further bad weather. "The weather forecasters say that from late July to early September this city is prone to flooding, and there could be further large-scale storms or extreme weather," it said. Many residents took to China's popular microblogging site Sina Weibo to post dramatic pictures of the storm. Some complained the city should have been prepared, especially as the government had issued a severe storm warning the day before. "It was forecast early on that Beijing would get torrential rain, so why were pumps and other facilities not prepared in time?" complained one user. But at least one good result came from the storm. The official pollution index, which had showed an unhealthy rating before the storm hit, registered "excellent" on Sunday, with the air noticeably free of its normal acrid smell.
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Beijing downpour toll rises to 37
BEIJING: The toll in Saturday's torrential rains here has climbed to 37 as more bodies were retrieved, authorities said. Among the victims, 25 drowned, six were killed in house collapses, one by a lightning strike and five were electrocuted, reported Xinhua. Twenty-two of the bodies have been identified. The heaviest rain in six decades lashed the Chinese capital on Saturday, with the average precipitation reaching 170 mm while a township in the suburban district of Fangshan recorded 460 mm of rain. The downpours have submerged some power supply facilities and led to blackouts in parts of the city. Following the deluge, a sum of 120 million yuan ($19 million) has been allocated to help the cities of Beijing and Tianjin and the neighbouring Hebei province to fight floods. The fund, allocated by the finance and water resources ministries, will be spent on repairs of flood-damaged water conservancy facilities in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, the finance ministry said in a statement on its website. More than 70,000 people were relocated due to downpours in Hebei.
Penn State fined $60 million for sex abuse scandal
INDIANAPOLIS: The US National Collegiate Athletic Association slammed Penn State on Monday with an unprecedented series of penalties, including a $60 million fine, for the child sex abuse scandal that shook one of the largest and most lucrative sports programs in the country. Though the NCAA stopped short of imposing the "death penalty" -- shutting down the football program completely -- the punishment is still crippling for a team that is trying to start over. Other sanctions include the loss of all once-legendary coach Joe Paterno's victories from 1998-2011. Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant coach, was found guilty in June of sexually abusing several young boys, at times on campus, sometimes after finding them through the charity he founded for atrisk youth. The NCAA action came in the wake of a devastating report asserting that top university officials buried child sex abuse allegations against Sandusky more than a decade ago. The investigative report by former FBI director Louis Freeh found that Paterno and three other top
Penn State administrators concealed sex abuse claims against Sandusky. The NCAA said the $60 million fine is equivalent to the annual gross revenue of the football program. The money must be paid into an endowment for external programs preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims and may not be used to fund such programs at Penn State. "Football will never again be placed ahead of educating, nurturing and protecting young people," NCAA president Mark Emmert said. Emmert cautioned last week that he hadn't ruled out the possibility of shutting down the football program altogether, saying he had "never seen anything as egregious" as the Sandusky scandal. On Sunday, Penn State tore down a statue of Paterno on the six-month anniversary of his death from lung cancer at age 85. The Paterno family released a statement criticizing the decision, saying it was made in haste and before all the facts about Paterno's role in the Sandusky scandal were known. In Washington, the White House said President Barack Obama believed "it was the right decision".
Police officers search for missing villagers following a mudslide in Minamiaso, Kumamoto Prefecture, western Japan. Heavy rains hit southern Japan, triggering flashfloods, mudslides and destroying dozens of homes.
Colorado killer planned attack for months 10
WORLD NEWS
August 2012
AURORA (COLORADO): The shooting suspect accused in a deadly rampage inside a Colorado theater planned the attack with "calculation and deliberation", police said on Saturday, receiving deliveries by mail that authorities believe armed him for battle and were used to rig his apartment with dozens of bombs. Meanwhile, new details about James Holmes emerged, including summer jobs the suspect held in Southern California as a camp counselor and as an intern at a prominent research institute. In Aurora, investigators spent hours on Saturday removing explosive materials from inside Holmes' suburban Denver apartment a day after police said he opened fire and set off gas canisters in a theater minutes into a premiere of the Batman film 'The Dark Knight Rises' . The attack left 12 people dead and 58 injured. His apartment was rigged with jars of liquids, explosives and chemicals that were booby trapped to kill "whoever entered it" , Aurora police chief Dan Oates said, noting it would have likely been one of his officers. Holmes received several mail deliveries over four months to his home and school and bought thousands rounds of ammunition on the internet. "He had a high volume of deliveries," Oates said. "We think
JAMMED RIFLE SAVED MANY LIVES: OFFICIAL
The semiautomatic assault rifle used by the gunman, James Holmes, in a mass shooting at a midnight showing of the latest Batman movie jammed during the attack, a federal law enforcement official said, which forced the shooter to switch to another gun with less fire power. The official said that the disabled weapon had a highcapacity ammunition magazine. --AP
NO SECOND SUSPECT IN THEATRE KILLINGS
Police in Aurora, Colorado, early on Sunday dismissed suspicions that another person helped James Holmes prepare for the massacre at a movie theater that left 12 dead.
this explains how he got his hands on the magazine, ammunition," he said. "What we're seeing here is evidence of some calculation and delib-
eration." Inside the apartment, FBI special agent James Yacone said bomb technicians neutralized what he called a "hyperbolic mixture" and
PUTIN WARNS OF LONG SYRIAN CIVIL WAR IF ASSAD OUSTED
man's house for lessons in reading and writing, he said. "The girl has been taken to a hospital and police have launched an investigation," he added. Afghanistan, a strictly religious country where clerics are highly respected, has seen a string of recent high-profile cases involving violence against women. On Sunday, an Afghan man in the southern province of Helmand killed his two teenage daughters when they returned home four days after running away with a man. The father, who shot the girls, was detained on murder charges.
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Monday of a protracted civil war in Syria should President Bashar al-Assad be "unconstitutionally" removed from power by rebel fighters. "We are afraid that if the country's current leadership is removed from power unconstitutionally, then the opposition and today's leadership may simply change places," the Interfax news agency quoted Putin as saying. "One will become (the new) leadership and the other -- the opposition." Putin warned that in that case "a civil war will stretch on for who knows how long," Interfax reported. The Russian leader's comments came as fighting raged in the main Syrian cities of Damascus and Aleppo on Monday.
during premiere of new Batman movie 'The Dark Knight Rises' at an Aurora theater in Denver, Colorado. The President paid visit - one by one - to families gathered at a hospital and wounded patients recovering in intensive care. He appeared
before the TV cameras and kept his focus on the lives of the victims and the survivors, not the sole shooting suspect or his "evil act". "I think that the reason stories like this have such an impact on us is because we can all understand what it would be to have somebody that we love taken from us in this fashion -- what it would be like and how it would impact us," he said. Obama said he confessed to the victims' families and friends that "words are always inadequate in these kinds of situations". The President said his main task was to serve as a representative of the entire country and let them know that they are thinking about them at this moment and will continue to think about them each and every day, and that the awareness that not only all of America but much of the world is thinking about them might serve as some comfort.
Obama says Colorado shooting was an 'evil act' WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama today described the shooting in a Colorado theater last week that claimed 12 lives as an "act of evil", as he visited Aurora the city of tragic incident - to meet the victims' families. "I come to them not so much as President as I do as a father and as a husband," Obama told reporters after he met the family members and friends of the victims. "I tried to assure them that although the perpetrator of this evil act has received a lot of attention over the last couple of days, that attention will fade away and in the end, after he has felt the full force of our justice system, what will be remembered are the good people who were impacted by this tragedy," he said. Obama offered hugs, tears and sympathy to survivors of the shooting rampage and to families whose loved ones were shot dead
DAMASCUS: Syria will not use chemical or other unconventional weapons except in the case of a foreign attack, foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said on Monday. "Syria will not use any chemical or other unconventional weapons against its civilians, and will only use them in case of external aggression," Makdissi told a media conference in Damascus. "Any stocks of chemical weapons that may exist, will never, ever be used against the Syrian people," he said, adding that in the event of foreign attack, "the generals will be deciding when and how we use them."
Fears have been rising that President Bashar al-Assad's regime might be prepared to use the country's arsenal of chemical weapons in the repression of a 16month insurgency after reports his stocks were being moved around the country.The statement came a day after the US said it would "hold accountable" any Syrian official involved in the release or use of the country's chemical weapons. Neighbouring Jordan's King Abdullah II also said that in the event of a descent into all-out war, chemical weapons could fall into the hands of extremists, including certain rebel groups.
Police at the Century 16 movie theatre in Aurora after an unidentified gunman opened fire at a crowded premiere of the new Batman movie.
Afghan cleric held over rape of girl, 10: officials
KABUL: Afghan police have arrested a cleric for allegedly raping a 10-year-old schoolgirl in northern Afghanistan, officials said Monday. Maulawi Sayed Ahmad was arrested in Aybak, the capital of Samangan province, on Saturday after police caught him in the act of sexually assaulting the girl, the interior ministry said in a statement. "He was arrested by police while raping a 10-year old girl," provincial spokesman Sediq Azizi told AFP, adding that Ahmad was a prayer leader in a mosque in the provincial capital. She regularly went to the
an improvised explosive device containing an unknown substance . There also were multiple containers of accelerants. "It was an extremely
dangerous environment," Yacone said, noting that anyone who walked in would have sustained "significant injuries" or been killed. By afternoon, all hazards have been removed from Holmes' apartment and residents in surrounding buildings were allowed to return home, police said. Inside the flat, authorities began covering the windows with black plastic. About 8 pm, police left the building.
Chemical weapons only against foreign attack, Syria says
An Indonesian Muslim attends prayer at Baiturrahman mosque in Banda Aceh before the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
INDIA NEWS Uttarakhand flash floods: Deploy choppers to rescue people, PM says
NEW DELHI: PM Manmohan directed the defence ministry to deploy helicopters to rescue people stranded in remote areas of Uttarakhand following flash floods and landslides. The Prime Minister also assured Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna all possible help in dealing with the crisis. "He has directed defence ministry to deploy helicopters to rescue people stranded in remote areas due to flash floods," said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Torrential rains led to flash floods, cloudbursts and landslides in the sub-Himalayan region, killing as many as 31 people and leaving thousands stranded on the Char Dham Yatra route.
I did not sleep for 60 hours during 26/11 attacks: Abu Jundal
MUMBAI: Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, who is being questioned for his involvement in the 26 /11 terror attacks in the city, told police that he did not sleep for 60 hours while handling operations from November 26, 2008. Jundal was continuously in touch with the Pakistani terrorists over the phone and guided them on how to go about the operations. Niket Kaushik, additional commissioner of police (crime branch ), said Jundal, who followed the Hanfi sect, began with the Ahle Hadees sect in 2003. "In 2005, he began getting training in terror operations. He got in touch with the Lashkar-e-T aiba (LeT) through Aslam Kashmiri. Jundal was introduced to Kashmiri through another accused, Aamir Shaikh, from Aurangabad," said Kaushik. Shaikh and Kashmiri are in jail now. Jundal told investigators that the final touches for the 26 /11 operation were given four months prior to the attack.
Assam violence: Death toll climbs to 65
GUWAHATI: Four more persons fell victim to the fresh wave of violence in lower Assam districts, triggering protest by locals who blocked National Highway 31 at Beltoli on the Kokrajhar-Dhubri border on Tuesday. With four more people being killed, the death toll in the ethnic violence in Assam has climbed to 65. In the worst-affected Kokrajhar district, three persons were killed and two others injured when some persons opened fire on a group of people at Ranibuli village late on Monday night. The two injured were rushed to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. Assam IGP (Law and Order) L R Bishnoi said that the dead belong to Lakhiganj in Dhubri district. To protest the killing of the three persons who allegedly belong to the minority community, a group of 500 people blocked National Highway 31 at Beltoli. Indefinite curfew has been reimposed in Kokrajhar district while round-the-clock curfew continues in neighbouring Chirang district where one more body was found early on Tuesday morning. The body was recovered from a field in Rajapara area, senior police officials said. A few houses were burnt down in Chirang but the timely action of police prevented any major violence last night, Bishnoi said. A person has been arrested in this connection. "Security arrangements are in place to ensure that no more untoward incidents occur," Assam Police IGP (Bodoland Territorial Area Districts) S N Singh said.
August 2012
A house burns at Kachugaon village in Kokrajhar district, about 230 kms from Guwahati, the capital city of Assam during violent clashes.
Assam violence: Tarun Gogoi blames Centre, says Army arrived late
GUAWAHTI: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday blamed the central government for sending the Army late to the violence-hit districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri, where communal conflict has claimed 45 lives and left 2.9 lakh people homeless. "We had requisitioned the Army on the very first day. But it took four-five days for the forces to reach the state," Gogoi told reporters. He clarified that there had not been any communication gap between the central and state governments. He said he had informed the home ministry and the Army the very first day violence broke out between the Bodos and Bengali speaking Muslims.
Assam govt recommends CBI probe into violence
GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday said that his government has recommended a CBI probe into the clashes in BTAD and Dubri districts where "internal and external forces were at work". "I have recommended a CBI probe into the incidents and now it is up to the Centre to take a final decision on instituting it," Gogoi told reporters here. The chief minister said that "both external and internal forces are at work" and hoped that the probe would identify the forces behind the violence. On complaints that Bangladeshi migrants were in relief camps, Gogoi said, "We have got reports that people from other states and areas near BTAD are illegally taking shelter in the camps.
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Fiza, who eloped with former Haryana deputy CM, found dead
CHANDIGARH: Fiza, aka Anuradha Bali who had eloped with and married former Haryana deputy chief minister Chandermohan Bishnoi three years ago only to be dumped soon, met a lonely and terrible end in her house at Mohali. Her highly decomposed body was found on Monday and police said the woman, who celebrated her 41st birthday on July 25, may have died about four days ago. "The cause of her death is yet to be ascertained. Since the body is decomposed, we cannot say for sure whether it was suicide. There is possibility of foul play," said Mohali senior superintendent of police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar. An autopsy was scheduled for late Monday. Police found her body - bloated and maggotinfested — on a bed on the ground floor of her three-storied house in Mohali's Sector 48 after a call from a relative, who had come looking for her because she wasn't taking his calls for two days. A half-empty bottle of whisky, a glass and a packet of cigarettes were found on a table near the bed while her two cellphones were also found in the room.Police said they are studying her cell records and also looking into possible cases of animosity. Fiza, who was seen breaking roza just a week ago and then attending a kirtan in the neighbourhood, shot into limelight when she eloped with Chandermohan, son of Congress leader Bhajan Lal, in December 2008 and converted to Islam to marry him.
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August 2012
INDIA NEWS
Presidential election 2012 Pranab Mukherjee wins the race to Raisina Hill
Pranab Mukherjee has been elected as India's 13th president. The former finance minister comfortably crossed the halfway mark with 558,000 votes to secure his journey to Rashtrapati Bhavan. His rival, former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma, got 239,966 votes.
W
hat's so special about Pranab Mukherjee becoming President? A hint came from what the leader himself said during his presidential campaign in Agartala. "Though the President's post is virtually the constitutional head of the country, it plays a very vital role during complicated political situations." It was a brief remark, but a rare one from a cautious veteran of many political battles. And political observers are already speculating what it might mean to have a hardcore politician with an independent base in Rashtrapati Bhavan after so many years. It has been a long hiatus, during which the house on Raisina Hill has been occupied by a missile man (APJ Abdul Kalam), a former diplomat (K R Narayanan) and a low-key career politician ( Pratibha Patil). Earlier Presidents who came from the Congress, such as R Venkataraman and V V Giri, held office in the days of single-party rule. Mukherjee's presidency comes in the era of coalitions. As a Congress leader said: "Mukherjee is one man who has spent 50 years in politics and could have been the Prime Minister. This sets him apart." How a "political president" will impact the presidency is anybody's guess. The spotlight invariably shifts to the high office after every LS election because no party is expected to get a majority. But controversies have been rare. In recent years, the scope for a "creative presidency" has been circumscribed by well-settled precedents and intense public scrutiny. For instance, no President can ignore the claim of the largest prepoll coalition to form government. Kalam, whose presidency was backed by NDA, lost no time in inviting Sonia Gandhi to form government in 2004. And, as his autobiography revealed, there were no reservations about swearing in the Italian-born Congress chief either. Similarly, S D Sharma —a Congress veteran—invited A B
Who is Pranab ?
Newly elected President Pranab Mukherjee gestures as he addresses the media outside his residence in New Delhi.
Vajpayee to form his 13-day government, despite the controversy over the decision. But the present state of political flux can throw up situations that the founding fathers could not have conceived six decades ago. Here, a President who knows his politics and Constitution —or has a political grudge—can turn the textbook notion of a "ceremonial presidency" on its head. After all, Zail Singh was able to rattle PM Rajiv Gandhi, who commanded a brute majority in LS but led a fractious Congress. He simply sat over the Postal Bill, pre-empting a second recommendation that would have forced him to give his assent. Clearly, the President's job can be as tricky as it is ceremonial. Mukherjee's elevation is seen as crucial with Lok Sabha polls slated for 2014. If Congress loses, it would like to believe that it has a veteran leader with a handle over the government. But, this does not mean Congress has a sure advantage. Despite the bonhomie on display, many believe Mukherjee may not be as beholden to his party as it may appear. After all, Congress had reservations about fulfilling Mukherjee's wish, but a complex chain of events forced its hand.
Pranab refuses comment on Afzal mercy plea NEW DELHI: President-elect Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said he could not comment on the clemency plea of 2001 parliament attack convict Afzal Guru till he assumed office and studied the issue. "I can't comment on Afzal Guru until I have assumed office and gone through the issue," Mukherjee told a news channel in an interview, a day after he was elected India's 13th President with an overwhelming majority of parliament members and legislators voting for him across the political spectrum. It is one
of the hottest issues awaiting his decision. The comment came as the Shiv Sena, which supported his candidature, demanded that Mukherjee reject the mercy petition filed by Guru. "We have many expectations from you. We urge you to reject Afzal Guru's mercy plea and hang him. Pranabda, you should do this on priority basis and should kick-start your career as president of India. It is an august conduct that we expect from you," Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said in his latest edition of party mouthpiece Saamna.
NEW DELHI: Former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee looked set to be elected the country's new president on Sunday and analysts said the canny veteran could play a key role in steering the nation through testing times.Mukherjee, 76, a ruling Congress party loyalist, was the overwhelming favourite for the post of head of state after drawing broad support over rival Purno A. Sangma, 64, a former parliamentary speaker. The president is chosen by 4,896 state and parliamentary lawmakers and Mukherjee's success would mark a welcome victory for the embattled Congress, which is struggling with a string of graft scandals and a slowing economy. The lawmakers cast their votes late last week and results from the counting were due at 5:00 pm local time (1130 GMT) on Sunday. Famously just five-feet (152 centimetres) tall, Mukherjee -- who uses a stool to be seen over podiums -- has long been Congress's firefighter, leaving many wondering how the party will cope without its "political Mr Fixit." But analysts say he may be called on to play an even more influential role as president. Under the constitution, the prime minister wields most of the executive power but the president can play a vital part in forming governments. Mukherjee, who resigned as finance minister to seek the presidency, could "be the kingmaker," said analyst T.K. Tripathi. With the upsurge of regional parties in an increasingly fractious political landscape and the possibility of a hung parliament after the 2014 elections, he could have a pivotal role in deciding the next government, analysts say. "It's in this turbulent scenario Mukherjee as a president will be able to steer the ship of the state. He's a troubleshooter," said Sanjay Kumar, analyst at India's Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. The presidential palace's current occupant, Pratibha Patil, 77, India's first woman president, has kept a low profile and cut a conservative figure with her sari pulled over her hair. Mukherjee, who speaks English with a heavy Bengali accent and whose colleague affectionately call "Pranabese", was born in a West Bengal village and worked as a teacher and journalist before entering parliament in 1969. The workaholic politician is married with two sons and a daughter. He is a staunch champion of "inclusive growth" -- that India's teeming poor should share in its rapid development. While he commands cross-party political respect, his performance as finance minister was panned when he failed to push through controversial measures to open up India's still largely closed economy. His exit from the ministry has fired investor hopes that the government could embark on long-awaited market reforms such as fully opening up the giant retail sector to foreign investment to ease India's food-chain supply problems.
Hamid Ansari re-elected Vice-President, defeats Jaswant Singh by 252 votes
NEW DELHI: UPA candidate Hamid Ansari was on Tuesday re-elected as the Vice President, becoming the second person to get a second consecutive term as he defeated NDA nominee Jaswant Singh by a large margin of 252 votes. 75-year-old Ansari, a former IFS officer, got 490 votes against 238 bagged by Singh out of 736 votes polled earlier in the day. Altogether 787 members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were eligible to vote but 47 MPs did not cast their votes, who include ailing Union
minister Vilasrao Deshmukh who is admitted in a Chennai Hospital. Eight votes were invalid, according to T K Vishwanathan, Lok Sabha Secretary General and Returning Officer for Vice Presidential poll. Ansari is the second Vice President to be re-elected after S Radhakrishnan who was the first to get two terms from 1952 to 1962. An affable and well-read person, Ansari was the second choice of Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the President's post and lost out to Pranab Mukherjee due
to some brinkmanship by TMC leader Mamata Banerjee and SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav. Formerly the Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Ansari's name came as a surprise in 2007 election when the Left parties, supporting the UPA-I from outside, proposed him and the Congressled alliance accepted it. The Left parties, which faced divisions on the Presidential poll, however, had no no problems in supporting Ansari for a second time. Parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar
Bansal said 21 members from BJD, 11 from TDP, 6 from Congress and supporting parties and two nominated members did not cast their votes. Others who did not vote include 2 each from BJP, AGP, RSP and TRS and Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, one of the two members of YSR Congress. BJP members who did not vote were Shatrughan Sinha, who is sick, and Dilip Singh Judev, whose mother was not well. Trinamool Congress members Kakoli Dastidar and Kabir Suman were abroad.
2 injured in blast near Chinese consulate in Karachi
PAKISTAN NEWS KARACHI: Two persons, including a paramilitary personnel, were injured on Monday in a lowintensity blast near the Chinese consulate in this Pakistani port city, police said. Police officials told the media that a bomb was planted on a motorcycle parked near a building located adjacent to the consulate in Clifton area of Karachi. A car and two motorcycles were damaged by the blast. There were no reports of casualties or damage within the consulate. Rescue teams and additional security personnel rushed to the site. Footage on television showed the area had been cordoned off by personnel of the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers.
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Airstrikes kill 15 militants in northwest Pakistan
Police and Rangers personnel gather at the scene following a bomb explosion outside the Chinese Consulate.
Cop kills sister for wearing jeans
LAHORE: A Pakistani policeman in Lahore allegedly shot dead his sister on Friday for wearing jeans, officials said on Saturday. Constable Asad Ali was unhappy with his sister Najma Bibi, 22, for wearing what he considered 'men's clothes', especially jeans. The siblings often quarrelled over the issue. A few days ago, Ali had warned his sister that he would kill her if she did not stop wearing jeans and trousers. Subsequently, Najma filed a complaint against her brother at the police station in the Shahdara and sought protection. However , the police took no action. According to the FIR, Ali followed Najma when she left the house on Friday and allegedly fired at her near Shahdara Morr, killing her instantly. Ali managed to escape and police are conducting raids.
In Pak, ostrich is an animal
ISLAMABAD: Believe it or not but Pakistan's Punjab Assembly in its "( in)finite wisdom" has declared the flightless bird Ostrich as an animal. Ostrich was declared "an animal" on Wednesday when Punjab Assembly passed a bill overruling the objections raised by the Punjab governor who had refused to sign it, saying, it was a 'bird' covered under the definition of exotic species not native to Pakistan. "Apparently, when you add Pakistani legislators into the mix. On Wednesday, in its (in)finite wisdom, the Punjab Assembly once again declared by a majority vote that an ostrich was not a bird but an animal, at least for the purposes of officialdom," it said.
Veena Malik's Ramzan show dropped after public outrage
KARACHI: A leading Pakistani television channel has decided to cancel a special show prepared for the holy month of Ramadan featuring controversial actor and model Veena Malik following a public outcry. Promos for Malik's new TV show, which featured her trying to look her religious best, had gone viral on the Internet. The trailers of the show, in which Malik was seen repenting for her sins, sparked an outcry across the country. The show was to be aired on 'Hero' channel, a part of the Express media group. The decision to drop the show was taken in the face of a mounting public criticism. "Hero TV is for the awaam. If the awaam does not want to see Veena Malik on this Ramadan show, then we will cancel
it," said a member of the production team, adding that they respect the wishes of the populace. The people expressed their annoyances over the blogs, news reports, comments and social networking websites. They were of the opinion that the controversial queen was completely misfit for such a religious programme."The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has received Internet petitions calling for the show to be cancelled," a Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) official said. The 28-year-old rose to prominence in India after participating in the reality TV show Bigg Boss. She recently angered conservatives in Pakistan by posing semi-nude for an Indian men's magazine.
Pak Army chief visits al-Qaida 'safe haven'
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Friday visited the restive North Waziristan region in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, described by US and Afghan officials as a safe haven for al-Qaida and Taliban militants. Kayani was briefed by officials in Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan, about "current operational and development activities being pursued by the army" and the local administration, said a statement from the military. "While interacting with troops involved in the operation, the (army chief) lauded their sacrifices and efforts in fighting the menace of terrorism," the statement said. On his arrival, Kayani was received by the
August 2012
Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt Gen Khalid Rabbani. The US has been pressuring Pakistan to launch operations against groups based in North Waziristan, including the Haqqani network, which are blamed for cross-border attacks in Afghanistan. Islamabad says its troops are stretched due to operations in other areas and it will decide the timing of any offensive in North Waziristan. The CIA-operated drone campaign against militants in the tribal belt has focussed on North Waziristan, which has witnessed scores of missile strikes in the past few years. Some bombs used in the recent plots shared certain features such as the use of military grade plastic
explosives and magnets to attach the device to metal targets. While some had been detonated by remote control, others had relied on the "crude but effective tactic of pulling the pin on a hand grenade." The summary said the plotters had on occasion used local criminal elements, citing a plot in Baku where Iranian Revolutionary Guards agents provided weapons, equipment and selected the target for attack by Azeri criminals. "This is an extremely dangerous combination," the report concluded, adding that the geographic spread of the attacks and the willingness to go with less sophisticated plots "may add to the danger rather than lessen it."
KALAYA, PAKISTAN: Pakistani military jets struck militant hideouts in the northwest of the country on Sunday, killing 15 militants and wounding several others, military officials said. The airstrikes targeted four hideouts in the remote Ghaljo and Dabori areas of the northwestern Orakzai tribal region, the officials said. The locations were being used by members of the Pakistan Taliban. The death toll could
not be independently verified and militants often dispute official figures. The Pakistan military has been conducting operations against militants in Orakzai for months. Several militant groups are active in Pakistan's northwestern semi-autonomous tribal regions, near the border with Afghanistan, including the Pakistan Taliban, responsible for many of the bombings across the country in recent years.
Ascertain if India will allow cross-examination of 26/11 witnesses : Pak court
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court conducting the trial of seven men charged with involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks on Saturday directed authorities to ascertain from India if it is ready to allow the cross-examination of key Indian witnesses. Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman, the judge of Rawalpindi-based anti-terrorism court No 1, told prosecutors during proceedings held behind closed doors at Adiala Jail that the federal government should ask its Indian counterpart whether it would permit the cross-examination. "On getting a reply from the Indian authorities, the court will issue further directions," Khwaja Haris Ahmed, the counsel for Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, told PTI.
The judge also summoned two prosecution witnesses to record their statement at the next hearing on July 28, sources said. The move came against the backdrop of the trial of the seven accused being virtually stalled since last year for a variety of technical reasons and procedural delays. Only a handful of the more than 160 prosecution witnesses have testified so far. At the last hearing on July 17, the court had ruled that all findings of a Pakistani judicial commission that visited India were illegal and could not be made part of the evidence against the accused as the members of the panel were not allowed to crossexamine Indian witnesses.
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August 2012
South Pacific Currencies Rise on Draghi Sentiments
Tradervox.com (Dublin) – The south pacific currencies increased the most this month against the US dollar after the European Central Bank President Mario Draghi indicated that policy makers will do everything possible to quell the preserve the euro, boosting demand for commodity related currencies. The two south pacific dollars increased as investors increased their bets central bank officials will act by intervening in the bond market to stop the high borrowing cost in countries such as Spain. Spanish two-, five-, ten-, and 30year yields soured beyond 7 percent yesterday. The Aussie and Kiwi also rose as global stocks and commodities advanced. Ravi Bharadwaj noted that the considerable gain experienced by the New Zealand dollar is as a result of the risk-on mood sparked by Draghi’s comments. Ravi is a market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions, which is a unit of Western Union Co in Washington. Apart from Draghi’s comments, the south pacific currencies also rose as Standard & Poor’s 500 Index increased by 1.9 percent and the MSCI Asia Pacific Index increased by 0.8 percent. Spanish 10-yar yields rose to a record 7.75 percent, increasing the pressure on ECB to intervene in the bond market. As Draghi Spoke in the Global Investment Conference in London yesterday, he said that the increasing sovereign-bond yields may drop within the European Central Bank jurisdiction following its intended intervention. He promised that the bank’s interventions
Planned reforms send North Korea rice prices soaring
SOUTH PACIFIC
SEOUL: Talk that North Korea's young leader plans to reform the broken economy is already having an impact. It is helping send rice prices even further out of the reach of most families in one of the world's most under-fed societies. Seo Jae-pyoung, a defector who now lives in South Korea, spoke this week to a friend in the secretive North who had furtively called him by mobile phone from a mountainside to plead for cash to be smuggled across to help. "He couldn't cope with the high prices, saying rice prices had shot up ... and he is running out of money," Seo told Reuters. "It shows that the economic situation is seriously worsening...I feel that...(it) has already reached the critical point and (leader Kim Jong Un) may know
that without reform or openness, the regime is not going to last long." HOARDING : One of the reasons he and others gave for the price increase was rice hoarding by middlemen hoping that talk of reform would materialize into a chance to turn a profit.A source with ties to North Korea and its chief backer, China, told Reuters last week that the North is gearing up to experiment with economic reforms. Evidence is hard to come by in the almost hermetically sealed and suspicious state, where casual contact with outsiders can mean imprisonment. And because it usually takes defectors many months to make their way out of the North to a country where they can speak openly, information can be out of date.
U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Visits DMZ, U.S. Troops at End of Asia-Pacific Tour
SEOUL, South Korea | U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter yesterday got a close look at some of North Korea’s forces and spoke to some 300 of the U.S troops stationed in South Korea to deter them. “Within the [Asia-Pacific] region as a whole, nothing is more central than Korea,” he told the U.S. troops. “You have a mission that there’s nothing abstract about.” To understand that mission, he added, they need only “look north.” The deputy secretary concluded his 10-day Asia-Pacific tour with a full South Korea schedule. Carter met this morning with South Korea’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Kim Sung-hwan, National Security Advisor Chun Yung-woo, and
Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin. Early in the afternoon, Carter and U.S. Forces Korea commander, Army Gen. James B. Thurman – who accompanied Carter throughout the day’s events - flew north of Seoul to the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea. The DMZ is a four-kilometer neutral zone stretching about 160 miles across the peninsula and spreading 2,000 meters on each country’s side from the line of last contact during the Korean War. The armistice establishing the zone -- signed 59 years ago tomorrow -- will remain in effect until the two nations come to a more permanent peace settlement. Meanwhile, the two nations still are technically at war.
Shanghai followed by a layover in Shanghai a 5 hour 2,700 mile flight from Shanghai to KL and finally a 45 minute - 30 mile drive from the airport home That's 11,160 miles and roughly 21 hours of flying alone - rough-
ly three days door-to-door, she also will cross the international date line and lose a day of her life. Suffice it to say there is no easy way to get here. Surviving that, I think they've probably earned a trip to the beach. So we are off to Pulau Tioman an island off the east coast of Malaysia, which would be familiar to many as the filming site of Bali Hai for the classic 1958 film South Pacific. We will enjoy three days of snorkeling and taking in the crystal clear waters of the South China Sea. I'm hoping that will have made the journey worth it!
BEIJING : The United States has recently stepped into bilateral disputes in the waters surrounding China, criticizing Beijing's move to establish a city in the South China Sea and lending veiled support to other claimants.Washington has, time and again, affirmed it does not take a position on the competing sovereignty claims over the South China Sea, but has a national interest in maintaining the regional peace and stability. The well-polished rhetoric has been undermined by its actions. It made a fuss about the establishment of Sansha city, an affair within China's sovereignty, saying it "remained concerned" about the "unilateral" move. Meanwhile, it turned a blind eye to a spate of provocative acts by other countries, such as Vietnam and the Philippines. This double-standard has rendered its claimed even-handed stance less convincing, damaging the credibility of U.S. foreign policy. It has also repeatedly urged countries embroiled in maritime disputes to play by international laws and relevant rules. By promising Japan necessary security support in the event of an armed attack on the Diaoyu Islands under a mutual security pact, the United States has blatantly defied the international norms which it always requires others to respect. Emboldened by
the U.S. posture, Japan said Friday it would consider dispatching its Self-Defence Force in response to disputes over the islands in the East China Sea that belong to China. Both China and the United States have long proclaimed a shared commitment to a "positive, cooperative, and comprehensive U.S.-China relationship." Recent episodes have cast doubts on whether Washington is ready to implement the stated objectives, as its acts appear designed to hem in Beijing rather than explore a possible evolution of the relationship. Such an adversarial approach, however, risks dragging the United States into another quagmire in the South and East China Sea, and is also detrimental to regional peace and stability. A handful of renowned strategists, including Henry Kissinger, have long pointed out the United States can not take root in the AsiaPacific region without effective cooperation with China, which means if the U.S. AsiaPacific policies distance the country from China they are doomed to be short-lived. Washington would do better to keep its words by genuinely and determinedly pursuing cooperative relations with Beijing and growing into a force conducive to regional peace, instead of poking its noses into other countries' domestic affairs and playing upon bilateral maritime disputes for its own interests.
coral reefs and, with marine life being depleted close to coasts, it is becoming increasingly important as a source of fish to feed growing populations. Claimants : China and Taiwan both claim nearly all of the sea, while Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei each have often-overlapping claims to parts of it. China's claim is based on a historical map of "nine dashes" that approaches the coast of other countries. But rival countries complain the dashes are kept deliberately vague so that no one knows China's exact claims. Name : Beijing and most other countries know it as the South China Sea. Hanoi calls it the East Sea and Manila officially refers to it as the West Philippine Sea. Occupation/control : China has held all of the Paracel islands since a conflict with South Vietnam in 1974 that left 53 Vietnamese military personnel dead. Vietnam is believed to occupy or control more than 20 of the Spratly
islands and reefs, the most of any claimant. Taiwan has a garrison controlled by its coastguard on Itu Aba island, which is called Taiping in Chinese and is the largest in the Spratlys. Taiwan announced in July it would deploy longer-range artillery there. The Philippines occupies nine of the Spratlys, including Thitu island, the second largest in the area. The Philippines has a military presence and civilians living on Thitu, which it calls Pagasa. China occupies at least seven of the Spratlys, including Johnson Reef, which it gained after a naval battle with Vietnam in 1988. Malaysia occupies three of the Spratlys. The most significant presence is on Swallow Reef, called Layang Layang Island in Malaysia, where it has a naval post and a diving resort. Brunei does not occupy any feature but claims a submerged reef and a submerged bank in the Spratlys. Tensions – China/Vietnam : Aside from the 1974 battle for the Paracels, the only other major conflict occurred when
Vietnam and China fought a naval battle on Johnson Reef in the Spratlys in 1988 that left 70 Vietnamese military personnel dead. However, Chinese naval vessels have fired at other times on Vietnamese fishing boats in the area. In 2011, Vietnam accused Chinese marine surveillance vessels of cutting an oil survey ship's exploration cables, sparking nationalist protests in Vietnamese cities. In June this year, Vietnam passed a law proclaiming its jurisdiction over all of the Paracel and Spratly islands, triggering Chinese protests. About the same time China announced it had created a new city, Sansha, on one of the Paracel islands, which would administer Chinese rule over its South China Sea domain. Tensions – China/Philippines : In 1995, China began building structures on Mischief Reef, within the Philippines' claimed exclusive economic zone. Tensions between the two nations started to ratchet up significantly in March 2011, when Chinese vessels harassed a Philippine-chartered gas exploration ves-
sel at Reed Bank. The Philippines then accused the Chinese of a pattern of intimidation, including firing warning shots at Filipino fishermen and laying buoys in Philippine claimed islets. A standoff between Chinese and Philippine vessels that began in April this year at Scarborough Shoal further inflamed tensions. In June, Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario accused China of "duplicity" and "intimidation." Diplomacy : The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China adopted a non-binding "declaration of conduct" in 2002 to discourage hostile acts But attempts to turn it into a legally binding "code of conduct" have failed. The dispute has created divisions within ASEAN. A meeting of foreign ministers in July ended for the first time in the bloc's 45-year history without a joint statement because of infighting over the issue. Meeting host Cambodia, a China ally, rejected a Philippine push for the statement to take a harder line against the Chinese.
Travels to the South Pacific
Well Ramadan is into full swing which means I'm in a country of cranky, dehydrated, hungry people who should all be banned from driving until it's over. Therefore, it seems the perfect time to go on vacation and leave the circus behind. Also, I have a few visitors currently en route. One visitor is a cousin whose journey will originate in Galesburg, this is what she is in for: a 3 hour, 180 mile drive from Galesburg to Chicago, a 3.5 hour flight, and 1750 miles to Los Angeles, overnight in LA, a 6,500 mile journey - and 12 hour 40 minute flight to
U.S. meddling in maritime disputes detrimental to Asia-Pacific peace
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un prepares to take a ride with other high-level officials during the opening ceremony of the Rungna People's Pleasure Ground on Rungna Islet.
South China (West Philippine) Sea: A decades-long source of tension R
ival claims to the South China Sea have for decades been a source of tension in the region. Below are key facts on the sea and the competing claims: Geography : The South China Sea covers more than 3,000,000 square kilometers (1,200,000 square miles) on the western edge of the Pacific, with China and Taiwan to the north, the Philippines to the east, Borneo Island to the south, and Vietnam to the west. It contains hundreds of small islands, islets and rocks, most of which are uninhabited. The Paracel and Spratly island chains contain the biggest features. Significance : The sea is the main maritime link between the Pacific and Indian oceans, giving it enormous trade and military value. Most of the seaborne trade, including of oil and gas, between Europe and the Middle East and East Asia passes through the sea. Major unexploited oil and gas deposits are believed to lie under the seabed. The sea is home to some of world's biggest
SHRI KRISHNA BHAGWAAT KATHA
INTERFAITH
Celebrate the Birthday of Lord Krishna
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SHRI KRISHNA
JANMASHTAMI
he birthday of Hinduism's favorite Lord Krishna is a special occasion for Hindus, who consider him their leader, hero, protector, philosopher, teacher and friend all rolled into one. Krishna took birth at midnight on the ashtami or the 8th day of the Krishnapaksha or dark fortnight in the Hindu month of Shravan (August-September). This auspicious day is called Janmashtami. Indian as well as Western scholars have now accepted the period between 3200 and 3100 BC as the period in which Lord Krishna lived on earth. Read about the story of his birth. How do we celebrate Janmashtami? The devotees of Lord Krishna observe fast for the whole day and night, worshipping him and keeping vigil through the night while listening to his tales and exploits, recite hymns from the Gita, sing devotional songs, and chant the mantra Om namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya. Krishna's birthplace Mathura and Vrindavan celebrate this occasion with great pomp and show. Raslilas or religious plays are performed to recreate incidents from the life of Krishna and to commemorate his love for Radha. Song and dance mark the celebration of this festive occasion all over northern India. At midnight, the statue of infant Krishna is
bathed and placed in a cradle, which is rocked, amidst the blowing of conch shells and the ringing of bells. In the south western state of Maharashtra, people enact the god's childhood attempts to steal butter and curd from earthen pots beyond his reach. A similar pot is suspended high above the ground and groups of young people form humans pyramids to try and reach the pot and break it. The town of Dwarka in Gujarat, Krishna's own land, comes alive with major celebrations as hordes of visitors flock to the town.
August 2012
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Ramadan a month of magnificent blessings for all 16
INTERFAITH
August 2012
Laylatul Qadr: night of magnificent blessings This is one of last three nights of the month of RAMADAN that Quran says is better than a thousand nights. Some Muslims fix it the 27the Night and call it, therefore, SATAISWEE KI RAAT – the 27the night. It is a big time celebration in many Muslim circles and communities. There are others who do not celebrate it in that way but spend those nights as part of 10 days of ITEQAF in mosque just as the Prophet of Islam did. Neither the Quran and nor the traditions of the Prophet of Islam place this as the 27th night. In fact, the traditions put this among one of the nights in a mystique way so the
believers would strive to find that night not knowing which night it really is. As the RAMADAN nears its end the believers have increased elation to acquire as much blessings as possible in the last few days of blessed month, their delight in the quest becomes unlimited Mirajun Nabi – the ascension of The Prophet - physical or spiritual It is also believed that during this period and perhaps on the night of Laylatul Qadr, the Prophet of Islam went up into the heavens “traveling” (flying through the space) on a horse called “ Buraakh.” In the heavens the
Prophet meets all past prophets including Jesus son of Mary – who many believe is alive in heaven. An apparent question is was Jesus present in a physical alive form with the rest of the prophets who were dead. There is no logical and convincing answer to this paradox. Then the Prophet returns to the earth the same night and it’s recorded that “his bed is still warm” The Holy Quran describes the event as a “ruya” a vision (a dream seen half-sleep and half-awake) and therefore, belies the idea of physical ascension. Let’s double check this point from an independent Sunnat- ul- Jamaat Source.
communion with God knowing He is the only source of your help, that He hears all and is ready to answer you calls and cries. He is closer to you than your life artery. You have that intense conviction that He sees you
and hears your voice. You plead before Him in absolute humility while in complete submission. You will see His Mercy and Love descend on you and your dreams come true and worries disappear, your failures turn into success and you rise from rock bottom situation to new heights of success and glory. You obtain a refreshing faith in the existence of God absolutely convinced of a living God who hears, listens and answers. This level of person experience is extremely important that a Muslim has to conscientiously seek and build with God the Almighty. This will be your everlasting evidence that you can resort to again and again to reconnect with God and escalate the level of relation with Him to greater heights for true personal joy, satisfaction and success.May this Ramadan help you rebuild your personal relationship God the Almighty, The Wise, The Ever loving, The Gracious and The Merciful. Ramadan Mubarak! Dr. H. Koya
Build your personal relation with Miraj: A spiritual or a physical journey? God in the month of Ramadan
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ne of the key objectives in the month of Ramadan is reassurance of the existence of God which every Muslim should experience in this sacred month. Remember Tarawee prayers are optional. It used be Tahajjud prayers observed in the latter part of the night from 2 to 8 rakaat. During the rule of the second Caliph, Hazrat Umar, it was felt that during Ramadan the Tarawee prayers be observed earlier after the evening (Isha) prayers for the ease and convenience of the believers. This practice eventually became a permanent feature of Ramadan. Apart from these congregational prayers, you can have your own “privatized” optional prayers – as there is no prohibition - as way of exclusive devotion and worship of God. The affair is very personal between you and God where you make your submissions and supplications in absolute loneliness. It’s the quality time between you and God where you are in conversation and
FIRST FIJI US GIRMIT FESTIVAL IN BAY AREA
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iji Us Girmit Festival is proud to present first Fiji US Girmit Festival in Bay Area on Sat August 25, 2012 at Hayward Weekes Library, Patrick Avenue in Hayward. From 1 PM to 4.30 PM. Opening will be Fiji Hon. Consulate Dr. Raju with presentation by Hayward Kirtan Group, Fiji Artist Nisha Nigar. Singers: Jr. Kishore, Sainesh, Ashok, Razak and others will also entertain. It will also have a taste of Eid Celebration with Sewainya by Charlie Jahangir and sweets by Moon Indian Cuisine. Food will be served outside the Library by Fiji Sun. Limited capacity only first 100 will be admitted.
Call: Dr. H. Koya 510-677-4488
Abu Abdus-Samad
Many Muslims believe that Miraj of Muhammad (PBUH) was a physical journey. In contrary, Allah has said that Miraj was a vision or ru'ya (Surah Bani-Israil Ayat 60). Our dear Prophet experienced this extraordinary vision when contemporary people were relentlessly humiliating him. Even after years of his dedicated mission, only few people had accepted the Truth. In such circumstances, it is natural that anybody would be disheartened and be in a low morale. During such a period of preaching, Allah (SWT) granted our Prophet a vision that he is leading a salat where all the past prophets were attending. This vision signifies that our dear Rasul would be the imam of the whole world as all the previous prophets acknowledged his highest level of dignity and status. Thus, it can be concluded that his preaching would soon prevail all over the world. In this spiritual journey, he traveled beyond the world and observed a view of the universe.
Muslims Condemn Shooting at Sikh Temple
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Nation’s oldest Muslim organization sends condolences and calls for peace and justice
hmadiyya Muslim Community USA – the oldest Muslim organization in America – strongly condemns this morning’s senseless shooting on worshipers gathered at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in the city of Oak Creek, near Milwaukee. While details of the attack continue to emerge, such brutality and hatred does not represent the otherwise tolerant and peaceful relationships between faith communities in this nation, and Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA calls on all people of conscience to condemn this act. Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA extends its prayers, condolences and sympathy to the Sikh community and
AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY
MUSLIMS FOR PEACE
hopes that justice will be established as law enforcement search for the suspect. “We are saddened that our Sikh friends suffered at the hands of this senseless act,” said Dr. NasimRehmatullah, National Vice President of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, USA. “This incident demonstrates more attention needs to be paid to religious education in order to foster a more tolerant and peaceful society.” Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is available for comment. Contact: Harris Zafar, National Spokesperson harris.zafar@ahmadiyya.us
Many people of his time assumed this to be a physical journey. To correct them, our prophet said that he was in the stage of half-sleep and half-awake. When he woke up (or completed the journey), he found his seat to be warm. This attests that the journey consumed a brief moment. All the incidents that happened in this short period can only occur spiritually or in ru'ya. The disbelievers thought that our rasul implied a physical journey and they ridiculed our prophet and demanded a book to be brought down from the heaven (Bani-Israil, Ayat 93). Our rasul replied: “but I am just a human being” (Ayat 93). This Ayat confirms that he does not possess power of a superman or is not provided with a 'burraq' to travel physically to heaven and bring a book! Unfortunately, these days we Muslims started to believe that the journey was physical. Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc. Louisville, KY. www.irfi.org
Evelyn Li for Congress
E
velyn Li MD, FACC, FACP, I have been a Cardiologist for 25 years and founded the Asian Medical Clinic of Fremont, a non-profit organization where over 65% of the patients are MediCal and medical indigents. I emigrated from Hong Kong in my teens. I am a wife and mother of three children. As a doctor, small business owner, participant and volunteer of numerous non-profit organizations I participated in the American Dream, I want to make sure that our American Dream stays alive for our children and grandchildren. I am a woman with a vision and passion for our community and I have the experience and courage to see it through. My vision is to improve education, support family values, enhance work ethic, stream line the government so that we can balance our budgets, reduce crime and improve our educational and healthcare system. I am committed to set my work aside to become your community representative.
RAMADAN IS NOT FOR MUSLIMS: IT IS UNIVERAL
INTERFAITH
J
ust like when the rain comes down from heavens and sunshine on the world, it is universal. Eevryone enjoys the blesings. Its for all and selective to one perople or country. Muslims are reminded that fasting is not new. It has been prescribed in other religions as well in one form or another. God made fasting obligatory on Muslims to exprience both what other faiths offer and what in acutality humanity suffers sometimes as widespread situarion in terms of hunger and poverty. They need to
relate to the experiences and sufferings of the less fortunate ones to be mindful of their needs and take care of them. In this month of blessings, the Muslims are required (not to have great Iftar parties) but to sepnd out of their pockest for the poor, the orphans, the widows, the seniors and the needies. It is not a time to have great feasts and fun and then brag about it that you had a great party attended by hundreds of people. That's not where the blessings of Allah descend on you. We need to reach out to the
poor and the needy. We have to go and search for them as well or we have to create means and place to for them to come to and benefit from. This is the month we feed and clothe people who deserve most with discrimintaion. Giving is to for the Muslims only. We have to give to anyone and everyone who deserves regardless of their creed, color or origin. After 11 months luxry, eating, drinking and lots of DAWATS of all sorts, there comes a month for all us to take stock of our actions and eating habits and put to an end to
August 2012
it. In additon to abstension from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk (about 17 hours this summer August 2012 in US) Ramadan makes us eat healthy. There's a lot of fruits during the IFTAR - the breaking of the fast at sunset and plenty of water on the braeking of the fast. Those who are sick, on journey, expectant and breast feeding mothers are excempted from fastering. They can, in better days, compensate either by keeping fast for the same number of days or sepnd the amount of money in the cause of God. Many
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Muslims affected by these situations donate the sum of moeny equal to the meals in month of Ramadan to their local mosque. Just like when the rain comes, everyone beefits from it whether you get out and get wet in the rain or saty indoors, during months Ramadan the blessings of Allah descends from heavns to the entire world whether they partake of it or not it is for everyone throught the universe! Ramadan Mubarak Dr. H. Koya, Editor
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August 2012
National Marketing Sells Haram meet to Muslims with Halal label pasted on it
Fiji Muslim community is furious to learn that during the month of Ramadan National Marketing has been selling them what turns out to be completely HARAM meet manufactured by L A-based Company. When contacted the company what “HALAL” and denied selling any HALAL meet. A close look at the National Market packet shows that self-printed Halal label is slammed on the packages. Muslims upset at this fraud is planning to sue the companies for fraud and misrepresentation in the Holy month of Ramadan. National Marketing is silent and refuses to offer any apologies to the Muslim clients.
Gading Mosque nearing completion
BUSSINESS NEWS
HAYWARD, CA – Building a mosque here on earth secures a Muslim a place in heaven which is the main objective of a true Muslim’s life. In addition to providing a permanent place of worship of God, a mosque is a definite symbol of unity, strength, power and stability of a Muslim community. It is here also substantial learning of the Quran and related Islamic studies occur which is another reason, apart from the five daily prayers, Muslims remain connected with a mosque as center of learning and education. It is extremely heartening to see a small band of mainly Fiji Muslims have been able to build a decent mosque which fast nearing completion. A mosque is open to all as a place of worship. It is recorded in the history of Islam that once in the meeting of meeting between
Muslims and Jews, the Jewish delegates sought permission to leave for their prayers. The Prophet of Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and the blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “This is house of God, you are welcome to say your prayers here.”
GALLERY : EDITOR GETS VIP TREAT AS A NOMINEE AT ETHNIC MEDIA AWARDS NIGHT
August 2012
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August 2012
Vidya Balan
Industry vintage Eight years Biggest hits Parineeta, Paa, Ishaqiya, No One Killed Jessica, The Dirty Picture, Kahaani Endorsements : Rs 0.25-R 0.5 cr per day
Expert opinions Trade analyst Vajir Singh: A film works on her name. Take Kahaani or The Dirty Picture. Even in No One Killed Jessica, she was more saleable than Rani Mukherji. She was the hero of the film. She is the female Aamir Khan because of the way she selects a script, director or promotes the film. She is completely involved in everything. Producer Ekta Kapoor: Vidya is funny and doesn’t take herself seriously. Her parents should be given credit for they have made her the way she is. They are south Indians, simple, witty and not affected by success.
Net Box office collections (last five films) Paa : Rs 30.5 cr Ishqiya : Rs 28.55 cr No One Killed Jessica : Rs 30.77 cr The Dirty Picture : Rs 77.30 cr Kahaani : Rs 53.74 cr Total : Rs 220 cr
ACTING FEE PER FILM: RS 2.5-3 CR
Priyanka Chopra
Industry vintage 10 years Biggest hits Aitraaz, Krissh, Fashion, Dostana, Don, Don 2, Agneepath
Endorsements Rs 0.65- Rs. 0.75 cr per day Expert opinions
Director Pritish Nandy: Priyanka brings cheerfulness to her brands. Few heroines seem to have as much fun as she does. She is not overtly stylish. She is real and brands that want that quality choose her.
Director Anurag Basu: Priyanka is a natural when it comes to acting, and her choice of films is courageous. With Barfi! you will see a new side of her. Net Box office collections (LAST FIVE FILMS)
Pyaar Impossible: Anjaana Anjaani : 7 Khoon Maaf : Don 2 : Agneepath : Total :
Rs Rs Rs Rs Rs Rs
6.3 cr 40.3 cr 17 cr 110 cr 122 cr 297 cr
ACTING FEE PER FILM: RS 2-RS 3 CR
Reigning Queens BOLLYWOOD
BOLLYWOOD
OF
MUCH ON THIS LIST SEEMS THE WAY YOU’D THINK THEY WOULD BE — BUT SOME THINGS SEEM A BIT STRANGE. FOR ONE THING, NOT ALL THE ACTORS FEATURED HERE HAVE FIVE FILMS TO THEIR CREDIT AT ALL. SONAKSHI, FOR INSTANCE, HAS ONLY TWO. BUT THE BOX OFFICE RESULTS FOR BOTH THOSE FILMS WERE SO HUGE, SHE KNOCKS EVEN MORE PROLIFIC ACTORS OUT OF THE TOP SEVEN BALLPARK. IN MUCH THE SAME WAY, ASIN, WHO IS NOT PERCEIVED AS ONE OF THE INDUSTRY’S TOP ACTORS, MAKES IT TO THIS LIST BECAUSE SOME OF THE FILMS SHE WAS IN CROSSED THE RS. 100 CR MARK.
Katrina Kaif
Industry vintage Ten years Biggest hits Namastey London, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Raajneeti. Endorsement deals Rs 1-1.25 cr per day
Expert opinions Trade analyst Vajir Singh: Katrina is number one currently. She understands parameters like choosing the right script, director and co-star. Her key to success is a desire to prove herself. Director Farah Khan: You can put Katrina with any A-lister hero and the movie will rock at the box office. The kids love her, and her sex appeal is not crass.
Net Box office collections De Dana Dan : Rajneeti : Tees Maar Khan : Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara : Mere Brother Ki Dulhan : TOTAL :
Asin
Industry vintage Five years Biggest hits Ready, Ghajini, Housefull 2 Endorsement deals: Rs 0.25 cr per day
Expert opinions Trade analyst Taran Adarsh: Asin has been a regular in the R100 cr club. She is a fine actor who has all the potential to be among the top stars. Director Rohit Shetty: Asin is undervalued as an actor. She is able to mould herself to suit any character. She is a director’s actor, and that works in her favour.
Net Box office collections Ghajini : Rs 115 cr London Dreams : Rs 28.95cr Ready : Rs 119.8cr Housefull 2 : Rs 109.1cr Total : Rs 351 cr
ACTING FEE PER FILM: RS 1CR
Industry vintage 13 years
Biggest hits Omkara, Jab We Met, Golmaal Returns, 3 Idiots, Bodyguard Endorsements Rs 1-1.25 cr per day
Expert opinions Director Pritish Nandy: Kareena can make any role look exciting and distinctive. She brings both range and elegance to the brands she represents. Actor Aamir Khan: Kareena is really gifted, natural and extremely good-looking. She is very instinctive about her work and throws herself completely into the role. She loses herself in the shot which is great.
Net Box office collections (last five films) Golmaal 3 : Rs 108 cr Bodyguard : Rs 148 cr Ra.One : Rs 107 cr Ek Main Aur Eek Tu : Rs 40 cr Agent Vinod : Rs 38 cr Total : Rs 438 cr
(last five films) Rs 48 cr Rs 93.7 cr Rs 60.90 cr Rs 62 cr Rs 58.3 cr RS 351 CR
ACTING FEE PER FILM: RS 3-4 CR
Kareena Kapoor
ACTING FEE PER FILM: RS 3-4 CR
Anushka Sharma
Industry vintage Five years Biggest hits Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Band Baaja Baarat Endorsements Rs 0.25 - 0.4 cr per day
Expert opinions Trade analyst Taran Adarsh: Anushka is one of the most brilliant actors among the new generation. Her choice of films is great. Rafiq Gangjee, VP, Yash Raj Films: The one thing that strikes you about Anushka is her commitment to a project and her versatility. This is evident in her work ethics as well. She is completely involved and immersed in the promotional activities and gives her all.
Net Box office collections (last five films) Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi : Rs 87 cr Badmaash Company : Rs 35 cr Band Baaja Baarat : Rs 20 cr Patiala House : Rs 31 cr Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl : Rs 32 cr Total : Rs 206 cr
ACTING FEE PER FILM: RS 1-1.5 CR
BOLLYWOOD
K HAN S
Finally, the are back
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MISSED THE BIG KHANS IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR? HERE THEY ARE, FINALLY, WITH AROUND RS. 400 CRORE RIDING ON THEM. BOLLYWOOD MAY HAVE HAD A GOOD RUN WITHOUT SALMAN, SHAH RUKH AND AAMIR SO FAR, BUT THE BOYS ARE BACK STARTING THIS SEASON, PROMISING EVEN BETTER BUSINESS.
alman will lead the list with Ek Tha Tiger, which opens on August 15. A little later, he will be seen in the Dabangg sequel that is scheduled for a December release. It’s been a whole year since his last outing — Bodyguard, which was in screens last August. What’s making anticipation go up is that Sallu will be seen with his exmiss Katrina Kaif in Ek Tha Tiger, after they last paired up for Yuvvraaj back in 2008. Then, there’s Aamir. Even as he has been in news thanks to his popular TV chat show, Satyamev Jayate, Reema Kagti’s Talaash will be his first film this year. He was last seen on the big screen in Dhobi Ghat, dating back to January 2011. Talaash is reportedly due for a November 30 release after much re-scheduling and creative conflict between the actor and the director. The suspense
drama, which also stars Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor, will see Aamir in the role of a cop. “It’s a very unusual and wonderful script,” he said. Shah Rukh, who last did Don 2 in December 2011, will be seen romancing Katrina Kaif for the first time in Yash Raj's next, so-far untitled, which’ll be a Diwali release. Trade analysts say this will totally turn the year around. “The economics of box office will change as all the four films are really big. Fans’ expectations are huge,” says trade guru Taran Adarsh. Industry analyst Atul Mohan says, "The stakes for these Khan films are really high, with around Rs. 400 crore riding on them. We are hopeful of great business.” Fans are happy. "I missed them. No one can replace the magic of the Khans,” says Anupama Dey, 21.
Sonakshi set to star in Judwaa sequel
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onakshi Sinha’s career so far has been an enviable one, what with hits (Dabangg in 2010 and now Rowdy Rathore) in quick succession that made it to the R100crore club. Next for her is another big-budget film, Joker, being directed by Shirish Kunder. But even as she juggles her multiple A-list projects, we have found out that she has been confirmed for another major project — a sequel to Judwaa (1997) that will star Saif Ali Khan. Rumours have been rife as to whether Sonakshi will be doing the film. However, it seems that she was finalised as soon as the idea came up. “They (Sonakshi and the filmmakers) haven’t had discussions recently, since they are all busy. Sonakshi, however, is confirmed to star as one of the two heroines in the film. She is like family to producer Sajid Nadiadwala
(who has also roped her in for Kick, starring Salman Khan),” says an insider. While Nadiadwala, who is holidaying in London, was unavailable for comment, Sonakshi says, “I can only say that we are in talks about it, but nothing has been confirmed yet.” Director Sajid Khan will begin shooting his film in January-February next year. The details of the sequel to the 1997 Salman Khan-film are expected to be finalised around December. Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha At present, Sonakshi is excited about Shirish Kunder’s next. “Joker is special, because it’s the second film I signed after Dabangg,” she says. The film will see her opposite Akshay Kumar once again. Are things easier when you work with a particular actor? “Yes. The more you work with someone, the better you know his/her style of working,” she says.
HOT! Story plot
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porn star is hired by a dashing intelligence officer to become a 'Honey-trap' for a dreaded assassin. In doing so, she not only has to confront her bitter-sweet past, but is also forced to make an impossible choice - one that will put her own life in double jeopardy.
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August 2012
Sunny Leone
Makes out with Randeep in Jism 2 he song trailer of Ye Kasoor from Jism 2 is high on steam quotient. The chemT istry between Sunny Leone and Randeep Hooda is intense in the number as they lock lips, indulge in steamy embraces and get cosy. Randeep Hooda massaging Sunny Leone's bare back is the most sensuous sequence. We wonder, if it's too much skin show? Well, but then Jism 2 is a matured adult love story by director Pooja Bhatt's own admission. In Yeh Jism, Maula and Abhi Abhi, we didn't really see Sunny emoting. But this one takes the cake. Leone baby has nailed it and how. The song is sung by Sonu Kakkar and composed by Mithoon.Jism 2 marks the debut of Indo-Canadian actress and model, Sunny Leone in Bollywood. The film releases on August 3.
ISLAND DETAILING
For all your detailing needs Call us first! Phone 650-458-1389
Email: reggiekhelawan.rk@gmail.com
PO Box 56491, Hayward, CA 94544
Traditional lamb based Indian recipes 26
FOOD
August 2012
HYDERABADI HALEEM
A dense stew, haleem usually consists of wheat, meat and lentils and spices slow cooked for hours on end, resulting in beautifully rounded flavours.
BRACE YOURSELF FOR THE
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PERFECTLY COOKED LAMB. TRY YOUR HAND AT THESE TRADITIONAL INDIAN DELICACIES
reparing lamb excellently, is an exploit usually reserved for pros, chefs and grandmothers who know that 'slow cooking' doesn't test your patience, but is a delicious lesson in one. For those who struggle to differ between sheep, lamb and mutton (meat of a sheep in its first year is lamb, and that of an adult is mutton), tackling the meat with the appropriate amount of tenderness required, can be an uphill battle. According to home chef and food blogger Afsha Beg, the basic rule of thumb when selecting a cut of meat depends on how you plan to cook it. For roasts, the best cuts include leg, breast, best end of neck (also known as rack of lamb), shoulder, saddle, rump and loin. For quick cooking,
choose fillet, chump chops, loin chops, leg steaks, best end cutlets and butterflied leg. For slow cooking, leg, shoulder, shank, neck and chump chops are among the best options. When choosing any cut of lamb, look for firm, fine-grained meat with a velvety texture; it should be moist, rather than dry or slimy. Any fat on the outside of the lamb should be white (fat that is yellow could be rancid). Properly hung lamb should have a deep red, rather than bright red colour, although a very young lamb will be paler than an older one. In a country where lamb is a revered meat, and often a celebratory star ingredient, each region adapted it to its own unique flavours creating some exquisite dishes. Here are a few regional favourites.
garlic paste, turmeric, 2-3 green chillies, and pepper corns in 8-10 cups of water until its cooked completely and the water is absorbed. Blend this mix for a few seconds.
1 kg Boneless lamb 3 cups Cracked wheat 4 tsp Ginger-garlic paste 1 cup Urad daal and chana daal 1 tsp Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 2 cups Curd 1 cup Crisp fried onions 1/2 cup Cashew nuts 1 tsp Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp Black pepper corns 1" Cinnamon stick 2-3 Cloves 2-3 Cardamom 1/2 cup Ghee 1 cup Fresh coriander leaves 1/4 cup Fresh mint 5-6 Green chillies
If you stopped short of making kebabs only because the recipe demanded meat, then these ones are for you. We present some easy-to-make kebabs that vegetarians are sure to enjoy.
Easy veggie kebabs Tulsi Paneer
Method
Ingredients
Cheese Corn Tikki
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- Wash and soak the cracked wheat for half an hour. Trim the mutton of any excess fat.
- To the mutton, add 1/2 tbsp of ginger garlic paste, half a tsp of salt, red chilli powder, half a tsp of garam masala powder and a pinch of turmeric powder. Pressure cook the mix for 8-10 min (or until 4 whistles) and simmer for another 15-20 min. Shred and keep aside. - Boil the cracked wheat along with urad and chana dal with a tbsp of ginger-
Method : Mix cheese, green chilli and basil paste. Silt cubed paneer half way and stuff paste into it. In a bowl, mix green chilli paste, cashew nut paste, hung curd, cream, white pepper, salt and sesame oil. Coat the paneer cubes with this marinade and heat in oven for eight minutes at 180 degree Celsius.
Ingredients : 100 gm American corn, 25 gm cheddar cheese (grated), 50 gm paneer (grated), 3 gm cumin powder, 3 gm cardamom powder, 3 gm salt, 2 gm green chilli (finely chopped), 3 gm coriander leaves, 5 gm corn flour Method : Blanch the American corn, squeeze to remove excess water. Mince roughly in blender. Mix with cheese, paneer , cumin powder, garam masala , cardamom powder, salt, green chillies and corn flour. Divide mixture into small balls and pat them into coin shaped tikkis . Shallow fry till they turn light brown and serve with mint chutney.
- To this, add the blended wheat and mix well, adding a little ghee as you go. Let it simmer and cook slowly for atleast half an hour. - Serve hot, garnished with fried onions, cashew nuts and fresh coriander.
With a refrigerator in the house, you need not kneed the wheat flour everyday. Prepare enough dough that will satisfy the roti needs for you and your spouse for two to three days.
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Cut vegetables on a holiday and keep those diced and chopped vegetables in air tight containers and refrigerate.
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Stack some onion-garlic paste. You can either buy it from the market or if you enjoy making a paste then prepare it on a day when you have ample time.
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Ingredients : 200 gm paneer (cubed), 50 gm cheese (grated), 5 gm green chilli paste, 10 gm cashew nut paste, 25 gm cheddar cheese (grated), 25 gm hung curd, 10 gm cream, 3 gm white pepper, 5 gm salt, 10 ml sesame oil, 25 tulsi paste.
- Heat the oil in another container, add whole spices, cooked and shredded lamb,remaining green chillies, half a cup fresh coriander and saute for a 2-3 minutes. Add curd and saute for another 10- 15 minutes. Add three cups of water and bring to a boil.
Ditto for curry masalas. If homemade curry masala leaves you more contended, prepare masala yourself or get it prepared. Or buy one packet from the market.
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If you want to keep it even simpler look for ready to cook gravies which are a current fad in the market. Nonetheless, your curries and vegetables will taste equally good. However, do not buy in bulk. Try these out once and when fully satisfied go for stacking some.
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The other option is to make two to three varieties of curries when you have some time to spare.
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If you are still hard pressed for time, then bank upon ready to eat food stuff available in the market. But always, it is desirable to try one packet of any curry as a sample and if suits your palate, go for it.
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LAAL MAAS
A popular Rajasthani meat dish, it's known for its rich, dense flavour and deep red colour, courtesy a generous helping of red chillies. It's usually prepared with lamb meat and is served with rotis.
Ingredients
1 kg Mutton with bones 20 to 25 Whole dried chillies 3 Medium onions, chopped 2 tsp Fresh garlic paste 2 tsp Fresh ginger paste 4 small Bay leaves 4 Cloves 2 Green cardamom 2 Black cardamom 2 tsp Roasted cumin seeds 3 tsp Coriander powder 1 cup Yogurt
Method
- Soak whole dried chillies in warm water for sometime. Grind to a smooth paste using little water.
- Heat ghee or refined oil in a pressure cooker. Add bay leaves, clove, green and black cardamom and let the spices simmer. Add garlic-ginger paste and stir. Then add onion and fry until evenly browned. Now add the chilli paste and saute the mixture for a few minutes. Add the meat and fry further. - Now add coriander powder, cumin and yogurt and salt to taste. Cook till all the yogurt is absorbed by the meat. Then add two cups of water, stir and pressure cook for 10 minutes, till the meat is tender.
- Release the steam and serve hot with coriander garnish.
Some handy, easy
COOKING TIPS
f hectic work hours leave you tired and with no extra time to prepare an elaborate meal, there are various ways to make your dinner equally sumptuous For working couple, who spend a lot of time commuting from office to home, making efforts to prepare dinner becomes a tedious task. While there are many options available, one being ordering food from a restaurant nearby; all do not necessarily make for a healthy alternative. Look for ways to easy cooking ways and think of ready meal options rather. Here's how to go about:
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Soak beans of different kinds in advance and refrigerate once done so that whenever you want to have some rajma or chole, for that matter chana you can take out from the freezer and cook without having to wait for another day or two.
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Sprout beans of your liking and keep those in the freezer. So whenever you want to have some kathol (like moong, chana, math etc) salad you can semi cook and have them ready.
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Stack essentials like slat, dahi, chaas etc so that whenever you want to make raita or kadhi you need not ponder over going out to fetch these.
Top 5
FASHION COME MONSOONS AND IT’S TIME TO FLAUNT THOSE INTRICATE DESIGNS ON THE BODY. WE BRING OUT THE LATEST DESIGNS IN VOGUE
Flaunt exquisite MEHENDI
designs this monsoon
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aawan is here, and so is the mehendi mania. Girls are making a beeline to get their hands adorned with intricate designs, varying from Afghani art to Indian churi work. From being an Indian tradition, the art of applying mehendi has graduated to being a fashion statement. Thus, the mehendi artists are in high demand and doing brisk business in Bhubaneswar. "Lots of girls have been coming to me from the onset of saawan. The queue should increase sometime next week. We also get good business during Rakhi," said Afreen Firdaus, a mehendi artist. Though the Odisha customer tends to be conservative — no pregnant bellies, please — there were a few bold belles who got their backs decorated. The most popular canvases, of course, were the hands, arms and feet. "When we go outside Bhubaneswar, we get requests for a cummerband and some tattooes on the shoulder, but here people are more conservative," added Afreen. On a random survey, the net or the bangle mehendi is a hot favourite followed by the shaded red and black designs with thick borders as a close second. Other favourites included rose and bangle mehendi. "We also apply Marwadi, Jaini and Pakistani mehendi, all of which have distinguishing features. The experimental ones also go for designs in black, silver, golden, green and blue mehendi where the borders are made with the colours and are filled with natural mehendi. People also ask for sparklers or coloured mehendi matching their dresses on special occasions," added Rourkela-based artist Dipika Parikh, etching an intricate design on the palms of a PYT. "Applying stone-studded glitter hand mehendi stickers may be hassle free, but they fade away after a few washes. In contrast, the traditional mehendi lasts for quite a few days and is
August 2012
Happiness comes in a bottle of nail polish for women now, as opposed to the lipstick index of an earlier time
fashion tips to
Makeup and hair
W
hen it comes to wearing makeup in the heat, the saying "less is more" really proves to be true. Try and use makeup that has minimal oils to avoid an extra shiny face, and keep a powder compact handy to touch up through the day. Perhaps the most obvious style tip to beat the heat is to throw your hair up in a messy bun or a slick backed ponytail. For a classic look, you could also pull your hair up in a ponytale. Take the pony, fold it over, and pin making a bun, which is timeless and classic.
beat the heat Summer is a good enough time to party with some chilled drinks, but not when the heat becomes unbearable making stepping out in the evenings a difficult prospect.
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Prints and colours
lot of miniature floral prints, foliage prints, and graphical prints are 'hot' this season. Brighten up your cupboard with a lot of neon colours (Asian-inspired bamboo yellow-green, orange popsicle, berry purples, fuchsia pink and raspberry), pastels (Lapis, Canary, Macaroon, Quince Petal), and a lot of ivory, to beat the heat.
easy on the palms," she added. The pocket pinch, ranging from `150 to `500 and above, did not deter the determined — in T-shirts and jeans, saris and salwars — and waiting for hours for a sitting. Nevertheless, these artists said these rates were much lower than the bridal packages. "The bridal packages start from `2,000 and can go up to `11,000 for elaborate application on both hands What to wear and legs of the bride," Kolkata-based artist Rahul hen trying to Shulka of Bombay Mehendi avoid experiDesigner said, adding the encing heat mehendi craze had develinduced illness, the oped thanks to soap operas best thing to do is and movies. But have they wear clothes that are tried out their art for the beautilight. Fabrics highly fication of people who have lost recommended are their hair due to chemotherapy? light weight cottons When told that a studio based in and silk chiffons. Toronto uses the art to create Also, when heading henna designs on the scalps of out on a muggy such patients to make them feel summer night, a beautiful, most of the artists were great way to beat surprised. "While I don't mind the heat would be doing it for a pregnant lady, I might to wear a backless get a little apprehensive to make a or nearly backless henna crown. I am not too sure dress. what impact the chemicals will have on the scalp," said Afreen.
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Silhouettes
he silhouettes to look out for are futuristic. Vintage is also another hot new trend this summer, for 1950s and the flapper look of the 1920s are making a huge comeback. The exposed midriff look is another trend to be followed. The key is to keep the belly button wrapped and expose just the skin below the bandeau.
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Shoes
hen it comes to summer the most obvious shoe trend that comes to mind are peep toe pumps, wedges and gladiators. Sometimes, trying to walk around wearing your favorite stilettos can lead to exhaustion. Gladiators made their presence known a few years ago, and are a style that is not going away any time soon. Not only are gladiators comfortable, they also make for a perfect day into night item.
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Nail
lacquer the new pick me-up for women W
ill it be a nail polish named Blue Me Away, Blushingham Palace or Good Girl Gone Bad in the shopping cart today? This is the question that women across the world are asking, as recession looms large and shoppers look for the newest nail polishes to chase away the gloom of the hour. Nail lacquer is the new pickme-up among women today, even as the grim prospect of recession is gripping the world again. Even B-town and Hollywood stars are loving it, from Rihanna who sports black nail polish, Kareena Kapoor who sizzles in postbox red, Asin who has been spotted in mint green to Katy Perry who loves sunshine yellow. New research indicates that nail lacquer has taken over from lipstick as the official heir of affordable indulgence during an economic downturn. During the earlier recession, it was the sales of lipsticks that rose when the economy took a nosedive and the term 'lipstick index' was coined, to explain how small luxuries can help you through the bad times. And now 'lacquer index' is the buzzword as the sale of nail polishes across the world is reportedly at a never-before high. Sedate nail polish names like Brilliant Berry and Ravishing Red are passe as manufacturers are now enticing women with names like Barefoot in Barcelona and French Affair, which transport women to another plane of excitement. But what does nail polish do for you during a bad time? Says image consultant Manjusha Maheshwari, "Our happiness quotient is affected by colour and the gratification is instant. When I see a burst of orange or a slash of fuchsia on my nails, it makes me instantly happy." Brand expert Harish Bijoor believes that the variety of nail polish available could be the key to this behaviour. "Nail varnish offers variety and fundamentally anything that offers variety has a way of creating a perpetual market for itself. Economically, the more the range, the more we cater to the range-seeking behaviour of the individual." Nails are a huge fad now because they are easy to use, says Gouri Kapur. "Doing your nails is the simplest thing to do and can be done even at home. You can use any colour of nail polish without being stared at, unlike lipsticks." Adds Ian Faria, behaviour expert, "When men are stressed, they punch a bag or play squash or some other sport. Women, however go shopping and find ways to feel and look good. Men think they are sexy no matter what, but women feel they need certain things to feel good. The ability to be able to buy something small and cheap to feel good could be the reason the nail polish index came into being." As for why women can find solace in a bottle of nail polish, Dr B Kapur, consultant psychiatrist, has this to say, "Most of my patients these days come to me with depression, mainly because of the recession and because they have lost their jobs, either here or abroad. Simple things like nail polish give women a morale boost and improve their selfimage. Colours, music and aroma help people handle their mundane problems and in a mall all this available."
Rookie Marika Koroibete evokes memories of Canberra's great winger Noa Nadruku 28
FIJI SPORTS
August 2012
TODD Payten used to run around with Noa Nadruku. Now he coaches another Fijian who reminds him of the famous Canberra flyer. The NRL was still abuzz yesterday with the performance of Wests Tigers' young gun Marika Koroibete after he scored four tries against Parramatta to equal the club record that Kevin McGuinness set against South Sydney in 2002. Payten, who played alongside Nadruku in Canberra for two seasons in 1996-97 and has coached Koroibete in the Tigers' Toyota Cup team for the past two seasons, said there were plenty of similarities between the two players. "He reminds me a lot of Noa," Payten said. "They're similar in the way they run, they're similar in the way that they hold no fear for their body or of the opposition, and the way they talk. "He's very raw. He's got a couple of little of issues with his game at the moment, but we're only scratching the surface with him. "It's really, really exciting. He's got a good attitude, he's willing to listen and learn and with the right guidance he's certainly going to be
Marika Koroibete scored four tries for Wests Tigers against Parramatta at Campbelltown on Monday night. a crowd favourite." Coach Tim Sheens was a little more circumspect. It was Sheens who discovered Nadruku playing in a rugby union sevens tournament and invit-
ed him to train with the Raiders. He was loath to make any comparisons between the players. "Noa was 26 years of age. This kid's 20," Sheens said. "Noa had played for his coun-
try in rugby union and was a much more mature and bigger man at the time. Nadruku scored 22 tries in his first season in a very good Raiders backline and then scored almost as
'Spectacular' Fiji make history against Australia T
he Australia v Fiji clash which took place 60 years ago this week, on August 9, 1952 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, was a match that might easily not have happened. The tour itself had briefly been called off earlier in the year. That decision was reversed, but not without prophecies of doom from Jeff Noseda, until a few months earlier the secretary of the New South Wales Rugby Union, who called the tour 'dangerous and risky' for the union, which he reckoned could lose up to £2000 on costs calculated at £6500. Nor was the Test on August 9 part of the original tour schedule. But it was added after the originally scheduled match, at the SCG two weeks earlier, was played in such foul weather that every other sporting event in the Sydney area was called off. An attendance of only 13,457 for the match on July 26, which Australia won 15-9 in spite of conceding a try in the first 15 seconds, was a huge disappointment after the crowds the tourists had pulled in for their earlier matches. The second Test was added to make up the deficit. For the Fijians these Tests were their first head-to-head clashes with one of the established rugby nations. They had made a huge impression in New Zealand a year earlier, with the New Zealand Rugby Annual naming three of their number among its five players of the year and rating wing Joe Levula the best in the world, but had played against the Maoris rather than the All Blacks. For the Australians, it was a business proposition. They were, as historian Jack Pollard recalls 'Desperate for funds and fearful of the high cost of bringing visitors from Europe". What might now seem the obvious option was a non-runner then - one reason why they were broke was that the All Blacks had pulled in only 40,000 across a three-Test series in 1951. One factor, it was reported, in the NSWRU decision to back the tour were letters from Australians who had played in Fiji reporting that their players 'were just as spectacular as the French league players'- who had toured brilliantly in 1951 - 'but without the Frenchmen's temperament'. Those prophecies were rapidly fulfilled. Ian Dieler's history of Queensland rugby records that 'The Fijians proved gigantic crowd-pullers, with confirmed league enthusiasts drawn magnetically to their games'. They pulled in 17,000 for the first match, against South Harbour at the North
The great Nicholas Shehadie could not prevent his side slipping to defeat at the hands of Fiji this week back in 1952
Sydney Oval, and news spread rapidly of their playing style. Phil Tressider of the Sydney Telegraphy wrote of 'spectacular football in which the players flung amazing overhead passes, sometimes almost the width of the field, and made clever switches of attack that bewildered the Australians'. After their first visit to the SCG, a gripping 1414 draw with New South Wales watched by 38,699, the largest union crowd in Australia since the war, ARU treasurer Laurie Evans reported that 'No previous touring Rugby Union team has ever covered its expenses in three matches'. "Fiji had won 17-15. Australia had scored four tries to two, but lost because three kickers combined for five kicks while Ranavue and Vatabua landed goals reliably for Fiji." The match on August 9 more than justified the decision to extend the tour. It pulled in more than 42,000 spectators, generating a gate of more than £5,000 and taking the profit on the tour
to more than £10,000, transforming the finances of the Australian game. Those fans saw an epic, with the lead changing hands several times and a gripping conclusion. The tourists led 9-6 at the break, but were rapidly pegged back by a try from Nick Shehadie, the Lebanese-descended prop destined to become Sir Nick, Lord Mayor of Sydney. A 35-yard drop by fullback Taniele Ranavue restored Fiji's lead, but then a break by loose forward Colin Windon created a score for wing Eddie Stapleton and it was 12-12. There it stayed until the last few minutes when, from a line-out 30 yards out, Fijian outside-half Wame Salabogi broke through and charged over under the Australian posts to leave his half-back partner Suliasi Vatabua a simple conversion. In the closing moments, Australia were stuck on their own 25. The Sunday Herald described what followed: "Australia won a lineout, and the backs handling beautifully and running strongly, cut through the defence and flashed downfield. Breakaway Col Windon and centre Herb Barker supported winger Eddie Stapleton as he neared the tryline. When Stapleton was tackled, Barker snapped up the ball and passed out to Windon, who scored in the corner. "The crowd roared, though many spectators realised that there was little hope of levelling the scores. The sideline kick was difficult, and had to be taken under pressure. Stapleton missed with his attempt, but could not be criticised for his failure" Fiji had won 17-15. Australia had scored four tries to two, but lost because three kickers combined for five kicks while Ranavue and Vatabua landed goals reliably for Fiji. While Australia were counting their windfall, the tourists could celebrate the best result in their history. Not until 2007, when they evicted Wales from the World Cup at Nantes, did the Fijian 15-a-side team record another victory of comparable quality and significance. Nor was there anything terribly wrong with the Australian team they beat - a month later 12 of the same players beat the All Blacks at Christchurch. The Fijian team left an indelible mark on the rugby history of their own country, and that of Australia - and not only on the field. Few tours have been safer from drunken off-field incidents, since nearly all of them were Methodists and teetotallers. And while rugby teams habitually make an impression on female hotel staff, the Fijians may have been unique in doing so by insisting on helping to clean and tidy their own rooms.
many the year after. "Noa earned the right to be called a great winger. Marika is just potential at the moment but he's done himself and his family proud in his second game." While Sheens might have wanted to keep a lid on the potential of the latest superstar to hit the NRL, he named him again in the team to face St George Illawarra on Saturday night. It is a game that both clubs need to win to stay in touch with the top eight. The NRL has been dotted with plenty of Fijian players who have made their marks as wingers, including Nadruku, dual international and injured Tigers veteran Lote Tuqiri, Newcastle Test speedster Akuila Uate and Wes Naiqama. Tuqiri is acting as a mentor for Koroibete. The softly spoken 20-year-old hails from a bush village in Fiji where the electricity is only turned on for a few hours at night and there is no television. His parents had to make a four-hour trek into town to a relative's house to watch their son make his debut. "They haven't seen me since I played in Fiji," Koroibete said of his parents.
CNMI players boost semis bid in Fiji
Five CNMI players kept their perfect records intact after Day 2 of the 2012 Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in Fiji to strengthen their semis chances in the girls U12 and U15 singles. In the girls U15 singles, Tammy Ackerman, Mikayla Lopez, and Negahr Rastguiy remained unbeaten after yesterday's games at the Dr. Robin Mitchell Regional Tennis Centre in Lautoka and the Nadi Sports Club in Nadi, while Carol Lee and Isabel Heras were also unscathed in Day 2 of the girls U12 division. Ackerman improved to a 3-0 record after a 6-0, 6-2 win over the Solomon Islands' s Vinda Teally. She shares the lead with Samoa's Anastasia Tapusoa (3-0) and they are likely to take the two semis tickets in the five-player Pool B. Likely to join Ackerman in the semis are Pool A co-leaders Lopez and Rastguiy, who held similar 3-0 records after yesterday's matches. Lopez and Rastguiy both shut out their foes in Day 2 with the former blanking Georgimah Row and the latter whipping Charity Sagiao. Rastguiy and Lopez squares off for the top spot in Pool A today. In the girls U12, Heras is a win away from sweeping the six-player Pool A after notching two more wins yesterday. She got her third win over the Federated States of Micronesia's Sunshein Palik, 6-1, 6-2, and then completed the Day 2 sweep with a 61, 6-2 triumph over Jeezabel Cristofari. Heras battles the top-seeded Ruby Coffin today for the No. 1 spot in Pool A. In Pool B, Carol Lee also went 4-0 after yesterday's matches and is likely to join Heras in the semis. Lee's two wins were via straight sets, as she beat Michelle Miller in the morning game, 6-0, 6-2, and downed Skylawn Palelei in the afternoon match, 60, 6-1. In the boys U18 singles, Rafael Jones split his two games in Day 2 for a 3-1 record and remained in contention for two semis berths in Pool A. Jones defeated Guam's Christian Penafiel, 6-2, 7-5, before losing to Vanuatu and top seed Gregory Jacobe, 1-6, 2-6.
SPORTS
London 2012 Olympics
August 2012
The Opening Ceremony was bonkers, bold, brilliant
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From flying cyclists and flaming petals to a parachuting Queen, Danny Boyle’s £27million showstopper was an electrifying experience
T
he first cheer was for the cows. A pair of them, swaying into the Olympic stadium at the head of a loose line of sheep, goats and geese with a shire horse behind. This was a long time before the start of the biggest show in the world, but thousands of us were already in our seats, unable to stay away. We cheered for the barmy, brilliant sight of cattle wandering into a patchwork of fields at the centre of the arena where later javelins will fly, to take their place among maypole dancers and cricketers in a recreation of the “green and pleasant land” of William Blake’s Jerusalem. There would be many far bigger spectacles to come over the next four hours of the opening ceremony, which was a jaw-dropping, dizzying display of bold and funny Britishness. We might not be able to summon up the massed ranks of a huge army as China did four years ago, but the show director Danny Boyle was out to prove that the British had more than enough wit and imagination to match their might, thank you. Some had spent thousands on a ticket, but that simple early moment with the cows showed that the stadium crowd were a warm, generous lot who “got” what Boyle was trying to do. Even the Queen was in on it, to a staggering degree. How many heads of state would allow the mickey to be taken out of them as Her Majesty did, to mark her arrival on one of the most important nights of her reign? She had taken to acting for the first time in her life to film a comedy sketch at Buckingham Palace with Daniel Craig as James Bond, and the pair of them were seen on screen flying down the river towards the stadium.We heard the sound of a real helicopter above our heads and looked up to see a pair of red, white and blue parachutes falling slowly, one with a man in a familiar dinner jacket and the other supporting a lady of a certain age in a long peach dress. And then – moments after her stunt double had landed in the Olympic Park – the Queen appeared in person in exactly the same dress. It was both a belly laugh and a wow, a moment of
magic and majesty, a time to blink back tears and say, “Only the British could do that.” My head felt as if it would burst, and not just at the surrealism of it all. There was something very personal about all this, something that brought goosebumps and nearly tears. As a child, this was where I played. On the site of the stadium. Riding my bike through the landscape that politicians like to refer to as a wasteland. Yes, there were fridge mountains and scrapyards in those days. Yes, the ground had been toxic in places but there were still people making their lives there, running businesses, surviving and some thriving. I knew them. I loved the wildness and strangeness of it, as a teenager. As a man now, sitting in a seat millions would covet, I struggled at first to take in the enormity of the change. With the stadium lights flashing, it was as if an alien mother ship had landed on my old playground. We will have to see whether the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, as it will be called, will be the glorious public open space that is promised as its legacy, but on Friday night all cynicism was suspended. Perhaps it felt different to those watching on the television, but in the stadium the mood was electrifying. The Red Arrows roared overhead and
Irfan’s five helps India take the final ODI, win series 4-1
Pallekele: Irfan Pathan claimed five wickets and contributed valuable 29 runs as India managed a 20-run win over Sri Lanka in the dead fifth rubber to complete a 4-1 series drubbing, here on Saturday. India posted a challenging 294 for seven after electing to bat and completed the win by bowling out the hosts for 274 in 45.4 overs at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Opener Gautam Gambhir (88), Manoj Tiwary (65) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (58) scored half-centuries while Rohit Sharma (4) failed yet again. Dhoni along with Pathan (29 off 28) plundered 77 runs in just 9.5 overs before falling to Lasith Malinga in the penultimate over of India innings. Later, the pace trio of
Pathan (5/60), Ashok Dinda (2/55) and Zaheer Khan (1/53) ripped apart the Sri Lankan top-order, tilting the scale in favour of India. Courtesy this win, India have now claimed the second spot in the ODI rankings behind Australia. Both India and Australia now have 119 rating points, followed by South Africa (118). THIRIMANNE SHINES Lahiru Thirimanne, who came to bat at number three after the fall of opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (0), was the top scorer for the hosts with his fighting 81-run knock. Run-rate was never a problem with Sri Lanka but they struggled to keep wickets in hand as half of the batting line-up was resting in pavilion within 16 overs.
America misses out on live London Olympic ceremony
Bradley Wiggins appeared in the yellow jersey of Britain’s first Tour de France winner to ring the biggest harmonically tuned bell in the world. As that rich, deep sound rang out, some of us felt, “It’s going to be OK. We’re not going to look silly here.” That’s the way the British think, at our worst. We cover our backs. At our best, we dare to do daft things for the sake of the good that might come of it, and that was what Danny Boyle did with his £27 million budget.
medal tally Country Gold China 30 USA 30 UK 20 Russia 8 Japan 2 France 8 Australia 3 Germany 5 S Korea 11 Italy 7 Netherlands 5 Canada 1 Romania 2 Ukraine 3 Belarus 3 Brazil 2 Denmark 2 Hungary 4 India 0
Silver 17 16 13 17 13 9 12 12 5 6 3 3 5 0 2 1 4 1 1
Bronze 14 20 12 19 14 10 9 7 6 4 4 6 2 6 3 5 2 3 2
Total 61 66 45 44 29 27 24 24 22 17 12 10 9 9 8 8 8 8 3
A billion people across the globe turned on their TVs to watch the opening ceremony of the London Olympics live, but very few of them were in United States. With comments about Danny Boyle's extravaganza Britannica pinging back and forth across the world via Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere, Americans were uncharacteristically silent on Friday.That is because NBC Universal, the television company which paid a record $2.2 billion for the broadcasting rights, decided not to show the event live on network television. At 16:00 on the east coast of the country, it will be shown on tape delay at "primetime" 19:30 ET. NBC showed a "sneak peak" shortly after the first act of the ceremony ended and @NBCOlympics live tweeted the event, hardly a substitute for watching the event in all its glory. While the rest of the world watched, some Americans turned to illegal Internet streams to find out what was going on, others contented themselves with rubbishing NBC's decision online.
Pak cricketers irked by PCB's ban on playing Ramazan tournaments
The Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) policy of not allowing the World Twenty20 probables to play in Ramazan tournaments is irritating players who want match practice under their belt before future international events. The PCB has stated that permission will be given after the One-Day International (ODI) squad is announced for the Australia series in the UAE. However, several players have urged the PCB to let them have valuable match practice instead of training alone. "Playing matches and being on the field is very different than training on your own or in the nets. Matches bring the best out of a player and we need this practice before
future tours," a senior member of the Pakistan squad told The Express Tribune. Several national team players have said that the televised tournaments will also increase their chances of making a strong impression on the selectors and help them make the cut. "The ODI squad against Australia is yet to be announced so if any player performs outstandingly, he will definitely leave an impact on the selectors," said another player. Ramazan T20 tournaments also allow Pakistan internationals to earn substantial amounts of money as they are given match fees and a monthly salary from clubs and departments to play as guest players.
The boa with
US NEWS
Real-life heroes: They took bullets to save their beloveds 30
August 2012
WASHINGTON: They proved their love to their beloveds even under fire. Three young men have become the heroes by laying their lives to save their girlfriends from a barrage of bullets in a US cinema hall on Friday during one of the worst mass shootings in American history. Matt McQuinn (27), Jonathan Blunk (26) and Alex Teves (24) were killed when they shielded their girlfriends from the gunman, identified as James Holmes, as he unloaded a fusillade of bullets into a packed Century 16 theatre during the premiere of 'The
Eye on China, Romney plays India card
WASHINGTON: Terming China a major foreign policy challenge for the US, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said that if elected, he would ensure strong ties with India to counter the Chinese influence. In his address in Nevada on Tuesday, Romney, although acknowledging that partnership with China was necessary for a stable and secure world, accused Beijing of "cheating" the international community over a range of issues. "It's in our mutual interest, of course, for China to be a partner for a stable and secure world. But the cheating must finally be brought to a stop," he said, accusing President Barack Obama of not doing anything in this regard. "The President hasn't done it and won't do it, and I will," asserted Romney.
Dark Knight Rises' in Aurora, Colorado. McQuinn, New York Post reported, dived in front of his girlfriend Samantha Yowler (27), when the gunfire erupted . He was struck fatally by three bullets, while Samantha just scraped with a shot in the knee. His friend Jonathan Blunk tucked his date Jansen Young (21) under the seat, before he was shot to death. "He took the bullets meant for me," Young told NBC. The third hero Teves of Phoenix used his body to cover girlfriend Amanda Lindgren , his grandmother told the Post.
Al-Qaida is on the road to defeat: Obama
WASHINGTON: Asserting that alQaida is on the road to defeat, US President Barack Obama has reminded Americans that before his election in 2008 he had pledged to kill Osama bin Laden and he achieved that. "I pledged to make it a priority to take out the terrorists who had attacked us on 9/11. And as a candidate, I said that if we had Osama bin Laden in our sights, we would act to keep America safe -- even if it meant going into Pakistan. "Some of you remember, at the time, that comment drew quite a bit of criticism," Obama said in a foreign policy speech in Reno Navada. "Since I took office, we've worked with our allies and our partners to take out more top al-Qaida leaders than any time since 9/11. "And thanks to the courage and the skill of our forces, Osama bin Laden will never threaten America again, and al-Qaida is on the road to defeat," Obama said in his address to the
113th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "I pledged to finish the job in Afghanistan. After years of drift, we had to break the momentum of the Taliban, and build up the capacity and the capability of Afghans. "And so, working with our commanders, we came up with a new strategy, and we ordered additional forces to get the job done. "This is still a tough fight. But thanks to the incredible services and sacrifices of our troops, we pushed the Taliban back; we're training Afghan forces; we've begun
the transition to Afghan lead," he said. Taking on his critics who were against a timeline for troop withdrawl from Afghanistan, Obama said: "Again, there are those who argued against a timeline for ending this war or against talking about it publicly. But you know what, that's not a plan for America's security either. "After 10 years of war, and given the progress we've made, I felt it was important that the American people -- and our men and women in uniform -- know our plan to end this war responsibly.""By the end of this summer, more than 30,000 of our troops will have come home. Next year, Afghans will take the lead for their own security. "In 2014, the transition will be complete. And even as our troops come home, we'll have a strong partnership with the Afghan people, and we will stay vigilant so Afghanistan is never again a source for attacks against America," he said.
pings about the mass shooting by James Holmes that left 12 people dead. In Southern California, a man at a Sunday afternoon showing of the film was arrested after witnesses said he made threats and alluded to the Aurora shooting when the movie didn't start. Moviegoers said the 52-year-old Clark Tabor shouted, "I should go off like in Colorado." They said he then asked: "Does anybody have a gun?"Separately, moviegoers in Sierra Visa, Arizona, panicked when a man who appeared intoxicated was confronted during a showing of the movie. The Cochise county sheriff's office said it caused "mass hysteria" and 50 people fled the theater.
The United States warned Syria on Monday not to even consider using chemical weapons after Damascus raised the possibility of employing its stockpile of unconventional arms in the case of an outside attack. "They should not think one iota about using chemical weapons," Pentagon press secretary George Little told reporters. The White House said on Sunday that the United States would "hold accountable" any Syrian official involved in the release or use of the country's chemical weapons. 'Civil war if Assad is illegally ousted' Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Monday of a protracted civil war in Syria should President Bashar al-Assad be "unconstitutionally" removed.
LANSING: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder on Tuesday declared an energy emergency in the state due to temporary shortages of gasoline and diesel fuel in parts of the Upper Peninsula caused by the shutdown of a pipeline in Wisconsin. The emergency declaration suspends state and federal regulations that limit hours of service for motor carriers and drivers transporting gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel to address the shortages, Snyder said in a statement. The West Shore pipeline that carries 70,000 barrels-per-day of refined products from Chicago to Green Bay in northern Wisconsin was shut for several days after a gasoline leak was found on July 17. The pipeline was restarted Saturday night. The
In separate incidents, 3 held over 'Dark Knight' threats
WASHINGTON: At least 3 men accused of making threats during or after watching the new Batman movie have been arrested in separate incidents, underscoring moviegoers' anxieties and heightened security in the wake of a Friday's mass shooting at a Colorado theater showing the film, Maine's Timothy Courtois was arrested when he told authorities he was on his way to shoot a former employer a day after watching 'The Dark Knight Rises', Maine state police said. Courtois had been stopped for speeding, and a police search of his car found an AK-47 assault weapon, four handguns, ammunition and news clip-
Twelve crosses comprise a makeshift memorial near the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater, scene of last week’s mass shooting
Don't think of using chemical arms: US
Romney raps Obama for Osama raid info leaks
WASHINGTON: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney moved on Tuesday from his attacks on Barack Obama's handling of the struggling US economy to a charge that the president sought political gain by leaking classified details of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Romney planned to make the accusation on Tuesday during an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention. In excerpts of the speech released by his campaign, Romney called the alleged leak "contemptible", saying such action betrayed the national interest and compromised US troops. He demanded an investigation. Aides said the former Massachusetts governor would use the speech to outline his view that Obama has relinquished American leadership around the world.
Michigan governor declares emergency over fuel shortage
pipeline, which is operated by Buckeye Partners LP , carries gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel and the closed section of the line started about 10 miles northwest of Milwaukee. The leak spilled about 1,000 barrels of unleaded gasoline, according to a report the company filed with the National Response Center. Michigan noted that the pipeline supplies gasoline and diesel fuel to service stations through the western and central sections of the Upper Peninsula above Wisconsin. "This energy emergency declaration is necessary to ensure that petroleum supplies will remain sufficient and to assure the health, safety and welfare of Michigan residents and visitors," Snyder said.
Trust between US and Pakistan very low: Feinstein WASHINGTON: The trust between the US and Pakistan is very low, a top American Senator has said, ahead of the crucial visit of the new head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to Washington. Noting that the relationship between US and Pakistan is very important, Senator Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said that she would like to see an improved relationship between the two countries. "I
think it's very important. I would like to see an improved relationship. I'd like to do anything I possibly could to help that improved relationship," Feinstein said in response to a question as the World Affairs Council-Washington. "I think there is a new head of the Pakistan intelligence unit. I think we have made very clear to Pakistan what our concerns are. "And the Pakistanis agreeing to reopen the GLOCs, which are the routes in which equipment comes
into Afghanistan, I think that's a very good sign," she said. "We now have another problem with attacks coming
from Pakistan directly into Afghanistan, and so there is a real need there for Pakistan to step up. This will be a test. Will they step up? Will they stop these attacks? And we need to develop trust. The trust is very low between the two countries. So these are some of the things that I think need to get done," she said. Feinstein said that there's no question that Osama bin Laden raid into Abbottabad created friction with Pakistan. "But it's very difficult for most
of us to believe that Osama bin Laden can live in a relatively large compound in a military-related community for over five years and that community does not know that he's there," she said. "So this was a very important take-down because this was the head of the movement to kill Americans, 3,000 of them, on 9/11 in those great buildings in New York City. "And that was a mission really very carefully and very well carried out," Feinstein said.
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Seven killed as gunman opens fire at Wisconsin gurdwara US NEWS
WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: Random American gun violence erupted in a Sikh gurdwara outside Milwaukee in Wisconsin on a quiet Sunday morning, claiming the lives of at least seven people. Early reports spoke of a white Caucasian male who opened fire indiscriminately amid reports that 12 children had been taken hostage. At least 20 people were injured, three of them critically. The gunman was shot dead by the police who rushed to the scene after 911 calls. "An officer arrived on the scene, engaged the shooter and was shot multiple times," Greenfield police chief Bradley Wentlandt said. "That shooter was put down." Preliminary reports said there were at least three gunmen involved but the police said they have not yet identified if there was any additional shooter. Wentlandt said four people were gunned down inside the gurdwara while three, including the shooter, died outside the shrine. The identity of the victims were not immediately known. President Barack Obama was briefed by his counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan on the situation. The Indian embassy in Washington DC said it was seized of the situation and was in touch with the National Security Council. "Our consulate general in Chicago too has been in close touch with the local authorities to monitor the situation. An official has been deputed to visit the site to ascertain the situation on the spot," the embassy said in a statement.
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US shooting: 65-year-old gurdwara head saved several lives before being killed
People watch police personnel outside the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wis., where a shooting took place. (Left) A distraught woman outside the Sikh gurudwara. At least 7 were killed in a shooting at a Sikh gurudwara in Wisconsin. (Inset) Alleged gunman Wade Michael Page is seen in this undated handout from the FBI, released at the Oak Creek Police Department.
Sikhs seethe over attack
Sikhs have been targets of random, occasional violence and discrimination in the aftermath of 9/11 although the Obama White House has engaged more with the Sikh community than any other US administration in history. Obama himself has been deeply respectful of the faith and has hosted events to honour the Sikh Guru Nanak Dev and celebrate other Sikh events. But things have been spotty at the workaday level with occasional complaints from Sikh organizations about discrimination. Sikhs reacted angrily to the shooting with some snide comments
US mosque destroyed in suspected arson attack
WASHINGTON: A mosque burned to the ground in the midwestern United States on Monday, in what worshippers suspect was a hate attack, less than a day after a deadly shooting at a Sikh temple. Firefighters and police were called to the Islamic Center in Joplin, Missouri at 3:40am (0840 GMT) -- about an hour before local Muslims were about to pray during Ramzan - according to the FBI. "The building was completely destroyed," said Sharon Rhine, a spokeswoman for the local Jasper County Sheriff's office. No one was hurt in the incident, according to a statement by the office that referred to the mosque as an "Islamic Church." "No-one was apprehended. They don't want to call it a hate crime without information or knowledge of having someone to charge," Rhine said. Monday's blaze followed an attack on July 4, when an unidentified suspect threw a petrol bomb onto the roof of the same mosque, causing minor damage. The mosque's surveillance cameras captured an image of the assailant's face, and the FBI recently offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the man behind the July incident, but no one has been apprehended. FBI spokeswoman Bridget Patton
August 2012
said both incidents occurred in the middle of the night, but said the FBI would "wait to determine the cause of the fire." "If it is determined that the attack was intentional, we will conduct an investigation to see if there is any correlation between this fire and that of July 4," Patton added. But the local Muslim community, which numbers around 125, said the fire was one of a series of attacks on their mosque since it was founded in 2007. "We've been constantly under attack," said former mosque board member Navid Zaidi, 47. "Our sign has been burnt ... Our mailbox was smashed multiple times. We had bullets shot at our sign." Zaidi said it was fortunate that the attack occurred in the early morning when no one was there despite Ramzan, the busy and ongoing Muslim holy month of fasting and prayer. Zaidi also complained that no suspects have been caught in the month since the July 4 attack. "I don't recall in my 27 years in the US, ever seeing perpetrators apprehended," he said. At an attack at a Sikh Temple on Sunday, a gunman shot and killed six people before he was shot by a police officer. "We hope these are isolated events, but suddenly they have become more regular and bolder," Zaidi added.
about white, majority terrorism. "Waiting for a US news network to get the guts to call this what it is — home-grown terrorism," said Gagan Singh who tweets under the handle @urbanturbanguy. Scores of people had gathered at the gurdwara in Oak Creek, built about 6-7 years ago, on Sunday morning when a gunman opened indiscriminate fire. On Sundays, typically Sikh temples across the US host a langar to serve free lunch to people of all faiths. The local police chief described the scene as chaotic and fluid and urged the media not to broadcast photos or video showing tactical units, which could put
Don't think of using chemical arms: US
The United States warned Syria on Monday not to even consider using chemical weapons after Damascus raised the possibility of employing its stockpile of unconventional arms in the case of an outside attack. "They should not think one iota about using chemical weapons," Pentagon press secretary George Little told reporters. The White House said on Sunday that the United States would "hold accountable" any Syrian official involved in the release or use of the country's chemical weapons. 'Civil war if Assad is illegally ousted' Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Monday of a protracted civil war in Syria should President Bashar al-Assad be "unconstitutionally" removed. "We are afraid that if the country's current leadership is removed from power unconstitutionally, then the opposition and today's leadership may simply change places," Russian news agencies quoted Putin as saying. "One will become (the new) leadership and the other the opposition," he said. He also warned that in that case "a civil war will stretch on for who knows how long".
US gurdwara killer's mother apologizes to Sikh victims
LONDON: The mother of an ex-soldier who shot dead six people at a Sikh temple in the US said she was devastated when she heard about the shooting. Laura Lynn told the MailOnline that she has had no contact with her 41-year-old son Wade Michael Page since she and his father Jesse Alvin Page divorced. "My heart goes out to all the people who lost their loved ones, that's all I can say, I am so sorry," Lynn said.
NEW YORK: The 65-year-old head of the small US town gurdwara turned out an unlikely hero of the Wisconsin shooting incident as he confronted the 'neo-Nazi' gunman with his kirpan to save dozens of women, children and other worshippers from being shot down. Sadwant Singh Kaleka's, the head of the Wisconsin gurdwara, unequal battle may not have lasted long as the 40-year-old former US Army 'psy-ops' veteran Wade Michael Page killed him mercilessly with his 9mm handgun.
TERROR ON SIKHS
Sikh rights groups have reported a rise in hate crimes in the US since 9/11 attacks as community members were mistaken for Muslims; over 700 incidents recorded
Sept 2001: A Sikh gas station owner shot dead in Mesa, Arizona July 2004: A Sikh severely beaten outside a New York restaurant March 2011: Two Sikhs fired upon in Sacramento, leaving one dead and the other in critical condition May 2011: A Sikh MTA employee suckerpunched in a moving train in NY by a man who accused him of being related to Laden
US House votes to cut USD 650mn in military aid to Pak
WASHINGTON: In a latest jab at Pakistan by the US, the House of Representatives has unanimously voted to cut American military aid to Islamabad by USD 650 million as Republicans sought to tamp down demands for deeper reductions. The amendment to cut the aid, which was proposed by Republican Congressman Ted Poe, passed on the floor in a voice vote. Poe had demanded a USD 1.3 billion cut, but settled for the 650 million cut. It will now go to Senate for approval. "Pakistan is the 'Benedict Arnold' to America in the war on terror. They are disloyal, deceptive and a danger to the United States," said Poe, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "This so-called ally continues to take billions in US aid, while funding the militants who attack us. And we've kept the money flowing. It's time we turn off the tap," Poe said. The State Department, however, refused to comment on the development, saying that since the legisla-
tive process was ongoing, he would not have any particular reaction. "We continue to consult with Congress, but I don't have any particular reaction to ongoing legislative debate," said State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell. "We continue to, obviously, support our Pakistani counterparts in key areas like counterterrorism, but I don't have a particular reaction to ongoing legislative debate," Ventrell told reporters. "By continuing to provide aid to Pakistan, we are funding the enemy, endangering Americans and undermining our efforts in the region. We don't need to pay them to betray us; they are already doing it for free," said Poe. The passage of the amendment comes at a fragile time for relations between the US and Pakistan, which only recently overcame differences that led Pakistan closing down a critical supply route into Afghanistan that had cost the United States about USD 100 million in additional war costs.
Penn State fined $60 million for sex abuse scandal INDIANAPOLIS: The US National Collegiate Athletic Association slammed Penn State on Monday with an unprecedented series of penalties, including a $60 million fine, for the child sex abuse scandal that shook one of the largest and most lucrative sports programs in the country. Though the NCAA stopped short of imposing the "death penalty" -shutting down the football program completely -- the punishment is still
crippling for a team that is trying to start over. Other sanctions include the loss of all once-legendary coach Joe Paterno's victories from 19982011. Jerry Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant coach, was found guilty in June of sexually abusing several young boys, at times on campus, sometimes after finding them through the charity he founded for at-risk youth. The NCAA action came in the wake of a devastating report asserting that top
university officials buried child sex abuse allegations against Sandusky more than a decade ago. The investigative report by former FBI director Louis Freeh found that Paterno and three other top Penn State administrators concealed sex abuse claims against Sandusky. The NCAA said the $60 million fine is equivalent to the annual gross revenue of the football program. The money must be paid into an endowment for external programs
preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims and may not be used to fund such programs at Penn State. "Football will never again be placed ahead of educating, nurturing and protecting young people," NCAA president Mark Emmert said. Emmert cautioned last week that he hadn't ruled out the possibility of shutting down the football program altogether, saying he had "never seen anything as egregious" as the
Sandusky scandal. On Sunday, Penn State tore down a statue of Paterno on the six-month anniversary of his death from lung cancer at age 85. The Paterno family released a statement criticizing the decision, saying it was made in haste and before all the facts about Paterno's role in the Sandusky scandal were known. In Washington, the White House said President Barack Obama believed "it was the right decision".
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PAKISTAN NEWS
Constitutional breakdown in B'stan: CJ
August 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued its short order in the Balochistan law and order case. The order states that the constitution is not being enforced nor are court orders being implemented in the province. A three member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the case on Tuesday. During proceedings the Chief Justice remarked that there was a constitutional breakdown in Balochistan. The bench expressed anger over the absence of the provincial chief secretary during proceedings. The Chief Justice criticised the role of law enforcement agencies in Balochistan saying that they could not solve one case. The provincial home secretary presented the report pertaining to the abduction and killing of coalminers and informed the court that two suspects were arrested. The lawyer for
Olympic visa scandal: Crackdown launched
KARACHI: A view of traffic jam before iftaar near Metropol building, here on Monday.
Six kids among 26 killed in attacks
ISLAMABAD: At least 26 people, including six children and a polio eradication worker with the World Health Organisation (WHO), were killed in separate attacks launched by militants across Pakistan. Nine people, including five children, died on Saturday when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a house used as headquarters by a militant outfit in the northwest tribal region. The attack took place around 1 pm at the headquarters of the group led by Maulana Nabi Hanfi in Speen Tall area of Kurram region in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas ( FATA), Xinhua reported citing state-run PTV channel. The five children were passing by the site after attending school when the blast occurred. The other four dead were militants. At least 15 people were injured in the bombing. No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Xinhua said it may have been because of an internal conflict between two militant groups led by Maulana Hafiz Ziaur Rehman and Maulana Nabi Hanfi.
Nine killed in suicide attack: official
LAHORE: The joint investigation team of the FIA and NADRA after registering an FIR Tuesday launched a crackdown against those involved in the Olympic visa scandal and arrested six accused including five women here. FIA officials said those arrested were NADRA employees, while the main character of the case Abid Chaudhry has gone underground. Chaudhry’s family says he went into hiding due to threats to his life, adding that he will only appear if summoned by the court. The joint investigation team was constituted on the directive of the interior ministry, following the disclosure of the Olympic visa scandal in British newspaper ‘The Sun’. FIA sources said that an FIR has been registered against eighteen persons of which twelve were nominated and the arrest of six was confirmed. However, according to the latest
information two employees of NADRA and four travel agents have already been arrested, while four employees Aslam James, Faheem, Talat and Ghaffar of Garden Town Passport office have been suspend-
ed and further six persons were arrested, which included Syed Wasif, Abbad Zaidi, Parvina Majeed, Rukhsana Maqbool, Sumera Tabassum, Azmi Khaleeq and Qudsia Idrees.
PESHAWAR: At least nine people were killed and 16 others wounded when a suicide bomber blew up his explosive-laden car in northwest Pakistan's Kurram tribal district on Saturday, officials said. The bomber detonated the vehicle just outside the compound of anti-Taliban militant commander Maulana Nabi, in the town of Spin Tal near the Afghan border, senior administration official Zakir Hussain said. "It was a suicide attack, the target was militant commander Nabi's centre," Hussain said. Nabi's guards stopped the vehicle and the attacker blew his car up after he failed to enter the compound, he said. Residents said he survived the attack. An intelligence official placed the death toll at 10. They included a guard and four children who had been playing near the compound. Officials said Nabi had developed differences with the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban.Kurram is one of seven districts in Pakistan's tribal belt on the Afghan border that is home to Taliban and al-Qaida strongholds.
restaurant?" he asked. A few days ago, the minister's son had threatened him, Khan said. In March, TOI had reported about Khan performing sewa (polishing shoes) at Gurudwara Rakab Ganj and Gurudwara Sis Ganj in Delhi. He also visited the Birla Temple and Hanuman Mandir in the national Capital. Khan began sewa outside Hindu temples and Sikh gurdwaras in 2010 to "heal the wounds of minorities in Pakistan" .In February, 2010, the Taliban kidnapped three Sikhs from Peshawar and demanded $235,000 ransom. Pakistan army rescued two Sikhs but one of them, Jaspal Singh was beheaded by the Taliban. "What defames Pakistan — the alleged 26/11 carnage in Mumbai where a Pakistani Ajmal Kasab was caught or a Pakistani performing seva at gurudwaras and temples?" asked Khan.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing the hope that the resumption of cricketing ties after five years will be a confidence building measure. Zardari on Wednesday sent the letter to Manmohan Singh welcoming resumption of cricket relations, reported Dawn. The BCCI on Monday invited Pakistan to play three one-dayers and two Twenty20 Internationals in December-January, a move that would see the arch-rivals clashing in a bilateral series after a five-year gap The resumption of cricket matches would add to positive atmosphere witnessed by the two countries, said Zardari. The letter said: "You would recall that in my recent visit to India, we discussed resumption of cricket ties between Pakistan and India. I am glad to learn that the cricket boards of Pakistan and India have agreed to resume cricket matches after a gap of five years." "I am sanguine that cricket matches between our two countries would prove to be a formidable confidence building measure and a way forward towards encouraging peopleto-people contacts," it added.
PESHAWAR: Gunmen opened fire on a convoy carrying NATO troop supplies to Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing a driver in the first attack in Pakistan since Islamabad ended its seven-month blockade of the route, a government official said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Pakistani Taliban had warned they would target the trucks after the government reopened the supply line earlier this month. Pakistan closed the route last November in retaliation for American airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, an incident the US said was a mistake but the Pakistani military claimed was deliberate. Islamabad finally reopened the supply line after the US apologized for the deaths. Gunmen targeted the trucks as they were passing near a bazaar in the town of Jamrud in the Khyber tribal area, said Faraz Khan, a local gov-
ernment official. Jamrud is located very close to Torkham, one of the two crossings used to transport NATO supplies to Afghanistan.In addition to the driver who was killed, a second driver and his assistant were wounded, said Khan. Suspected militants have destroyed hundreds of trucks and killed dozens of people in attacks on NATO convoys over the past decade. But the US military has said the attacks have not had a significant impact on the delivery of supplies to Afghanistan. The US was keen to get the supply line through Pakistan reopened because during the closure it was forced to rely on a longer route into Afghanistan through Central Asia that cost an additional $100 million per month. Prior to the November attack, the US and other NATO countries shipped about 30 percent of their nonlethal supplies through Pakistan into southern Afghanistan.
Boot polish: Deputy attorney general says he’s not defaming Pak
NEW DELHI: Pakistan deputy attorney general Muhammad Khurshid Khan on Monday rubbished claims that he was defaming his country by polishing shoes of devotees at temples and gurdwaras. Earlier, the Pakistan supreme court bar association had issued him a showcause notice, asking Khan to explain why action should not be taken against him for "defaming" the nation by polishing shoes while performing voluntary service at places of worship in India. Speaking to TOI, Khan said he has not received the notice yet. "Why are they issuing notice when I have been performing sewa for about three years? It is part of a political conspiracy to malign me," Khan said. "It is a price I am paying for not cooperating with a Pakistan federal minister who is fighting a case in Peshawar HC after converting a public park into a
the agencies Raja Irshad informed the court that the attack on the coast guards was carried out by individuals’ wearing FC uniforms. The CJ remarked that law enforcement agencies had all but given up and the chief secretary should give in writing that there has been a failure to maintain law and order in the province. The Supreme Court has summoned a reply from competent federal and provincial authorities and adjourned the hearing of the case till 25 July.
Zardari writes to Manmohan, hails cricket ties resumption
Gunmen attack NATO convoy in Pakistan, 1 killed
August 2012
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CROSSWORD PUZZLE
August 2012
The alien boy wants to meet the alien princess. Draw the path to the alien princess starting at 1 and counting by 1s up to 100.
PUZZLE
DO THE COLORING
Coloring pages are fun, but they also help children develop many important skills. These skills, eye-hand coordination, color con cepts, picture comprehension, form the founda tion for early learning suc cess!
CROSSWORD
Catch-Words -07
ACROSS
1 A forceful consequence (6) 4 The rank of a male hereditary ruler (8) 10 Morasses (9) 11 Mistake (5) 12 Model of excellence (5) 13 Depicts in words (9) 14 Act like another (7)
DOWN
1 Asks (8) 2 Quiet (8) 3 Desert animal (5) 5 Asserts (7) 6 Insurgent (9) 7 By means of this (6) 8 Examine (6) 9 Refrigerator (6) 15 Millstone (figurative) (9) 17 Restrain (8) 18 Praises dishonestly (8) 20 Place or locate (7) 21 Involving financial matters (6) 22 Vertical passageways (6) 23 Stellar (6) 25 Governed (5)
16 Grain storage building (4) 19 Decreases (4) 21 A soft light woolen fabric (7) 24 Pauses (9) 25 Provoke or roar (5) 26 Do without (5) 27 Ready for use (9) 28 Vendors (8) 29 Loves intensely (6)
Answer of Crossword-06
JOKES
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Rain color.. Teacher: Tom, Tell me the color of rain? Tom: Miss, I think it has water color!! ______ I love lipsticks.. First friend: Dear, i love lipsticks, they are very tasty. Next Day.. Second friend: You are liar, i bought 10 lipsticks and ate but worst taste..
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STAR AGE ARIES
March-21 to April-20
CANCER
June-22 to July-23
LIBRA
September-24 to October-22
CAPRICON
December-23 to Januar-20
Try not to get hypersensitive or over react to other people’s comments. Sometimes you can just get yourself worked up about things that are not important. Try to give yourself some space to just wind down and be a bit more at peace if you possibly can. You may not have a practical plan of what your next move or should be. Today you may be too possessive about material things. Don't hang on too tightly. You do need to stand firm until you find the answers you are looking for, but then let go and roll with the flow. You may be thinking of moving home. Life may not be that exciting at the moment, but patience will help you build solid foundations for the future. Don’t lose your sense of humour today. Sometimes, a joke can break the tension and lift everyone’s spirits in tricky situations. You may feel cut off from certain important people in your life, as if you are not getting all the support and encouragement that you expected. Your need for security may be pushing you one way while your desire for extravagance pulls you the other. Blame it on the Moon which makes you point in opposite directions at once. You want to be solidly protected, but you're also tempted to feed your body things that feel, smell and taste good, and they never come cheap.
TAURUS
April-21 to May-20
LEO
July-24 to August-23
SCORPIO
October-23 to November-22
AQUARIES
January-21 to February-19
Today, you will be much more emotional in public than usual, which does let other people see your vulnerable side. So you will attract more sympathy, and at the same time be more sensitive to what is going on around you at work. If you do overwork to excess at the moment you will find your body complaining. Today, if there are tensions in relationships you need to find a way out of differences without making your actions too obvious. There is always a trick in finding a middle way. Not being too submissive and letting other people steamroller over you, nor being too pushy yourself. There will be a few restrictions or setbacks today. You may feel a bit discouraged but the best tactic is to face up to duty and be conscientious. This is the time to make room for creative changes in your life. Try to let go of old patterns of behaviour that have been holding you back. There could be a point today where you get yourself all stewed up about something that isn't as important as you're making it out to be. Your moods tend to chop and change fairly quickly with the Moon around in your own sign, one moment you are outgoing and the next in fast retreat. Highly sensitive to slights, you may over-react as well.
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August 2012
GEMINI
May-21 to June-21
VIRGO
August-24 to September-23
SAGITTARIUS
November-23 to December-22
PISCES
February-20 to March-20
A real attack of wandering feet will make it tricky to settle down to anything requiring concentration today. You really want to be flying round the world in your hotair balloon, so just let your imagination soar. But perhaps you need to learn about self-control and setting limits in romance. Be not spontaneous, but practical and straightforward. It's a rather self-sacrificing kind of day, which means that you have to put aside your own needs and make sure that everyone else is getting what they want. Just polish your halo and console yourself with the thought that you'll soon get your reward. You will be in a much more secure position. You want to be flamboyant and exuberant, to be in the spotlight. Clearly not a day to be keeping your feelings to yourself. So go flirt, have fun, play games with loved ones. Forget routine chores and duck out if you feel an order coming your way. This may be a difficult time to keep secrets since they seem to slide out into the open. You won't feel much like socialising today. Anything mystical or spiritual will hold your attention since you are tuned into deeper levels of awareness. You will also be very helpful and compassionate as far as other people are concerned. You may have to be more supportive, both financially and emotionally.
The tooth over-charging case:
Sherani & Co file papers in Suva High Court
A
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August 2012
INDIAN ECONOMY TO GROW AT SLOWEST PACE IN 10 YEARS
India’s economy will grow at its slowest pace in a decade this fiscal, with tight monetary policy, political gridlock and a weak global economy prompting analysts to slash forecasts, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday. Even as growth falters, the rupee has been hitting all-time lows against the dollar, the government is struggling with bloated fiscal and current account deficits and inflation has remained stubbornly high, giving policymakers less room to manoeuvre. GDP in India is now expected to grow 6.3% during this fiscal and by 7.0% next fiscal, down from 7.1% and 8.0% respectively, expected in the April survey. Growth of 6.3% would be the slackest pace for Asia’s thirdlargest economy since 2002-2003, when it grew 4.0%. Growth predictions for India have now been slashed in six consecutive quarterly polls. All of the 17 analysts who contributed to this survey and the last downgraded their growth forecasts for this fiscal year and next.
RIL, BP cut investment in oilfield to $1.96 bn
INDIAN ECONOMY
Reliance Industries and its British partner BP plc have revised downwards the investment required for developing the MA oilfield in the predominantly gas-rich KG-D6 block by $276 million to $1.96 billion. RIL had in 2006 proposed to invest $2.234 billion in developing the Dhirubhai-26 or MA discovery, the only oil find in the KG-DWN98/3 (KG-D6) block in Krishna Godavari basin off the east coast. The field has however not performed as predicted since it started production in September 2008 and is producing less than half of the estimated peak output of 20,000 barrels of oil per day due to water and sand ingress in wells. RIL had to shut one out of the six wells on the field because of high water production, sources privy to the development said. Natural gas output from the field has also come down from 8 million standard cubic meters per day to about 6 mmscmd now. MA field contributes about a fifth of current day production of a little less than 30 mmscmd at KG-D6 block. The company has now proposed
Govt plans business index for industry
KOLKATA: The ministry of corporate affairs has initiated discussions with global consultancy major Dun & Bradstreet for developing a business index for industry. Dun & Bradstreet has already given a presentation in this regard. Besides, the ministry is working on a master plan for hassle-free business environment. M Veerappa Moily said that the business index is aimed at assessing the competitiveness of Indian industry vis-a-vis other countries. He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on 'Policy Initiatives of MCA to Empower Corporate Growth' organized by MCC Chamber of Commerce. "There is a negative perception about our
economy in India but not abroad. We have spoken to big consultancy firms and they are really bullish about us. So, we are working on business index. Why should we go by perceptions. There is a need to know the reality," he said. According to him, corporate affairs ministry will be ready with a master plan for better business environment in next one month. "We shall talk to other ministries like finance, commerce and law once we develop the master plan. We want to simplify issues like foreign investment promotion board clearances, prune obstacles for industry, simplify procedure for revival of sick units etc," he added.
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to revise MA's field development plan in order to increase production and improve recovery from the field. Sources said that in the Revised Field Development Plan, submitted to the government for approval, capital expenditure at MA field has
been estimated at $1.96 billion as against a capex of $2.234 billion approved in 2006. The RFDP is based on reduction in volumes -- oil goes down from 159 million barrels to 122 million barrel and gas from 941 billion
cubic feet to 924 bcf. The lower capex includes allocation of $111 million for drilling of seventh well on the field and work-overs or maintenance of two existing ones, including the one currently shut, at the cost of $164 million. Sources said RIL-BP would submit a revised development plan for D1&D3 gas fields, the main producing area in KG-D6, by end of current quarter. RIL had in the original field development plan for D1&D3 proposed a capital expenditure of $8.836 billion. Of this about 60% has been spent so far. With gas production at D1&D3 and MA fields in KG-D6 block has halved to less than 30 mmscmd in the past two years, RIL-BP are pinning hopes on developing 16 other gas finds in the same area to reverse the trend. An integrated development plan for the remaining satellite fields would be submitted by year end. These projects are expected to come up over the next 3 to 4 years and help reverse the declining trend at KG-D6.
NEW DELHI: Tightening the norms, Income Tax (I-T) department has introduced a new column seeking details of foreign assets in the income tax return (ITR) forms for the 2012-13 assessment year. Taxpayers, who hold foreign bank accounts or properties, will now have to furnish details of their foreign assets which include information like country name, address of the bank, name mentioned in the account and peak balance during the year etc.
NEW DELHI: International Air Transport Association (IATA) is sounding the alarm bells for Indian aviation. IATA director general Tony Tyler said on Wednesday that "India's aviation is in a multi-faceted crisis," severely impacted by high costs and exorbitant taxes. He also lamented the fact that in such a situation, the government had allowed the Delhi airport to hike charges by 346%. Indian carriers' collective losses-cum-debt was Rs 1.32 lakh crore as of March 31, 2012. "The financial
situation of Kingfisher is dire and Air India is on government life support," Tyler said, adding that the global aviation is concerned over the situation in India. He warned that though the country may be considering allowing foreign airlines to pick up stake in Indian carriers, "if critical domestic problems are not addressed, foreign investors will not be lining up to put their cash in Indian airlines... Under current circumstances, investors cannot see how they could ever see a return."
INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT ADDS NEW COLUMN FOR DECLARING FOREIGN ASSETS
Indian aviation in crisis: IATA
Gold, silver rally on sustained demand, global trend
MUMBAI: Gold continued its rally at the domestic bullion market today on sustained demand from stockists and investors amidst good jewellery off-take, triggered by bullish global trend. Silver also surged on hectic speculative demand on the back of heavy industrial buying. Standard gold (99.5 purity) rose by Rs 205 to end at Rs 29,905 per 10 grams from
KOYA MEMORIAL NIGHT
Wednesday's closing level of Rs 29,700. Pure gold (99.9 purity) gained by Rs 210 to close at Rs 30,040 per 10 grams from Rs 29,830. Silver ready (.999 fineness) spurted by Rs 645 per kg to finish at Rs 53,610 as compared to Rs 52,965 yesterday. In New York, gold shot up on weak dollar amidst optimism over easing eurozone debt cri-
This night dedicated to the memory of the late Hon. S M KOYA is slated for early next year. Everyone is welcome share their thoughts, comments and memories. If you stories and pictures etc., you want to share you are most wel come do so. The man who fulfilled the journey crafted by one of the most learned and seasoned politicians of Fiji the late Hon. Mr. A D Patel. THE KOYA MEMORIAL NIGHT will be dedicated to celebrate the memories of tails of former leader of opposition the Late Hon. S M KOYA
sis following ECB comments on granting a banking licence to bailout fund, European Stability Mechanism (ESM). Gold for August delivery climbed USD 31.90 to USD 1,608.10 an ounce on the Comex division of the NYMEX late yesterday. September silver contract were up by 66 cents to USD 27.47 an ounce.
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August 2012
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August 2012
PHOTO GALLERY
39 CHARLIE JAHANGIR GETS GLOWING TRIBUTE BY JOHN MOHAMMED AT HIS 60TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
August 2012
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August 2012