people gather beside damaged buildings after the...

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

PEOPLE GATHER BESIDE DAMAGED BUILDINGS AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE IN KATHMANDU, NEPAL THAT KILLED OVER 2,500 PEOPLEWHILE INJURING THOUSANDS (IANS).

Mukesh Ambani tops Forbeslist of richest Indians

LAKHWINDER DHALIWAL (OSGC); RANJIT SINGH DULAY, CHAIRPERSON OSGC; ONTARIO PREMIER KATHLEEN WYNNE,BHUPINDER UBBI, (OSGC), MPP AMRIT MANGAT, MPP DEEPIKA DAMERLA, MPP INDIRA NAIDOO-HARIS, AND MPP VIC DHILLONAT THE RECENTLY HELD NAGAR KIRTAN IN TORONTO.

AAP infighting tripsfurther growth in PunjabChandigarh, (IANS) The convulsions in the AAP have split thepar ty's leadership in Punjab, the only state outside of Delhiwhere it has made a mark in electoral politics.The latest developments in the Aam Aadmi Par ty have put threeof its four MPs from Punjab on the side of AAP leader and DelhiChief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.The four th, cardiologist, social worker and Pat ia la MPDharamvira Gandhi, is in the camp of ousted rebels YogendraYadav and Prashant Bhushan.The AAP, which was routed across the country in the 2014 LokSabha election, won all its four seats from Punjab. AAP candi-dates were elected from Sangrur, Patiala, Faridkot and FatehgarhSahib. Gandhi has been unceremoniously removed from thepost of leader of the AAP in the Lok Sabha. His place has beentaken by stand-up comedian as well as actor Bhagwant Mann,the MP from Sangrur.In his characteristic style, Gandhi promptly congratulated Mann.Other state leaders like Paramjeet Singh and Manjit Singh arebacking Gandhi and the Yadav-Bhushan group. But those likeSupreme Cour t lawyer and activist H.S. Phoolka, who lost theLok Sabha election from Ludhiana by just 20,000 votes, andS.S. Chhotepur, the AAP convener for Punjab, remain with theKejriwal camp.The other two MPs, Harinder Singh Khalsa (Fatehgarh Sahib)and Sadhu Singh (Faridkot), who mostly remain low-profile,are backing the Kejriwal camp.The tell-tale signs of things not being well in AAP's Punjab unitsurfaced when the par ty, which is looking for a bigger politicalspace for itself in the 2017 assembly polls, opted out of con-testing the assembly by-election in Dhuri.The assembly segment falls in the Sangrur Lok Sabha constitu-ency, which had chosen Bhagwant Mann as its MP with thebiggest margin of 212,000 votes just one year back.However, in the Patiala seat byelection last year, the AAP sup-por t base among the electorate dwindled considerably withinmonths.The AAP tally in the Lok Sabha polls put it in the second spotamong all par ties, just behind the ruling Akali Dal-BJP com-bine, which got six seats.The AAP bagged four seats and the Congress, Punjab's mainopposition par ty, finished a poor third with just three out ofPunjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats.

I CONTD. ON PAGE 5

Kathmandu, (IANS) The death toll in Nepal's deadly ear thquake couldtouch as high as 10,000, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala warned onTuesday, as the Himalayan nation battled food and water shor tagesand rescuers reached some of the remotest areas worst hit by thedisaster.With nearly 4,400 people already confirmed dead, many of the thou-sands injured in critical condition and hundreds missing, the fatali-ties from Saturday's 7.9 magnitude temblor could soar up to 10,000,Koirala told envoys of India, China and the US here.More than 7,500 people have been injured in the quake. "It's a fright-ening situation," a senior official told IANS.Koirala's alarming assessment came as an army of rescuers -Nepalese as well as foreigners - worked feverishly to look for peoplewho may still be buried under tonnes of debris that came crashingdown on Saturday.But even as international aid poured into Kathmandu, with volunteersreaching some of the remotest par ts of the landlocked nation, it be-came clear that the ear thquake may turn out to be worse than the onethat claimed over 8,000 lives in 1934 in Nepal.

The UN said the quake had impacted eight million in 39 districts, ofwhich over two million live in 11 most severely affected districts.The immediate priority of the victims include food, water, shelter andmedication, the UN said, adding 1.4 million people were in urgentneed of food assistance.The Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders saidafter an initial survey that sanitation conditions were worsening, par-ticularly outside of Kathmandu, due to lack of toilets and cleanwater. MSF said that while most buildings in Kathmandu remainedstanding, thousands were spending the days and nights out in theopen because of fears of what continuing aftershocks could do.But other areas had suffered widespread destruction, includingBhaktapur, east of Kathmandu. Officials and rescuers warnedthat rains predicted over the next 10 days would add to humanmisery, hampering relief effor ts. It could also lead to fur ther healthproblems. Even as it sought more aid from the international com-munity, Nepal on Tuesday requested all countries and interna-tional organisations not to send relief material unilaterally to "en-sure effective coordination".

Nepal earthquake: KOIRALA FEARSDEATH TOLL MAY TOUCH 10,000

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY RUSHES AID

Washington, (IANS) Reliance In-dustries chairman Mukesh Ambanion Monday regained his positionas the world's richest Indian with anet worth of $19.6 billion, pushingSun Pharmaceuticals founder DilipShanghvi back to the second placeafter seven weeks.With a fall of $100.1 million in hisnet worth, Ambani slipped from his39th position in the Forbes 2015 ranking to the 47th position among theworld's billionaires, while Shanghvi ($19.3 billion) with a much greater lossof $474.6 million fell to the 48th position from the 44th. In a 'real time' update,the US business magazine noted that Shanghvi's net worth dip was the thirdbiggest loss among the world's billionaires in its annual rich list.Ambani and Shanghvi remain the only two Indians among the top 50. In theannual list released on March 2, Forbes had ranked Ambani as the richestIndian for the eighth consecutive year. In the global list, Ambani with a networth of $21 billion was ranked 39th while Shanghvi was at the 44th placewith $20 billion, based on share prices and exchange rates as on February13. However, Shanghvi overtook Ambani as the richest Indian after two dayson March 4 with a sharp rally in the valuation of Sun Pharma. Globally,Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates continues to top the list with a current networth of $80.3 billion, up from $79.2 billion in the annual list with Carlos SlimHelu and Warren Buffett retaining their second and third ranking, respec-tively. According to Monday's real-time update, Ambani (47) and Shanghvi(48) are followed by Azim Premji (60), Lakshmi Mittal (85), Shiv Nadar (94),Kumar Mangalam Birla (169), Uday Kotak (200), Sunil Mittal (204), CyrusPoonawala (220) and Gautam Adani (238) among the top 10 richest Indians.

I MORE DETAILS ON PAGE 5

2 MidWeek MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

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MidWeek 3MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


KUNAL DESHMUKHRETURNS SAFE FROMQUAKE-HIT NEPALNEW DELHI, (IANS) Bollywooddirector Kunal Deshmukh, whowas stuck in Kathmandu afterthe devastating ear thquake hitthe Himalayan nation, wasback in Mumbai safe and soundon Tuesday morning.The 33-year-old director'sfriend and former BalajiTelefilms CEO TanujGarg told IANS In atext message: "He(Deshmukh) hasreturned to Mumbaithis morning andexhausted.Resting."On Tuesday,filmmker MaheshBhatt took tomicro-blogging website to share one of the message of the"Jannat" director."Reverence for life that is what I feel having survived theear thquake.Phantom tremors now paralyse me. KunalDeshmukh," he wrote.A 7.9-magnitude ear thquake shook Nepal on Saturday andhas left at least 4,347 people dead.

KHLOE KARDASHIAN TOWRITE ADVICE BOOKLos Angeles, (IANS) TV personality Khloe Kardashian is set towrite an advice book which would guide people in developing"strength and true beauty" in a "culture that worships skinny".The book will be published by Regan Ar ts. Although Khloe is notassociated with writing, she has previously released bookswith her sisters Kim and Kour tney Kardashian, repor tsaceshowbiz.com.Khloe said that now she's excited to write the book all by her-self, hoping that it could be an inspiration for everyone. "I am soexcited about sharing my philosophy on how I live and the powerof strength, I hope to be an inspiration to readers everywhere onhow they can create their own true strength and beauty insideand out," Khloe said.Judith Regan, CEO of Regan Ar ts, said: "We are thrilled to beworking with Khloe Kardashian whose book will surely inspirewomen and men everywhere. It's time for us to embrace thefact that strong, as opposed to skinny, is a healthier goal."

p a g e 3

GOVINDA HAS SPOILT MY DAD: VARUN DHAWANMumbai, (IANS) Actor Varun Dhawan, who recently visited the sets of"Dance India Dance Super Moms" along with co-star Shraddha Kapoorto promote their upcoming film "ABCD 2", says Govinda has "spoilt"his father, director David Dhawan.Varun and Shraddha met Govinda on the sets of the show and amazedthe guests with their impeccable dance moves. On the show, Varunshared an incident of the time when David was directing him in"Main Tera Hero". Af ter working with Govinda, his father wouldjust not be satisfied with whatever he would deliver in the courseof his shot and most of the times, he would end up saying, 'That'snot how Govinda would have done it', read a statement."Govinda sir has spoilt my dad. As an actor, he has set such highstandards that it is extremely difficult to reach up to that level.After having worked with him in numerous blockbusters, my dadkept expecting the same per fection and madness that Govinda jiused to bring to his per formances and dance moves. "'Tu MeraHero' was one of the toughest movies I have done, as a result . Heis a living legend of our industry and nobody can be like him,"Varun said.Govinda and David, who are known to be one of the best actor-director duos in Hindi filmdom,have worked together in films like"Haseena Maan Jaayegi", "Hero No. 1" and "Do Knot Disturb".Talking about the time when Varun and Shraddha were children,Govinda said: "I am so proud to see both the kids coming for their

movie promotions. Their fathers used to bring them on the setswhen they were kids and now I am amazed to see how Shraddhahas turned out to be so beautiful. They are super talented and Iwish all the best for their future."Varun was enthralled to see the per formances of the super moms.He also matched steps with Siddhesh on his dance number 'Palat'on the judges' request. Varun was lef t speechless after the per-formance of super mom Soumyashree after which, the celebrityduo jo ined her on stage, and danced on the song "Aa anteamalapuram". The episode was aired on Saturday on Zee TV.

PRIYANKA CHOPRA'S 'TITANIC' MOMENTMumbai, (IANS) Actress Priyanka Chopra almost had her "Ti-tanic" moment whi le f i lming her for thcoming movie "Di lDhadakne Do". The 1997 Hollywood blockbuster had a scenefeaturing Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) and Jack Dawson(Leonardo DiCaprio) spreading their arms wide open at Titanicship's edge. While Priyanka got her pose right, actor-filmmakerFarhan Akhtar played a photo bomber. "My titanic moment... I'mflying Jack... Where is jack? Photo bomber @FarOutAkhtar@RanveerOfficial busy #DDDTitleTrack," Priyanka captioned aphotograph that she tweeted. The movie also features Anil Kapoorand Ranveer Singh.


TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015s p e c i a l r e p o r t

RAHAT FATEH ALI KHAN SHOWIN TORONTO A GREAT SUCCESS

ASGHAR ALI GOLO, CONSUL GENERAL OF PAKISTAN IN TORONTO WITH CONSUL GENERAL OF INDIA AKHILESH MISHRA.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


AAP infighting tripsfurther growth in PunjabCONTD. FROM PAGE 1After the parliamentary election, the AAP named Gandhi its leaderin the Lok Sabha. His sudden exit and Mann's elevation is boundto leave a bad taste among AAP leaders in Punjab.Mann has cour ted controversies in the past with his actions andstatements. But when the Delhi assembly election took place,Mann was one of its most active campaigners in the capital.The AAP in Punjab is already divided. One of the founder mem-bers in the state, Manjit Singh, who was facing disciplinary ac-tion for some of his statements, has quit the par ty.Other leaders at district level too are divided into rival camps.While the AAP national leadership may not be paying much at-tention to the damage in Punjab, the state's electorate whichsuppor ted the AAP is definitely feeling cheated by the infighting."We had voted for AAP thinking the par ty would provide freshideology to murky politics. But they have ended up washing dir tylinen in public. Their MPs are hardly doing much on the ground,"Rajbir Singh, a student of a private university near Patiala, toldIANS.The farming community, which had suppor ted the AAP in Punjab'shinterland, too is disappointed."They (AAP leaders) have such big egos and are only fighting.They seem to have forgotten their cause of fighting for the rightsof people. Voters will never forgive them," Ajmer Singh, a farmerin Fatehgarh Sahib, told IANS.

breaking news

Toronto - The Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwara Council (an umbrellabody of Gurdwaras and other Sikh organizations) held itsannual Khalsa Day Celebration and Vaisakhi. Vaisakhi marksone of the most impor tant days of the Sikh calendar. As it wason this day, that the Sikh community was formalized into theorder of the Khalsa by the 10th Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh in1699, and was given the five external ar ticles of faith known asthe Panj Kakkars or otherwise known as, the Five K’s.The five Ks are not just symbols but ar ticles of faith, whichcollectively form the external identity and the Khalsa devotee'scommitment to the Sikh Rehni (Way of Life). Sikhs have been inCanada for more than 100 years. Sikhs have done remarkablywell in every walk of life as successful business owners, asprofessionals, as law enforcement officers and as representa-tives at all levels of government. Sikhs have been par t of thefabric in the communities around GTA and have played a vitalrole in the development of communities and businesses thatthey live and work in.Ranjit Singh Dulay, Chairperson OSGC thanked all the Sangats,volunteers and media for their suppor t and running Nagar Kir tansmoothly.

ANNUAL KHALSA DAY CELEBRATED

IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO

MANJIT PARMAR ALONG WITH OTHER OSGC MEMBERS HONORING SIM BHULLAR, FIRST PLAYER OF INDIAN ORIGIN TO PLAY IN THE NBA.



Samsung Electronics Canada, oneof the leading suppliers of mobiletechnology in Canada, today an-nounced the introduction of thenew GALAXY Tab A, the go-to tablet for your family'sdigital needs, delivering a fea-ture-packed experi- e n c ethat 's great for v i e w i n gcontent and getting thingsdone on-the-go. Designed tomeet the changing de-mands of the today's fam-ily, the GAL- AXY Tab A keepse v e r y o n e connected to whatmatters most to them, while includingthe leading edge features they've come toexpect f rom a power ful Samsung tablet.

community

PREMIER WYNNE AT THE MLSE FOUNDATION'S STATE-OF-THE-ART SPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT CENTRE. SEEN ALSO IS TORONTOMAYOR JOHN TORY. (PREMIERPHOTOS)

EDMONTON - Grammy Award winning ar tist Sarah McLachlan andJuno Award winning duo Tegan and Sara have been announced asfeatured ar tists for the Opening Ceremony of the FIFA Women'sWorld Cup Canada 2015™ taking place directly before the OpeningMatch featuring Canada against China PR on June 6th in Edmonton.Tickets to the Opening Match include the Opening Ceremony andthe performances by these great Canadian ar tists.The Opening Ceremony will officially kick-off the competition andwill feature over 200 performers celebrating the empowerment andunification of women. The competition's official slogan - To aGreater Goal™ - will come to life through performances demon-strating the positive impact of the spor t both on and off the field.Celebrating the ideas of ambition, inspiration, honour, victory,celebration and pride, values shared by the announced ar tists, theOpening Ceremony will celebrate the greatest attributes of thegame and highlight the lasting legacy and global impact of acompetition featuring successful and empowering women fromaround the world. "I'm honoured to be a par t of the OpeningCeremony of the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™. This willbe a great oppor tunity for me to perform "In Your Shoes", a songthat was inspired by Malala Yousafzai's incredible story and herstrength of character to stand up to what she believed in," said

McLachlan. "As the mother of two daughters, it's impor tant to havestrong female role models for young girls and we are so for tunateright here in Canada to have such an accomplished group ofathletes on our Canadian team who inspire us all."Tegan and Sara, originally from Alberta, are similarly thrilled to bepar t of the competition that will bring the best female soccerplayers from around the world to Canada for the FIFA Women'sWorld Cup Canada 2015™ running June 6 to July 5. "Tegan and I willbe there, and are thrilled to take par t in the Opening Ceremony!"said Sara Quin. "We'll be performing a song during the OpeningCeremony alongside other amazing ar tists and role models. We arelooking forward to being there in Edmonton, in our home province ofAlber ta, to take par t in such an exciting event."We are very proud to have such accomplished Canadian homegrown talent par ticipate in the Opening Ceremony for the FIFAWomen's World Cup Canada 2015™ that will be seen from coast tocoast and around the world. Canada is excited to be playing our firsttwo matches, including the Opening Match, in Edmonton," saidPeter Montopoli, CEO of the National Organising Committee forCanada 2015. "We know that Edmonton will continue its tradition asa great host for international soccer and suppor t Canada as our12th player on the pitch."

GALAXY Tab A,the go-to tablet

OPENING CEREMONY ARTISTSFOR FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP

CANADA 2015 ANNOUNCED

smart CANADACHAMPIONS 2015 EARTHDAY EVERY DAY CAMPAIGNTORONTO - smart Canada is once again par tnering with Ear thDay Canada (EDC) in support of its mission to generate aware-ness toward the personal choices one can make to decreasetheir eco-footprint. Recently EDC launched Ear th Day EveryDay - a program which includes a mobile-friendly interactivesite aimed at providing people and businesses with the meansto help them reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions by20% over the next five years. This program enables Canadiansto track their daily positive impacts on reduction of greenhousegas emissions and share their results and success storieswith friends and the world via social media. With an emphasison 'Clean Commuting' decisions, par ticipating Canadians willbe recognized for achieving carbon reduction milestones.With EDC highlighting 25 different ways to make an impact onclean commuting, today's focus will be to 'Go Electric'. Thesmart for two electric drive embodies this initiative as a highlyefficient mode of transpor tation. In fact, compared to gas-pow-ered vehicles, a higher percentage of the energy in the smar t'sbattery is transferred directly to power the car. The smar t fortwo electric drive emits 0 kilograms of CO2. What's more, ifyou are charging with 100% renewable-sourced electricity, itwill then be vir tually CO2 free throughout its driving life.

Gardiner Expressway fully reopened aftercompletion of first phase of construction work

two months ahead of schedule

TORONTO - The first phase of the Gardiner Expresswayrehabilitation work, from Exhibition Place to Grand Maga-zine Street, has been completed and the road has fullyreopened two months ahead of schedule. Mayor John Toryannounced in December that the expressway would open upto two months early in this location thanks to an acceler-ated work schedule negotiated by the City and the contrac-tor. Three eastbound lanes of the roadway opened thismorning after the three westbound lanes were reopened onthe weekend."Having this work completed sooner means that Torontoresidents can get where they need to go more quickly ratherthan being stuck in traffic due to construction," said MayorTory. "This is the first of, I hope, some key constructionprojects that can be finished sooner and help minimizedisruptions to Torontonians in the city. This is terrific newsfor commuters who use the Gardiner Expressway," saidCouncillor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25 Don Valley West), Chairof the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. "Con-

gratulations to the City's Engineering and ConstructionServices staff for their work in helping make this happen."Councillor Robinson also extended thanks to motorists fortheir patience as this par t of the construction work has beencompleted. The City negotiated an accelerated schedule withthe contractor in order to complete this work early. The $2-million cost associated with the acceleration was for addi-tional crews, materials and equipment required to acceleratethe work. Currently, the City of Toronto estimates that thecost of construction on the Gardiner Expressway results inabout $1 million a day in lost productivity for commutersusing the road, as a result of increased travel time from laneclosures related to construction.The second phase of this project will begin following theconclusion of the Pan Am Games and is expected to becompleted by December 2016. This construction project ispar t of the City's comprehensive and co-ordinated strategy torehabilitate and upgrade Toronto's roads, transit and under-ground infrastructure for current and future needs.

National Youth Week and NationalYouth Arts Week May 1-7Brampton - The City of Brampton is planning a series of excit-ing events for National Youth Week and National Youth Ar tsWeek, May 1-7. Young people between the ages of 12 and 24are invited to par ticipate in a range of free activities to cel-ebrate their positive contributions to our community throughthe ar ts, volunteerism, spor ts and leadership.Highlights include:" Youth Week Kickoff at Gage Park, on May 1, 5:30-8:30 pmfeaturing a talent showcase, carnival games and spor t "try-its"" Young musicians perform in the Battle of the Bands at theRose Theatre Lobby on May 1, 7-10 pm" Visual ar ts showcases all week at PAMA and Shoppers World,including 100 Acts of Ar t in the Park" Music Monday concer t on May 4 at Shoppers World, celebrat-ing music education" Mural Unveiling at Mac's Convenience Store (Queen St. E. andCentre St. N.) on May 7, 12-1:30 pm. In par tnership with Mac'sConvenience Stores, Peel Regional Police and the Region ofPeel, youth will paint a mural designed by a professional ar tist." Numerous drop-ins, workshops, and spor ts, ar ts and envi-ronmental activities at community centres.Activities and events will be happening all week long at loca-t ions around the ci ty. For a fu l l schedule, p lease vis i twww.brampton.ca

TORONTO PLANTING EVENTToronto - Counci l lor Glenn De Baeremaeker (Ward 38Scarborough Centre), Toronto's Tree Advocate, Councillor Jim Karygiannis(Ward 39 Scarborough-Agincourt) and City staff joined members of thecommunity at L'Amoreaux North Park and Humber Arboretum today toplant over 2,500 trees and shrubs as part of the Trees Across Toronto annualspring planting event.Over 2,000 Torontonians participated in the planting event, including 300employees from HSBC Bank Canada, representatives from the TorontoParking Authority and the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation. "The Cityaims to maximize tree species diversity as this provides increased resil-iency when certain species are threatened," said Councillor De Baeremaeker."Trees Across Toronto is a splendid example of corporate sponsors, Citystaff and the community working together to show our commitment toenvironmental stewardship and to making Toronto a beautiful, greener,more livable city."The City of Toronto's goal is to increase Toronto's tree canopy by 40 per centby planting, protecting and maintaining trees across the city. Although theDecember 2013 ice storm and emerald ash borer infestation had devastat-ing impacts on the City's tree canopy, it is being replenished through themaintenance and planting of trees in City parks and ravines through theTrees Across Toronto program. "Toronto's urban forest is home to severalrare and protected plant and animal species, and ecologically sensitivehabitats," said Councillor Karygiannis. "By volunteering theirtime and effor ts to plant trees today, Torontonians have exer-cised their green thumbs to increase our urban forest and en-hance our natural urban spaces."



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 community

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEOutside Sales (Food Oils)

We are looking for aggressive, highly motivated and energized indi-viduals for our B2B outside sales role. Numerous South Asian lan-guage skills will be given preferance.

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Qualifications:- Motivated, self starters and driven sales people.- Minimum 2 to 3 years professional work experience. B2B salesexperience preferred. Food Industry even better-Individuals are expected to come to the office a minimum of one dayto make calls and appointments. Min 1 day per week Sales Meetingand reporting of results.- Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)-CRM Experience- Strong oral and written communication skills- Must have a tolerance for change; this is an active and fast-pacedenvironment- Must be motivated, personable, ambitious and able to maintain anoptimistic attitude- Must be able to make presentations to customer- Must have driving license G.

Only Qualified Applicants will be called. Please no phone calls. Pleaseemail your resume and cover letter to [email protected] Account Executive in the Heading

Salary: Excellent Salary and Commissions and Bonuses

At time of approval: Company Car and Cell Phone will be provided.

TORONTO - A trio of recently published studies from a teamof University of Toronto engineers has found that air pollutioncould be spreading up to three times far ther than thought-contributing to varying levels of air quality across cities.Past research on air pol lut ion from vehicle tai lpipes hasshown poor air quality anywhere between 100 to 250 metresof major roadways. U of T chemical engineer Greg Evans(ChemE) and his par tners at Environment Canada have foundthat concentrations of pollutants from traffic are still doubleat a distance of 280 metres downwind from highway 400 nor thof Toronto. One in three Canadians, and half of all Torontonians,lives within 250 meters of at least one major roadway. Theseroads, says Evans, range from 10-lane highways to mostfour-lane streets with steady traffic.According to Health Canada, poor air quality from traffic pol-lution is associated with a number of health issues, such asasthma in children and other respiratory diseases, hear t dis-ease, cancer, and increased rates of premature death inadults. The Canadian Medical Association attributes 21,000premature deaths each year in Canada to air pollution. Aseparate study published last month also linked traffic pollu-tion to delayed cognitive development in children.25% of cars causing 90% of pollutionA second paper by Evans and colleagues, published in theMarch 2015 suggests that a small number of older or "badlytuned" cars and trucks produce the majority of vehicle pollu-tion. The study made on-the-spot measurements of 100,000vehicles. Evans and team found that one-quar ter of the ve-hicles on the road produced:95% of black carbon (or 'soot')93% of carbon monoxideand 76% of volatile organic compounds such as benzene,to luene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes, some of which areknown-carcinogens.

Traffic emissionsmay pollute 1 in 3Canadian homes

ONTARIO MOVING FORWARD WITH FINCH WEST LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT PROJECT

Project to Bring 11 km, 18 Stops of Light RailTransit to Manage Congestion; Improve Economy

Ontario - As part of the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario's history,the province is moving ahead with the $1.2 billion Finch West Light RailTransit (LRT) project - a priority transit investment in the City of Toronto thatwill bring much-needed rapid transit to communities along Finch AvenueWest. The LRT will create 11 new kilometres of rapid transit along FinchWest from the new Finch West subway station on the Toronto-York Spadinasubway extension to Humber College.The project will help transform FinchAvenue West into a vibrant community, accessible to motorists, transit rid-ers, cyclists and pedestrians. The LRT service will also move more people,faster through the busy Finch West corridor than the existing bus service.Through the Moving Ontario Forward plan the government is investing inpriority rapid transit projects that will connect to the GO Transit network andother transit systems across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).These priority rapid transit projects will increase transit ridership, reducetravel times, manage congestion, connect people to jobs, and improve theeconomy. On April 16, 2015, Ontario moved ahead with its plan to unlock thevalue of certain public assets. This will provide the province with approxi-mately $4 billion to build new transit and other priority infrastructure projectsthrough Moving Ontario Forward.Investing more than $130 billion over 10 years in public infrastructure - thelargest infrastructure investment in the province's history - is part of thegovernment's plan for Ontario. The four-part plan is building Ontario up byinvesting in people's talents and skills, building new public infrastructure likeroads and transit, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where busi-ness thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan."Ontario is committed to improving transit in the Greater Toronto and HamiltonArea. This new LRT will help manage congestion, offer more convenienttravel options and provide the foundation to support a prosperous city for theresidents of Toronto. This is further proof of our government's commitment tomaking the daily commute and quality of life better for Ontario families." -Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation"The Finch West LRT will bring rapid transit to communities that need it themost, and evolve the transit landscape in Toronto. Commitment to this project,as well as other LRT projects like the Eglinton Crosstown, reflect the impor-tant investments being made to create a truly integrated and sustainabilitytransit system for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area." - Bruce McCuaig,President and CEO, Metrolinx "The development of the Finch West LRT is a significant milestone for Humberand our surrounding community. In addition to improving access and makingit easier for students and employees to get to the North Campus, having theLRT hub onsite will further campus development and our ability to provideour students with a quality learning experience." - Chris Whitaker, Presidentof Humber College"We applaud the government's investment in public transit and transporta-tion, which are critical to fostering the knowledge economy and ensuringToronto's standing as a world-class city. This transformative project is excel-

lent news for York University and the surrounding community. Over 10,000 ofour York students will be within walking distance to the stations along theFinch West Corridor, and will benefit greatly from this new investment." -Mamdouh Shoukri, President of York University.QUICK FACTS " The province's Moving Ontario Forward plan will make $31.5 billionavailable over the next 10 years for investments in priority infrastructureprojects across the province and is expected to support over 20,000 jobs peryear, on average, in construction and related industries." Under Moving Ontario Forward, around $16 billion is being allocated totransit and transportation projects in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area(GTHA), and about $15 billion available for investment in roads, bridges,transit and other critical infrastructure in the rest of the province." The environmental assessment (EA) phase for the Finch West LRT wascompleted in 2010. A separate environmental assessment for the mainte-nance and storage facility (MSF) for the light rail vehicles will begin soon. TheMSF will be located along Finch Avenue West between Norfinch Drive andYork Gate Boulevard. Preliminary design and engineering work on the projectis ongoing and work is underway to ready the project for procurement.Finch West Light Rail Transit Through the moving Moving Ontario Forward plan, the province is investingin priority rapid transit projects that will connect to GO Transit and othertransit systems across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). Thesepriority rapid transit projects will increase transit ridership, reduce traveltimes, manage congestion, connect people to jobs, and improve the economy.Ontario is working with its agency, Metrolinx, and the City of Toronto to moveforward on next steps to building the new Finch West light rail transit (LRT)

project. " This $1.2 billion investment for Finch West LRT is funded as part of the$8.4 billion commitment by the government of Ontario to transit expansion inToronto." The Finch West LRT will bring 11 kilometres of new modern, reliable,rapid transit to Toronto from the new Finch West subway station on theToronto-York Spadina subway extension at Keele Street to Humber College inToronto's northwest corner." The LRT line will have 18 surface stops and one below-gradeinterchange station,connecting people to key destinations along Finch to helpget them where they need to go." The Finch West LRT will provide crucial connections to many of theregion's existing transit lines, including GO Transit bus services, andMississauga and Brampton local bus services at Humber College." The LRT will also provide a new rapid transit connection with the TTC'ssubway system along the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension." Projected ridership is expected to be 2,250 passengers per hour in thepeak direction by 2031." The maintenance and storage facility for the LRT project will be locatedalong Finch Avenue West between Norfinch Drive and York Gate Boulevard." The preliminary design and environmental assessment phase for theFinch West LRT was completed in 2010. A separate environmental assess-ment for the maintenance and storage facility for the light rail vehicles willbegin soon." Targeted start of construction: Spring 2016


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After Nepal quake, India may be next: Experts

Helping Introduce Economic Action Plan 2015

BY MP PARM GILL

Ottawa - Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Secretary to theMinister of International Trade, Parm Gill, is welcoming the HarperGovernment's Economic Action Plan 2015. It will suppor t jobs andgrowth in Brampton, help our families and communities prosper, andensure the security of all Canadians."We have kept our promise to Canadians by balancing the budget in2015, the first balanced budget since the Great Recession.""Under our leadership, Canada has created over 1.2 million new jobssince the recession, but we live in uncer tain times and the globaleconomy remains fragile." said MP Gill. "That's why Economic ActionPlan 2015 will continue our Government's focus on creating morejobs and growing the economy in Brampton and across the country."Economic Action Plan 2015 includes key measures to suppor t Cana-dian families and to suppor t the Ontario economy, including:o Cutting Tax for Small Business: Economic Action Plan 2015 pro-poses to fur ther reduce the small business tax rate down to 9% by2019. Due to measures taken since we formed government, we havereduced taxes for small businesses by almost 50%.o Suppor ting Families: Economic Action Plan 2015 benefits 100% offamilies with children by lowering taxes and increasing benefits. Anaverage family will receive $6,600 in suppor t per year due to mea-sures our government has introduced.o Tax Free Savings Account: Economic Action Plan 2015 proposes toincrease the Tax-Free Savings Account annual contribution limit to$10,000, effective for the 2015 taxation year. There are now 11 millionCanadians who have opened accounts to save money for their priori-ties.

o Supporting Job-Creating Businesses: Economic Action Plan 2015proposes to support manufacturing job across Ontario by providingtax relief for manufacturers and funding the new Automotive SupplierInnovation Program. These initiatives will help create jobs and eco-nomic growth for Ontario.o Public Transit Fund: This fund will grow to $1 billion a year to sup-port major public transit projects to reduce gridlock, create jobs, andprotect the environment.o Supporting Seniors: Economic Action Plan 2015 proposes to pro-vide more flexibility for seniors by reducing the minimum withdrawalfactors for Registered Retirement Income Funds to permit seniors topreserve more of their retirement savings. Economic Action Plan 2015also proposes to introduce a new, permanent, non-refundable HomeAccessibility Tax Credit for seniors and persons with disabilities.o National Security: To ensure that our Armed Forces continue to havewhat they need to accomplish the dangerous tasks Canadians ask ofthem, Economic Action Plan 2015 proposes increase NationalDefence's budget by $11.8 billion over 10 years. We are also provid-ing new funding to help counter violent extremism and terrorism.The Province of Ontario will receive record high transfer payments tosuppor t health care, education, and social programs. Specifically,Ontario will receive $20.4B in federal transfers this year - an increaseof $9.6B (or 88%) from under the old Liberal government. "We areproud of our plan that is lowering taxes and providing benefits directlyto families in Brampton for them to reinvest in the Canadian economy,"says MP Gill.

New Delhi, (IANS) In the wake of the strong 7.9 magnitude earthquakethat killed over a 1,500 people in Nepal and left a swathe of devastationin the northern Himalayas on Saturday, experts said a temblor of equalintensity is "overdue" in northern India.""An earthquake of the same magnitude is overdue. That may happeneither today or 50 years from now... in the region of the Kashmir,Himachal, Punjab and Uttrakhand Himalyas. Seismic gaps havebeen identified in these regions," B.K. Rastogi, the director gen-eral of the Ahmedabad-based Institute of Seismological Re-search, told IANS on the phone.This is because the movement of tectonic plates generates stressover time, and rocks at the sur face break in response. When thestress accumulates, every 100 km stretch of the 2,000-km-longHimalyas can be hit by a high-magnitude ear thquake."The accumulation of stress is going on everywhere. But whereit will reach the elastic limit, we don't know nor also when. Butwhat we do know is that it is happening everywhere," Rastogiadded."With 20 such locations that are prone to high-intensity ear th-quakes, it takes 200 years for an ear thquake of this magnitudeto happen on this belt. In 1833, the same epicentre - 80 kmnor thwest of Kathmandu - an ear thquake of 7.5 magnitude hadhit the region," he said.According to the India Meteorological Depar tment (IMD), Saturday'squake, measuring 6 on the Richter scale in Delhi, had a depth of 10 kmand its impact lasted up to one minute.The US Geological Survey said the epicentre was in Nepal's Lamjungdistrict some 75 km from Kathmandu. The aftershocks were felt evenhalf-an-hour after the quake and some lasted till evening.Rastogi said that the earthquake uplifted the rocks by four meters,rupturing an area 100 km long and 50 meters wide of the epicentre.Scientist P.R. Vaidya at IMD here, said Nepal falls on the Alpine-Hima-layan belt, one among the three seismic belts on the Earth's surface,which is responsible for 10 percent of the world's earthquakes.

The Apline-Himalayn belt, which is prone to high-intensity earthquakes,runs through New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, the Andaman andNicobar Islands and northeast India, from where it turns to Nepal andthen to Jammu and Kashmir, up to Afghanistan and the MediterraneanSea. It finally ends in Europe.The world's greatest earthquake belt, the circum-Pacific seismic belt,is found along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, where about 80 percent ofthe world's largest temblors occur.Rastogi said within the 40-km-range of the epicentre, the scale of dam-age has been very high, with a total collapse of buildings.The aftershocks, he added, would be felt for two days in case of a"strong" earthquake" of about magnitude 8."Even small buildings that were hit in the first wave may be damaged bythe aftershocks if not designed properly. And the aftershocks may con-

tinue for one or two months," he said.About 40 million years ago, India was 5,000 km south of where theHimalyas now stand. With the continental shift, India and the Asiancontinent came closer to form the Himalayas."And the process of movement continues at about two cm every year.The Indian landmass today is pushing the Asian landmass and thatgenerates stress," Rastogi said.Scientist Vaidya said: "Earthquakes happen because of the theory ofplate tectonics, which means with the movement of tactonic plates,stress in generated in the rocks."The quake claimed nearly 40 lives in India, causing widespreaddestruction in parts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.Earthquakes, however don't kill, said Vaidya. "It's the damage causedto the structures around us that cause the loss of life."

BY TRINA JOSHI

INDIANS EVACUATED FROM EARTHQUAKE HIT NEPAL DEBOARDING THE C-17 GLOBEMASTER- III OF THE INDIAN AIR FORCE, INNEW DELHI (IANS).



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


canadaPM HONOURED AT 30THANNIVERSARYCELEBRATION OF THECANADIAN CENTRE FORCHILD PROTECTION IP10

416-907-4420

BUDGET 2015 MAKES LARGEST INFRASTRUCTUREINVESTMENT IN ONTARIO'S HISTORY

GOVERNMENT IS BUILDING ONTARIO UP, GROWING THE ECONOMY AND CREATING JOBS

Ontario - Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa recently releasedthe 2015 Budget, which makes possible an unprecedented invest-ment in infrastructure to suppor t economic growth and new jobs.The Budget acts on the government's commitment to finding moreinnovative ways to grow the economy while maintaining the vitalpublic services that families and communities rely on. This includesunlocking the value of provincial assets to suppor t the largest infra-structure investment in Ontario's history.The Province is also introducing the sale of beer in grocery stores toincrease customer convenience and choice while maintainingOntario's strong commitment to social responsibility.Ontario is projecting a deficit of $8.5 billion in 2015-16, less thanforecast in the 2014 Budget, and which would be the lowest levelsince the onset of the global recession. The Province will continue totake a thoughtful and deliberate approach to the path to balance, witha deficit of $4.8 billion forecast for 2016-17 and a return to balance by2017-18. The government's four-par t plan is building Ontario up byinvesting in people's talents and skills, building public infrastructuresuch as roads and transit, creating a dynamic, innovative environ-ment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement sav-ings plan.Building Up Ontario's InfrastructureRenewing and expanding public infrastructure suppor ts Ontario's in-dustries, creates jobs and positions Ontario to better compete in theglobal economy while meeting the education, health care, and roadand transit needs of the future. When Ontario invests, it is building --and when it is building, it is growing. The 2015 Budget continues andexpands on Ontario's plan to make an unprecedented investment ofmore than $130 billion in public infrastructure over 10 years. Thisincludes:" Increasing the dedicated funds for Moving Ontario Forwardby $2.6 billion for a total of $31.5 billion over 10 years -- about $16billion in transit projects in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area(GTHA) and about $15 billion available for transpor tation and otherpriority infrastructure projects outside the GTHA. The increase is dueto a higher target from the Province's asset optimization plan; and" A planned investment of $11.9 billion in 2015-16 on infra-structure such as roads, bridges, public transit, water systems, hos-pitals and schools.The government is moving ahead with a plan to unlock the value of itsassets and reinvest the net proceeds through the Trillium Trust inpublic transit, transpor tation and other priority infrastructure projectsto strengthen Ontario's economy and encourage job creation. Increas-ing the dedicated funds for Moving Ontario Forward will acceleratepriority projects and enable new projects to come on stream. Theasset optimization plan includes:" Broadening Hydro One ownership to create lasting publicbenefits and ongoing public and ratepayer protections." Reviewing a number of prime-located real estate assets forsale.Par tnering with Business to Create JobsOntario continues to create rewarding, high-paying jobs. Employmenthas rebounded strongly from the recessionary low in June 2009, withover half a million net new jobs created -- three-quar ters of which arein industries paying above-average wages. The Province has morethan recovered all the jobs lost since the global economic recession.These high-quality jobs provide oppor tunities for personal develop-ment while also creating financial stability and securing prosperityfor all Ontarians.The 2015 Budget continues to build Ontario's economy up by:" Increasing funding for the 10-year, $2.5 billion Jobs and Pros-perity Fund to par tner with more businesses, enhancing productivity,

increasing innovation, growing expor ts and creating jobs. The 2015Budget announces that the fund will be increased by a total of $200million beginning in 2015-16, increasing the fund to $2.7 billion over10 years and extending eligibility to the forestry sector." Continuing, beyond March 2016, electricity pricing suppor tfor qualifying large nor thern industrial facilities, which sustain jobsand global competitiveness." Tackling climate change now to ensure a prosperous eco-nomic future and a flourishing society. Ontario will move forwardwith a cap-and-trade system as its carbon pricing mechanism. Pro-ceeds from a cap-and-trade program will be directed towards keypriorities that will help lower greenhouse gas emissions.Developing a Highly Skilled WorkforceOntario's greatest strength is its people. By investing in people to-day and giving Ontarians the suppor t they need to get the right skillsand the right jobs, the government is building the strong economy oftomorrow. Budget measures include:" Continuing to improve education and skills training, frompreschool and full-day kindergar ten through to postsecondary edu-cation and trade apprenticeship programs, with innovations such asexperiential learning pilot programs." Investing an additional $250 million over two years in theOntario Youth Jobs Strategy, bringing the total investment in youthemployment programming to more than $565 million." Modernizing the Ontario Student Assistance Program tostrengthen financial assistance for students.Managing ResponsiblyThe government has a proven track record of strong fiscal manage-ment. Since 2010-11, the Province has held average annual growthin program spending to 1.5 per cent, below the rate of inflation,without cutting vital services.The 2015 Budget makes fur ther progress towards fiscal balance by:" Continuing Program Review, Renewal and Transformation(PRRT), a fundamentally new approach to multi-year planning andbudgeting. It is identifying both short- and longer-term oppor tunitiesto transform programs and services, and making tough choices toend programs that are not performing, do not link to key priorities orno longer serve a clear public interest. For 2014-15, a $250 millionprogram review savings target was met through a number of initia-tives that identified efficiencies, lowered costs or reduced adminis-trative overhead without affecting front-line services. The programreview savings targets are $500 million for each of 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18." Managing program expense growth over the medium term,which is projected to be held to an average of 0.9 per cent between2013-14 and 2017-18." Total health sector expense is projected to grow on aver-age by 1.9 per cent per year, education sector expense by 2.0 percent per year, children's and social services sector expense by 2.9per cent per year and justice sector expense by 1.5 per cent peryear." Postsecondary and training sector expense will be largelyunchanged and all other programs expense is projected to decreaseon average by 5.5 per cent per year.

Continuing to negotiate collective agreements with theOntario Public Service and broader public sector within Ontario'sexisting fiscal framework, which does not include additional fundingfor wage increases. Any modest wage increases must be offset byother measures within current funding available to employers tocreate a net zero agreement." Since July 2012, the average annual negotiated wage in-crease across Ontario's provincial public sector has been 0.6 per

cent. This is lower than Ontario's municipal public sector (1.9 percent), the federal public sector in Ontario (1.7 per cent) and Ontario'sprivate sector (2.0 per cent).

Combatting the underground economy, which is estimatedto be $15 billion in annual economic activity in Ontario, to help levelthe playing field for business. The Province is achieving this throughbetter collection of information and analytics, increased measures toaddress contraband tobacco, and reducing corporate tax avoidance.The Province will also propose to make the use, manufacture or dis-tribution of electronic sale suppression technologies illegal.Quick Facts" Most private-sector forecasters predict that Ontario'seconomy will rank among the provincial growth leaders in each of thenext two years." The government provided more than $1.3 billion in studentgrants and loans in 2013?14, helping more than 380,000 students." The Employment Ontario network helped approximately onemillion Ontarians in 2013?14, including over 150,000 employers acrossOntario." On June 1, 2014, the hourly minimum wage rose to $11. Itwill rise to $11.25 in October 2015.

UNION PEARSON EXPRESSTO LAUNCH JUNE 6

ONTARIO - Union Pearson Express (UP Express) will go into serviceJune 6, giving people a fast, reliable option for travelling betweenToronto Pearson International Airpor t and the city's downtown core.Premier Kathleen Wynne made the announcement today while takingpar t in the inaugural ride on the dedicated express train. The servicewill launch in time to serve visitors to the 2015 Pan Am and ParapanAm Games.The government is investing more than $130 billion over 10 years inpublic infrastructure, the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario'shistory.UP Express is one of $16 billion wor th of projects underway to mod-ernize transit infrastructure in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.Through Moving Ontario Forward, the government is investing anadditional $31.5 billion over 10 years to build transit, transpor tationand other priority infrastructure inside and outside the Greater Torontoand Hamilton Area, supporting over 20,000 jobs per year on averagein construction and related industries.On April 16 the government announced it is able to enhance fundingfor Moving Ontario Forward because it is acting on recommendationsfrom Ed Clark's review of government assets. This will unlock $4billion, every dollar of which would be set aside for transit and trans-por tation infrastructure.With the launch of UP Express, Toronto will join the ranks of globalcities with a seamless airport-to-downtown connection -- enhancingthe region's competitive advantage, reducing gridlock and promotingtourism. The trip between Canada's two busiest transportation hubswill take just 25 minutes, and trains will depar t every 15 minutes.Making the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario's history ispar t of the government's plan to build Ontario up. The four-par t planincludes investing in people's talents and skills, building new publicinfrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, suppor tiveenvironment where business thrives, and building a secure retire-ment savings plan. UP Express is more than a rail line - it is a symbolof progress. Our province is making smar t infrastructure investmentsto serve the people of Ontario today, while building the foundation fora thriving and prosperous tomorrow.Kathleen Wynne, Premier of OntarioThis is exciting news as UP Express service begins and Toronto joinsthe ranks of other global cities. It will give people one more optionthey can choose to get to and from the airpor t and the downtown core.

I CONTD. ON PAGE 10


TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015c a n a d a

PM HONOURED AT 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONOF THE CANADIAN CENTRE FOR CHILD PROTECTION

MANITOBA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper attended the 30th anniversarycelebration of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P), a non-profitcharitable organization dedicated to protecting children and reducing childvictimization. He was joined by Mrs. Laureen Harper.The Prime Minister delivered a keynote address in which he recog-nized the C3P's involvement in protecting young victims of crime aswell as educating the public about child personal safety, sexual ex-ploitation and cyberbullying, and helping find missing children. Healso congratulated the organization on its first 30 years, expressinghis gratitude on behalf of all Canadians.During the event, Prime Minister Harper and Mrs. Laureen Harperwere honoured by Lianna McDonald, Executive Director for the Cana-dian Centre for Child Protection, in recognition of their extensive workon protecting the rights of victims of crime, especially children.The Prime Minister reaffirmed the Government's commitment to keep-ing dangerous criminals behind bars and out of our neighbourhoods,protecting our children, rebalancing the justice system to give vic-tims of crime a strong voice, keeping illegal guns, gangs and drugsout of our communities, and protecting Canadians from terrorism.The Prime Minister also highlighted that the Victims Bill of Rights Acthas now received Royal Assent. This landmark legislation will en-shrine in law, once and for all, a bill of rights for victims of crimeincluding the right to information, protection, par ticipation and, wherepossible, a right to restitution. This impor tant legislation will ensurethat the rights of victims are placed at the very heart of our criminaljustice system and that victims of crime receive the respect andcompassion they deserve.Quick Facts" Founded in 1985, the C3P is a registered charitable organi-zation dedicated to the personal safety of all children and to the re-duction of child victimization by providing innovative programs andservices to the Canadian public to help protect children." Our Government introduced the Tougher Penalties for ChildPredators Act (Bill C-26), currently before Parliament, which will re-

quire those convicted of contact child sexual offences against mul-tiple children to serve their sentences consecutively - one after theother; increase the maximum and minimum prison sentences for cer-tain child sexual offences; and establish a publicly accessible data-base of high-risk child sex offenders who have been subject of apublic notification in a provincial/territorial jurisdiction to assist inensuring the safety of our communities." The Government introduced the Protecting Canadians from OnlineCrime Act (Bill C-13), which came into force in March 2015 that prohibits thenon-consensual distribution of intimate images; empowers a cour torder to remove non-consensual intimate images from the Internet;and permits the cour t to make an order to prevent someone from distrib-uting intimate images." The Government of Canada provided $9.5 million over five years tothe C3P, which operates Cybertip.ca, Canada's national tipline for the public toreport suspected cases of online sexual exploitation of children. The C3P hasalso launched a number of public awareness and age-appropriate educa-tional resources for teachers, parents and youth, including a resource guideentitled School and Family Approaches to Intervention and Prevention: Ad-dressing Self/Peer Exploitation, and the related NeedHelpNow.ca website,where Canadians can seek help from exploitation resulting from thenon-consensual sharing of sexual images."On behalf of Laureen and myself, I would like to express our grati-tude to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection for the honour be-stowed upon us tonight. It is the Centre that deserves our congratula-tions for the groundbreaking and remarkable work it has accomplishedin its first 30 years. Our Government knows that there is nothing moreprecious than the life of a child. No other federal government hastaken more action to address the safety of Canadians and our com-munities, or has cared as much about the protection of our children orabout victims of crime. We will continue to work with brave and nobleorganizations like the Canadian Centre for Child Protection to protect ourchildren and our families across the country." - Prime Minister StephenHarper

CONTD. FROM PAGE 9This is proof of our government's commitment to making transpor ta-

tion investments that benefit the entire region.Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transpor tationUP Express is a key par t of the Metrolinx re-gional transpor tation plan for the GTHA and aconcrete symbol of the progress we are mak-ing to relieve gridlock. It will offer travellersanother opt ion to get to and from TorontoPearson, with fast, frequent and reliable ser-vice they can count on.Bruce McCuaig, President and CEO, MetrolinxQuick Facts" UP Express is forecast to carry 2.35 mil-lion passengers a year by 2018." Toronto Pearson and Union Station areexpected to serve 190 million travellers a yearby 2031 - almost twice the current annual traf-fic." UP Express is expected to remove 1.2million car trips from roads across the regionin its first year of operation alone." The $16 billion worth of transit expansionand improvement projects underway in the GTHAincludes UP Express, Eglinton Crosstown LRT,York VIVA Bus Rapid Transit and Union StationRevitalization.

UNION PEARSON EXPRESSTO LAUNCH JUNE 6

Ottawa - Prime Minister Stephen Harper has issued the follow-ing statement on the ear thquake that struck near Kathmandu,Nepal:"On behalf of all Canadians, Laureen and I offer our hear tfeltcondolences to the people of Nepal and nor thern India who lostfamily and friends in this power ful ear thquake and its after-shocks. The thoughts and prayers of all Canadians are with themany affected by this disaster and we wish a speedy recoveryto all those injured."Our officials in the region are working with Nepalese and In-dian authorities to ensure that any Canadians affected by theear thquake are safe and accounted for. In cooperation with in-ternational par tners, they are also assessing the needs of theaffected populations to determine how Canada may most effec-tively assist with the disaster if asked to help."We mourn with the people of Nepal and India in the aftermath ofthis terrible natural disaster and offer our help and our prayers."Canadian citizens in Nepal requiring emergency consular as-sistance should use the Registration of Canadians Abroad (http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration) service, and contact theConsulate of Canada in Kathmandu, Nepal, by calling + 977 (1)444-1976, or Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada's24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre by calling +1613-996-8885 (collect calls are accepted where available). Anemail can also be sent to [email protected]."Friends and relatives in Canada who are concerned about Ca-nadian citizens known to be in the affected area should contactForeign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada's 24/7 Emer-gency Watch and Response Centre by calling 1-800-387-3124(toll-free) or 613-996-8885 (collect calls are accepted) or send-ing an email to [email protected]."

STATEMENT BY THE PRIMEMINISTER OF CANADA ONNEPAL EARTHQUAKE



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


DEVISE VILLAGEDEVELOPMENT PLANSWITH FIVE-YEAR VISION:MODI IP13india

NASA ASTRONAUT CAPT. SUNITA WILLIAMS DURING HER VISIT TO THE TAJ MAHAL IN AGRA (IANS).

Resurgent Rahul, farmer's suicideputs land bill on backburner

New Delhi, (IANS) A resurgent Rahul Gandhi and the suicide of afarmer at an AAP rally in the capital seem to have made the NDAgovernment re-think its strategy on the land acquisition bill and put iton the backburner - at least for now.Desperately trying to fight the "anti-farmer" tag, the government, whichwent into a huddle soon after a farmer committed suicide at the April22 rally of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has decided to goahead with the land bill only when the finance bills and other sched-uled business of parliament are through.It is also worried about the impact Congress Vice President RahulGandhi, who is just back after a 56-day self-imposed exile, is having.Rahul has made powerful speeches against the bill in parliament aswell as at a rally. "The ordinance will be there till August, we are notin a hurry," a senior minister confided to IANS. An ordinance has a lifeof six months or till the next parliament session. So the land acquisi-tion ordinance, which was re-promulgated in April, would need tohave been passed by the monsoon session before it lapses. Thoughthe minister claimed the government is confident of getting the landbill through parliament, he did not say how.He, however, ruled out a joint sitting for getting the bill passed.Top sources told IANS the government has decided to go slow on thebill and the suicide by Rajasthan farmer Gajendra Singh has madethe situation more sensitive. Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of theCongress in the Lok Sabha, told IANS: "As of now we have not beentold anything about the land bill".The contentious bill, which is meant to replace an ordinance amend-ing the 2013 land acquisition act, was passed by the Lok Sabha afternine amendments amid a walkout by the Congress and other opposi-tion par ties. The NDA which is in a minority in the upper house failedto muster suppor t for the bill. A majority of opposition par ties, includ-ing the Congress, the Samajwadi Par ty and the Left par ties, have

made it clear that the bill should go to a select committee. Khargesaid: "Our stand remains the same. We want the 2013 UPA bill back".The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisi-tion, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2015, seeks to replace anordinance re-promulgated in April which had amended cer tain provi-sions of the 2013 act passed during the UPA rule.The key points, which were removed from the earlier law, related tothe consent clause and the social impact assessment study.The consent clause provided for 70-80 percent of those dependent onthe land to agree to its acquisition. The social impact assessmentclause entailed carrying out a study to examine the environmentalimpact and ensure rehabilitation of displaced people.The government agreed to nine amendments to the bill to get it passedin the Lok Sabha. These included removing social infrastructure asan exempted category and ensuring that the bare minimum of landrequired for a project is acquired.Compulsory employment for at least one member of the affected fam-ily of a farm labourer has also been added as well as a clause that theLand Acquisition, Rehabilitation Authority should hold hearings in thedistrict where the acquisition takes place.When the ordinance was re-promulgated by President PranabMukherjee, the nine amendments made when it was passed in theLok Sabha were included.The government has meanwhile told its ministers to fan across thecountry and convince farmers that the land acquisition ordinance isnot anti-farmer.A senior cabinet minister in the thick of things told IANS: "We are allgoing to our constituencies and home states and meeting farmers.""Not only the land bill, we are also talking about farmers' problems ingeneral and asking them for suggestions on how to improve agricul-ture and address farm distress in the country," he said.

Farmer suicides: Is moving fromfarms to factories the answer?

BY AMULYA GANGULIThe stir against land acquisition took a tragic and macabre turnwhen a farmer hanged himself during an Aam Admi Par ty (AAP)rally in the hear t of the national capital. The mor tifying episodeonly showed how the political exploitation of a complex problemwas diver ting attention from what really needed to be done.Arguably, the answer to farmers' suicides lies in boosting theagriculture sector through more irrigation facilities, provision ofcheap credit and crop insurance, better marketing facilities aftereliminating middle men and encouraging big retailers to step in,and making the availability of seeds and fer tilizer much easier.Equally impor tant are initiatives like weaning away the subsis-tence farmers from their lands which have ceased to be produc-tive either through overuse or sub-divisions among successivegenerations of cultivators.It is only through industrialization that the pressure on such landscan be eased as the peasants move from farms to factories. Atransition of this nature is the essence of development.But Indian politicians are wary of following this line lest it showsthem to be anti-farmer and pro-industrialist.Such an image, they believe, will be detrimental to their politicalprospects because of the belief that the simple-minded toilers inthe fields are the epitome of all vir tues while the suited-and-booted businessmen are rapacious exploiters. Indeed, this ro-mantic view of the countryside has been the stuff of Indian fictionand films for generations.Hence Rahul Gandhi's tirade against the capitalists and againstthe Narendra Modi government for being in cahoots with them -"suit-boot ki sarkar", as he called the government.Evidently, his sabbatical in a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar -if rumours are to be believed - has made even more of a Commu-nist than the Communists themselves, for even the latter are nottotally against private sector investments, including those fromabroad. As the comrades have said, foreign investments are allright if they provide employment and bring in new technology.However, for the 44-year-old prince of the Congress dynasty, astrident assumption of the role of a champion of the underprivi-leged is the only way for the par ty to emerge from the hole inwhich it now finds itself.As a self-confessed admirer of his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, itis possible that Rahul Gandhi is harking back to her "garibi hatao"(remove pover ty) pledge to breathe new life into the Congress.But what worked for Indira four-and-a-half decades ago may notwork at a time when socialism has collapsed worldwide - ex-cept in Nor th Korea - and the Indian comrades themselves arenow one of the weakest forces on the political scene.To expect the "poor vs rich" gambit to succeed, therefore, is ashot in the dark, especially by someone who was born with thesilver spoon in his mouth.There are other reasons why the ploy is unlikely to work. Aseven a loyalist of the dynasty, Digvijay Singh, has acknowledged,the economic reforms lifted millions out of lowly pover ty levelsto join the ranks of the lower middle class, or the "neo middleclass", as Modi calls them.Moreover, these groups have acquired the mindset of the"aspirational" middle class, according to Digvijay Singh. As aresult, they no longer care for subsidies but are eager to avail ofthe employment oppor tunities promised by Modi's emphasis ondevelopment.Since an essential feature of the anticipated development is theprime minister's ace "Make in India" plans, the government'seagerness to push through the amended land acquisition law isunderstandable.Unfor tunately, the spate of farmers' suicides, and especially theone during the AAP rally, is likely to force the government to goslow. Yet, the essential correctness of the industrialization pro-cess cannot be denied. Rahul Gandhi, therefore, can be said tobe trying to turn the clock back by his anti-business stance.In doing so, however, he is positioning himself against the Con-gress' own history considering that Jawaharlal Nehru favouredindustrialization as his "dams are the temples of modern India"observation showed, and Rajiv Gandhi wanted to take the coun-try into the 21st century.


TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015i n d i a

Chandigarh/New Delhi, (IANS) The Shiromani GurdwaraParbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Delhi Sikh GurdwaraManaging Committee (DSGMC) will airlift 25,000 food packetsdaily for ear thquake-hit Nepal from Monday and also makearrangements to star t 'langar' (community meal) for theaffected people in Kathmandu.Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sundaydirected the SGPC and DSGMC to star t air-lif ting the foodpackets to Kathmandu every day.Following this direction, the DSGMC held an emergencymeeting on Sunday at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi anddecided the first consignment of 25,000 packets will be air-lifted to Kathmandu by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Mondaymorning, said its president Manjit Singh G.K.Badal asked both organizations, which manage gurdwaras (Sikhshrines) in Punjab and Delhi respectively to pool resources to

prepare a 'langar' for 10,000 people at Kathmandu till such timethat it is required.He said that he would himself coordinate with the IAF to ensurethat the food packets reach the affected people quickly.Manjit Singh said that the IAF was being requested to makearrangements to air-lift 10 tonnes of raw material to Kathmandufor preparation of fresh langar, while 20 volunteers and aroundthe same number of cooks would also be airlifted to Kathmanduto operationalise the langar."This will be star ted at a central place in Kathmandu in consul-tation with the Nepalese government," he saidNoting that Sikhs and Punjabis have always been at the fore-front in providing succour in times of natural calamities be itthe recent floods in Kashmir or those in Uttarakhand earlier,Badal said: "Even this time, we will do our best to mitigate thesorrows of our Nepali brethren."

SGPC, DSGMC TO START'LANGAR' IN QUAKE-HIT NEPAL

Over 1,300 Indiansevacuated from Nepal; 62dead in India due to quakeNew Delhi, (IANS) A third flight of the Indian Air Force landed here onSunday evening with 266 people onboard from Kathmandu, taking to1,342 the total number of Indian nationals evacuated from quake-hitNepal since the first plane landed late on Saturday night."Another aircraft with 266 passengers has landed," defence ministryspokesperson Sitanshu Kar told IANS.The spokesperson said it was the third flight on Sunday, and morewere expected to land later.Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, meanwhile, said the governmentwas also trying to get people out of Nepal through buses, and somemovement will start by Monday morning.The other two flights on Sunday brought back 237 and 285 people,respectively.The first air force plane to arrive here from the Nepal capital was a C-130J Super Hercules with 55 passengers, including four infants, around10.45 p.m. on Saturday.It was followed by a C-17 Globemaster III, a little after midnight with102 people, including an infant.In the early hours of Sunday, an IL-76 aircraft brought back 152 pas-sengers, and around 4.45 a.m., another C-17 Globemaster III returnedwith 247 Indians. The movement had to be suspended between 1.30and 3 p.m. due to fresh tremors in Nepal. Defence Minister ManoharParrikar on Sunday morning said the air force will bring back a total of1,500 Indians stranded in Nepal. "We brought back around 500 peopleyesterday (Saturday) and today (Sunday). We will evacuate 1,500Indians from Nepal," Parrikar told reporters on the margins of a de-fence investiture ceremony here. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar,meanwhile, said a "few thousand" Indians as well as people fromother countries were stranded in Kathmandu.He appealed to them to be patient."We have a lot of Indians and citizens of other countries. We have totell them they have to understand relief and rescue in Kathmandu isour primary purpose. We have to fly in loads of equipment and sup-plies. We will accommodate as many people as we can in bringingthem back. This will take a little bit of time," said Jaishankar.He also said the Indian government will try to evacuate people throughbuses. "Hope we will be able to get people out of Kathmandu bybuses. We have been trying to confirm access of two roads toKathmandu. To the best of our information, these roads are open butthe traffic is very slow," Jaishankar said. "We are expecting about 35buses to move out on these two routes. We have also asked ourembassy in Kathmandu to see if they can organise buses and sendpeople. They are having difficulty because buses and drivers are notreadily available but they are making best efforts. By tomorrow morn-ing will have some bus movements," he said. Home Secretary L.C.Goyal said the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has been asked to allowbuses from the Indian side to enter Nepal to evacuate people. Over2,400 people died and thousands were injured as Saturday's earth-quake and several strong aftershocks caused widespread destruc-tion in Nepal. At least 62 people have died in India. The earthquake thatdevastated Nepal killed 62 people in India, Home Secretary L.C. Goyalsaid on Sunday. "The reports as of now indicate 62 casualties havetaken place," Goyal said, adding that 259 people were injured. Amongthe casualties, 46 people died in Bihar and 13 in Uttar Pradesh. Thehome secretary said four teams of the National Disaster ResponseForce (NDRF) have been deployed in the affected areas. "If they needany more assistance, we have offered all help," he added.

Fresh quake hits northeast In-dia, neighbouring countriesAgartala/Aizawl, (IANS) Fresh quake rocked the entire northeast-ern India and adjoining areas on Sunday, a Met official said. Thereare no immediate repor t of loss of life or proper ties fromanywhere in the region, comprising eight states."A moderate intensity ear thquake measuring 6.9 on theRichter scale hit most par ts of nor theastern states andNepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh," Tripura meteorologicaldepar tment director Dilip Saha told IANS in Agar tala."The ear thquake occurred at 12.39 p.m. Repor ts of any lossof life and proper ty are yet to be received," he added.Disaster management control rooms of Tripura, Mizoramand other states in mountainous nor theast said there wereno immediate repor ts of casualties or damage to proper ty.The Met Office said the epicentre of the fresh ear thquakewas also in Nepal. "The tremors were also felt in most ofthe eastern states, Bangladesh and Myanmar," the officialsaid. The nor theastern region, comprising eight hilly states,is considered the sixth major ear thquake-prone belt (zonefive) in the world.

Help make Kashmir prime touristdestination, Sayeed urges stakeholders

Srinagar, (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti MuhammadSayeed on Sunday asked local traders and tourism players to helpmake Kashmir a prime tourist destination.In a bid to promote business and tourism-related activities, Sayeedheld detailed deliberations with all stakeholders to strategise a planfor maximising the gains in the coming tourist season, asking them tobecome par tners in improving development indices so that a soundedifice is laid for a better and smar ter state.Sayeed said he has taken a firsthand review with top officers to im-prove the delivery mechanism of basic amenities to the people andtake measures to host the tourists in a big way this season.

Asser ting that a favourable atmosphere is a pre-requisite for improv-ing the state's economy, he said that time has come to showcase thestate as a prime tourist destination for which trade and tourism play-ers will have to make tangible effor ts."Flood of 2014 has set us back in all parameters of growth and progressand if we do not act now, we will fall back on all indicators of prosper-ity," he said.Sayeed said his government is vigorously pursuing with the centralgovernment the release of special relief package for restoring dam-aged infrastructure and compensating victims who suffered damageto their dwelling units and business enterprises.

During the deliberations, the hoteliers' representativesannounced 40 percent discount in off-season, afterJuly 15, to attract the visitors to the Valley.On the issue of pending claims of the victims withvarious insurance companies, he assured the busi-ness and tourism houses that the government willtake up the matter with the concerned companies onpriority.Speaking on theoccasion, F i-nance MinisterHaseeb A. Drabusaid the WorldBank (WB)tranche ofRs.1,500 crorewill be releasedto the state duringthe next few dayswhich will help inpermanent resto-ration of damagedinfrastructure."Till such time thecentre sanctionsand releases thespecial d ispen-sat ion, the WBtranche will go along way in star t-ing the long-termrestoration pro-cess," he said.

PUNJAB DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL ADDRESSES A PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER INSPECTING A LANGAR SETUPTO PREPARE FOOD FOR NEPAL EARTHQUAKE AT GURUDWARA BANGLA SAHIB OF NEW DELHI (IANS).



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 i n d i a

Devise village development planswith five-year vision: Modi

SHOPPING MALL BLAZE INKOLKATA YET TO BE DOUSEDKolkata, (IANS) A major fire broke out in a shopping mall incentral Kolkata on Sunday, and was yet to be completely dousedeven after 12 hours of effor ts by firefighters. However, therewas no casualty.As many as 27 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to controlthe blaze that was first noticed at 11.45 a.m. on the third floor ofthe building where clothing was stacked, officials said.People who were inside the mall when the fire star ted wereevacuated, said state Disaster Management Minister JavedKhan. "The fire is now under control. The major par t has beenput out. But there are some pockets where the fire has to betackled. The fire fight will continue till it is completely douses,"he said. A fire brigade official said the fire fighters will workthrough the need. "They will see to it there are no burning em-bers in the debris, as such embers can restar t a fresh fire."Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, city Police CommissionerSurojit Kar Purokayastha were among those who came to thespot to supervise the fire-fighting operations.

PUNJAB TO CELEBRATE350TH FOUNDATION DAY OFANANDPUR SAHIBChandigarh, (IANS) The Punjab government will commemoratethe 350th foundation day of religious town Anandpur Sahib inJune this year. The town is home to Takht Keshgarh Sahib, thesecond most impor tant Sikh shrine after 'Harmandar Sahib'(popularly known as Golden Temple), and is known as the bir th-place of the Khalsa panth - the modern day Sikh religion.Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who held a meetinghere on Friday in this regard, said eminent personalities wouldbe invited for the mega event. The event is to be held from June17-19 this year. It was at Anandpur Sahib that the 10th Sikhguru, Gobind Singh, baptised the first five Sikhs and announcedthe bir th of the Khalsa Panth on April 13, 1699. Anandpur Sahibis about 85 km from here.

Centre issued notice on cattlesmuggling to BangladeshNew Delhi, (IANS) The Supreme Cour t on Friday issued noticeon a PIL by Akhil Bharat Krishi Go-Sewa Sangh for direction tothe Centre to take steps to prevent the smuggling of cattle toBangladesh.The cour t a l so i ssued no t i ce to the gove r nmen ts o fRajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana,Odisha, Assam, Tr ipura, Jharkhand, Karnataka, AndhraPradesh and West Bengal on the plea asking them to takesteps to check illegal transpor tation of cattle to West Ben-gal and then to Bangladesh.While issuing the notice, the apex cour t bench of JusticeJagdish Singh Khekar and Justice S.A. Bobde said that if theBSF is going to look after cows, "how they will check thein f i l t ra t ion o f te r ror is ts? We have a vas t border wi thBangladesh." As senior counsel Soli Sorabjee appearingfor the Akhil Bharat Krishi Go-Sewa Sangh urged the cour tto issue notice, the cour t asked under what law cattle couldbe banned from being expor ted to Bangladesh.The Akhil Bharat Krishi Go-Sewa Sangh said that its PILwas based on two reasons: one the depletion of indigenouslife stock and the other the unabated and unbridled illegaland wrongful smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh through bor-ders of India.The petitioner Krishi Go-Sewa Sangh also sought the cour t'sdirections to the customs and the BSF not to auction thecattle seized at the border areas and instead hand themover to various Gaushalas/Panjarapols constituted underSection 35 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.Having issued notice, the cour t tagged the plea with an ear-lier petition wherein petitioner Gauri Maulekhi sought direc-tion to the Centre to prevent the illegal transpor tation of lakhsof animals across the Indo-Nepal border to be sacrificed atthe Gadhimai Festival. The apex cour t on October 17, 2014,in an interim order asked the Centre to check the illegal move-ment of animals across the border to Nepal, in violation of theExpor t-Impor t Policy of India and the Foreign Trade Act.

First Gorkha Rifles mark200 years of servicePathankot (Punjab), (IANS) With officers and other ranks fromIndia and Nepal in attendance, the First Gurkha Rifles (1/1GR) on Friday marked its 200 years of military service here.Hundreds of serving and veteran officers, Junior Commis-sioned Officers (JCOs) and other ranks both from India andNepal attended the function, an army spokesman said. Thebattalion was raised on April 24, 1815 from the remnants ofGorkha General Amar Singh Thapa's forces who valiantly foughtthe British at the Malaun For t near Shimla."The raising of the battalion signalled the bir th of present dayGorkha Brigade. Over the last two centuries of the battalion'sexistence, it has time and again proven its wor th by gallantaction in various fields of battle across the world, through thetwo World Wars, the India-Pakistan wars and in the conflictsof the sub-conventional realm," the spokesman said.Star ting with a solemn memorial service in honour of themar tyrs, the unit's bicentenary celebrations saw variousevents, including a guard of honour and cultural programme.Lt. Gen Ravi Thodge, colonel of the regiment, was present onthe occasion. "The event was a re-union for erstwhile com-rades-in-arms who travelled from across the globe to be to-gether at this momentous once-in-a lifetime occasion. Veter-ans proudly brought their children and grandchildren to showthem the oldest Gorkha Battalion," the spokesman added. Theillustrious battalion has been famous for two centuries forwarfare skills and bravery.

New Delhi, (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urgedpanchayats (village councils) to devise concrete development planswith a five-year vision to affect positive changes in their area.Speaking at a function here to mark the National Panchayati Raj Day,the prime minister hailed the contribution of women in the functioningof panchayats across the country, and called for ending the practiceof "sarpanch pati" - the husband of female sarpanch (village councilhead)" - that exercises undue influence. Modi called on the panchayatmembers to inculcate a sense of pride for their village that required afirm resolve, rather than any budgetary provision."Mahatma Gandhi said that India lives in the villages. We need tothink of how to develop our villages," Modi said at a conference onNational Panchayati Raj Day here. "There must be a mindset of 'gaurav'and 'samman' towards our villages. We must be proud of our vil-lages," he said. Education of children in the village and their vaccina-

tion, Modi said, should be paid special attention by panchayat mem-bers, said an official statement. The prime minister also urged thepanchayat members to motivate all government officials in their vil-lage to spend at least one hour a week with school children of thevillage. Saying that in any village, the dreams of the people are big,Modi added: "In every village, think about what you can achieve in thenext five years for your village." Emphasizing on the need for educa-tion, the prime minister said: "School dropouts should worry us. Anychild dropping out of school in the village is a cause of concern.Everyone must get education."Modi gave away the Annual Devolution Index (states) Awards, and E-Panchayat Awards and congratulated the Zila Parishads as well asGram Panchayats who were also felicitated on the occasion. Ministerfor Panchayati Raj Chaudhary Birender Singh and Minister of StatePanchayati Raj Nihal Chand were also present on the occasion.

India's foreignexchangereserves at recordhigh of $343 bnNew Delhi, (IANS) India's foreignexchange reserves touched arecord high of $343.2 billion forthe week ended April 17, the Re-serve Bank of India 's datashowed. The reserves have risenby $2.79 billion over the week and$33.79 billion during the past oneyear, the weekly data showed.The reserves include predomi-nantly foreign currency assets,gold, special drawing rights andreserve position with the Interna-tional Monetary Fund. The goldreserves remained unchanged at$19.04 billion during the week.

SONPREET JAWANDA AND BINNI SINGH ALONG WITH OTHERS PAY OBEISANCE AT THE GOLDEN TEMPLE IN AMRITSAR (IANS).

Punjab farmers block rail traffic over slow wheat procurementChandigarh, (IANS) Hundreds of farmers blocked the Amritsar-New Delhirail track at Jandiala near Amritsar on Monday to protest against the slowpace of wheat stock purchases by government agencies in Punjab. Scores offarmers squatted on the busy rail tracks and refused to move, saying thatthey will continue the agitation till the Punjab government ensured smoothprocurement of wheat. The protest was called by the Kisan Sangharsh Com-mittee (KSC).Several trains were affected due to the protest by farmers.Talking to media at the protest site, KSC leader Swaran Singh Pandher al-leged that the Punjab government was not bothered about the plight of thefarmers. "Wheat grain is lying in the 'mandis' (markets) and the government

is doing nothing," Pandher said.Farmers stage a demonstration on railway tracks to press for their variousdemands including relaxation in procurement norms and compensation forloss of crops in Amritsar, Punjab (IANS).Farmers across Punjab are blaming the state government for not purchasingwheat from them. They said the wheat stocks are piling up in over 1,800procurement centres set up by the Punjab government across the state. Thefarmers alleged that neither was the wheat being procured properly nor werethe farmers, who suffered damage to their crops during the recent erraticweather conditions, being given adequate compensation for the losses suf-fered by them.

Congress leader Sukhpal SinghKhaira alleged that not even 15 per-cent of the wheat stock had been liftedfrom Punjab's grain markets andfarmers were suffering.Punjab Chief Minister Parkash SinghBadal on Monday directed officers tomake all out effor ts to ensure thesmooth and timely lifting of grains.Badal held a meeting with officersconcerned here on Monday.Farmers in Punjab, living in areasbordering Haryana, said they werenot being allowed by authorities inHaryana to sell their produce in theneighbouring state.In Haryana, over 44.37 lakh tonnesof wheat has been procured so far.This is 70 percent of the target of 65lakh tonnes fixed for this year, foodand supplies officials here said. Dur-ing the same period last year, 48 lakhtonnes of wheat had been procured.


TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015w o r l d

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSABOUT EARTHQUAKES

In the wake of Saturday's massive earthquake in Nepal that wreakedhavoc in the Himalayan nation besides rocking neighbouring countries,people want to know more about the phenomenon which is a manifesta-tion of the Earth's crust settling down. Here are some FAQs:Q. What is an earthquake and what causes them to happen?A. An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a geological faultline. Thetectonic plates are always slowly moving, but they get stuck at theiredges due to friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction,there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel throughthe Earth's crust and cause the shaking that we feel.Q. What's the difference between foreshocks and aftershocks?A. "Foreshock" and "aftershock" are relative terms. Foreshocks are earth-quakes that precede larger earthquakes in the same location.Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that occur in the same general areafollowing a larger event or "mainshock".As a general rule, aftershocks represent minor readjustments along theportion of a fault that slipped at the time of the mainshock.The frequency of these aftershocks decreases with time, but they can goon for weeks, or sometimes months.

Q. Can the position of the Moon or the planets affect seismicity?A. The Moon, Sun, and other planets have an influence on the Earth in theform of perturbations (small changes) to the gravitational field.Many studies in the past have shown no significant correlations betweenthe rate of earthquake occurrence and the semi-diurnal tides when usinglarge earthquake catalogues.Some recent studies, however, have found a correlation between Earthtides and some types of earthquakes.Q. Are there more earthquakes in the morning or in the evening?A. Earthquakes are equally as likely to occur in the morning or the evening.Q. At what depth do earthquakes occur? What is the significance of thedepth?A. Earthquakes occur in the Earth's crust or upper mantle, which rangesfrom the Earth's surface to a depth of about 800 km.The strength of shaking from an earthquake diminishes with increasing distancefrom the earthquake's source, so the strength of shaking at the Earth's surface froman earthquake that occurs at a depth of 500 km is considerably less than if thesame earthquake had occurred at a depth of 20 km.Source: US Geological Survey

HOW EARTHQUAKES HAPPENNew Delhi, (IANS) Most ear thquakes originate from compres-sional or tensional stresses built up at the margins of the hugemoving plates that make up the ear th's surface.The immediate cause of most shallow ear thquakes like in Nepalnow, occuring within 70 km of the surface, is the sudden re-lease of stress along a fault, or fracture in the ear th's crust,resulting in movement of the opposing blocks of rock past oneanother. The focus of an ear thquake is the point where it origi-nates within the earth. The earthquake epicentre is the point on theearth's surface directly above the focus. The size or magnitude of earth-quakes is determined by measuring the amplitude of the seismic waves,which depends on many factors such as the magnitude, distance from theepicentre, depth of focus, topography, and local ground conditions. The areaof Saturday's earthquake in Nepal is the so-called Indus-Yarlung suturezone, where the Indian subcontinent collided 40 million to 50 million yearsago with the Eurasian plate, creating the Himalayan mountain ranges whichare still rising by around one centimetre a year as an ongoing consequence.In areas underlain by water-saturated sediments, large earthquakes, usu-ally magnitude 6.0 or greater, may cause liquefaction. Beneath the KathmanduValley is a 300-metre deep layer of black clay, the remnants of a prehistoriclake, which amplifies the damage caused by severe earthquakes. Studieshave established that this region is prone to soil liquefaction in strongear thquakes, when vibrations can cause solid ground to col-lapse, swallowing buildings in the process. The Indian subcon-tinent has a history of devastating ear thquakes. The ear thquakezoning map of India divides the country into four seismic zones- 2, 3, 4 and 5 - in which Zone 5 expects the highest level ofseismicity and is referred to as the Very High Damage RiskZone. Kashmir, the western and central Himalayas, the north-east region and the Rann of Kutch fall in this zone.

A LITTLE GIRL SLEEPS ON ROAD SIDE IN KATHMANDU, NEPAL (IANS).

WESTERN SANCTIONS COSTRUSSIA $160 BNSt. Petersburg, (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin saidhere on Monday that Western sanctions targeted at Russia hadcost his country an estimated $160 billion.Despite the fall in global oil prices from $100 to $50 per barreland the efforts of Russia's European "quasi- partners" to restrict theavailability of financial services for Russian banks, Russian firmswere nevertheless well placed to repay outstanding debts, said Putinat a meeting of legislators here in the country's northern capital."Someone was seemingly counting on a collapse," Putin said of exter-nal attempts to weaken his country. "But no collapse has happened. Infact, the Russian economy has overcome these artificial barriersrelatively easily," Xinhua quoted the Russian president as saying.Putin also admitted that internal as well as external factors had contributedto the country's recent economic downturn, citing in particular the effect ofdisproportionate wage rises relative to productivity gains.Falling commodity prices had also affected the Russian ruble as the Rus-sian Central Bank was forced to move to a floating exchange rate. "This didindeed lead to a devaluation of our currency, but it was the only economi-cally feasible way to deal with the situation," Putin added.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


German envoy, Khurshid music video goes viral

Court admits SalmanKhan's revision petition

in arms case

B-TOWN PUTS FORCES BEHINDFUNDRAISING FOR QUAKE-HIT NEPAL

ARJUN KAPOOR, SONAM KAPOOR AND KAREENA KAPOOR DURING THE INDIA TV YUVA AWARDS 2015 (IANS)

Mumbai, (IANS) Bollywood su-perstar Hrithik Roshan has ap-preciated the effor ts of variouscountries l ike US, India andChina to help Nepal cope withthe devastation caused by theear thquake.The 41-year-old has urgedpeople to help restore normalcyin Nepal in every way possible."Is it possible 2 give without ex-pectation? Yes. Learn 2 b selfsufficient. B d source, give, pro-vide b great without t ry ing2please anyone," Hrithik posted on Twitter."It's so hear tening. US, Pakistan, China, Australia, India n manymore hv not wasted a moment 2 aid n help Nepal. At d core, vknow v r United," he added.The toll after Saturday's 7.9-magnitude ear thquake in Nepal hasclimbed to 3,351 and 6,833 people have been injured, according tothe country's home ministry.The quake has also said to have damaged proper ty wor th billionsof dollars in the country.According to the defence ministry, 1,935 Indians have been broughtback from Nepal since Saturday, and more are expected to land onMonday evening.

Hrithik Roshan supportsglobal aid for quake-hit Nepal

New Delhi, (IANS) At a time when Nepal is grappling with the conse-quences of a devastating ear thquake, Indian film fraternity memberslike Anil Kapoor, Dia Mirza and Vir Das have urged their fans andfriends to unite and donate through various sources for relief effor ts.Most stars of the tinsel town have extended suppor t to an online fund-raising space - Ketto. "Rang De Basanti" actor Kunal Kapoor is co-founder of the platform, which is running an online campaign dedi-cated to help Nepal with the tag 'JoinHandsforNepal' on micro-bloggingsite Twitter. Celebrities like Dia MIrza, Anupam Kher, Aditi Rao Hydari,Nargis Fakhri, Abhishek Bachchan, Gaurav Kapur and Lisa Ray havetaken ahead the Ketto campaign.The campaign aims at raising Rs.1,00,000, which will help buy 20survival kits wor th Rs.5,000 with essentials like tarpaulin, mats andhygiene kit. Funds raised under it will go to CARE INDIA which willhelp in rehabilitation process of Nepal. "You can help me raise fundsfor #NepalQuakeRelief. Each survival kit costs INR5000/- #CareIndia@ketto http://ketto.org/JoinHandsforNepal … Thank you," Dia postedon Twitter. "I know a lot of you want to help the relief effor t in Nepal.No amount is too big, or too small. Donate here http://ketto.org/cometogether forNepa," Gaurav shared.If we talk about the young Bollywood brigade, they have also stepped

foward to help the Himalayan nation. Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt andShraddha Kapoor have got associated with Ketto campaign. "Peopleneed our help!! Join hands with me and lets make it happen guys...Each survival kit costs 5000 rupees http://ketto.org/standbynepal,"the "Highway" actress Alia tweeted.Filmmaker Karan Johar took to Twitter to ask his followers to send intheir donations to Nepali Relief by photographer Rohan Shrestha, whohas roots in Nepal. The community page strives to give ongroundhelp and supply things to the people of Kathmandu. "Please extend allyour suppor t and contr ibute to the devastat ion inNepal....www.facebook.com/nepalirelief ," Johar wrote.Stand-up comedian-actor Vir Das has come up with an engaging wayto help victims. Vir has sent out a message to all his fans to getessential things to his gigs for people in Nepal, which he will try tosend to the people who need them the most right now. "We are spend-ing the day trying to tie up with the right NGOs to set up a collectiondrive for Nepal at each show of the #UnbelievableTour. The idea is foryou to bring anything you can spare to the show. Some medicine,some products (which we shall give you details on), a blanket, typesof clothes etc and we are trying to find the right people to send itacross to those who need it," a post on his Facebook page read.

Jaipur, ( IANS) A cour t inRajasthan's Jodhpur on Mondaycalled for the record of the subor-dinate cour t regarding the caserelating to illegal possession anduse of arms by Salman Khan onthe Bollywood actor's revisionplea.Distr ict and Sessions Judge,Jodhpur, Manoj Kumar Vyas,while admitting the revision peti-tion moved by Salman for hear-ing, ordered summons of therecord from the cour t of chief ju-dicial magistrate and posted thematter on May 1 for detailed hear-ing. Salman and a few otherBollywood actors were accusedof poaching blackbucks on themidnight of October 1-2, 1998, during the shooting of Hindi movie"Hum Saath Saath Hain".Accused of carrying and using illegal arms also as he allegedly hadarms with expired licence and a case under Arms Act registeredagainst him thereafter, the actor, through his advocate, moved anapplication before the CJM's cour t in Jodhpur on April 22 demandingre-examination of five witnesses of the case.It was argued by Salman's counsel that after three eight-year-oldapplications of the prosecution were allowed and four witnesses ex-amined a few days back, the scenario of the case has changed. How-ever, this application came to be rejected by CJM on April 23. Chal-lenging the decision, the actor approached the district and sessionscour t."The district cour t has admitted our revision petition for hearing andthe next date of hearing has been fixed on May 1," the actor's advocateHastimal Sarswat told IANS over phone. The CJM court on April 23had asked Salman to remain present before the court on April 29 forrecording of his statement.

New Delhi, (IANS) A remake with a twist, a new video of popular Bollywoodtrack "Kal ho naa ho", featuring German Ambassador Michael Steiner, hiswife Eliese and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid hasgone viral online, garnering over 600,000 views within three days of goinglive on Youtube. Now a behind-the-scenes footage is to be shared soon."Kal ho naa ho" is a song which continues to touch listeners even afterover a decade since its release. But memories of the song and the movieare at once revisited upon watching "Lebe jetzt!" - which means "Kal ho naho" in German - as the trio of Steiner, Eliese and Khurshid enact some keymoments from the Karan Johar-directorial.Steiner fills in for cine star Shah Rukh Khan, lipsyncing the lyrics pennedby Javed Akhtar, Eliese smiles and dances away a la Preity Zinta, andKhurshid steps into the shoes of Saif Ali Khan.It puts a smile on the viewers' face. The endeavour to pay tribute to thefilm, its actors and its team also earned a thumbs up from superstar ShahRukh Khan and "Kal Ho Naa Ho" director Karan Johar.On Twitter, Karan shared: "With love from Germany!!! @iamsrk you haveto see this!!! https://youtu.be/0XK3BVXbVsU #KalHoNaaHo #eternalsong."SRK also hailed it, saying: "@karanjohar @iamsrk you have to see this!!!

https://youtube/0XK3BVXbVsU #KalHoNaaHo #eternalsong" Drat! Theyremade it already! Awesome job. (sic)." Owing to the growing popularity ofthe video on the online medium and the "mind-boggling reactions from allover", a 'Making Of' of the video will be released, the German embassyannounced in a statement. The song itself was launched on April 24 bySteiner along with Khurshid in the presence of Saif, his mother SharmilaTagore and writer Akhtar at an event at the German embassy here.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

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3 GABBAR IS BACK AAO RAJA

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Daughters are father's weakness: Big B

Movie Review

'MR X' - PUNISHINGLY BAD

CAST: EMRAAN HASHMI, AMYRA DASTUR,

ARUNODOY SINGH

DIRECTOR: VIKRAM BHATT

RATING: * 1/2

So... how bad is it? That's the question which, those luckyenough not to sit through this newest and perhaps stupidestcock-and-bull concoction from the once-illustrious house ofBhatts, would gleefully ask those who are fated to suffer thewages of sins that we unknowingly committed in our previouslives to be punished in this way.Unlike the Bhatts' last film Khamoshiyan which was uninten-tionally funny Mr X is not even that. It is punishingly bad. Acrime caper that is likely to qualify as cognizable offence ifstretch into, god forbid, a sequel.The best thing about this dreadful film is that Emraan Hashmi isinvisible for a par t of the playing time. I'll be frank. I didn't misshim. What I did miss was the presence of a script writer whoknows the craft of spreading an outlandish idea (man getsswathed in a chemical and goes invisible) into an engagingcomic book yarn. Too stiff limbed to be animated, this is a filmthat begs to be told to chill.Not one character comes across as anything but car toonish inthe most laughable way possible. The villain played by theonce-interesting Arunodoy Singh snarls and grits his teethscaring no one except himself. Stand-up comedian TanmayBhatt is cast as Popo (I remembered his name as it was one ofthe more interesting details in the sloppy plot) a good Samari-tan with a sister who works in a hospital. The sister rummages

the medicine cabinets for antidotes to Hashmi's chemicalradiation."This will either kill or cure you," she says flashing a bluishliquid into our face (the film is in 3D, you see). As if we careeither way.I am not going to waste my time or the readers' dwelling on thedistressing dimensions of the radiation disaster that strikesHashmi's character. Suffice it to say that in the recent Shankar-directed I Vikram too played a man whom the villains turn intoan unrecognisable mound of deformed flesh.Here, the deformed makeup remains on for may be 10 minutes.The rest of time Hashmi is either invisible or looking to seehow to escape from playing Mr X.But we know better than the hero that there is no easy escapefrom this gigantic mess of a sci-fi, romance, action and drama.Romance reminds me of the very pretty Amyra Dastur who wasstriking in debut Afilm Issaq. Here she plays a federal agentwith so many chips on her tender shoulders that she forgets tohave fun with her role.Taking itself much too seriously to be a off ball sci-fi yarn Mr Xis an unmitigated disaster. Neither fish nor foul it just one bighowl of a movie better left unseen."You can call me X," croons producer Mahesh Bhatt for Hashmi.We'd like to call for help from the nearest trauma centre.

MADHURI LOOKING FORWARD TO PRIYANKA, DEEPIKA'SPERFORMANCE IN BAJORAO MASTANI

Mumbai, (IANS) Actress Madhuri Dixit, who performed 'lavani' in the song "Humko aajkal hai", says she is looking forward to PriyankaChopra and Deepika Padukone's dance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's for thcoming magnum opus "Bajirao Mastani"."Anything about dance always excites me, so I am very, very excited to see Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone's 'lavani' dance in'Bajirao Mastani'," Madhuri said here on Thursday during the announcement of Mumbai's first ever Contemporary Dance Festival,Jugnee. In "Bajirao Mastani", Priyanka and Deepika will perform a 'lavani' dance together. It is touted to be a crucial par t of the film'sclimax.Madhuri, who is a trained classical dancer and is also credited to have introduced the folk dance in films, has earlier teamed up withactresses like Karisma Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in songs on screen. Recalling that time, Madhuri, who also has her onlinedance academy, said: "I had a competition with Karisma in 'Dil To Pagal Hai'. It was wonderful. Shiamak (Davar) was the choreographerfor that.""The dancing was a little more jazz and contemporary and I was doing that style for the first time. I enjoyed when we danced. Karismaand I got along very well, so we had a great time," she added. Madhuri is all praise for the grandeur with which Bhansali shoots hissongs.Recollecting the days when she shot "Dola re dola" song with Aishwarya for "Devdas", Madhuri said: "When I did 'Dola re dola' withAishwarya, Saroj Khan-ji had choreographed it and it was terrific. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has picturised it. There were many trolly shotsand long shots and after a long time a song was being picturised on that level."

Mumbai, (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan's for thcoming film "Piku"explores the sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter relationship of afather and daughter. Emphasising the 'Save the Girl Child' message,the cine icon says daughters are a father's weakness."'PIKU'... a slice of life... a journey... a Father and a Daughter... daugh-ters are father's weakness... and may they ever remain so... Savourthe moments of the girl in the family."Save the girl child... educate her... for when you educate a girl, youeducate an entire family... Be proud of our culture and ethics... beproud of our tradition," a post on his Facebook page read on Friday.The 72-year-old plays the father of the character essayed by actress

Deepika Padukone in Shoojit Sircar's directorial, which also starsIrrfan Khan. The real life father of Shweta Nanda was all praise fordaughters on his official blog as well. Big B pointed out to the confluenceof his real life with his on-screen character in an interesting manner. "Iam with daughter by my side these days. Shweta at home, PIKU in theprofession, and the feel of their presence, sound and worth. I am blessedand honoured in both. My real and my reel meet up. It rarely happens,but it has in this," he posted on srbachchan.tumblr.com.With a tag line 'Motion Se Hi Emotion', the film promises to take theaudience on an emotional road trip. Written by Juhi Chaturvedi, "Piku"is slated to release on May 8.

SMILIE MY PILLAR OFSTRENGTH: EMRAAN HASHMIMumbai, (IANS) Actress Smilie Suri and her husband VineetBangera, who are set to flaunt their dance moves in TV show"Nach Baliye 7", were in for a pleasant surprise with a specialpre-recorded message from actor Emraan Hashmi.In the clip, the actor, who has earned tag of a 'serial kisser',showcased his emotional side and termed Smilie as his 'pillar ofstrength'. "Smilie and I used to play together; she is like a sisterto me. She has been a pillar of strength for me, my wife and son.Mohit & I are extremely protective when it comes to her," Emraansaid. The video message will be showcased in the first episodeof the dance reality show on April 26. Taking a dig at Smilie, the36-year-old actor noted that he never thought she would ever"get married". "We never thought Smilie would ever get marriedbecause her specifications are high and we never thought therewould be a guy for her," the "Mr. X" star said.

FINALE CONTESTANTS OF THE TORONTO SEASON OF WARRAICH GRILL NAACH MERI JAAN WITH CELEBRITY JUDGE JAVED JAFFREY..


TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015b o l l y w o o d

JACKKY BHAGNANI AND AMIERICAN ACTRESS LAUREN GOTTLIEB DURING A PROMOTION FOR THEIR LATEST MOVIE WELCOMETO KARACHI, IN MUMBAI (IANS).

Lahore, (IANS) Hina Khwaja Bayat, considered one ofthe pillars of the Pakistani enter tainment industry, feelsthere is a preconceived notion about her country world-wide, and hopes that India and Pakistan soon learn tolive like "good neighbours".During her 20 years in the media industry, she pio-neered ground-breaking shows like "BaatainMulaqaatain", "Uljhan Suljhan" and "Geo Hina kay Saath".Her versatility as an actor was evident in a wide rangeof dramas like "Humsafar", "Talkhiyan", "Aunn Zara"and "Zindagi Gulzar Hai" where she has surprised theviewers in both Pakistan and India.In an interview with this visiting Indian journalist, theactress who is ethnically from Kashmir but originallyfrom Karachi, talks about the reason behind the popu-larity of Pakistani dramas in India, the notions about hercountry and about what it takes to be an actress inPakistan.Excerpts:Q. What's it about Pakistani dramas that you think hasclicked with the Indian audience?

A. The first is reliability. Pakistani dramas havecharacters which are very real. Yes, they are dra-matic, have twists and turns, but by and large ,people like you and me just think, feel and behavein the same way. So, I think this clicked with theaudience, because human emotions are the sameeverywhere.Secondly, I think the duration. The story is wrappedup in a maximum 26 episodes and that's a lot.Q. Were you always sure that Pakistani TV dra-mas would have a huge audience in India?A. Even in the 1980s, Pakistani dramas had beenvery popular in India. I know that on the satelliteand on DVDs, Pakistani dramas had already madea mark before Zindagi channel was launched, sowe knew it will work. The kind of feedback that weget, it has definitely created waves. I know evenfrom the industry itself, people like AmitabhBachchan have been very vocal about appreciat-ing our work, and it has created an impact. There isa market for our dramas in India just like there is a

market for Indian films in Pakistan.Q. Do you feel this exchange of entertainment can ease the situationbetween India and Pakistan?A. I think that on the political front, we have to be realistic. Pakistan is anentity that is here to stay. India is an entity that has been there. We reallyand truly need to understand that fighting off or negating each other is notgoing to help either of us. I think it's high time that we learn to live as goodneighbours...Pakistan and India need to grow up. They need to under-stand that we can be a really powerful region in the world in terms oftrade and activity...We need to put our energies and resources together. Ithink that on a one-on-one level, people want that. They are tired of fight-ing, they are tired of watching their resources being depleted or wasted ina non-productive or destructive way.Q. Do you feel there is a pre-conceived notion about Pakistan's enter-tainment industry worldwide?A. There is a pre-conceived notion about Pakistanis in general. I havebeen a journalist and anchor in my own show. I used to go to a lot ofconferences and everywhere I went, they looked at me and said, 'Areall Pakistani women like you?' They somehow confuse us withthe Arabs. We are primarily Muslims, but we have huge commu-nities of Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, even Buddhists and Christians.We a lso have a Jewish communi ty. I be l ieve tha t you a rerecognised by your nationality, not by your faith. I could be any-one sitting here and I don't have any sign telling you what is myfaith.Q. And how does it feel to be an actress in Pakistan?A. For me, TV itself was a big step because I come from afamily which is 'liberally conservative'...who are quite liberal inthoughts and behaviour in the sense that we believe in good edu-cation and having a career, but showbiz was not something thatthey wanted me to step into. People from cer tain backgroundsdon't want to be in these fields because they carried an image andreputation with them. I promised my father when he said 'Mujheaccha nahi lagta ki meri beti ki tasveer lagi hai aur log buri nazardale' (I don't like when people stare at your photograph). So, I toldhim that would never happen. My husband has been my biggeststrength.Q. What kind of support does the Pakistani TV industry get fromthe government?A. None really. We unfor tunately are not really recognised as anIndustry. The moment I go for my national identity card for anyofficial government related document, there is no category foracting profession. An actor or a media person is not really con-sidered a profession. I have people in the government asking'Acting ke alawa aap kya kar ti hai?' (What do you do apar t fromacting?), and I say that we don't get time after that as we work forinsane hours. The understanding is missing.Q. Do you follow Indian television?A. Not really. I just don't have the mindset for it and time for it. Iknow people following Indian soaps for years and they live withthose characters.Q. But do Indian soap operas have market and viewership in Pakistan ingeneral?A. It has now lessened and I am saying so from the industry point of viewbecause I get the feedback. Indian soap operas came at a time whenPakistani drama was on its last legs. We did have a whole wave of fakeconcept of Islamisation. I would say Wahhabi pushed the way of Islamisingthe country, and that killed our film industry, and was destroying our TVdramas...For those few years in between, people got hooked to Indiansoaps, but when the whole wave of Pakistani dramas came in, peoplewent back.

THERE'S A PRECONCEIVED NOTION ABOUTPAKISTANIS: ACTRESS HINA KHWAJA BAYAT



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


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

b o l l y w o o d

SHRADDHA KAPOOR, VARUN DHAWAN AND SONAKSHI SINHA DURING THE SPECIAL SCREENING OF HOLLYWOOD FILMAVENGERS, AGE OF ULTRON IN MUMBAI (IANS).

I'm here to share love: Atif Aslam on performing in India

NOT GOING TO CANNES TOSET ANY TREND: KATRINANew Delhi, (IANS) Katrina Kaif is ready to make her red carpetdebut at the 68th Cannes International Film Festival, but theactress says she intends to enjoy the platform, which weavescinema, fashion and beauty together, instead of fretting over herlooks.The "Bang Bang!" actress will walk the red carpet at the 68thCannes International Film Festival as the ambassador of cos-metic brand L'Oréal Paris, and to be a par t of the opening cer-emony of the film gala on May 13."I don't think I'm going there to set any trend or look. I don't thinkthat is my intention. I think my intention is to be me," the actresstold IANS over phone from Mumbai."That's the reason L'Oréal has signed me as the ambassador --for what I represent. I will find something that I'm comfor table inand will not get carried away to make a statement. I think oneshould be true to one's own self and enjoy the festival and theplatform which celebrates cinema, fashion and beauty trendsas well," she added.The 31-year-old is yet to decide on her look for the film fest, butnotes that she will pick the ensembles soon.

'Avengers...' mints Rs. 10.85crore on opening day in IndiaLos Angeles, (IANS) Marvel's "Avengers: Age Of Ultron" hittheatres in India on Friday -- a week before its US release --and has collected a staggering Rs. 108.5 million on it's openingday, according to trade exper ts.Featuring almost all the Marvel superheroes, the much awaitedeleventh film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- "Aveng-ers: Age of Ultron" -- is a sequel to the 2012 release "Aveng-ers".According to trade exper t Taran Adarsh, the figure is said to be2.5 times the collections of "Avengers"."#AvengersAgeOfUltron Fri 10.85 cr. India biz... Non-holidayrelease... Day 1 is 2.5 times higher than #Avengers 1... AWE-SOME," tweeted Adarsh.Fi lm trade analyst Komal Nahta tweeted: " I fAvengersAgeOfUltron can open to packed houses even in asmall centre of Bihar, like Hajipur, Bollywood needs to be wor-ried very much! (sic)."The film stars Rober t Downey Jr., Chris Hemswor th, MarkRuffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, CobieSmulders, Samuel L. Jackson and James Spader.Written and directed by Joss Whedon, "Avengers: Age of Ultron"is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series "TheAvengers", first published in 1963.The movie, said to have released across 1500 screens in thecountry, saw collaborations with 50 brands in various categories.It is touted to be the highest brand association for any film in India.

Indore, (IANS) Popular Pakistani musician Atif Aslam might not have beenable to entertain his fans in Pune with his rock numbers and melodioustracks as his concert had to be cancelled, but he says he has no grudges andhas only love to share with his Indian fans. Aslam's concert was scheduledto be held in Pune on Saturday, but he couldn't play in the city due to oppositionfrom a Hindu outfit. "I respect all the promoters (of events) who invite us. Butit is the responsibility of organisers. I love my fans and I like being in India. I'ma musician. I make music for everyone. I don't categorise (anyone) intoHindus or Muslims." "When it comes to music, there are no boundaries. I'mhere to share love. I'm not doing anything wrong. Whatever I earn, I makesure to pay taxes," Aslam told reporters here prior to his performance. The32-year-old, who entered Bollywood in 2005 with "Woh lamhe" from the film"Zeher", also shared that there is lot of love for Indian artists in his country."If you come to my country, you will see that there is lot of respect for Lataji(Mangeshkar). People still listen to Rafi-ji's songs and people try to copyKishore Kumar. Even Bollywood dance steps are followed by Pakistanis,"said Aslam. The singer, who has performed in Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbaiand Hyderabad, is performing in Indore for the first time. "It feels good to beback here. People have appreciated (my work) and called me back here.This time around, I'll be performing different kind of music - EDM (electronicdance music). It's not my kind of music. I'm looking forward to it. I willperform with a DJ. My band won't be there. I'll miss that. It will be completelyelectronic music, but I might do some unplugged songs," the "Tere bin",

"Doorie" and "Jalpari" hitmaker told IANS. He is here for Royal Stag MTVBollyland, which is a series of multi-city music concerts that see the fusionof popular Bollywood soundtracks with heady electronic beats. DJ Chetasand rapper Hard Kaur also performed at the musical event on Sunday evening.



TORONTO TIMINGS

CSK pull off thrilling 2run win over Knights

Dwayne Bravo being mobbed by his team mates after he took a stunning diving catch duringthe match played between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai.

Chennai, (IANS) A scintillating bowl-ing performance backed up by someterrific fielding enabled Chennai Su-per Kings successfully defend a be-low par total as they pulled off a thrill-ing two-run win against KolkataKnight Riders here on Tuesday.Replying to 134/6 posted by the Su-per Kings, the Knights finished at 132/9 before packed crowd at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium.For CSK, West Indies all-rounderDwayne Bravo was the pick of thebowlers as he returned figures of 3for 22 to walk away with the man ofthe match award. Off-spinnerRavichandran Ashwin bagged 2 for5, as the hosts climbed atop the tablewith six wins from seven matches,while the Knights remained thirdmanaging just three wins from sevengames.Chasers KKR were off on a canter

even after losing skipper GautamGambhir (0) as opener RobinUthappa star ted belting the CSKbowlers away.Uthappa especially got stuck ontoMohit Sharma's first over, hammer-ing the pacer for three consecutiveboundaries. Earlier, he had wippedIshwar Pandey of his pads for a six.When all looked rosy for the men inpurple at 52/1 at the end of five overs,Uthappa fell prey to Ashwin's first ball,as he swept straight to BrendonMcCullum inside the circle.The innings stuttered thereafter asManish Pandey (15) lofted onestraight to Dwayne Bravo at deep-midwicket, with Ashwin picking uphis second victim.The Knights added just 18 runs be-tween the sixth and the tenth over tobe at 70/3 at the half-way stage.The hunt hardly was back on track

as Suryakumar Yadav (16) perishedat long-off trying to pull a short deliv-ery. Dwayne Bravo took a blinder toget rid of the Indian batsman.Bravo once again took the spotlightwith the leather in the 16th over asYusuf Pathan (13) dragged one on hisstump.Even the hard-hitting Andre Russell(4) was sent back to the dug-out aftera miscommunication between himand Ryan ten Doeschate led to theCaribbean being run out with thescore reading 100/6 in 16.5 overs.Pat Cummins (0), and PiyushChawla soon returned. as Bravo gaveaway just four runs in the 18th over.After a drought of boundaries for12 overs, the penultimate overp roduced 13 runs fo r t heKnights, but it was all too lateas the home side pulled off theedge-of-the-seat encounter.

We messed it up by playing too many dot balls: GambhirChennai, (IANS) Going down to Chennai Super Kings in a thriller, Kolkata Knight Riders skipperGautam Gambhir on Tuesday said his batsmen messed up the game by playing too many dot ballsand failing to rotate the strike.Gambhir said his opening batsman Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey had star ted off well, but couldnot carry on."We just got stuck. We should have rotated the strike. Letting the spinners run away with three or fourruns an over was not on," Gambhir said after the match at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium which histeam lost by only two runs.Replying to CSK's 134/6, KKR could get to only 132/9.Gambhir said the top four batsmen in his team should have batted till the 15th over."One of the top four has to bat till the 15th over. specially in these kinds of totals."We need to be smar ter. We need to stop playing so many dot balls, that's where we messed up," he said.

We were outstanding on the field: DhoniChennai, (IANS) Praising the fielding effor ts of his side Chennai Super Kings, skipper MahendraSingh Dhoni said they were "outstanding" on the field in the thriling two-run win over Kolkata KnightRiders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Tuesday.Replying to the CSK's 134/6, KKR fell shor t by two runs owing to some wonderful bowling backed upby stupendous fielding from the opponents, especially the likes of Brendon McCullum and DwayneBravo who dived all around the park saving crucial runs."We did drop two catches, but the fielding was outstanding. Russell's run out was impor tant for us.Brendon McCullum was lightning on the field. And in the middle overs, we did put pressure on them,so they couldn't rotate freely," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


RCB DEMOLISH DAREDEVILSBY 10 WICKETS

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE PLAYERS CELEBRATE VICTORY AGAINST DELHI DAREDEVILS AT FEROZ SHAH KOTLASTADIUM IN NEW DELHI (IANS).

New Delhi, (IANS) An incisive display of pace bowling by Royal Chal-lengers Bangalore (RCB) helped them beat hosts Delhi Daredevils by10 wickets in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match here at theFerozeshah Kotla on Sunday.RCB bowled out the home team for a mere 95 runs in 18.2 overs andthen cruised during the run chase in just 10.3 overs to register acomprehensive victory.With the victory, RCB booked the four th spot in the standings with sixpoints from six matches, just a rung above Delhi who have played agame more to collect as many points.The win was made to look even easier than it was by some maraud-ing batting from burly West Indian opener Chris Gayle (62 not out).He was in his elements from the very beginning, thumping the bowlersto all corners of the park to set up a comfor table run chase.He was given able suppor t by skipper Virat Kohli (unbeaten 35).The dashing duo didn't give any flicker of hope to the Delhi bowlers tomake the contest interesting and won with 57 balls to spare.

Earlier, a brilliant bowling performance from RCB helped them skittleout the Delhi Daredevils for a meagre 95 in just 18.2 overs.It was a good toss to win for Royal Challengers skipper Virat Kohliwhose decision to field was backed his bowlers.Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc was clinical, finishing with superbfigures of 4-0-20-3 while fast bowling par tner Varun Aaron (2/24) andSouth African medium pacer David Wiese (2/18) took two wicketseach.Medio Harshal Patel (1/14) and slow left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla(1/17) also chipped in with a wicket each.So poor was the Daredevils batting that only three batsmen - MayankAgarwal (27), captain J.P. Duminy (13) and wicketkeeper-batsmanKedar Jadhav (33) - got to double digits as all others failed to buildpar tnerships.Also, only Jadhav's strike rate was above 100 per cent in his entireteam, something rare in Twenty20 cricket. Jadhav's 29-ball knockincluded four boundaries.

Outplayed in all departments: Daredevils skipper DuminyNew Delhi, (IANS) After their humiliating 10-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)in their Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter, Delhi Daredevils skipper J.P. Duminy on Sundaysaid it was a tough day for the team as they were outplayed in all depar tments.RCB pacer Mitchell Starc was clinical, finishing with superb figures of 4-0-20-3 while fastbowling par tner Varun Aaron (2/24) and South African medium pacer David Wiese (2/18) tooktwo wickets each to skittle out Daredevils for a meagre 95 in 18.2 overs.In reply, Chris Gayle (62 off 40 balls) and skipper Virat Kohli (35 off 23 balls) chased down thescore in just 10.3 overs with 10 wickets in hand."It was a tough day. We were outplayed in all the depar tments. Credit to RCB," Duminy said atthe post-match presentation ceremony.The skipper said the team needs to regroup ahead of their next game and come back to impressthe home crowd."We have to pick ourselves up from this loss. We were always on the back foot after losing awicket in the first over. We have a few days off before we regroup. We have one more game hereand hopefully we can make the home crowd proud," Duminy said.

MALINGA FINED FIVE PERCENT OF MATCH FEEMumbai, (IANS) Lasith Malinga of Mumbai Indians was onSunday fined five per cent of his match fee for breaching theIndian Premier League (IPL) Code of Conduct during the matchagainst Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium onSaturday.According to a release from the Board of Control for Cricket inIndia (BCCI), match referee Roshan Mahanama found Malingaguilty of the level 1 offence (Ar ticle 2.1.8) of conduct that iscontrary to the spirit of the game.For level 1 breaches of the IPL Code of Conduct, the matchreferee's decision is final and binding.

Asked Tendulkar for coachingsession: McClenaghanMumbai, (IANS) Mumbai Indians pacer Mitchell McClenaghanon Sunday said he asked legendary Sachin Tendulkar if hecould give him a coaching session in the nets after wishing themaestro on his 42nd bir thday on Friday."I wished him happy bir thday on Friday and asked Sachin if hecould give me a coaching session in the nets. I might be a littlebit too far gone for Sachin's help," McClenaghan was quotedas saying by iplt20.com."He is a great man. He is good to be around for the young guyslike me and guys who have looked up to him throughout theircareer. He brings a positive vibe to the group."The Mumbai-based team registered their second win of theIndian Premier League (IPL), beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by20 runs on Saturday.Pace spearhead Lasith Malinga was awarded the Man of theMatch award for his excellent bowling figures of 4-1-23-4. TheSri Lankan was well suppor ted by McClenaghan, who pickedup three wickets from four overs, conceding just 20 runs."It is nice to have a good personal performance but the mostpleasing thing was seeing how we worked together. You haveto bowl well, field well, put pressure and put your body on theline which brings the energy," the 28-year-old said."We worked well together. We were like brothers out there.Hopefully we can continue to do that and keep working to-gether and move forward as a team."The team is coached by Ricky Ponting and the New Zealandersaid that the former Australia captain is very passionate abouthis job."I have a hell lot of interactions with Ponting about my game.He is very passionate, very competitive and he always wantsto win," said McClenaghan.Speaking about the team's bowling coach Shane Bond, theKiwi said, "I have worked with Shane Bond for three years nowand I can't speak more highly of the man. He is so organised inhis work. He is someone who is always there when you wantsomeone to talk about stuff."He is a great acquisition to Mumbai Indians and if we get a prolongedperiod under him, we will learn, evolve and we will get better."

SUNRISERS EDGE

PAST KINGS XI

BY 20 RUNSMohali, (IANS) Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Kings XI Punjabby 20 runs in an Indian Premier League match at the PunjabCricket Association Stadium here on Monday.Set 151 for victory, Kings XI could only manage 130 for nine.The win propelled Sunrisers to the fifth spot in the standingswith six points from seven matches while Kings XI wereplaced at the bottom with four points after seven games.Manan Vohra (5) and Austrlian Shaun Marsh (1) exited earlyin the chase of 151. Both of them were dismissed by drag-ging the ball onto the stumps while trying to force the pace.The task was on skipper George Bailey (22) to rebuild theinnings. But he too perished early in trying to go over the top,only managing to give a simple catch to mid-off.It left Kings XI struggling at 45 for three. Their troubles werecompounded when India Test opener Murali Vijay (12) wasinvolved in a mix-up to be run out for 12 runs, leaving theteam reeling at 53 for four in 8.2 overs. Kings XI were indesperate need of a par tnership to steady their sinking ship.But instead they were dealt a huge blow when South Africandasher David Miller (15) perished when trying to blast oneout of the ground to leave his team doomed at 72 for five.Spinner Karn Sharma took the impor tant wicket. Just whenthey looked down and out, two dropped catches in as manyovers brought them back in to the game. WicketkeeperWriddhiman Saha (42) and Axar Patel (17) capitalised on itto put on a 44-run sixth-wicket par tnership to raise KingsXI's hopes of an improbable win. But untimely dismissals ofPatel and then Saha in the 18th over ext inguished theirchances. Earlier, a disciplined bowling effor t helped Kings XIrestrict Sunrisers to 150 for six.Australian opener David Warner was the star of their innings,hitting a rapid 58 off 41 balls, but he was not backed up by histeammates as Sunrisers could only manage 150. Sent into bat,they lost Shikhar Dhawan (1) early. Warner then took over thetask of scoring briskly but after his depar ture in the 10th over,the scoring rate dropped. All the later batsmen struggled to upthe ante some late lusty blows from Asish Reddy helped Sunrisersto reach 150 to give them a fighting chance.

KARN SHARMA IS CONGRATULATED AFTER DISMISSING DAVID MILLER, KINGS XI PUNJAB V SUNRISERS HYDERABAD.



DHONI OPERATES ON HISINSTINCTS: ASHWIN

A DHONI FAN AT M CHINNASWAMY STADIUM, IN BENGALURU (IANS).

Chennai, (IANS) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spinner RavichandranAshwin on Sunday said skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni doesn't haveany preconceived notions and goes into the game blank and justoperates on his instincts as to who is bowling well and how thewicket is behaving.CSK marched to the top of the Indian Premier League (IPL) pointstable with a comfor table 97-run victory over Kings XI Punjab here onSaturday night.Spinners Ashwin (2/14) and Ravindra Jadeja (3/22) were at theirpeaks, snaring crucial wickets to set their team on its way to a com-prehensive victory. They were well suppor ted by veteran pacer AshishNehra (2/16)."MS is someone who bells the cat as it goes around. He doesn't haveany preconceived notions and goes into the game very blank. Oncehe is there, he just operates on his instincts as to who is bowling welland how the wicket is behaving," Ashwin was quoted as saying byiplt20.com."He has managed some good overseas bowlers in the past as well,the likes of (Muttiah) Muralitharan, (Doug) Bollinger and (Ben)

Hilfenhaus. So, I don't think it makes much difference to him. But asan Indian bowler it definitely makes a difference to have an Indiancaptain. It makes you more comfor table and confident coming in."Spin has always been CSK's strength but this time around the pacersare also coming good."In a bid to make the Indian players better equipped on the overseastours, there is more grass left on the wickets this time. It is too earlyto comment how much effect it will have on the tournament but thegrass on the wicket is definitely aiding the fast bowlers with the newball," said the offie.Among the pacers, 35-year-old Ashish Nehra has been superb in theongoing season, picking up 12 wickets from six games."He (Nehra) did great service to the Indian team from 2006 till 2011.He was one of the lynchpins of our 2011 World Cup winning side aswell. What I admire about him is that he never sulks," said Ashwin."He picks up the new ball, bowls in the powerplay, bowls in the death,whether it is AB de Villiers or Yuvraj Singh he is up against. He nevercomplains and always gives his 100 percent. To add to that, he is aleft-armer. He is someone you would love to have in your team."

WARNER IS FANTASTICAS SKIPPER: SUNRISERSMENTOR LAXMANMumbai, (IANS) Ahead of their match against Mumbai Indians,Sunrisers Hyderabad team mentor V.V.S. Laxman heaped praiseon skipper David Warner on Friday saying the Australian, as asenior squad player, has taken lot of responsibility and hasbeen fantastic in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL)."Warner has been fantastic. We have given him the captaincybecause of the way he contributed as a leader in 2014. Eventhough he was not the designated captain, he was contribut-ing in every team meeting. As a senior player he took a lot ofresponsibility," Laxman said at a pre-match press confer-ence here, ahead of his team's match against Mumbai Indi-ans on Saturday."In Australian Big Bash Twenty20 league, the oppor tunitieshe got he did well. Since the first match this season he hasbeen very good. He has got immense respect within thegroup. He has also become matured as a player and as aperson," he said.When asked if pacer Ishant Sharma would get the oppor tu-nity to play against Mumbai, the 40-year-old said," Ishantplayed the first game but unfor tunately he bowled a lot of noballs. But he has worked hard over the last one week. ButPraveen Kumar has got the oppor tunity and he did reallywell." "We want look at playing the best possible eleven,depending on the conditions,also looking at the oppositionwe play against. It's unfor tunate that Ishant has missed out butPraveen has bowled well. But Ishant has been working reallyhard with the group," Laxman said.

HOCKEY FEDERATIONSOF AUSTRALIA, NEWZEALAND SIGN DEALMelbourne, (IANS) Hockey Australia (HA) and Hockey NewZealand (HNZ) will put aside their traditional on-field rivalry towork together to launch a new annual contest that will pitch allfour national teams into a battle of true trans-Tasman pride.Australia's Kookaburras and Hockeyroos and New Zealand'smen's and women's Black Sticks will take centre stage in theevent, following the signing of a four-year agreement, the first ofits kind between the two countries. Although the exact competi-tion format is still to be confirmed, it is proposed that the teamswill battle it out for one trophy, with the first event in 2016."We expect that this new annual contest will be a real stepforward for the spor t in terms of engaging fans and raising theprofile of hockey on both sides of the Tasman," HNZ chief ex-ecutive Malcolm Harris said. HA chief executive Cam Vale saidthe agreement is impor tant for the future growth of hockey inboth countries. "We have the chance to develop something fromscratch with enter tainment and the fan experience at the heart,creating a new, big event. Spor ts fans love the Australia-NewZealand rivalry and the rivalry in hockey is one of the closestthere is. On any given day either country can come out on top,"said Vale. "The opportunities created by this exciting new com-petition will appeal to broadcasters, commercial sponsors, tour-ism and government par tners alike, and we look forward toredefining the trans-Tasman rivalry over the next few years." Ithas been agreed that next year's inaugural event will be in NewZealand with Australia set to host in 2017. Host venues will beannounced in due course.MS DHONI EXULTS AFTER TAKING A CATCH TO DISMISS GEORGE BAILEY, CHENNAI SUPER KINGS V KINGS XI PUNJAB.

BANGLADESH CRICKETTEAM TO RECEIVE MONEY,FLATS, CARSDhaka, (IANS) Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina onSaturday announced that flats and cars along with prize moneywill be given to the national cricket team for its brilliant perfor-mance in the World Cup and home series against Pakistan.Bangladesh's clinical 3-0 One-Day International (ODI) se-ries sweep and maiden T20 International win against Paki-stan followed their most successful campaign in the WorldCup in Australia and New Zealand where they reached thequar ter-finals, repor ts bdnews24.com.The prime minister congratulated the team during a recep-tion at the Ganabhaban, her official residence. During theceremony, BCB President Nazmul Hassan gave an accountof money received from the International Cricket Council (ICC)af ter Bangladesh progressed to the quar ter-finals of the WorldCup.The prime minister announced additional rewards. She saidthe team had received 10 million taka as winning bonus inthe World Cup and 30 million taka more from ICC. CaptainMashrafe Bin Mor taza and company would receive another12.3 million taka from the BCB.The Bangladesh team will get another 10 mill ion taka fortheir inspiring per formance in the World Cup and another 10million taka for the limited-overs series sweep against Paki-stan. The government would also provide cars and accommo-dation to the national team players, the prime minister said. Shejoined the team and board officials for lunch after the reception.

RAJASTHAN ROYALS (RR) PLAYERS AT THE EDEN GARDENS AFTER RAINS WASHED OUT THEIR MATCH WITH KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (KKR) IN KOLKATA (IANS).

SHIKHAR DHAWAN AND DAVID WARNER ADDED 45 TOGETHER, MUMBAI INDIANS V SUNRISERS HYDERABAD.

BCCI to set upadvisory panel ofprominent cricketersKolkata, (IANS) The BCCI on Sunday decided to set up acricket advisory committee comprising prominent players forthe overall conduct and development of the game, according toits secretary Anurag Thakur.The Board of Control for Cricket in India working committee,which met here during the day, authorised its presidentJagmohan Dalmiya to constitute the committee."The working committee of the BCCI authorised the president,Jagmohan Dalmiya to constitute a cricket advisory committeecomprising prominent cricketers who will share their recom-mendations on the overall conduct and development of thegame," Thakur said in a release after the meeting.With the tenure of senior national team coach Duncan Fletcherhaving ended, the working committee members decided thatthe process to identify the coach and suppor t staff would beundertaken by Dalmiya and Thakur.

Sandefjord (Norway), (IANS) Having created history by be-coming the first Indian footballer to have played in a competi-tive match for a top division European side, goalkeeper GurpreetSingh Sandhu expressed gladness at achieving the milestone.Sandhu made his competitive debut for Stabaek FC in a Nor-wegian Cup match against Runar here on Wednesday. He wasimpressive in his first appearance, staying unbeaten in a 6-0win for his side and thanked coach Bob Bradley for keepingfaith in his abilities and handing him the debut. "Happy to get aclean sheet on my debut for @Stabaek tonight - thanks coach!,"Sandhu tweeted recently.He joined the club last August. "I'm really proud and happy thatit happened. I was waiting for the chance - the team won, that'sthe main thing and (I got) a clean sheet and I thank the team forthat," Sandhu said. "I'm the only Indian player to play for a topdivision club in Europe so... I'm lucky," he said. The Mohali boyhas played for I-League clubs East Bengal and the now defunctPailan Arrows previously. The 23-year-old joined MohammadSalim, Baichung Bhutia, Sunil Chhetri and Subrata Paul amongothers who have all played for European teams.

Sandhu first Indiankeeper to create history

UAE MATCHES OF 2014 IPL GARNERED RS.250 CRORE: BCCIMumbai, (IANS) Twenty matches of the 2014 Indian Premier League (IPL), played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in April thatyear, contributed Rs.250 crore to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the gulf country, a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)release said on Friday.The study in this regard was under taken by audit, tax and advisory services firm KPMG's Spor ts Advisory Group on behalf of the BCCI.The study also estimated that the matches generated an increase in the economic activity of that country by Rs.450 crore.The first half of last year's IPL was held in the gulf nation due to the matches coinciding with the 2014 general elections in India held toconstitute the 16th Lok Sabha. The IPL matches in the UAE attracted a total attendance of over 250,000, the release added."BCCI's wish was to play as much as possible of the 2014 Pepsi IPL season at home. Once it was clear that we needed to shift the first20 matches out of India, our team along with IMG, the Emirates Cricket Board and the three stadiums in the UAE worked tirelessly torelocate these matches to the UAE," BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said. "It is staggering to think that the Pepsi IPL generated 5 percentof the total growth in the GDP of the UAE during that 15-day period," he added.

ONLY GOD CAN EXPLAIN BRAZIL'SWORLD CUP DISASTER: PELE

London, (IANS) Brazil football legend Pele on Friday said that "onlyGod can explain" how Brazil were beaten so brutally by Germany inlast summer's World Cup semi-final. Without Neymar and Thiago Silva,the tournament hosts were memorably hammered 1-7 by eventualWorld Champions Germany which triggered the end of Luiz FelipeScolari's reign in-charge of five-time champions."The semi-final was something nobody can explain. It's somethingonly God can explain," Pele was quoted as saying by goal.com. Speak-ing after some of the stars of that Germany side - such as ThomasMuller, Phillip Lahm and Manuel Neuer - starred for Bayern Munichas they smashed Por to 6-1 in a Champions League quar terfinal, Pelerevealed he is still in shock at the "disaster" which struck Brazil."When we were preparing for the World Cup the two teams everybody- even people who don't know football - expected to be in the finalwere Spain and Brazil," the former Brazil striker, who won three WorldCups during his illustrious career, said. The legend also heaped praiseon the World Cup-winning German team."Those were the two teams that were supposed to be in the final. Butthe German team, I saw them play two years before and they werevery, very good. They were very well prepared," he said. "Then ofcourse there was the disaster in the semis and it really was a disas-ter. It was something nobody could predict. Brazil could lose, 1-0 or 2-0, but to lose 7-1 and the third-place play-off we lost 3-0," the 74-year-old legend concluded.Currently under coach Dunga, Brazil have rejuvenated their team spiritand with the likes of Neymar, David Luiz and Oscar, the side is set tobe in action this summer once again in the Copa America in Chile,where they have been drawn in a group with Colombia, Peru andVenezuela.


TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015b o l l y w o o d

Sunny Leone seduces Ram Kapoor in 'Aao na'

SUNNY LEONE AND RAM KAPOOR PROMOTE THEIR UPCOMING FILM KUCH KUCH LOCHA HAI BY PERFORMING LIVE AT INORBITMALL IN MALAD MUMBAI (IANS)

Mumbai, (IANS) Filmmaker Devang Dholakia's movie "Kuch KuchLocha Hai" has released its third song "Aao na", in which actressSunny Leone would be seen seducing Ram Kapoor.Sunny is seen flaunting a red sari -- much like what Dimple Kapadiain the "Jaane do na" song from "Saagar". "Aao na" is an adaptation of

the cult hit "Jaane do na", and has vocals by Shradha Pandit, Ankit Tiwariand Arko. The film's music has been produced by Zee Music Company. "KuchKuch Locha Hai" has already released two songs "Paani wala dance" and"Daru peeke dance". The film also features Evelyn Sharma and NavdeepChabbra and is slated to hit the theaters on May 8.

SHRADDHA KAPOOR'S 'CRIME MASTER GO GO' GIFT TO DAD SHAKTIMumbai, (IANS) Actor Shakti Kapoor received a special gift from his daughter actress Shraddha Kapoor -- a coffee mug with the caption"Release go go" -- as a tribute to his 'Crime Master Go Go' character from the 1994 movie "Andaz Apna Apna".The movie, which gained a cult following over the years, featured the veteran actor in the role of an incorrigible villain.According to a source, when Shraddha was returning to India a few days ago, she spotted a huge crowd buying some exclusivemerchandise at the airpor t.On inspection, the "Aashiqui 2" actress found that there were old and young fans of her father purchasing 'Crime Master Go Go'merchandise. She also bought the mug for her father from thereOn reaching home, the actress gifted the mug to 56-year-old Shakti, who became nostalgic over the fact that he has left a benchmarkfor villainous comedy in Bollywood.

TOM CRUISE TO STAR IN'BOB: THE MUSICAL'?Los Angeles, (IANS) Actor Tom Cruise is in talks to star in thelong-delayed "Bob: The Musical" movie. Written by Allan Loeb,it follows a story of a man who can suddenly hear the songs inever yone's hear t af ter get t ing hi t on the head, repor tsaceshowbiz.com."The Ar tist" director Michel Hazanavicius is roped in to helm"Bob: The Musical". The film has been in development since2004. It once attracted Phil Lord and Chris Miller ("The LegoMovie", "22 Jump Street") and Adam Shankman ("Hairspray","Rock of Ages"). Last year, Rober t Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez ("Frozen (2013)") were linked to write the music andlyrics.Cruise was last seen in "Edge of Tomorrow" and will next re-prise his role as Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible RogueNation". He will also star in "Mena", a thriller that reunites himwith "Edge of Tomorrow" helmer Doug Liman.

'Fast and Furious 8' to release inApril 2017, reveals DieselLos Angeles, (IANS) The eighth instalment of "Fast and Furious"will release on April 14, 2017. This would be the first instalmentof the franchise without actor Paul Walker. Speaking during thetheatre owners' gathering at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, actor VinDiesel revealed that the sequel to the recently-released "Furi-ous 7" would hit Nor th America on April 14, 2017, repor tsaceshowbiz.com."I swear to you and I swear to my brother upstairs we're goingto make the best movie you've ever seen," Diesel said. "Furious7" was completed with the help of Walker's brothers as bodydoubles following his death in an unrelated car crash on No-vember 2013. It was a box office giant for Universal, collectinga global haul of $1.2 billion to become the biggest instalment inthe franchise and the seventh highest-grossing movie of alltime.It joined the elite billion club after just 17 days of release, fasterthan any other movies and became the first Universal film toreach the milestone in its initial theatrical release. Details ofthe upcoming entry are still scarce, but Diesel is expected toreprise his role and so is actor Kur t Russell. James Wan isrepor tedly eyed to direct again, and actress Eva Mendes from"2 Fast 2 Furious" is rumoured to return as agent MonicaFuentes. Actress Helen Mirren has expressed her interest inplaying villain in this eighth instalment.

HOLLYWOOOD



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


VINAY PATHAK, MUGDHA GODSE AND AMIT BEHL DURING THE MUSIC LAUNCH OF FILM KAAGAZ KE FOOLS IN MUMBAI (IANS).

DIVYA DUTTA PAYS OBEISANCE AT THE GOLDEN TEMPLE INAMRITSAR (IANS).

Saif Ali Khan 'excited' to workwith Vishal Bhardwaj againNew Delhi, (IANS) After playing Ishwar 'Langda' Tyagi in 2006crime drama film "Omkara", actor Saif Ali Khan is "excited" toreturn in a Vishal Bhardwaj directorial, in which he will staralongside Shahid Kapoor.The 44-year-old, who was here for a mobile launch, deniedspeculation that the untit led project is based on Will iamShakespeare's tragedy "King Lear"."Yes, I'm working with him. I don't know the script, but I don'tthink its 'King Lear'. It's something else, so I'm excited to beworking with him again. I think we do really good work to-gether," Saif told IANS here.The film will mark the first time he will be working with his wifeKareena Kapoor Khan's former beau Shahid.Asked about his future projects, Saif said he has also signed onto work with Sujoy Ghosh and Vikramaditya Motwane."These are the three films (including the one with Bhardwaj)that I'm looking at at the moment," he added. Meanwhile, Saifwill next be seen in "Phantom", which also stars Katrina Kaif.The upcoming counter terrorism drama film has wrapped upshooting and is all set to release on August 28.

Actor Ranbir Kapoor, who is in news for his relationship with actressKatrina Kaif, confesses that he is in love but there are no weddingplans as of now. On whether his wedding will be a private affair,Ranbir said, "I think you cannot keep it private. We are actors. Mywedding date was fixed six years back. It's a special day so let meannounce it. But right now there are no plans." "I am in love and I dofeel committed and responsible. But when it comes to wedding, somuch speculation spoils the fun. I would request media to stop specu-lating about my wedding date," he added.The actor, whose last two films "Besharam" and "Roy" bombed at the

box office, said he feels the pressure and hopes "Bombay Velvet"works for him."Yes there is a pressure and as an actor you want to deliver goodfilms. When 'Besharam' didn't do well I took the responsibility that wewent wrong with that film. But I also feel that you have to stay true toyour work. We have worked hard on this film ("Bombay Velvet") andhope this film works."Directed by Anurag Kashyap "Bombay Velvet" features Ranbir Kapoor,Anushka Sharma, Karan Johar among others. The film is slated forMay 15 release.

Ranbir Kapoor's wedding date was fixed six years ago!

Filmmaker Karan Johar, who was directed by Anurag Kashyap in "Bombay Velvet", says he will never cast Anurag in his film and that hetakes only good-looking actors in his films."I will not cast Anurag in my film. I only take good-looking actors. I will not make a film where Anurag fits in. Can you imagine Anurag in'New York'? You see him in 'Gangs of Wasseypur' kind of films," Karan Johar said.However, he also said that he would never direct himself."I will never direct myself. I can't be my own liability. I am open to offers. I don't have a delusion that I can do lead roles, but goodsuppor ting roles I will do."Karan Johar will be seen in a negative role in "Bombay Velvet". He said yes to this film because no one else would ever offer him a negativerole. "My character in the film is manipulative. When Anurag came to me with this film, I loved the role. When he told me that he wasconsidering Naseruddin Shah for this role, it acted as an added pressure. I thought nobody will offer me a negative role in my life so Ithought I should take it. I hope it works out.""Bombay Velvet" features Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Karan Johar among others.

Karan Johar: I will never cast Anurag Kashyap in my film

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