USA

Ranbir is possessive about me Deepika

Here's the first look of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. The chemistry is very much working for the two. The poster looks quite vibrant.

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Musharraf in jail for foolish move

Sandy and Amrishs wedding reception

Sarabjit dies in Lahore hospital

usharraf's arrest was inevitable. As I wrote in 2008 in Pakistan Tribune that he had to handover power to return Pakistan to civilian rule, seek a political asylum and also run risk of being thrown in jail for carrying out the military coupe and facing several allegations. The dismissal of a bevy of judges and failure to provide security for a returning Benazir Bhutto that his critics say exposed Benazir to risks and her ultimate murder. Musharraf thought he had the political clout and somehow wield public support. With his main political enemy Nawaz Sharif (who he threw out of power) as a forerunner to Pakistan's Prime Minister in the upcoming elections, it was foolish of Musharraf to plunge in the a very unstable political cesspool. As fresh news pouring in from all sides on Indian TV as I am writing this here, a debate is developing whether Musharraf should be put in jail, allowed to leave the country or placed under house arrest for a former Prime Minister.

ndian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh died of cardiac arrest in a Lahore hospital in the wee hours today after being comatose for nearly a week following a brutal assault by fellow inmates in a high- security Pakistani jail, officials said. "I received a call from the doctor on duty (at Jinnah Hospital) at 1 am (1:30 IST) informing me that Sarabjit is no more," Mahmood Shaukat, the head of a medical board that was supervising 49-year-old Sarabjit's treatment, told PTI. Another doctor, who was part of the team treating Sarabjit, said he died of cardiac arrest, adding that doctors made several unsuccessful attempts to resuscitate him. Officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad said they had been informed by officials of Jinnah Hospital about Sarabjit's death. Sarabjit sustained severe injuries when at least six prisoners attacked him in a barrack at Kot Lakhpat Jail on Friday, hitting him on the head with bricks. In New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed sadness over Sarabjit's death, saying criminals responsible for the barbaric and murderous attack on the Indian national must be brought to justice. Sarabjit was convicted of alleged involvement in a string of bomb attacks in Punjab province that killed 14 people in 1990 and spent about 22 years in Pakistani prisons.

Fiji PM leads successful tour to PNG

delegation to the Melanesian capital to begin a series of talks with his PNG counterpart, Honorable Peter O'Neill. The Prime Minister was accorded a full military guard of honour with a 19 gun salute on his arrival at Jackson International Airport in the nation's capital. The head of the Fijian Government was received by PNG's Deputy Prime Minister Chief Honourable Leo Dion, Cabinet Ministers and other senior government officials. Later this evening, the Prime Minister will be hosted to a state dinner by his PNG counterpart at the Parliament House. Recent months have seen both countries calling for stronger relations between the two.

eaffirming the strong relations between Fiji and Papua New Guinea is the expected outcome this week as Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama leads a state visit to PNG beginning today. The head of government is leading a large government

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Close to the end of 2012, Prime Minister O'Neill visited Fiji and said more efforts needed to be put in place to strengthen relations between the two countries. I want to assure you Prime Minister that we will

continue to support Fiji on many of those issues and we look forward to working with you on many of these international forums, Prime Minister O'Neill said referring to regional growth for both countries. The Prime

Minister's State tour to PNG will coincide with the Trade & Investment Seminar jointly organised by Fiji's Ministry of Industry and Trade and Investment Fiji. He is scheduled to open this seminar later this week.

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Former Citizen of Fiji Returns Home from the United States After 40 Years
SAN FRANCISCOnative Indo-Fijian, Sesha Reddy, announces his homecoming to the Fiji Islands after living and working in the United States for 40 years. "With the Fijian government offering dual citizenship to former Fijian citizens and tax incentives for foreign investments, it makes the Fiji Islands an attractive destination for retirement." Reddy said. But, after discussing his plans and the benefits of returning to Fiji with others, Reddy came to understand that many former citizens do have the desire to come home, but for those who no longer have relatives or a place to stay in Fiji find it discouraging. With much enthusiasm, Reddy will return to the Fiji Islands with more in mind than retirement and relaxation alone. Reddy has a major goal to create an opportunity for other former Fijian citizens to come home through developing the community Tokalau Pointe (www.tokalaupointe.com). This new and exciting community will provide all the com-

forts of modern living while preserving the natural serenity that former Fijian citizens have been missing for years. Reddy stated, "As for many of us, we left Fiji for growth opportunities educational and professional. Now that we have accomplished many life goals, our children are grown and retirement is upon us, this is the time to fulfill one final goal, and that goal is to return home. Tokalau Pointe, located less than two kilometers from Sigatoka Town along the country's second largest river, the Sigatoka River, is a major land development project

that consists of 117 acres of freehold land. The master plan for Tokalau Pointe includes 200 single family homes, 35-40 condominium units, 3 bed and breakfast facilities, several neighborhood parks and a shopping center. Sesha Reddy is an American investor based in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, USA. For those who have the desire to come home to Fiji and would like to learn more or simply have any suggestions for this community development, he welcomes feedback and may be contacted at seshareddy5@aol.com.

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Zahid Hussain puts in 40 years of his soccer experience to coach new players

H. Koya (PhD)
Editor-Publisher

Robbie Michaelson
Contributing writer HAYWARD- Former Fiji rep Zahid Hussain who began his soccer career from high school days and played for Rewa Soccer League came to US in the 70s and helped put in place soccer teams in the Bay Area is

(Above Zahid- extreme right back row- with Cal State University students) helping international students at the Cal State University in Hayward, Speaking to Fiji Sun USA at the Cal State sports arena Zahid said that he passionate about training young Fiji kids to become soccer players. He is willing to help any and wants Fiji parents to send him an email at fijicoach@gmail.com. Zahid is an elder son of late Mr. a long time Special sergeant in the Fiji Special Constabulary who mostly weekend duties and Hibiscus Festival. Soccer runs in the Hussain family. Zahids late uncle famous Suva Electric Company owner was the FIFA certified soccer refree and a long time Fiji Football Association official.

Dr. Marion Sanchez

Sports & Psychology Editor

Family killer jailed for life

BIMLESH Prakash Dayal will serve life in prison for murdering his wife and two daughters in their Vatuwaqa home in Suva two years ago. The High Court, in handing down sentence yesterday, instructed that Dayal be eligible for parole only after serving a minimum 20 years. The 32-year-old truck driver sat in the dock with his head bowed while judge Justice Paul Madigan delivered sentence. Throughout sentencing, his mother sat wiping away tears and praying quietly. Dayal walked out of the courtroom with a smile on his face. He hugged his mother and asked for her forgiveness before he was escorted away by three police officers. Before a small crowd gathered outside the courtroom, Dayal's relatives quickly stepped in to take his elderly mother away. In mitigation, Dayal said after his father died in 2011, he had supported his mother and family. He said although he dropped out of school at Form Four, he tried his best to provide for his family. Justice Madigan, during sentencing, said it was the fact of the case that Dayal launched a vicious attack on his sleeping wife and two daughters after knowing his marriage was fast descending to an unhappy state. "You have instructed your counsel today that despite the convictions, you did not commit these murders, a stance that shows a distinct lack of remorse given the overwhelming evidence against you and the unanimous guilty opinions of the three assessors and this court," he said. Justice Madigan said the facts of the case were that on October 28, 2011, Dayal called his wife's relatives alleging marriage infidelity which she had denied.

Man in custody for rape

A villager is in custody at the Lautoka Corrections Centre for allegedly raping a 12year-old girl on Yasawa last week. Police spokeswoman Naina Ragigia said the accused had been produced in court on a count of raping a Class Seven student. Ms Ragigia said the police were concerned about increasing sex and child abuse cases being reported despite the many awareness campaigns conducted around the country.

Union Vs. management understanding your contract

Annie A. Koya (Executive Board Member)

n employment contract becomes binding on all parties once it has been accepted, agreed to and signed. There is always the likelihood of a breach or failure to complyby any party that can lead to disputes and even legal action. It is important that everyone should be conversant with the terms of employment and point out any non-compliance so that your union representative can take corrective action. Sometimes it may be a matter reading certain terms and conditions that can be sorted out through constructive meetings between your union reps and management. Keep in mind your rights are defined in your work agreements. Workers union always has a procedure in place how you may raise your concerns.

Farmers set focus on winning Savusavu tournament

THEY maybe farmers from villages they hail from, but the Ketei Warriors from Nasinu in the district of Natewa have victory on their minds when it comes to the Fiji Bitter Savusavu 7s tournament. Coming from their humble backgrounds, the youths who make up the side have set their focus on winning the three-day tournament. Team manager Livia Korovulavula said the side had been preparing for a month after participating at the local Nasinu District School 7s tournament last month. "The youths all stay in the village and we see this tournament as a good platform where they can showcase and put their talents and knowledge of the game to the test against other big teams," he said. "We have also fielded an under-19 side in the event and they have also been made aware of the dream of the team management." Korovulavula said they were also looking for sponsors to develop the interest of the youths in the village. "We are looking forward to a tough competition from the teams who are also out here to win and we will be keeping our games short and simple sticking to the game plan that we have set."

may-2013

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The residents of Sarabjit Singh's native village Bikhiwind seen protesting against his death.

Sarabjit comes home, dead

Bhikhiwind/New Delhi/Islamabad : Twentytwo years after he left the fields of Punjab and his beloved family, Sarabjit Singh finally came home on Thursday, but in a coffin and to an outpouring of grief and outrage. Sarabjit was murdered by fellow inmates in a Lahore jail in what Pakistan says was a scuffle but what many in India suspect was a premeditated attack. He was on death row there for his alleged role in bomb blasts in Lahore and Faisalabad two decades ago. His family always maintained that he was innocent, a farmer who had strayed across the border in a drunken state on a fateful night in 1990. A special Air India plane carrying his body touched down in Amritsar at 8.30pm, and he was then flown by helicopter to a site near his village of Bhikhiwind, where the Punjab government will give him a state funeral on Friday. Not a single home there lit a kitchen fire to prepare dinner; instead, griefstricken villagers threw themselves into preparations for his last rites. His death prompted an anguished reaction from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well as Opposition anger at the governments handling of the case, and threatened to worsen strained ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours. An insensitive Pakistani bureaucracy delayed the release of the body by three hours at Lahore airport, adding to Indian indignation. "It is particularly regrettable that the government of Pakistan did not heed the pleas of the government of India, Sarabjit's family and of civil society in India and Pakistan to take a humanitarian view of this case", the PM said. External affairs minister Salman Khurshid said: "A sustainable and long-lasting relationship between two countries has to be between people. That relation has been hurt by what has happened today." Minister of state for foreign affairs Parneet Kaur along with PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa, deputy chief minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal receiving the body of Sarabjit Singh which arrived from Pakistan in a special plane at Amritsar airport. PTI Photo Parliament passed a unanimous resolution of condemnation, and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi paid his condolences to Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur in Delhi, hugging close to him the woman who had fought relentlessly, and unsuccessfully, for her brother's release. The BJP's potential prime ministerial candidate for 2014, Narendra Modi, did not mince his words: "I directly blame the government of Pakistan for the murder of Sarabjit Singh. It is an extrajudicial killing."

Candles are placed in front Sarabjit Singh's photographs in Amritsar.

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Did India miss chance to get Sarabjit Singh safe?

New Delhi : Did India lose an opportunity to bring Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh back home from Pakistans Kot Lakhpat jail? Highly placed sources in the ministry of external affairs reveal that the issue of releasing Sarabjit on humanitarian grounds was not taken up at the highest level, especially in the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in April last year. While Zardari - who had a one-on-one meeting with Manmohan Singh, before his visit to the dargah in Ajmer took up the issue of Pakistani prisoner Khalil Chishty, India did not press for Sarabjits release. In what is now being seen as a costly miss, India did not even try and negotiate a swap-deal for Chishty and Sarabjit. Chishty, a Pakistani virologist sentenced to life in a murder case was finally granted clemency by the Indian state on humanitarian grounds. Pleas to release Sarabjit on humanitarian grounds were taken up at many levels, including at the level of former minister for external affairs, SM Krishna and recently by home minister Sushil

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Sarbjit Singh attending a marriage ceremony in his village before 1990.

Kumar Shinde when he met his counterpart Rehman Malik in Delhi in December last year. The only way to have got Sarabjit released was through a trade-off with Chishty but we seem to have let that opportunity go, said G Parthasarathy, former high commissioner to Pakistan. Highly placed sources confirmed to Hindustan Times that while Zardari took up Chishtys case at the highest level, Sarabjits release on

humanitarian grounds did not come up for discussion even though his mercy petition was pending with Zardari at the time. Zardari was instrumental in postponing Sarabjits execution in 2008. Sarabjits family was in fact hopeful that if Zardari had signed off on a pending proposal to commute the Indians death sentence to life, he could have also been released from jail as he had already served his 14year sentence.

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"Magic of Mahakumbh", and a 25-minute power point presentation detailing the challenges the administration faced while organising the mega event in Allahabad town that began January 14 and concluded March 12. The power point presentation has been prepared by management consultancy firm Ernst and Young, whose consultants were stationed in the state for more than 10 days during which they met several officials in the state capital Lucknow and Allahabad, and took extensive notes. The presentation was later reviewed by the chief secretary thrice, an official said. Government sources said the chief minister took out time twice from his busy schedule to review the presentation, which contains 60 graphical slides along with speaker notes. Although it is not clear whether the chief minister would make this presentation himself or get the chief secretary to do so, an official said that Akhilesh Yadav had "rehearsed the speech many times" before leaving for the US. The 10-minute speech in English would see the chief minister sharing his upbringing, his schooling and the vision he has for the most populous state of the country, the official added.

May-2013

LUCKNOW : Accompanied by a battery of officials and two ministers, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday left for the US to deliver a lecture at the Harvard Business School on organising the Mahakumbh and the challenges faced by the administration. Urban development minister Mohammad Azam Khan, minister of state for science and technology Abhishek Mishra, deputy chairman of the state Planning Commission N C Bajpai, chief secretary Jawed Usmani, Kumbh management officials as well as inspector general Alok Sharma are amongst those accompanying Akhilesh Yadav to

Akhilesh heads for Harvard to share Mahakumbh success mantra

Women invite harassment, Madhya Pradesh Congress leader says

BHOPAL : A Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh has landed himself in a controversy by making sexist remarks that women invite trouble by looking at men in a suggestive manner. The Congress leader's comments have drawn flak from the state BJP. "Jab tak mahila tirchi najar se nahi dekhegi, tab tak purush use nahi chedega" (No man will harass a woman till she looks at him in a suggestive manner)," Satyadev Katara, a former minister, said at a Congress rally in Bhind district. The rally was organised earlier this week by the Congress in Bhind as part of the party's campaign to regain power in the year-end assembly polls. Efforts to contact Katara on the issue proved futile.

Boston for the Kumbh 13 lecture. Akhilesh Yadav is the first chief minister of Uttar Pradesh to get the Harvard invite. Officials said the chief minister would address the students and faculty of the prestigious business school April 26. His address would follow a five-minute video presentation

Delhi out on the streets

Karnataka lost shine under BJP : Rahul

SINDHANUR (RAICHUR): Two days after BJP's heavy artillery in shape of LK Advani, Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj touched down in different places in Karnataka, the Congress's main draw, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, whistle-stopped through three places in North Karnataka, touching a raw nerve with the people: the state's lost prestige. "Karnataka was shining under Congress rule. Everyone spoke proudly about Karnataka in Delhi, in Japan and in America. Bangalore became famous for job opportunities, and people from far-away places came here for work. But in five years of BJP rule, the state has lost its shine," Rahul told people in Sindhanur in Raichur on Tuesday, in sweltering heat at the Government College grounds. "The BJP made tall promises of giving jobs, non-stop electricity and water for irrigation, but forgot those promises and robbed the state," Rahul said. Not far into the speech, though, he pretty much made the same promises,

Police officers detain a protester during a protest against the recent rape of the 5-year-old girl outside the Parliament in New Delhi.

HC allows media coverage of trial CAG picks holes in rural job scheme
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court today allowed the media to cover the trial of the four accused in the case relating to the gang rape and murder of a physiotherapy student. Justice Rajiv Shakdher, however, advised the media not to identify in its reports the victim and her family members, besides the complainant and witnesses. The HC also clarified that the trial court was free to exclude any part of the proceedings from the purview of media coverage. Setting aside the fast track courts January 22 order for in-camera proceedings, the HC expressed the hope that the media would confine itself to reporting news and avoid transgressing into the areas which fell under the judiciarys domain. NEW DELHI : UPA government's flagship rural job guarantee scheme MGNREGA seems to be losing popularity with the number of poor opting for it coming down. Rural household employment declined from 54 days in 2009-10 to 43 days in 2011-12 even as the scheme aims to enhance livelihood security by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a year, according to a review carried out by the CAG, whose report was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday. In fact, UP, Bihar and Maharashtra, which are home to nearly 50% of the country's below poverty line (BPL) population, accounted for only 20% of total expenditure under the scheme.

and chose not to take on the BJP for its promise of free laptops to students and subsidized rice - perhaps realising that doing so might backfire. Reflecting the upbeat mood in Karnataka Congress, Rahul said, "It's clear that Congress will form the government in Karnataka and it will be the government of aam aadmi, unlike the BJP which allowed two brothers to rule the state," an obvious reference to Reddy brothers, mired in corruption charges. "When I last visited this place, I promised only one thing, Article 371 (J), to give Hyderabad-Karnatak spe-

cial status. And we fulfilled that promise," he added. Rahul arrived two hours late by a special helicopter at the high-security venue and apologized to the 20,000-strong crowd for making them wait in the 40 degree heat. Senior leaders V Hanumanth Rao and Anand Bhaskar kept the crowd engaged with speeches in Hindi and Telugu. Police found it tough to control the crowds when Rahul arrived and left, as people tried to take his photographs with their cell phones. "We'll ensure eight-hour power supply in three phases in rural areas for irrigation.

Advani denies contesting from Indore

NEW DELHI : BJP stalwart L.K. Advani on Tuesday distanced himself from the speculation that he may contest the next Lok Sabha election from Indore in Madhya Pradesh. With BJP circles abuzz that the party veteran, who represents Gandhinagar, may switch constituencies this time, Advani touched upon the issue by referring to news reports saying that Indore MP Sumitra Mahajan has decided not to contest the seat this time. The former deputy prime minister also asked Mahajan not to issue such statements, as he emphasized his links

No aspiration to become PM, want to do party work : Chidambaram

NEW DELHI : Finance minister P Chidambaram yet again parried questions on his becoming the Prime Minister saying he has no such aspirations and would like to do party work. "I have no such expectations. I have no such aspiration and I believe that in the few years that remain to me, I want to do (a) few other things, like travel," he said when asked whom he would like to choose his Finance minister after becoming the Prime Minister after 2014 general elections. "The first part of the question, I reject it out of hand... the new Prime Minister," he said in a lighter vein. Answering questions at The Economist's India Summit here, Chidambaram said he would like to "remain a worker of the Congress party". "I did not have enough opportunity to work at party level, except for brief period when I was general secretary of state Congress party. I want to prove that I can also do party work. I will love to do party work, but I would do whatever the party asks me to do... I sincerely hope the party will allow me to travel, read and write," Chidambaram said.

with Gujarat. "When we had to move to India after partition, my father chose to settle down in Gujarat. So I am from Gujarat," party sources quoted Advani as telling BJP MPs. He denied that he planned to shift out of Gandhinagar when Mahajan said she had merely reacted to reports about Advani's plan for the 2014 polls.

Therefore, if I reject the first assumption out of hand, the second question does not arise. But I can certainly recommend you and many other names to

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Police probe rape claim

JUST one week after the police questioned an eightyear-old boy over an alleged rape case in the North, another man has been questioned for the same offence. North Police Commander SSP Fulori Rainibogi confirmed this, saying the man was questioned early this week. "While attending to the eightyear-old boy's case, officers managed to uncover another alleged incident of rape last year and detained the man for interrogation," she said. "The two alleged incidents occurred in the same area and the suspects are both in custody." SSP Rainibogi said both victims were in their tender ages and vulnerable. The situation, she added, warranted extra supervision from parents and guardians. "I request parents to be vigilant and closely monitor their children to ensure they are not vulnerable to sexual activities. "Despite continuous advice to parents, children still fall victims to such sexual offences and we reiterate the need for more caution." It was earlier reported the eight-year-old boy was questioned for allegedly raping a Class One student last Friday.

FIJI : Bainimarama on talk-back radio to promote constitution

FIJI : Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama will over the next couple of days feature on several talkback radio shows to answer questions about the controversial new Fijian draft constitution. In a press release on Monday it was announced that the deadline for submissions on the draft constitution has been extended by four days. The new deadline is now April 30. The statement from the Ministry of Information claimed there had been overwhelmingly positive response to the draft constitution and the process of public consultation. Bainimarama said the four-day extension gives the governments legal team more time to hold public meetings in additional parts of the country. Commodore Bainimarama will now continue with his tours of public consultation. Bainimarama held public meetings in Nadi and Sigatoka on Monday. Later this week new meetings will be held in Taveuni and Savusavu. The existing provisions of the draft have been warmly accepted but, of course, people are asking for clarification on some aspects and we want to engage with them personally," Bainimarama said. While the Fiji regime is promoting the new draft constitution, others want to scrap it and start all over again. A nationwide petition was launched by the United Front for a Democratic Fiji against the draft constitution Tuesday, according to the regime critical blog Coupfourpointfive. Fijis last democratically prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, is reported to be one of the supporters of the anti-constitution movement. The United Front for a Democratic Fiji demands the current draft constitution be replaced by the 2012 Peoples Draft, which they say reflected the views, thoughts and aspirations of a very wide cross-section of our society. The United Front for a Democratic Fiji criticises the Fiji regime for an inadequate consultation process and for only providing the constitution in English.

HIV stigma, discrimination still an issue

Fiji : THE government has provided unprecedented support towards the management of HIV and AIDS issues in Fiji, says President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau. However, he said work on awareness and understanding of HIV in Fiji was far from over. Stigma and discrimination remained an issue. Ratu Epeli said the protective power of laws as recognised by the Global Commission on HIV and the Law must be harnessed to eliminate these two issues. He was speaking at a regional meeting in Nadi yesterday which aimed to identify and review laws and policies that were barriers to effective HIV responses in line with international human rights standards. "In February 2011, the Fiji government had enacted the Fiji HIV/AIDS Decree 2011. The purpose of the decree was to provide human rights based measures to assist HIV prevention and in HIV/AIDS care and support. "The decree addresses human rights violations that fuel social marginalisation, such as stigma and discrimination which remain as barriers to the HIV/AIDS response in Fiji, and in other Pacific Island countries. "However, the decree was not perfect and the process for its review began immediately with further consultations with our friends and partners and resulted in the HIV/AIDS (Amendment) Decree 2011 which was enacted just six months later in August 2011 making the decree internationally compliant." The three-day Pacific Consultation on Legal and Policy Barriers to Accessing HIV Services for PLHIV and Affected Populations ends tomorrow.

A balancing act
PM Bainimarama has a different take on the consultation process. When people have the provisions explained to them, its clear that a great many are satisfied with the document," he said. The 58-year-old regime leader said that he would have liked a longer consultation process, but that it is very important to finish the constitution. We need to get the consultation finalised as soon as possible. So its a balancing act between this process and our absolute need to meet the election deadline of September next year.

Association likes system

THE Fiji Bus Operators Association has heaped praise on the e-ticketing systems. FBOA director Richard Lal said the feedback from bus operators in the country was that the performance of the system was beyond expectation. "Some of the performance feedback that we received today was that the performance of the system was quite exceptional," Mr Lal said. "Under the new system, we are able to assess our performance and when we look at the data compiled by individual operators, we can see that the results are much better than expected." Mr Lal said the performance of the system in the initial

stages was encouraging and bus operators hoped that this would eventually lead to a fully cashless system.

949 e-ticketing machines installed

E-TICKETING solution provider, Foneology has installed 949 e-ticketing machines in buses around the country as of this morning. Foneology director James Trusler said the company had installed e-ticketing machines in all bus companies in the Northern Division. "In the Central Division we have finished all the companies apart from Dee Cees - there are only five buses left which should be done today," Mr Trussler said. "Of course that's excluding Tebara and Shore buses."

We rank 120 on media list

FIJI is ranked 120 on a table of 197 countries that were part of a global survey of media independence. The latest Freedom of the Press 2013 survey released yesterday in Washington DC in the US showed significant downgrades of a number of countries around the world. But it also showed a relatively high level of press freedom in 2012 in the Asia-Pacific region, with 15 countries and territories rated "free", 12 rated "partly free" and 13 rated "not free". The Freedom of the Press index assesses the degree of print, broadcast, and internet freedom in every country in the world, analysing the events and developments of each calendar year. Ratings are determined through an examination of three broad categories: * the legal environment in which media operate; * political influences on reporting and access to information; and * economic pressures on content and the dissemination of news. In her speech yesterday morning at the Newseum Building along Pennsylvania Avenue, Karin Karlekar, the project director of Freedom of the Press 2013, said there were eight status changes, with most representing deterioration from "partly free" to "not free". For the first time in the survey's history, all the year's status changes were in the negative. She said the percentage of people enjoying "free" media in 2012 declined by another half point to the lowest level since 1996.

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A democratic Fiji government might review MSG membership
Fiji : A future democratically elected Fiji government would reconsider the country's involvement in the Melanesian Spearhead Group. A democratic Fiji government might review MSG membership (Credit: ABC) That's according to Mick Beddoes, a spokesman for the United Front for a Democratic Fiji, which represents the countries main political parties. He was responding to the announcement that Papua New Guinea will help fund the upcoming Fiji elections, which officially are to be held in September next year. However, the interim prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, has hinted the elections could be held sooner depending on how quickly the new constitution can be adopted. Radio Australia has approched the Fiji interim government about the possible change in election date, but they have not yet responded. Mick Beddoes tells Bruce Hill the UFDF has launched a nationwide petition against the coup installed military government's constitution.

May-2013

Fiji President opens Pacific aid consultations

NADI, Fiji- Fiji's President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau opened a regional consultation on HIV and AIDS in Nadi today. The consultation forum attended by Government, legal, human rights and health leaders from Pacific nations is to review laws and policies that are blocking progress on HIV and AIDS issues in the region. Attended by representatives from seven Pacific nations (Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu), Ratu Epeli said the initiative was important to the small island States which impacted on human rightsbased health programme initiatives and the rights of people living with HIV. This consultation to discuss the review of laws and policies hindering access to HIV services for people living with HIV and key populations is one of the steps agreed to in the ESCAP regional framework which I chaired some years back, Ratu Epeli said. As the first countries in the Asia Pacific region to hold the consultation, we are again showing our leadership and commitment to effective responses to HIV and to the human rights of those living with or vulnerable to HIV. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us, the participants at this consultation, together with our UN partners, to ensure objectives of this consultation are fully met. The meeting has been seen as an example to other countries in the region that will soon be holding similar consultations. United Nations AIDS Pacific co-ordinator, Tim Rwabuhemba said punitive laws, policies and practices hamper access to HIV-related services across Asia and the Pacific. Almost all Pacific nations have laws and policies which contribute to the obstruction of rights of people living with HIV and key affected populations, Mr Rwabuhemba said. Many have laws and practices that effectively criminalize people living with HIV and key affected populations, mitigate or sustain violence and discrimination against women and sexual minorities and impede HIV-related treatment access. The meeting is a follow up to commitments made at the United Nations General Assembly (2011) and through the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (2010, 2011) to review laws and policies that adversely affect the successful delivery of HIV services to people living with HIV.

861 homes and counting

Fiji : A TOTAL of 861 houses have been built at Koroipita settlement in Lautoka as part of the Fiji Rotahomes project funded by Rotary clubs in New Zealand, Australia and Fiji, Habitat for Humanity, NZAID and the European Union. Project manager Peter Drysdale said about 3600 people had been housed at the settlement. "Five hundred of those people live at Koroipita Stage One," he said. "We are now building another 147 houses in stage two. Of that, we have already built 76 houses. Last year we built 46 houses, this year we'll build 50 houses, so that will bring the housing stock to over 900. "But Koroipita itself, by next year there'll be about 226 houses and by the time we add stage three, the housing stock at Koroipita will rise to 300 and the population will be about 1200. That is deemed to be the ideal slice to manage a town." Mr Drysdale said if the figure gets any bigger "you will start to get problems like gangs and graffiti and all of that". "So, we'll cap it around 300 because that number can be easily managed by a town council." He said about 600 applications from families

representing 3000 people have been received. "If you're going to deal with the influx of people from the urban drift, then you need to be able to manage it. "So, therefore, as fast as that sounds that we are building, it is just probably one third of the speed that is needed to stay up with influx of people. "We say that the model town is documented very carefully so that it could be replicated. We want this town model to be an example for other town ideas because not only is the way we are building the houses a good model, it is also very affordable.

"The people who come here pay rent for the house for $1 a day or $7 a week." Krishna Devi, a Koroipita resident of three years, said living at the settlement was a financial blessing for her and her son. "We don't have to pay much. All we have to worry about is our $7 rent every week," she said. Fellow resident Sowela Qionitoga lived with relatives before moving to Koroipita. "We are blessed because most of us do not have proper jobs, so we are able to afford the rent and also live in a safe environment with other people who are in similar situations."

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Fijian made products impress PNG trade hierarchy

Fiji : Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama and PNG Minister for Trade Richard Maru, officially open the Trade and Investment seminar in Papua New Guinea yesterday. PNG Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry Richard Maru said he was very impressed with the displays from Fijian private sector. "We would also assist Fijian companies who want to come and set up here especially in the manufacturing and service sector," he said yesterday. "I'm very impressed with what I've seen so far. Fiji obviously has the expertise and the capital with the duty-free access, I'm sure most will find their way to us here and those who want to establish here, we can help them find land." On ensuring PNG did not become a dumping ground in the Pacific, Mr Maru said PNG was now looking at special economic zones and special tax rates for investors they wanted. He said PNG would target the set up of pioneer industries they did not have. "The water booth (caught my attention). We have so much water in this country, we want to grow the bottling industry here. We want Fiji to come and set up here and establish a strong water industry," he said. "The other thing that caught my attention was the manufacturing and garments especially shoes. "If we can bring the expertise from Fiji in our market, I'm sure we can do very well."

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The Pantene Bridal Couture Week

The modern day Heer, Sassui and Marvi of Sindh

Sassui Palejo, Marvi Memon and Heer Soho share their names with three famous heroines of folk mythology but how much do they have in common with their namesakes? Three female candidates, belonging to parties of widely divergent cultures and politics, are contesting elections in Southern Sindh to woo people of the little-known Mirpur Sakro. Sassui Palejo, Marvi Memon and Heer Soho share their names with three famous heroines of folk mythology but how much do they have in common with their namesakes? Unlike the protagonists of the legends, the three politicians have their own standing without the has written about both folk heroines Sassui and Marvi. So how are they different from the modern day political heavyweights?Sassui was Bhittais favourite character, to whom he dedicated five chapters of his famous Risalo. The daughter of the rule of Bhanbhor, Sassui was abandoned by her parents after they were warned by astrologers that she was a curse and would bring a bad name to the familys prestige. She grew up as the adopted daughter of a poor labourer and later fell in love with Punhoon, the Prince of Makran. Punhoons family took him away, leaving Sassui struggling alone in the mountains in search of his beloved.

The Pantene Bridal Couture Week kicked off a jovial start on Friday 20th Aprilat Karachi Expo centre oraganised by Syle360. The show began with a thump of a Pantene hair mob choreographed by BodyBeat Productions along with the appearance of the Pantene brand Ambassador Nina Lotia on ramp for a mock hair-styling of models.

male hero who is so integral to folklore narratives.Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Marvi and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) candidate Heer are pitted against each other for the NA-237 seat of Thatta, which the Mirpur Sakro Taluka is a part of. They will possibly be contesting against another female

PPP candidate, Shams Nisa Memon.Sassui is not directly contesting with Marvi and Heer, but the PS-85 constituency which she is planning to contest from also comprises Mirpur Sakro. She won the same constituency twice, with a landslide, in 2002 and 2008 against her male rivals.Celebrated Sindhi poet and mystic Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai

PML-N claims popular youth support

RAWALPINDI : Election campaigning is in full swing and in one such public appearance in the garrison city on Saturday, Maryam Nawaz of the Pakistan Muslim League-N took the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf head on declaring that the youth was with the PML-N and would vote for it. At 32 years of age, the female Nawaz is the young face of the PML-N and was present in the gathering to rally women and youth around her.She insisted that it was her fathers party which has most youngsters on its side, and PTI would have to wait until May 11 to find out how false their beliefs about the youth support for PTI was.Maryam Nawaz shared these beliefs addressing a public gathering of women at Committee Chowk near former Gulistan Cinema.The function was arranged by former Tehsil Nazim Sajjad Khan and his wife Dr. Tahmina Sajjad, and attended by hundreds of women.The rally was organised by Sajjad Khan, in spite of the fact that he had not been given the PML-N ticket for PP-13 that he previously held since this time former MPA Ghulam Raza won the favour of the party bosses in

Earthquake wipes out nearly entire Pakistani town

MASHKEL, Pakistan : Zar Bibi's 7-year-old son was napping when a massive earthquake demolished this small Pakistani town earlier this week near the Iranian border. The mud walls of the family's home were no match for the tremor that destroyed the house and, within seconds, buried the sleeping boy in rubble. "I called for his father and his elder brother," Bibi, a resident of Mashkel, said Thursday. "They came with the relatives and removed the debris and pulled his body from the debris."

Nadra chief briefs EU team on steps to ensure fair polls

ISLAMABAD : The chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), Tariq Malik, has said that for the first time in the countrys history the elections this year will be held on the basis of one person, one CNIC and one vote. This is because each eligible CNIC holder is now a voter and each voter entry is backed up by Nadras biometric system, he said while talking to Hannah Roberts, Deputy Chief of European Unions Election Observer Mission to Pakistan, who called on him along with an EU delegation here on Tuesday. On the occasion, Mr Malik said: Credible, fair and accurate electoral rolls are a key benchmark to ensure free and transparent elections. He informed his guests about the steps taken by Nadra for preparation of accurate and transparent electoral rolls. The EU mission was informed that till the 2008 elections, the electoral rolls were prepared only through door-to-door enumeration, but this resulted in absence of any authentic data to back up the entire process. However, through the digitisation and scanning process, the data of about 81 million voters compiled during preparation of previous electoral rolls was transferred by the ECP to Nadra for verification of voters.

this constituency.However, Khan told Dawn that he had arranged the function for PML-N candidates Hanif Abbasi and Ghulam Raza to convey the message that the party was united and all its leaders supported each other. I arranged this function to mobilise the party workers and Maryam Nawaz came to convince the party workers to support the partys men in the city area, he said.PMLN President Nawaz Sharifs daughter came to NA-56 to start the election campaign for Hanif Abbasi, who is facing the PTI Chief Imran Khan himself in what is promising to be an exciting competition.

Altaf appeals for closure Taliban threat could skew Pakistan election result of business across Sindh
KARACHI : At least two persons were killed and 18 others injured in a bomb blast at an election camp of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement here on Tuesday night. Soon after the attack, MQM chief Altaf Hussain asked leaders of his party to shut all election offices and announced a day of mourning across Sindh on Wednesday. In these conditions how can people dare step out of their homes to cast vote, he asked. The massive blast near the Peoples Chowrangi in North Nazimabad shattered windows of nearby PESHAWAR : Moderate politicians from some of Pakistans most violent areas are risking the threat of Taliban attack to run in upcoming nationwide elections, but they are increasingly being forced to rely on social media, phone calls and even short documentaries that allow them to campaign at a distance. That could give hardline Islamic candidates and Taliban supporters an advantage as theyre able to stump for votes and hold large public rallies that are a traditional hallmark of elections in the country but are extremely vulnerable to attacks. One of the most serious attacks occurred Tuesday, when a suicide

apartment buildings. A group of political workers were standing outside the MQM election office when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in the crowd, SSP district central Amir Farooqui said, adding: We have found marks of ball bearings at the scene which suggest that they were packed in the explosives.

bomber blew himself up outside a meeting of the secular Awami National Party in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing 16 people. The Taliban said the target of the attack was Haroon Ahmad Bilour, whose father, a senior party leader, was killed in a suicide bombing in Peshawar in December.

He escaped unscathed, but his uncle, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, suffered minor injuries. As he was being treated at the hospital, the uncle vowed that he and other party candidates would not withdraw from the election despite the death threats. With his trousers soaked in blood, he walked among the

hospital beds to comfort crying victims and told them, We are fighting a war for Pakistans survival. Hours earlier, a candidate from one of the Islamic parties, Jamiat Ulema-eIslam, campaigned freely in his constituency in a different part of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Maulana Jalil Jans supporters showered him with rose petals as he walked unguarded from shop to shop down narrow, crowded lanes to ask for votes. He bristled at any suggestion that the Taliban were terrorists and blamed attacks in the country on foreign agents seeking to malign religious leaders, all bearded people.

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Karachi : Addressing a rally on Tuesday in Renala Khurd, Imran Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician chief of PTI, ridiculed his political opponent saying Nawaz Sharif, the PML-N chief, could not beat him in a game of cricket. He should come on TV to have a debate with me because I know he cannot beat me in cricket, Khan told his supporters, taunting Sharif of being afraid of facing him. He also accused the PML-N of engaging in a secret alliance with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the outgoing regime. Khans

Imran challenges Nawaz for debate on national issues

tirade against Sharif prompted an immediate reaction from his political foes. At a press conference in Lahore, Hamza Shahbaz, son of former Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and Maryam Nawaz, daughter of the PML-N chief, accused the PTI leader of choosing to stay away from contesting against Sharif in Lahores NA-120. If Imran is running away from contesting elec-

Bomb kills four Pakistani soldiers near Afghan border

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan: A roadside bomb targeting a military convoy on Sunday killed four Pakistan army soldiers and wounded four more in a northwestern tribal area near the Afghan border, officials said. The blast was triggered by remote control in Mirali town in north Waziristan tribal district, a notorious hub of Taliban and Al-Qaida linked militants.

tion against Nawaz Sharif, how will he come on a TV debate to face my father, Maryam told newsmen. Moreover, Hamza claimed some PTI leaders were shunning the party and joining the PML-N. PML-N spokesman Senator Pervaiz Rasheed also came down hard on the PTI leader, questioning his role in the lawyers movement. Imran should not be talking about political ethics. He is alleging that Nawaz Sharif fears facing him. Where was Imran hiding during the lawyers movement? Rasheed asked.

Pakistan court allows former premier Ashraf to contest polls

LAHORE : A Pakistani court today cleared former premier Raja Pervez Ashraf's candidature for the May 11 general election, setting aside an election tribunal's decision to reject his nomination papers over allegations of corruption. A full bench of the Lahore high court observed that there was no court declaration against Ashraf that declared him "non-profligate, non-righteous or non-sagacious", and he could not be barred from participating in the polls.

Explosives found in car near Musharrafs farmhouse

ISLAMABAD : The trial and tribulation of retired Gen Pervez Musharraf got a new twist on Tuesday with the discovery of 45 kilograms of explosives in a car abandoned near his farmhouse in Chak Shahzad. Islamabads Inspector General of Police Bani Amin Khan said the car was spotted by security personnel near the farmhouse when the former military ruler was being taken back there after his appearance in an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi. He said the car was immediately taken away from the route and later during search officials found 45kg of explosives in it. The explosives were rigged to fuses, detonator and remote control. It was ready to blow up and needed only detonation from remote control, the IG added. Another officer said apparently the explosive-laden car was brought there to target Gen Musharraf. But, he added, because jammers were used during the transportation of the former president, the explosives did not detonate.

PM reshuffles federal bureaucracy

ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister retired Justice Mir Hazar Khan Khoso on Tuesday ordered postings and transfers in the federal bureaucracy and brought back Abdul Khaliq to the finance ministry as its special secretary. Mr. Khaliq was additional secretary (budget) in the finance ministry, when the caretaker government took charge of the country. He was later made officer on special duty (OSD) by the prime minister apparently in response to media criticism of the ministry for releasing billions as development grants to former members of the National Assembly. Former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf is facing charges of diverting funds meant for other sectors towards his discretionary fund which he later on used for development schemes in his home constituency. According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister House, other postings and transfers included the appointment of Zafar Qadir, another OSD, as secretary in the information ministry. Shahid Rashid presently posted as secretary of information technology department has been sent to the Ministry of Industries in the place of Zafar Mehmood who has reached the age of superannuation.

ISLAMABAD : Seven persons were killed and over 60 others injured in five bomb attacks in the Pakistani cities of Quetta and Karachi on Tuesday, including one that was carried out by a suicide bomber who was trying to target the minority Shia Hazara community. The suicide attacker detonated his explosives-laden truck when he was stopped by Frontier Corps personnel at a check post near Alamdar Road, an area in Quetta with a large Shia Hazara population. The incident occurred at around 9.15pm. Five persons, including a Frontier Corps personnel, were killed and over 40 injured by the powerful explosion, officials said. Seven of the wounded were in a serious condition, they said. Officials said the bomber wanted to target Abdul Khaliq Hazara, a top leader of the Hazara Democratic Party.

Blasts in Quetta, Karachi kill 7, 60 injured

The attacker's truck was packed with an estimated 80 kg of explosives. The blast damaged several buildings, shops and vehicles. Earlier in the evening, Quetta was rocked by three blasts. Bombs went off in an open field at Jinnah Town, Gawalmandi Chowk and an intersection at Gurdat Singh Road. Six persons were injured at Gawalmandi Chowk and three of them were in a serious condition, police

said. All the explosions in Quetta occurred within a span of two-and-half hours. The blasts were heard from several kilometres away and caused panic across the capital of Balochistan province. In Karachi, two persons were killed and 20 others injured when an improvised explosive device went off near an election office of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement at People's Chowrangi area.

Bilawal kicks off campaign Complete shutdown in Karachi over MQM election camp blast with video message
ISLAMABAD : As the government advised Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to avoid appearing in public because of security concerns, the PPP chairman launched his partys election campaign on Tuesday in a new style, through a hard-hitting video message. Bilawal Bhutto regretted the governments advice and said it was obstructing his partys election campaign. Sources said the PPP chairman wanted to launch the campaign from Multan last Sunday with an address at a public meeting. But security departments said he KARACHI : Majority of the businesses, markets, petrol stations, schools were closed and public transport was scarce on Wednesday, after a bomb exploded at an election camp of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Karachi on Tuesday night. The blast near the Peoples Chowrangi in North Nazimabad left at least five people dead and 15 others injured. Earlier, two people were reported dead in the blast but three of the 15 injured succumbed to their injures on Wednesday morning, taking the death toll to five. A group of political workers were standing outside the MQM election office when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in the crowd, SSP district central Amir Farooqui, said, adding: We have found marks of ball bearings at the scene which suggest that they were packed in the explo-

should desist from appearing in public because of a serious threat he was facing. When contacted, a senior official of the Ministry of Interior dealing with matters of security said intelligence agencies had received information that Bilawal Bhutto and leaders of some other parties could be attacked during their campaigns.

sives. The blast near the Peoples Chowrangi in North Nazimabad caused panic and shattered win dows of nearby apartment buildings. SSP Imran Shaukat addressed media personnel and confirmed the two fatalities. Soon after the attack, MQM chief Altaf Hussain directed leaders of his party to shut all elec-

tion offices in view of threats of more terrorist attacks and announced a day of mourning across Sindh on Wednesday. He also said that 25 MQM workers had been killed in the last few days. In these conditions how can people dare step out of their homes to cast vote, he asked.

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BANGLADESH NEWS

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164 killed in Bangladesh building collapse

Dhaka : At least 164 people were killed and 800 others injured on Wednesday when an eight-storey commercial building that housed several garment factories and thousands of workers collapsed on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital. The Rana Plaza in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka collapsed at about 9am (local time) with rescue work being carried out to pull out survivors from the rubble. The eight-storey commercial building housed three garment units, a bank branch and around three hundred shops. Locals said around 6,000 workers used to work in the factories located in the building. Most of the bodies were taken to the Enam Medical College from the site. A B M Masud Hossain, the deputy chief of Dhaka police, said at least 164 people have died in the disaster. "But the toll will be higher because some relatives took bodies without informing police," he said. More than 800 have been reported injured while many remained trapped in the debris, BD News reported. The dead bodies and the injured were being retrieved from the debris with makeshift slides being made from cloth. General officer commanding (GOC) of the army's Savarbased ninth division major general Abul Hassan Sarwardy said army engineers and rescuers were forced to proceed "slowly and cautiously" to avoid further casualties. "We are penetrating inside the structure slowly and cautiously, otherwise the building will collapse entirely causing more casualties," he told reporters. Director of the industrial police Mostafizur Rahman blamed the garment factory owners for the collapse tragedy. He said that the owners were operating their units ignoring the cracks spotted in the building on Tuesday. Local media said the owner of the building was a local youth wing chief of the ruling party. He was rescued alive from the rubble. Some workers

complained that the building had developed cracks on Tuesday, but were not able to

evacuate as they were forced back by their managers, media reports said. Bangladesh's

booming garment industry has been plagued by fires and other accidents for years.

32 Bangladeshis shot in Greece

DHAKA : Greek police have launched a manhunt for three foremen who were suspected of shooting and wounding 32 Bangladeshi migrant workers at a strawberry farm near Athens, officials and reports said in Dhaka on Thursday, reports BSS. "Seven Bangladeshi workers are being treated at different Greek facilities with critical bullet wounds while 25 others needed treatment for relatively minor injuries during the shootout," a senior foreign ministry official familiar with the incident told BSS. She said Bangladesh embassy officials were in close touch with the victims as well as concerned Greek authorities since the incident occurred near the village of Manolada over a pay dispute. The official said the Bangladeshi strawberry pickers went to the farm late yesterday for their arrears of four to five months of pay when the farm owner ordered the foremen to fire shots to silence them. A foreign ministry spokesman earlier said they received reports that police already arrested the owner while a diplomatic process would be launched for compensation of the wounded Bangladeshis once the detail report on the incident was available. The Reuters news agency, meanwhile, reported from Athens that the farm supervisors were believed to have opened fire on Wednesday on a crowd of about 200 mostly Bangladeshi immigrants who were demanding their outstanding wages. According to the report, police arrested the farm owner, in the southwestern town of Manolada, and were still hunting the foremen. The Associated Press (AP) substantiated the Reuters quoting police Captain Haralambos Sfetsos who said most of the wounded workers were from Bangladesh and the shooting occurred when about 200 workers at the strawberry field demanded six months' unpaid wages and "moved threateningly" toward three foremen, at least one of whom opened fire.

Astami Snan begins in Rangpur

RANGPUR : The two-day long holy religious festivity of the Hindu community 'Astami Snan' began in the small hours of Thursday in the Brahmaputra river at Chilmari upazila of Kurigram with due solemnity, religious fervour and gaiety, reports BSS. General secretary of Chilmari unit of Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad Dr Birendra Nath Sarker told BSS the Hindu devotees including men, women, youths and girls from the country and neighbouring India have gathered to dip in the sacred Brahmaputra water to get rid of sins. Chilmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mamun-Ul-Hassan said all necessary steps have been taken for a smooth conduct of the Astami Snan as well as a three-day Astami Mela amid traditional festivity.

Bangladesh envoy briefs US Congressman on ICT, GSP issues

DHAKA : Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Akramul Qader on Wednesday met Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN5) and briefed him on the constitution of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), its legal premises as well as the country's current situation, reports UNB. He also updated him on the ongoing GSP case with the USTR and sought his intervention in this regard, according to a message received in Dhaka on Thursday. Ambassador Qader handed over the Congressman some documents in regards to the ICT and a paper related to Bangladesh's submission to the USTR on GSP. While providing a brief overview on different aspects of the ICT, including its commitment to fair and transparent trials, Ambassador Qader said the ICT's primary mandate is to bring to justice the local collaborators of Pakistani occupation army during the War of Liberation in 1971 for crimes committed against humanity. He added that the mass killings and atrocities orchestrated in 1971 devalued general principles of humanity, particularly because those were carried out in a planned way on the basis of ethnicity, religion and race. He mentioned that the present government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, made an electoral pledge to bring to justice the war criminals of 1971, and she received an overwhelming public mandate to try the criminals.

Launch of youth magazine Symposium

Dhaka : Symposium, a monthly publication of The Bangladesh Today, covers a wide variety of topics that are of importance and relevance to the youth of Bangladesh. In addition to latest events, trends and youth interests, the magazine primarily aims to engage young readers with dynamic and critical points of views on various challenging socio-political issues. The first issue of Symposium includes interviews and feature articles that focus on the Shahbag movement and the multi-faceted reactions it has created. Symposium also features Lifestyle articles on women's fashion, women's health, Men's fitness, travel, home dcor, food, entertainment updates and much more. Symposium will be available on various newsstands around Dhaka city starting from April 18th 2013. With 64 pages, the retail price of the magazine is TK. 50. SYMPOSIUM promises to serve as an interactive platform for today's youth. The extended versions of various articles will be available online at www.thebangladeshtoday.com and on the facebook page of The Bangladesh Today. With a rapidly growing web and facebook following, the readers can share their unique views online.In addition to offerings like blogs, reader commentary, slideshows, interviews and videos, readers can also browse historical archives on various issues through the online version of Symposium.

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AFGHAN NEWS
Pakistan, how did the world number one terrorist, nestle in a compound, at a stones throw from the Pakistan military academy? While US Navy Seals look at it as one of their most distinguished achievements, locals in Abbotabad still have doubts about it. "I live next to the house where they are saying Osama was living. Ive lived here for over 20 years. I have never seen anyone who looked like Osama, it is a big lie." "I believe that Osama bin Laden was never in Abbotabad, he was not in Pakistan, if he was killed, then where is his body? It was an American stage show to insult Pakistan." Since the search began for Osama Bin Laden, a deadly trend of homegrown terrorist attacks surfaced in Pakistan. The Pak-US relationship hit rock bottom after American forces killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at a military check post along Pak-afghan border. Anti-American protests exacerbated on the streets of Pakistan. Many believe Pakistan became a victim of terror attacks, post 9/11, when it joined the US war on terror. Over 40,000 Pakistani civilians and soldiers lost their lives to terrorism, the economy lost $68 billion. The deteriorating security situation has been intensified by US drone attacks in the north of the country.

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2nd anniversary of Bin Laden's death marked

BEIJING, May 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The killing of Osama Bin Laden two years ago marked the end of an era for the United States. But Pakistan suffered tragic losses through terrorism during the decade-long hunt for the al-Qaeda leader. Our correspondent Danial Khan takes a look at how the security situation has improved in the last two years and how the Pakistan-US relationship has moved forward. Two years since US Special Forces claimed to have killed Osama bin Laden, the town where he was allegedly found remains in the limelight. A big question mark lurks over the garrison city of Abbotabad in northern Allegedly used to target militants, they have attracted widespread condemnation across Pakistan for causing collateral damage. As the world marks the second death anniversary of Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan remains tense ahead of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2014, fearing it will bring more trouble to the region. In less than two weeks, Pakistan goes for general elections. Terrorists have already targeted major liberal political parties. Observers predict this current wave of terrorism my lead to a political turmoil that means terrorism in Pakistan has not ended with the end of Osama Bin Laden.

Afghan police kill 6 militants

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, (Xinhua) -- Units of Afghan police raided Taliban hideouts in Ghazni province 125 km south of Kabul late Wednesday night, leaving six militants dead, provincial police chief Zarawar Zahid said Thursday." The operation was launched in Zana Khan District late last night and lasted for a while during which six rebels had been killed," Zahid told Xinhua.He also added that the killed militants were involved in organizing terrorist activities and killing three police including a senior officer couple of days ago. Meantime, Taliban militants fighting the government have yet to make comment.

8 million children vaccinated against polio

Afghan boxer makes history

Wins WBO middleweight belt!

Afghan boxer Hamid Rahimi made history today by defeating Tanzanian Said Mbelwa in the 7th round via a technical knockout (TKO) to win the vacant World Boxing Organization Intercontinental middleweight belt in Kabul. This was the first international boxing event to be held in Afghanistan in 30 years. Millions of Afghans both inside and outside the country watched the fight with lots of excitement. The match was dubbed Fight4Peace, and Rahimi accomplished his goal of holding a major professional boxing event in Afghanistan. Rahimi has been telling both Afghan and foreign media that sports is something that can bring people of all religions and all regions together. With this win, Rahimi improves his record to 21 wins and only one loss. Mbelwa went into the fight with 19 wins, 8 losses and 4 draws. Mbelwa lost honorably and was a great sport. He even lifted up Rahimi after the match and congratulated him.

A three-day nationwide wide campaign to vaccinate around 8 million children against polio in Afghanistan recently concluded. The campaign, which was led by Afghanistans Ministry of Public Health, had started on September 16th and included 55,000 service provides, as well as 40 volunteers who went door-to-door to administer the anti-polio vaccines to children under 5 years of age. Traveling children at the PakistanAfghanistan border points were also given the vaccines. Polio which is short for poliomyelitis, is a highly infectious disease that affects the nervous system and can lead to partial or full paralysis. While the disease has been virtually eliminated in most of the world, it is still prevalent in Afghanistan. According to Afghanistans Ministry of Public Health, 17 cases of polio were reported in Afghanistan this year. On top of the vaccines, children from 2 to 5 years of age were also given de-worming tablets to help reduce the number of worm infestations, which is also another health issue affecting children in Afghanistan.

45 dead as Afghan bus hits tanker wrecked by Taliban

KANDAHAR: A passenger bus in Afghanistan collided on Friday with a wrecked fuel tanker left on a road after a Taliban insurgent attack, killing at least 45 people, officials said.The accident occurred before dawn in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province when the packed bus ploughed into the tanker, which had been burnt out in a Taliban strike several days ago."Tragically, around 400am, the passenger bus collided with a fuel tanker," Javid Faisal, spokesman for the Kandahar provincial governor, said. "We have 45 passengers dead in this accident and ten others wounded.""The wreckage of a truck, which was put alight by the Taliban, was left there for several days, and the bus collided with it."Many of those hurt were travelling to join the short "neishtar" harvest season, when villagers from across southern Afghanistan work in poppy fields during one of the most lucrative times of the year for casual labourers.A neishtar is the small lance used to make incisions on poppy plants to let out the resin, which dries into solid opium residue.Faisal had earlier denied reports that the wrecked tanker had been set on fire by Taliban insurgents, who are highly active in Kandahar province, one of the hotbeds of the insurgency fighting to oust the USbacked Kabul government. The bus had just crossed the border into Kandahar from Helmand province when it hit the tanker."We were more than 50 passengers in the bus. Most of the passengers were men," Faizullah, one of the passengers who survived the accident, said."

Bomb Kills Several Afghan Police Officers

Local officials say eight police officers have been killed in a roadside bomb attack in the eastern Afghan province of Logar. Deputy police chief Rais Khan Sadeq told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan the policemen were on a joint patrol with NATO-led forces on May 2 when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the militant group was responsible for the attack near the provincial capital, Puli Alam. It comes days after Taliban insurgents announced the start of a spring offensive. On May 1, a member of Afghanistan's High Peace Council, which is trying to negotiate with the Taliban, was ambushed and killed in the Helmand Province along with two bodyguards.

New turbines inaugurated; western provinces to see increase in power

The Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namjou came to Afghanistan to meet with Afghanistans Minister of Water and Energy Mohammad Ismael Khan. The two ministers attended an inauguration ceremony on Sunday for two newly operational Iranian-made electrical turbines, as well held talks to further expand ties between the neighboring countries. The new turbines have the power generation capacities of 25 megawatts. Khan describe his meeting with his Iranian counterpart as positive and constructive. Today, the two signed an agreement in which Iran has agreed to increase power supply to Herat and Nimroz provinces. Iran currently exports 90 megawatts of electricity to Herat per hour and 10 megawatts to Nimroz. Under the agreement, the power supplied to Herat will be increased by 50 megawatts to 100 megawatts of electricity to Farah province. According to Afghan media reports, a joint technical team was expected to visit the province for a survey. Besides the United States and Japan, Iran is one of the most important donors to Afghanistan towards the reconstruction of the country. Iran has built roads, power transmission lines, border stations, and is still involved in many other infrastructure projects

and there will be a 14 megawatts increase to Nimroz. Khan also said that Iran has agreed to export 50

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US confirms Syria used chemical weapons

ABU DHABI: US intelligence has concluded "with some degree of varying confidence," that the Syrian government has used sarin gas as a weapon in its 2-year-old civil war, defense secretary Chuck Hagel said on Thursday. Hagel, speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi, said the White House has informed two senators by letter that, within the past day, "our intelligence community does assess, with varying degrees of confidence, that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically, the chemical agent sarin." "It violates every convention of warfare," Hagel said. No information was made public on what quantity of chemical weapons might have been used, or when or what casualties might have resulted. President Barack Obama has said the use of chemical weapons would be a "game changer" in the US position on intervening in the Syrian civil war, and the letter to Congress reiterates that the use or transfer of chemical weapons in Syria is a "red line legislative director Miguel Rodriguez, who signed the letter, wrote that "because the president takes this issue so seriously, we have an obligation to fully investigate any and all evidence of chemical weapons use within Syria." The letters went to senators John McCain and Carl Levin. The assessment, Rodriguez says, is based in part on "physiological samples." He also said the US believes that the use of chemical weapons "originated with the Assad regime." That is consistent with the Obama administration's assertion that the Syrian rebels do not have access to the country's stockpiles. In Washington, McCain quoted from the letter the White House sent to several senators who had pressed the administration about Syria's possible use of chemical weapons. "We just received a letter from the president in response to our question about whether Assad had used chemical weapons," McCain told reporters following a closed briefing with secretary of state John Kerry on Syria and North Korea.

for the United States." However, the letter also hints that a broad US response is not imminent. White House

Toy-car remote used in Boston bombings

BOSTON: The Chechen-origin Boston bombings suspects used a remote-control device from a toy car to set off explosives and apparently learnt to build a bomb from an al-Qaida online magazine, a top American lawmaker has said. Maryland representative Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, confirmed the details after a closeddoor briefing with three senior national security officials on Capitol Hill. Two Chechen-origin brothers Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, and Dzhokhar Tsarvaev, 19, have been accused of carrying out the deadly Boston Marathon bombings at the finish line that claimed three lives and injured over 250. Ruppersberger said based on information from Dzhokhar it appears the brothers learned how to build the bomb from Inspire magazine, a publication founded by Anwar alAwlaki, the now-deceased alQaida leader. "That has always been a concern of ours," Ruppersberger said. "That magazine was put out to recruit more people for jihad."

Boston bombing shows west's mistake: Putin

RAMENSKY (RUSSIA): Thirty-eight people were killed, most of them in their beds, in a fire that raged through a psychiatric hospital near Moscow on Friday, raising questions about the care of mentally ill patients in Russia.The fire, which broke out at around 2am (2200 GMT on Thursday), swept through a single-storey building at the hospital, a collection of wood and brick huts with bars on some windows that was home to people sectioned by Russian courts.By mid morning, a few blackened walls were left standing. The roof had caved in on top of the twisted metal of what were once beds. Bodies lay on nearby grass, covered with blankets.Only three people escaped from the fire in the village of Ramensky, 120km (70 miles) north of Moscow, prompting speculation the patients were heavily sedated or strapped down. Irina Gumennaya, aide to the head of the chief investigative department of the Moscow region, dismissed suggestions they had been restrained as "rubbish" but promised blood tests to check whether there were high levels of

Fire in Russian psychiatric hospital kills 38

3 Tibetans die in selfimmolation protests

BEIJING: Two Buddhist monks and a Tibetan woman died after setting themselves on fire in southwestern China on Thursday as self-immolation protests against Chinese rule in the restive Himalayan region, resumed after a brief lull. The protests coincide with the visit of French President Francois Hollande and European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to Beijing. Two Tibetan monks aged 20 and 23 set themselves on fire at the Kirti monastery in Aba county in Sichuan province, according to US-based Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Britain-based rights group Free Tibet. Several monks from the same monastery have attempted self-immolation earlier. The Radio report identified the two monks as Lobsang Dawa and Konchog Woeser. It also said a 23-year-old Tibetan woman in Rangtang county in the same prefecture also died after setting herself to fire. The Radio did not reveal the identity of the woman. Over 110 Tibetans have committed self-immolation since 2009, with most dying, in protests against perceived Chinese oppression.

sedatives."The wards ... did not have doors, the sick could have escaped from the building by themselves," she said, adding that she believed the most likely cause of the blaze was patients smoking, or perhaps a short circuit.President Vladimir Putin

called for an investigation of the "tragedy", the latest in a long line of disasters at state institutions that are often ill-funded. Russia's safety record is dismal, accounting for a high death toll on roads, railways and in the air as well as at the workplace.

MOSCOW: The Boston bombings should spur stronger security cooperation between Moscow and Washington, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, adding that they also show that the west was wrong in supporting militants in Chechnya. Putin said that "this tragedy should push us closer in fending off common threats, including terrorism, which is one of the biggest and most dangerous of them." The two brothers accused of the Boston bombings are ethnic Chechens who had lived in the US for more than a decade. Putin warned against trying to find the roots for the Boston tragedy in the suffering endured by the Chechen people, particularly in mass deportations of Chechens to Siberia and Central Asia on Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's orders. "The cause isn't in their ethnicity or religion, it's in their extremist sentiments," he said. Speaking in an annual call-in show on state television, Putin criticized the west for refusing to declare

Chechen militants terrorists and for offering them political and financial assistance in the past. "I always felt indignation when our western partners and western media were referring to terrorists who conducted brutal and bloody crimes on the territory of

Russia as rebels," Putin said. The US has urged the Kremlin to seek a political settlement in Chechnya and criticized rights abuses by Russian troops during the two separatist wars since 1994, which spawned an Islamic insurgency that has engulfed the entire region. It also provided humanitarian aid to the region during the high points of fighting there in the 1990s and the early 2000s. Russian officials have repeatedly claimed that rebels in Chechnya have close links with al-Qaida. They say dozens of fighters from Arab countries trickled into the region during the fighting there, while some Chechen militants have gone to fight in Afghanistan. Putin said the west should have cooperated more actively with Russia in combatting terror. "We always have said that we shouldn't limit ourselves to declarations about terrorism being a common threat and engage in closer cooperation," he said. "Now these two criminals have proven the correctness of our thesis."

South Korean (R) and US (L) Marines take a position on the seashore during a joint landing operation by US and South Korean Marines in Pohang, 270 kms southeast of Seoul. The US and South Korea staged a military landing exercise as the Korean peninsula was already engulfed in a cycle of escalating tensions triggered by the North Korea's nuclear test in February.

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the spirit of a political leader. "Sarabjit Hindustan ke liye qurban ho gaya (Sarabjit sacrificed his life for the country). Pakistan has acted like a coward by using such brutality. President Zardari killed my brother to gain political mileage before elections," she alleged. Dalbir said that doctors and nurses at the Jinnah Hospital in Lahore where Sarabjit was admitted after Friday's attack by prison inmates used to laugh at her when she asked about his condition. "They knew he was dead. What could they say about the health of a dead man?" she said. "I was always doubtful about Pakistan's moves. Last June when they raised our hopes

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India should unite against Paks backstabbing : Dalbir Kaur

NEW DELHI : Hours after Sarabjit Singh's death in a Lahore hospital, his sister Dalbir Kaur, who campaigned for his release for over 22 years, on Thursday urged parties to sink differences and unite against Pakistan, almost with the elan of a statesman. Her impassioned appeal, beamed across TV channels, stirred emotions across the country. Dalbir said Pakistan had 'backstabbed' the Manmohan Singh government and committed an act of cowardice and asked the Indian political class to close ranks on the Sarabjit issue to demand action from Islamabad. She even accused a prominent human rights activist about my brother's release and eventually released Surjeet Singh, I still welcomed it. I was happy that at least another son of Punjab was set free. But I had a feeling that Sarabjit was not safe," she said. But a day after slamming the government, she seemed to have softened. "I request all parties to support Manmohan Singh and Shinde. It doesn't matter if you are from CPM, BJP or any other political party. People from different religions also should unite to take action against Pakistan. It's time to take charge," an emotional Dalbir said with Sarabjit's wife Sukhpreet Kaur and his two daughters by her side.

Sarabjit Singh, the masterchef of Kot Lakhpat

LAHORE : Indian death row convict Sarabjit Singh, who died in the Jinnah hospital early on Friday following a deadly assault by fellow convicts last Friday, spent more than two decades in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat prison. Over time he grew friendly with many of his inmates. Some of them swore by his cooking skills. He could make a mean dish of handi chicken. Sarabjit was in his late 20s when he was brought to Kot Lakhpat, a jail plagued by corruption and inefficiency, keeping in check more than 6,000 prisoners when it had space only for 1,800. During time behind bars that ran into 20 years, Sarabjit came to know people from many shades of life -hardcore criminals, prisoners of high social status and petty goons from poor backgrounds who were packed into the 'C' class confinement that had virtually no amenities. Sarabjit spent a long time in 'C' class until, around six years ago, he was shifted to 'B' class confinement. The condition of 'B' class prisoners is better in Pakistan's jails as they have two to three fellow inmates in a separate cell with a bathroom, though always in bad shape. If the prisoner is highprofile or faces threat from other inmates, he can be kept alone in a separate cell. According to jail officials, Sarabjit was given a separate 'B' class cell for security reasons and got a 'C' class prisoner named Akram as servant (usually called a 'mushaqatti' in jail jargon), a provision available to all B class inmates. 'C' class prisoners normally prefer to serve welloff prisoners in 'B' class confinement hoping for a reprieve from the jail's bland food.

from Pakistan of being a 'fraud' who had asked for Rs 25 crore to pursue Sarabjit's case and demanded that India immediately stop issuing visa to such persons from across the border. As she spoke, Dalbir betrayed poise and

After Sarabjit, family of Surjit Singh a worried lot

FARIDKOT : After Sarabjit Singh, Indian prisoner who had been tortured at a Pakistani jail and later succumbed to injuries, the family members of another Indian prisoner Surjit Singh, Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail, are a worried a lot. The family members of Surjit Singh, former BSF constable and who has been languishing at Pakistan jail, now want the Indian government to take up the matter of Surjit Singh with the Pakistan counterparts for his safe return. A resident of Tehna village in Faridkot, Surjit Singh a constable with BSF was taken hostage by Pakistan rangers on December 4, 1971 from the Poonch sector and was taken to Pakistan as prisoner of war (POW). After decades of wait, the family had got to know that Surjit was lodged in Kot Lakhpat jail when Satish Kumar, who was released by Pakistan authorities, had apprised the family about Surjit and then another Surjit Singh of village Phidday in Ferozpur too had confirmed about his name sake in Lahore jail.

More than 6,500 Indians languish in foreign jails

CHENNAI : More than 6,500 Indians are living an uncertain life in prisons in 80 foreign countries, half of them in three Gulf countries. The Gulf countries have the largest number of Indian prisoners, with 1,691 in Kuwait, 1,161 in Saudi Arabia and 1,012 in the UAE. Among the neighbours, Pakistan holds 253 Indians in its prisons, China has 157 of them and Sri Lanka 63. Languishing in the Nepal prisons are 377 Indians. Italy, a country that recently raised a huge uproar demanding special guest house and home-made food for its two citizens arrested on charges of killing two Indian fishermen off the Kerala coast, has 121 Indian citizens in its prisons. The United Kingdom has 426 Indian inmates in their jails, thanks to a fast growing migration of skilled and unskilled labourers. There are 155 Indians in the US prisons. The statistics, obtained through RTI by Kochi-based NGO Human Rights Defense Forum, shows 6,569 Indians are in foreign prisons. On Indian prisoners in 30 countries, the ministry of external affairs said it had 'nil report.' The RTI reply also says "this figure keeps changing," and gives no details about the prisoners or the charges against them. TOI had in 2007 reported that the number of Indian prisoners abroad had come down from 6,730 in 2005 to around 6,000. The RTI reply given by the ministry last month shows the number has gone up again.

I am innocent
Lahore : Sarabjit Singh's statement in FIR No. 91 of Ghaziabad police station, Lahore, produced in special court on October 3, 1991 Q : Is it a fact that you were prepared and trained by DSP R K Wasti of RAW for terrorist activities in Pakistan? A : No Q : Is it a fact that as part of this training, you were given training of being a Muslim and also circumcized? A : It is incorrect Q : Did you illegally cross the border on Aug 30, 1990? A : No, I crossed the border in connection with smuggling of liquor on the intervening night of August 29-30, 1990 Q : Is it a fact that on July 28, 1990, at 12.45pm you went to the railway station and placed a bag in a bus near GTS Adda, Lahore? A : No Q : Is it a fact that when the bus reached Nizamabad Chowk, an explosion took place and as a result one child was killed? A : I don't know... at that time I was in India Q : Is it a fact that on August 30, 1990 you were arrested at Kasur border and besides some other articles one Pakistani national ID card was recovered from you? A : I was arrested between the night of August 29 and 30, 1990. No ID card was recovered from me. At that time I was in possession of $800 and two Peter Scot bottles Q : Is it a fact that on September 8, 1990 you made a confessional statement before Khalid Zauq, MIC, Lahore, Cantt, in which you admitted to have carried out five bomb blasts, including Ghaziaband bomb blast of July 29, 1990 A : I was neither produced before any magistrate nor did I make any confessional statement. I also didn't sign the documents. The signatures referred to are not mine. My name is Sarabjit Singh Q : Is it a fact that on February 27, 1991 while in police custody you led the police and pointed out the place where you prepared the bomb in the railway station, Lahore? A : It is a concocted story Q : Why has this case against you been filed? A : One Manjit Singh was arrested in this connection on August 31, 1990, but he was let off by the ministry and in his place I was arrested Q : Do you want to say anything else? A : I am innocent Q : Do you want to appear as defence witness in this case under Section 340CrPc and give evidence on oath in disproof of the charges or allegaist in Pakistan. He was convicted of spying and carrying out bomb blasts and was given death penalty; Pakistan, however, never presented the evidence to India In the Court | Trial court gave him death on Oct 3, 1991. Lahore HC confirmed the sentence on December 10, 2001. Pak SC dismissed appeal in August 2005. His review petition was dismissed on June 24, 2009, because of non-appearance of Sarabjit's counsel Family claim Family maintain charges were filed against Manjit Singh and Sarabjit falsely implicated in the case Mistaken identity FIR in blast case didn't have name of Sarabjit Singh, son of Sulakhan Singh but mentioned Manjit Singh, son of Mehanga Singh When Sarabjit was produced before the magistrate on September 8, 1990, proceedings were held in the name of Manjit Singh In FIR, Sarabjit said he had no ID papers on him when he was arrested. Who is Manjit Singh? Manjit Singh Rattu was in Karachi at the time of the blasts and reportedly went to England soon after. With alleged al-Qaida links, travelled to Pakistan several times. Also known as Mohammad Sharif Rattu alias Mumtaz Sharif alias Amolak Singh. Deserted wife before leaving for Pak.

tions made against you? A : No Sarabjit's case file How he landed up in Pak | Sarabjit strayed into Pakistan at the unfenced Kasur border near his village in Tarn Taran. His family said he had been drinking with friends, celebrating after winning a kabbadi match The Charges | Accused of working for Indian intelligence, was viewed as a terror-

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MAUNATUL ISLAM USA

H. Koya (PhD) SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA Last time I wrote on Maunatul Islam of Fiji was from a sociological perspective; its survival being on keeping the Malayan culture and language alive. With little left of the continuity of the language among the newer generation, there is still a passion among the seniors for Maunatul Islam a name coined in Fiji for a small Muslim community tracing its root back to Malabar, India. My late found in Sacramento and Modesto but there is no national body to coordinate collective efforts. The key to their success lies in forming a national body charged with a complete responsibility of organizing the groups at various cities where the Fiji Malayam Muslims live. Haji Mohammed Aiyub, Haji Mohammed Kadir and Moidin (carpenter) of Modesto are some of the respected members who should waste no time in forming a national body take a lead role in this regard. To ensure efficiency and effectiveness for a permanent status, all local chapters must be affiliated with the national body. Without some degree of centralization there is always the fear of disintegration and disunity. The spirit of unity and belongingness should be fostered from the very beginning It is my hope that this golden principle be always kept in mind in serving the faith.

FIJI MUSLIM UNITY FESTIVAL

Coming this summer! WaTch for The daTe and place
Email: fijisun@gmail.com

grandfather Haji Moidin Koya being one of the key founders. Some sporadic efforts recently have been to organize small groups

510-677-4488

ince I have been teaching management for over 20 years and still do as director of AIM American Institute of Management- I have wondered why God challenges men to reflect on His creation and said I am the best of the planners. It dawned on me that planning is one single function you cannot live without and it is a very intuitive and intrinsic act that we all tend to take naturally every day regardless of our education. It is a great blessing of God - as the best of all His creation - men are gifted with the wisdom to think critically in times of crisis and look ahead of

Planning a central function S

time to make predictions. To motivate people to think seriously about his work and ability, God drew out attention to His own planning and challenged us to travel around the world and examine everything between the earth and heaven to admire His work. And the end result is to draw inspiration, learn and follow God in our planning process. Consequently there is an absolute agreement among the management thinkers and writers that PLANNING is central to all other functions of management. So get smart in planning to ensure your personal and business success.

as the last revealed religion of god, Islam came with answers to all your questions and world that was destined to evolve as a scientific and technological world some 1400 years later. heres is just short sample.
SpIrITual paTh ManageMenT MedIcal coMMunIcaTIon leaderShIp Seeratum Mustaqeem path of righteousness that leads to reward, peace and security. Panning see the creation, Allah is the best of planners. From drop of sperm, stage by stage development in the womb of mother Straight, true and clear communication. When three or more of you meet, appoint a leadership.

Islam provides answers to all your questions

The experience of a merchant marine with the Quran, and the miracle in the mention of something even smaller than an atom and honey.
InTroducTIon
One thing which surprises non-Muslims who are examining the book very closely is that the Quran does not appear to them to be what they expected. What they assume is that they have an old book which came fourteen centuries ago from the Arabian desert; and they expect that the book should look something like that - an old book from the desert. And then they find out that it does not resemble what they expected at all. Additionally, one of the first things that some people assume

The Amazing Quran

is that because it is an old book which comes from the desert, it should talk about the desert. Well the Quran does talk about the desert - some of its imagery describes the desert; but it also talks about the sea - what its like to be in a storm on the sea.

have looked unusual, even to an Arab. For him, the dharrah was the smallest thing there was. Indeed, this is proof, that the Quran is not outdated.

MerchanT MarIne
Some years ago, the story came to us in Toronto about a man who was in the merchant marine and made his living on the sea. A Muslim gave him a translation of the Quran to read. The merchant marine knew nothing about the history of Islam but was interested in reading the Quran. When he finished reading it, he brought it back to the Muslim and asked, This Muhammad, was he a sailor? He was impressed at how accurately the Quran describes a storm on a sea. When he was told, No as a matter of fact, Muhammad lived in

the desert, that was enough for him. He embraced Islam on the spot. He was so impressed with the Qurans description because he had been in a storm on the sea, and he knew that whoever had written that description had also been in a storm on the sea. The description of a wave, over it a wave, over it clouds (Quran 24:40) was not what someone imagining a storm on a sea to be like would have written; rather, it was written by someone who knew what a storm on the sea was like. This is one example of how the Quran is not tied to certain place and time. Certainly, the scientific ideas expressed in it also do not seem to originate from the desert fourteen centuries ago.

The SMalleST ThIng

Many centuries before the onset of Muhammads prophethood, there was a well-known

theory of atomism advanced by the Greek philosopher, Democritus. He and the people who came after him assumed that matter consists of tiny, indestructible, indivisible particles called atoms. The Arabs too, used to deal in the same concept; in fact, the Arabic word dharrah commonly referred to the smallest particle known to man. Now, modern science has discovered that this smallest unit of matter (i.e., the atom, which has all of the same properties as its element) can be split into its component parts. This is a new idea, a development of the last century; yet; interestingly enough, this information had already been documented in the Quran 34:3 which states: He [i.e., God] is aware of an atoms weight in the heavens and on the earth and even anything smaller than that... Undoubtedly, fourteen centuries ago that statement would

honey

Another example of what one might expect to find in an old book that touches upon the subject of health or medicine is outdated remedies or cures. Prophet, may God praise him, gave advice about health and hygiene, which are found in his Prophetic Traditions, and until today this advice is compelling and proven in the field of medicine. The Quran is a divine revelation and so are the Prophetic Traditions. The Quran sheds light on some remedies as do the Prophetic Traditions; unlike Medical journals of today, there is no information that is outdated in the Quran and the Prophetic Traditions..In specific the Quran mentions one item that can be used as a treatment, which is not in dispute by anyone. It states that in honey there is healing. And certainly, I do not think that there is anyone who will argue with that!

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here is famous Rigvedic Verse that says "Ekam Sat " that is "There is one Being ,the sages call Him by many names." The God (Parmeshwar) has three deities who carry on the world .This is Known as Holy Trinity. Brahmathe creator, Vishnu - the perpetuator of life and Shiva (Mahesh ) -the purifier and perpetuator of good and destroyer of evil. Rig Veda refer Shiva as Rudra as in its following verse . "We Worship Tryambaka (Rudra) , Who spread Fragrance and Increases Nourishment , May He release me ,like the cucumber from its stem , From Mortal Life , But not From Immorality . "(Rig Veda Mandal VII Sukta 59 and Mantra 12) The Yajurveda describes Shiva as ascetic warrior Whose robe is of Deer Skin and He carries Trishul . According to the verse Satyam, Shivam ,Sundaram ,the life is described as having three facets Truth (Satyam), Good (Shivam) and the Beautiful (Sundaram). Shiva is a living God. The most Sacred and ancient books of India, the Rig Veda narrates His presence in the hymns. Vedic myths, rituals and even astronomy testifies to His existence from the dawn of time .The Mohindaro and Harapa findings confirm Shiva worship in the ancient India. According to the older scriptures, He has three places of His residence. One is Kailash Parvat another is Lohit Giri under which Brahamputra flows and third is Muzwan Parvat .

The Holy Amarnath Yatra

route
AmArnAth pilgrims route the holy shrine Devotees travel on foot, either from srinagar or from pahalgam. the latter journey takes approximately 5 days. the state road transport Corporation and private transport operators provide the regular services from Jammu to pahalgam and Baltal. Also privately hired taxis are available from Jammu. the shorter northern route is just about 16 km long, but has a very steep gradient and is quite difficult to climb. it starts from Baltal and passes through Domial, Barari, and sangam to reach the cave. the northern route is along the Amarnath valley and all along the route one can see the river Amaravathy (it is more like a tributary of Chenab) which originates from Amarnath glacier.

The Amarnath Cave has special Significance

The Legend about the importance of Amarnath Cave is as follows :- This is The Cave which was chosen by Bhole Shankar for narrating the secrets of immortality and creation of Universe to Maa Parvati ji . The story goes like this . Centuries ago Maa Parvati asked Shiv ji to let her know why and when He started wearing the beads of heads ( Mund Mala) . Bhole Shankar replied when ever you are born I add one more head in my beads . Maa Parvati said ," My Lord, my body is destroyed every time and I die again and again, but you are Immortal. Please let me know the secret of this ." Bhole Shankar replied that it is due to Amar Katha ." Maa Parvati insisted that she may be told that secret. For long Shiva ji continued postponing . Finally on consistent demand from Maa

DISCovery oF HoLy CAve

Centuries ago Maa Parvati asked Shiv ji to let her know why and when He started wearing the beads of heads ( Mund Mala) . Bhole Shankar replied when ever you are born I add one more head in my beads . Maa Parvati said ," My Lord, my body is destroyed every time and I die again and again, but you are Immortal. Please let me know the secret of this ." Bhole Shankar replied that it is due to Amar Katha ." Maa Parvati insisted that she may be told that secret. For long Shiva ji continued postponing . Finally on consistent demand from Maa Parvati He made up his mind to tell the immortal secret . He started for lonely place where no living being could listen it .
Shankar enters the Holy Amarnath Cave along with Parvati Maa . Lord Shiva takes his Samadhi on the Deer Skin and concentrate . To ensure that no living being is able to hear the Immortal Tale , He created Rudra named Kalagni and ordered him to spread fire to eliminate every living thing in and around the Holy Cave . After this He started narrating the secret of immortality to Maa Parvati . But as a matter of chance one egg which was lying beneath the Deer skin remained protected . It is believed to be non living and more over it was protected by Shiva -Parvati Asan (Bed) . The pair of pigeons which were born out of this egg became immortal having listened the secret of immortality (Amar Katha). Many pilgrims report seeing the pair of pigeons when they trek the arduous route to pay their obeisance before the Ice-Lingam (the phallic symbol of Shiva).

he story narrated by people about the discovery of this Holy Cave is of a Gujjar ( shepherd) Buta Malik . He is given the credit of discovering this Holy Cave . Story goes like this , that a saint gave Buta Malik a bag full of Coal. On reaching his home when he opened the bag , to his utter surprise the bag was full of gold coins . This made him overwelmed with joy. He ran to thank the Saint . But, what he found was that the Saint had disappeared . Instead , he found The Holy Cave and Shiv Lingam there in . He announced the discovery of this to the Villagers. Then onwards this has become the sacred place of Pilgrimage . The ancient epics narrate an other story which goes like this. The valley of Kashmir was under water

.It was a big lake. Kashyap Rishi drained the water through number of rivers and rivulets . In those days Bhrigu Rishi came that way on a visit to The Himalyas. He was the first to have Darshans of this Holy Cave . When people heard of the Lingam, Amarnath for them became Shivas abode and a Centre of pilgrimage . Since then Lacs of devotees perform the pilgrimage through tough terrain and avail eternal happiness. The trek to Amarnath, in the month of sharavan ( July August) has the devout flock to this incredible shrine, where the image of Shiva, in the form of a Lingam, is formed naturally of an Ice Stalagmite, which waxes and wanes with the Moon's cycle . By its side are fascinating, two more Ice Lingams, that of Maa Parvati and of their son, Ganesha .

Parvati He made up his mind to tell the immortal secret . He started for lonely place where no living being could listen it . He choose Amarnath Cave . In preparation to that He left His Nandi ( The Bull which He used to ride ) at Pahalgam (Bail gaon) . At Chandanwari He released Moon from his hairs (Jataon). At the banks of Lake Sheshnag He released the snakes .

He decided to leave his Son Ganesha at Mahagunas Parvat (Mahaganesh Hill ) . At Panjtarni, Shivji left the Five Elements behind (Earth , Water, Air , Fire and Sky) which make living being . He is the Lord of these elements. It is believed that as a symbol of sacrificing the earthly world , Shivaji and Maa Parvati had Tandav Dance . After leaving behind all these, Bhole

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23

TV broadcasters bleed money in ad blackouts over billing

New Delhi : A spat between the television channels and advertising agencies over billing practices has turned costlier for the broadcasters as they may loose up to Rs. 20-25 crore everyday for taking the commercials off the air. "Broadcasters may loose Rs. 20-25 crore per day, which means over Rs. 100 crore if tiff continues for next five days," said a senior executive from Multi Screen Media, which runs Sony Entertainment. Broadcasters have blacked out commercials since Wednesday in protest against a new billing method but are carrying ads for agencies that have agreed to move to the new 'net' billing method. Earlier, broadcasters used to issue gross bills to the advertising agencies for TV commercials. These bills included a 15% charge, which was later deducted from the gross amount. In recent assessments, the income tax (IT) department has taken a view that the 15% trade discount given by broadcasters is actually an agency commission. I-T department has issued notices to Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) members for non-payment of tax deducted at source on this 15% agency commission. To avoid unnecessary litigation, the IBF then decided to issue net bills, which was not accepted by media agencies. Major networks such as Star India, TV18, Viacom18, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony Entertainment, Times Television Network, and ETV have joined hands to drop advertisements. "Broadcasters are losing revenue every minute. This will hurt the finances badly," said Ashok Venkatramani, CEO, Media Content and Communications Services, a venture by ABP Ltd. But in or a longer term, the new billing system will hit hard the revenues of media agencies as well. The commission rate is expected to dip from 15% to 3% and further down. "Also, the proposed tax system will make clients more dominant over media agencies as they will negotiate on the percentage of commissions," said Santosh Sood, former COO, Rediffusion Y&R, an ad firm. However, efforts are on to end the standoff. "Discussions are on. And hopefully, we will find a solution soon," said Arvind Sharma, president, Advertising Agencies Association of India.

Rate cut hopes push Sensex to near threemonth high

MUMBAI : The BSE sensex rose on Thursday to mark its highest close since February, as interest ratesensitive stocks gained on expectations the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI) will cut interest rates on Friday, while technology shares such as TCS rose on value buying. Mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corp Ltd rose 1.87%, while Tata Consultancy Services Ltd was up 4%. The BSE sensex ended 1.19% higher, closing at its highest since February 4, while the broader 50-share Nifty closed up 1.17%.

130-acre plot near IGIA may go to DMICDC for a song

Gold ETFs fan out, catch momentum

NEW DELHI : A 130acre plot, adjacent to the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) may go to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC), a government firm, for a song. Government sources said that the company wants about 100 acres spread over two sectors in Dwarka from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for developing a

complex that would include a convention centre, hotels and luxury housing/service apartments. The patch spread over Sector 25&26 in Dwarka sub-city was originally earmarked for relocation of wholesale trade centres in central Delhi, including Sadar Bazar, Nai Sadak and Khari Baoli, which are known for large-scale grain, paper and chemicals markets, in Master Plan-2021.

Eight sick PSUs not paid wages to staff since Oct 2012 : Patel
NEW DELHI: Eight sick Public Sector Units (PSUs), including HMT Watches and Hindustan Cables Ltd, have not paid salaries to their employees since October 2012, Parliament was informed on Thursday. "Eight PSUs, under the administrative control of the Department, have not made payment of salaries to their employees, since October 2012," minister of heavy industries and public enterprises Praful Patel said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. These government-owned units are HMT Watches, HMT Chinar Watches, HMT Bearings, Triveni Structurals, Tungabhadra Steel Products, NEPA, Hindustan Cables Ltd and Hindustan Photo Films Manufacturing.

India has always had a fetish for gold and gold jewellery but the craze is going beyond that. With gold prices easing, the craze for the yellow metal is not only pushing consumers into investing in gold and gold jewellery, but the demand for gold exchange traded funds (ETFs) has also increased in the country. The data compiled by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) indicates that smaller towns in Gujarat and Kerala are increasingly investing in gold ETFs. With Akshaya Tritiya being celebrated on May 13, demand for gold and gold-linked products is set to peak especially as prices have fallen . Last year, during Akshaya Tritiya, the exchange recorded a traded value of R608 crore in gold ETFs, which was 44% higher, compared to 2011, which stood at R423.05 crore. This time, too, we are witnessing a huge demand for gold ETFs especially as Akshaya Tritiya is next month, there has been an increasing demand not only from the metros but also from the smaller towns, said a spokesperson at the NSE.

Bharti Airtel to sell 5% stake to Qatar Foundation for $1.26 billion

MUMBAI : Bharti Airtel said Friday it has received a long term investment from the Qatar Foundation Endowment; wherein 199.87 million new shares will be issued by the endowment fund for $1.26 billion. Post the issuance of the shares, QFE will hold a of 5% stake in India's largest telecom operator. As per the agreement, QFE will subscribe to these new shares at a price of Rs 340 per share . The investment will further strengthen the capital structure and provide further flexibility for the company to deliver on its growth strategy, Bharti said in a statement. In early morning trade on the Bombay Stock Exchange, the Bharti scrip was trading at Rs 323.3 up about 2% from yesterday. On Thursday, Bharti reported a 50% fall in quarterly profit which marked its third straight year of declining earnings in the backdrop of an unprofitable African business, unfavourable regulatory issues and heavy debts which have shadowed the Indian telecoms space. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti said, "I am delighted to

welcome another high quality long-term institutional investor to our shareholder base. This strategic partnership with QFE demonstrates the confidence they have in the company and our strategy for growth." Rashid AlNaimi, acting CEO, QFE, said: "We are excited to be making a significant investment in one of the leading

telecommunications companies in the world. As a long-term global investor, our shareholding gives us exposure to a high growth sector in key emerging markets. QFE looks forward to supporting Bharti in realising the full potential of this world class business." Goldman Sachs acted as sole financial advisor to QFE on this investment.

IOC taps bond market for Rs 1,700 cr at benchmark rate

NEW DELHI : State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on Thursday said it has raised Rs 1,700 crore through a domestic bond issue at a new benchmark low interest rate of 8.14%. The issue of secured redeemable non-convertible bonds opened for subscription on private placement basis and received an "overwhelming response from all segments of investors", the company said in a statement. "The issue, launched with an original size of Rs 500 crore, was oversubscribed by over six times with overall subscription aggregating to over Rs 3,000 crore," the company said.

Mahindra look to build on results in Europe

NEW DELHI : Following its best-ever results in the opening two races of Moto GP in Qatar and the USA, Team Mahindra will look to build on its performance as the European season begins at Jerez this weekend. Mahindra's new riders and the brand-new Mahindra MGP3O machine have not only achieved double points in the two season-opening 'flyaways' but also recorded the marque's first top-five finish. That was achieved at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas the weekend before last, when Miguel Oliveira (18, from Portugal) claimed a fighting fifth, gaining two places on the final lap.

MFs lose 20 lakh retail folios

Mumbai : Mutual funds (MFs) have lost nearly 4.5% or about 20 lakh retail folios in the past six months due to the sharp fall recorded by the equity category. MFs have around 4.3 crore retail folios or investor accounts at the end of March 2013, data with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) showed. The decline was led by the equity category, which was impacted by the volatility in the capital market. The benchmark CNX Nifty declined 3.8% and 0.4% respectively in the three months and six months period till March 2013. Folios in equity-oriented schemes dropped 6.7% or a loss of nearly 24 lakh folios to around 3.32 crore at the end of March, AMFI data showed. Despite the fall, a significant proportion of investors have stayed on with equity MFs largely because of the poor returns offered by these schemes in the past few years. In all, 63% of retail investors remained invested for more than two years at the end of March. About 61% of retail investors had kept their money in equity schemes for a similar tenure at the end of September 2012. In the high net-worth individuals (HNI) category, about 49% stayed invested in equity MFs for more than two years. Experts and financial advisors reckon that investors would reap higher profits by remaining invested in equity for the long-term. And data too supports this assessment. The CNX Nifty delivered over 20% annualised returns in the 10-year period ended April 30, 2013 compared to less than 4% annualised returns in the three-year period. The fixed income category however continued to see traction with gilt funds, which invest primarily in government securities, seeing a sharp rise in investor accounts. Folios in gilt funds nearly doubled to over 63,000 in 6 months. The category, which has the smallest base of investors, saw a steep rise in investor accounts due to the fall in interest rates. Gilt funds typically gain when rates decline. Folios in debt-oriented schemes increased 6.3% to 58.6 lakh at the end of March. Corporates continue to be the leading investors in MF schemes. Their share in the assets under management (AUM) stood at 46% share in March 2013. This is however because of their high exposure to fixed income schemes.

24

May-2013

SPORTS
We're not just the warm-up act, New Zealand tell England
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson warned England on Wednesday not to treat his side as the starter before they tuck into the main course of the Ashes series against Australia. England host New Zealand for two tests, the first at Lord's starting on May 16 and the second in Leeds on May 24, before playing back-to-back Ashes series later this year. "These are two hugely important test matches for us," British media quoted Hesson as saying. "We're making progress as a test side and certainly won't like to be the entree for the main course later in the season. "England's record in England in recent times has been outstanding.

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The Indian team selection for the Champions Trophy squad is in a couple of days and one of the areas of concern can be the opener's slot. Virender Sehwag was left out of the probables list while Gautam Gambhir has been in poor form in the T20 extravaganza. Murali Vijay, too, hasn't been in good nick playing for CSK while Shikhar Dhawan is the only player who has batted with some sort of assurance since his return from a hand injury. As of now, it's likely that Dhawan, who made a great Test debut for India, will be there in the list of 15. Ajinkya Rahane's

Opening worries for selectors ahead of Champions Trophy

Sachin Tendulkar will stop playing when he wants to: Ravi Shastri
SHIRDI (MAHARASHTRA): Former India skipper Ravi Shastri on Wednesday said that Sachin Tendulkar has much cricket left in him and a call on retirement will be entirely his prerogative. "Often there is a discussion about Sachin's retirement but since his health and body is fit, he's playing... when he wants to stop, he will stop..," Shastri told reporters outside the Saibaba temple here. "I think a player like Sachin will not come up at least in 100 years," he added. Answering to a query, he said that if spin bowler Ravindra Jadeja improves his batting, he could become a genuine

name, too, could come up for discussion, but it's a matter of conjecture whether MS Dhoni would prefer the Rajasthan Royals player in the ODI side. The only point going in favour of him is the English conditions, where the ball

moves around and the Indian team will need a solid opener. Despite his patchy show in the T20 tournament, Vijay was a pillar of strength for India in the last Test series against Australia. Dhoni has some faith in the TN opener and he might just make the squad finally. In that case, for the third opener's slot, could be a toss up between Rahane and Gambhir, even though Dhoni has played Rohit Sharma in the top slot as well. All these issues will be taken into consideration as the five-man selection committee, led by Sandeep Patil, meets in Mumbai on Saturday.

allrounder. About his own record of hitting six sixes in an over in first class cricket, he said that records are often made to break but "my record in first class cricket is difficult to surpass." Ahmednagar district judge and president of three member committee of Shirdi Sansthan Trust Jayant Kulkarni felicitated Shastri on the occasion.

No Test matches during Pakistan's Caribbean tour

PORT OF SPAIN : The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has announced that Pakistan's Caribbean tour this year will go ahead as planned, but no Test matches will be on the itinerary. CEO Michael Muirhead made the announcement in Port-of-Spain over the weekend following a board meeting, the first since Dave Cameron and Emmanuel Nanthan were elected WICB president and vice president last month. The West Indies are scheduled to play five One-Day Internationals and two T20s against Pakistan though the dates are yet to be finalized.

Adam Gilchrist has attributed the decision to drop himself as captain and player for the match against Mumbai Indians largely to team balance and the wealth of batting resources on the bench. Gilchrist, who followed the example of Mumbai Indians' Ricky Ponting by leaving himself out of the playing XI, has had a lean tournament to date, managing only 94 runs in eight matches. "Since the last few games we've had to think about it as a selection group," Gilchrist told IPLT20.com. "We had to look at the right balance and find the right players who were playing well and could contribute most to the team." Gilchrist believed that form is not an accurate representation of what has been afflicting him this tournament. "Form is a rubbish word. I have hit a lot of balls in the nets and have felt very comfortable. But that hasn't translated to results in [the] games." He was

'Form is a rubbish word'-Gilchrist

Afridi blames Misbah for exclusion: Report

ISLAMABAD - Shahid Afridi has blamed Pakistan's one-day cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq for his exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad, and has vowed to return to the national team. "It's the captain's decision to drop me," Afridi told the Urdu language Daily Jang on Wednesday. "It's no big deal for me if a captain doesn't want a certain player in the team." In announcing the squad earlier this week, selectors said Afridi, who has scored 7,201 and taken 348 wickets in ODIs, was left out due to recent poor form in one-day internationals.

also aware of the batting talent on hand. "At the end of the day I haven't contributed, and that's no problem when you've got batting talent like Shaun Marsh, [Luke] Pomersbach, David Hussey and David Miller. It's not a tough decision." When asked whether he had considered giving up the wicketkeeping gloves and playing solely as a batsman, Gilchrist said, "No, never, I've played years and years of cricket now. So for me it's not a case of having to focus on batting because keeping is taking up time and energy. It's part of my nature and part of who I am. It's like riding a bike, once you know it, you don't need to focus on the skills required and think of the work load impeding on the batting. If anything, I have contributed more with the gloves than with the bat this year and so I am lucky to have my keeping gloves on."

Pakistan drop Afridi, Umar Akmal

Trophy, as well as the ODIs in Ireland and Scotland. The announcement of a Pakistan squad is usually made before 7pm (PKT) but the selection committee did not emerge until at 10.45pm after getting the approval Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman, at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. "Afridi had been selected as a bowling allrounder but he was not up to the mark and couldn't score at crucial occasions so we had to left him out," chief selector Iqbal Qasim said. "His career is not finished, if he performs at domestic level, he can stage a comeback. He is an asset to Pakistan, and as long as a player is performing he keeps on playing, if he doesn't perform he goes out of the team." Afridi had been dropped from Pakistan's squad for the ODI series in India in December 2012, but was chosen for the trip to South Africa because of his skill as a legspinner. He failed to take a wicket in 37 overs, though, and scored 126 runs in four innings with a high score of 88. Since the start of 2012, Afridi's taken only 15 wickets in 21 ODIs, and five of those came in one game against Afghanistan. His batting average during this period is 19. "Had he scored at the domestic level he could have earned the place," Qasim said. "It's always difficult to drop such a senior player but ultimately selectors have to take a decision for the sake of the team." Pakistan have named five specialist fast bowlers, two full-time spinners while Mohamamd Hafeez, Shoaib Malik and Amin fill the allrounder roles. Besides Afridi, Pakistan had already left out Younis Khan from the initial squad, but Wahab Riaz, the left-arm quick, has been

Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan allrounder, middle-order batsman Umar Akmal and fast bowler Sohail Tanvir have been left out of the ODI squad for the Champions Trophy in England this June. Fast bowlers Ehsan Adil and Asad Ali, and batsman Umar Amin, were selected, after they had been omitted from the tour of South Africa. Pakistan's selectors met in Lahore on Monday to trim the 29 probables - Umar Gul was unavailable because of injury - down to 15 for the Champions

retained despite a poor showing in South Africa. Amin, a left-hander who also bowls right-arm medium pace, played four Tests and three ODIs in 2010 while Asad was selected for the India ODI series but did not it into the playing eleven. "We have picked the squad from the best available resources after consulting the captain and the input from the coach," Qasim said. "There obviously were arguments but when the team is made, it's made with consensus."

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26

May-2013

SAtr Age
taurus
It feels good as with week starts, with your sign ruler Venus moving into Taurus, which means that you no longer feel lonely, dominated or insecure. Now you can rule your own domain, and whatever happens over the next couple of months, you will be the one to decide on what, when and where. Things need to go at your own pace, and as far as you are concerned, slow and steady wins the race.

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aries

March-21 to April-20

With six planets in your sign as the week starts, this is a super-Aries week, when you are energized and full of strength and dynamism. There is a qualitative change in partnerships matters, and loved ones are no longer dependent or in competition with you, but become more confident in themselves, and therefore more soft and loving. This week the Sun catches up with and overtakes your sign ruler Mars.

gemiNi

April-21 to May-20

May-21 to June-21

With your sign ruler now in Aries, a difficult winter period is now behind you, and there is a sense of being more in control and free to pursue your own initiatives. Being in a stronger position also means that you can take the lead in partnerships matters, and especially in connection with friendships and groups. This is a time when charismatic individuals dominate groups, which is probably a good thing.

caNcer

June-22 to July-23

This is still a brilliant time for initiatives and new pioneering ventures in your career, and the start of the week brings even more dynamism, especially in the world of ideas. After a winter of gathering information and impressions, the time has come to implement ideas, preferably as fast as possible. Some ideas work and some dont, and at the weekend it is important to throw out the bad ideas without sentiment.

leo

July-24 to August-23

This is a key week in your life, and the conjunction of Mars and your sign ruler the Sun indicates the start of a pioneering new adventure in the world of ideas, culture or travel. Soon a time of apprenticeship will be over, and a time of putting things into practice will begin. This week shows a major transition, with important career figures evoking leadership abilities in you.

virgo

August-24 to September-23

Now that your sign ruler Mercury is in Aries, you are no longer constrained by circumstances and relationships, and you embark on a courageous and energetic program of transformation and reform. You are willing to embrace revolutionary methods to transform situations of financial or emotional dependence, and by the weekend you are in no way inclined to compromise in your demands.

libra

September-24 to October-22

As the week starts, your sign ruler Venus moves into Taurus, which puts the emphasis in your life more on quality and depth, rather than intensity and excitement. You have recently been willing to take a lot of risks for the sake of relationships, but now you do not want other people making decisions for you, and you also want something in return.

scorPio

October-23 to November-22

During the course of this week the Sun, Venus and Mars move into your opposing sign Taurus, which puts a tremendous focus on relationships for the next month or two. There is a very desirable partner you either want to consolidate a relationship with, or start a relationship with. To do this, you will have to share the same values, and this means compromise on your side.

sagittarius

November-23 to December-22

One of your major considerations during the course of this week is consolidating relationships and practical projects at work, where there are new arrivals and more demands for practical results and for profit too. In some areas the focus shifts away from creativity and selfexpression, or promotion of yourself or your children, but there is a specific communication issue which can reach a bit of a crisis point at the weekend.

caPricoN

December-23 to Januar-20

There is a strong change of focus this week, which can be connected to developments with children, or in your social life, or in connection with a creative project or a matter of the heart all situations when your self-esteem is on the line. In many ways this is a favorable time in your social or love life, but there is a sense of formality about things.

aquaries

January-21 to February-19

Emphasis on education, travel or communication goes through a major shift this week. Perhaps you have overcome the major challenges, and now you can settle in to a more peaceful process. Home and family assume more importance, and this is a very favorable time for expanding your comfort zone at home and generally improving life quality.

Pisces

February-20 to March-20

There is a strong shift in emphasis this week when communication, education and travel assume much greater importance in your life. You are looking for more security and comfort, and perhaps there will be a touch of luxury affecting these areas. This is also a wonderful period for mental creativity, especially in connection with the senses.

yra means fire and Mid denotes the energy resonating at the midpoint. The word Pyramid is a Greek word derived from pyramidos means a geometrical object, whose base is a polygon (3, 4, 5, etc.) and whose sides meet at one point the apex of a pyramid. From ancient times, the Pyramids of Egypt have been known as powerful structures designed in such a way that connects all kinds of energy forces. Pyramidal shape has been proven to possess the geometry that radiates healing powers. When we observe the energy flow patterns in a pyramid by mapping it by energy field imaging system Kerlian photography or Polycontrast interface technology (PIP) , we see that there are broadly two specific phenomenon1. Concentration of energy that takes place around the vertical axis passing through the apex of the pyramid, at one third the height from its base. 2. Energy coming out of

the summit of the pyramid is in spiral form

Pyramid
A pyramid is such a structure in which its shape is roughly that of a pyramid in the geometric sense i.e. its outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single point at the top. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three outer triangular surfaces (at least four faces including the base). The square pyramid, with square base and four triangular outer surfaces, is a common version. Hindu temples are made in similar style so as to resonate energy particle at the one third of the height of temple. Pyramids have been built by various civilizations in many parts of the world for thousands of years, the largest structures on Earth were pyramidsfirst the Red Pyramid in the Dashur Necropolis and then the

Pyramids & Vaastu

Great Pyramid of Khufu, both of Egypt, Khufu is among Seven Wonders of the Ancient World built mainly of limestone (with large red granite blocks used in some interior chambers), and is considered an architectural masterpiece. The Egyptians must have been aware of these energy patterns as they used this knowledge to build the kind of tomb that could preserve bodies within them. Thus whatever was placed at a height of one third from the base would remain fresh, so this was the Kings Chamber. This way, the body of the king was preserved for decades, hundreds of years perhaps? The effect of structures

and the impact on human beings and energy levels in modern day terminology is known as Geo Biology or Bio Geometry.

Similarly, Bio Geometry studies indicates effect of structures and dimensions on the human occupants living within, analyzing

their energy levels and watching how the square, conical ,pyramidal patterns affects to health of living organisms. Energy conservation, flow and transmission are explained in Feng shui and Vaastu in their own way. What is energy and how it flow and can be conserved and transmitted is a very complex and how does it affect the lives of occupants living within a structure? The scientific definition of energy is the ability to produce an effect. Our feelings, thoughts and vitality are run by energy. The structures and the environment, including the interior and furnishings of any premise absorbs and emits energy and a harmonious shape and supportive structure and environment ensure good flow of energy so the effect then is good, in and around the occupants. Engineers, architects, interior decorators, and Vastu and feng shui expert or a group of experts make the things happen in ideal way.

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CROSSWORD/puzzLE
CROSSWORD

May-2013

27

DO ThE COLORIng

CATCh-WORDS -14

Coloring pages are fun, but they also help children develop many important skills. These skills, eye-hand coordination, color concepts, picture comprehension, form the foundation for early learning success!

puzzLE

AcROSS
1. Governance (14) 10. A Muslim jurist (5) 11. Ephemeral (9) 12. Glisten (7) 13. Big ape (7)

Answer of Crossword-13

ADvERTISINg pOlIcIES
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BOLLYWOOD
Farah is scared of Nana Patekar
arah Khan wanted Nana Patekar to play the role of Raghavan in F her directorial debut Main Hoon Na. But Farah was scared to approach him for the role and that's when Suniel Shetty was roped in to play the negative character. Anil Kapoor and Srivedi was origS inally written for Amitabh Bachchan. hekhar Kapur's 'Mr. India' starring

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Did you know

24 rejections for a song 'Mr India' was written for Big B! Ashok Kumars life changing moments
but decided to shift his career and started into acting. Before he became an actor, Ashok Kumar was a science graduate, working in the Bombay talkies laboratory as a lab assistant. ilms, Puran Bhagat and Chandidas changed actor Ashok Kumar's life. F He had gone to Calcutta to study law

DDLJ was Mere Khwaboon Mein T Jo Aaye. Aditya Chopra wanted everyhe first song to be recorded for thing to be just perfect for his debut film. So he rejected 24 verses by Anand Bakshi before approving this one. The song went on to be a big hit amongst the masses.

The film was also scripted keeping in mind Amitabh Bachchan's voice but Big B refused to be a part of the film and to do the 'invisible' role. Afterwards, Anil Kapoor accepted the offer and 'Mr. India' became a landmark movie in Anil's Bollywood career.

Actress Deepika Padukone, who is sharing screen space with her ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor in Ayan Mukerji's Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, says the actor is possessive about her.

Ranbir Kapoor

Bigg Boss is my lucky ticket to Bollywood

Sana Khan

is possessive about me

Deepika Padukone
look launch of the film happened Tuesday here and when asked about the experience, she humorously said that "Ranbir is possessive about me (smiles). It feels like it's my first film. I am excited about it," Deepika told reporters during the first look launch of the film. In one of the scenes shown in the promo, Deepika says Main tumahare saath 2 min bhi rahi toh muje pyaar ho jayega tumse, Phir se. When asked about the dialogue, the 27-year-old said: "I would like to say the chemical combination has been tested before and then we agreed to do the film." The actor, who will be seen with Deepika after four long years, says the actress has grown over the years. "I was amazed and happy looking the way she has grown as an actress. She is extremely intelligent and has a pretty smile, so it is easy to act as like you are in love with her," he said. and has films such as Ghajini, Rockstar, and Koi Mil Gaya to their credit. According to eye-witnesses, Hrithik has been spending long hours at the studio, often burning the midnight oil in the process. Said a source, "Anyone who walks into the studio at any time of day or night, is likely to bump into him. For weeks now he has been ensconced in the editing room, overseeing every bit of the trailers which will not go on air before the middle of this year." This is hardly surprising considering how special-effects-heavy the film is. However, the film, which was supposed to be converted into the 3-D format, will not be so. Confirming this, Rakesh Roshan told us, "Krrish 3 is not happening in 3D." Buzz is, this decision was initiated by the fact that many of the big blockbusters in 3D in the recent past did not got the cash registers ringing.

ere's the first look of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. The chemistry is very much working for the two. The poster looks quite vibrant. Actress Deepika Padukone, who is sharing screen space with her ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor in Ayan Mukerji's Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, says the actor is possessive about her. The first

alman Khan's new heroine, Sana Khan, says she's leaving no stone unturned to look her best in her first big B-Town outing, Mental, in which she's paired opposite Salman Khan. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm trying my best to look my best in my debut outing in Bollywood," beams Sana, who's been following a fitness regime ever since she's been signed on to play Salman's leading lady. "Bigg Boss is my lucky ticket to Bollywood," she adds. "This is a huge industry and I hope to make my mark right in my first outing here; for, they say, first impression is the best impression!"

Happy to play my age

Hrithik Roshan
I
t is his prize project and Hrithik Roshan is taking no chances with it. Krissh 3, which has just wrapped up, has entered its crucial post production stage. The first promo is being edited at a studio in the suburbs, which is run by Binny Padda. It is a studio that specialises in cutting promotional trailers,

wraps up 'Krissh 3', busy in post-production

ctor Prachi Desai is on a high point of her career, as she is finally playing the roles that she has always wanted to. Im happy Im finally getting the roles which are more like me and of my age. Im fortunate that I have a choice to pick what I like. Im so glad to be a part of my last release, I, Me Aur Main, where I got to play my own age and people got to see a different side of me, she says. Next on the 24-year-olds filmy list are movies like Policegiri and the third installment of 1920. Talking about the former, she says, Im playing a software engineer in the film. Its a serious film, but my character is like a live wire who spreads energy and colour.

Prachi Desai

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BOLLYWOOD
With her strong and bold portrayals in Ishqiya, The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, Vidya has somewhere reinvented women-centric films in Bollywood. And the actress feels its the reflection of women in society. "In real life, women are coming on their own in different spheres of their life.
idya Balan, who has delivered several hits including the nationalaward winning Paa and The Dirty Picture, says she does not feel the pressure to deliver as she chooses good scripts. "I do not feel the pressure... not really. I am happy I am living my dream to be an actress. It was my lifelong dream to be an actress. It feels wonderful... According to me, the real box office king or queen is a good film, a good script. I have been fortunate to be part of good films," Vidya told. The 34-year-old, who made her debut in Bollywood with Parineeta is one of the most sought after actresses today but her journey in cinema wasn't a cake walk. "I think it is my family and faith that keeps me rooted. I do feel happy and proud of my achievements," Vidya said. With her strong and bold portrayals in Ishqiya, The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, Vidya has somewhere reinvented women-centric films in Bollywood. And the actress feels its the reflection of women in society. "In real life, women are coming on their own in different

May-2013

29

dearth of good roles for women Bipasha V

There is a

Happy to be living my dream

Vidya Balan

egining with her role in Aatma, Bipasha Basu said she has evolved a lot during the shoot and it helped her learn about life. She said, "Every role teaches you something, and this particular one teaches me I will be a good mother one day. I have all these feelings." Talking about co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bipasha Basu said that Nawazuddin admired her talents and said she could be moulded into any role. and she was totally floored by the compliment. She was also thrilled to have received a compliment from Nawazuddin, an actor from Anurag Kashyap school of films. Moving on to broader topics, Bipasha refused to agree with the notion that more womencnetric films are being written these days. She said, "There is a dearth of good roles for women. And when I am talking about good roles, I don't mean women-centric films. Just a bit of depth in the character, (which we) don't get."

spheres of their life. We are beginning to acknowledge and recognise that we are individuals and have right to happiness. And in films too women are taking centre stage. "This is

because in our lives we are beginning to acknowledge us. We also should matter to ourselves first," she said. On whether her criteria for choosing films post marriage has changed, Vidya said, "I don't think so my choice will change. I think I am an actor and now I am married." She tied the knot with Siddharth Roy Kapur of UTV in December 2012 and would be next seen in Rajkumar Gupta's Ghanchakkar and Pritish Nandy's Shaadi Ke Side Effects.

Bombay Talkies to feature

A

Katrina Kaif

ctor Katrina Kaif and director Zoya Akhtar share a special relationship. They last worked together on Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD, 2011) and now, are set to team up once again for Bombay Talkies. The film is a collection of four shorts by Zoya, Anurag Kashyap, Karan Johar and Dibakar Banerjee. Katrina will play herself in Zoyas segment. A source close to the movie reveals, They became really good friends while they were shooting ZNMD. And Zoya had promised Katrina that she would be part of her next film too. Revealing more about Katrinas segment, the source says, The short film revolves around a young boy, who is extremely fascinated with Katrina. Its the story of his relationship with the actor. Apparently, the film will also feature the Katrina Kaif-inspired Barbie doll. When this boy finds out that there is such a toy available in the market, he buys one for himself because he wants to have his own Katrina. Towards the end of the movie, he finally gets to meet her, says the source. Made to celebrate Indian cinemas centenary, Bombay Talkies is an ode to filmmaking. When contacted, the films producer Ashi Dua confirms the news saying, Yes, Katrina has a cameo in Zoyas film.

Ranbir Kapoor doesn't have time for Bombay Talkies T

he fact that Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee have come together to make Bombay Talkies, a collection of four short films that mark 100 years of Indian cinema, is well known. But for the past few days, the buzz was that Ranbir Kapoor will be associated with the project. It was suggested that the actor will play the sutradhar (narrator) who will string together the four films. Not only this, Ranbir was also tipped to be feature in a music video to promote Bombay Talkies. But now, we have come to know that the Kapoor scion isnt likely to be part of the film at all. We have been trying to rope in Ranbir for a special video that the makers wanted, but he wont be able to take time out due to his hectic schedule, informs a source close to the project. Not only that, the actor was supposed to play a role in Dibakars short film, which also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

Katrina will play herself in Zoyas segment. A source close to the movie reveals, They became really good friends while they were shooting ZNMD.

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PHOTO GALLERY

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Sandy and Amrishs wedding Reception

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