LOS ANGELES (TIP): Award-winning US stage and screen actor Neil Patrick Harris will host the next Oscars show, organizers announced. The star, who has hosted both Broadway’s Tony and TV’s Emmy awards shows in the past, will front the 87th Academy Awards on February 22, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said on Wednesday. The high-profile hosting job is a prime gig in Hollywood, at the climax of its annual awards season.
Harris will follow Ellen DeGeneres last year and a who’s who of showbiz over the decades. “It is truly an honor and a thrill to be asked to host this year’s Academy Awards,” said the star of 2005’s “How I Met Your Mother,” in an Academy statement. “I grew up watching the Oscars and was always in such awe of some of the greats who hosted the show,” added Harris, whose latest film “Gone Girl” came out this month in the United States. He added: “To be asked to follow in the footsteps of Johnny Carson, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres and everyone else who had the great fortune of hosting is a bucket list dream come true.”
Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron said: “We are thrilled to have Neil host the Oscars. We have known him his entire adult life, and we have watched him explode as a great performer in feature films, television and stage. “To work with him on the Oscars is the perfect storm, all of his resources and talent coming together on a global stage,” added the pair, returning for their third Oscars show in a row. Industry journal Variety noted that, with the Oscars job Harris will have done three of the four so-called EGOT full house of hosting duties — the Emmys, Oscars and Tonys, with only the Grammys to go.
Month: October 2014
-
Actor Neil Patrick Harris to host 2015 Oscars
-
FBI director warns new phone encryption could thwart probes
WASHINGTON (TIP): US FBI director James Comey on October 16 made his strongest comments yet about encryption features built into new cell phones by Google Inc and Apple Inc, warning they could hurt law enforcement efforts to crack homicide and child exploitation cases. Speaking before an audience at the Brookings Institution think tank, Comey said the new phones, which limit the ability for the companies themselves to access data stored on the units, have “the potential to create a black hole for law enforcement.” FBI agents are generally able to access information stored on cell phones with a court order related to a specific investigation that forces the company to retrieve the information.
But handset makers have marketed more secure cell phones amid concerns of broad government surveillance programs revealed by Edward Snowden, and of hackers who might be able to exploit any vulnerabilities in the security of the phones. In a statement, a Google spokeswoman said the company wanted to provide additional security for its users to protect personal documents but would still work with law enforcement when appropriate. An Apple representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Comey said FBI agents have come across a growing number of cases for which they believe evidence was in a phone or a laptop that they were unable to crack, though he did not provide specific examples. “If this becomes the norm, I suggest to you that homicide cases could be stalled, suspects walk free, child exploitation not discovered and prosecuted,” he said.
Comey also urged Congress to update the law that governs law enforcement’s ability to intercept communications, which was enacted two decades ago and does not address some newer technologies. In his speech, he gave examples of cases that agents were able to piece together from evidence contained on cell phones, including against a Louisiana man who was convicted of murdering a 12-year-old boy and a drug trafficking ring in Kansas City.
The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday criticized Comey’s remarks, arguing that the law did not force telecommunications companies to build an avenue for decryption into their products. In an interview, ACLU legislative counsel Neema Singh Guliani said it was not clear if FBI agents will be hindered in their investigations through the new encryption since they already have access to other types of information. “A couple of anecdotes from the FBI isn’t enough,” Singh said. -
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg donates $25 million to fight Ebola
WASHINGTON (TIP): Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday he and his wife were donating $25 million to help US efforts to contain the deadly Ebola epidemic. “The Ebola epidemic is at a critical turning point. It has infected 8,400 people so far, but it is spreading very quickly and projections suggest it could infect one million people or more over the next several months if not addressed,” Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page. “We need to get Ebola under control in the near term so that it doesn’t spread further and become a long term global health crisis that we end up fighting for decades at large scale, like HIV or polio.” He said he and his wife Priscilla were donating the funds to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Foundation. “We believe our grant is the quickest way to empower the CDC and the experts in this field to prevent this outcome,” Zuckerberg said.
-
BJP front runner in Haryana, Maharashtra: Exit polls
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (TIP): At least three exit polls put the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead but short of a clear majority in Maharashtra and Haryana on Wednesday, a ringing endorsement of the so-called ‘Modi magic’ that may have helped the party come into its own in the two politically crucial states. A fourth survey by Today’s Chanakya, which correctly predicted the results of the Lok Sabha polls this year, gave the party a clear majority in both states.
The projections, if true, could touch off a round of intense haggling between the party and its estranged allies – the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) – for control of the two states that the Congress has led for more than a decade, either on its own or with its partners. A BJP victory will reaffirm Modi’s appeal among voters and silence detractors of his new party leadership, which was blamed for a string of defeats in recent by-elections that tempered the euphoria of his Lok Sabha triumph. Modi campaigned extensively for the state elections, addressing 27 rallies in Maharashtra and 11 in Haryana in a bid to prop up the BJP’s fortunes after the by-election losses.
A Times Now-C Voter poll predicted the BJP would bag 129 of 288 seats in the politically crucial state of Maharashtra despite the falling apart of its 25-year-old association with the Shiv Sena, which was projected to win in 56 constituencies. Times Now-C Voter predicted 37 seats for the BJP in the 90-member Haryana assembly. An ABP-Nielsen poll predicted 144 seats for the BJP and 77 for the Sena, while an India Today-Cicero exit poll saw the BJP winning 124 seats in Maharashtra. The poll says the Shiv Sena will be the second largest gainer in Maharashtra with 71 seats.
The polls did not bring any cheer to the Congress party, already relegated to the political sidelines since its bruising defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. The Times Now-C Voter poll said the Congress was likely to win 43 seats in Maharashtra while ABP-Nielsen said it will bag just 30 seats. In Haryana, Times Now-C Voter gave the Congress 15 seats and ABP-Nielsen poll predicted the country’s main opposition party will get 10 seats. Today’s Chanakya predicted a clear majority of 151 seats for the BJP in Maharashtra and 52 in Haryana. Today’s Chanakya was on the money when it predicted a 300-plus sweep for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the Lok Sabha elections.
For the Congress, a poor result will possibly stoke further murmurs against Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. If the outcome on October 19 judgement day matches the predictions, it would mean the Congress would have to carry forward with its restructuring process to script a turnaround in the face of a saffron surge. Haryana saw a high turnout of 75.9%, while Maharashtra registered a turnout of 63.4% in the elections seen as a test of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity since he stormed to power in May and the BJP’s strategy to abandon long-standing allies in the states.
The elections were mainly peaceful except for minor clashes between workers of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), BJP and others in Haryana. Analysts said the BJP had benefited from anger towards the Congress party, which has held power in Maharashtra for 15 years and Haryana for a decade. Both chief ministers, Prithviraj Chavan in Maharashtra and Bhupinder Hooda in Haryana, battled strong anti-incumbency with corruption being a major poll issue.
The BJP took a big gamble on its popularity and campaigned alone in both states. It was in contention for power for the first time in Haryana, where it was a junior partner in the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) government in 2000. Similarly in Maharashtra, the BJP had so far played second fiddle to the Shiv Sena, which led the coalition government in the state from 1995 to 1999. The Congress-NCP alliance ruled the state for 15 years from 1999. In case of a hung verdict, the shaping up of new political alliances promises to be another interesting chapter following the high-stakes elections. -
MAJOR EXPANSION OF MODI CABINET LIKELY BEFORE WINTER SESSION
NEW DELHI (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to carry out the first expansion of his council of ministers along with a bureaucratic shake-up in the next few weeks. Sources said an expansion of “considerable” scale could certainly happen before Parliament’s winter session begins late next month. Although the time-table for the session will be finalized only after the meeting of the Cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs scheduled for Monday, sources said the two Houses are expected to be convened in the third week of November.
A reconfiguration of the Cabinet appears to have become necessary for both administrative and political reasons. Many departments which require the full-scale attention of a minister have been handled so far as an “additional charge”. While the stopgap arrangement, which has continued for nearly five months, has worked satisfactorily, government managers feel that important ministries may require to be handled as “exclusive” charge as the government seeks to move into higher gear, and implement its policy agenda. Besides finance minister Arun Jaitley who has looked after defence, transport minister Nitin Gadkari has been handling the rural development portfolio since Gopinath Munde died in a car accident soon after the installation of the BJP government.
Ravi Shankar Prasad is dealing with both communications and law, while environment minister Prakash Javadekar has the additional charge of information and broadcasting. Along with the ministry recast, government seems to be finalizing its choice of key officials. Sources said the ball was set rolling on Thursday with the appointment of Rajiv Mehrishi as economic affairs secretary and Arvind Subramanian as chief economic advisor.
While the appointment of the new cabinet secretary may be a few weeks away, government is expected to finalize its choice for the new director of Intelligence Bureau and its recommendation for the next CBI chief in a week’s time. There are political drivers too for the impending ministerial restructuring. BJP leadership has been feeling the need to accommodate important communities which need to be represented on Team Modi before the party heads into the next round of state elections.
For instance, the party favours the inclusion of a Bhumihar, a community which solidly backed BJP in Bihar, in the Cabinet. Likewise, the party will like to include a Jat in the Cabinet in order to have the right social balance in Haryana where it may prefer a representative from another community for chief ministership in case it gets the opportunity to form its first-ever government in the state. A berth may fall vacant if the BJP leadership decides to put an end to the political anomaly of having Anant Geete as heavy industries minister when his party Shiv Sena is seen as having crossed the line in attacking the prime minister. -
Black money case: Can’t disclose names of foreign account holders: Govt to SC
NEW DELHI (TIP): The Union government on Friday filed an application in the Supreme Court, saying it cannot disclose details of foreign accounts held by Indians which are governed by bilateral double taxation avoidance treaties. Petitioner and senior advocate Ram Jethmalani said this is an attempt by Narendra Modi government to shield those who stashed black money abroad. Jethmalani said such a plea could be made only by crooks who have illegally parked their ill-gotten money abroad and not by a democratically elected government. The apex court agreed to hear Centre’s application on October 28.
Outside the court, Jethmalani took a strong critical view of the finance minister and attorney general for making such an application to the court and said it could help only the criminals. Jethmalani told the court that he has written a letter to the Prime Minister on this issue conveying his strong views against the application and requesting the PM to take it as his last wishes. Switzerland agrees to help India As India steps up its pursuit of black money stashed abroad, Switzerland on Wednesday agreed to assist Indian authorities on a priority basis and provide requested banking information in a time-bound manner. The Swiss authorities would also “assist in obtaining confirmation on genuineness of bank documents on request by the Indian side and also swiftly provide information on requests related to non-banking information”. -
NSG chief warns of multi-city terror attacks
MANESAR (TIP): The chief of the National Security Guard (NSG), the country’s elite counter-terror force, warned on October 16 of possible “multi-city multiple attacks” on India from a combine of global terror groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS and outfits like IM and LeT already active here.
This is the first time a top ranking official from the Indian security establishment has spoken about the country being in specific danger of potential attacks from such a sweeping terror alliance. “We are preparing ourselves for multi-city multiple attacks along with anti-terrorists squads of the state police,” said JN Choudhury, who had a long stint in the Intelligence Bureau and as director general of police in Assam before heading the NSG.
The anti-terror, anti-hijack commando force, which flushed out terrorists holed up in Mumbai hotels and Nariman House during the 26/11 attacks, celebrated its 30th raising day on Thursday. “The apprehension we have is that if they do have a combined kind of strategy or combined operations, we have to be prepared and be alert if a combined (terrorist) group takes action,” said Choudhury.
Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri released a video last month announcing the establishment of a new branch on the Indian subcontinent, vowing that its militants would bring Islamic law to the entire region. Choudhury added that this was not the first time al-Qaeda had displayed intentions of carrying out attacks in India. About 10 years ago, operatives from the terror group had explored Goa and parts of Bengaluru.
NSG to shed VVIP load
The NSG, which protects some of the most ‘vulnerable’ VVIPs of the country, is set to reduce its load in this area and transfer some of these protectees to other paramilitary forces after an inprinciple nod from the Union home ministry. “We are working towards a system where we will have only 10 or 11 VVIPs to secure. We have 15 at present which is an all-time low number for us,” NSG chief JN Choudhury told reporters. -
Do not warn or threaten India: Rajnath Singh to China
NEW DELHI (TIP): After China’s objection to India’s plan of building a 2,000-km long road along the border in Arunachal Pradesh, Home Minister Rajnath Singh stated on October 16 that no one should threaten India. “No one can warn India,” said Rajnath Singh, adding, “Both countries should sit together to resolve the border dispute.” Earlier, China expressed concern over an alleged plan by India to build a road along the border in Arunachal Pradesh. “China has already spread their network of roads and rail network near the border.
Whatever we make on our territory should not be a concern of China,” said an unnamed official in the Home Ministry’s border management department to news agency Reuters. He was quoted as saying that the ministry was seeking Cabinet approval for the 2000-km road in Arunachal Pradesh and had preliminary support from the Prime Minister’s Office. In September, the government eased environmental and other curbs on building roads and military facilities within 100 km of the border in Arunachal Pradesh to hasten the construction of some 6,000 km of roads.
Reacting to news about the new road, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the government needed to “further verify the situation”. “Before the border problem is solved, we hope the Indian side will not take any action that could further complicate the relevant issue, so as to preserve the current situation of peace and stability in the border area,” he added.
China expresses concern over India’s border road plan
China on October 15 expressed concern over India’s plans to build a road along the remote eastern part of its border, saying it hoped India would not “further complicate” the festering disagreement. In September, India eased curbs on building roads and military facilities within 100 km of the contested border in remote Arunachal Pradesh, so as to hasten construction of some 6,000 km of roads. The move came as Chinese President Xi Jinping visited India, in a bid to defuse the distrust between both countries. -
INDIGENOUSLY DEVELOPED CRUISE MISSILE ‘NIRBHAY’ TEST-FIRED
BALASORE (TIP): India’s indigenously developed nuclear capable sub-sonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’, which can strike targets more than 700km away, was on October 17 test-fired from a test range at Chandipur in Odisha. “The missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher positioned at launch pad 3 of the Integrated Test Range at about 10.03am,” said an official soon after the flight took off from the launch ground. “Flight details will be available after data retrieved from radars and telemetry points, monitoring the trajectories, are analysed,” the official said.
It is the second test of the sub-sonic long range cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ from the ITR. The maiden flight, conducted on March 12, 2013 could not achieve all the desired parameters as “the flight had to be terminated mid-way when deviations were observed from its intended course”, sources said. India has in its arsenal the 290km range supersonic “BrahMos” cruise missile which is jointly developed by India and Russia. But ‘Nirbhay’ with long range capability is a different kind of missile being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Nirbhay has good loitering capability, good control and guidance, high degree of accuracy in terms of impact and very good stealth features. -
Universal account number to facilitate provident fund portability
NEW DELHI (TIP): A Universal Account Number (UAN) for Provident Fund (PF) accounts, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 16, will help over four crore PF account holders to better manage their PF savings. Irrespective of the number of jobs a person switches, the number will remain unchanged. Those who have multiple PF accounts because of job switches can now link them to the unique number by logging into the new UAN-based portal.
While launching the facility, PM Modi said that through this measure he wanted to give Rs. 27,000 crore to the poor who had not been able to claim their money. “This money belongs to poor workers of India. They have not been able to collect it because of the complicated process for filing claims,” he said. From now on, when switching jobs, a person will not need to apply to transfer the money to a new PF account, but will only need to provide the UAN to the new employer.
This will reduce the paperwork and the workload of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) which had to generate a new number every time a person joined an office. That not all. In the coming days, the new portal will enable people to withdraw money from their PF accounts after online submission of the required documents. A person can withdraw some part of the PF savings for needs such as buying a new home, marriage or a medical emergency. The money withdrawn will be electronically transferred to the applicant’s bank account. The UAN will be created by EPFO and passed on to employers. EPFO officials said that about 2 crore PF account holders will be able to avail the facility immediately, while the UAN for the others will be operationalised soon. -
Slave girl kept in cellar
awarded $160,000 in UK court
LONDON (TIP): A deaf and mute girl smuggled to Britain and kept as a slave for almost a decade must be paid £1,00,000 ($1,60,000) by her captors, a court ruled on October 16. Trafficked from Pakistan as a 10-yearold girl, the victim was repeatedly raped by Ilyas Ashar, 85, who along with his wife Tallat, 69, forced her to work as their servant.
She was discovered in the cellar of their five-bedroom house sleeping on a cot bed by investigators looking into allegations of money laundering. Now in her 20s, she learned a form of sign language to testify at the trial last year. “The money will in no way make up for what she went through over a number of years, but it will help her move on with her life and continue her inspiring recovery from these awful events,” said Salford Chief Superintendent Mary Doyle. “I believe today’s outcome also gives hope to any victim of trafficking.
It reminds us that there are people out there willing to bring people to this country purely to be exploited but, with the correct use of the law, the perpetrators can be brought fully to justice.” The court calculated the Ashars should pay the victim £101,300: what she would have been paid if she had earned the minimum wage working for the couple for 12 hours a day, every day since 2003 except for ten days off. The two also must also pay back benefits to the state that they wrongfully claimed for the girl.
The victim, who cannot be named, could not read or write but was taught to write her name by the Ashars so that they could claim social benefits on her behalf. Ilyas Ashar was earlier jailed for 15 years for rape, trafficking and benefit fraud, and his wife Tallat was jailed for five years for trafficking and benefit fraud. Their daughter Faaiza Ashar, 46, was ordered to do community service after being convicted of benefit fraud. At their earlier conviction, judge Peter Lakin said the Ashars had shown no remorse and were “deeply unpleasant, highly manipulative and dishonest people” who did not treat the girl as a human being. -
China blocks BBC website as Hong Kong tensions rise
SHANGHAI (TIP): Chinese Communist Party censors have blocked the website of Britain’s national broadcaster, the BBC said in a statement, as tensions rise in Hong Kong between pro-democracy protesters and police. broadcaster said that the move seemed to be “deliberate censorship”. It did not say what may have prompted the move by Beijing, which also blocks the websites of the New York Times, newswire Bloomberg and the BBC’s Chinese-language website. “The BBC strongly condemns any attempts to restrict free access to news and information and we are protesting to the Chinese authorities.
This appears to be deliberate censorship,” said Peter Horrocks, director of the BBC World Service Group. The BBC’s English-language website was still inaccessible in China on Thursday. Asked whether the site had been blocked, Hong Lei, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, said that China enjoyed “full internet freedom”. “At the same time, the Chinese government manages the internet in accordance with the law,” he added.
In Hong Kong, police used pepper spray early on Thursday to stop prodemocracy protesters from blocking a major road near the office of the city’s embattled leader amid public anger over the police beating a protester a day earlier. China rules Hong Kong under a “one country, two systems” formula that gives the former British colony wideranging autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed in Communist Party-ruled mainland China, with universal suffrage an eventual goal. But Beijing, which has branded the protests illegal, says only candidates screened by a nominating committee will be able to contest a full city-wide vote to choose the next chief executive in 2017.
It is fearful that calls for democracy could spread to the mainland. A Chinese official told foreign media in Hong Kong on Wednesday that China had seen interference in the city’s prodemocracy protests from outside forces and called on international journalists to report “objectively”. Earlier this month a Chinese court issued new rulings clamping down on what “netizens” can say and do online, a reflection of Beijing’s desire to influence popular opinion, both online and offline. -
John Grisham sorry for child porn remarks
LONDON (TIP): Novelist John Grisham apologized on October 16 for saying in an interview that many men imprisoned for child pornography offences in the US probably just had too much to drink and “pushed the wrong buttons.” Grisham told British newspaper The Daily Telegraph that US prisons were “filled with guys my age. Sixtyyear- old white men in prison who have never harmed anybody, would never touch a child.” He said many of those jailed “got online one night and started surfing around, probably had too much to drink or whatever, and pushed the wrong buttons, went too far and got into child porn.” In a statement issued on Thursday through his publisher, Random House, Grisham said his comments “were in no way intended to show sympathy for those convicted of sex crimes, especially the sexual molestation of children”. “I can think of nothing more despicable. I regret having made these comments, and apologize to all,” he said
-
Two conscripts killed in an explosion in North Sinai
CAIRO (TIP): At least two policemen were killed and 8 others injured in an explosion in Egypt’s restive Sinai peninsula, official said October 17. The explosion occurred in west Al-Arish city in north Sinai October 16. A bomb planted by unidentified militants along the international road went off, killing two policemen, as a military tank was passing. 8 others were in a critical condition, a medical source said.
North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled the ex-president Hosni Mubarak. The militant attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi last year. Over 500 security personnel have been reported killed since then. In July, militants attacked a military checkpoint in Al-Wadi Al-Gedid governorate in southern Egypt, killing 21 Egyptian border guards and injured four others.
The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. At the same time, two home-made bombs exploded yesterday near a famous mosque in Tanta city injuring at least 11 people. -
New Zealand official’s ‘Indian radio’ remark stirs race row
MELBOURNE (TIP): A New Zealand immigration official sparked a race row after rejecting a woman’s visa application for a job, saying New Zealanders are unlikely to hear Indian radio. The case came to light after immigration lawyer Ramya Sathiyanathan received an email from the immigration officer with regard to a visa application for a job which a client was offered. It was in papers and with Indian station Radio Tarana. The immigration officer objected to the employer saying genuine attempts were not made to recruit locals workers as New Zealanders are unlikely to hear Indian radio. “I was shocked by the racist statement,” Sathiyanathan,who is from Sri Lanka said. Area manager Michael Carley said the remark was made in context of the employer having to prove they had made attempts to recruit New Zealanders
-
Venezuela, New Zealand win UN security council seats but Turkey rebuffed
UNITED NATIONS (TIP): Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela won coveted seats at the UN security council on October 16, but Turkey suffered a humbling defeat in its bid to join the world’s “top table.” The five countries garnered the required two-thirds support from the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly during three rounds of voting that ended with Turkey picking up only 60 votes.
Turkey had been competing against New Zealand and Spain for two seats and had dispatched Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on a high-profile mission to New York this week to lobby for votes. Angola, Malaysia and Venezuela were virtually assured to win election as their candidacies had been put forward by their region and they ran unopposed on their slates. After New Zealand’s resounding victory in the first ballot, Foreign Minister Murray McCully called the outcome a “strong vote of confidence” in his country, capping a 10-year campaign for the ultimate diplomatic prize.
“To receive the success that we have had this morning means a lot to us and we will work very hard to make sure we give good service on the council,” McCully told reporters at UN headquarters. Venezuela won 181 votes despite criticism from rights groups and the United States over its support for Iran, Syria and other hardline regimes that are at loggerheads with the West. Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro called the vote “a victory, a world record of support, love and confidence. One hundred eight-one countries have said here we are, we support you.””We should feel happiness and joy in our hearts that Venezuela is beloved country in the world,” he added, speaking in Caracas. “To those birds of ill omen who say Venezuela is isolated in the world — who is isolated? The country that received 181 votes?” US Ambassador Samantha Power urged Venezuela to work cooperatively on the council.
“Unfortunately, Venezuela’s conduct at the UN has run counter to the spirit of the UN Charter and its violations of human rights at home are at odds with the Charter’s letter,” she said. Rights groups have pointed to Venezuela’s record on the UN Human Rights Council as a cause for worry and diplomats have also expressed concern about its stance on the war in Syria. Over the three rounds of voting, Turkey saw its support dwindle from 109 votes to 73 and finally 60, surprising many who saw the regional player as a strong contender.
Angola won 190 votes, Malaysia picked up 187, New Zealand 145 and Spain 132. The elections came at a busy time for the council, which is grappling with crises on many fronts, from the jihadist offensive in Iraq and Syria, to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Russia’s actions in eastern Ukraine, conflicts in Syria, South Sudan and Central African Republic and the faltering Israeli-Palestinian peace process are also at the top of the council’s agenda. A seat at the Security Council raises a country’s profile several notches, boosts influence and provides knockoff benefits in bilateral ties.
The five elected countries to the 15- member council will join the five permanent powers — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — for a two-year term. Five other countries elected last year are mid-way into their term. These are Chad, Chile, Jordan, Lithuania and Nigeria. As the most powerful body of the United Nations, the security council can impose sanctions on countries and individuals, refer suspects for war crimes prosecution, endorse peace accords and authorize the use of force. It also oversees 16 peacekeeping missions in the world, with a budget of close to $8 billion. The five elected countries will replace Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, Rwanda and South Korea, and begin their stint on January 1. -
Hong Kong police move in to clear protest zone
HONG KONG (TIP): Riot police moved in on a Hong Kong pro-democracy protest zone in a dawn raid on October 17, taking down barricades, tents and canopies that have blocked key streets for more than two weeks. Hundreds of police officers, some in helmets and shields, descended in the early morning on the busy district of Mong Kok, an offshoot protest zone across the Victoria Harbor from the main occupied area in the city’s financial district.
The dawn operation — the third in recent days by police to retake streets from protesters — came hours after Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying sought to defuse a bitter standoff with student-led democracy protesters by reviving an offer of talks over democratic reforms in the city. Police surrounded about 30 protesters, who did not put up resistance.
There were no clashes between the two sides, but several activists lay down on the street after the operation and refused to budge. Officers swiftly tore down metal barricades, bamboo and wooden planks used by protesters to block off the streets, and much of the protest zone was cleared in about half an hour. Leung said Thursday the protests, which have disrupted traffic in key roads and streets in three business districts since Sept. 26, could not go on indefinitely.
Protesters are pressing for a greater say in choosing the semiautonomous Chinese city’s leader in an inaugural direct election, promised for 2017. Tensions have escalated in the past few days as riot police armed with pepper spray and batons clashed with activists. Hundreds of police scuffled with protesters as they battled for control for a road near the city’s government headquarters on Wednesday. Many in Hong Kong condemned police after officers were seen kicking a handcuffed protester and dragging dozens of others away.
Leung said government is ready to meet with student leaders as soon as next week, but urged them to be pragmatic, reiterating that Beijing will not change its mind on election restrictions. That raised doubts that the proposed meeting can overcome the vast differences between the two sides. Students and activists oppose Beijing’s ruling that a committee stacked with pro-Beijing elites should screen candidates in the territory’s first direct election.
That effectively means that Beijing can vet candidates before they go to a public vote. Alex Chow of the Hong Kong Federation of Students welcomed Leung’s offer but criticized the government for setting preconditions. Many other demonstrators gathered in the main protest zone late Thursday echoed his view. “I paid attention to what (Leung) said but I couldn’t find anything constructive. He didn’t say anything new and I don’t think it is going to break this deadlock,” said Tong Wing-ho, 26. -
NORTH KOREA’S KIM JONG-UN MAKES SECOND WALKING STICK-AIDED APPEARANCE
SEOUL: North Korea’s state media on Friday reported another public appearance by leader Kim Jong-Un, his second in four days after an extended absence that has seen him re-emerge with a walking stick. The North’s ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun ran front page pictures of a smiling Kim, a black cane in his left hand, inspecting two high rise apartment complexes built to house faculty members of a university specializing in nuclear research.
The young leader resurfaced earlier this week after dropping out of the public eye for nearly six weeks — an unexplained absence that triggered frenzied speculation about his health and his grip on power. His first appearance, believed to be on Monday, was notable for the photographs showing him using a walking stick, backing up reports that his disappearance was the result of a leg injury or condition. Before his “disappearance”, state television had shown an overweight Kim walking with a pronounced limp.
His latest appearance, believed to be on Thursday, showed him using the same black cane as he toured the complex grounds and the model apartments inside, built for teaching staff at Kim Chaek University of Technology. The university is known for nuclear engineering and a number of its top graduates are reportedly employed at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, which houses a reactor seen as the North’s main source of weapons-grade plutonium.
Kim’s first appearance on Monday had been an inspection of another residential complex built for scientists engaged in a space satellite programme seen as masking ballistic missile research. Since assuming power after the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011, Kim Jong-Un has cut a very public figure, with state media showing him engaged in a seemingly endless series of field guidance trips across the country.
His sudden disappearance, which began in early September, quickly became a source of rumour and speculation, which went into overdrive after he missed two noteworthy political events he would normally have been expected to attend. Some reports even suggested he had been ousted in a coup. -
Jigariyaa
Cast: Harshvardhan Deo, Cherry Mardia, Navni Parihar,
Virendra Saxena
Direction: Raj Purohit
Genre: Romance
Duration: 2 hours 21 minutes
Story: A middle class boy falls in love with a rich girl. Theirs is love at first sight. Owing to the class divide, parents object to the relationship. Can their love survive societal pressure?
Review: Set in Agra in the late 80’s, Jigariyaa revives the magic of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. It traces the lives of two young lovers Shyamlal Gupta (Harshvardhan Deo) and Radhika (Cherry Mardia), who dream of an idealistic future.
However, villains in their fairytale romance happen to be their parents, who are more concerned about their standing in the society. The two are forced to give up on their relationship as maan and maryada are of prime importance. Will they break the norms of society and get back together or succumb to it? In spite of its run of the mill story, Jigariyaa is quite a commendable attempt. The newcomers are the film’s USP and they give their best.
They deliver solid performances and have the ability to make it big in Bollywood. Harshvardhan Deo as an aspiring poet (shayar) is charming, while the beautiful Cherry Mardia makes an impression. Their depiction of the protagonists’ ‘innocent love’ sets the film apart. The cinematography is stunning too. Colours, heritage sites and historical locations are used beautifully. That reminds one of Raanjhanaa. The music is soulful and the script allows you to feel for the central characters.
However, the film could have been at least 30 minutes shorter. The story stays static for a long time in the first half. You get impatient for the climax and while it’s effective, it does seem a tad pointless. A cliched story and sluggish pace are major drawbacks. If it wasn’t for that, Jigariyaa could have been a film worth remembering. Nonetheless, the film can be watched for its purity and simplicity. It ably captures the beauty of small towns and first love…love before technology happened. Love before sexual desire found its place in films. -
MALLIKA SHERAWAT’S DIRTY POLITICS GETS ‘A’ CERTIFICATE
After kicking up controversy, the much-awaited movie Dirty Politics, starring Mallika Sherawat in the lead role, has been issued an ‘A’ certificate. Now, the film’s latest poster showing Mallika, draped in two colours – white and saffron – has got clearance from IMPPA.
The film, based on Jodhpur’s ANM Bhanwari Devi sex scandal, will be releasing in December this year. After reviewing the film, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) sent it to the Revising Committee for further approval. Initially, the CBFC suggested a few cuts to give the film ‘U/A’ certificate to which the filmmakers didn’t agree. Finally, the Revising Committee passed it giving it an ‘A’ rating without any cuts. Confirms KC Bokadia, the director of the film, “Yes, the film has now got ‘A’ certificate without any cuts. Earlier CBFC had suggested deleting few scenes to give it a ‘U/A’ certificate. But we didn’t agree to it.
As the story revolves around a sex scandal, it was not possible to remove crucial scenes that have an important bearing on the film? Now, as everything is sorted, we are planning to release the film either on December 5 or 12.” Earlier, the film landed the makers, and lead actress Mallika Sherawat in a soup for the poster in which Sherawat is seen draped in a tricolour covering half of her body.
A slew of legal cases were filed in the courts of Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Delhi on behalf of various sections of the moral police. “The poster too has got a clearance after a few changes in it. Now, it’s only white and saffron and not the tricolour as was the case earlier,” says Bokadia. -
Shraddha Kapoor dances away even with injured leg
Dedication is a rare virtue — and Shraddha Kapoor seems to have it in hordes. The young actress didn’t step back from performing at a recent awards function despite an injured leg. At a recently held award function, Shraddha staged an entire dance performance without creating any fuss. “Her spirit was undeterred and seeing it, the choreographer designed simple hip-hop steps for her,” said a source. Shraddha was among the several star performance at the awards ceremony, which recognised achievements of Hindi films at the box office. The event will go on air Oct 19.
-
KATE BECKINSALE TO STAR IN NEW ‘UNDERWORLD’ FILM
Actress Kate Beckinsale is reportedly set to reprise her role as Death Dealer Selene in an upcoming instalment of the ‘Underworld’. Although the last film in the franchise, Underworld: Awakening, appeared to be preparing to move away from her character’s story, Beckinsale’s husband and director Len Wiseman has confirmed he is working on more Underworld projects, including a new movie with his wife, reports contactmusic.com.
There are some characters who we really liked that will be in a kind of a spin off like we did with Rise of the Lycans, then we have another film in the works with Kate as well … And then there’s a television series,” said Wiseman. It is so far unclear, however, whether Wiseman is referring to the upcoming Underworld: Next Generation, in which Divergent star Theo James has reportedly signed up to star as vampire David. Priest and The Last Witch Hunter writer Cory Goodman is said to be penning the script for the film, which is scheduled to begin shooting next year. -
Left Behind
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Lea Thompson, Nicky Whelan,
Chad Michael Murray, Cassi Thomson, Jordin Sparks,
Martin Klebba
Direction: Vic Armstrong
Genre: Thriller
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes
Story: Without any prior indication, the Rapture (an event referred to in the Bible) occurs and most of the planet’s population simply disappears. Of the people left behind are also some passengers in a commercial airplane on a flight. Not only do they have to make sense of what has happened, landing the crippled plane is also a concern.
Review: An aircraft pilot needs to be prepared to effectively handle various emergencies that can arise when the aircraft is in flight. However, handling an event known as the Rapture (where good people, essentially those who have not sinned, are snatched up to heaven, and the others are, well, left behind) is probably not in any pilot’s emergency handbook.People’s physical bodies quite literally disappear in the blink of an eye with only their clothes, and whatever it is they were holding, lying in a heap on the floor. Rayford Steele (Cage) is a pilot who is bored of his wife Irene (Thompson). Their young daughter Chloe (Cassi) comes over to spend time with her parents as it is Rayford’s birthday weekend. However, the philandering Rayford isn’t too torn up when he receives sudden summons for a long-haul flight across the Atlantic.
Adding to that, he also has plans to bed the curvaceous stewardess (Whelan) as part of his own little birthday weekend fun on the side. So when the Rapture hits, Rayford, not exactly in the running for sainthood, is still around. Now, however, he has to deal with a plane load of panicky passengers and of course, try to get the plane back on the ground safely.
Back on terra firma, there’s chaos – cars collide, buses veer off cliffs and people run around helter-skelter. While meant to convey a global state of panic, such scenes are just not convincing enough. The basic premise of the film could have made for an engaging and far-out watch. The very concept of the Rapture could have been depicted with power and mystery, but instead the opposite is achieved in a film that just looks slapdash. -
CAMERON DIAZ NOT OPPOSED TO DOING NUDITY IN ROLES IF IT’S ‘RIGHT’
Cameron Diaz has revealed that she is not opposed to doing nudity as long as it’s a part of the story. The 42-year-old actress, who wasn’t afraid of showing her butt in the film Sex Tape, said that people have already seen the “top” and the “bottom” of her butt, Fox News reported. The Bad Teacher star added that she will do whatever has to get done if it’s the right thing.
-
SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB
CONTD FROM Vol 8 ISSUE 40
|| 4 || 4 || 54 || SORAT’H, FIFTH I found the Guru, the ocean of peace, and all my doubts were dispelled. || 1 || This is the glorious greatness of the Naam. Twenty-four hours a day, I sing His Glorious Praises. I obtained this from the Perfect Guru. || Pause || God’s sermon is inexpressible. His humble servants speak words of Ambrosial Nectar. Slave Nanak has spoken. Through the Perfect Guru, it is known.
|| 2 || 2 || 66 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: The Guru has blessed me with peace here, and the Guru has arranged peace and pleasure for me hereafter. I have all treasures and comforts, meditating on the Guru in my heart. || 1 || This is the glorious greatness of my True Guru; I have obtained the fruits of my mind’s desires. O Saints, His Glory increases day by day. || Pause || All beings and creatures have become kind and compassionate to me; my God has made them so. Nanak has met with the Lord of the world with intuitive ease, and with Truth, he is pleased.
|| 2 || 3 || 67 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: The Word of the Guru’s Shabad is my Saving Grace. It is a guardian posted on all four sides around me. My mind is attached to the Lord’s Name. The Messenger of Death has run away in shame. || 1 || O Dear Lord, You are my Giver of peace. The Perfect Lord, the Architect of Destiny, has shattered my bonds, and made my mind immaculately pure. || Pause || O Nanak, God is eternal and imperishable. Service to Him shall never go unrewarded. Your slaves are in bliss; chanting and meditating, their desires are fulfilled.
|| 2 || 4 || 68 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: I am a sacrifice to my Guru. He has totally preserved my honor. I have obtained the fruits of my mind’s desires. I meditate forever on my God. || 1 || O Saints, without Him, there is no other at all. He is God, the Cause of causes. || Pause || My God has given me His Blessing. He has made all creatures subject to me. Servant Nanak meditates on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and all his sorrows depart.
|| 2 || 5 || 69 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: The Perfect Guru has dispelled the fever. The unstruck melody of the sound current resounds. God has bestowed all comforts. In His Mercy, He Himself has given them. || 1 || The True Guru Himself has eradicated the disease. All the Sikhs and Saints are filled with joy, meditating on the Name of the Lord, Har, Har. || Pause || They obtain that which they ask for. God gives to His Saints. God saved Hargobind. Servant Nanak speaks the Truth.
|| 2 || 6 || 70 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: You make me do what pleases You. I have no cleverness at all. I am just a child – I seek Your Protection. God Himself preserves my honor. || 1 || The Lord is my King; He is my mother and father. In Your Mercy, You cherish me; I do whatever You make me do. || Pause || The beings and creatures are Your creation. O God, their reins are in Your hands. Whatever You cause us to do, we do. Nanak, Your slave, seeks Your Protection.
|| 2 || 7 || 71 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: I have woven the Lord’s Name into the fabric of my heart. All my affairs are resolved. His mind is attached to God’s feet, whose destiny is perfect. || 1 || Joining the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, I meditate on the Lord. Twenty-four hours a day, I worship and adore the Lord, Har, Har; I have obtained the fruits of my mind’s desires. || Pause || The seeds of my past actions have sprouted. My mind is attached to the Lord’s Name. My mind and body are absorbed into the Blessed Vision of the Lord’s Darshan. Slave Nanak sings the Glorious Praises of the True Lord.
|| 2 || 8 || 72 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: Meeting with the Guru, I contemplate God. All of my affairs have been resolved. No one speaks ill of me. Everyone congratulates me on my victory. || 1 || O Saints, I seek the True Sanctuary of the Lord and Master. All beings and creatures are in His hands; He is God, the Inner-knower, the Searcher of hearts. || Pause || He has resolved all of my affairs. God has confirmed His innate nature. God’s Name is the Purifier of sinners. Servant Nanak is forever a sacrifice to Him.
|| 2 || 9 || 73 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: The Supreme Lord God created and embellished him. The Guru has saved this small child. So celebrate and be happy, father and mother. The Transcendent Lord is the Giver of souls. || 1 || Your slaves, O Lord, focus on pure thoughts. You preserve the honor of Your slaves, and You Yourself arrange their affairs. || Pause || My God is so benevolent. His Almighty Power is manifest. Nanak has come to His Sanctuary. He has obtained the fruits of his mind’s desires.
|| 2 || 10 || 74 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: Forever and ever, I chant the Lord’s Name. God Himself has saved my child. He healed him from the smallpox. My troubles have been removed through the Lord’s Name. || 1 || My God is forever Merciful. He heard the prayer of His devotee, and now all beings are kind and compassionate to him. || Pause || God is Almighty, the Cause of causes. Remembering the Lord in meditation, all pains and sorrows vanish. He has heard the prayer of His slave. O Nanak, now everyone sleeps in peace.
|| 2 || 11 || 75 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: I meditated on my Guru. I met with Him, and returned home in joy. This is the glorious greatness of the Naam. Its value cannot be estimated. || 1 || O Saints, worship and adore the Lord, Har, Har, Har.Worship the Lord in adoration, and you shall obtain everything; your affairs shall all be resolved. || Pause || He alone is attached in loving devotion to God, who realizes his great destiny. Servant Nanak meditates on the Naam, the Name of the Lord. He obtains the rewards of all joys and peace.
|| 2 || 12 || 76 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: The Transcendent Lord has given me His support. The house of pain and disease has been demolished. The men and women celebrate. The Lord God, Har, Har, has extended His Mercy. || 1 || O Saints, there is peace everywhere. The Supreme Lord God, the Perfect Transcendent Lord, is pervading everywhere. || Pause || The Bani of His Word emanated from the Primal Lord. It eradicates all anxiety. The Lord is merciful, kind and compassionate. Nanak chants the Naam, the Name of the True Lord.
|| 2 || 13 || 77 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: Here and hereafter, He is our Savior. God, the True Guru, is Merciful to the meek. He Himself protects His slaves. In each and every heart, the Beautiful Word of His Shabad resounds. || 1 || I am a sacrifice to the Guru’s Feet. Day and night, with each and every breath, I remember Him; He is totally pervading and permeating all places. || Pause || He Himself has become my help and support. True is the support of the True Lord. Glorious and great is devotional worship to You. Nanak has found God’s Sanctuary.
|| 2 || 14 || 78 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: When it was pleasing to the Perfect True Guru, then I chanted the Naam, the Name of the Pervading Lord. The Lord of the Universe extended His Mercy to me, and God saved my honor. || 1 || The Lord’s feet are forever peace-giving. Whatever fruit one desires, he receives; his hopes shall not go in vain. || 1 || Pause || That Saint, unto whom the Lord of Life, the Great Giver, extends His Mercy – he alone sings the Glorious Praises of the Lord. His soul is absorbed in loving devotional worship; his mind is pleasing to the Supreme Lord God.
|| 2 || Twenty-four hours a day, he chants the Praises of the Lord, and the bitter poison does not affect him. My Creator Lord has united me with Himself, and the Holy Saints have become my companions. || 3 || Taking me by the hand, He has given me everything, and blended me with Himself. Says Nanak, everything has been perfectly resolved; I have found the Perfect True Guru.
|| 4 || 15 || 79 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: Humility is my spiked club. My dagger is to be the dust of all men’s feet. No evil-doer can withstand these weapons. The Perfect Guru has given me this understanding. || 1 || The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, is the support and shelter of the Saints. One who remembers the Lord in meditation, is emancipated; millions have been saved in this way. || 1 || Pause || In the Society of the Saints, I sing His Praises. I have found this, the perfect wealth of the Lord. Says Nanak, I have eradicated my self-conceit. I see the Supreme Lord God everywhere.
|| 2 || 16 || 80 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: The Perfect Guru has done it perfectly. He blessed me with forgiveness. I have found lasting peace and bliss. Everywhere, the people dwell in peace. || 1 || Devotional worship to the Lord is what gives rewards. The Perfect Guru, by His Grace, gave it to me; how rare are those who know this. || Pause || Sing the Word of the Guru’s Bani, O Siblings of Destiny. That is always rewarding and peace-giving. Nanak has meditated on the Naam, the Name of the Lord. He has realized his pre-ordained destiny.
|| 2 || 17 || 81 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: I worship and adore the Perfect Guru. All my affairs have been resolved. All desires have been fulfilled. The unstruck melody of the sound current resounds. || 1 || O Saints, meditating on the Lord, we obtain peace. In the home of the Saints, celestial peace is pervading; all pain and suffering is dispelled. || 1 || Pause || The Word of the Perfect Guru’s Bani is pleasing to the Mind of the Supreme Lord God. Slave Nanak speaks the Unspoken, immaculate sermon of the Lord.
|| 2 || 18 || 82 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: The hungry man is not ashamed to eat. Just so, the humble servant of the Lord sings the Glorious Praises of the Lord. || 1 || Why are you so lazy in your own affairs? Remembering Him in meditation, your face shall be radiant in the Court of the Lord; you shall find peace, forever and ever. || 1 || Pause || Just as the lustful man is enticed by lust, so is the Lord’s slave pleased with the Lord’s Praise.
|| 2 || Just as the mother holds her baby close, so does the spiritual person cherish the Naam, the Name of the Lord. || 3 || This is obtained from the Perfect Guru. Servant Nanak meditates on the Naam, the Name of the Lord. || 4 || 19 || 83 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: Safe and sound, I have returned home. The slanderer’s face is blackened with ashes. The Perfect Guru has dressed in robes of honor. All my pains and sufferings are over.
|| 1 || O Saints, this is the glorious greatness of the True Lord. He has created such wonder and glory! || 1 || Pause || I speak according to the Will of my Lord and Master. God’s slave chants the Word of His Bani. O Nanak, God is the Giver of peace. He has created the perfect creation.
|| 2 || 20 || 84 || SORAT’H, FIFTH MEHL: Within my heart, I meditate on God. I have returned home safe and sound. The world has become contented. The Perfect Guru has saved me. || 1 || O Saints, my God is forever merciful. The Lord of the world does not call His devotee to account; He protects His children. || 1 || Pause || I have enshrined the Lord’s Name within my heart. He has resolved all my affairs. The Perfect Guru was pleased, and blessed me, and now, Nanak shall never again suffer pain.
TO BE CONTINUED