PM MODI AHEAD WITH 48% VOTES IN ONLINE POLL

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

PM MODI AHEAD WITH 48% VOTESIN ONLINE POLL: I-PAC SURVEY

SINGER MALKIT SINGH WITH YUDHVIR JASWAL, GROUP EDITOR AND CEO OF Y MEDIA GROUP DURING HIS VISIT TO CHANNEL YSTUDIOS. FULL INTERVIEW CAN BE VIEWED ON CHANNEL Y THAT COMES ON ROGERS 857 AND BELL 828.

FOR THE FIRST TIME, AAM AADMI PARTY (AAP) REBEL MLA SUKHPAL SINGH KHAIRA PUBLICLY LAUNCHED A FIERCE ATTACK ATSANGRUR MP BHAGWANT MANN, SAYING "HIS (MANN'S) GREED FOR CHIEF MINISTER'S CHAIR COST DEAR TO THE PARTY" IN THE2017 PUNJAB ASSEMBLY POLLS. KHAIRA WAS ADDRESSING VOLUNTEERS AT A CONVENTION IN MOGA. MANN, HOWEVER, SAIDTHE PARTY IS BIGGER THAN A PERSON, AND THOSE GOING AGAINST THE PARTY'S INTERESTS WILL MEET THE SAME FATE AS AKALISTALWART LATE GURCHARAN SINGH TOHRA DID, WHO, ALONG WITH 13 MLAS, HAD TO RETURN TO AKALI DAL AFTER A REBELLION.

ARPAN KHANNA DECLARED CONSERVATIVEPARTY'S CANDIDATE FOR BRAMPTON NORTH

BRAMPTON - Recently, the Conservative Party of Canada de-clared Arpan Khanna as the candidate for the riding of BramptonNorth. Arpan was born and raised in Brampton North and contin-ues to live in the riding with his family. Arpan is the founder ofMagna Strategies, a public strategy and communicationsconsulting firm. Arpan has recently completed his Law De-gree and is currently working with a downtown immigration lawfirm and is in the process of fulfilling his licensing requirements.Prior to this, Arpan has held various senior positions with Conservative politiciansat all levels of government including Former Minister Jason Kenney and PrimeMinister Stephen Harper.

POLICE MAKES ARREST IN DOUBLESHOOTING INCIDENT IN BRAMPTON

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Time To Punish Modi For Demonetisation Fiasco

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NEW DELHI: Nearly 48% of the over 57 lakh people from 712 districtsreached out to in 55 days see PM Narendra Modi as the leader whocan take “agenda of the nation” forward, shows an online survey byIndian Polit ical Action Committee (I-PAC), an advocacy groupmentored by political strategist Prashant Kishor.The survey done by the group under National Agenda Forum had nomi-nated 923 leaders for the respondents to choose from. While Moditopped the survey, Congress president Rahul Gandhi came secondwith 11% vote. The survey places Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at thethird spot with 9.3% votes and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav with 7 %votes in the four th spot. They are followed by West Bengal CM MamataBanerji and BSP supremo Mayawati with 4.2 and 3.1% votes, respec-tively. The list of leaders to choose from also had Odisha CM NaveenPatnaik, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar with whom Kishor has worked closelyin the past, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, NCP leaderSharad Pawar and several other regional and national faces.

REGION OF PEEL - On September 2 at approximately 12:43 a.m., officersresponded to the area of Vodden Street East, west of Kennedy Road in theCity of Brampton in regards to a shooting. Officers arrived on scene andlocated two victims suffering from obvious signs of trauma. A male andfemale victim were both transpor ted to hospital for treatment, where themale victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.The male victim has been identified as Cliff Correia, a 27-year old from Brampton.

BY YASHWANT SINHAMUMBAI - The annual repor t of the RBI released a few days ago is the last nailin the coffin of the failed demonetisation exercise. It has confirmed the worst fearsthat were expressed when the Prime Minister announced the demonetisation ofIRs500 and IRs1000 notes at 8pm on November 8, 2016. It was a bad idea, badlyplanned and badly executed. The original instruction issued by the RBI was amendedrepeatedly and the government did the same from time to time. By the end of theexercise, the goal post had been shifted so many times that the original objectivesof the exercise were forgotten completely and new and spurious reasons wereoffered as justification for this move. This is still being done. The worst is that theRBI has not yet finished counting the notes, though almost 22 months have gone bysince the announcement of demonetisation. Yet, its latest annual repor t statesthat 99.3% of the demonetized currency has come back to the RBI.

"NOTES BAN LED TO MORE TAX COLLECTION,ECONOMIC GROWTH": ARUN JAITLEY

TAJINDERPAL SINGH TOOR'S FATHER DIEDBEFORE SEEING SON'S ASIAN GAMES GOLD

NEW DELHI - Tajinderpal Singh Toor'sAsian Games 2018 gold medal in shotput was India's first in athletics and theboy from Punjab achieved the sameby smashing the Games Recordand the National Record in hisfifth attempt with a throw of 20.75.

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AKALI DAL ACTIVIST, WIFE SHOT DEAD IN PUNJABCHANDIGARH, (IANS) The Punjab Police launched a manhunt on Monday after aprominent Shiromani Akali Dal activist and businessman was shot dead alongwith his wife in Sangrur town in Punjab. The police have registered a case againstfour people, including a former Congress councillor, for the attack.The incidenttook place late on Sunday night after the victim, Charant Garg and wife Pooja,left their house.They were followed by four people in another car whointercepted Garg's car near the Sardar Basti locality.

MP RUBYSAHOTACELEBRATED

JANMASHTAMIFESTIVAL INHER RIDING.

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said thedemonetisation of Rs 500/1,000 notes led to formalisation of economy,more tax collection and higher growth.His statement comes a day after RBI data revealed that almost all thescrapped notes were returned to banks.

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MidWeek 3MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

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MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


PAGE 3 TAAPSEE PANNUTHINKS HER TROLLSARE HER VERY GOODFRIENDS

KAREENA KAPOOR KHAN IS TOTALLY KILLING IT IN THIS RED HOT BIKINI AS SHE STRIKES A POSE WITH HUBBY SAIF ALI KHAN. THEACTRESS LOOKS SIMPLY GORGEOUS SANS MAKE-UP AS SHE ROCKS HER GLOWING FACE. TALK ABOUT VACATION THERAPY!

(IMAGE VIA INSTAGRAM/SOHA ALI KHAN)

I FEEL DELIBERATELY SIDELINED BY MAINSTREAMFILMMAKERS: RANVIR SHOREY

Akshay Kumar not part of Arjun N. Kapoor's new ventures

PRIYANKA CHOPORA'SFATHER-IN-LAW IN DEEP DEBT

LOS ANGELES, (IANS) A Real Estate company of Paul Jonas,father of American singer Nick Jonas and future father-in-lawof actress Priyanka Chopra, has over $1 million in debt, in-cluding a $268k judgement from a case his company lost.According to TMZ, it is said that in order to come up with thecash, Paul's plans to see of come of the New Jersey con-struction and real estate company's proper ty. In the past, theJonas Brothers of which Nick is a part, had sold millions ofrecords worldwide before the band broke up in 2013, and thetrio has continued building their por tfolios on their own. Nickis reportedly wor th $25 million. He's made most of his moneyas a solo ar tist, but he's also got a budding acting career andrecently starred in the "Jumanji" remake.

HAS KANGANA HIJACKED'MANIKARNIKA'?

MUMBAI, (IANS) Actress Kangana Ranaut was considered thebest person to take over the mantle to complete patchwork andto direct a few additional scenes for "Manikarnika - The Queen ofJhansi", when director Krish moved on to his new film, saysproducer Kamal Jain. The movie has been in the midst of acontroversy ever since the news of Kangana stepping in behindthe camera for it emerged.Clearing speculations about the film, Jain said in a statement:"The additional shoot of the film is presently underway at NDStudios at Karjat, near Mumbai. After the last schedule was over,we saw the line-up of the film. On seeing it, we decided thatapar t from the patchwork, we also needed a few additional scenes."Once the scenes were written, we approached Kangana foradditional dates. But Krish had moved on to his next project bythen. Given how driven and creatively involved Kangana hasbeen on this project since its inception, we realised she wouldbe the best person to take over the mantle."Hence, there is no hijacking of the project. Whatever decisionsare being taken are with the full suppor t of the producer and thestudio." Jain said they have an aggressive production scheduleplanned as they are committed to releasing the film on January25, 2019. Actor Sonu Sood has walked out of the film owing to hisprofessional commitment towards "Simmba". However, Kanganahit back at him, claiming he left the movie as he "refused to workunder a woman director." On his par t, Sonu has denied this.Jain explained: "While we managed to get matching dates fromDanny Denzongpa, Jishu Sengupta, Ankita Lokhande and others,we got stuck on Sonu's combination dates and continuity look ashe has grown a beard for 'Simmba'. "Hence, we had to let him go.Zeeshan Ayub now plays the character of Sadashiv".

Taapsee Pannu thinks her trollsare her very good friendsMUMBAI - Actress Taapsee Pannu is known to be feisty in reallife. While she doesn't let the success of her films get intoher head, when it comes to get into her head, when itcomes to criticism and trolls, she take them on the chin.She said: "They (trolls) don't know the real me, which is whythey are trolling me, otherwise they wouldn't dare. In the begin-ning, I responded to a few people, who didn't know me. Then, myfather told me not to talk or reply to trolls, as he didn't want me tostoop to their level. The trolls don't realise that they are actuallyhelping me become more popular."

MUMBAI, (PTI) Ranvir Shorey has walked away with critical acclaimin every film he has been a par t of but the actor says he feels deliber -ately sidelined by the mainstream filmmakers. The actor, who has animpressive filmography comprising "Khosla Ka Ghosla!", "Bheja Fry"and "Titli", said there are days when he feels bitter especially whenpeople say they want to see more of him."You should talk to the filmmakers, especially the mainstream onesand ask them why they don't give me work. I did 'Ek Tha Tiger', but Iwasn't in 'Tiger Zinda Hai'. I know and I feel that I'm ignored," Ranvirtold PTI. "I feel I've been deliberately sidelined by the mainstreamfilmmakers, but I don't let that bother me. If I star t thinking about that,I'll lose focus on what I need to do and have to do. I want to do morework. I have time but no work," he added.The 46-year-old actor said due to lack of quality work coming hisway, he has of ten taken up films which ideally he would not have."There have been years when I had no films. When you don't get acer tain quality of work, you end up doing lesser quality of work be-cause there's no work. I'm a professional actor, I have bills to pay soI end up taking work which ideally I wouldn't have," he said."Mostly I try to strike a balance and don't do films which I don't want

to be a par t of. That becomes difficult because there aren't manygreat scripts out there, from the ones, at least, I'm offered," he added.Ranvir said, having low quality work, "starves an actor" and it alsoforces him to bend his ethics. "When you don't have work for a yearor two, you lower your standards a bit for survival. You go throughthis conflict, you know this isn't something you ideally would'vedone but to feed yourself and your family, you bend your ethics."The saddest thing that can happen to a per former is that they don'tget work at all and have to do something else to feed themselves... I am surethere are many talented people who don't get deserving work or no work at all," hesaid. The actor said the no-work phase has often forced him to question his craft."There are so many people here, so many talented actors and out of which youhave to get par ts; it's not easy. Just surviving on this business is a huge achieve-ment. "But, otherwise my criteria to choose a film has always been the same:good script, interesting par t and a director I can have a relationship with." Ranvir,though, said he is a calmer person today and a lot more patient than when hestar ted out. He said his optimism also stems from the new film he ispar t of, "Halkaa" directed by Nila Madhab Panda. The film is a storyof an eight-year-old Pichku, who lives in the oldest slums of Delhiand aspires for a better life.

MUMBAI, (IANS) Newly launched Studio Five Elements's producerArjun N. Kapoor, who is gearing up to produce five films, has con-firmed that actor Akshay Kumar is not a par t of any of them. Kapoorwas interacting with the media at the launch of Studio Five Elementsalong with Prerna Arora, Ahmed Khan and Shaira Khan on Friday here.Akshay had given big hits like "Rustom", "Toilet-Ek Prem Katha" and"Pad Man" with Kapoor and Prerna Arora working for their previousproduction house KriArj Entertainment. "We are very for tunate to havehad the oppor tunity to work with him in three films. However, he willnot be part of any of the film which we have announced in the future.We would definitely like to work with him more though," Kapoor said."The five films include 'Woh Kaun Thi', an official remake of 1964's original. It'svery close to our hear t. Then there is 'Radha Kyun Gori Mein Kyu Kala' which we willstart filming soon," Kapoor added. The new production house will col-laborate with none other than Amitabh Bachchan for one of the films.

"We are also producing a film with Shaira Khan and Ahmed Khancalled 'The Rise and Fall of Bambai' which is based on Mumbaiunderworld. "We are also collaborating with Amitabh Bachchan whichis a dream for every production house - to work with him."

NEHAL CHUDASAMA FROM MUMBAI WAS CROWNED THE YAMAHA FASCINO MISS DIVA MISS UNIVERSE 2018 AT A STAR-STUDDEDGRAND FINALE EVENT HERE ON FRIDAY NIGHT. SHE WILL COMPETE AT THE MISS UNIVERSE 2018 PAGEANT IN BANGKOK INDECEMBER. ACTOR SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT ANNOUNCED NEHAL AS THE WINNER, WHILE MISS DIVA- MISS UNIVERSE INDIA 2017SHRADDHA SHASHIDHAR CROWNED HER SUCCESSOR AT THE NSCI DOME HERE.


TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018s p e c i a l r e p o r t

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1Compared to the notes in circulation on November 8, 2016, the amountof demonetised currency not returned is only Rs. 10,720 crore. It ispertinent to point out here that the Indian currency in circulation inNepal has not yet been accounted for. I understand on good authoritythat almost 1,000 crores is the officially admitted figure so far in Nepaland much more is in circulation in the far flung areas of the country,none of which has been counted yet. Even more shocking is the factthat demonetised notes deposited in the district branches of the centralco-operative bank have not been accounted for. This includes thereforethe amount of 745 crores which was deposited in the district co-operative bank of Ahmedabad within the first five days in which thePresident of BJP is a director. The RBI withdrew the facility of changingthe notes in the district co-operative banks suddenly after five days,but only after old notes had been changed in the Ahmedabad branch.There are signs of a huge scam here. Prime Minister Narendra Modihad announced the demonetisation of high-value currency notes onNovember 8, 2016. In his stirring address to the nation on November 8,2016, the Prime Minister had mentioned the evils our country wassuffering from which he hoped to eradicate though the demonetisationexercise. These were corruption, black money and terrorism. At onepoint in his speech, he added fake currency also to the list and talkedabout the Hawala route which facilitated illegal trade in weapons.At another point in his speech, he described the whole exercise as a"fight against corr uption, black money, fake notes and ter rorism".According to an analysis of his speech, the word "corruption' wasmentioned 16 times; the words "black money" 17 times; the word "fakenotes" twice and the word: terrorism: 5 times. There was no mention evenonce of tax compliance or formalization of the economy. Both these have beenadded subsequently as an afterthought to justify the failed exercise.With the return of 99.30% of the currency notes in circulation, the entireamount of black money in the system has been deposited with banks.The government in its affidavit in the Supreme Court, submitted by noless an authority than the Attorney General of India himself, had statedthat it expected 3 to 4 lakh crores would not be returned. This state-ment and the case of the Ahmedabad district co-operative bank bringout clearly that the real aim of demonetisation was only to enable the"friends" of the government to convert their black money into white bybringing them into the banking system and second, to corner 3 to 4lakh crore as windfall gain from this exercise, which it could use theway it liked.Corruption, black money, fake notes and terrorism were added only tospice up the exercise and make a fool of the people. Now, the FinanceMinister is suggesting that the whole exercise was meant to make the

Time To Punish Modi For Demonetisation Fiasco

BRAMPTON MPS RAMESH SANGHA, RUBY SAHOTA, SONIA SIDHU, KAMAL KHERA AND RAJ GREWAL WITH DEFENCE MINISTERHARJIT SAJJAN DURING HIS VISIT TO BRAMPTON SOUTH.

people of the country more tax compliant. Can anything be moreridiculous? And what happened to the 2,000-rupee notes? Whyhave they disappeared and where are they stored and bywhom? One of the aims of notes ban was said to be to reducethe amount of cash in circulation. The damage done to theeconomy through this foolish exercise is yet to be calculated, like allthe notes are yet to be counted. Perhaps both these tasks would haveto be done by the next government.According to a World Bank repor t, the Indian economy declined by7.3% in the first two months after demonetisation. The World Bankteam used a novel method of looking at satellite pictures of India atnight to see how many lights that used to burn before demonetizationgot extinguished after demonetization.Why has the budgetary allocation for Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employ-ment Guarantee scheme been increased now by 55,000 crores? Andeven that is insufficient to meet the wage bill of the scheme witharrears mounting up? The only reason for this is that workers from thesmall and medium enterprises throughout out the country lost their jobs afterdemonetization and went back to their villages. I know from personal experienceas a former Lok Sabha MP that earlier there were few takers for MNREGAwork; it was the last option of any wage earner. How come it has today becomethe only means of his survival?Pieces of old, fake 1000-rupee notes on the street during a protest organised bythe Congress to mark a year since demonetisation was implemented (Nov,2017). Prime Minister Modi had said in a public meeting that he wanted only50 days from the people of India (up to December 31) to achieve the objectivesof the scheme. If it failed, he said he would appear before the people at anychowraha (public intersection) to take any punishment the people woulddetermine for him. For tunately, we are still a democracy and believe in the ruleof law. So Modi will not be judged by the people at a Chowraha; he willbe judged by the people during the next Lok Sabha elections.

PM IMRAN SHOULD NOT MEET POMPEOWHEN HE VISITS PAKISTAN: RABBANI

ISLAMABAD: Former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani suggestedthat Prime Minister Imran Khan should not meet US Secretary ofState Michael Pompeo when he visits Pakistan, Geo news repor tedon Monday. "US secretary of state's meeting with PM Imran will beagainst protocol," Rabbani said while speaking to the media.The Pakistan Peoples Par ty (PPP) leader fur ther said that theforeign minister should meet the US secretary of state insteadof the prime minister. "The transcript of a telephonic conversa-tion between PM Imran and Pompeo was made public and thisis a new way of exer ting pressure," he added. Rabbani contin-ued, "The US cancelled funds to Pakistan for a second time." Hefur ther said that the US is not paying for the expenses incurredon the war against ter ror. "Pakistan is not taking any aid fromthe US," he asser ted.Last week, US Defence Secretary James Mattis confirmedPompeo and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff CommitteeGeneral Joseph Dunford will visit Pakistan this week to meetPM Imran. Speaking at a news briefing at the Pentagon, Mattissaid Pompeo and General Dunford will meet with PM Imran andother Pakistani leaders and discuss relations between the twocountries. The two dignitaries are expected in Islamabad for aone-day visit on September 5.

Pak-US relations have taken a backtrack after the PakistanForeign Office rejected a statement by the US State Depar tmentregarding the contents of a phone call between Pompeo and PMImran last week. "Pakistan takes exception to the factuallyincorrect statement issued by US State Dept on today's phonecall between PM Imran and Secretary Pompeo. There was nomention at all in the conversation about terrorists operating inPakistan," FO spokesperson Dr Faisal tweeted.

NITI AAYOG VC DEFENDS NOTES BANNEW DELHI: The Reserve Bank of India's latest figures suggest that more than 99 per cent of the demonetised currencycame back to the system, prompting criticism that the exercise has been a failure. But NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumardefended demonetisation, insisting that the scheme was not a failure, and that he supported it on "moral grounds."Kumar, talking to NDTV, said that he had backed the move from 2007-08, as a means to 'drain the swamp'. "It (notesban) was needed to reintroduce probity, integrity in our social and economic system," he said. When asked if inhindsight he would recommend the notes ban again, Kumar answered in the affirmative. "I would do it any day tocleanse my economy, to formalise it, (and) to improve tax compliance behaviour," he said. Kumar said that the focusshould have been on tax buoyancy, which he says, has witnessed an unusual increase in the past year. When it waspointed out that a fact-check of those parameters put out by the Finance Minister was done, he said "I expected you would go beyond what the FinanceMinister said, because he is obviously just writing a blog."

TAJINDERPAL SINGH TOOR'S FATHERDIED BEFORE SEEING SON'S ASIANGAMES GOLDCONTD. FROM PAGE 1After the victory, Toor had dedicated the gold medal to hisfather, who he relieved had been battling with cancer for the pasttwo years. He had said, "A lot of sacrifices have been made by myfamily and friends and all those have paid off today [August 25]." Toorwanted to meet his ailing father and fulfil his wish of holding the goldmedal earned by his son for the country. However, in a heartbreakingturn of events, Toor's father Karam Singh passed away right beforehis son would have made it to him. Toor reached the Delhiairpor t on Monday night and was on his way to the hotelwhen he received the sad news of his father's demise.

PAKISTANIS OWN ASSETS WORTH$150BN IN UAE, SC TOLDISLAMABAD (DAWN) The Supreme Court was told on Mondaythat Pakistanis own around $150 billion wor th of proper tiesand assets in the UAE alone. The revelation came in a repor tcompiled and presented in cour t by chartered accountancyfirm A.F. Ferguson. The repor t was submitted in connectionwith a SC case on Pakistani nationals' proper ties and bankaccounts abroad. The firm, however, cautioned that the databe 'handled with care'. "Such a massive amount is still parkedabroad despite the amnesty scheme?" Chief Justice MianSaqib Nisar asked those present. State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)Governor Tariq Bajwa briefed the apex cour t on measurestaken to recover the identified funds, saying: "Notices havebeen issued to the 125 people who have assets in the UAE. Ifthey write on affidavits that they do have assets outside ofPakistan, we will interrogate and tax them. But if they denythat, then we can take the help of the UAE government and askthem to take action in accordance with benami proper tieslaw." The SBP governor said that the Federal InvestigationAgency (FIA), the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) andother agencies' assistance had also been sought. The chiefjustice expressed his dissatisfaction on the progress of thecase, remarking that those concealing their assets abroadqualify for money laundering trials. Shabbar Zaidi, the auditfirm's chief, told the court that wealth is transferred outsidePakistan via two channels: "Havala and banking routes".

PTI'S ARIF ALVI WINS PAKISTANPRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

ISLAMABAD, (IANS) The ruling PakistanTehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) Arifur Rehman Alvi hasbeen elected the 13th President of Paki-stan, according to results provided bythe Election Commission of Pakistan(ECP) on Tuesday. Alvi, who is now setto succeed the outgoing Pres identMamnoon Hussain, edged out Paki-stan Musl im League-Nawaz-backed

ch ie f o f the Mut tah ida Maj l is -e-Amal (MMA), Faz lurRehman and senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader AitzazAhsan in the presidential race by garnering more votes than both hisrivals combined, Dawn repor ted.

PAKISTAN GETS FIRST WOMAN CJISLAMABAD, (IANS) Justice TahiraSafdar was sworn in as the first womanchief justice in Pakistan's BalochistanHigh Cour t. She is the first woman everto take the position of a chief justice in aPakistan high cour t, the Dawn repor ted.She was sworn in at a ceremony held atthe Governor House in Balochistan. Senior

judges and lawyers were present during the ceremony. Safdar madehistory in 1982 when she became the first woman civil judge inBalochistan. She is currently a member of the three-judge specialcour t conducting the trial of former President Pervez Musharraffor committing treason by proclaiming a state of emergencyon November 3, 2007.

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1He said the Reserve Bank has twice released its repor tsstating that the demonetised notes Rs 500 and Rs 1,000have been substantially deposited in the banks."A widely stated comment has been that just because mostof the currency came back into the banks, the object ofdemonetisation has not succeeded." "Was the invalidation ofthe non-deposited currency the only object of demonetisation?Cer tainly not," Mr Jaitley said in a blog. The larger purpose ofdemonetisation was to move India from a tax non-compliantsociety to a tax-compliant society, he said adding this neces-sarily involved formalisation of the economy and a blow tothe black money. "This is the positive impact ofdemonetisation. More formalisation of economy, more moneyin the system, higher tax revenue, higher expenditure, highergrowth after the first two quar ters," the Finance Minister said.Mr Jaitley said the growth of Income Tax collections in thepre-demonetisation two years was 6.6 per cent and 9 percent. Post-demonetisation, the collections increased 15 percent and 18 per cent in the next two years."The same trend is visible in the third year," he said.In March 2014, the number of Income Tax (IT) returns filedwas 3.8 crore. In 2017-18, the number has grown to 6.86crore. In the last two years, when the impact of demonetisationand other steps are analysed, the IT returns have increased 19 percent and 25 per cent, Mr Jaitley noted. On November 8, 2016, PrimeMinister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of high-valuecurrency notes. Of the Rs 15.41 lakh crore worth Rs 500 and Rs 1,000notes in circulation on November 8, 2016, notes wor th Rs 15.31lakh crore have been returned to the banks.

"NOTES BAN LED TO MORE TAXCOLLECTION, ECONOMIC GROWTH":ARUN JAITLEY



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

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MORTGAGES

BANGLADESHI HINDUSCELEBRATE COLOURFULJANMASHTAMI IN DHAKA

DHAKA, (IANS) Bangladeshi Hindus took to the streets ofDhaka on Sunday to celebrate Janmashtami, an annualfestival that marks the bir th of Krishna, revered as theeighth avatar of the ten incarnations of Vishnu. The reli-gious celebration is a public holiday in Bangladesh, wherea procession is held in the capital, Efe repor ted. Par tici-pants re-enact passages from Hindu holy scripture usingprops, body paint and costumes. Some youngsters dressup to resemble Krishna and are carried through the crowdlike a deity. The procession traditionally winds its wayfrom the Dhakeshwari Temple into the streets of Old Dhaka.

WILL GO AFTER BADAL AND FIX HIM: AMARINDERNEW DELHI (IANS) Blaming the Akali Dal veteran for ruining Punjaband holding him responsible for the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firingincidents, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday vowedto "go hammer and tongs after Parkash Singh Badal and fix him."Reiterating that there was no question of going soft on the formerChief Minister, Amarinder Singh told the media here that "it was notpossible that Badal was not aware of the police firing."The SIT (special investigative team) probe repor t into the incidentwould go to the cour ts and the truth would come out," AmarinderSingh said. He said the decision to withdraw the investigation fromthe Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and hand it over to a PunjabPolice SIT was taken by the state Assembly which felt the BJP-led

government at the centre could influence the central agency as theBJP was an ally of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). "The Ranjit SinghCommission set up to probe the sacrilege cases and the firing inci-dents at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura had suggested further investigation,which was why the SIT is being set up," Amarinder Singh said. Reacting to Badal'sasser tion that he was ready to swear that he did not know about thefiring, the Chief Minister dismissed it as a "gimmick to diver t publicattention from his role in the incident. How many times has he falselysworn at the Akal Takht," asked Amarinder Singh. "How is it possiblethat the CM did not know about the firing? Former DGP Sumedh Sainihad clearly stated before the Ranjit Singh Commission that Badal hadasked him to disperse the crowd forcibly," Amarinder Singh said.

President Ram Nath Kovind, PM Narendra Modi greet nation on JanmashtamiCHANDIGARH, (IANS) President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday greeted the nation on the occasion ofJanmashtami. "Greetings and good wishes to fellow citizens on the auspicious occasion...The teachings of Lord Krishna have auniversal message -- Nishkam Karma. "May this festival inspire us to follow the path of virtue and righteousness in thought, word and deed," thePresident tweeted. People thronged decorated temples across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Monday to mark Janmashtami, the bir thday of Lord Krishna.Temples were decorated with fancy lights and flowers. People gathered at temples to get a glimpse of the tableaus (jhankis) depicting the life of Lord Krishna. TheDurgiana Temple in Amritsar, ISCON temple in Chandigarh and other temples were decked up for the occasion. "People have been coming since Sundayevening to offer prayers and see the jhankis," Prem Sharma, a priest at Chandigarh's Sector 15 temple said. Children were par ticularly excited to be part of theJanmashtami festivities. "With the use of technology, the jhankis have also improved in the last few years," said Hardik Sinha, 14. Tight security arrangements,including metal detectors, were installed at popular shrines as a precautionary measure.

MADHYA PRADESH CHIEF MINISTER SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN CARRIES AN IDOL OF LORD KRISHNA DURING A PROCESSION ONTHE OCCASION OF JANMASHTAMI FESTIVAL.


TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018c o m m u n i t y

ONTARIO PREMIER DOUG FORD WITH MUSLIMS FROM MISSISSAUGA AND ACROSS THE GTA AT MUSLIMFEST.

Building Regional TransportationONTARIO - Ontario's Government for the People is working to get resi-dents and business across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area mov-ing with a plan to upload responsibility for subway infrastructure, fromthe City of Toronto to the Province. The Government of Ontario is deter-mined to deliver a modern transit system that will serve the GTHA'sgrowing communities, drive economic development and alleviate traf-fic congestion. John Yakabuski, Minister of Transportation, announcedthe appointment of Michael Lindsay as Special Advisor on the up-load of the Toronto subway system. He will work with the provinceon a plan to efficiently and effectively deliver on this key commit-ment. Lindsay, and an advisory panel of up to three exper ts to beappointed, will support the government in determining the bestapproach for the upload, including the building and maintenance ofnew and existing subway lines. "This is part of our government'splan to improve public transit and bring relief to commuters acrossthe region," said Minister Yakabuski. "Travelling around the GTHAcan be difficult and cumbersome. Traffic congestion and a lack of transitinfrastructure is costing money, jobs and time. Our government is step-ping up and treating the subway like the vital service it is. I welcome ournew Special Advisor, Michael Lindsay, and I look forward to workingwith him on this important initiative." The Toronto subway system iscritical for the economic success of the region. An upload of the subwaywould help the province to implement a more efficient regional transitsystem, reduce costs and build transit faster. It could also allow theprovince to fund and deliver additional transit projects sooner.

EDUCATION MINISTERREFLECTS ON EQAO RESULTSOntario Education Minister, the Honourable Lisa Thompson,issued the following statement on the provincial EQAO re-sults: "The EQAO assessment results released today proveonce again that we must do better with respect to students'math per formance in Ontario. For the last five years, wehave seen an overall decline in EQAO math scores. Half ofOntario's Grade 6 students have failed to meet the provincialstandard for math. And by the time our students get to Grade9, more than half of them taking the applied math courses arefailing to make the grade. This is unacceptable. The previousgovernment used our children's classrooms to test a failedexperimental curriculum called "Discovery Math". As prom-ised, our government has already made changes to bringback proven methods of teaching that work.We have released a new teacher's guide and parent fact sheetthat will help both teachers and parents focus student learn-ing on traditional formulas and memorization techniques.We've also announced that we are refocusing $55 million inexisting math investments to district school boards. This fund-ing will suppor t math facilitators and leads at the schoolboard and school levels, as well as provide release-time forour teachers to par ticipate in training and learning focusedon the fundamentals of math.

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1In a separate incident, at approximately 6:34 a.m., police responded to second shooting that occurred on Townley Crescent in the City of Brampton. Officers arrivedon scene and located a male victim suffering from obvious signs of trauma on the boulevard area. The male victim was pronounced deceased on scene. The malevictim has been identified as Derrick McKeown, a 33-year old male from the Georgetown area. On Monday September 3rd, 2018 Patrick Doyle, a 27 year-old manfrom Brampton was arrested in relation to both murders and charged with two counts of First Degree Murder and one count of Attempted Murder. Doyle will makea court appearance on September 3rd, 2018 in the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton. Investigators are appealing for witnesses, surveillance video includingdash cam video, or anyone who may have information concerning these investigations to contact the Peel Regional Police Homicide and Missing Persons Bureauat (905) 453-2121 Ext 3205. Information may also be left anonymously by calling Peel Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or by visiting peelcrimestoppers.ca.

POLICE MAKES ARREST IN DOUBLE SHOOTING INCIDENT IN BRAMPTON

SINGER PARMISH VERMA WITH BRAMPTON MAYOR LINDA JEFFREY AND MP KAMAL KHERA.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018 c o m m u n i t y

MKA KINDNESS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AKMG CANADA AND GLOBALMEDIC SENDING WATER PURIFIERS TO THE FLOODAFFECTED AREAS OF KERALA. MISSISSAUGA-LAKE SHORE MP SVEN SPENGEMANN AND CONSUL GENERAL OF INDIA INTORONTO, DINESH BHATIA WERE ALSO PRESENT ON THE OCCASION.

ONTARIO PROTECTS FREESPEECH ON CAMPUSESTORONTO - Ontario's Government for the People isdelivering on its promise to uphold free speech onevery Ontario publicly-funded university and collegecampus, Premier Doug Ford has announced. "Col-leges and universities should be places wherestudents exchange different ideas and opinions inopen and respectful debate," said Ford. "Our govern-ment made a commitment to the people of Ontario toprotect free speech on campuses. Promise made,promise kept."Colleges and universities will have until January 1,2019 to develop, implement and comply with a freespeech policy that meets a minimum standardprescribed by the government and based on bestpractices from around the world. The policy will notonly protect free speech but ensure that hate speech,discrimination and other illegal forms of speech arenot allowed on campus. To monitor compliance,colleges and universities must report annually ontheir progress to the Higher Education Quality Councilof Ontario (HEQCO) star ting in September 2019.Colleges and universities that do not comply with thefree speech requirements may be subject to areduction in operating grant funding.Students whose actions are contrary to the freespeech policy are subject to existing campus studentdiscipline measures. Any complaint against theinstitution that remains unresolved may bereferred to the Ontario Ombudsman. "Open debateand exchange of ideas are central to university andcollege education. Today's announcement will helpprotect free speech and foster learning environ-ments that encourage freedom of thought, bymaking sure that all universities and colleges havea strong, clear and consistent free speech policy.We look forward to working with Ontario's universi-ties and colleges to protect and promote free speech,"said Merrilee Fuller ton, Minister of Training, Collegesand Universities.

Premier Consults with ChiefEconomists of Canada's FiveLargest BanksTORONTO - Premier Doug Ford consulted with keyeconomic experts to discuss the province's economyand how Ontario's Government for the People canhelp create jobs, facilitate economic investmentand support business growth. "We are working tolower taxes, stabilize hydro bills and cut red tape,all in an effor t to help the private sector grow andsucceed," Ford said. "Working together withindustry exper ts, we will let the world know thatOntario is open for business."Consulting with economists, exper ts and entrepre-neurs is part of the Ford Government's overallcommitment to improve Ontario's economy andsuppor t job growth. Ontario's government remainsfocused on creating an economic environment thathelps businesses thrive and encourages invest-ment. Among the topics discussed was theeconomic importance of reaching a deal on theNor th American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) toprotect the thousands of jobs at stake in theprovince's automotive, steel and agricultureindustries.

ONTARIO TO REDUCECOST OF NATURAL GASTORONTO - Ontario's Government for the People isacting to reduce the cost of natural gas for Ontariofamilies and businesses, Premier Doug Ford hasannounced. This is par t of the Ford Government'soverall commitment to put more money in people'spockets and deliver immediate tax relief for lowerand middle class families. "Your government iscommitted to giving real relief to people all acrossOntario, and helping small businesses and jobcreators like Troy's Diner," said Ford. "Reducingenergy costs and making them more transparent isa key par t of this promise. By removing the carbontax from natural gas bills, we're saving familiesabout $80 a year and small businesses about $285a year. Promise made, promise kept." The OntarioEnergy Board (OEB) has been notified to takeimmediate steps to remove the cost of the carbontax from natural gas rates by October 1, 2018. GregRickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Develop-ment and Mines, wrote to the OEB outlining thegovernment's expectations that natural gas utilitiesremove the cost for consumers, and ensure anyover-collection of the carbon tax is refunded backto hardworking Ontario families and businesses."Eliminating the carbon tax will provide real reliefto lower and middle class families and Ontariobusinesses," said Minister Rickford. "This govern-ment remains committed to making life moreaffordable for all Ontarians." The orderly winddown of the carbon tax is a key step towardsfulfilling the government's commitment to put moremoney in people's pockets and to give real tax reliefto lower and middle class families. Eliminating thecarbon tax removes a burden from Ontario busi-nesses, allowing them to grow, create jobs andcompete around the world.

Compassionate Wind Down of Basic Income Research ProjectTORONTO - Ontario Government has announced that the Basic Income research project will wind down at the end of the fiscal year. "Wehave a broken social service system. A research project that helps less than four thousand people is not the answer and provides no hope to thenearly two million Ontarians who are trapped in the cycle of pover ty," said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. "Weare winding down the basic income research project in a compassionate way." The wind down of the basic income research project was firstannounced in July and it is now confirmed that payments to eligible participants will continue until March 31, 2019. This will allow participants enoughtime to transition to more proven suppor t programs without putting an undue burden on Ontario taxpayers. "Ontario's Government for the People iswinding down this research with a compassionate and lengthy runway. Winding the research up at the end of the fiscal year is the best option for thosein the research project." said Minister MacLeod. The research project had an extraordinary cost for Ontario taxpayers which, according to the Ministryof Finance, would require increasing the HST from 13 per cent to 20 per cent if implemented across the province. The Government for the People hascommitted to a 100 day review of social assistance and poverty reduction strategies in Ontario to best assist the 1 in 7 people in the province who areliving in poverty. The plan is expected on November 8, 2018.

Tougher Penalties for Dangerous Driving Start September 1ONTARIO - Ontario's Government for the People is taking steps to ensure Ontario's roads are safe for everyone. Star ting September 1,there will be tougher penalties for careless driving and endangering pedestrians. Drivers convicted of careless driving causing bodilyharm or death will face:" Fines from $2,000 to $50,000" Six demerit points" A driver's licence suspension of up to five years" Up to two years in jail"Time and time again we've seen families devastated because a loved one is hur t or killed by a dangerous driver, and the driver walksaway with no more than a slap on the wrist," said John Yakabuski, Minister of Transpor tation. "This new charge sends a clear message that dangerousdriving won't be tolerated." Penalties will also increase for drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians at crossovers, school crossings and crosswalks. The maximumpenalty will increase to $1,000 and four demerit points. Drivers are also reminded that they must yield the entire roadway at pedestrian crossovers, schoolcrossings, and other locations where there is a crossing guard, and cannot continue driving until pedestrians have finished crossing the road completely. "Thenumber of pedestrians being injured and killed on our roads has reached a critical level," said Minister Yakabuski. "Tougher penalties help, but we needeveryone to step up and do their par t by driving safely and responsibly."

Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Incentive ProgramONTARIO - Following the decision by the Ontario Superior Cour t ofJustice on the Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Incentive Program, theHonourable John Yakabuski, Minister of Transportation, issued thefollowing statement: "Ontario cancelled the cap and trade program tobring gas prices down and help lower costs for Ontario families andbusinesses. As a result, on July 11, 2018, the Electric and HydrogenVehicle Incentive Program was cancelled.The Cour t has rendered its decision. The ministry will abide by thecour t's decision and I have directed the ministry to expand the wind-down process for the Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Incentive Pro-gram. Incentives will be provided as long as the following conditionsare met:" Eligible vehicles were delivered, registered, and plated onor before July 11th; or," Eligible vehicles were on dealer lots in Ontario - or on orderby dealers or by customers directly from manufacturers on or beforeJuly 11th, and delivered to customers, registered and plated on orbefore September 10, 2018. These vehicles must be on the ministryapproved order list from dealers and manufacturers." Applications must be submitted within 90 days of vehicle

registration, plating and delivery.Ending the Electric and Hydrogen Vehicle Incentive Program couldsave Ontario taxpayers up to an estimated $1 billion over four years.This government is working hard to give people lower gas prices,lower energy bills and a real break in their wallets in order to get theeconomy going and create jobs. I am committed to making life moreaffordable for people living in Ontario."

PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU MET WITH NO FLY LIST KIDS FAMILIES RECENTLY TO HEAR THEIR STORIES AND DISCUSSTHE WAY FORWARD.


TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018opinion

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Will Rahul seize the day if he goes to Nagpur?

E-mail : For [email protected]

INDIA PREPARED TO DEAL WITH SANCTIONSAGAINST IRAN, HAS MADE NECESSARY PROVISIONS

BY AMULYA GANGULI

If Rahul Gandhi par ticipates in the meeting called by the RashtriyaSwayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to discuss the country's future, he cantake the oppor tunity to seek clarifications on the organisation'sworldview. The replies by the RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat, to the Con-gress president's questions cannot but have an impact on the outfit'sfuture in case a clear picture emerges about its attitude towards thevarious communities.For instance, did K.B. Hedgewar, who founded the RSS in 1925, callthe Muslims "yavan-snakes"? If so, is this still the view of theorganisation or has there been a change? A related question can beon Hedgewar's successor, M.S. Golwalkar's categorisation of theMuslims as "Internal Enemies No.1." It is possible to link these un-charitable assessments of India's largest minority community to V.D.Savarkar's thesis that the only true sons of the soil are the Hindussince India is both their "pitribhu" (fatherland) and "punyabhu" (holyland).In contrast, such organic and emotive connections cannot be as-cribed to the minorities whose pitribhu may be India, but their punyabhuis in Makkah or Rome. It is presumably because of this reason thatGolwalkar described Christians as "Internal Enemies No.2." At onestroke, the two Maharashtrian Brahmins had relegated the Muslimsand Christians to the status of being "aliens" because of their reli-gious affiliations to foreign lands. It goes without saying that thisperception persists among the rank and file of the saffron brotherhoodto whom the patriotism of these two communities are forever in doubt.Hence, the observation of the Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) MP, VinayKatiyar, that Muslims have no place in India because their natural"homes" are Pakistan and Bangladesh, while another BJP MP, RoopaGanguly, has said that West Bengal's par tition in 1947 meant that onlyHindus would live in the state and that the Muslims should go to EastPakistan, which is now Bangladesh. If both these statements denylegitimacy to the Muslim citizens of India, the reason can be traced toSavarkar's views.It is obvious that the RSS cannot claim to be abiding by the IndianConstitution if it subscribes to such opinions. Yet, disowning the twoHindutva luminaries will cut the ground from under its feet because

these beliefs constitute the core of its philosophy. At a time, however,when the RSS is reaching out to eminent people outside its fold, itcannot be long before some among the invited guests question thebasis of the organisation's belief system. Otherwise, it will seem thatthey have all been taken for a ride.Up until now, the RSS has been cautious in its outreach. The mostprominent among those (apar t from A.P.J. Abdul Kalam who was theBJP's choice for the President) who have been called to deliver alecture to the RSS cadres is former President Pranab Mukherjee.Ratan Tata was next, but he chose not to speak. Reports that the RSSis now thinking of inviting Rahul Gandhi and the communist leader,Sitaram Yechury, suggest that it is gaining in confidence about theexposure to diverse and contrary views. It is also considering holding"vaicharik kumbh" sessions with intellectuals in various cities withnon-RSS individuals.Perhaps the interaction with Pranab Mukherjee has told the RSS thatit can successfully conduct its programme of interactions. There islittle doubt that the former President hedged his bets while speakingin Nagpur lest his hosts be offended. For instance, while ranging overIndian history, he made no mention of the Indus Valley Civilisation,presumably because it would have raised questions about whether itwas Aryan, as the Hindutva group claims, or pre-Aryan which is thegenerally accepted view.

Similarly, he skipped over the entire Muslim period af ter refer ring tothe Muslims as "invaders", which would have gladdened saffronhear ts, and made no mention of Akbar, whose title of "the Great" givenby "secular" historians is contested by the present dispensation. Itwill not serve any purpose, either for the RSS or its opponents, ifeveryone plays safe to keep the hosts in good humour. Instead, areference will be per fectly in order by a guest to Hedgewar, whowarned "others" not to "infringe on the rights of Hindus" since theymust remember that "they are living in Hindusthan of Hindus", and toGolwalkar and Savarkar.The latest initiatives of the RSS are obviously intended to secureacceptance among a wider section of hoi polloi by demonstrating thatit is not quite the ogre that its critics allege. But as in Atal BihariVajpayee's case, the flaunting of a gentler, kinder face may be con-strued as a mask unless the RSS formally dissociates itself from theanti-minority observations of its guiding lights l ike Hedgewar,Golwalkar and Savarkar.There have been several occasions in history where a par ty hasinitiated major changes in its outlook. One of these was the BritishLabour Par ty's decision to drop Clause IV of its constitution calling forthe "common ownership" of the means of production. The commu-nists, too, have done away with the concept of a dictatorship of theproletariat. Will the RSS follow suit by amending its basic ideology ?

BY VISHAV AND MANISH GUPTA

India is fully prepared to deal with any fallout of the US sanctions onIran and has made necessary provisions for every possible scenario,says a top government adviser. However, he said, it was better towait till the actual events happen and react quickly to them, ratherthan pre-commit to a cer tain sequence of actions.

Sanjeev Sanyal, the Finance Ministry's Principal Economic Adviser,told IANS in an interview that while the economy was gathering pace,there were several external factors which were a concern - includingthe US-China trade war, tightening of US monetary policy and risingoil prices, apar t from the trade sanctions on Iran. "We have alreadyweighed our options... various scenarios have been thought aboutand in each one, cer tain series of sequences have been planned.Provisions have somewhat been made where necessary. In manycases, you just have to do it when it happens. The key is to react fast."So rather than predispose ourselves to a par ticular line of response,what we can do is have a whole bunch of options and then as thingsevolve, we know which option to take. The point is to maintainoptionality rather than pre-commit to a cer tain sequence," Sanyalsaid. Last month, the Trump administration reimposed the first batch

of Iran sanctions since Washington withdrew from the 2015 nucleardeal, with sanctions on oil sales coming into force from November.Sanctions against Iran are not the only external factor which is aconcern for the Indian economy. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in hisfirst address after resuming office after a long absence due to hiskidney transplant, had also said that the challenges to the Indianeconomy were mainly from external factors such as rising oil pricesand the US-China trade war. Sanyal agreed and said: "There is thetrade war looming. We have oil prices which we need to look out for.And the US is tightening its monetary policy. These are not new con-cerns; they have been building up for some weeks now, if not months.But these are concerns that will have an impact on us."He said while the impact of these events is "non-quantifiable", thebest option for India is to "watch carefully what happens, how sys-tems evolve and to respond quickly to protect national interests. Thepoint is that since we don't know how the trade war and many of thesethings will pan out, or oil prices for that matter, so we will have towait," Sanyal said. On domestic concerns, the economist said whileall evidence showed that the economy was gathering pace, it wasimpor tant to maintain that momentum. He said the government's fo-cus was to clean up the banking system, ensure credit flow to micro,small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and simplify the GST.

THE MOST PROMINENT AMONG THOSE (APART FROM A.P.J. ABDUL KALAM WHO WAS THE BJP'S CHOICE FOR THE

PRESIDENT) WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED TO DELIVER A LECTURE TO THE RSS CADRES IS FORMER PRESIDENT PRANAB

MUKHERJEE. RATAN TATA WAS NEXT, BUT HE CHOSE NOT TO SPEAK. REPORTS THAT THE RSS IS NOW THINKING OF

INVITING RAHUL GANDHI AND THE COMMUNIST LEADER, SITARAM YECHURY, SUGGEST THAT IT IS GAINING IN

CONFIDENCE ABOUT THE EXPOSURE TO DIVERSE AND CONTRARY VIEWS. IT IS ALSO CONSIDERING HOLDING "VAICHARIK

KUMBH" SESSIONS WITH INTELLECTUALS IN VARIOUS CITIES WITH NON-RSS INDIVIDUALS.

“



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018 c a n a d a

General Accounting & Bookkeeping

INDIA'S DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER IN CANADA, ARUN SAHU LED THE ANNUAL NAGAR KIRTAN RELIGIOUS HARMONYPARADE ORGANIZED BY SHRI GURU RAVIDASS TEMPLE GURBANI SAGAR IN MONTREAL.

MINISTER JIM WILSON ON NAFTA TRADE TALKS

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ONTARIO - The United States and Mexico have made significantprogress in discussions to revise key por tions of the 24-year-oldNor th American Free Trade Agreement, Minister Wilson made thefollowing statement: "With hundreds of thousands of jobs at stake, itis imperative that our country has a voice at the table and that a dealon Nafta is reached. The threat of auto tariffs on Canadian manufac-tured cars is extremely concerning to Ontario as 1 in 5 Ontario jobsdepend on Canada-US trade and investment. I have asked MinisterFreeland for a briefing as soon as possible, to ensure Ontario's auto-motive, steel and agriculture industries and their workers are top ofmind in these discussions.The US and Canada share a unique economic relationship, with bothsides of the border benefitting greatly from our economic connection.Nearly 9 million American jobs depend on Canada- US trade andinvestment, and approximately 400,000 people and 2 billion dollars in

trade travel across the U.S. and Canadian border every day.Ontario is doing its par t to get the deal done. Last month I travelled toWashington, D.C., to advocate for the jobs that depend on a strongCanada- US. trading relationship. Premier Doug Ford has been callingUS Governors to discuss the implications of tariffs on both sides ofthe border and will continue to reach out to US counterpar ts. Just lastweek, the Premier met with the US Ambassador to Canada, where heexpressed our government's steadfast suppor t for Ontario workersthroughout these negotiations.Our government will continue to vigorously defend and advanceOntario's economic interests at home and abroad. We are workinghard to ensure workers in the automotive, steel and agriculture indus-tries are represented during this crucial time. We are willing to workwith anyone who is committed to protecting Ontario workers, Ontarioindustries and making sure a deal on Nafta is reached."

TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES SUPPORT TO STRENGTHENCANADA'S AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR

OSHAWA - The Government of Canada is making smart, ambitiousinvestments to suppor t Canadian autoworkers, create and protectjobs, and keep our auto sector competitive globally. Prime MinisterJustin Tr udeau announced up to $9.46 million in funding to the Univer-sity of Ontario Institute of Technology to enhance its Automotive Cen-tre of Excellence in Oshawa, and to create new research and develop-ment jobs in the automotive industry.The Automotive Centre of Excellence is a world-class facility thatproduces cutting-edge automotive technologies. Today's investmentwill almost double the number of full-time jobs at the facility, generatenew training oppor tunities, promote research and development, andencourage the advancement of cleaner and safer technologies. Thenew funding will also suppor t the integration of a Moving GroundPlane - a moving belt that acts like a road - and other state-of -the-ar taerodynamic and aero-acoustic enhancements, which will help re-searchers create cleaner, safer, and more reliable vehicles."We're taking action to suppor t our Canadian workers throughout theauto sector. This project is great news for Oshawa and for Ontarians.It will create good, well-paying jobs in the region and help keep ourindustry competitive on the world stage. With a skilled workforce,

world-renowned companies, and leading-edge research, Canada'sauto sector is well positioned to create the vehicles of the future -ones that will be both safer and more efficient." - Justin Trudeau,Prime Minister of Canada"Canada is leading the way in developing transformative automotivetechnologies and promoting clean growth. Today's announcementmarks an impor tant step forward for an innovative research centrethat is helping Canadian industries access new resources, and em-brace new methods to remain leaders in technological advancement."- Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic De-velopment and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Devel-opment Agency for Southern Ontario"The Government of Canada's investment in this new advanced re-search infrastructure will drive commercialization of transformativevehicle technologies tied to energy efficiency and greenhouse gasreduction. It will fur ther enhance the Automotive Centre of Excellence'scapacity to suppor t Canadian economic growth and competitiveness, decreasetime-to-market for new automotive products, and keep industry par tners and jobsright here in Canada." -Dr Steven Murphy, President and Vice-Chan-cellor, University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

MINISTER CARR TO PROMOTE RENEWED TRADEAGREEMENT DURING VISITS TO ISRAEL, WEST BANK

OTTAWA - Canada and Israel have long been connected through the power of people-to-people ties, ashared conviction in democracy and a legacy of friendship that star ted in lockstep 70 years ago andcontinues to grow with each passing year. Deepening and strengthening those bonds depends on constantrenewal and reaffirmation, which is why the government recently modernized the Canada-Israel FreeTrade Agreement (Cif ta). The agreement creates even more oppor tunities for Canadians and Israe-lis to par tner in the growing fields of science, technology and innovation across the vibrant andgrowing markets. The agreement has the potential for more people to work together, creating well-paying jobs for hard-working Canadians as a result. Jim Car r, Minister of Inter national Trade Diver -sification, will visit Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem and Ramallah from September 2 to 6, 2018. BothIsrael and the West Bank present oppor tunities for Canadian businesses of all sizes to expand tradeand investment. The Minister will kick off the visit in Tel Aviv, where he will meet with Eli Cohen,Israel's Minister of Economy and Industry, to discuss how Canada can translate the modernizedCIFTA into additional sales, partnerships and links between Canadian companies of all sizes andtheir counterpar ts in Israel.While in the region, Minister Carr will attend several meetings with business leaders from thetranspor tation, clean energy, high-tech and financial sectors to discuss par tnership oppor tunitiesfor Canadian companies. In the West Bank, Minister Carr w ill attend the launch of the Palestinian-Canadian Business Council in Ramallah and par ticipate in a series of meetings with government officialsand representatives of the business community, including woman entrepreneurs."The economies of Canada and Israel are built on innovative and thriving business cultures that value theingenuity and creativity of our entrepreneurs. Canada and the West Bank continue to grow their respectivebusiness links in what is also a dynamic and entrepreneurial business climate. Our effor ts to fur therenhance our trade ties in this region will help Canadians deepen their reach, build new par tnerships andshowcase their exper tise in leading sectors of the new economy, par ticularly high-tech. Together, we willseize the oppor tunities to expand markets and create jobs for hard-working Canadians at home as aresult."- Jim Carr, Minister of International Trade Diversification

CONTD. FROM PAGE 1Arpan has strong community roots and is a big believer in com-munity service. As an avid volunteer, Arpan has helped raise fundsand awareness for organizations including the Toronto East Gen-eral Hospital, the Peel Memorial Hospital, local food banks andthe True Patriot Love Foundation. Arpan believes that it is time forchange in Brampton Nor th. Arpan will be the strong voice neededin the riding to empower youth, restore economic prosperity andbuild stronger, safer communities. Arpan wants to create an envi-ronment where everyone will have the oppor tunity to succeed.Arpan Khanna said: "I get the issues that the residents of BramptonNor th are facing because I face them myself both as an individualand as a member of this community. From declining mental healthservices, to the lack of job oppor tunities, escalating crime andviolence and the lack of suppor t our seniors are receiving, it hasall affected me too. Personally, I have always viewed politics as away to serve. It is more than just a job - it is an oppor tunity to be apublic servant and make the lives of those around you better. Ihave learned that when we are united as a community, there isnothing we cannot achieve."

Arpan Khanna Declared ConservativeParty's Candidate for Brampton North

TORONTO: Mayor John Tory has had enough of your loud vehicles.Tory, in an Aug. 31 letter sent to the city's head of the municipallicensing and standards division, is asking for a closer look at howto curb excessive vehicle noise — specifically the sounds ofmodified spor ts cars and motorcycles with loud pipes."It is disturbing people in their homes, during the day and at night,it is disrupting business and it is having a negative impact ontourists, all in the apparent cause of feeding the egos of inconsid-erate people," Tory writes in the letter.On Monday, he told reporters his wife of ten takes it fur ther, sug-gesting the main offenders are men who are "making up for otherinadequacies."Criticism aside, it's unclear at this point how the city will cut downon the number of noisy vehicles.Currently, licensing and standards is reviewing the city's noisebylaws with the goal of providing a new repor t in the fall of 2019.Tory's letter said he would like to see that review include notes onhow other cities are dealing with excessively loud vehicles.The mayor highlights pilot projects underway in London, England,where drivers of loud vehicles can face fines, and Edmonton, wherered light cameras could be used to capture the license plates ofoffending motorists.Tory also notes that he'd be open to any short-term measureslicensing and standards could put in place.He told repor ters that drivers who break any new noise rulesshould be "fined heavily."

MAYOR JOHN TORY CALLS FORCRACKDOWN ON NOISY VEHICLES


TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018c a n a d a

Canada announces more than $8 million Investment in Organic FarmingONTARIO - The Canadian organic industry is one of Canada's fastest growingagricultural sectors, thanks to Canada's hardworking organic farmers and foodprocessors. Research and innovation are vital to ensuring this sector continuesto grow to help meet consumer demands. Retail sales of organic food productshave grown, on average, by double digits over the past decade, with currentsales estimated at $5.4 billion across Canada.The Government of Canada announced a federal investment of up to $8.3 millionto the Organic Federation of Canada, under the Canadian Agricultural Par tner-ship, AgriScience Clusters. "As the worldwide demand for organic food grows,our government continues to invest in organic farming" said Sonia Sidhu,Member of Parliament of Brampton South. "Our government is making invest-ments to increase productivity on organic farms, while reducing their environ-mental impact." This research investment, which includes an additional $4.4million in contributions from industry, will help the organic sector enhanceproductivity through better soil health and fer tility management, advance cropbreeding research, improve pest management, and evaluate the environmentalimpacts of organic farm practices. The Government of Canada has identified theagriculture and agri-food sector as a core driver of jobs, growth and prosperity,setting an ambitious target to grow Canada's agri-food expor ts to $75 billionannually by 2025.

Road Safety Top of Mind as Students Head Back to SchoolMISSISSAUGA - With thousands of Mississauga students making their way back to school nextweek, the City wants to remind all residents to be aler t and safe when using roadways. Driversshould be par ticular ly alert and cautious around early childhood centres, elementary schools and high schools."For many, back to school is an exciting time; however, it is also a time where we need everyone to be more vigilantand aware when using our busy streets, roadways and intersections," said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. "Back to schoolbrings increased traffic, additional vehicles on roadways and more people walking, cycling or getting droppedoff at different locations. We're working closely with our community par tners to ensure our road-ways are safe - like with our crossing guard program in school zones.As a City, we're committed to keeping our pedestrians, cyclists and drivers safe. We continue toadopt and implement new and emerging road safety practices - such as our Road Safety Program,in an effor t to continually improve Mississauga's road safety."Tips on being street smar t for drivers:· Avoid being distracted· Follow the rules of the road· Give yourself extra time to get to where you are going· Obey all street signs and pedestrian crossings· Obey crossing guards· Avoid using cell phones while driving· Slow down and drive cautiously, especially in school zones· Watch for pedestrians



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018 i n d i a

ESTABLISHING A SLIGHT EDGE OVER BJP IN A CLOSELY FOUGHT RACE IN URBAN LOCAL BODIES POLLS IN KARNATAKA, CONGRESSGAINED CONTROL OF A MAJORITY OF THE ULBS, TEAMING UP WITH ITS RULING COALITION PARTNER JDS. OUT OF THE 2,664 SEATSIN 105 ULBS, THE BJP WON 929 WHILE THE CONGRESS GOT 982 AND THE JD(S) 375. INDEPENDENTS AND OTHER SMALL PARTIESTOGETHER WON 363 SEATS.

Congress wins majority seats in Karnataka civic pollsBENGALURU, (IANS) Less than four months after the Assembly election,the Congress on Monday won the most seats in Karnataka's 105 urbanlocal bodies, pushing the BJP to the second spot, and voicing confidencethat a Congress-JD(S) combine will sweep the Lok Sabha polls. "TheCongress winning 982 of the 2,662 civic body seats across the stateshows people's confidence in the par ty and our coalition governmentwith the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S)," state Congress President DineshGundu Rao told repor ters here."The Congress cannot be written off in Karnataka any more. We (Con-gress and JD-S) will have a pre-poll alliance for the Lok Sabha electionswhich we are confident of winning," Rao added. In the polls forurban bodies across 22 of the state's 30 districts held on August31, the Congress has won 982 of the total 2,662 seats. TheBharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) came second with 929 seats whilethe JD-S remained far behind with 375 seats.Independents bagged 329 seats, the Bahujan Samaj Par ty (BSP) 13 andother regional par ties and fringe outfits won 34 seats. While the Congresswon majority seats in 10 districts, it was looking at an alliance with JD-S in a few regions to keep the BJP out of power, as it did in the Assemblyelection in May which threw up a hung verdict, Rao said. Even as the BJPwon majority seats in seven districts including the coastal districts ofUdupi and Dakshina Kannada, the JD-S and Congress tie-up will control

most of the urban bodies in the state. In the Assembly election, of the 224constituencies, the BJP won 104 seats, the Congress 80 and JD-S alongwith BSP (38). JD-S leader and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamytermed Monday's results a victory for the coalition government."The outcome shows that JD-S and Congress have won the trusto f no t j us t t he ru ra l e l ec to ra te bu t u rban voters as well,"Kumaraswamy told repor ters here. The BJP, on the other hand, blamedthe JD-S and Congress for its poor showing."The BJP should have won more seats but we could not per form the waywe wanted to because of the Congress-JD-S coalition," BJP state unitPresident B.S. Yeddyurappa told repor ters here. But the BJP is confidentof winning a majority in the Lok Sabha election, he said. The BJPper formed well in its traditional bastions of coastal districts whilethe Congress retained its position in its strongholds of nor therndistricts. Polling took place last Friday across 22 districts of thestate spread over 29 city municipalities, 53 town municipalities,23 town panchayats and 135 wards of three city corporations -Mysuru, Shivamogga and Tumakuru.The polling in 45 seats of Kodagu district's civic bodies has been post-poned due to heavy rains and floods. In the 2013 elections held for 4,976seats, the Congress won 1,960 seats, while BJP and JD-S won 905 seatseach while Independents bagged the remaining 1,206 seats.

Punjab under-prepared for ZilaParishad polls: Akali DalCHANDIGARH, (IANS) The Shiroman Akali Dal (SAD) hasurged the State Election Commission (SEC) to ensure thatthe candidates aspiring to contest from seats reserved forscheduled castes and backward classes (SCs and BCs)for the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samitis are issuedrequired caste cer tificates at the earliest, so that no aspir-ant is deprived of his right to contest. In letter written tothe Commission, SAD spokesman and senior vice presi-dent Daljeet Singh Cheema pointed out that the electionswere announced on August 29 in the afternoon and publicisedthe next day through newspapers."Since then the government offices in the state are closedand would open on Tuesday - September 4, when the pro-cess of nomination would begin, leaving the aspirant withno time to obtain mandatory certificates," he pointed out.Cheeema said that all officers concerned from DistrictMagistrate down to Kanungo and Patwari be directed toensure that such certificates are delivered instantly. "Ifthis is not possible, the candidates should be allowed tofile nominations along with an affidavit with an explicitprovision to submit such caste cer tificates later," he said.Expressing shock and surprise, Cheema said that districtadministration notified the reserved for SCs and BCs forthe ensuing polls only after announcement of the pollsschedule. "Moreover, the voting lists are not available tilldate to political par ties. How can anybody file without cross-checking his name on the voters' list?" Cheema asked."This hasty action only smacks of a conspiracy of theruling par ty Congress to deny opportunity to the rivals to contestthe polls by denying their candidates the mandatory certificates andthe Commission has willy-nilly become a partner in this nefariousgame of the ruling par ty," he alleged.

Kejriwal backs Hardik's demandsof farm loan waiverNEW DELHI, (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwalhas supported Gujarat's Patidar leader Hardik Patel, whosehunger strike entered the 10th day saying the farm loans offarmers must be waived off. "The farm loan of the farmersmust be waived off. Hardik Patel is fighting for cause offarmers. Entire farmer and society is with him. His hardwork would not go in vein. Let god give him strength,"Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi. On Sunday, Patel sentback a government medical team in protest against thepolice baton charge on his suppor ters during the day. The25-year-old had on August 24 given up drinking water. ThePatidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader is on fast topress for his demand for reservations to the Patidars, loanwaiver for farmers and release of his aide Alpesh Kathiria,who is in jail on sedition charges.


TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018i n d i a

PEOPLE HOLD PLACARDS CONDEMNING THE ARRESTS THIS WEEK OF FIVE PROMINENT RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN NEW DELHI.

Shiv Sena targets police over arrests of 'Urban Naxals'

Congress seeks independent probeinto 'coal import scam'NEW DELHI, (IANS) The Congress on Monday targeted the Centreover a stalled probe against the Adani Group and demanded a time-bound, independent probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) intoan alleged Rs 29,000-crore scam involving over-valuation of coalimpor ts. Days after Adani Group moved the Bombay High Cour t seek-ing to quash all Letters Rogatory (LRs) issued by the Directorate ofRevenue Intelligence (DRI), the Congress launched a frontal attack onPrime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley forbeing silent on the scam involving "Modi's industrialist friend" GautamAdani. "Jaitley writes blogs on every issue, but he is silent on this. Heshould write a blog on this. He doesn't have the power to take anyaction," said Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh. Earlier, aSingapore court had rejected Adani Global's plea, seeking a stay toproduce documents pertaining to coal impor ts to India mostly fromIndonesia. After that, the group moved the Bombay High Cour t onAugust 28. The DRI had alleged that the companies inflated the priceof coal they were importing from Indonesia to siphon off money abroadand to avail higher power tariff compensation."In October 2014, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence announced thatthere was a huge scam on coal import and a probe was initiated onthe over-invoicing of impor t of coal. On March 31, 2016, DRI gave anew statement that 40 companies are involved in this scam and it iswor th Rs 29,000 crore," said Ramesh. In September 2017, a PIL wasfilled at the Delhi High Cour t by an NGO run by (Advocate) PrashantBhushan and it demanded a Special Investigative Team (SIT) probe."On March 9, 2018, DRI in a litigation in the Delhi High Court said therewas no need for an SIT and that it was probing the 40 companies andshowcause notices were issued to four companies," he said, addingthe companies given notices belonged to Gautam Adani, Anil Ambaniand the Essar group.The four companies include Knowledge Infrastructure Systems PvtLtd, Coastal Energy Pvt Ltd, Reliance Infrastructure Ltd and RosaPower Supply Co Ltd. "Adani Group filed a litigation in the Singaporecourt urging the documents, which are available with SBI (State Bankof India) Singapore branch on the issue, should not be given to theIndian government," Ramesh said. On May 20, 2016, then RevenueSecretary Hasmukh Adhia (now Finance Secretary) wrote to SBI chair-man Arundhati Bhattacharya saying the bank should provide thosedocuments to DRI so that the probe could be completed, he said. "After four days, she replied to Adhia saying the documents can't beprovided because it was against Singapore law," the Congress leaderadded. "The probe has been stalled for four years. But no action hasbeen taken against the company so far," Ramesh said. "We demandthat the DRI probe should be impartial, objective and time-bound. Thegovernment should talk to the Singapore government and all papersshould be provided to the DRI," he said.

AKALI DAL BOYCOTTS DEBATE ONRANJIT PANEL REPORT, HOLDSMOCK SESSIONCHANDIGARH - Akali Dal and its ally Bharatiya Janata Par ty (BJP) onTuesday boycotted the debate on the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Com-mission report on sacrilege on the last day of the monsoon session ofthe assembly, saying the 14-minute slot allotted to their MLAs tospeak on the issue was too less. When speaker Rana KP Singhallotted time to them, SAD legislators raised slogans and stormed thewell of the House. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who led thepar ty MLAs raising slogans against the speaker, said 14 minuteswere inadequate for the purpose as the panel report has mainly fo-cused on the previous government. The speaker said the time wasallotted according to the Akali Dal's strength (number of MLAs) in theHouse and he was ready to increase their time but he will have to doit proportionately for others also. In the two-hour slot for the debate,the speaker citing the rulebook gave 1 hour 20 minutes to the Con-gress, 21 minutes to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), 14 minutes to SAD, 3minutes to BJP and 2 minutes to the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP). Raisingslogans, the Akali MLAs created ruckus and did not relent even afterthe speaker assured them that sufficient time will be given to every-one to participate in the discussion. But the protesting MLAs flungphotocopies of the report in the air and walked out. The SAD legisla-tors held a mock session outside the assembly to debate the com-mission repor t making Batala MLA Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal thespeaker of the House. During the mock session, they rejected therepor t findings as 'bogus' report. "The repor t has been prepared byCapt Amarinder Singh's ministers Sukhjinder Randhawa and TriptRajinder Bajwa along with Justice Ranjit Singh and his brother-in-lawand Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sukhpal Khaira.

MUMBAI, (IANS) The Shiv Sena on Monday targeted the MaharashtraPolice for the arrest of five so-called "urban-Naxals" on charges thatthey were a plotting a Rajiv Gandhi-style assassination of Prime Min-ister Narendra Modi among others. "The police contentions behindthe arrests are ridiculous. The erstwhile government of Prime Minis-ter Manmohan Singh was voted out and removed by the people - notby Maoists. As of now… at least, it is still possible to change thegovernment through the democratic processes," the Sena said."The (Pune) Police must not shoot off their mouths like this and thegovernment must bar them from such statements. Its sheer stupid-ity," the Sena said in editorials in the par ty organs "Saamana" and"Dopahar Ka Saamana". The editorial also took on the Pune Policeover claims that Modi was allegedly being targeted for a 'Rajiv Gandhi-

style assassination'. "The former PMs, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi,were fearless and courageous leaders. It was their boldness whichclaimed their lives. But Modi will never indulge in such adventures.He is already provided the best security in the world and not even abird can over fly him," the Sena pointed out.Dismissing the police contentions, the Sena, a BJP ally in Maharashtraand Centre, said that "if these handful of Maoists had so much politi-cal strength", they would never have lost their (Communist) govern-ments in West Bengal and Tripura. The Pune Police arrested P. VaravaraRao, Sudhar Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Arun Fereira and VernonGonsalves from different cities. "There are some doubts that some-thing is wrong somewhere with these arrests. The facts must comeout before the BJP becomes the butt of new jokes," the Sena said.

BHAGWANT MANN'S GREED FOR CM POST COST PARTY DEAR:AAP REBEL MLA SUKHPAL KHAIRA

CHANDIGARH: For the first time,Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP) rebelMLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira pub-licly launched a fierce attack atSangrur MP Bhagwant Mann,saying "his (Mann's) greed forchief minister's chair cost dear to theparty" in the 2017 Punjab assemblypolls. Khaira was addressing vol-unteers at a convention in Mogahere on Sunday, Hindustan Timesrepor ted. Khaira said AAP leader-ship in New Delhi made a "fakepromise" to Bhagwant Mann dur-ing closed-door meetings that ifthe par ty wins 100 seats in thepolls then he will be made thechief minister of Punjab."Bhagwant Mann lost mind andtook the par ty on the wrong path,"Khaira said. "Mann claimed thathe cemented the party's base inPunjab and attended more thanhundred rallies. What about Mogapeople who gave a lead of morethan 1 lakh votes to par ty MP from

Faridkot, Sadhu Singh, in the LokSabha polls when there was no partystructure in Punjab?" said Khaira.Khaira and six other rebel MLAswere present at the rally whileJaitu MLA Baldev Singh missedit as he is out of the country. TheAAP rebels gave an ultimatum of40 days to the Congress govern-

ment to take appropriate actionin the sacrilege and firing inci-dents on the basis of findings ofthe Ranjit Singh panel report.AAP MLA from Kharar , KanwarSandhu, said they will soon an-nounce organisational structureof the state body. "AAP volunteersmust question national convenor

Arvind Kejr iwal whether hethought about the feelings of thou-sands of volunteers before offer-ing an unconditional apology toBikram Singh Majithia," Sandhusaid. The organisers presentedred turbans to leaders, on which,Khaira said "our opponents willnow declare us comrades'.

AAP DISSIDENTS WILL MEET SAME FATE AS AKALISTALWART TOHRA: BHAGWANT MANN

CHANDIGARH - With the Lok Sabha elections less than a yearaway, a straight divide in the Punjab's Aam Aadmi Par ty (AAP)came to the fore publically on Sunday, Hindustan Times repor ted.Hours after dissident MLA Sukhpal Khaira accused Bhagwant Mannof being "greedy for chief minister's chair in the 2017 state polls" ata rally in Moga, the Sangrur MP raised his doubts over the politicalfuture of Khaira, without naming him.Mann, in contrast to Khaira's scathing attack on him, sounded de-fensive as he never named Khaira in his speech at a public meet-ing in rebel AAP MLA Jagdev Singh Kamalu's Maur constituency,adjoining Bathinda. "The par ty is bigger than a person, and let metell you that those going against the par ty's interests will meet thesame fate as Akali stalwar t late Gurcharan Singh Tohra did, who,along with 13 MLAs, had to return to Akali Dal after a rebellion,"Mann said.It may be recalled that Tohra had caused a ver tical split in the AkaliDal by forming Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal with the suppor t of13 rebel MLAs, five of whom were ministers in the Badal govern-ment (1997-2002). "The people of Punjab must stand united withAAP to throw away both the Congress and the Akali Dal," Mann

said, as he accused the Badals and chief minister Capt AmarinderSingh of being hand-in-glove. "Those who rebel against their par tywill meet the same fate as Tohra did who had to come back to thepar ty fold. I am a soldier of the par ty," Mann reiterated.Against the six MLAs sharinf space with Khaira at the Moga rally,Bhagwant was accompanied by four MLAs -party's leader in the assemblyHarpal Cheema, Baljinder Kaur from Talwandi Sabo, Rupinder KaurRuby from Bathinda Rural and Budh Ram from Budhlada.

AAP WILL NOT ALLY WITH CONGRESS: GOPAL RAINEW DELHI, (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will not ally with the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Gopal Rai, a cabinet minister in the Delhigovernment, has said, adding that being a part of a post-poll Grand Alliance will depend on the manner in which the electorate votes. "No," the Delhi StateConvenor of the party snapped when asked during an interview with IANS whether there was any chance of an AAP-Congress alliance for the polls. He said hisparty aimed to end the dictatorship of the BJP, which created hurdles in the development work of the Delhi government and made the national capital suffer. "Thereis no 'Mahagathbandhan' (Grand Alliance) before the elections. There will be one post elections and being its part or not will depend totally on the situation. Ouraim is very clear, we want the Modi government to go. We will do all we can to remove the BJP government," he said. "We want an end to the dictatorship of theBJP. It has destroyed Delhi. Not helping us in our work is one thing. But they have created hurdles in our work. So, the favourable thing for Delhi will be that BJPshould go." The party will focus on Delhi, Haryana and Punjab during the 2019 elections. "We will work hard on the seats where we have awinning trend." The AAP is also focusing on the September 12 Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) polls and towards this end, itsChhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) student's wing has joined hands with the lef t-wing All India Students' Association (AISA).

PM MODI AHEAD WITH 48% VOTESIN ONLINE POLL: I-PAC SURVEYCONTD. FROM PAGE 1The survey said the respondents cited women's empowerment,farm crisis, economic inequality, problems of students, educa-tion in health and hygiene, sanitation, communal unity and ba-sic education among the top priority issues for the country.It also identified people such as Akshay Kumar, Raghuram Rajan,MS Dhoni, Yogi Ramdev and journalist Ravish Kumar who arepopular as "people who should be in politics."The survey, released on Monday, is similar to the one Kishor-mentored Citizens for Accountable Governance, did in 2013,projecting Modi was the most favoured leader in the country.Critics have, however, noted that it is an online survey and hasits limitations because a large part of the country, specificallyrural India could not have been able to access the survey.However, I-PAC members said the objective of the online pollwas to reach out to a significant part of the population that hasaccess to the internet and get an idea of what the country thinks.Once seen as an impor tant member of the Modi team whoplayed an important role in 2014 campaign, Kishor in 2015 hadclosely worked with Nitish Kumar for the victory of themahagatbandhan in Bihar, af ter which he had strategised therole of the Congress in Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance inUP elections in 2017 that did not see good results.But now, according to BJP sources, Kishor is par t of their par ty'scampaign ecosystem for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and has beengiven the responsibility of planning the 150th birth anniversarycelebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018 i n d i a

PUNJAB ASSEMBLY ADOPTS RESOLUTION TO OPENKARTARPUR SAHIB CORRIDOR IN PAKISTAN

AS PATIDAR LEADER HARDIK PATEL’S FAST UNTO DEATH ENTERED THE 9TH DAY ON SUNDAY, HE SAID HE HAS MADE HISWILL, ANTICIPATING HE MAY DIE OF HUNGER FOLLOWING NO RESPONSE FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO HIS AGITATION.HIS PARENTS, A GAUSHALA (COW SHELTER) AND KIN OF 14 PATIDAR YOUTHS WHO DIED IN VIOLENT PROTESTS THREEYEARS AGO HAVE BEEN NAMED AS INHERITORS OF HIS WILL. (PHOTO PTI)

PUNJAB CM ANNOUNCESTIME-BOUND SIT PROBEINTO SACRILEGE CASESCHANDIGARH, (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh onTuesday announced in the Assembly a time-bound probe by the SITinstead of the CBI into various sacrilege cases and subsequent policefiring in Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura in 2015. He also assured thehouse of immediate action on the findings and recommendations ofthe Special Investigation Team (SIT) to ensure justice to the innocentvictims. The Chief Minister's announcement came after the houseunanimously passed a resolution by a voice vote to opt out of a CBIprobe and an SIT investigation instead. The resolution was moved byRural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa on therequest from the Chief Minister, who took cognisance of senti-ments of a majority of MLAs, including those of the ruling Con-gress and the opposition Aam Aadmi Party. The Chief Minister,while concluding a debate on Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commis-sion repor t on the sacrilege and police firing, said there was noquestion of going soft on his predecessor Parkash Singh Badal,whom he squarely blamed for the damage caused to the state andits people with his "grave acts of omission and commission." Hecame down heavily on Akali leaders, including Parkash SinghBadal, his son Sukhbir Singh Badal and daughter-in-law HarsimratKaur Badal and the latter's brother Bikram Singh Majithia, for "fail-ing to even visit those injured in the police firing in Behbal Kalanand Kotkapura." The Chief Minister said that the Congress hadpromised during campaigning for Assembly elections to bring outthe truth in the Bargari sacrilege case and subsequent police fir-ing. He said he had decided to get the incident thoroughly probewhen he visited the injured. Referring to the Army's OperationBluestar in Harmandar Sahib in 1984, he said that Akali leaderParkash Singh Badal was directly to blame for the incident. "When-ever there was any scope for negotiations, Badal sabotaged theeffor ts," the Chief Minister claimed, adding that he would run awayafter promising hardliners his suppor t.

Avail doorstep delivery of 'services'from September 10: KejriwalNEW DELHI, (IANS) From September 10, the people of Delhi won'thave to run from office to office to get their work done as the Delhigovernment will star t its "doorstep delivery of services" in thecity, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said. Through doorstep deliv-ery of services, Kejriwal said, a person can even get an income orcaste cer tificate, driver's license, or pension through a "singlephone number." "On September 10, the Delhi government willgive you a single phone number on which you can just order theservice you want. Just convey the time to suit your convenience,and a Delhi government official will come to your doorstep to getyour work done," said Kejriwal. He was speaking at the inauguralfunction of the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office in DwarkaSector 10, which he said, would help people in the area wherethey had to travel long distances to get an income or caste cer tifi-cate. Kejriwal said the doorstep delivery of services would re-move the role of touts, save people's time and cut shor t longqueues in front of offices. "After just one call, the official will cometo your home with all the required machines including biometricsand scanners. You will then just have to upload your documentsand your cer tificate or license will be delivered to you within aweek," he said. He said this scheme would first consist of only "40government services" by the Delhi government but will graduallyoffer 150 services to the people of the national capital.

'KAMDAR' MODI DESTROYEDINDIA'S ECONOMY: KAPIL SIBALNEW DELHI, (IANS) Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Sundayhit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the "so-calledkamdar" had destroyed India's economy with no jobs and no solu-tions to rising unemployment. Sibal's comment comes in continu-ation of the war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Par ty(BJP) and the Congress, as Modi on Saturday lashed out at theUPA government for generating bad loans and leaving behind alegacy of non-per forming assets."Uninformed allegations make for good sound bytes; onlyevidence of Modiji's frustration. The so-called kamdar hasdestroyed India's economy. No jobs and no solutions insight," The Congress leader tweeted, taking a jibe at thePrime Minister who prides in calling himself a "kamdar", ora relentless worker. Sibal said the ruling BJP was the big-gest non-performing asset (NPA) of the country.

CHANDIGARH, (IANS) The Punjab Assembly, led by Chief MinisterAmarinder Singh, on Monday unanimously passed a resolution ask-ing the Central government to pursue with Pakistan the issue of open-ing of the Kar tarpur Sahib corridor during the 550th bir thday celebra-tions of the first Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Nanak Dev. The resolution wasmoved by the Chief Minister on the second day of the monsoon ses-sion of the Assembly.All members of the House, cutting across par ty lines, were of theview that the opening of the corridor would enable millions of Indiandevotees to pay obeisance at the the historic Sri Kar tarpur SahibGurdwara. The Gurdwara, where the first Sikh Guru spent the lastyears of his life, is located in Pakistan across the international bor-der, though it is clearly visible from Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab'sGurdaspur district.Moving the resolution, the Chief Minister informed the House that hehad already written to Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swarajto take up the issue with her Pakistani counterpar t. The Punjab gov-ernment, he said, had been urging the government of India, time andagain, to take up the matter with Islamabad. The opening of the corri-dor was a cherished dream of the Sikh community, he added.

VADRA BOOKED, CONGRESS ALLEGES WITCH-HUNT BY MODINEW DELHI, (IANS) The Congress on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modihad launched a "vicious and malicious witch-hunt" by filing cases against formerHaryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Rober t Vadra, brother-in-law ofparty chief Rahul Gandhi, for a controversial 2008 land deal in Gurugram.The Congress said it was being done to diver t attention from the corr uption saga ofRafale deal, demonetisation, Rs 12 lakh crore loot through hike in fuel prices, failureto create two crore jobs every year, rapidly falling rupee and failing economy andcomplete failure of the BJP government. "A new set of manufactured lies is beingserved through false and fake FIRs against political opponents," said Congressspokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala."As elections to the four states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh andMizoram along with the general elections draw near, the fake news factory and dirty

tricks depar tment of the Modi government-BJP act maliciously in pursuit of their vicious propaganda." Denying any wrongdoing, Surjewalasaid Skylight Hospitality of Vadra purchased land measuring 3.5 acres on January 28, 2008 in the notified commercial zone of Sikohpur inGurugram through a registered sale-deed for Rs 7.95 crore, including stamp duties."In accordance with the prevailing government policy for grant of licence, a commercial licence for 2.5 acres was granted on December15, 2008. After a lapse of nearly five years, this land was sold by Skylight to DLF for IRs58 crore on September 18, 2012. Even on thisamount, Skylight/Vadra paid an additional tax of IRs8 crore."A total amount of IRs24.11 crore was paid in statutory charges/taxes against the receipt of sale price of IRs58 crore. Even the licenceremains valid till date and has not been cancelled on account of violation of any rule or law or policy for grant of licence. The allegationsare false and fabricated on the face of it." Soorjewala said the malice of Modi-BJP government was apparent from the fact that variousgovernments in Haryana, including the BJP and BJP-Lok Dal governments, had issued licences for 33,697.57 acres of land, including over11,000 acres in Gurugram alone. The Manohan Lal Khattar government in Haryana has itself given licences of over a few thousandacres for change of land use to commercial-residential-institutional purposes in the last more than four years, said Surjewala."If grant of a licence is wrong, as is being alleged in the FIR, should a similar FIR then be not lodged against Khattar andothers for giving commercial and other licences under the same policy?"

AMARINDER DEVOID OF MORAL CHARACTER: PARKASH BADALCHANDIGARH, (IANS) In perhaps the sharpest personal attack on his political opponent, Shiromani Akali Dal patron Parkash SinghBadal said on Saturday that the state Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was "devoid of moral character and given to pursuits of unethicalleisure and pleasure". In a hard-hitting statement here on Saturday in response to recent statements by Amarinder Singh regardingBadal ordering firing by the police on people protesting against sacrilege incidents of Guru Granth Sahib in October 2015, Badal saidthat the chief minister "had lowered the dignity of the august office he happens to hold by using foul and cheap language on the floor ofthe Punjab Vidhan Sabha." Referring to the use of expressions such as "Badmash, Buzdil, liar and unreliable", Badal said that "everysensitive and civilized Punjabi has been deeply hur t to see their Chief Minister stooping to such lowly depth. But I expected nothingbetter than this from a leader whose mind is debased and who is not only a rank oppor tunist but is also devoid of moral character andgiven to pursuits of unethical leisure and pleasure." Amarinder is often on the firing line of his political opponents due to his closefriendship with Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam who lives with him in Chandigarh.Badal, however, said that he is saddened (by the events) and that he has to hit back at those who hit below the belt."If according to youa person who has spent long years languishing in the country's worst and the darkest prison cells fighting for the cause of the nation,the state and of the Khalsa Panth is a coward, then what would you call someone who has never fought for any cause nor been to aprison for even a moment nor made any other sacrifice for any principle he believes in, if he does believe in any?" Badal, a five timeChief Minister, asked. Badal said that Amarinder represented a par ty which is responsible for the worst and the most painful sacrilege against GuruGranth Sahib committed when (then Prime Minister) Indira Gandhi rolled tanks and mortars to destroy Akal Takhat during the Operation Blue Star on the GoldenTemple complex in 1984. "My mind and my conscience are absolutely clean in this regard. I have devoted my life and time for the peace and communal harmonyof Punjab.A I am not scared of the threats being thrown by a hollow braggar t who wastes his life in the pursuit of unethical pleasures. "I have discharged withutmost honesty, transparency, dedication and commitment whatever sacred duty had been assigned to me by the people of Punjab," Badal, 90, said, adding thathe will continue to serve the Punjabis till his last breath. Regarding the firing on protestors opposing the sacrilege incidents, Badal made itclear that there were clear and firm instructions from him that the entire issue should be resolved through discussion and dialogue.


TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018w o r l d

'NO STRINGS ATTACHED': CHINA’S XI JINPINGON MASSIVE $60 BILLION AID TO AFRICA

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE PROTESTED AGAINST CORRUPTION AND DEMANDED NEW GOVERNMENT IN ROMANIA.

US cancels $300 mn aid toPakistan over terror groupsWASHINGTON, (IANS) The US military has announcedthat it was cancelling $300 million in aid to Pakistan overwhat it calls Islamabad's failure to take action againstmilitant groups, a new blow to worsening bilateral tiesbetween the two countries. "Due to a lack of Pakistanidecisive actions in suppor t of the South Asia Strategy, theremaining $300 million was reprogrammed," Pentagonspokesman Lieutenant Colonel Kone Faulkner said in astatement recently."We continue to press Pakistan to indiscriminately targetall terrorist groups," Faulkner said, adding that the $300million aid, which had earlier been suspended, would benow aimed at spending on other "urgent priorities" due to"a lack of Pakistani decisive actions" in tackling the is-sue. The move, which needs to be approved by US Con-gress, is par t of a broader suspension announced in Janu-ary when Washington had announced that it was cuttingalmost all security aid to the Islamabad, repor ts the BBC.Saturday's announcement comes before US Secretary ofState Mike Pompeo's scheduled visit to Pakistan this weekand meet the country's newly-elected Prime Minister,Imran Khan. The US State Depar tment has criticised Pa-kistan for failing to deal with terrorist networks operatingon its soil, including the Haqqani network and the AfghanTaliban with President Donald Tr ump also accusingIslamabad of deceiving Washington while receiving bil-lions of dollars.Washington has long complained that Pakistan provides asafe haven to militant groups, including the Afghan Taliban,Haqqani Network and Al Qaeda, allowing them to carryout cross-border attacks in Afghanistan. Pakistan hasdenied these claims. Since 2002, Pakistan has receivedover $33 billion in US assistance, including $14 billion inCoalition Support Funds, a US Defence Depar tment programmeto reimburse allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-insurgency operations.

PAKISTAN TO ADDRESSDEFICIENCIES IN ANTI-MONEYLAUNDERING SYSTEMISLAMABAD, (IANS) Pakistan's Finance Minister AsadUmar has said that the government will address all 27deficiencies pointed out by the Financial Action Task Force(FATF) in the country's anti-money laundering system ear-lier this year. Addressing the Senate on Friday, Umar saidthat the National Executive Committee (NEC) headed byhim, will review the action plan so as to handle the defi-ciencies related to currency smuggling and alleged terrorfinancing by proscribed organisations in Pakistan, repor tsXinhua news agency.On June 30, the FATF formally put Pakistan in a grey listand identified it as a country with "strategic deficiencies"in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financ-ing regime, notifying the steps the country must take toaddress the shor tcomings. Pakistan made a commitmentto the action plan, which it would implement over the next13 months. Failure to negotiate the action plan could leadPakistan to the blacklist.The deficiencies identified in Pakistani anti-money laun-dering and counter-terrorism financing regime includeinadequate monitoring and regulatory mechanisms, lowconviction rate on unlawful transactions, poor implemen-tation of UN Security Council resolutions and cross-bor-der illicit movement of currency by terrorist groups. Umartold the Senate that a FATF delegation visited Pakistanfrom August 13 to 16, but the visit was not linked with thereview of implementation status.He said the first review meeting would be held in Jakar taon September 11 and 12. "The government is taking stepsto overcome the deficiencies identified by the FATF," saidthe Minister, adding that Pakistan had reservations aboutthe procedure used for putting the country on the grey listand that there is no chance of any kind of immediate sanc-tions on Islamabad.

INDIA, PAKISTAN DISCUSSIMPLEMENTATION OF INDUSWATERS TREATY PROJECTSNEW DELHI, (IANS) India and Pakistan have discussedthe implementation of various hydroelectric projects un-der the Indus Waters Treaty during the 115th meeting ofthe India-Pakistan Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) inLahore on August 29-30, the External Affairs Ministry saidrecently. "As per the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty1960, technical discussions were held on the implemen-tation of various hydroelectric projects, including PakalDul (1,000 MW) and Lower Kalnai(48 MW) in Jammu andKashmir," the Ministry said in a statement."Both the countries agreed to undertake the Treaty-man-dated tours of both the Indus Commissioners in the Indusbasin on both sides," it said. "Deliberations were alsoheld on fur ther strengthening the role of the PermanentIndus Commission on matters falling under the Treaty pur-view." The treaty was signed in 1960 and involves theBeas, Ravi, Sutlej, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum rivers.Brokered by the World Bank, the treaty gave the right touse waters of the first three rivers to India and of the otherthree to Pakistan.India has said it has the right under the treaty to set uphydroelectric plants on the tributaries of the rivers flowingthrough its territory. Pakistan fears this might reduce thewater flow into its territory. During the Lahore talks, theIndian side was led by P.K. Saxena, the Indian Commis-sioner for Indus Waters.

IRAN CRITICIZES EUROPE'S 'INACTION' OVER NUKE DEALTEHRAN, (IANS) Lack of effor ts by Europe to save the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal will have "serious consequences," Kamal Kharrazi,chief of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, said on Sunday, according to Tehran Times daily. "Re-imposition of sanctionsand pressure (by Washington) and Europe's lack of immediate action to meet obligations under the JCPOA (nuclear deal) will haveserious consequences," said Kharrazi, former Iranian foreign minister.He made the remarks during a meeting with British Minister of State for the Middle East, Alistair Bur t, in the capital Tehran. Burt saidthat the British position on the JCPOA is totally different from that of the United States. "We are looking for a European mechanism forsuccess of the JCPOA," Bur t said, adding that Britain seeks to boost cooperation with Iran. Iran has urgently called for Europe's"practical and tangible measures" to protect Iranian interests after the U.S. pullout.Iran signed the landmark nuclear deal with the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany in 2015 to halt itsnuclear weapons program in exchange for sanctions relief. US President Donald Trump decided on May 8 to quit the Iranian nucleardeal and vowed to reimpose sanctions, including oil embargo, on Tehran.

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping told African leaders Monday that China'sinvestments on the continent have "no political strings attached", pledging$60 billion in new development financing, even as Beijing is increasinglycriticised over its debt-heavy projects abroad.Xi offered the funding at the star t of a two-day China-Africa summit thatfocused on his cherished Belt and Road initiative. The money -- to be spentover the next three years -- comes on top of $60 billion Beijing offered in 2015.The massive scheme is aimed at improving Chinese access to foreign mar-kets and resources, and boosting Beijing's influence abroad.It has already seen China loan billions of dollars to countries in Asia andAfrica for roads, railways, por ts and other major infrastructure projects.But critics warn that the Chinese leader's pet project is burying some coun-tries under massive debt."China's investment in Africa comes with no political strings attached," Xi tolda high-level dialogue with African leaders and business representatives aheadof the summit."China's cooperation with Africa is clearly targeted at the major bottlenecksto development. Resources for our cooperation are not to be spent on anyvanity projects, but in places where they count the most." But Xi admittedthere was a need to look at the commercial viability of projects and makesure preparations are made to lower investment risks and make cooperation"more sustainable".Belt and Road, Xi said, "is not a scheme to form an exclusive clubor bloc against others. Rather it is about greater openness, shar-ing and mutual benefit."Later, at the start of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Xiannounced $60 billion in funds for eight initiatives over the next three years,in areas ranging from industrial promotion, infrastructure construction andscholarships for young Africans.He added that Africa's least developed, heavily indebted and poor countrieswill be exempt from debt they have incurred in the form of interest-freeChinese loans due to mature by the end of 2018.A study by the Center for Global Development, a US think-tank, found "seriousconcerns" about the sustainability of sovereign debt in eight Asian, Europeanand African countries receiving Belt and Road funds.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa defended China's involvement onthe continent, saying FOCAC "refutes the view that a new colonialism istaking hold in Africa as our detractors would have us believe."During a visit to China last month, Malaysian prime minister MahathirMohamed warned against "a new version of colonialism," as he cancelled aseries of Chinese-backed infrastructure projects wor th $22 billion.Ahead of FOCAC, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, currently the chair of theAfrican Union, also dismissed the concerns, telling the official Xinhua newsagency talk of "debt traps" were attempts to discourage African-Chineseinteractions.At the last three-yearly gathering in Johannesburg in 2015, Xi announced $60billion of assistance and loans for Africa.Nations across Africa are hoping that China's enthusiasm for infrastructureinvestment will help promote industrialisation on the continent.Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will oversee the signing of a tele-communication infrastructure deal backed by a $328-million loan facilityfrom China's Exim bank during his visit, his office said.Xi said Belt and Road complies with international norms, and China "wel-comes the par ticipation of other capable and willing countries for mutuallybeneficial third-party cooperation". China has provided aid to Africa since theCold War, but Beijing's presence in the region has grown exponentially withits emergence as a global trading power.

ALMOST 20,000 PEOPLE HAVE MARCHED THROUGH BERLIN AND HAMBURG DEMANDING THAT GERMANY TAKE IN MORE MIGRANTS STRANDEDAT SEA. SUNDAY'S MARCHES WERE ORGANIZED IN RESPONSE TO THE VIOLENT ANTI-MIGRANT PROTESTS IN CHEMNITZ.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018 w o r l d

Hundreds escape prison near Libya's Tripoli: police

PRESIDENT RAM NATH KOVIND MET WITH PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS - NICOS ANASTASIADES, IN NICOSIA, CYPRUS.

Imran Khan ropes in foreignexperts to rebuild Pak's debt-ridden economyISLAMABAD, (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has ropedin some renowned foreign economists in the newly-constitutedeconomic advisory panel to provide the best possible professionaladvice to his cash-strapped government on prudent economicpolicies, media has repor ted. The immediate challenge for theKhan-led government is to arrange finances to fill about a USD 10billion gap that is arising due to higher outflows than estimatedinflows. Pakistan's current account deficit stands at USD 18 billion,while its foreign currency reserves are just over USD 10 billion,enough to cover two months of imports, according to figuresreleased before the cricketer-turned-politician was sworn-in asprime minister. One of the first tests facing Khan's government iswhether to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund orto turn to China with a plea for more economic aid.Unlike past practices, the new 18-member Economic AdvisoryCouncil (EAC) will be headed by the prime minister himself toensure that the best possible professional advice is available tothe Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government to inform, optimiseand synergise the formulation and implementation of its economicand financial policies. The first meeting of the council will beconvened soon, Dawn newspaper reported.In the past, EACs were headed by finance ministers with no definiteagenda for regular meetings. It was observed that EAC met evenonce in four months and its advice was not considered seriously.Consequently, EACs have become mere debating forums, the reportsaid. According to the terms of reference, the ministry of financewill be the nodal government agency for the EAC, which will functionin an entirely non-partisan manner and is expected to strengthenexisting state institutions in a collaborative and concer ted manner.The ultimate goal of the EAC is to promote analytically sound andevidence-based reforms and initiatives for the progress anddevelopment of Pakistan. Out of the EAC's 18 members, sevenbelong to government and 11 are from the private sector. From theprivate sector, three leading international academics made EACmembers are Atif R Mian of Princeton University (Department ofMember Economics) and Woodrow Wilson School of PublicPolicy), Asim ljaz Khawaja, Sumitomo-FASID Professor of MemberInternational Finance and Development at the Harvard Kennedy School,and lmran Rasul, Professor of Economics, Depar tment of MemberEconomics, University College, London. The council is expected to play apivotal role in strengthening the government's capacity to design andintroduce sound and effective policies for rapid and continued social andeconomic advancement, human resource development,improvement of business processes, and strengthening of dataservices. The council will also facilitate capacity building of thegovernment in conducting policy analysis and will assist the governmentin reaching out to the international network of recognised economists toinvite them to contribute to Pakistan's development. Prime Minister Khanhas asked the committee to give its recommendations in twoweeks for possible steps to be taken for expedient return ofunlawfully acquired assets from abroad.

TRIPOLI, (AFP) Some 400 detainees escaped after a riot on Sunday ata prison in the southern suburbs of the Libyan capital Tripoli, theatreof a week of deadly battles, police said. "The detainees were able toforce open the doors and leave" as fighting between rival militiasraged near the prison of Ain Zara, police said in a statement, withoutspecifying what crimes the escapees had committed.Guards were unable to prevent the prisoners escaping as they fearedfor their own lives, the statement said. A police official contacted byAFP was unable to provide fur ther details. Most detainees at the prisonhave been convicted of common crimes or were suppor ters of formerdictator Moamer Kadhafi, found guilty of killings during the uprisingthat toppled his regime in 2011 According to a health ministry toll, atleast 39 people have been killed and some 100 injured since clashes,including rocket fire, broke out among rival militias Monday in sub-

urbs south of Tripoli. And on Sunday rockets hit a camp for displacedpeople in Tripoli, leaving at least two dead and five injured from thesame family, according to emergency services and witnesses. Thecamp is home to hundreds of displaced people from the Libyan city ofTaourga who were forced into mass exile due to their suppor t forKadhafi. "Most of the families have left the camp fearing more rock-ets," Khaled Omrane, a camp resident, told AFP.According to emergency services, at least 23 rockets fell on the capi-tal on Friday and Saturday causing fresh casualties. The Governmentof National Unity (GNA) which is recognised by the international com-munity on Sunday said it was declaring a state of emergency in theLibyan capital and its environs. The Libyan capital has been at thecentre of a battle for influence between armed groups since Kadhafi'sfall and killing.

UK PRIME MINISTER SAYS NO, AGAIN, TO SECOND BREXIT VOTELONDON, (AP) Britain's prime minister has again spoken out against calls for a second referendum on Britain's decision to split withthe European Union. Theresa May wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that it would be a "gross betrayal of our democracy" to have anothervote. She said "millions came out to have their say" in the June 2016 vote that set Brexit in motion.Her embattled government has faced increasingly strident calls for another vote once the terms of Britain's future relations with theEU are known. The prime minister used the column to defend her "Chequers proposal" that would maintain some ties with the EU, andsaid she won't be pushed around by EU negotiators. Britain is expected to leave the EU in March and enter a transition phase.

Making it all about malechauvinism is ridiculous: Sonu's

response to Kangana

BACHCHANS AND THE BOLLYWOOD CELEBS SUPPORTED SHWETA’S DESIGN DEBUT IN MUMBAI.

KATRINA KAIF IS CUTE AND SULTRY ALL ATTHE SAME TIME IN NEW PHOTOSHOOT

NANDITA DAS TO PROTEST AGAINST GENDER INEQUALITY AT TIFFMUMBAI, ( IANS) Actress-turned-director Nandita Das has been invited to par ticipate in a movement called 'Share herjourney' by Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2018 where she will speak about gender inequality in the filmindustry. Nandita took to Twitter and wrote: "At TIFF, in addition to 'Manto' Nor th American premiere, I will par ticipate in'Share her journey' and will share my perspective along with six incredible women at a public rally hosted by thefestival. Can't wait." The filmmaker, who earlier attended the film's screening at the Cannes Film festival where she wasseen protesting against gender gap, feels proud at getting the oppor tunity to speak on gender parity in films at aninternational platform once again. On the same, she penned a long post on Facebook which reads: "This year wasdoubly rewarding when 'Manto' began its journey with a world premiere at Cannes, and I participated in the march witha select group of 82 women protesting gender inequality in the film industry. "Soon, I will be going to the TorontoInternational Film Festival for Manto's Nor th American premiere. There, I have been invited to par ticipate in themovement called 'Share Her Journey' to champion female storytellers and push gender parity in films." She also mentioned that issues like sexismand sexual misconduct exist in the industry and almost every single actress has dealt with it. "We all know that sexism, gender disparity and sexualmisconduct are widespread in the film industry. Almost all of us have been privy to it and most have experienced it firsthand. In the past year, the#MeToo and #TimesUp movements have shed a much-needed spotlight on the harsh reality faced by women in the industry. "While not enoughcriminal prosecutions have happened yet, it has given hope to women in the industry that silence does not have to be an option."

INDIA SUFFERED A 60-RUN DEFEAT AGAINST ENGLAND IN THE FOURTH TEST AFTER BEING BOWLED OUT FOR 184 RUNS INTHEIR SECOND INNINGS ON THE FOURTH DAY AT THE ROSE BOWL CRICKET STADIUM HERE ON SUNDAY TO GO DOWN 1-3 INTHE FIVE-MATCH SERIES. I DETAILS ON PAGE 23

MUMBAI, (IANS) Actor Sonu Sood has slammed actress KanganaRanaut for playing the "woman card" and making his exit from"Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi" an issue about "male chauvin-ism." Sonu has walked out of "Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi"owing to his professional commitment towards 'Simmba'. But Kangana,the leading lady of the film, has claimed that he left the movie as he

"refused to work under a woman director." Sonuon Saturday came out with an official state-

ment, saying gender had no play in hisdecision to walk out of the historicaldrama directed by Kr ish."Kangana is a dear friend andshe will always remain onebut this constant playing thewoman card, the victim card andmaking this entire issue about malechauvinism is ridiculous," Sonusaid in a statement. "The gender

of the director is not the is-sue. Competence is. Let's

not confuse the two. Ihave worked with FarahKhan who is a competentwoman director and Farah and

I had a great professional equation andwe are still best of friends. That's all Iwould like to say," he added.

INDIA'S TOP SHOW IN ASIANGAMES PROMISES BRIGHT FUTURE

The best-ever medal haul at 2018 Asiad is a leap forward forIndian sport after the CWG medal spurtWith 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze, India's medal tally stood at 69India equalled the 15-gold tally of the 1951 inaugural Games butthe country had never won 24 silver medals before

JAKARTA: Achievements over the past two weeks, in the world'ssecond biggest multi-spor t event, matched India's aspirations andset the country on a road that appears far more promising than thepath it has been on for decades. The best-ever medal haul at the 2018Asian Games is a leap forward for Indian spor t af ter the Common-wealth Games medal spurt.In pursuit of excellence in the spor ting arena and creating a niche foritself, India never had it so good in the continental showpiece that isconsidered next only to the Olympic Games.Even as the medallists come back with a feeling of accomplishmentfrom Jakar ta and Palembang, the surge in podium finishes could trigger newpassion for Olympic spor ts in a country so obsessed with cricket.

I CONTD. ON PAGE 23

Very few of us have the good for tune of being calledcute or sultry and even fewer are wor thy of boastingof both these traits. Actor Katrina Kaif is one such

woman. Katrina shared a bunch of pictures from a recentshoot, looking like a million bucks. She is seen sitting on awooden stool or looking out the window in the pictures.She is wearing a tiny black bodysuit and a white shir thangs loose from her shoulders. She captioned the photos,“Monday mornings. confused about the furniture.”Katrina recently wrapped the Malta schedule for herupcoming movie, Bharat. She will be seen with SalmanKhan, Disha Patani and Sunil Grover in the film.Salman and Katrina shared the first still from the filmrecently, which features the acting duo twirling to-gether. Katrina looks lovely in a green Sabyasachilehenga-choli combination while Salman keeps it simplein an all-black pathani suit.

Bollyboom goes global, to debut inKuala Lumpur with Guru RandhawaMUMBAI, (IANS) Af ter the High Rated Gabru Tour with Bollyboomacross seven cities in India, singer Guru Randhawa will front PerceptLive's Bollywood dance music proper ty's international debut in KualaLumpur later this month. Bollyboom will make its foreign foray in theMalaysian capital on September 21 at the KL Live, Life Centre.Along with foot-tapping popular numbers from the Punjabi singer-composer,Bollywood music fans in Malaysia can expect Bollyboom to deliver a completelynew twist to this genre of popular music to create a unique live en-tertainment experience. The show will enthrall fans with livepercussionists, exotic per formers and a jaw-dropping on-stage performance combined with special effects and stateof the ar t technology, read a statement. Guru said in astatement: "It has been a great year forme with multiple number one hits. Ilove per forming live and en- g a g -ing with my fans on-ground. The 7-ci tyBollyboom tour is oneof the most extensivetours that I have donein recent times and I 'mglad that it all turned out tobe a great success. "I amextremely happy that weare extending the High RatedGabru Tour to international mar-kets, and I am looking forwardfor my show in Kuala Lumpur."He is expecting a "high level ofenergy and love" from fans.


TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018b o l l y w o o d

BLUSHING ANUSHKA SHARMA SAYS SHE MISSES VIRAT KOHLIAS FANS CHANT HIS NAME AT SUI DHAGA PROMOTIONS

MUMBAI: Wherever Anushka Sharma goes, husband Virat Kohli’smention follows her. The Bollywood actor was left blushing at a re-cent event by her cricketer husband’s fans.On a promotional tour for her upcoming film Sui Dhaga, Anushka waswith her co-star Varun Dhawan in Jaipur on August 27. She was show-casing the film’s trailer to the students of Vivekananda Global Univer-sity when they began chanting Virat’s name. Varun also poked fun ather and said, “Unse mujhe bhi bahut prem hai (Even I love him a lot).”While trying to calm down the fans, Anushka finally confessed thatshe too misses her husband. “Ji ji, haan haan haan! Sabko unse premhai, mujhe bhi hai. Sabko unki yaad aarai hai, mujhe bhi aarai hai.(Yes yes yes! Everyone loves him, I love him too. Everyone misseshim, I miss him too),” she said with a big smile on her face. “But rightnow, let’s focus on the film’s trailer aur phir hum aapko dikhane walehain Chaav Laga, humara pehla gana (Then we will show you ChaavLaga, the first song from the movie),” she added. Almost every face inthe video can be seen with big smiles on their faces.Virat is cur rently in England on a tour. India was handed its thirdconsecutive series defeat against England as it was bowled out for184 runs in the four th Test match on Sunday at the Ageas Bowl cricketground, giving the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-matchseries. Anushka often attends his matches and is seen cheering forhim.Sui Dhaga - Made In India is based on the stories of self-reliance andhigh spirits of the two central characters, Mamta and Mauji, rooted inan ear thy town of India.The love story is slated to hit the screens on September 28 this year.

AFTER SONU SOOD'S EXIT, KANGANA RANAUT TO BEARIRS20 CR ADDITIONAL COST FOR MANIKARNIKA

MUMBAI: As face-off betweenSonu Sood and Kangana Ranautescalates, it has now emerged thatwhat was called patchwork shootin Manikarnika: The Queen ofJhansi, has now blown into a ma-jor reshoot, Mid-day reports. SonuSood, who left the film which willnow be directed by Kangana, hasbeen replaced by MohammedZeeshan Ayyub.The repor t said that what wastermed as a 10-day patchwork

shoot has now become a 45-dayschedule and many scenes fromdirector Krish’s original cut will beshot again. Krish had repor tedly lef tthe film as he had already commit-ted his dates to NTR biopic downsouth and Kangana has steppedinto his role.“During the first screening, the pro-ducers noted that the movie didn’tadhere to the script written by KVVijayendra Prasad. There were glar-ing discrepancies in character es-

tablishment,” a source is quoted assaying. After the reshoot began,they felt ‘they would have to re-shoot several portions, if they wereto be honest to the script’. After ameeting with the producers, an ad-ditional Rs 20 crore were sanc-tioned for the shoot.Hollywood action director NickPowell is repor tedly brought onboard to shoot cer tain action se-quences and a special song withKangana and Ankita Lokhande will

be added to the film.In a statement to Pinkvilla earlierthis week, Kangana had said, “Sonuand I haven’t even met since thelast shot with Krish (director) lastyear. He is busy filming Simmba.He couldn’t even give us tentativedates to match combinations withother actors. The producersshowed him the film and writersnarrated the patchwork to him...herefused to meet me. He vehementlydenied to work under a woman di-rector, which is kind of amusing be-cause Sonu is a dear friend and Ihave even launched the music of afilm that he produced on his re-quest, even though the team sug-gested that they have full faith inme, it seems, Sonu had neitherdates nor faith.”Sonu later lashed out at his ‘dearfriend’ Kangana for playing ‘thewoman card’ . “Kangana is adear friend and she will alwaysremain one but this constant playingthe woman card, the victim card andmaking this entire issue about malechauvinism is ridiculous,” he toldIndia Today. Fi lm’s producershave said that they have completefaith in their lead actor.

AAMIR KHAN SHARES RARE FAMILY PICTURE OF A LAZYSUNDAY, SON AZAD LOOKS LIKE HIS MINI-ME

MUMBAI: Actor Aamir Khan has shared a precious new picture ofhis per fect little family. He took to Instagram to post a photo of hiswife Kiran Rao, son Azad and their little doggy.“Lazy Sunday,” he captioned the photo. In the picture, Kiran iscradling her adorable son in her lap and Azad is holding on to theirdog. Both mother and son are wearing big glasses and enjoying aa good meal with the family. Azad looks like the per fect combina-tion of both his parents in the picture.Katrina Kaif also liked the picture. She will be seen with him in hisupcoming project, Thugs of Hindostan. The film also stars AmitabhBachchan and Fatima Sana Shaikh.Born through surrogacy in December 2011, Azad is Aamir’s thirdchild. The actor also has a daughter Ira Khan and son Junaid Khanfrom his first wife, Reena.In a recently unear thed interview to Chinese media af ter the suc-cess of Dangal and Secret Superstar, Aamir talked about Kiranand their love story. “I met Kiran when I was doing Lagaan. Shewas one of the ADs (assistant directors) on that but at that time,we didn’t have any relationship, we were not even great friends.She was one of the people on the unit. It was after my separationand divorce after some time that I met her again,” he told theinterviewer. “In that moment of trauma, her phone came and Italked to her on the phone for half an hour. And when I put the

phone down, I said, ‘My God! I feel so happy when I talk to her.’ Itstruck me in that instant that when I am talking to her I am sohappy,” he added. Af ter that phone call, Aamir and Kiran begandating and even lived together for more than a year before they got marriedin 2005, three years after his separation from first wife, Reena Dutta. “I cannever imagine a life without Kiran as my par tner. I feel very blessedand I am very grateful in my life... she is a wonder ful person and Iam very lucky to have her in my life,” he said.

Jai Sriram! Bollywood laudsAyushmann Khurrana’s

AndhaDhun trailer

Bollywood has heaped praises on the recently released trailerof AndhaDhun, star ring Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, and RadhikaApte. Celebs including Karan Johar and Arjun Kapoor, among oth-ers, took to social media to laud the trailer, which por trays thestory of a blind pianist (Ayushmann) who witnesses a murder.

Sunny Leone shares adorablenew picture with daughter Nisha

NEW DELHI: Sunny Leone on Sunday shared a new picture ofherself with her daughter, Nisha. Sunny captioned the picturewith, “If she only knew how much I really really love her! Mylittle angel from God!” In the photograph, Sunny and her daugh-ter can be seen posing inside a Dubai skyscraper, looking outinto the vast landscape outside. Sunny is wearing a white T-shir t with the word ‘romance’ printed on it, while Nisha is wear-ing a striped pink dress. Sunny and her husband, Daniel Weber,adopted Nisha in July 2017 from Latur. She had said then, “Themoment we got the picture (of Nisha); I was so excited, happy,emotional and [experienced] so many different feelings. Weliterally had three weeks to finalise everything. Usually, peopleget nine months to prepare.” Sunny had celebrated the one-year anniversary of Nisha entering their lives with a picture onInstagram. “One year ago today our lives changed when webrought you home with us! Today is your 1year “gotcha” anni-versary and I can’t believe it’s only been one year because Ifeel I have known you a lifetime. You are a par t of my hear t andsoul and the most beautiful baby girl in the world! I love youvery much Nisha Kaur Weber!!” she’d written. Later, in March2018, Daniel and Sunny announced the arrival of their twin boys.“We planned and tried to have a family and after so many years,our family is now complete with Asher Singh Weber, Noah SinghWeber and Nisha Kaur Weber. Our boys were born a few weeksago but were alive in our hear ts and eyes for many years.

FAME INTOXICATING BUT YOU SOBER DOWN TOO: DHARMENDRAMUMBAI, (PTI) Veteran actor Dharmendra says fame can be intoxicatingbut one can avoid getting trapped by staying true to one's roots. Dubbedas an actor who has delivered a lot of hits in his long career, Dharmendrasays "money and fame" were never a criteria for him or his children. "Wedon't know how to do rat race. Fame is intoxicating. It goes to your head but yousober down too. We are not addicted to it," Dharmendra told PTI in an interview."But love is a passion which makes a home in hearts. That is what happenedwith us. People can't remove the home we have built in their hearts. They willfeel for us. My audience is my family. They feel a lot for me," he said. The 82-year-old actor said he knew only one way to be -honest and polite. It issomething that his two sons - Sunny and Bobby, have also inherited from him,he said. "I haven't done any drama in my life. I've been honest and giving.We haven't left our roots, nor we ever will. My parents taught me this and

I've taught my children. To respect everyone and be polite. We are blessedto be like this." The actor said another reason for his relevance may be hisdecision to avoid camps. "It's a cut throat competition... there's too muchof it. We weren't part of any groups, we associated with people we liked anddistanced from the ones we didn't. We have hugged people who were deemedweaker because we loved them. "I never got into any group not proclaimed thatI'm number one. Never. Here you have to blow your own trumpet but neither wedid that nor asked someone else to do it for us." Dharmendra, who returned tofilms after a gap of three years with "Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se" recently,does not feel a biopic should be made on him. "My story will be remem-bered anyway, why do we need a biopic? Definitely, there is a story full ofvarious elements -- a small village boy comes here and achieves all ofthis and still remains the same. I will think of it.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018 b o l l y w o o d

CAST: RAO, SHRADDHA KAPOOR,

PANKAJ TRIPATHI, APARSHAKTI

KHURRANA

DIRECTOR: AMAR KAUSHIK

Stree is a gorgeous quirk-tale of mirth & scaresA new language in the horror genre burgeons as we watch this

quirky cocktail - or shall we call it a quirk-tale? -of strangeeerie mysterious goings-on in a minuscule town somewhere

in Madhya Pradesh. First off, the narrative acquires its judiciously-harnessed strength from the lazy serpentine locations. The congestedclaustrophobic gullies and lanes of Chanderi lend themselves effec-tively to the plot that quite literally loses it.This is a film where supernatural beliefs are dragged to the extremesof self-parody and then dragged back up panting puffing and gaspingfor breath. It's a delicious voluptuous mishmash of terror and titilla-tion all titivated in loads of guffaws. To sustain the mood of mir thduring t imes of ter ror is not easy. Stree manages i t . I t a lsosqueezes in a piercing message on gender dignity and women'sempowerment, proclaiming the ill treatment of women to be theroot-cause of all evil perpetrated by ghoulish feminine spirits wan-dering aimlessly in the night.The writing in this case is clearly and literally on the wall, as everyhome in the spooked town has a message 'Stree Kal Aana' painted onthe raw brick wall. Well, Kal or not, this Stree rides the train of mys-tery with bloody-thirsty bravado. Many passages play for anti-cli-mactic scares. And these get annoying when repeated. Even whenthe deadends to the frights are too frequent the film never ceases tobe fun. Barring Shraddha Kapoor who is listless pale and wan (andnot necessarily because the script demands her to be these) theentire cast gets the spirit of spooked satire dead right.

While Aparshakti Khurrana has shaped into one of the strongest sup-por ting ac tors of contemporary Bollywood, what appealed the mostto me was this self-effacing actor's accent. So Nor th Indian in itswackiness, I was left decoding his words long after Khurranafinished uttering them. Pankaj Tripathi as a local scholar -exorcistwith a penchant for alcohol and caller tunes that remind us of beau-tiful ghosts from Raj Khosla's cinema, has the film's best lines. Tripathychews on them for all the meat they've got and spits them out withloving care.As for Rajkummar Rao, he takes ownership of the film and its pecu-liar flavour of fear and fun, instilling the two elements simultaneouslyin several scenes. I dare any other actor to have so much fun withfear. Watch him and Atul Shrivastava in the sequence where 'Deddy'tells son to not go to prostitutes for 'Frandship', but opt for self-helpinstead. It is priceless. Stree moves in mysterious ways through alabyrinth of lip-smacking interludes, some razor-sharp others blunt tothe point of blandness. Even when the momentum of the eerie getsoverly airy, there is still enough steam in the storytelling to keep usinterested, if not enthralled, to the end.And when all fails, there is always Rajkummar Rao. An actor we candepend on to rescue even the most inept scene from doom. LuckilyStree for all its audacious dips and curves through mofussil anxietiesnever stumbles too hard to fall fright on its face. And watch out for thefinal twist in the tale. You will agree this quirk-tale, shot with vinegaryvibrancy by cinematographer Amalendu Chaudhary, is no mock-tale.

M O V I E R E V I E W

Farhan Akhtar walks hand-in-hand with Shibani Dandekar?MUMBAI: Amid speculation about Farhan Akhtar’s rumoured rela-tionship with VJ and TV host Shibani Dandekar, the lady has shared apicture that is sure to keep gossip mongers buzzing. In a new picture,share by her on Instagram, we see her walking with a man whoseback is to the camera. Sharing the picture, she writes: “photo cred@anuragrao.” In the picture, Shibani is turning towards the camerawhereas her companion has his back to it. From the look of it, itseems very likely that it is Farhan Akhtar.Earlier this week, Farhan has shared an instagram story where hewished Shibani on her bir thday. A picture shared by him had Shibanidigging into a desser t. What was different, however, was that it wasaccompanied by a number of kiss emojis. Farhan and Shibani aresaid to have been together for a while now, though neither has con-firmed anything.Farhan and his former wife Adhuna Bhabani got divorced in 2016.They were together for 16 years and have two daughters. After thismarriage ended, there were rumours that Farhan was dating ShraddhaKapoor, his co-star in Rock On 2 (a sequel to his previous hit RockOn!) Neither of the stars spoke about the speculated relationship andthe rumours died a natural death.Farhan and Shibani repor tedly first met three years ago on the sets ofa reality game show. Farhan began dating her only after his allegedrelationship with Shraddha ended. Shibani is the sister of actor-singerand MTV VJ Anusha Dandekar.Farhan is cur rently in the US as part of his Self Tour 2018 along withmusic composers, Shankar Ehsaan Loy.

Abhishek Bachchan provides an update about the Bunty Aur Babli sequelMUMBAI: Abhishek Bachchan has revealed that filmmaker AdityaChopra thought of making a sequel to the hit Bunty Aur Babli backin 2005 but he dropped the idea as there was no script at that time.Recently there were repor ts that the sequel was in the works butAbhishek said no one has approached him for it.Calling Bunty Aur Babli a special film, the actor told PTI, "Soonafter the release of the film in 2005, Aditya Chopra, the producer ofthe film, was very keen that we do a sequel but he did not have astory at that point of time."Would he want to make a sequel? At that point of time, he did. IfAdi finds a story that is wor thy and he wants us to do it, he will letus know. As of now I can't say anything."The film, directed by Shaad Ali, was about two small-town misfits,

played by Abhishek and Rani Mukherji, who run away from theirhomes to make their mark in the world and end up as fraudsters.There have also been rumours about Abhishek being a par t ofDhoom 4, that will repor tedly have Shah Rukh Khan as the antago-nist this time. The action franchise has seen different villains -John Abraham, Hrithik Roshan and most recently, Aamir Khan - inevery installment."Till Adi doesn't tell me I would not believe any of the rumours,"Abhishek added. The 42-year-old actor is excited to reunite withactor wife Aishwarya Rai after a gap of 10 years for Gulab Jamun."Gulab Jamun is a script that both Aishwarya and I agreed to do.We are looking forward to it. But we are still figuring out when to doit," he said.

Daler Mehndi: Film music alwayshas to work on a hit formula orhas to follow a trend

NEW DELHI: Before making his debut as a Bollywood play-back ar tist, singer-songwriter Daler Mehndi star ted off asan independent musician with the back-to-back hit singlesBolo Ta Ra Ra (1995) and Dardi Rab Rab (1996). Then camethe song Na Na Na Na Na Re in the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Mrityudaata (1997), and Daler became a Bollywoodregular. But two decades on, he retains the independentspirit that made him one of the pioneers of non-film music.Despite the huge Bollywood hits to his name — songs infilms ranging from Rang De Basanti (2005) and Singh isKinng (2008) to Dangal (2016) and now Gold and HappyPhirr Bhag Jayegi — Daler’s hear t beats for indie music.He says, “Film music always has to work on a hit formula orhas to follow a trend. So that way, being a musician, you cannotexperiment much with the tunes, melodies. You have to composea hit song, and you’re catering to a film script, so you don’t have thatfreedom of creativity.” This is why, he believes, independentmusic is regaining ground in the popular music culture.

KRITI SANON'S INSTAGRAMACCOUNT GETS HACKED,HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

MUMBAI: Fans and followers of Luka Chuppi actress KritiSanon were worried to death when they learnt that the ac-tress' Instagram account has been hacked.But fortunately, after a few hours, soon after the beautifulactress was alerted, her account was restored.Kriti's followers on the social media page were instantlysuspicious when posts purporting to be from the actressasked them to follow a 'reserve' fan account.Some posts also shared pictures of actress from before.The comments thread on these posts were instantly floodedwith accusations of hacking, and actually it turned out to bethe case. Discovering she had been hacked, Kriti Sanontweeted, "Guys, my Instagram account has been hacked.Please do not respond."Kriti sanon is not the only Bollywood celebrity whose ac-count has been hacked. Previously Abhishek Bachchan,Anupam Kher and Arshad Warsi have also been the victimsof cyber crime.On the work front, the 28-year-old Kriti was last seen inBareilly Ki Barfi and in a special song from the film Stree.

Alia Bhatt is sunshine personified as she reunites with Ranbir Kapoor on sets of 'Brahmastra'While we can't wait to see Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor's chemis-try on screen, their off-screen romance is melting our hear t!Since the time the two have slipped from reel-to-real life jodi, wecan't stop adoring them and their teeny-weeny gestures that speakvolumes about the love they share. While Ranbir has happily turneda photographer for Alia Bhatt, the latter can't stop gushing aboutthe man behind the lens.Their romance isn't just limited to taking lovely, cosy pictures ofone another. They even wear clothes of the same brand and some-times they even go twinning!Aren't they THE couple?!And the best par t is that the duo is managing to do all this while

shooting for Ayan Mukerji’s directorial Brahmastra and let’s justsay, the beautiful backdrop of Bulgaria is an added bonus. In fact,af ter Ranbir, Alia is “back to where she belongs” to shoot the nextschedule of the film. Dharma’s official handle shared a beautiful picture of theactress and we’re in love with her smile, and we wonder if the heart-warmingsmile is because of ranbir or Bulgaria or both!Even Alia shared the same picture on her Insta stories, and wehave to say that infectious smile that she is trying to hide whiletyping away on her phone is because of someone special!For the uninitiated, Brahmastra is said to be the first part of a trilogy. Apart fromRanbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, the film also stars Amitabh Bachchan,Nagarjuna and Dimple Kapadia, and shall hit the theaters in 2019.

Govinda-starrer 'Fryday' torelease on October 12MUMBAI, (PTI) Govinda's next, "Fryday", is set to hit thetheatres on October 12. The 54-year-old actor shared thenews on Twitter Monday along with the poster of the film."Kickstar t this Janmashtami with me and my saala,@varunsharma90! Maza hoga dugna with #FRYDAY,releasing 12th October 2018!" he wrote. Abhishek Dograais directing. Produced by Sajid Qureshi, the film alsostars Varun Sharma and Digangana Sur yavanshi .Govinda's last release was "Aa Gaya Hero" (2017).

Film industry has hugedearth of scripts: Kabir KhanMUMBAI, (PTI) Filmmaker Kabir Khan says despite hav-ing access to rich literature, the industry fails to havegood scripts because not enough writers are nurtured.Kabir, who adapted Hussain Zaidi's book "Mumbai Aveng-ers" for his 2015 Saif Ali Khan-Katrina Kaif starrer "Phan-tom", believes there are not enough adaptations happen-ing in the industry. In an interview with PTI, Kabir says"We are still depending on the original scripts written bythe writers we have. We have a huge dear th of scripts,dear th of material that can go on screen."In Hollywood an A-list director is usually confused be-tween 10 scripts, as to which film he should do in a year.Here, we are dying to get that one script that excites us."He fur ther adds, the industry is not picking up enoughfrom our history and that is something we really need tostar t doing." Having dear th of scripts mirrors an irony ofthe Indian film industry, touted to produce the most num-ber of films in a year all over the world. This irony, Kabirsays, has to be looked in context. "We also have to lookinto the quality in most of those films. Story is not reallythe backbone in most of those films. Most of the times a lot ofthose films are just proposals. Some actors come in together witha director trying to make a spectacle out of it." Kabir was speakingon the sidelines of the 'Word To Screen Market' an initia-tive by Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star.


TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018b o l l y w o o d

hollywood

MALAIKA ARORA OPTED FOR A NUDE COLOURED ASYMMETRICAL DRESS AT A RECENT BEAUTY PAGEANT. THE ACTRESS WILLBE SOON BE SEEN SHAKING A LEG TO THE SONG HELLO HELLO IN VISHAL BHARDWAJ'S NEXT, PATAAKHA. THE FILM ALSOSTARS SANYA MALHOTRA, RADHIKA MADAN, AND SUNIL GROVER.

MYLEENE KLASS SAVEDDAUGHTER FROM CHOKINGLOS ANGELES, (IANS) Singer Myleene Klass saved her11-year-old daughter Ava from choking during a holiday. Klassopened up about it on Twitter, reports femalefirst.co.uk. She tweeted:"My daughter (the other one this time) choked on holiday and I onlyknew what to do because I have done a first aid course.Please parents, arm and educate yourselves. It happened so quickly.Five minutes later it was as if nothing had happened. I have justbooked another refresher course." Her friend Nicole Appleton repliedsaying: "That must have been so scary!" Klass wrote: "Scary howquickly she started eatingthe rest of her mealagain! But yeah, hor-rible. X." Klass hadearlier spokenabout the terrify-ing incident withher son Hero in2012.

RAPPER T-PAIN DETAINED ATAIRPORT FOR CARRYING GUNATLANTA, (IANS) Rapper T-Pain was detained at the air-por t here after customs officials found a gun in his lug-gage when he was travelling for his Back 9ine festivalshow in Texas. The star was prevented from boarding hisflight at Har tsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airpor tafter customs officials found a gun in his carry-on lug-gage, according to tmz.com. Law enforcement sourcessaid that the rapper's bag was flagged during a checkpointscreening and when Transpor tation Security Administra-tion (TSA) agents inspected it, they found a loaded Smith& Wesson .380 inside the bag. T-Pain, whose realname is Faheem Rashad Najm, was detained for ques-tioning. Taking toTwitter to updatefans about his travelnightmare, the rapstar wrote: "Might bea tad bit late today.Things at the Atlantaairpor t are get-ting… eventful."He also shareda photographon Instagramwith a simi-lar caption,suggestinghe was hav-ing a gun-re-lated issue.

ARJUN RAMPAL SUFFERSLIGAMENT TEARMUMBAI, (IANS) Ahead of the release of his film "Paltan",actor Arjun Rampal has injured his ligament in an accident. The45-year-old on Saturday took to Instagram and shared a video inwhich he can be seen getting out from a Magnetic ResonanceImaging (MRI) machine at a hospital. Along with the video, hewrote: "Torn my Anterior Cruciate Ligament(ACL)..bummer. Badtiming. Accidents, MRI and bedridden." Directed by J.P. Dutta,"Paltan" is based on the Nathu La and Cho La military clashes of1967 which took place along the Sikkim border. The film is slatedto release on September 7.

Sanjay Dutt to have a busy monthahead, will shoot for 'Kalank' and'Torbaaz' simultaneouslyMUMBAI: Sanjay Dutt has a jam-packed month scheduled asthe actor is shooting for two varied films - Torbaaz and Kalanksimultaneously. The actor who has an interesting line up of films,has got the audience anticipating for his next outings owing to thediverse and fascinating genres and characters.While the actor shot for Torbaaz in Kyrgyzstan earlier last month,he will be shooting in Mumbai for Kalank in the latter half. Thehistorical period drama Torbaaz features Sanjay Dutt as an armyofficer. The actor shot for the film in adverse weather conditionsto make it look authentic. For a special song in Kalank, SanjayDutt has been rehearsing for two months and is leaving no stoneunturned to per fect his act. Sanjay Dutt was also recently spottedat a suburban studio as he prepped for his upcoming period drama- Panipat. The actor will then begin his preparations for Shamsherawhich will see the actor as the antagonist opposite Ranbir Kapoor.Over the years, Sanjay Dutt has gained an extensive fanbaseowing to his varied work and versatile performances.

Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma reveal the significanceof bus ride scenes in 'Sui Dhaaga - Made In India'

MUMBAI: The makers of Sui Dhaaga have unveiled a behind-the-scenes making video from the locations of the film. The video revealsinteresting details about how Anushka Sharma and Varun Dhawanshot for the scenes involving the bus rides. From running behind thebus, sitting on its top, to almost fainting while filming the scenes,Varun clearly gave it his all. Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma playinnocent rural folk from hear tland India in YRF's upcoming enter-tainer Sui Dhaaga – Made in India. The two actors play Mauji andMamta, a tailor and an embroiderer respectively, who dream to makea name for themselves. A film that’s rooted in India demanded it to beshot as authentically and genuinely as possible and Varun and Anushkagave themselves completely in the hands of their director SharatKatariya, whose previous film Dum Laga Ke Haisha was a block-buster. In one par ticular scene Sharat wanted the two actors to travelsitting on the roof of a public bus. “We shot for about two days whilesitting on the roof of a crowded moving bus. People in small towns siton the top of buses because they are always overcrowded and busservice isn’t as frequent as in cities. So, they have to get on it comewhat may. The bus scene brings focus on the daily struggles of peopleliving in the small towns of India. It brings to focus their determinationand courage and belief. It is one of the most iconic scenes in themovie,” reveals Varun. Anushka says, “Sharat has exceptional eyefor detail. The scenes of struggle, the spirit of self-belief in peopleliving in such towns in India – these visuals are etched in Sharat’s

mind and he wanted to present the everyday life in rural India withper fection and authenticity. He wants audiences to understand thecourage that people from such par ts of India have. He wants audi-ences to believe in Mauji and Mamta. The bus scene shows howthese two characters find suppor t and love in each other to believethat they could make a name for themselves and realise their dreams.”

Anushqa drops her debutinternational single

MUMBAI: Singer-songwriter Anushka Shahaney aka Anushqa, who brokeout on the music scene as a finalist in season one of The Stage, recentlydropped her debut international single,Something in Common. While shesigned on to an Indian record labelimmediately post the show, she isnow aligned to an internationalmusic company in the UnitedKingdom. Last month, the latterdropped her single, Ecstasy, to testthe market. After receiving great feed-back, they came up with Something InCommon, a sexy upbeat pop/dancetrack with an ethnic vibe to it.The track is written andcomposed by Rishi Rich,Anushqa and Naamlessand produced by RishiRich, Naamless andLoose Change (UK).The music videofor the same hasbeen shot by Brit-ish director duoSophia+Robert.

Sonam Kapoor to launchTwinkle Khanna’s third book -'Pyjamas Are Forgiving'

MUMBAI: Twinkle Khanna is all set to launch her third bookthis week. Titled Pyjamas Are Forgiving, it revolves around adivorced woman who meets her ex-husband and his currentgirlfriend at a popular spa in Kerala.Her earlier two works — Mrs Funnybones and The Legend OfLakshmi Prasad — were launched by Aamir Khan and RanbirKapoor-Alia Bhatt, respectively. Sonam K Ahuja will unveilTina’s third literary work. Sonam says, “I admire TwinkleKhanna. I had the opportunity to get to know her better whilefilming Pad Man (Twinkle produced the film that was basedon one of her shor t stories). I love that she speaks her mind.Her first book was witty and such a great read. I’m sure thisone, too, will be fabulous.”

Here's why Shahid Kapoor thinks being an actor is lonelyMUMBAI: Amidst all the fame, glamour and adulation, an actor ismost of the times a loner, searching for moments of catharsis,said the Udta Punjab actor Shahid Kapoor.The 37-year-old star says the emotional journey he goes throughwhen he is alone contributes a lot in the growth of the per formerin him. "As an actor you are always lonely. You are al-ways in spotlight so that's what people see. But whenyou are on your own, it's very lonely. And it's ajourney that's personal. I believe, at that time,something emotional happens which reflects inmy performance," Shahid told PTI in an interview.The actor also went on to say that he holds thesemoments of loneliness close to his hear t as "that'swhen I am being completely honest to myself andprobably changing from inside"."What actors do is, we emote. So, the more there is inside, themore there is to throw out. I have learned to channelise that,which I believe is very impor tant for a long-lasting career. Other-wise, this is a very jumpy job. You are constantly up there, downhere. So you try to find that nice place which is your own and justkeep that intact," he added.Shahid also told the agency that it is impor tant for an actor to be"selfish" if they want to excel.

"If you want to be really good at what you are doing, you need togive it time. And that is essentially your time and it's your desire tobe what you want. I think anything that is a personal ambition hasto have some amount of selfishness attached to it. And the goodthing is to be honest about it," he says.

The actor, who made his footing in the Hindi film industry as aromantic hero with films like Ishq Vishk, Fida and Vivah,

went through a drastic makeover, cour tesy his matureper formances in Kaminey, Haider and Padmaavat.Shahid says his career has had an inconsistent graph,but in the past one decade his aim has been to focus onthe content which stays relevant."When I look back at my career I feel 'Wow I did some

really bad movies' and 'Wow I did some really great movies'and they were all like mixed up and were back to back. It is crazy

because it has been little inconsistent. In the last four or five years,the effor t has been to try and par ticipate and, create content that isconsistent," the actor who is expecting his second child with wifeMira Rajput Kapoor said."I believe I was learning in the first 10 years of my career. I am stillgoing to learn. I will be learning all my life. But I am little moreaware now and my choices are little more consistent. It is an im-por tant change," he added.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY


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Kareena Kapoor, Saif and Taimur’s Maldivesvacation is all about beach, bikinis and babies

Here’s what Dharmendra dislikes about son Sunny Deol

MALÉ: Kareena Kapoor Khan and husband Saif Ali Khan are enjoyingtheir Maldives vacation to the fullest with son Taimur. They are alsoaccompanied by Saif ’s sister, actor Soha Ali Khan, her husband KunalKemmu and their little daughter Inaaya Naumi. The six of them en-joyed some time at the beach at their scenic resor t and the photos aresure to give you wanderlust.Soha and Kunal shared snippets from the holiday and we saw theentire family enjoying some beach time. Inaaya and Taimur got some swimminglessons and later posed with Saif, Kareena, Soha and Kunal for the mandatorybeach pic. Soha shared another photo where both the kiddos werebusy colouring as Kunal and Kareena watched over them.Earlier, we also got to see Saif play the joker for once. As the par tymade an early morning landing in Maldives, Taimur was seen sleep-ing in the arms of his nanny as Saif made a face for the camera. Inanother photo, Kareena and Saif are beaming at the camera as Taimursits next to his parents.Saif, Kareena and the rest of the par ty are staying at the exclusive

Soneva Fushi resor t and they also shared a view from their watervilla. We also got to see their journey via a sea plane.On Sunday morning, the popular Bollywood duo, along with Taimur,was spotted at the Mumbai airpor t on their way to Maldives. Saif wasseen car rying a groggy Taimur while Kareena walked beside them.Kareena looked flawless in a flowing white dress paired with sneak-ers while Saif kept it simple in a jeans and grey shir t. Taimur, mean-while, wore a white and blue stars-printed combination.Saif and Kareena were gone for more than a month on a Londonvacation this June, around the time her film Veere Di Wedding was setto hit the screens. Saif came back just in time to promote his firstNetflix series, Sacred Games. They earlier vacationed with Taimur inSwitzerland.On the work front, while Kareena will begin work on Karan Johar’speriod drama Takht, and a comedy Good News with Akshay Kumar,Saif has already begun shooting for his next film, Hunter, in which heplays a Naga sadhu.

PRIYANKA CHOPRA MAKES NICK JONAS HER MUSE AS SHECLICKS HIS PIC ON A VACATION IN THE MOUNTAINS

MUMBAI: Actor Priyanka Chopra is currently enjoying a sweetvacation with her American singer fiance Nick Jonas at his favouritegetaway destination, the Mammoth Mountains in California.The singer posted a picture on Instagram on Monday and gavecredit to his fiancee for the photo. “A man and the mountains,” hecaptioned the photo. In it, he is seen with a can of beer in his hand,enjoying the scenic view of the stunning mountains. His bag ishoisted on a wooden pole nearby and Priyanka appears to be sit-ting right next to him.Nick has spent many a beautiful days at the Mammoth Mountainsbut this is the first time he took Priyanka with him. According to arepor t in People magazine, he spent Thanksgiving there in 2015and created his second album, Last Year Was Complicated, at theski town. He has also been spotted with exes Olivia Culpo and KateHudson at the holiday destination previously.Before California, Priyanka and Nick were spotted in Mexico. Ac-cording to a repor t in EOnline, the lovely duo was in Cabo SanLucas for a while before heading for Guadalajara, a historic city.

Quoting a source, the repor t added that the two “stayed the night atthe oceanfront hotel One and Only Palmilla, before visiting AcreBaja for a tour of the agave fields and farmland.”In the pictures and videos Priyanka looks happy as ever. She wasseen in a floral blue dress and a white shrug. Priyanka put upInstagram stories in which she showed her fans blue skies and aherd of grazing cows. One even came to her car to say hi!Priyanka and Nick confirmed their engagement on August 18 inMumbai with a traditional roka ceremony. It was held at her resi-dence in Mumbai and their family and friends were par t of it. Later,they posted pictures from the ceremony on their Instagram pro-files.US magazine recently repor ted that Priyanka ‘wants an Indian wed-ding’ sometime later this year and that Nick has been ‘super sup-por tive of her and he’s thrilled.’Priyanka is currently shooting her Shonali Bose film, The Sky isPink, in which she stars with Farhan Akhtar and Zaira Wasim. Shewill also be seen with Chris Pratt in her next Hollywood project,Cowboy Ninja Viking.

Deepika Padukone confirmedfor Vin Diesel’s xXx 4, scriptbeing scheduled, says director

MUMBAI: Deepika Padukone will definitely be a par t of xXx 4,which will see Vin Diesel return as Xander Cage. The film’sdirector, DJ Caruso, announced that Chinese singer Roy Wanghas come onboard The Return of Xander Cage sequel. Carusotook to Twitter, welcoming him to the family. Indian fans werequick to ask if Deepika will be seen in the sequel too.“What about @deepikapadukone, will she be the part of thefilm?,” a fan asked. “Yes”, replied Caruso, adding that the “scriptis being scheduled”. The film is set to go on floors in January2019. Earlier, Caruso had revealed he is planning to shoot aBollywood style dance number with Deepika Padukone for thenext installment of the franchise. “I want to end ‘xXx 4’ with aBollywood dance song. Led of course by @deepikapadukone.Lungi Dance? Something new?” Caruso had tweeted.

MUMBAI: The Deolsreturned with Yamla PaglaDeewana Phir Se and suchis the demand of promo-tions that the otherwisereticent trio – Dharmendraand sons Sunny Deol andBobby Deol – also openedup to the media. Whiletalking to Hindustan Times,Dharmendra revealed aninteresting aspect – onething he dislikes about sonSunny Deol.He is painfully introvert,”Dharmendra said, adding,“When I say painfully, itmeans I don’t like that. Hedoesn’t open up about his feelings. He won’t express himself,even if he is feeling affectionate about you. It is only if he isangry that you’d get to know his feeling.” Sunny, in his defence,let brawn do the talking. When asked why he speaks so less,unlike a Punjabi jatt, he said, “People ask me that question. Itell them, let’s wrestle and you’d know who is the real jatt.”Earlier, talking to PTI, Sunny accepted he has not delivered a hit

in recent times. “I have not delivered a successful film for a verylong time. My last massive hit was Gadar. But the kind ofwork that I have done over the years has made the audiencelove us even now. The love, acceptance and appreciationfrom people even now has to do with the work that I have donein the past. There is a void now somewhere and I hope thingsturn positive,” he said.

Jackie Shroff joins team Bharat,will play Salman Khan’s fatherMUMBAI: The cast of Ali Abbas Zafar directorial Bharat justgot bigger as Jackie Shroff joined the team to play SalmanKhan’s father in the much-awaited movie. Zafar confirmed thenews about Shroff stepping in to play the par t, saying, “We metJaggu da in London and discussed his dates and looks. I havewanted to work with him for a long time as I feel he is theper fect amalgamation of a star and actor. I was very glad asJackie sir instantly agreed with the story to do the film in just 20mins of narration.” The film boasts of an ensemble cast withnames such as Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Disha Patani, SunilGrover, Tabu and Jackie Shroff. A substantial part of Bharat depictsthe bond shared between a father and son, which was made evidentin the teaser, which was released on Independence day. The underone-miniute clip spread like wild fire creating a frenzy acrossquarters, raising the anticipation for the film. After wrapping upthe first schedule in Mumbai, the team has recently concludedthe second schedule in Malta. To keep the buzz around the filmalive, the team of Bharat has been keeping fans abreast with allthe happenings from the movie sets.

INDIA`S MEN’S COMPOUND ARCHERY TEAM WON SILVER MEDAL AT THE ASIAD (PTI PHOTO).

India's top show in Asian Games promises bright future

CONTD. FROM PAGE 17From teenager Saurabh Chaudhary to 60-year-old Pranab Bardhan, an as-sor tment of athletes combined to produce a top show even as the countryendured shocking results in kabaddi and hockey.With 15 gold, 24 silver and 30 bronze, India's medal tally stood at 69, a step upfrom Incheon four years ago when they won 65.India equalled the 15-gold tally of the 1951 inaugural Games but the countryhad never won 24 silver medals before. Overall, India maintained its top-10rank by finishing eighth yet again.Every multi-spor ting event has witnessed controversies and it was no differ-ent this time too. However, once the action began, it was only the athletesand their performances that took centre stage.The track and field remained the most productive area for India as seven ofthe 15 gold came from the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.It was the burly Tajinderpal Singh Toor, who delivered the first athletics goldwith a record-breaking throw of 20.75m and later 12-toed Swapna Barmanentered the history books by becoming the country's first heptathlete to graba yellow metal at the Games.Dutee Chand returned to the track with a bang. Running as if there was notomorrow, she ended up blazing the track for two silver medals, the one in100m being India's first in 20 years.If it was not for superior Africa-origin athletes, representing countries such asQatar and Bahrain on track, India's gold count would have been bigger.It was purely for this reason that Hima Das had to be content with a silver inthe 200m as she ran alongside Nigerian-born Salwa Eid Naser.Neeraj Chopra expectedly achieved a super result by becoming the firstIndian to win a gold in javelin throw and sprinters Manjit Singh and JinsonJohnson too changed a few statistics with their courageous show.India's badminton queens Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu continued to deliverthe goods and ensured that the country's 36-year-old wait for an individualmedal ends. Sindhu's silver and Saina's bronze were among the highlights ofIndia's campaign along with the table tennis players' two historic bronze inteam events. Manika Batra was without doubt the biggest star of India's CWG

show at the Gold Coast but in Jakar ta, winning two bronze in team events bycompeting against powerhouses like China and Japan is no mean feat. Batra,Sharath Kamal, G Sathian and Harmeet Desai deserve an applause for theireffort. In Palembang, 16-year-old Chaudhary and 15-year old Shardul Vihanshowed that India has no dear th of talent even as the other youngsters ManuBhaker and Anish Bhanwala must be disappointed for not winning a medal.Saurabh was one of the two gold medallists along with Rani Sarnobat whileShardul won a silver. Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat performed as if theyowned the mat, winning gold medals with sheer domination. But veteranSushil Kumar and Salshi Malik suffered disappointments.While there were many moments to rejoice, India's performance in kabaddiand hockey disappointed the fans.Bridge buddies Bardhan and Shibnath Dey Sarkar won gold in men's pairsand urged fans to not equate their spor t with gambling, saying it's a game ofintellect. A gritty Amit Panghal ensured that a medal - gold - came from theboxing arena too, the Army man swelling India's tally with a stunning winover reigning Olympic champion on the last penultimate day of the competi-tion. The recurve archers disappointed with their lacklustre show but theircompound teammates made sure that the contingent does not return empty-handed. In kabaddi, Iran jolted India twice by taking both and men's andwomen's top prize. It came as a rude shock as India went into the Games asthe continent's powerhouse, having all nine gold medals in the past.The men's and women's hockey teams being the top-ranked in Asia werealso expected to stand on top of the podium but a silver and bronze was allthey could manage.By scoring more than 70 goals in the pool games, India's men's hockey teamlooked unstoppable before they were halted by Malaysia. The defence chokedin the crucial last two minutes and they eventually lost it in sudden death. Theteam took a bronze by beating Pakistan.The women's team lost in the final to Japan, who claimed both the goldmedals. The positives far outweigh the disappointments in few events, andthe many firsts and many national records that were broken during the Gamesprovide hope for a bright future.

SEP 15, SAT, 1AMBangladesh vs Sri Lanka, 1st Match, Group B

Dubai International Cricket Stadium , Dubai--

SEP 16, SUN, 1AMPakistan vs TBC, 2nd Match, Group A


SEP 17, MON, 1AMSri Lanka vs Afghanistan, 3rd Match, Group B

Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi--

SEP 18, TUE, 1AMIndia vs TBC, 4th Match, Group A


SEP 19, WED, 1AMIndia vs Pakistan, 5th Match, Group A


SEP 20, THU, 1AMBangladesh vs Afghanistan, 6th Match, Group B


SEP 21, FRI, 1AMTBC vs TBC, Super Four, Match 1, 1am


TBC vs TBC, Super Four, Match 2, 1amSheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

--SEP 23, SUN, 1AM

TBC vs TBC, Super Four, Match 3Dubai International Cricket Stadium , Dubai

-- TBC vs TBC, Super Four, Match 4, 1am


SEP 25, TUE, 1AMTBC vs TBC, Super Four, Match 5


SEP 26, WED, 1AMTBC vs TBC, Super Four, Match 6Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

--SEP 28, FRI, 1AM

TBC vs TBC, Final - 1amDubai International Cricket Stadium , Dubai

ASIA CUP 2018 SCHEDULETORONTO TIME: SEPT 15-28

Alastair Cook announces retirement, 5thTest against India to be his lastLONDON, (PTI) Former England captain Alastair Cook,country's highest run-getter in Test cricket, has decided toretire after the fifth and final match against India at the Oval,star ting September 7. The 33-year-old Cook, who will calltime on his career after playing 161 Tests, has so far scored12,254 runs at an average of 44.88 with 32 hundreds and 56half centuries. His highest Test score of 294 came againstIndia at Birmingham during the 2011 series.Cook has had a poor series against India so far, scoring only109 runs in seven innings across four Test matches. Hisplace in the Test side was under scanner and the formerskipper could very well read what was on cards. "After muchthought and deliberation over the last few months I havedecided to announce my retirement from international cricketat the end of this Test series against India," Cook said in anECB statement. "Although it is a sad day, I can do so with abig smile on my face knowing I have given everything andthere is nothing left in the tank. I have achieved more than Icould have ever imagined and feel very privileged to haveplayed for such a long time alongside some of the greats ofthe English game," Cook said. He, however, said that he wouldmiss the dressing room environment. "The thought of notsharing the dressing room, again, with some of my team-mates was the hardest par t of my decision, but I know thetiming is right," he said.



MIDWEEK NEWS WEEKLY

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 04, 2018 s p o r t s

4th Test: India lose by 60 runs, concede seriesINDIA WON GOLD IN THE MEN’S QUADRUPLE SCULLS EVENT (PTI PHOTO).

Date Match Time

August 9-13 England vs India, 2nd Test 6:00 AM

August 18-22 England vs India, 3rd Test 6:00 AM

Aug 30- Sep 3 England vs India, 4th Test 6:00 AM

September 7-11 England vs India, 5th Test 6:00 AM

SCHEDULE OF INDIA TOUROF ENGLAND ACCORDING

TO TORONTO TIME

JAKARTA, (IANS) India's men's hockey team defeated arch-foesPakistan 2-1 in the bronze medal playoff at the 18th Asian Games.Akashdeep Singh (third minute) and Harmnanpreet Singh (50th)scored for 2014 edition champions India, while Muhammad Atiq(52nd minute) scored for Pakistan, who had finished runners-upin the previous edition. India shook off the disappointment of los-ing to Malaysia in the semi-finals as they got off to a flying start,with Akashdeep giving them an early lead. Lalit Upadhyay ran tothe left byline before cutting it back to an unmarked Akashdeep,who put the ball in the net with a quick slap. India built on themomentum as they made two more field goals attempts throughChinglensana Singh in the sixth minute and Mandeep Singh in the14th minute but the Pakistan defence was alert to avoid a fur therlead. The second quarter though saw Pakistan up their game andcame up with strong attacking display as forwards Ajaz Ahmad,Muhammad Dilber and Abu Mahmood tested the Indian defenceas they took powerful shots on goal. They made plenty of chancesin the circle and also earned the first penalty corner in the 21stminute but was well saved by India. Pakistan earned two morepenalty corners in the same minute but were unsuccessful.In the 27th minute, India strikers S.V. Sunil and Akashdeep tookturns in attempting shots on goal with good stick work inside thecircle but unfortunately could not conver t. Akashdeep and SardarSingh combined well for the former to cross at the right post but adiving Sunil cound't control the ball. The third quarter too sawPakistan make two strong attempts on goal. First it was AjazAhmad in the 34th minute but he missed the post by a smallmargin while in the 38th minute an Indian infringement saw Paki-stan earn another penalty corner. The drag-flick, though, by theexperienced Muhammad Irfan was very well-saved by runnerManpreet Singh. Ahead only by a goal, it was a tense final quar terfor India and they needed to up their attack to ensure they finishedwell. Good stick work by Mandeep Singh in the circle saw himwin India's first penalty corner in the 50th minute. And youngHarmanpreet made no mistake in putting the ball past Pakistanigoalkeeper at the right post to give India a 2-0 lead. Pakistanpulled one back within a minute as a counter-attack saw an un-marked Atiq receiving a fine cross from the right before sweepingit past a diving goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh. India quickly earned apenalty corner, thanks to Mandeep Singh but Rupinder Pal Singh'sdrag-flick was off target. Though in the dying minutes of the matchPakistan kept the ball possession for longer spell, India did ev-erything they could to defend the lead and win.

Asiad 2018: India beat Pakistan2-1, take hockey bronze

SOUTHAMPTON, (IANS) India suffered a 60-run defeat against En-gland in the four th Test after being bowled out for 184 runs in theirsecond innings on the four th day at the Rose Bowl Cricket Stadiumhere on Sunday to go down 1-3 in the five-match series. Chasing 245runs for victor y, India were driven by skipper Virat Kohli (58) andAjinkya Rahane (51) who showed a fight against the English bowlers.The duo were involved in a 101-run stand for the fourth wicket andhad revived India's hopes but the hosts' bowlers came all guns blaz-ing in the evening session to wrap up the visiting side. The day,however, began the way India expected. Resuming the day at 260/8,England lost Sam Cur ran (46) and Stuar t Broad (0) as the hosts couldadd only 11 runs in about half-an-hour on Sunday. Broad was the firstto go, as he became seamer Mohammad Shami's four th victim of theinnings. Tr ying to slash a wide delivery, he only managed an edge towicket-keeper Rishabh Pant.Left-hander Curran hit off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on the legside but his decision to take a double hurt him. Ishant Sharma madea long throw to ensure Curran fall shor t of the crease as England'ssecond innings ended at 271. With India having a 27-run first-inningslead, India needed 245 to win the match. India's chase was wobblyfrom the beginning. A delivery from experienced seamer Broad keptlow before rattling the stumps of Lokesh Rahul.Then, first-innings centurion Pujara failed to fend off an inswingingdelivery from veteran seamer Anderson. The ball hit Pujara's rightthigh - an easy decision for the umpire to judge him LBW. Dhawanwas the final wicket to fall before the lunch session. An edge off adelivery from Anderson saw Ben Stokes take a very good catch atslip, as India lost their third wicket at 22. Then, Kohli and Rahaneendured some hostile bowling to take India to 46/3 at lunch. Off-spinner Moeen Ali thought he had Kohli, who was on 9. But the umpireruled out the LBW appeal. England sought a review but the decisionstood as Kohli was found to have edged the ball on to his pad.Couple of overs later, Rahane too got a reprieve when he was battingon 12. Left-arm seamer Curran got an LBW verdict against Rahane

with an away-moving ball hitting the right pad. Rahane took a reviewand it was later revealed that Curran had overstepped the crease.Kohli and Rahane continued to bat sensibly to guide India past the100-run mark in the second session. Kohli survived a close LBWdecision against off-spinner Moeen Ali to lead his side's revival. Theexperienced pair dealt mostly in singles and twos to collect the runs.With England also being guarded against conceding quick runs, cap-tain Joe Root's fielding placements were slightly defensive. It al-lowed spaces to open up for Kohli and Rahane to look out for singlesand twos.For more than two hours in the session, Kohli and Rahane were incontrol. Kohli perished af ter registering his 19th half-century in Tests.A delivery from Moeen got a sharp bounce to kiss Kohli's gloves andAlastair Cook took an easy catch at shor t leg in a big relief for thehosts. Kohli's dismissal was the lone wicket to fall for India in thesecond session as India reached 126/4. Afterwards, in the post-teasession, Rahane showed some resistance but lacked suppor t fromthe other end as Hardik Pandya (0) and Rishabh Pant (18) fell cheaply.Pant's audacity to go after English bowlers was the reason for hisdownfall as his 12-ball 18-run knock ended with an easy catch forCook at deep cover off Moeen. Pandya edged Stokes to Root at slip.Moeen, who had also claimed the precious wicket of Kohli, gaveIndia another jolt as he caught Rahane in front of the wickets. PacerStokes then joined the par ty sending back Ishant Sharma for a duck,while Ali struck again, dismissing Mohammed Shami (8).Cur ran then per formed the last rites, sending back RavichandranAshwin, who chipped in with 25 runs down the order as he intended todelay the inevitable. For England, off-spinner Moeen Ali starred withthe ball, picking four wickets for 71 runs while pacers Stokes andAnderson scalped two wickets each.Brief scores: England 246 & 271 (Jos Buttler 69, Joe Root 48,Sam Curran 46, Keaton Jennings 36; Mohammad Shami 4/57, IshantSharma 2/36) against India: 273 all out and 184 all out (Virat Kohli 58,Ajinkya Rahane 51; Moeen Ali 4/71 James Anderson 2/33) on Day 4.

Medal table of 18th Asian GamesJAKARTA, (IANS) Following is the top-10 positions of the medaltable at the 18th Asian Games after the conclusion of compe-titions on Sunday, (tabulated under delegations, gold, silver,bronze and total).China 132 92 65 289Japan 75 56 74 205South Korea 49 58 70 177Indonesia 31 24 43 98Uzbekistan 21 24 25 70Iran 20 20 22 62Taiwan 17 19 31 67India 15 24 30 69Kazakhstan 15 17 44 76Nor th Korea 12 12 13 37

Virat Kohli continues reign at thetop of ICC Test rankingsIndia skipper Virat Kohli has retainedhis position at the top of the latestInternational Cricket Council(ICC) Test rankings, it was an-nounced on Monday. Kohliscored 46 and 58 in a losingcause in the four th Test againstEngland at Rose Bowl inSouthampton to consolidate hisstay at the numero uno spot with937 rating points to his name.Kohli, who has now scored 544 runs in his eight innings in theongoing series against England, is 11th in the list of best ever interms of rating points, just one adrift of the likes of Gary Sobers,Clyde Walcott, Vivian Richards and Kumar Sangakkara.Cheteshwar Pujara stays in sixth position but his unbeaten 132,which helped India take the first innings lead, has lifted him from763 to 798 points.India fast bowler Mohammad Shami has progressed back to thetop 20 as his six-wicket match haul has lifted him three places to19th position among bowlers, while his fellow fast bowler IshantSharma’s four wickets see him move up one place to 25th posi-tion. Jasprit Bumrah has continued the strong star t to his Testcareer, moving to a career-best 487 points while retaining 37thposition after his fifth Test. Meanwhile, England all-rounder SamCurran has made quick gains in the rankings while spinnerMoeen Ali has also moved up after the Southampton Test.

Asia Cup 2018: Kohli rested, Rohit to lead in Asia CupMUMBAI - Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian team during theAsia Cup 2018 with regular skipper Virat Kohli being restedfrom the 16-member squad for the upcoming tournament.Manish Pandey, Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav have beenrecalled to the squad while Suresh Raina, Umesh Yadav andSiddar th Kaul, who all featured in the ODI squad on Englandtour, are among the ones to miss out."He has been playing for quite sometime and looking at theworkload we have given him [Kohli] the rest," said MSKPrasad, chairman of the senior selection panel. "I would liketo say that I was there for the third Test match and we sat fora discussion about the workload management. We need topreserve our precious players who play all three formatsand looking at that workload issue we decided to rest himfor the Asia Cup."India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan (vc), KLRahul, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, MSDhoni (wk), Dinesh Kar thik, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav,Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, JaspritBumrah, Shardul Thakur, Khaleel Ahmed.

EHSAN MANI ELECTED NEW PCB CHAIRMANEhsan Mani has been elected unopposed as the newchairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in theboard's election which was held at Gaddafi Stadium,Lahore on Tuesday. Mani, who is known for his suc-cessful term as the International Cricket Council (ICC)chairman, has replaced Najam Sethi, who resigned afterPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government wasformed after the 2018 General Elections.Sethi's relationship with newly-elected Prime MinisterImran Khan worsened after the latter accused the formerfor helping the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) in2013 General Elections when he was the caretaker Chief Ministerof Punjab. Mani, who was PM Imran's nomination for the post,faced no opposition in the elections and will serve at the helm for athree-year period.The process was completed under the supervision of PCB'sElection Commissioner Justice (retd) Afzal Haider and DeputyElection Commissioner Ahmed Shehzad Farooq. All 11 membersof the Board of Governers (BoG) took par t in the process, whereasSecretary Ministry of Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC)Captain (retd) Jahanzaib Khan was present during theelection process as the observer.

PM MODI AHEAD WITH 48% VOTES IN ONLINE POLL

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