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Archives for March 2015

Cricket World Cup 2015: Pakistan cruise past UAE in Napier

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ahmed_shehzad

by Stephan Shemilt, BBC Sport

Pakistan kept up their push for a place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a routine 129-run victory over the United Arab Emirates in Napier.

Ahmed Shehzad hit 93 and both Haris Sohail (70) and captain Misbah-ul-Haq (65) weighed in with half-centuries as Pakistan ran up 339-6.

UAE were reduced to 25-3 early in their reply and though in-form Shaiman Anwar made 62, they fell well short on 210-8.

Pakistan join Ireland and West Indies on four points in a congested Pool B.

Ireland meet Pakistan on 15 March, the final day of the group stage, in a match that is looking increasingly likely to decide qualification for the last eight.

For Pakistan, a second win in four days represents a build of momentum after heavy defeats by India and West Indies in their opening two matches.

The 1992 champions will almost certainly earn a place in the next round if they win their final two games against South Africa and the Irish.

They were rarely troubled in this comfortable win against a UAE side who did not disgrace themselves, particularly by sticking to their task with the ball on a good wicket with one very short square boundary.

Indeed, the Associate side will rue two missed opportunities off Shehzad, the opener put down on two and nine.

Reprieved, he compiled a 160-run stand with Haris, missing out on a century when his dive to complete a second run was not enough to prevent a run-out.

With Haris being caught at mid-on off Mohammad Naveed soon after, Pakistan were in danger of wasting a good platform, but Misbah steadied with Sohaib Maqsood (45).

When the time came, they opened their shoulders, beginning a blitz that would see 124 runs added in the final 10 overs. In that time, Shahid Afridi’s 21 from seven balls made him only the second man, after Sanath Jayasuriya, to score 8,000 runs and take 300 wickets in one-day internationals.

If they were to pull off an unlikely chase and a great World Cup shock, the UAE needed a solid start with the bat, but their top order could not handle the Pakistan pacemen.

Rahat Ali bowled Amjad Ali before Sohail Khan had both Andri Berenger and Krishna Karate caught behind to effectively end the contest.

Anwar and Khurram Khan shared a defiant partnership of 83 until Khurram flicked Maqsood to square leg for 43.

The match meandered to its inevitable conclusion, but for Anwar, an innings that ended when caught at long-off off Afridi took him to a total of 270 runs, the highest of the tournament so far.

NHRC issues notice to Kerala government on the arrest of human rights defenders

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Thushar Nirmal Sarathy Jaison Cooper

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that the Kerala Government was targeting human rights defenders and rights activists by labeling them as ‘Maoists sympathizers’.

Human rights defenders and advocates Tushar Nirmal Sarathy and Jaison C. Cooper had been arrested under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in Kerala and were in jail since the 30th January, 2015. While Jaison was arrested from Cochin on the 29th January, 2015, Tushar was arrested after a press conference in Kozhikode on the same day.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of human rights defenders. It has issued a notice to the Director General of Police, Kerala calling for a report within two weeks.

Reportedly, both Tushar and Jaison were actively engaged in peasants’ struggles against land acquisition, illegal rock quarrying, forcible evictions, and the violation of labour rights of migrant workers in Kerala as well as struggles against various polluting industries.

Iran, Russia agree to produce nuclear fuel

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Scientists conduct testing in Tehran's research center. (AFP/File)

Scientists conduct testing in Tehran’s research center. (AFP/File)

by Press TV

Iran and Russia have struck a deal to produce nuclear fuel in the Islamic Republic, Iran’s ambassador to Russia says.

“Based on a memorandum, Iran and Russia have agreed to jointly produce fuel and this is within the framework of our country’s long-term plans for nuclear fuel production,” Forsat-e Emrouz daily newspaper quoted Mehdi Sanaei as saying.

He said that the agreement is a “very positive step for deepening nuclear cooperation” between the two countries.

Sanaei said the ground is close to being broken for the construction of a second nuclear power plant in Bushehr, southern Iran, where Russia has already built Iran’s first power station.

Last November, Iran and Russia agreed to build eight more nuclear power plants in Iran.

According to the deal, up to four of the projected power plants are planned to be built at the site of Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran.

The remaining four are expected to be constructed elsewhere in Iran, but the exact location has not been determined yet.

Moscow and Tehran have also expressed their intention to cooperate in the field of the nuclear fuel cycle and ecology, saying they will look into the possibility of producing components of nuclear fuel in Iran in the future.

After signing a deal on the construction of nuclear plants in 1992, Tehran and Moscow reached an agreement in 1995 to complete Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, but the project was delayed several times due to a number of technical and financial problems.

The 1,000-megawatt plant, which is operating under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reached its maximum power generation capacity in August 2012.

In September 2013, Iran officially took over from Russia the first unit of its first 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant for two years.

Iran and Obama dismiss Netanyahu speech to US Congress

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Iran’s vice president describes Israeli PM’s speech criticising US policy towards Tehran as “deceitful and a desperate”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was greeted at the US Congress by a long standing ovation [AP]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was greeted at the US Congress by a long standing ovation [AP]

by Al Jazeera

Tehran has called the speech of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the US Congress on Iran’s nuclear talks deceitful and a desperate attempt to impose an irrational agenda.

In his speech to Congress, Netanyahu said that the world must stand together to stop Iran from gaining access to a nuclear weapon.

Iran denies accusations it wishes to produce such a weapon and is currently in talks with the US and other powers over its nuclear programme.

Massoumeh Ebtekar, Iran’s vice president, said on Tuesday that Netanyahu was trying to derail the negotiations.

“I don’t think it carries much weight. Well, they’re [Israeli government] making their efforts to somehow derail the deal…,” Ebtekar said.

“But I think the more logical lobbies in both sides are looking forward to a solution.”

US President Barack Obama dismissed Netanyahu’s speech, saying the Israeli leader did not offer any alternatives.

In a similar speech in 2012, Netanyahu warned the UN General Assembly that Iran was 70 percent of the way to completing its “plans to build a nuclear weapon”.

However, a secret cable obtained by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit revealed last month that at the time of the UN speech Mossad – Israel’s intelligence service –  believed that Iran was “not performing the activity necessary to produce weapons”.

Obama says ‘nothing new’

In the speech on Cogress, which escalated the Israeli leader’s campaign against Obama’s diplomacy with Iran, Netanyahu said on that there was a need to “stand together to stop Iran’s march of conquest, subjugation and terror”.

In response, Obama said: “I am not focused in the politics of this. I am not focused on the theatre.

“As far as I can tell, there was nothing new.

“On the core issue, which is how to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon which would make it far more dangerous, the prime minister did not offer any viable alternatives.”

Iran and international powers have set a deadline of late March to reach a framework agreement and June for a comprehensive final settlement.

The powers want to curb Iran’s nuclear programme to ensure it cannot develop an atomic bomb, and Iran wants crippling economic sanctions to be lifted.

Obama said there was no deal with Iran yet, but if the negotiations turned out to be successful, the agreement would be “the best deal possible”.

However, Netanyahu said that the proposed Iran nuclear deal would leave Iran with a “vast” nuclear programme and that the world should demand that Tehran stops its aggression towards its neighbours before lifting restrictions.

“If the deal now being negotiated is accepted by Iran, that deal will not prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons – it will all but guarantee that Iran will get those nuclear weapons – lots of them.”

Netanyahu was greeted at the Congress by a long standing ovation.

However, at least 50 Democratic members refused to attend the speech to protest against what they see as a politicisation of Israeli security, an issue on which Congress usually unites.

Following Netanyahu’s speech, Mitch McConnell, the US Senate majority leader, said on Tuesday the Senate would begin debating next week a bill that would require Obama to submit any final nuclear deal with Iran for approval by Congress.

“We think it will help prevent the administration from entering into a bad deal,” McConnell said.

“But if they do, it will provide an opportunity for Congress to weigh in.”

However, the White House has said Obama would veto the bill.

Bengaluru cop suspended for assaulting good samaritan

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bangalore-samaritan

Bengaluru: A traffic sub-inspector was suspended on Tuesday for assaulting an ex-serviceman who helped in getting an ambulance out of the traffic gridlock on a busy thoroughfare in the city centre.

“We have suspended the inspector (Ganganna) for physically abusing Nagappa, an ex-serviceman, who allowed an ambulance to drive out of the traffic jam by removing a rope barricade tied to block access to a free passage on Palace Road,” deputy superintendent of police (DCP) Rajendra Prasad told IANS.

Unseasonal rain during the day disrupted normal life due to water-logging and consequent traffic snarls across the city.

The police action came hours after local news channels aired footage of Ganganna accosting and hitting Nagappa, who was seen removing the rope and letting the ambulance drive away from the gridlock.

“Though Nagappa was not authorised to remove the barricade, the sub-inspector had no right to manhandle him when he was trying to help the ambulance to get out of the traffic jam,” Prasad admitted.

In defence, Ganganna said in the process of helping the ambulance to drive away, Nagappa cleared the way for other vehicles, stuck in the jam, to also follow behind it on the otherwise blocked road.

Nagappa, who was on the spot on his cycle, however, said he removed the rope after a traffic constable on duty told him to do so.

(IANS)

Akrama Sakrama scheme begins from March 23 in Karnataka

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File photo: Sampath Kumar G P, The Hindu

File photo: Sampath Kumar G P, The Hindu

Bengaluru: The state government has begun the long-pending process of ‘one-time regularisation’ of unauthorised layouts and buildings.

Property owners can approach local body offices for applications from March 23. The scheme will be open for a year, till March 23, 2016.

Called Akrama Sakrama, the scheme applies to all layouts and buildings that have come up on private property before October 19, 2013. No building or layout on encroached government or semi-government land is eligible for regularisation.

Collection: The government hopes to mobilise Rs 10,000-15,000 crore through Akrama Sakrama.

Releasing a handbook on Tuesday with the relevant rules, procedures and guidelines, Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake said the fees had been rationalised and the calculations made simple.

Funds mobilised through Akrama Sakrama will be used for the development of infrastructure and creation of parks and open spaces in the state, Sorake said.

The Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act of 1961, Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act of 1976 and Karnataka Municipalities Act of 1964 have been amended to regularise illegal layouts and buildings on private property.

Sorake said that the government would follow a court direction in case a building violated bylaws by 100 per cent.

Owners of such properties can also approach the court for relief, he said. The application has to be filed by the owner, Sorake said, promising to act against developers of unauthorised layouts and apartments.

The regularisation fee will be in addition to the regular charges levied by the competent authorities.

According to the proposal, the regularisation fee for land use violation is five times the fees prescribed.

(Agencies)

J&K: Mufti Sayeed allots portfolios to council of ministers, Sajjad Lone refuses to join cabinet

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Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Tuesday assigned portfolios to his council of ministers, ending the suspense over sharing of portfolios between the ruling alliance partners PDP and BJP.

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh (BJP) has been assigned the important portfolio of power development, housing and urban development.

Abdul Rehman Veeri (PDP) got horticulture, Hajj and Auqaf while Haseeb Drabu (PDP) got finance, labour and employment.

Chander Prakash (BJP) got industries and commerce.

Javaid Mustafa Mir (PDP) got revenue while Lal Singh (BJP) got health, medical education, ARI and training.

Abdul Haq Khan (PDP) got rural development, Bali Bhagat (BJP) got social welfare, forest, ecology and environment.

Syed Basharat Bukhari (PDP) will hold the portfolio of law, justice and parliamentary affairs and Sukhnandan Kumar (BJP) will manage public health engineering.

Altaf Bukhari (PDP) got public works, floriculture and parks.

Chowdhary Zulfiqar (PDP) got consumer affairs and public distribution and tribal affairs.

Sajjad Gani Lone of the Peoples Conference got animal husbandry, science and technology.

Imran Raza Ali (PDP) got information technology, technical education, youth services and sports. Naeem Akhtar (PDP) got education.

All these ministers hold cabinet rank in the council of ministers.

The portfolio assignment order specifies that all other departments/subjects not assigned to any of the above ministers shall remain with the chief minister.

Sayeed holds the all important portfolios of home and general administration.

Among the junior ministers, Chering Dorjay (BJP) will hold independent charge of the cooperative department while Abdul Ghani Kohli (BJP) will hold independent charge of the transport department.

The two women junior ministers, Priya Sethi and Asiya Naqash, will be in charge of the information and health departments respectively.

Sajjad Lone refuses to join Mufti’s cabinet

Upset over the portfolio allocated to him, Sajjad Gani Lone of the Peoples Conference (PC) on Wednesday refused to join the council of ministers in the PDP-BJP government headed by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.

Lone was miffed over allocation of the animal husbandry department portfolio to him by Sayeed Tuesday.

He did not attend his office in winter capital Jammu on Wednesday and instead chose to fly back to the Valley.

“Yes, he has refused to join the council of ministers. He has also surrendered all entitlements including security, official vehicle and other perks given to him as a cabinet minister,” said a Peoples Conference source.

The source said Sajjad is flying back to Srinagar Wednesday.

On whether he had resigned from the council of ministers, the source said: “No, he has not resigned so far, but a decision on whether he should resign from the council of ministers or not would be taken after he meets party rank and file in the Valley.”

Sajjad, according to his party men, was unhappy over allotment of what believes to be, “an insignificant portfolio like animal husbandry”.

Peoples Conference activists argue that the former separatist leader who joined the electoral fray and won state assembly elections from north Kashmir Handwara constituency last year deserved a better deal so that he could convince his voters that joining mainstream politics would usher in better days for the people in Kashmir.

The party has two seats in the 87-member state legislative assembly.

Lone has extended support to the BJP. He was sworn in as a cabinet minister on Sunday as a BJP nominee in the council of ministers headed by Mufti Sayeed.

(IANS)

I&B Ministry issues advisory against broadcasting of Nirbhaya documentary

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INDIAS DAUGHTER

New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting late on Tuesday night issued an advisory to all television channels not to broadcast the Nirbhaya documentary by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin, news agency ANI reported.

It was not immediately clear what the advisory stated, but at least one Indian news channel had said it would air the documentary on 8 March, International Womens Day.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Delhi Police registered an FIR in connection with the controversial interview of a convict in the 16 December gangrape case while also saying that it would move court to seek a restrain order its airing.

Although nobody has been named in the FIR, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi maintained that the “main actor” is the person who has made these assertions and urged the media not to broadcast any assertion which transgresses the domain of law.

“This was a ghastly crime. One has to take into consideration that reporting of a crime does not transgress the domain of law and if that happens then the law will have to take its own course,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

In the interview conducted by Udwin and BBC, Mukesh Singh, the driver of the bus in which the 23-year-old paramedical student was brutally gangraped by six men on 16 December, 2012, said women who went out at night had only themselves to blame if they attracted the attention of gangs of male molesters.

“A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy,” he had said. Singh also said that had the girl and her friend not tried to fight back, the gang would not have inflicted the savage beating, which led to her death later.

The FIR was registered under IPC sections 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) 505(1)(b) (With intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 66A of the IT Act (Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service) at the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police.

Asked against whom the FIR has been registered, Bassi said, “We have registered an FIR on the basis of media reports and we will investigate and whosoever would will be found guilty we will take action against them.”

Any assertion where the late victim is being maligned or where threat is being issued to women in general transgress the domain of law. We are going to move our court concerned for a restraint order, he added.

Udwin had claimed that she took permission from the then Director General of Tihar jail Vimla Mehra to interview Mukesh in prison for BBC.

Asked about this claims, Bassi said, “I am not aware of any permission. Even if it was given, it was given to remain in the domain of law. If any act transgresses the domain of law and particularly IPC, I am duty bound to take action and we have registered a case.”

(Agencies)

Review: 'Coffee Bloom' is a classy and award worthy film

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Coffee Bloom

Banner: Speaking Tree Productions
Producer: Harish Amin
Director: Manu Warrier
Cast: Arjun Mathur, Sugandha Garg, Mohan Kapoor, Nandini Sen, Ishwari Bose-Bhattacharya & Sharath Parvathavani
Music: Prasad Ruparel

Débutante director Manu Warrier in his debut directorial offering ‘Coffee Bloom’ tackles a couple’s (Read Lover’s) relationship, gone sour, in all its humanistic perspective in tandem with angst, jealousy, confusion, greed in lieu with its suicidal attempts et al, in fact all mixed up emotions but more from a male point of view.

The randomly plotted scenario opens when Dev (Arjun Mathur) sells off his family coffee estate as a statement underlining his renunciation of the world. Dev, though a self proclaimed wise man finds more comfort in being a loser, having given up on life as a result of a love gone wrong. A life changing event takes him on a journey to a coffee plantation in Coorg. There he meets Anika (Sugandha Garg), once the love of his life, now his boss and her husband Srinivas (Mohan Kapur). Love between Dev & Anika is on the verge of being rekindled and is about to bloom in an idyllic setting, bringing Dev out of his self imposed funk and Dev finds a new reason to live. But alas a terrible misunderstanding pushes him into taking drastic measures. Much is at stake as the yearly coffee bloom is just round the corner. And Dev is confronted with his past, present &  future, all rolled into one.

Full marks to débutante director Manu Warrier for his deft directorial skills in lieu with cinematographer Yogesh Jaani who has attractively captured the scenic beauty of Coorg. But director Manu Warrier has been a little let down not only by his own script, co-written by Sharath Parvathani who also enacts a brief role, but also by editor Farooq Hundekar who could have enlivened the proceedings by a little more crisp editing. A special mention must be made of producer Harish Amin of Speaking Tree Productions & Shiladitya Bora of Long Live Cinema Pvt Ltd (A distribution concern) for backing such a classy film like ‘Coffee Bloom’.

Performance wise it is the lead pair Arjun Mathur & Sugandha Garg who have literally lived the role of Dev & Anika with their first rate act. Mohan Kapur, as Srinivas, is at times irritating especially punctuated by his obscene gestures & hysterical laughter. The rest of the cast comprising of Nandini Sen, Ishwari Bose-Bhattacharya & Sharath Parvathavani lend an adequate enough support to the lead pair and do not disturb the fluidity of the entire scenario.

Tailpiece: ‘Coffee Bloom’ will be appreciated more by the film festival circuit cinegoers & the multiplex audiences rather than the single screen viewers.

For special treatment, go to Pakistan: Shiv Sena tells Muslims

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asaduddin-owaisi

Mumbai: “If the Muslim community in India want any special treatment as Muslims, they should go to Pakistan,” the Shiv Sena warned here Tuesday.

“If they (Muslims) want anything from this country, they must first accept India as their motherland and proclaim ‘Vande Mataram’. They cannot demand freedom and yet continue to cling to their religion,” the party said in a sharp edit in ‘Saamana’ on Tuesday.

The edit was said to be in reaction to All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s speech in Nagpur March 1, where among other things, he demanded reservations for the Muslim community on the lines of Marathas in Maharashtra.

Taking umbrage at Owaisi’s tone and tenor, the Shiv Sena reiterated its stance that reservations policy must be based on social criteria and not religious lines.

“The poorest of poor Muslim should be given reservation, not because he is a Muslim, but because he is a citizen of India,” the party declared.

It urged all people – especially Muslims and Hindus – to accept this philosophy, which could eradicate politics of vote-banks and reservations, and help the country’s progress.

“Now, Owaisi is insisting that since reservations have been given to Marathas, even Muslims must be granted the same. It was exactly such a stubborn attitude of anti-Hindu hardliner Muslims which resulted in the partition of India and they had created Pakistan,” the Sena said.

But, not anymore, the Sena warned.

Listing the requirements, ‘Saamana’ said Muslims must accept the uniform civil code, embrace family planning and give up the demand for Article 370 pertaining to the special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Blasting Owaisi, it said the day when such leaders stop brainwashing the Muslims with their hate politics, it would spell a new era for the country.

“Owaisi claims that Muslims have suffered a lot in India. Has he bothered to calculate how much Hindus have suffered with the Muslim fundamentalism, terror activities, bomb blasts and communal riots,” it pointed out.

Demanding that such a speech by Owaisi should be treated as ‘anti-national’, the Sena demanded an investigation to ascertain whether he has taken a ‘contract’ to create communal disturbances in Maharashtra, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis must take action in the matter.

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