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Nagpur: India on Friday won the third Test by 124 runs, clinching the four-match series against South Africa 2-0 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here.
Resuming the day at 32/2, South Africa were bowled out for 185 in their second innings while chasing a target of 310 runs.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the star, scalping seven wickets for 66 runs in 29.5 overs. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra also chipped in with three wickets.
(Agencies)
Mangaluru: The court on Friday sentenced three accused to rigorous life imprisonment while two other accused were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for the murder of Advocate Naushad Kashimji.
The accused have been identified as Dinesh Shetty, Ritesh, Ganesh, Pratap Shetty and Subrahmanya; they were convicted on Wednesday.
Of the accused the three serving rigorous life imprisonment and will have to pay Rs 20,000 penalty each are Dinesh, Pratap and Ritesh. However, failure to pay the fine would result in five more years of rigorous imprisonment. They were also sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment with Rs 5,000 penalty each under Arms Act sections 3 and 25.
The other two accused were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000 each and failure to pay the fine would attract three more years of rigorous imprisonment. The two also get six months of rigorous imprisonment and Rs 5,000 penalty each and non-payment of the fine would result in five more months in prison.
The penalty paid would be given to Naushad Kashimji’s wife and children.
Advocate Naushad spoke on behalf of Rashid Malbari, a close associate of Dawood Ibrahim and was murdered near his house at Falnir on April 9, 2009.
Naushad’s brother Sameer Kashimji, speaking to the media said that he was happy with the judgment. However, he said that the actual accused was roaming free, but this judgment would be a lesson for all involved in the murder.
(Agencies)
Bareilly: “Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever is not kind has no faith,” said Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). As the controversy rages over “intolerance” in the country, here is a group of Muslim men who have quietly done for 15 Hindu men what even their own kin could not.
The Muslim men pooled in money to be able to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 to secure the release of the Hindu prisoners languishing for want of money in the district jail. They had been lodged in jail on charges of petty crime like ticketless travel. Unable to cough up the fine to make reparation for their misdeeds, the men were serving an additional sentence. Once the money was paid, the 15 men walked out free birds.
Outside the jail, the Muslims who paid for their release welcomed them into freedom with a warm embrace. As the 15 men stepped out of jail on Wednesday evening, there were smiles and tears all around.
One of the inmates, Nand Kishore, had served out the period of his sentence for ticketless travel, but was not released as he failed to pay a Rs1,000-fine. But as he left the jail premises and strode towards home, Haji Yasin Qureshi and his friends, all Muslims, hugged him and walked along.
Qureshi shrugged off the effusive gratitude that the men showed him and his friends, and said it is just the Almighty who needs to be thanked. He told the 15 men that they should swear never to repeat their mistakes.
The Muslim men had also made arrangements for Nand Kishore’s travel back to his native village. He was given a small sum as “pocket money” too. His eyes moist, Kishore bid the Muslim youth adieu as jail staffers watched, awe-struck.
Among the others to taste freedom were Ajay Kumar, Kishan Sagar, Pappu and Tilak. All of them were warmly embraced as they emerged from the jail, all deeply moved by the gesture of their benefactors who had come to their aid in a time of crisis.
Qureshi, who led the group that collected funds for the release of the men, said, “When we learnt of their plight from jail authorities, we decided that we should do what we could. We are never guided by the feeling that our efforts should be directed only towards members of our own community. We believe that if we help in releasing a man from captivity, Allah will bless us. Moreover, what better occasion than a time when there is all this talk about who should live in this country and who should leave.”
Haji Mohd Anees, a businessman, who too had contributed to the release of the men, said, “Sahib yeh to hamara watan hai aur Hindu hamare bhai hain. Hum yahin paida huwey hai aur yahin khaak mein milengey” (This is our country, Hindus are our brothers. We were born here, we will be buried here and mix with the soil here.)
BR Maurya, superintendent of the Bareilly district jail, said, “The 15 inmates were charged with petty crimes. Some were arrested on apprehension of breach of peace. They were serving out sentences ranging from 6 months to 10 years. The majority of them had served out the full sentence, but could not pay the fine imposed on them by the court.”
(Agencies)
In the on-going 46th International Film Festival of India (IFFI Goa 2015) a renowned Russian film actor cum filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov was honoured with a lifetime achievement award. He has earned quite a name and fame for himself both behind the scenes as a filmmaker and as an actor in front of the camera. His films are widely acclaimed by an international audience and have also received varied international awards. Moreover at present Mikhalkov is the president of his own film production company, Three T Productions. Besides he is also the head of the Russian Filmmakers Union, chairman of the Russian Cultural Foundation and also a member of the Russian Presidential Council of Culture.
How about recalling a little bit of your film history for your Indian fans?
I was born in Moscow in the year 1945. Since a very early age I realised that cinema is a passion for me and since then I strived to be a filmmaker cum actor and I must say that my efforts bore fruits. To start off with I studied acting in Children’s film studio Of the Moscow Art Theatre and later at the Shchukin School of the Vakhtangov Theatre. While still a student, I appeared in Georgi Daneliya’s film I Step Through Moscow (1964) and my brother Andrei Konchalovsky’s film Home Of The Gentry (1969). And very soon I became a star of the Soviet stage and cinema.
So how did you make a transition from an actor to a director?
While continuing to pursue my acting career, I entered VGIK, the state film school in Moscow, where I studied direction under filmmaker Mikhail Romm, who was in fact a teacher to my brother and Andrei Tarkovsky. I directed my 1st short film in 1968, I’m Coming Home, and one for my graduation, A Quiet Day At The End Of The War in 1970. Actually speaking I had appeared in more than 20 films as an actor, including my brother’s Uncle Vanya (1972), before I co – wrote, directed and starred in my 1st feature, At Home Among Strangers in 1974, an Ostern set just after the 1920s civil war in Russia. Then as luck would have it I established an international reputation with my 2nd feature film, A Slave Of Love (1976). Set in 1917, it followed the efforts of a film crew to make a silent melodramatic movie. Then in the year 1994 one of my film named Burnt By The Sun won an Oscar for “Best Foreign Language Film”. Then in 2013 another one of my film named 12 was nominated for the same award.
What are your feelings on being bestowed with a lifetime achievement award in the International Film Festival Of Goa 2015?
It is a great honour coming from the Indian Government. I feel more elated on receiving this prestigious award from an Indian International Film Festival (IFFI Goa 2015). I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart. I feel proud on being included in the list of distinguished personalities who have received the award previously. You see Indian cinema has had a great impact on my work. Love and tenderness shown in the films of the Late Raj Kapoor had influenced me since my childhood. (Hums the famous song ‘Awara’, from the Late Raj Kapoor’s film) Oh! How do I explain my love for Indian films? Suffice it to say that Indian cinema is an entirely different planet for me! A film becomes an international film when it is truly national & cultural oriented.
What do you feel on the constant rise of violence and aggression in Global films?
It’s very pathetic. I feel that the world has died of its own greed, people value money more than each other’s emotions, this leads to violence and aggression. I follow a strict set and format of film making as I feel movies should have the freedom to breath.
Well–known Isreali filmmaker Amos Gitai was born on 11th Oct, 1950 in Haifa. He graduated as an architect from the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and acquired a PhD in architecture at Berkeley University in California. He fought in the Yom Kippur War in 1973, during which he was injured. Attracted by directing, he became a professional filmmaker in 1980 with House. From that point he created many films, both fiction and documentary that brought him considerable international recognition. 46th IFFI is paying a Retrospective Honours to Amos Gitai. Opening with Screening of Rabin – The last Day, 10 of his films are being screened under this section. Other films include Alia, Berlin -Jerusalem, Devarim, Esther, Golem, The Spirit Of The Exile, Kadosh, Lullaby To my Father, Tsili and Yom Yom.
In an interaction Amos Gitai opined that, “The power of cinema as a medium lies in its capacity to go beyond borders and to communicate across cultures. The films need to be both passionate and critical when need be. I am originally an architect and believe in ideas as ideas are important and strong, capable of moving planets.”
He further added, “Films need to have a social context and should not be just entertainment. Filmmakers like Satyajit Ray are called great because they care for their country and use art and films to shape public opinion.”
Expressing disappointment, Amos Gitai averred, “There is too much recycling in the field of cinema. The new generation of filmmakers should feel free while expressing themselves to bring out their originality and creativity.”
Nancy Bishop, C.S.A. is an Emmy nominated casting director, who works internationally with offices in London and Prague. With nearly one hundred major feature films and television projects amongst her credits, Nancy has cast hundreds of actors throughout Europe, UK and US. Nancy has been retained as a casting director by dozens of major screen producers and directors, including Brad Bird (Mission Impossible IV), Roman Polanski (Oliver) and Ridley Scott (Child 44). She was also nominated for an Emmy Award for her casting work on Anne Frank: The Whole Story, ABC / Disney Studios. Nancy is a native of New England and trained as an actor and director at the University of Michigan and the National Theatre Institute. She earned a Master’s of Arts degree in theatre at Northwestern University. Nancy began hercareer as an actor, director and acting teacher in Chicago. Nancy also took Master Class at the ongoing IFFI Goa 2015.
In an interaction at IFFI Goa 2015 Nancy Bishop averred with reservation that the phenomena of Casting Couch does exist at some level. Regarding places looking for talent, she said she takes workshops in various countries and also goes for street casting when a totally unknown face is required. Neither producer nor cast director but it is the financer who has a final say in deciding cast in most of the cases. She concluded by stating that casting being a creative process, the time taken in finalising the cast depends on the project.
Bengaluru: In a bid to join the country in national fervour and its tribute, Greenwood High International School celebrated the 125th birth anniversary of Dr. B R Ambedkar, which will be marked as the Constitution Day henceforth. The special school assembly began with Dr. B R Ambedkar’s teachings and the importance of the day by Principal, Aloysius D’Mello. The students enacted a skit depicting some important events of freedom struggle and the formation of the Constituent Assembly. The preamble to the constitution was also read out in the assembly by all students to mark the significant day. A presentation demonstrated the salient features of the constitution and its making. The program concluded with the school song and the National Anthem.
Niru Agarwal, Trustee, Greenwood High International School said, “We planned a special assembly today to mark the birth anniversary of one of the most inspiring social reformer which also coincides with the day when the Indian Constitution was adopted in 1949. He was also the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and we wanted the students to understand the fundamental values of our Constitution. Our constitution is a unique one and we are glad to observe this national day”.
Kochi: Kerala’s richest NRI Ravi Pillai is reportedly spending Rs 55 crore for his daughter Arathi Pillai’s high-profile wedding with Kochi-based Adithya Vishnu in Kollam, Kerala today.
Pillai is the chairman of the Bahrain-headquartered RP Group with a net worth of Rs 19, 300 crore.
The wedding set, spread over eight acres, has cost more than Rs 23 crore. It has been designed by art director Sabu Cyril of “Baahubali” fame, reports Manoramaonline.
“The design is unique for this event. But it’s largely modelled on the royal palaces of Rajasthan,” said Sabu Cyril. It took him 75 days to create the wedding set.
Manju Warrier, Sobhana and Stephen Devassy will be performing before 30,000 guests inside a 350,000 sq ft set .
The guest list includes royal families of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and UAE, CEOs of Japan Gas Corporation and Chiyoda Corporation Japan, Samsung Group.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Union ministers and film stars including Mammootty and Mohanlal will be attending the function.
Talking about the multi-crore ceremony, Ravi Pillai stated that his daughter’s wedding is not an extravaganza. “Besides conducting my daughter’s marriage in a good manner, I am also spending around Rs 10 crore for humanitarian initiatives. As part of it, as many as 2,000 cancer patients in the state will be given Rs 10,000 each as medical aid,” said Pillai.
(Agencies)
Prime minister urges MPs to approve ISIL air raids, saying UK should not ‘sub-contract’ security to allies.
![Cameron said the UK must expand anti-ISIL air strikes to Syria to deny the group a "safe haven" [Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters]](https://i0.wp.com/nasheman.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Cameron.jpg)
Cameron said the UK must expand anti-ISIL air strikes to Syria to deny the group a “safe haven” [Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters]
Britain should join air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.
Cameron attempted to persuade politicians to back action in parliament, arguing the Paris attacks have given new urgency to the fight against ISIL.
The Royal Air Force is part of a US-led coalition attacking fighters in Iraq, but not in Syria.
Cameron said Britain must join the coalition in Syria to deny ISIL a “safe haven” from which to plot mass-casualty attacks around the world.
“I believe that we should now take the decision to extend British air strikes against ISIL into Syria,” he said in a written statement to MPs. “It is wrong for the United Kingdom to sub-contract its security to other countries.”
On Monday in France, Cameron and French President Francois Hollande pledged to step up security measures after the attacks in Paris on November 13 that killed 130 people.
A parliamentary vote on the issue is expected next week.
Earlier this month, parliament’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee said British air strikes would be “incoherent” and ineffective without a plan to end Syria’s civil war.
Cameron replied on Thursday in the House of Commons saying air strikes were part of a “comprehensive overall strategy” to destroy ISIL and end the Syrian war.
Reporting outside parliament, Al Jazeera’s Charlie Angela said thousands of air strikes had been launched against ISIL in recent months and yet the group still remained a force in the region.
“There’s a big question whether Britain going in with air strikes would be all that effective,” she said. “This would be a good move diplomatically but it remains to be seen how effective militarily it would actually be.”
Karachi: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has granted permission to the PCB for a bilateral cricket series against arch-rivals India in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Indian Cricket Board (BCC) had proposed the series and approached their respective governments for clearance.
Official sources in the ministry of inter provincial coordination said that the Prime Minister gave the clearance before leaving for an official tour to Malta.
“The PM has responded to the letter sent to him by the PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan and he has said that Pakistan should play India in Sri Lanka for a short series given the current security situation,” a source told PTI.
“The PM made the point that while foreign teams are not playing in Pakistan, the security situation for Pakistanis in India is also not clear, so Sri Lanka is a good option,” the source said.
A PM house statement was also quoted in the ‘Express Tribune’ which said, “Given the current security situation, PCB should hold short series with India at a third location.”
It also said the PM House had sent a letter to the PCB granting them permission for the series and directing them to carefully view the security situation as well.
BCCI are yet to hear from the Indian government on the series.
On Tuesday, Sri Lanka emerged as a neutral venue for the planned series which is likely to have three ODIs and two T20s, tentatively scheduled between December 15 and first week of January.
Both countries have not played Test cricket since 2007 but Pakistan toured India in winter of 2012-13 for a short limited-over series.
(PTI)