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Archives for November 2017

Saudi air strikes kill children in Yemen’s Hajjah area

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by Al Jazeera

At least 30 Yemenis, including women and children, were killed in a series of Saudi-led air strikes in north Yemen, activists and local media said.

Hussain al-Bukhaiti, a pro-Houthi activist, told Al Jazeera at least 16 air strikes targeted the village of Hiran in Hajjah province on Tuesday, killing 30 people, including a family of 10.

Quoting local residents, Bukhaiti said the raids started shortly after midnight, targeting the home of Sheikh Hamdi, a Houthi loyalist, killing him and his family.

The strikes reportedly continued until 5pm local time (14:00 GMT). According to Bukhaiti, the devastation prevented relatives and rescue workers from retrieving the bodies of the dead.

Al Masirah, a TV channel run by the Houthis – a group of rebels who control Hajjah province, the capital, Sanaa, as well as other parts of central Yemen – said 10 paramedics were also killed.

It published photos on Twitter and its website showing a bombed-out vehicle and dead children.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the claims.

Yemen has been torn apart by conflict since 2014, when Houthi rebels, allied with troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, captured large expanses of the country, including Sanaa.

A coalition of Arab countries assembled by Saudi Arabia launched an air campaign against the rebels in March 2015, to try to restore the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power.

Since then, more than 10,000 people have been killed, millions were forced from their homes, and the country has been facing severe famine and a deadly cholera outbreak.

HC refuses stay on Tipu Jayanti Celebrations

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Bengaluru: The High Court on Tuesday refused to grant a stay on the controversial issue of celebrating the Tipu Jayanthi by the state government.

The division bench of Acting Chief Justice HG Ramesh and Justice PS Dinesh Kumar refused to stay the celebrations in the state, especially in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu districts.

Last Friday, the court had sought to know whether the expenditure to be incurred on Tipu Jayanti celebrations to be held across the state on November 10 had the “authority” of the state budget, reported PTI.

Manjunath from Virajpet had filed a public interest litigation seeking a stay on the celebration of Tipu Jayanti in Udupi and Kodagu district, claiming that it would lead to law and order problem.

(Agencies)

Arjun Kapoor’s 48 Hour Look Test

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Dibakar bannerjee, known for perfectionism, worked relentlessly for 2 days to crack Arjun Kapoor’s Cop Look in Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar.

Arjun plays a Haryanvi cop in YRF’s forthcoming entertainer Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar and his look had the internet buzzing when it was launched recently. Cracking this look, authentic yet distinctive, took a fair bit of time & effort on the part of both the director Dibakar Banerjee & Arjun Kapoor.

Arjun Kapoor disclosed, “I was literally put on house arrest by Dibakar Bannerjee before the look test. I had to grow my full beard so that we could try out various looks before Dibakar froze on what he exactly wants. It took us 48 hours to finalise the look of the Haryanvi cop.” He adds, laughing, “Now, that Dibakar Bannerjee has locked the look, I can finally step out of my house and have a social life before I head to an intensive shooting schedule of the film next week.”

Arjun also adds, “Dibakar Bannerjee’s world is as real as it comes. So we had to crack the policeman look convincingly and still give him a distinctive persona. We spent 2 days to make me look like a police constable who has trained & worked the beat.”

Yash Raj Film’s Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar co -stars Parineeti Chopra and is all set to release on 3rd Aug, 2018.

Phanishwar Nath Renu’s Literary Genius Reprised On Screen After Almost 5 Decades

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After almost 5 decades Basu Bhttacharya’s Teesri Kasam, Phanishwar Nath Renu’s creation, Panchlait hits the celluloid silver screen pan India on 17th Nov, 2017. Phanishwar Nath Renu’s heart – warming stories have always created curiosity amongst the filmmakers yet it remains vastly unexplored with the last release being Teesri Kasam, helmed by Basu Bhattacharya.

Panchlait is the story of a kerosene lamp (which uses paraffin and a hand pump which is used to pressurize, in order to light it up), which plays an integral part in a villagers life and possessing one is a mark of honour. The film revolves around a specific village community, Mahato Tola and acquiring the coveted Panchlait after much ado and chain of incidents leading up to it. The story line is hinged on multiple & layered social interactions and an ethereal romance brewing between the lead characters.

The film is helmed by Prem Modi, his 2nd directorial outing after Arjun a Bengali feature film (2013) written (based on a novel) by Samaresh Mazumder, starring Sabhyasachi Chakraborty, Dipanker Dey, Manoj Mitra, Churni Ganguly et al. Prem Modi has worked with stalwarts like Aparna Sen, Tapan Sinha, Anjun Dutt, Gul Bahar Singh, Shyaman & Jalan, Indranil Goswami amongst others. He has worked on multiple documentaries, internationally recognised & award winning projects. Prem Modi has also worked with powerhouse actors such as Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, Amrish Puri, Konkona Sen Sharma, Rituparna Sengupta, Rajit Kapoor, Victor Banerjee, Kay kay Menon, Jimmy Shergil & Sandhya Mridul.

Talking about the release of the film, Prem Modi Stated, “I always had Phanishwar Nath Renu’s stories in mind for my next venture. The simplicity in his stories is irresistible and growing up in Bengal I believe I have acquired a literary bent of mind. Besides I wanted to go Pan India and Hindi had to be my medium of communication this time. The storyline of Panchlait is straight from the Hindi heartland which is the better part of our country and I’m sure audiences around the country will relate to it. It is a tough job to adapt a story like this, since it is popular amongst the Hindi scholars, in fact this story is there in school syllabi. Also, it was extremely important to preserve the same regional flavour & philosophy upon which Panishwar Nath Renu’s stories are based upon. Then I discussed it with my friend Rakesh Kumar Tripathi, who is an excellent writer, my friend & also an associate in this film, thus this project became the dream project for both of us. We were working on this project from the past 8 years, and eventually the story was culminated into an excellent script by Rakesh Kumar Tripathi keeping the core elements intact. From the day we conceived this project to now he is there, in fact the whole cast & crew gave their 100%, making this dream project of mine & Rakesh a reality.”

The ensemble cast of Panchlait boasts of power house performers, NSD graduates & theatre artists such as Yashpal Sharma, Rajesh Sharma, Ravi Jhankal, Brijendra Kala, Lalit Parimoo, Pranay Narrayan, Iqbal Sultan, Malini Sengupta, Kalpana Jha with Amitosh Nagpal (Films – Dabangg, Aarakshan, Rangrez & Red) (RED was not a film, it was a TV series) & Anuradha (a trained classical dancer and acted in films like Days of Tafree, Life Biriyani). Alongside a stellar star cast the film also lists veteran crew members), in the lead.

Talking about the release of the film actor Yashpal Sharma averred, “Panchlait is the kind of cinema that happens once in a while and I’m glad to be a part of the project. The biggest draw for this film is that it is a Paneshwar Nath Renu’s story and we have made the film in its purest form. Keeping everything realistic. I’m waiting for the release now”.

Panchlait hits cinemas around the country on 17th Nov, 2o17.

CavinKare & Ability Foundation Invites Nominations

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by Faizan Rizwan & Shaheen Raaj

In an effort to recognize astounding achievers with disabilities for the 16thconsecutive year, CavinKare & Ability Foundation jointly invite nominations for the CavinKare Ability Awards 2018, from across the country. The award aims to recognize & honor people with disabilities for their path – breaking achievements & salute the spirit of individuals who have fought against odds to scale extraordinary heights.

Ever since its inception in the year 2003, the CavinKare Ability Awards have honored over 60 recipients and brought to the limelight their exemplary achievements. Over the years, the awards have come to be recognized as a much sought after recognition by themselves.

These come under two prestigious categories –Eminence & Mastery.

CAVINKARE ABILITY Award for Eminence: This is a single award given to just 1 person with disability, saluting the exemplary achievement of the person, who has not only overcome great odds but has also contributed significantly to society by initiating an organization of his / her own. The award carries a citation, a trophy & a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakhs.

CAVINKARE ABILITY Mastery Awards: These are 3 awards given to 3 individuals with disabilities from across the country, in recognition of their extraordinary achievement in any field of their choice, be it arts, film, medicine, science & technology, adventure, human rights, sports or more. The awards carry a citation, a trophy & a cash prize of Rs.1 lakh each.

The last date for receipt of nominations is 8th Nov, 2017. A person can be nominated for any 1 category only. Any Indian national with disability (as per the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995) who has done exceptional work in his / her chosen field is eligible to apply. The nominations go through a process of short – listing through interviews & site visits, to be selected by a discerning jury who then decides on the recipients. For more information & to send in your nominations, please log on to www.cavinkare.com or www. abilityfoundation.org or call +91 8939675544.

CavinKare Pvt. Ltd: CavinKare is a diversified FMCG major with the business interest in personal care, professional care, dairy, snacks, foods, beverages & salons. The brand portfolio consists of Shampoos (Chik, Meera, Karthika & Nyle), Hair Wash Powders (Meera & Karthika), Coconut Oil (Meera), Fairness creams (Fairever), Deodorant & Talc (Spinz), Pickles & Snacks (Ruchi, Chinni’s & Garden), Hair Colors (Indica), Retail Salon Products (Raaga Professional), Beverages (Maa), Dairy (Cavin’s) & Beauty Salons (Green Trends & Limelite). Most of the brands are clear winners in their respective product categories. A dedicated R&D center equipped with latest equipment & technologies constantly supports the divisions in their endeavor. Today, with a turnover of over Rs. 1500 crore, CavinKare has achieved significant milestones & a competitive edge with a sound understanding of mass marketing dynamics and has established a firm foothold in the national market. CavinKare’s success is based on it being firmly grounded in its corporate mission “We shall achieve growth by continuously offering unique products & services that would give customers utmost satisfaction and thereby be a role model”.

Ability Foundation: Ability Foundation is a national cross – disability organization established in 1995, which strives for inclusion, empowerment & rights of persons with disabilities. Headquartered in Chennai, Ability Foundation is involved in a wide range of activities that include publishing, media, education, employment & employment related training, advocacy, law & public policy & human rights. Over the years, Ability Foundation has organized several events & also initiated numerous programmes, all of which aim at dispelling stereotypes & changing public perceptions about disabled persons. The Foundation works towards an inclusive society & equal opportunities and a level playing field for all persons with disabilities, stressing on the need for the right opportunities at the right time & an open mind, sans bias.

Mary Kom wins gold at Asian Boxing Championship

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Ho Chi Minh City: Star Indian boxer MC Mary Kom defeated North Korea’s Hyang Mi Kim in the 48 kg category to clinch gold in the Asian Boxing Championship here on Wednesday.

The Olympic bronze medallist got the better of her opponent in a unanimous 5-0 verdict to win her fifth gold at the Asian Boxing Championship and first in the 48 kg category.

(IANS)

Ryan student who wanted exams postponed killed Pradhuman: CBI

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New Delhi: A 16-year-old student of Ryan International School in Gurugram who wanted exams and a scheduled meeting between teachers and parents delayed is the prime accused in the murder of Class 2 student Pradhuman Thakur, the CBI said on Wednesday.

CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said the Class 11 student was detained on Tuesday night after “inspection of the crime spot, scrutiny of CCTV footage, call records, statements and questioning of several people” revealed that he had carried a knife inside the school campus on the day of the crime and used it to kill his junior school mate.

“The weapon used in the commission of crime is a knife which was recovered initially by police in Gurugram (Haryana). It is now with us,” Dayal told reporters here.

He said the detained student was weak in studies and “wanted to have examination and parent-teacher meeting postponed”. Pradhuman, 7, was his random target.

The parents of the detained student were kept informed throughout the investigation, said the spokesperson for the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The CBI took over the case on September 22 from Haryana Police, nearly two weeks after the Class 2 boy was found with his throat slit in a school bathroom.

The accused will now be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, where the court is expected to decide whether he is to be treated as a major or a minor as per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

The Haryana Police had earlier claimed that Pradhuman was killed by school bus conductor Ashok Kumar inside the toilet as the boy resisted a bid to sodomise him.

While Ashok Kumar was arrested, Pradhuman’s parents and two other staffers have claimed that he was being made a scapegoat.

(IANS)

Mallya to be declared PO; Court asks him to appear by Dec 18

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New Delhi: A Delhi court today initiated the process to declare beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya as a proclaimed offender for allegedly evading summons in a FERA violation case. It has now given him the last opportunity to appear before the court by December 18.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Shehrawat directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take appropriate steps while initiating the process.

The court passed the order after ED’s Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta informed it that the open-ended non- bailable warrant (NBW) issued earlier against Mallya has been returned as unexecuted and the agency has no other option but to initiate the process under Section 82 and 83 of CrPC. The agency is likely to take various steps, including publishing in newspapers regarding the matter.

The court had on April 12 issued an open-ended NBW against the liquor baron. An ‘open-ended NBW’ does not carry a time limit for execution unlike ‘NBW’.

On November 4 last year, while issuing non-bailable warrant against Mallya, the court had observed that he had no inclination to return and had scant regard for the law of the land.

It had said that coercive process has to be initiated against liquor baron Mallya as he was facing proceedings in several cases and evading appearance in those matters.

The court had also held that Mallya’s plea, that he wanted to return to India but was “incapacitated” to travel as his passport had been revoked by Indian authorities, was “malafide” and “abuse of the process of law”.

Mallya, who is reportedly in London, had submitted before the court on September 9 that he wanted to come back to India but was “incapacitated” to travel despite “best intentions” as his passport had been revoked.

On July 9, the court had cancelled the exemption from personal appearance granted to Mallya and directed him to appear before it on September 9.

The exemption from personal appearance to Mallya was granted in December 2000 on ED’s complaint for evading summons issued by it.

The agency had issued summons to the businessman in connection with alleged payment of USD 200,000 to a British firm for displaying Kingfisher logo in Formula One World Championships in London and some European countries in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

It had claimed that the money was allegedly paid without prior approval from the RBI in violation of FERA norms.

In its plea against Mallya, ED had also sought issuance of non-bailable warrant against the Chairman of the defunct Kingfisher Airlines to secure his presence in the ongoing trial of the case, which is at the final stage.

According to ED, Mallya was summoned on four occasions for questioning in connection with a contract signed in December 1995 with London-based firm Benetton Formula Ltd for promotion of the Kingfisher brand abroad.

When Mallya failed to appear before ED in response to the summons, a complaint was filed on March 8, 2000 before a court here and later charges were framed against him under FERA.

(PTI)

Demonetization ‘hasty, immature decision’ that hurt the poor: Mayawati

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Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the first anniversary of demonetization, saying the “hasty and immature” decision had hurt millions of poor in the country “very dearly”.

In a statement, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8 last year had put the common man in huge discomfort and added that people were still reeling under the aftermath of demonetization.

She also lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for observing November 8 as “anti-black money day” and suggested that they should rather observe it as “sorry for demonetization day”.

She said the note ban move was cosmetic and aimed at hoodwinking people of the country on action against graft and added that the “Paradise Papers” had “exposed” the BJP and its leaders on their claimed commitment against corruption at high places.

Demonetization, she went on to allege, was to benefit some top notch businessmen and industrialists, and instead of wiping out corruption in the country, it had in fact created new ways and means to amass black money and also safeguard ill-gotten money.

The BSP supremo claimed that it was her party that spoke “factually and technically correctly” on the bane of demonetization, something that was now being proved as correct after one year.

Will the BJP now seek forgiveness of the people of India for their folly, she went on to ask and said the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would continue to expose the wrong policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre before the people of the country.

(IANS)

Saudi Arabia princes detained, ministers dismissed

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by Al Jazeera

Saudi Arabia has dismissed a number of senior ministers and detained nearly a dozen princes in an investigation by a new anti-corruption committee, state media reported on Saturday.

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a billionaire businessman who owns the investment firm, Kingdom Holding, was among those held, according to Reuters news agency, citing an unnamed senior official.

The senior ministers who were sacked include Prince Mitaab bin Abdullah, the head of the National Guard, and Adel Faqih, the economy minister.

Abdullah al-Sultan, commander of the Saudi navy, was replaced by Fahad al-Ghafli.

In a statement on the official Saudi news agency, SPA, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud alluded to the “exploitation by some of the weak souls who have put their own interests above the public interest, in order to illicitly accrue money” for the creation of the anti-graft committee.

Anti-corruption probe
Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel reported that at least 11 princes, four current ministers and several former ministers had been detained in the anti-corruption probe.

Saudi authorities have not confirmed the names of those detained. However, 14 former and current ministers, officials and businessmen were mentioned on social media as being among those held.

One of those mentioned is Waleed al-Ibrahim, chairman of the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC), under which Al Arabiya operates.

According to Al Arabiya, the new committee, which is headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is looking into the 2009 floods that devastated parts of Jeddah, as well as the government’s response to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus outbreak.

King Salman issued a statement saying that the committee shall “identify offences, crimes and persons and entities involved in cases of public corruption”.

The committee has the power to issue arrest warrants, travel bans, disclose and freeze accounts and portfolios, track funds and assets, and “prevent their remittance or transfer by persons and entities, whatever they might be”, according to the statement.

‘Accelerated change’
The shake-up of the Saudi government comes just months after King Salman replaced his nephew Mohammed bin Nayef with his son Mohammed bin Salman as the kingdom’s crown prince.

Mohammed bin Salman has been responsible for pushing through a number of changes both at home and abroad since he became first in line to the Saudi crown.

Ian Black of the London School of Economics said the move fit a “pattern of accelerated change” since Mohammed bin Salman became heir to the throne.

“We’ve seen since June this year, very far-reaching changes,” he said, adding: “That was when Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, was appointed crown prince.

“Since Mohammed bin Salman became the crown prince in June, we’ve seen a lot of upheaval. We’ve seen the announcement of this very ambitious Saudi plan to transform the country, the Saudi economy, Vision 2030.”

The dismissal of Mitaab bin Abdullah as National Guard minister came shortly after a missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Riyadh’s King Khaled International Airport.

However, Black said the two were probably not related as the sacking came bundled with changes to other ministerial portfolios.

In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia announced an end to its long-standing ban on allowing women to drive, and Mohammed bin Salman has also promised to return the country to a “moderate” form of Islam.

Since 2015 Saudi Arabia has been at war against Houthi rebels, who control much of northern Yemen on the kingdom’s southern border.

What does this mean? Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara explains:

“There have been signs over the last two and a half years that more of this is coming. [Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] is raising the leverage of power in Saudi Arabia. He certainly has the blessings of his father, King Salman, and he’s determined to make all kinds of changes in Saudi Arabia itself and in Saudi foreign policy, which led to the war in Yemen and the Gulf crisis.

But internally this is new. Not only do we have a new chapter opening up in Saudi Arabia, we have a whole new book, a whole new political alphabet with one exception: It’s still all done in secrecy. Why those 11 princes, why those four standing ministers? Is it really just to consolidate power or is there more to it?

Why isn’t there more transparency and sharing of evidence about the setting up of the committee? We really are on the brink of dramatic changes.

In 2015, Mohammed bin Salman became minister of defence. Just a few months ago, he became the head of all the internal security forces because they got rid of Mohammed bin Nayef, then crown prince. Now he’s taken control of the third most important security apparatus within the country, so he has defence, he is in control of interior, and now he is in control of the guards.

Clearly, he has the stage set. Clearly all the heads of all the major media networks, newspapers, and commentators were all already groomed, set in motion in order to defend the crown prince and his policies. There are already new songs for the crown prince and his glory, so internally they are definitely setting the stage in terms of the three security apparatuses, the media and so on.

President Trump has given his blessings and support to the crown prince with the hundreds of billions of dollars of promised contracts, so he’s certainly supporting his various ambitions in the region, most importantly that of the confrontation with Iran in the region. This is something that Trump really wants as well as apparently a promised rapprochement with Israel.

In the tradition of Saudi Arabia, revolting against the royals is not a good idea. It’s never been recommended. But does it all end with this or will it lead to more? I think it will lead to more, but will it then lead to discontent among Saudis? It just might.”

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