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Actor Christopher Lee dies at the age of 93

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The veteran actor was best known for roles including Dracula and Saruman in the Lord of the Rings franchise

Sir Christopher Lee, who passed away at the weekend. AFP PHOTO / CARL COURT (Photo credit should read CARL COURT/AFP/Getty Images)

Sir Christopher Lee, who passed away at the weekend. CARL COURT/AFP/Getty Images

by The Guardian

Sir Christopher Lee has died at the age of 93 after being hospitalised for respiratory problems and heart failure.

The veteran actor, best known for a variety of films from Dracula to The Wicker Man through to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, passed away on Sunday morning at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, according to sources.

The decision to release the news days after was based on his wife’s desire to inform family members first. The couple had been married for over 50 years.

As well as his career in film, Lee also released a series of heavy metal albums, including Charlemagne: The Omens of Death. He was knighted in 2009 for services to drama and charity and was awarded the Bafta fellowship in 2011.

His film career started in 1947 with a role in gothic romance Corridor of Mirrors but it wasn’t until the late 50s, when Lee worked with Hammer, that he started gaining fame. His first role with the studio was The Curse of Frankenstein and it was the first of 20 films that he made with Peter Cushing, who also became a close friend. “Hammer was an important part of my life, and generally speaking, we all had a lot of fun,” he said in a 2001 interview.

Christopher Lee as Dracula. Photograph: REX/Moviestore Collection

Lee’s most famous role for Hammer was playing Dracula, a role which became one of his most widely recognised although the actor wasn’t pleased with how the character was treated. “They gave me nothing to do!” he told Total Film in 2005. “I pleaded with Hammer to let me use some of the lines that Bram Stoker had written. Occasionally, I sneaked one in. Eventually I told them that I wasn’t going to play Dracula any more. All hell broke loose.”

In the 70s, Lee continued to gain fame in the horror genre with a role in The Wicker Man, a film which he considered to be his best. “Wonderful film… had a hell of a time getting it made,” he said. “Its power lies in the fact that you never expect what eventually happens, because everyone is so nice.” He went on to play a Bond villain in 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun and turned down a role in Halloween, which he later said was one of biggest career regrets. In his career, he also turned down a role in Airplane!, something he also regretted.

Christopher Lee as Saruman. Photograph: EPA

His concern over being typecast in horror films led him to Hollywood and roles in Airport ‘77 and Steven Spielberg’s 1941. His career saw a resurgence in 2001 with a role as Saruman in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and then as Count Dooku in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

He also became a regular collaborator with Tim Burton, who cast him in Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows. Burton went on to award him with a Bafta fellowship.

In 2011, he returned to Hammer with a role in the Hilary Swank thriller The Resident although he generally tried to avoid the horror genre in later years. “There have been some absolutely ghastly films recently, physically repellent,”he said. “What we did was fantasy, fairy tales – no real person can copy what we did. But they can do what Hannibal Lecter does, if they’re so inclined, people like Jeffrey Dahmer and Dennis Nilsen, and for that reason, I think such films are dangerous.”

Hand over Kashi, Mathura, Ayodhya to Hindus, says Ashok Singhal

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Ashok Singhal

Lucknow: Hindutva hawk and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal on Wednesday appealed to the Muslim community to “hand over” Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya to Hindus for “love and amicable atmosphere” in the society.

Addressing a programme where Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was also present, Mr. Singhal said: “I again appeal to the Muslim community to hand over three places — Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya — to Hindus peacefully…love and amity will prevail in the society.”

Reacting to Singhal’s call, one commentator on social media jokingly posted: “Didn’t know Muslims control these places”.

UN warns of worsening situation in Sudan's Darfur

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Security Council discusses violence that has seen tens of thousands displaced this year by new violence in the region.

Darfur has been in turmoil since 2003 when ethnic Africans revolted against the government of President Bashir [Reuters]

Darfur has been in turmoil since 2003 when ethnic Africans revolted against the government of President Bashir [Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

The UN has warned that violent attacks on international peacekeepers and civilians in Sudan’s conflict-torn Darfur region have been increasing, forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.

Edmond Mulet, UN peacekeeping deputy chief, told the 15-member Security Council on Wednesday that there has been negligible progress in peace efforts for Darfur.

He blamed the second phase of the Sudanese government’s Decisive Summer military campaign to end armed uprisings for causing the new wave of displacement across the region.

Humanitarian organisations have estimated at least 78,000 newly displaced this year, while the UN has unverified reports of 130,000 more, Mulet said.

“There is also significant concern about reports of indiscriminate attacks against civilians” and other human rights violations, he said.

One diplomat speaking to Al Jazeera described UNAMID, a joint mission by the UN and the African Union, as “the most dysfunctional peacekeeping mission in the world”.

“UN officials will tell you privately that the actions of the government of Sudan are one of the reasons why UNAMID is not working,” Al Jazeera’s Diplomatic Editor James Bays reported from the UN headquarters in New York.

“Some will tell you that if UNAMID continues to fail, then eventually the UN should withdraw. But of course that’s exactly what Sudan has made it clear it wants to happen.”

UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s latest progress report on UNAMID said there were 60 “incidents and hostile attacks against UNAMID” in the three months to May 15, compared with 46 in the previous quarter.

The new surge of violence in Darfur comes as the UN holds talks with the government of President Omar al-Bashir on an exit strategy for UNAMID, which has at least 15,000 peacekeepers on the ground.

Sudan ordered UNAMID out of Darfur late last year.

Constraints on force

Abiodun Oluremi Bashua, the acting head of UNAMID, said constraints placed on the peacekeepers by the Sudanese government is one of the reasons they cannot do their job properly.

“We can leave Darfur in a year if the government creates the necessary conditions to make that possible,” he told Al Jazeera.

“Those conditions have to do with the security, the protection of civilians, the guarantees for their protection and their security, their ability to go back home without fearing that they might be attacked or something.

“We also need to have engaged and encouraged governments to address the root causes of the major inter-tribal conflicts.”

The Security Council is due to decide on June 24 on renewing the mandate of UNAMID until next year.

Darfur has been in turmoil since 2003, when ethnic Africans revolted, accusing the Arab-dominated Sudanese government of discrimination.

Rights groups accused the government of retaliating by unleashing Arab armed groups on civilians, a claim the authorities deny.

Hassan Hamid Hassan, Sudan’s deputy UN ambassador, told the Security Council that the violence and displacements were mainly due to tribal clashes and attacks by rebels, not government forces.

UN peacekeepers accused of swapping goods for sex

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Hundreds of exploitation and abuse allegations, many involving children, made in 2008-2014 period, UN draft report says.

UN peacekeepers

by Al Jazeera

UN peacekeepers commonly pay for sex with cash, dresses, jewellery, perfume, mobile phones and other items despite a ban on such relationships, a draft UN report has concluded.

The draft study by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), obtained by Reuters news agency, says surveys of hundreds of women in Haiti and Liberia found their reasons for selling sex included hunger, poverty and lifestyle improvement.

“Evidence from two peacekeeping mission countries demonstrates that transactional sex is quite common but underreported in peacekeeping missions,” concluded the OIOS draft dated May 15.

The UN currently has more than 125,000 troops, police and civilians deployed in 16 operations around the world.

The OIOS draft report also notes that “the number of condoms distributed, along with the number of personnel undergoing voluntary counselling and confidential testing for HIV … suggest that sexual relationships between peacekeeping personnel and the local population may be routine”.

It said a UN bulletin issued in 2003 banned transactional sex by peacekeepers, in part because it undercuts the organisation’s credibility in areas where it is serving.

The OIOS draft said 480 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse had been made between 2008 and 2013, of which one-third involved children.

It said missions in Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Haiti and South Sudan accounted for the largest numbers of accusations.

In 2014 it said 51 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse had been made against UN peacekeepers.

States providing troops to UN missions have the primary responsibility to investigate allegations against their soldiers and police.

“Despite continuing reductions in reported allegations, that are partly explained by underreporting, effectiveness of enforcement against sexual exploitation and abuse is hindered by a complex architecture, prolonged delays, unknown and varying outcomes, and severely deficient victim assistance,” OIOS said.

‘Fundamental problems’

Speaking to Al Jazeera from London on Thursday, Anneke Van Woudenberg, Africa deputy director at Human Rights Watch, the New York-based rights monitor, said she was not surprised by the findings in the draft UN report.

“This is something that we have seen in many countries of the world where the UN is operating and it has been a problem that has been going on for many years,” she said.

“The UN has tried to tighten up on it, but it has got a couple of fundamental problems – one of which is that there is immunity from prosecution for peacekeepers that are deployed on UN peacekeeping missions.

“If those peacekeepers commit crimes [while on mission], they cannot be held to account in those countries. They can only be held to account in their home countries, and far too often this immunity is like a protective cloak.”

The draft report included a response by the UN Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support.

They regretted that OIOS did not evaluate prevention efforts and only focused on enforcement and remedial assistance efforts.

 

India and Bangladesh test: Rain denies second day's play

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India and Bangladesh

Fatullah: Heavy showers washed out the second day’s play of the lone Test between India and Bangladesh at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium here on Thursday.

The match was supposed to start half an hour earlier than scheduled as rain washed away 34 overs of play on Wednesday. But heavy rains continued, leading the umpires to call off the day’s play without a ball being bowled.

Only 56 overs were bowled on Day 1 in which India scored 239 runs without losing a single wicket. Openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay were unbeaten on 150 and 89, respectively.

India captain Virat Kohli had won the toss and opted to bat. Left-hander Dhawan was in rollicking form as he notched up his third Test century in only 101 balls, his first since February 2014. Vijay was a little slow off the blocks but gradually found his rhythm to end the day at a solid 89 not out, his 11th half-century.

(IANS)

Rail Tatkal ticket booking timings revised; 50% refund on cancellation

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Rail Tatkal

New Delhi: Indian Railways has changed the timing for the booking of Tatkal tickets, and said that customers can get a refund of upto 50% on cancellation for the same.

As per the new schedule, the Tatkal booking for AC classes will commence at 10 a.m and close at 11 a.m, while for the non-AC classes, the Tatkal booking will commence at 11 a.m and close at noon.

Railways will soon launch its ‘Tatkal Special’ train service, travelling on which will be dearer than on normal trains.

The cash-strapped public transporter will make special trains on tatkal fares operational for certain busy routes.

While ‘Premium’ trains – tickets for which are priced as per a dynamic fare structure – are already operational, the Tatkal Special trains will be an additional service to cater to the rush.

The Railways has also relaxed the advance reservation period for Tatkal Special trains. The advance reservation period is of a minimum 10 days and a maximum of 60 days.

(ANI)

Tomar row: Congress asks Centre to act against Irani, Katheria

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Smriti Irani

New Delhi: Latching on to the arrest of former Delhi Minister Jitender Tomar, Congress today demanded that Centre should also be pro-active in cases related to Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Ram Shankar Katheria.

“The way they have proceeded against Tomar, they should do likewise against Irani and Katheria”, party spokesman Ajay Maken said in reply to a volley of questions from reporters.

Detractors of Irani have accused the HRD Minister of giving wrong information about her educational qualifications whereas Katheria is facing a marksheet forgery case. Irani was alleged to have provided contradictory affidavits of her educational qualifications to the Election Commission.

Maken, who is also the Delhi PCC Chief, demanded that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should quit in the wake of the arrest of Tomar.

This, he claimed, was necessary as the issue of Tomar’s “fake” law degree was raised inside AAP before the Assembly elections, but Kejriwal had ignored it. Tomar was not only given the AAP ticket, but was also made a Minister by Kejriwal despite knowing fully well the charges against him.

Maken faulted Kejriwal for doing precious little to promote transparency and accountability in the government despite getting a huge mandate from the people of Delhi.

Recalling that Kejriwal had last time resigned as Chief Minister after 49 days in power citing his failure to bring the Jan Lokpal bill, but now he has not acted over the matter.
Besides, he said that there has been no Lokayukta in Delhi for long, but Kejriwal has not cared to fill the post till now. He noted that Kejriwal had also removed L Ramdas who was working as the internal Lokpal in AAP.

Earlier in the day, scores of protesters led by the Maken and senior party leader PC Chacko marched towards the Delhi Secretariat demanding the resignation of Kejriwal.
Meanwhile, former Union Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram took a dig at the Centre over the developments in Delhi.

“Orders & counter orders of Delhi CM & LG (read Union government) are fine examples of Acche din, and maximum governance !”, Chidambaram said in a tweet.

Another party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi wondered through a tweet: “Is the delhi law minister post jinxed? First Somnath Bharati now TOMAR!”. The obvious reference was Bharati forced to resign as Law Minister during the first stint of AAP in power in the wake of a controversy.

“Forged BSC degree, forged LLB degree, fake marksheet. And Mr Tomar & AAP expected soft treatement?”, Singhvi said attacking AAP in another tweet.

(PTI)

Azam Khan asks Yogi Adityanath to offer namaz for better mental health

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azam khan

Rampur: Reacting on the recent comments by BJP MP Yogi Adityanath on Yoga, UP minister Azam Khan today said that the saffron leader should “offer namaz to set his mind on the right track”.

“Although my advice to Yogi about namaz might not be correct but since he wants to use force to adopt any exercise, I am forced to express my opinion.

“He should rather offer namaz (prayers) that would not only give him physical strength but also put his mind on the right track,” he told media yesterday.

The SP leader was referring to the firebrand leader’s comments that those opposing ‘Surya namaskar’ should “drown in the sea”.

Khan maintained that Surya Namaskar was a religious exercise that should not be forced upon others.

“As far as religious practices and traditions related to a particular community are concerned one should not be compelled to adopt those,” Khan said.

Accusing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to harbour hatred against minority, the state urban development minister said, “When the BJP maintains enmity against Muslims and asks them to leave India, I urge the Prime Minister, Home Minister and other responsible persons of the government to allot a land where Muslims may be rehabilitated side by side.”

(PTI)

Domestic violence complaint against AAP's Somnath Bharti

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Somnath Bharti

New Delhi: Former Delhi law minister and AAP MLA Somnath Bharti is in the news again – this time in a domestic violence complaint case.

The wife of a senior party leader Somnath Bharti on Wednesday approached the Delhi Commission for Women, accusing the Malviya Nagar legislator of domestic abuse.

The DCW has issued a notice to Bharti after his wife, Lipika, filed a case against her husband, a former Law Minister in the first AAP government in the national capital.

During the first Arvind Kejriwal government last year, Bharti had courted controversy for his midnight crackdown on African nationals in his constituency.

The complaint against Bharti came a day after Delhi Law Minister Jitendra Singh Tomar resigned following his arrest in fake degrees case.

Myanmar-trained NDFB militant killed in Assam

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assam

Guwahati: Security forces on Wednesday killed a hardcore cadre of Bodo militant outfit NDFB who was trained in Myanmar during a counter-insurgency operation in Assam’s Kokrajhar district, officials said.

The slain cadre of the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) was identified as Prajit Brahma alias B. Laodar, defence spokesperson Lt. Col. Suneet Newton said.

“He was a Myanmar-trained cadre of the outfit and was very close to the outfit’s newly appointed commander-in-chief B. Rongjabaja,” Lt. Col. Newton said.

Security forces launched a joint operation against militants in Parbatjhora area in Kokrajhar district on Tuesday night.

A fierce gunfight took place early on Wednesday between a group of militants and security forces. However, the rest of the militants managed to escape, he said.

The security forces also recovered a pistol, two grenades, and some ammunition from the slain cadre, who was sent to Kokrajhar with the responsibility to revive the Dhubri platoon of the militant outfit, the official said.

(IANS)

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