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8-year boy killed in Bengal blast

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An eight-year-old boy was killed and at least nine persons were injured in a crude bomb blast in Dumdum in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday, police said.

The blast, which took place around 9 a.m., ripped through adjacent shops, shattered window panes of nearby houses and damaged the pedestrian walk, eyewitnesses said.

“A large explosion took place outside a shop in Nagerbazar area today morning. According to the probe so far, low intensity socket bombs were used in the blast,” Barrackpore Police Commissioner Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

“More explosives were used to magnify the effects of the low intensity crude bombs — parts of which ricocheted off the concrete floor and hit a terrace causing the impact of the blast to be double.

“Bibhash Gosh, an eight-year-old kid, who was injured in the blast, has succumbed at the hospital,” he said.

According to the officer, the bomb exploding on the solid surface created a tremor which caused the glass window panes of the adjacent multi-storied buildings to shatter.

“We are investigating the matter. The bomb squad of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has visited the spot. Several items including a bag has been seized from the spot and sent for forensic tests. We are still finding out the kind of explosives used in the bomb,” he added.

According to police, at least nine others, including a woman sustained injuries and have been admitted to the state-run SSKM Hospital.

Trinamool Congress leader and Chairman of South Dumdum municipality Panchu Gopal Roy said the blast was targeted at him.

“I think they tried to target me. Today is October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. We all know which group was involved in Gandhiji’s killing. I will not be surprised if that same group was involved in this blast,” he said.

IANS

Karnataka unlikely to get separate flag by this Rajyotsava

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With the state government showing no interest in implementing the Kannada flag proposal — one of the pet projects of former CM Siddaramaiah — it is likely to remain only on paper this Karnataka Rajyotsava on November 1. In June 2017, an order was issued by the Kannada and Culture department to form a committee to look into the new design of the flag for Karnataka and also legalities of the state having its own flag.

Siddaramaiah had held several meetings with Kannada organisations, literary personalities, legal experts and other stakeholders for suggestions. The flag idea was approved by the State cabinet, and in March 2018, the then CM Siddaramaiah had unveiled it.

Kannada Development Authority Chairman S G Siddaramaiah told Express that former CM Siddaramaiah had sent the proposal for the flag to the Union government for final approval. “We sent it in March, but they are yet to approve it,’’ he said. Kannada and Culture Minister Jayamala said the proposal was likely to get approval soon, but did not commit to a date.

Sources from Congress said the coalition government is currently facing many challenges and hence less bothered about it. “There are many other issues, including farm loan waiver, flood and drought,’’ a source said.

In 2012, D V Sadananda Gowda had said that the bi-colour Kannada flag would be hoisted on all government buildings next to the national flag on November 1. A circular was also issued. However, it was challenged in the High Court, forcing them to withdraw the notification. When Jagadish Shettar was CM, his government gave an affidavit that there was no official state flag.

PTI

CM deny NIA reports, says plot to murder Dalai Lama not hatched in state

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Hours after the National Investigation Agency charged two terror suspects, arrested from Bengaluru recently of conspiring to kill Dalai Lama, Chief minister Kumaraswamy clarified that no such plot had been hatched in the state.

Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha here on Monday, Kumaraswamy said that as per the intel provided by the state police no such attempt was made in Karnataka.

The NIA, on Monday, stated that two persons, suspected to be members of a Bangladesh-based terror outfit, were the masterminds behind the planting of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at Bodh Gaya on January 19 this year. In a charge sheet filed before the Special Court in Patna on Thursday, the NIA said that the explosion was to have been carried out when the Dalai Lama and the governor of Bihar were at the Bodh Gaya temple.

On August 6 this year Adil Sheikh,29, who is believed to be a senior member of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB), Bangladesh was arrested from Cantonment Railway Station and a day later the second suspect, Mohammed Jahidul Islam alias Munir Sheikh, 38, a native of Jamalpur, Bangladesh was arrested from Ramanagaram.

“The two men had played a role in planting IEDs at a kitchen set up in Bodh Gaya on January 19 this year to express solidarity with Rohingya Muslims fighting the Myanmar government and wage a war against the government of India,” the NIA statement said.

However the plot was foiled and the area secured by the police who immediately swung into action having received information regarding some suspicious objects lying near the Kalchakra Maidan, Bodh Gaya, under a generator set. During the search, the police had found two more live IEDs.

The charge sheet further states that suspect Jahidul Islam conspired with two others to carry out terror attacks in India by planting IEDs and carrying out explosions at Buddhist monuments and sites to show solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims.

“The accused met at multiple locations and carried out reconnaissance of the targets at Bodh Gaya and procured explosives and other materials to manufacture IEDs,” the NIA said.

Jahidul Islam, with the help of the other co-accused, allegedly made three IEDs and two hand grenades. The IEDs were allegedly planted by Adil Sheikh, Dilwar Hossain and Arif Hussain in Bodh Gaya. NIA had earlier established links to eight persons in the case out of whom seven were arrested. NIA is yet to arrest Arif Hussain.

PTI

Film Fest Round Up

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7th Dharamshala International Film Fest To Be Held At Mcleod Ganj From 1st Nov 2018 To 4th Nov 2018

The 7th Dharamshala International Film Fest (DIFF) will take place from 1st Nov, 2018 to 4th Nov 2018 in the beautiful mountain town of McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama & the meeting point of a rich & cosmopolitan mix of people & cultures.

Dharamshala International Film Fest (DIFF) is presented by White Crane Arts & Media, a trust founded by filmmakers Ritu Sarin & Tenzing Sonam to promote contemporary cinema, art & independent media practices in the Himalayan regions of India.

The 1st ever edition of Dharamshala International Film Fest (DIFF) was held in the year 2012. Since then, it has established itself as one of India’s leading independent film fest’s. The Dharamshala International Film Fest’s cutting-edge & eclectic programming, which includes many India premieres, and its policy of inviting as many directors as possible has made it one of the go-to events in any cinephile’s calendar. Last year, the films & side programmes at Dharamshala International (DIFF) attracted a viewership of around 6000, of which at least 60% were from out of town from places as far away as Kerala, Bangalore, Hyderabad & Mumbai. Some of India’s best-known film critics & journalists from leading media houses were on hand to cover the event.

This year, for the 3rd time in a row, the fest will take place in the peaceful environs of the Tibetan Children’s Village, a short distance from McLeod Ganj. Along with the 2 existing auditoriums at the school, this year DIFF is excited to partner with Delhi based PictureTime to set up a mobile digital theatre with state-of-the-art projection facilities at the festival venue.

Festival Director Ritu Sarin says, “We endeavor to bring a slate of unusual & trailblazing narrative, docu & short films from around the world, as well as showcasing some of the best recent Indian independent cinema, making it a rich experience for our audience.”

Fest directors Ritu Sarin & Tenzing are delighted with the way Dharamshala International Film Fest (DIFF) has evolved over the years and are determined to consolidate & improve upon the standards set by previous editions. Ritu Sarin says, “A fest like Dharamshala International Film Fest (DIFF), taking place in a small town with very few resources & no cinema tradition as such, requires the support & dedication of numerous individuals & organizations, as well as interns & volunteers whose enthusiasm & passion are the engine that drives our fest’s. I am grateful to our long-term collaborators Thyssen-Bornemsiza Art Contemporary, the Himachal Pradesh Government who is supporting us through its Departments of Tourism & Language, Arts & Culture, and our many partners, including the National Film Development Corporation, PictureTime, Wishberry & Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films.

Preliminary highlights from this year’s selection of films include: Boom For Real (Sara Driver, USA, 2018), Sara Driver’s docu drama follows the pre-fame years of celebrated American artist Jean – Michael Basquiat & how New York City, the times, the people & its tectonically shifting arts culture of the late 1970’s & 1980’s shaped his vision, Father To Son (Hsiao Ya-Chuan, Taiwan, 2018), Hsiao Ya-Chuan’s official selection for the 47th International Film Fest Rotterdam (IFFR) takes its viewers through 2 unknown journeys of self-reconciliation, In the Intense Now (João Moreira Salles, Brazil, 2017). A Panorama selection at the 2017 Berlinale Film Festival, In the Intense Now is an immersive retelling of the Paris uprisings, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia & the Cultural Revolution in China using newsreel clips & home movies found through the late 1960’s, Little Forest (YIM Soon-Rye, South Korea, 2018), YIM Soon-Rye of The Whistleblower & Forever The Moment fame, makes her return to the celluloid silver screen with a coming-of-age story based on the 2002 Japanese manga of the same name, by Daisuke Igarashi, A Long Way Home (Luc Schaedler, Switzerland, 2018), A never-before heard or seen glimpse into the lives of 5 significant representatives of contemporary Chinese counterculture, including the famous Gao Brothers, who shed light on the social problems in their country through their own unique perspective, bravery & wit, Namme (Zaza Khalvashi, Georgia/Lithuania, 2017), Zaza Khalvashi’s art fantasy drama is Georgia’s official entry to the Oscars 2019, Inspired by Georgian literature & folklore, Namme narrates the story of 1 family’s mission to take care of a local healing water & treat fellow sick villagers with it, The Red Phallus (Tashi Gyeltshen, Bhutan, 2018), Bhutanese director Tashi Gyemtshen’s stunning debut, The Red Phallus, takes place in the gloomy & remote central Bhutan valley of Phobjika, where 16-year-old life with her widower father, a traditional painter & craftsman specialized in making wooden phalluses. Her dark secret comes back to haunt her.

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (Stephen Nomura Schible, USA/Japan, 2017), An insight into the life & legacy of the legendary Japanese composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda is an intimate portrait of both the artist & the man & movingly captures the creative process.

Balekempa (Ere Gowda, India, 2018)
FIPRESCI award winner at the International Film Fest Rotterdam 2018, Balekempa tells the story of unspoken desires & relationships that cluster around the lives of Kempanna, the bangle seller & his wife set in Karnataka’s close-knit patriarchal community.

Ee.Ma.Yau (Lijo Jose Pellissery, India, 2018), Cult Kerala filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery of Angamaly Diaries fame returns with a black comedy set in the coastal village of Chellanam, Kochi.

Raghu Rai: An Unframed Portrait (Avani Rai, India/Finland, 2018), This intimate portrait of one of the world’s greatest photographers made its world premiere at the International Documentary Film Fest, Amsterdam, in Nov, 2017. The story of Raghu Rai & his India is told through the eyes of his own rebel daughter during their travels in & around Kashmir.

One of Dharamshala International Film Fest primary goals is to promote & encourage filmmaking in Himachal Pradesh. This year’s Spotlight on Himachal includes the North Indian premiere of Ridham Janve’s The Gold-Laden Sheep & the Sacred Mountain, a Gaddi-language feature film set in the Dhauladhar mountains with a cast of non-professional Gaddi shepherds. The director & his cast will present the film in person. Shimla based filmmaker Siddharth Chauhan will also present his much-lauded short film, Pashi.

Dharamshala International Film Fest (DIFF) is proud to announce that this year, the Dharamshala International Film Fest (DIFF) Film Fellows initiative, which was established in the year 2014, will focus specifically on up & coming filmmakers from Himachal Pradesh. This is supported by HP Government’s Department of Language, Arts & Culture. 5 filmmakers will be selected & mentored by renowned National Award-winning filmmaker Gurvinder Singh & award-winning documentary filmmaker Anupama Srinivasan.

This year, Dharamshala International Film Fest (DIFF) is also thrilled to host the 1st ever Dharamshala-PJLF Editing Workshop. This initiative is supported by NFDC. 2 director-editor teams will be selected from across the country & mentored by internationally renowned editor Jacques Comets who co-headed the editing department at France’s leading film school, La Femis, along with editor & Artistic Director of the Kerala International Film Fest, Bina Paul & producer & script/editing mentor Olivia Stewart.

Dharamshala International Film Fest (DIFF) has always recognized the importance of short films as a category in its own right and this year, for the 5th year in a row, filmmaker Umesh Kulkarni has curated a selection of the best of current Indian shorts. In addition, Dharamshala International Film Fest (DIFF) is partnering with Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films to present a package of short films. The popular Dharamshala International Film Fest (DIFF) Children’s Film Programme is once again curated by Children’s Media Specialist, Monica Wahi.

Bollywood has powerful international footprint: Designer Manish Malhotra

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Having worked on the costumes for films like “Rangeela”, “Mohabbatein”, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” in his over-two-decade journey in Hindi filmdom, ace fashion designer and couturier Manish Malhotra says Bollywood has a powerful international impact.

In his stint in the Hindi film industry, Malhotra has styled the who’s who of Bollywood, including names like Tabu, Rekha, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Sridevi, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Priyanka Chopra, among many others.

Asked if celebrities play a big role in driving a designer’s popularity, Malhotra told IANS in an e-mail interview from Mumbai: “In a country where cinema and its influence is as prevalent as it is, actors are looked up to as much for their sartorial choices as for their performances. Bollywood has a powerful international footprint, with massive popularity, including social media following, not to mention a front row seat to every fashion week.

“It is only natural that actors mirror the evolution of modern culture on-screen, and off it — with their personal style.”

Malhotra ventured into the world of Hindi showbiz by designing costumes for actress Juhi Chawla in 1990 for the movie “Swarg”.

He also designed ensembles for actress Urmila Matondkar for “Rangeela” in 1995, for which he garnered recognition. Since then, he has been on a roll and has designed costumes for films like “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…”, “Raja Hindustani”, “Veer-Zaara” and “Dhadak”, as well as carved a niche with his own brand.

Malhotra launched his label in 2005. He says designing clothes for films is his “first love”.

“I’ll never leave them, and they’ll never leave me — hopefully. Today, if I had a choice between a couture collection and the movies, I would choose the latter. For me today, it’s all about my label. I want to start a diffusion line, I want to open stores worldwide, I want to expand the avenues of my label. Maybe 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have had that mindset, but today I do,” he said.

From styling the likes of Kajol, Karisma Kapoor, Kareena, Rani Mukerji, Priyanka Chopra, Preity Zinta and even international singer Kylie Minogue — is there any personality left he would like to give a style twist with his designs?

“I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with such wonderful talents across generations, be it Karisma, Kareena, Anushka, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka, Kajol, and Alia Bhatt. It has been their confidence, grace and femininity that has continued to inspire me.”

Malhotra said he is always looking to work with trailblazers who are not afraid to experiment through fashion as a medium of self- expression.

Currently, the designer is looking forward to showcase his collection, inspired by his latest couture range Zween, at the first Fashion Weekend International (FWI) in Doha.

“Various aspects from the Middle Eastern culture — be it the centuries-old architecture, black and white cinema to the native flora and fauna — have been key inspirations for this collection,” he said, adding that he would be showcasing over 60 ensembles.

Aishwarya will be seen walking as the showstopper for Malhotra at FWI. He says the former beauty queen epitomises grace.

“Aishwarya is not only a dear friend but has also been my design muse for many years now. Having worked with her in various films, runway shows and red carpet appearances, it has always been a pleasure, given her strong work ethic,” he added.

IANS

Terror funding: NIA raids Srinagar businessman’s residence

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 A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday searched the residence of a businessman in Srinagar in connection with a terror funding case, police sources said.

The central anti-terror agency carried out searches at the residence and office premises of Ajaz Ahmad Hakak in connection with its ongoing probe into the hawala terror funding by the Pakistan-based Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), an NIA official told IANS in Delhi.

The raids were carried out in Srinagar’s old city area at Hakak’s Nowhatta residence. There was no report about any seizure made.

The NIA action comes a week after it had busted a hawala network linked to the FIF and arrested three persons from Delhi, including a Kashmir-based hawala courier.

The agency had seized over Rs 1 crore in cash and Rs 43,000 in Nepali currency and several incriminating documents from the arrested men.

According to the NIA, some Delhi-based individuals were receiving funds from FIF operatives based abroad and were using the money for terror activities in the country.

The NIA had arrested Mohammad Salman, 52, Mohammad Salim aka Mama, 62, Sajjad Abdul Wani, 34, of Srinagar.

Salman was said to be in regular touch with a Dubai-based Pakistani national, who in turn was connected with the deputy chief of FIF, a charity group linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The FIF is a Lahore-based organisation established by Jamat-ud-Dawa and acts as a front for the LeT. FIF was founded in 1990 by Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

IANS

Fuel price hike: Petrol costs Rs 91.20/litre in Mumbai, Rs 83.85/litre in Delhi

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The price of petrol is Rs 91.20 (up by Rs 0.12) in Mumbai, Tuesday. The price of diesel also hit a new high for the third consecutive day, retailing at Rs 78.69 per litre (up by Rs 0.17) in the city. The fuel prices are the highest in Maharashtra due to heavy VAT levied by the state government. In Delhi, a litre of petrol costs Rs 83.85 (up by Rs 0.12), while diesel is being sold at Rs 75.25/litre (up by Rs 0.16).

Among the other cities, a litre of petrol costs Rs 85.65 in Kolkata, Rs 87.18 in Chennai, Rs77.34 in Panjim. Diesel, on the other hand, is retailing at Rs 77.10/litre in Kolkata, at Rs 79.57/litre in Chennai, Rs 76.68/litre in Panjim, according to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the largest fuel retailer in India. With petroleum is still excluded from the GST regime, prices vary according to local VAT rates.

Meanwhile, taking on the government, the Maharashtra Congress performed a solemn “shraaddh” (a post-death ritual) of cans of petrol and diesel, and US Dollar on the first day of “Pitrupaksh” in wake of the spiralling fuel prices in the state. Saying that the fuel has now become befitting gifts for weddings, Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam said, “States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Rajasthan and others have already reduced taxes on fuel. Why can’t Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis follow suit and reduce people’s misery.”

IANS

Abe replaces Defence, Health Ministers in Cabinet reshuffle

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday replaced his Ministers of Defence and Health, Labour and Welfare in a major Cabinet reshuffle, with an eye on upcoming elections for the upper house of the Parliament in 2019, to be followed by lower house elections in 2021.

This was Abe’s first major reshuffle after he was re-elected as the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in September.

Abe retained six of the 19 ministers in his Cabinet and named 13 new ministers, out of which 12 were former ministers, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was cited as saying by Efe news.

The most significant change in the Cabinet was new Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya, who replaced Itsunori Onodera at a time when the government was set to push a controversial reform to change its pacifist Constitution.

Abe also named Takumi Nemoto as the new Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, replacing Katsunobu Kato, while veteran politician Yoshitaka Sakurada was appointed as the Minister of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Satsuki Katayama, currently the only woman minister in the Cabinet after Abe replaced two other female ministers, will be the new Regional Revitalization Minister.

Two of Abe’s closest aides, Finance Minister Taro Aso, and Suga himself retained their portfolios, along with Foreign Minister Taro Kono, Economy and Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko and Minister of State for Economic Revitalization and Human Resources Toshimitsu Motegi.

The reshuffle indicated Abe was set to continue with his economic policy or “Abenomics”, that was launched six years ago to revive the world’s third biggest economy.

The leader also reorganized the leadership of his party on Tuesday, naming former Health Minister Kato as chairman of the party’s general council, with the objective of pushing the proposed constitutional amendment.

This was Abe’s fifth Cabinet reshuffle in six years and across three terms.

IANS

Indonesia quake, tsunami toll jumps to 1,234: Disaster agency

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The confirmed death toll from an earthquake and tsunami on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island has risen to 1,234, from 844, the national disaster agency said on Tuesday.

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Friday triggered tsunami waves as high as six metres (20 feet), which ravaged the small city of Palu, on the west coast of Sulawesi.

Nearly 200,000 people have been displaced and are in need of emergency help, while thousands have been streaming out of the stricken areas.

Rescuers have yet to reach many affected areas leading to fears the death toll could rise again.

Nigel Timmins, Oxfam’s humanitarian director, said it could take weeks to realise the full extent of the disaster.

“It’s not just a wall of water, it’s a wall of water full of debris: concrete, trees, cars – everything being churned around like a giant cement mixer. It’s like a huge bulldozer that clears away the land and afterward you’re left with complete chaos,” Timmins told Al Jazeera.

About 1,700 houses in one Palu neighbourhood were swallowed up, with hundreds of people believed buried, the national disaster agency said.

There was also mounting concern over Donggala, a region of 300,000 people north of Palu and close to the epicentre, and two other districts – with a combined population of about 1.4 million.

Initial reports from Red Cross rescuers who had reached the outskirts of Donggala district were chilling.

“The situation in the affected areas is nightmarish,” Jan Gelfand, head of an the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) office in Jakarta, said in a statement.

“The city of Palu has been devastated and first reports out of Donggala indicate that it has also been hit extremely hard by the double disaster,” Gelfand said.

Aljazeera

Kovind, Naidu, Modi pay tributes to Shastri on his birth anniversary

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President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 114th birth anniversary at Vijay Ghat here.

“Remembering our former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastriji on his birth anniversary. His integrity, wartime leadership and role in the shaping of the Green Revolution remains an inspiration for the entire country,” the President tweeted.

“Paying tributes to the former Prime Minster and great son of our soil, Lal Bahadur Shastri on his birth Anniversary at Vijay Ghat in Delhi today,” Naidu tweeted attaching photographs.

Paying tribute to Shastri, Modi said he “epitomised strength and simplicity. He led India at a crucial time and worked hard to make our nation more prosperous”.

Shastri was born in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Sharada Prasad and Ramdulari Devi on October 2, 1904.

On January 11, 1966, he breathed his last in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a day after signing the Tashkent Declaration, reportedly due to cardiac arrest.

Shastri was the first person to be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award in 1966.

IANS

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