20:20 Asia Cup hockey: India thump Pakistan 4-0, enter final:
Clinical India hammered Pakistan 4-0 in the last Super 4s match to top the pool and enter the Asia Cup final in Dhaka on Saturday.
All four goals came in the 2nd half.
Satbir Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Lalit and Gurjant Singh sounded the board as India made their way into the final.
‘The Lumiere Festival,’ the SCMP reported, ‘said “Wong’s films had ‘reached beyond the circle of movie-goers and critics, attracting a public drawn to his search for the aesthetic and poetic”.’
‘The prize was given to Wong for “his unclassifiable films, each with countless flares of beauty; for the trace he is leaving upon cinema history; for all that is glorious and lingering in his work; for the neon lights of Hong Kong and the snows of Manchuria; and because, after all, dark glasses are undeniably classy,’ the festival said, referring to the director’s usual look,’ the SCMP added.
19:48 K’taka CM, power minister involved in ‘Rs 447 cr scam’, alleges BJP:
The BJP today accused Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Power Minister D K Shivakumar of being involved in a “mega scam” of about Rs 447 crore relating to the state-owned Karnataka Power Corporation
Limited, a charge the Congress refuted as “baseless”.
State BJP president B S Yeddyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru that KPCL paid a penalty of Rs 447 crore to the Centre for re-allotment of a coal block despite it having no such liability, following the coal scam verdict of the Supreme Court in August, 2014.
“We charge both of them with receiving kickbacks for making this payment,” he said and demanded a CBI probe.
Rejecting the charge, the state power minister said in New Delhi, “Yeddyurappa is misleading the public…This will boomerang (on the party). We are ready for any kind of probe and even a public debate on the issue.”
“The decision to pay the penalty to the central government was taken in the interest of the state and not for personal gain,” he told reporters in the national capital.
The amount was paid to ensure reallocation of the Baranj coal block in Maharashtra for the smooth supply of coal to power units in the state, he added.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president Dinesh Gundu Rao too rubbished the BJP’s charge, saying the party should stop making such allegations to “score political points” in the run-up to the Assembly polls slated for next year.
The opposition BJP, citing documents, alleged that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar as chairman and director of KPCL respectively had “failed miserably in their duties to protect KPCL and allowed loot of taxpayers’ money of Rs 447 crore”.
Yeddyurappa, a former chief minister, demanded that the matter be handed over to the CBI for investigating the role of the chief minister and all those involved in the alleged scam.
The BJP said KPCL and Kolkata-based Eastern Mineral and Trading Agency (EMTA) formed Karnataka EMTA Coal Mines Ltd with 24 per cent and 76 per cent stake respectively in 2002, and when the central government allotted six coal mines to KPCL in 2003, it in turn executed the lease in favour of KECML.
In the wake of the coal scam, the Supreme Court cancelled all coal mining licences, including those of KECML, and levied penalties, the senior BJP leader said. — PTI
The move comes after 90 per cent of Catalonians decided to break away from Spain in an October 1 referendum.
Speaking after a special cabinet meeting in Madrid on Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told reporters he had tried to avoid such measures, but he had been given no choice ‘because no government of any democratic country can accept that the law is ignored, violated and changed by imposition’.
19:07 Tipu Sultan row reignites: K’taka CM attacks BJP MP:
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah hit out at Union minister of state for skill development Ananth Kumar Hegde for refusing to be a part of events marking the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan, a celebration that has been a strong issue of contention between the two arch-rivals.
Tipu Sultan, the former ruler of Mysore, evokes intense admiration and hate in equal measure. He is hailed as a freedom fighter for fighting the British, but his critics the BJP and the Sangh Parivar say he killed Hindus and Christians for during his expansion into the region in the late 1700s.
“As part of the government, he shouldn’t have written it…Invitation (for Tipu Jayanti celebration) will be sent out to all central and state leaders, up to them to accept or reject,” he told reporters in Bengaluru today.
Siddaramaiah also flayed the BJP for politicising the issue.
“There were four wars against the British and Tipu fought them all,” he said, while claiming that Tipu was a “freedom fighter” who helped liberate India from the yoke of colonialism.
Earlier, Union minister Anantkumar Hegde has conveyed to the Karnataka government not to invite him to the “shameful” event of Tipu Sultan Jayanti on November 10.
“(I have) conveyed (to) Karnataka government not to invite me to shameful event of glorifying a person known as brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist,” Hegde said in a tweet yesterday.
The BJP leader had also written a letter to the chief secretary and the Uttara Kannada deputy commissioner, asking them to direct the state government not to include his name in the programme invitations to mark the birth anniversary of the 18th century ruler of the princely state of Mysore.
The government’s decision to celebrate the day on November 10 last year had drawn much criticism from the BJP and the RSS, who termed this act of the Congress as “minority appeasement”.
The Siddaramaiah-led government is all set to celebrate Tipu Jayanti despite widespread protests and violence that had marred celebrations in the last two years.
Image: A tableau depicting Tipu Sultan moves past during full dress rehearsals for Republic Day parade in New Delhi.
The Sharad Yadav faction of the Janata Dal-United today announced election to party posts on March 11 and released a list of interim office-bearers, including Chhotu Bhai Vasava as working president and Ali Anwar as one of the vice-presidents.
Yadav also released a list of presidents of party units in states at a press briefing. Members of an ad hoc committee for Bihar were also announced, which will be headed by former minister Ramai Ram.
Yadav had earlier approached the Election Commission staking claim over the JD-U’s election symbol.
He said today at the press conference that the group had produced 429 affidavits in support of its claim.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JDU has also submitted affidavits of its MPs and MLAs in support of Kumar’s leadership.
This faction has maintained that an overwhelming number of its party leaders are with Nitish Kumar and only a handful of them support Yadav.
They have also approached Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and filed a plea seeking disqualification of its rebel MPs — Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar.
In response to a question about a notice from the Rajya Sabha asking the two MPs to appear before the chairman, Yadav told reporters that his “lawyers were examining the matter”.
Yadav has come out against Kumar tying up with the BJP and joining NDA. He has joined hands with the Congress and opposition parties.
On the controversy over the Election Commission allegedly delaying announcement of schedule for Gujarat elections, Yadav told reporters that the body must maintain the role of an “honest referee”.
“The decision not to announce elections to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh simultaneously was not correct…This has happened for the first time. I want to say to those who are in EC that their predecessors were fair and unbiased despite different kinds of pressures and worked like honest referees,” Yadav said. — PTI
17:42 Linking Aadhaar to bank accounts mandatory, says RBI:
Reserve Bank of India today said biometric identity number Aadhaar linkage with bank accounts is mandatory.
The RBI clarification followed media reports quoting a reply to a Right to Information application that suggested the apex bank has not issued any order for mandatory Aadhaar linkage with bank accounts.
“The Reserve Bank clarifies that, in applicable cases, linkage of Aadhaar number to bank account is mandatory under the Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records) Second Amendment Rules, 2017 published in the Official Gazette on June 1, 2017,” the central bank said in a statement.
These rules have statutory force and, as such, banks have to implement them without awaiting further instructions, it said.
The government in June had made Aadhaar mandatory for opening bank accounts as well as for any financial transaction of Rs 50,000 and above.
Existing bank account holders have been asked to furnish the Aadhaar number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India by December 31, 2017, failing which the account will cease to be operational, the government notification had said.
There were reports in media quoting an RTI query in which RBI had said it “has not issued any instruction so far regarding mandatory linking of Aadhaar number with bank accounts”.
The government in Budget 2017 had already mandated seeding of Aadhaar number with Permanent Account Number to avoid individuals using multiple PANs to evade taxes.
The notification issued amending the Prevention of Money- laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005, mandated quoting of Aadhaar along with PAN or Form 60 by individuals, companies and partnership firms for all financial transactions of Rs 50,000 or above. — PTI
17:10 Mr Modi, don’t try to demon-etise Tamil pride: Rahul on Mersal row:
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to “interfere” in the just-released movie “Mersal”, saying cinema was a “deep expression” of Tamil culture.
The comments came a day after Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan demanded removal of dialogues portraying what he termed as “untruths” about the Goods and Services Tax in the Vijay-starrer movie.
“Mr Modi, Cinema is a deep expression of Tamil culture and language. Don’t try to demon-etise Tamil pride by interfering in Mersal,” Gandhi said in a tweet.
Yesterday, Radhakrishnan had demanded the removal of the “untruths” about the GST, rolled out by the BJP-led NDA government on July 1.
“The film producer should remove the untruths regarding the GST from the film,” Radhakrishnan had said.
16:43 Guj polls: Congress invites Hardik, Alpesh to join hands:
Hoping to garner support of various communities in Gujarat polls, the state Congress today invited Patidar quota stir spearhead Hardik Patel, Thakor community leader Alpesh Thakor and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani
to join hands with the party to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Apart from these leaders, the Congress also hinted at forging a pre-poll alliance with Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and bringing on board Chhotu Vasava, the lone Janata Dal-United MLA from the state.
Addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad today, state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki expressed confidence that the party would easily win over 125 seats, out of total 182, with the “support and blessings” of all these leaders and parties.
“Though the BJP is trying its best to win the polls, it will not succeed in stopping the Congress’ victory march to Gandhinagar.
“We respect as well as endorse the cause for which Hardik Patel is fighting. I appeal to Hardik to support the Congress during the polls. We are also ready to give him a ticket if he wants to fight elections in the future,” Solanki told reporters.
“Similarly, we also invite Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani to join hands with the Congress. I also invite Chhotu Vasava, who helped us in the Rajya Sabha polls, to support the Congress,” he said
Though the NCP had “betrayed” Congress in the RS polls, the party’s doors are still open for them if they also want to overthrow the BJP from Gujarat, he added.
In the Rajya Sabha polls, two NCP MLAs claimed to have voted for BJP candidate Balwantsinh Rajput despite their promise to vote for Congress leader Ahmed Patel.
JD-U’s lone MLA Vasava, whose party has formed the government in Bihar with the support of BJP, had voted for Ahmed Patel, who eventually won the election.
Vasava had said after the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat in August this year that he had decided to vote for the Congress candidate as he was “unhappy” with the ruling party’s works for the poor and tribal population that he represents.
‘While both London and New York have populations of around 8 million,’ the newspaper reported, ‘figures suggest you are almost six times more likely to be burgled in the British capital than in the US city, and one and a half times more likely to fall victim to a robbery.’
‘London has almost three times the number of reported rapes and while the murder rate in New York remains higher, the gap is narrowing dramatically,’ the Telegraph added.
15:38 Army porter killed in Pak firing in Baramulla:
An Army porter was today killed and a girl injured in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control in Kamalkote sector of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir.
“There was unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Kamalkote area,” an army official said.
A civilan working as a porter for the Army was killed “when the Pakistani troops resorted to indiscriminate firing, the official said.
The Indian army personnel were giving a “strong and befitting” response to the ceasefire violation, he said.
Meanwhile, sources said a girl was also injured in the Pakistani firing. She was taken to a hospital in Uri town for treatment.
There has seen a sharp increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan this year.
On October 12, an army jawan and a porter were killed and six others injured when Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire and shelled forward areas along the LoC in the Poonch district.
Eight civilians, including a two-year-old girl, were injured on October 18 when Pakistani troops shelled civilian hamlets and forward posts along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts.
Earlier this month, a Home Ministry official had said that Pakistani troops targeted Indian territories more than 600 times till September 30. Eight civilians and 16 security personnel were killed in the firing. — PTI
15:30 Sibi George, an Indian Foreign Service office of the 1993 batch, will be India’s next ambassador to Switzerland. George is currently joint secretary (administration) in the ministry of external affairs, New Delhi.
India should make its own decisions on the relationship with Iran based on its interests, a top US official has said, days after President Donald Trump condemned Tehran as a “fanatical regime” and threatened to terminate the landmark nuclear deal.
At the same time, the countries should take a hard look at their business partners in Iran, the senior Trump administration official said when asked about India developing the strategically located Chabahar port in Iran, which will give it access to Afghanistan and then to Central Asia.
“India should make its own decisions based on how it sees its interests,” the official told PTI.
An agreements on the Chabahar port was inked by India and Iran in May 2016 after detailed discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
As per the pact, India is to equip and operate two berths in Chabahar Port Phase-I with capital investment of USD 85.21 million and annual revenue expenditure of USD 22.95 million on a 10-year lease. Ownership of equipment will be transferred to Iranian side on completion of the 10-year period or for an extended period, based on mutual agreement.
“What we’re asking is for all countries to take a very hard look at who you’re doing business with in Iran and to understand who are the beneficial owners of these companies,” the US official said, warning against the business deals with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-controlled companies.
The countries also need to have a look at what is the relationship of these companies with the groups which have contributed to the scourge of terrorism, the official said, referring to the IRGC.
Earlier this month, the US slapped sanctions on the IRGC for its alleged support to various terrorist organisations.
Countries doing business with Iran also need to ensure that their economic relationships with Iran do not lead to the strengthening of the IRGC in particular and their ability to do so much harm to so many people, the official added.
Talks between India and the US in this regard if any are happening through normal channels all the time, the senior administration official said.
Trump’s Ambassadorial nominee to India Ken Juster, who is awaiting the Senate confirmation process, is “going to just really be a fine representative” who understands the importance that the president places on the US-India ties.
13:55 Modi is with us, nobody can shake AIADMK: TN minister:
Tamil Nadu Minister K T Rajendra Balaji has said “nobody can shake” the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam as long as Prime Minister Narendra Modi “supports the party”.
Expressing confidence that Chief Minister K Palaniswami’s camp would get the ‘two leaves’ symbol, the State Dairy Minister said, “The symbol will come to EPS camp… there is no doubt about it.”
Addressing a party meeting in Andipatti late last night, he said as along as “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is with us, nobody can shake our party… nobody can destroy AIADMK….”
He asserted that no one could oppose the ruling AIADMK, including the DMK.
He claimed that 92 per cent of general council members supported the Palaniswami camp.
The Election Commission had on March 23 frozen the name AIADMK and its election symbol after the factions led by Sasikala and former chief minister O Panneerselvam staked claim to it ahead of the R K Nagar bypoll, necessitated by the death of party supremo J Jayalalithaa.
Chief Minister Palaniswami, however, revolted against Sasikala. On August 21, rival AIADMK factions led by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam merged, ending a nearly seven- month feud in a power sharing formula in the ruling party and the government in which the latter was made the deputy chief minister.
Balaji had earlier courted controversy when he alleged that private dairy firms mixed harmful chemicals in milk. — PTI
China on Saturday warned that it would consider as a “major offence” if any country or foreign leader hosts or meets the Dalai Lama as it deems the Tibetan spiritual leader a “separatist” trying to split Tibet from it.
China routinely protests world leaders meeting the Dalai Lama. It also makes it mandatory for all the foreign governments to recognise Tibet as part of China to have diplomatic relations with Beijing.
It also protested that when the Tibetan spiritual leader was permitted by India to visit various areas in the north east, including Arunachal Pradesh, this year.
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against the Chinese rule in his Himalayan homeland. He has been living in India in exile since then.
“Any country or any organisation of anyone to accept to meet with the Dalai Lama in our view is a major offence to the sentiment of the Chinese people,” said Zhang Yijiong, Executive Vice Minister of the United Front Work Department of the ruling Communist Party of China.
“Also, since they have committed to recognising China as a sole legitimate government representing China it contravenes their attempt, because it is a serious commitment,” Zhang said on the sidelines of the once-in-a-five-year congress of the CPC.
Zhang said China would not accept the arguments of foreign countries and leaders to meet the 82-year-old Dalai Lama as a religious leader.
“I want to make it clear that the 14th Dalai Lama, the living Buddha handed down by history is a political figure under the cloak of religion,” he said.
Without naming India, he said Dalai Lama fled to the “other country” in 1959 “betraying his motherland and setup his so called government in exile”. — PTI
12:47 Terrorists frustrated, situation improving in Kashmir: Army chief:
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat today said that the security situation in Kashmir valley is improving and recent small attacks show that the terrorists are frustrated.
“Security situation in Kashmir valley is improving. What is happening, just shows the frustration of terrorists,” General Rawat said while addressing media in Jammu.
Commenting on NIA raids in Kashmir, the Army chief said, “In Kashmir, we are following the government’s approach and NIA raids are part of it. Whatever success is achieved, will emerge in future.”
The Army chief said that it is for the government to decide on whether to start talks with Pakistan or not.
“Military has a task and we will continue to perform that task. Decision on any talks has to be decided politically,” he said.
The Army chief also said that radicalization is taking place across the world but India is adressing it seriously.
“Radicalization is taking place, it is a worldwide phenomenon and we are addressing it seriously,” he said.
12:29 RSS worker shot dead in UP’s Ghazipur:
A Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh worker and local journalist Rajesh Mishra was on Saturday shot dead by bike-borne assailants in Karanda area of Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district, news agency ANI reported.
Mishra’s brother, who was with him at the time, was also shot and is critically injured.
The shooting comes just four days after a senior RSS leader Ravinder Gosain was shot dead at his residence in Punjab’s Ludhiana by two masked gunmen on a motorcycle.
Image used for representational purposes only
Normal life in Kashmir was affected today due to a strike called by separatist groups to protest against braid chopping incidents even as authorities imposed restrictions in several areas of the city as a precautionary measure, officials said.
Schools, shops and other business establishments remained closed due to the strike called by separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik.
Public transport remained off roads but some private vehicles could be seen plying in the civil lines area of the city, the officials said.
The separatists had called for a shutdown against the increasing braid chopping attacks in Kashmir over the past one month.
The Srinagar District Magistrate said restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC would continue to remain in force parts of the city as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident.
The areas where restrictions have been imposed are police stations Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, M R Gunj, Safakadal and partially in Kralkhud and Maisuma, he said. — PTI
10:53 Raje govt issues gag orders to officers: The Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan has directed all officers and other employees to not make any “baseless” comments or allegations against any person, party or organisation through the press or social media.
Referring to the All India Services (Conduct) Rules 1968 and Rajasthan Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, a government circular said ‘no officer or other employee shall over any media make any statement or opinion which has the effect of an adverse criticism of any policy or action of the government’.
The employees, through the circular, were warned of disciplinary action if found ‘involved in making baseless allegations or comments’.
The secretary, department of personnel, Bhaskar A Sawant, in the circular warned of strict disciplinary action if any officer or employee failed to comply with the directions.
The fishermen were apprehended near Katchatheevu island.
Earlier this week, eight fishermen from Rameswaram were detained by the Sri Lankan navy while they were fishing near the Delft island.
The incident took place near Taasgaon-Kawathe Mahakal highway at around 2 am this morning.
The injured have been rushed to the nearby hospital for medical treatment.
The truck, carrying tiles, was coming from Karnataka to Karad in Maharashtra.
10:01 Sreesanth wants to play for another country, BCCI says not possible: After the Kerala high court refused to lift the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI, former India pacer S Sreesanth has hinted that he might play for another country.
He said since BCCI has banned him from playing in India, he has the freedom to play cricket for any other country.
“BCCI has imposed the ban, not ICC. If not India, I can play for any other country, because I am 34 now and I can only play for maximum six more years,” Sreesanth was quoted as saying by media reports.
“As a person who loves cricket, I want to play cricket. And not only that, BCCI is a private firm; it is only us who say that this is the Indian team, but you know BCCI is a private body after all,” he added.
Sreesanth and two other Rajasthan Royals bowlers — Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila — were handed life bans for their alleged involvement in the 2013 corruption and spot-fixing scandal in the IPL.
On Tuesday, a division bench of the Kerala high court ruled that the ban imposed by the board cannot be overturned or reduced, thereby negating a single bench judgment of the same court in August, which had asked the board to lift the ban.
However, BCCI acting president C K Khanna has said that Sreesanth can’t play for any other country.
When asked about the cricketer’s statement that he will play for another country, Khanna told ANI, “The International Cricket Council rules clearly say that any player banned by his parent body cannot play for any other country.”
He said that rules, regulations and the legal position are quite clear in the matter.
09:40 Will Mukul Roy attend BJP leader’s birthday party?: Former Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy has received an invitation to attend the birthday party of BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha, fuelling further speculation about his growing proximity to the party. Sinha’s birthday party is scheduled to be held in Kolkata on October 25.
“Every year, apart from the BJP leadership, we also invite the leaders of other political parties to the birthday party of Rahul Sinha. This year, we have invited Mukul Roy also as he is one of the most respected politicians of Bengal. We are hopeful that he will attend the programme,” said a BJP leader who is also one of the organisers of the event.
Roy had resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the TMC earlier this month. Last month, he was suspended from the TMC for six years for indulging in “anti-party activities” after he had announced on September 25 that he would quit the party.
Subsequently, Roy had described the BJP as a secular party and said the TMC would not have tasted success without the backing of the saffron outfit at the national level in its initial years.
09:25 Lalu Yadav is chief guest at Congress event today: RJD chief Lalu Prasad is scheduled to be the chief guest at a Congress programme today to celebrate the birth anniversary of first Bihar chief minister Sri Krishna Singh, making the future political move of the Grand Alliance partners clear after the JD-U broke away.
Sri Krishna Singh, also called Sri Babu, a freedom-fighter, had served as the first chief minister of the state from 1946 to 1961.
The birth anniversary programme of Sri Babu is slated to be a major joint show by the Congress and the RJD. It makes the future plan of Sonia Gandhi’s party in Bihar clear after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD-U quit the Grand Alliance in July and aligned with the NDA.
“RJD president Lalu Prasad is the chief guest at the birth anniversary function of Sri Krishna Singh at the Samrat Ashok Convention Centre here tomorrow,” interim president of Bihar Congress Kaukab Kadri told PTI.
Former Union minister Akhilesh Singh, who has switched over to the Congress from the RJD and is a frontrunner for the post of Bihar Congress chief, is scheduled to be the chairman at the programme.
Hoardings of the event with photographs of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad have been put up in Bihar.
08:58 A lot more Weinsteins out there, says Priyanka: Actress Priyanka Chopra at an event in the US on Thursday weighed in on the question if there was a Harvey Weinstein in Bollywood as well.
When Chopra was asked by the interviewer if she had faced any sexual harassment in her career, she replied saying she felt this wasn’t a problem restricted to just the film industry, and that it was more about a man’s domination of women, reports the Times of India.
The Times report quotes Priyanka as saying:
“How many of you, at some point in your lives, have felt a powerful man at your workplace trying to intimidate you?” Chopra asked for a show of hands. Counting that only a few hands, she said, “That’s the world we should be living in.”
“It’s not about sexuality. It’s not even about sex. I think it’s about power. I think it’s about taking power, feeling powerful and feeling macho. Putting a woman in her place. A woman should sit… be in her lane. ‘She needs to be put in her place because that’s what makes me feel powerful’,”
“I don’t think there is ‘a’ and I don’t even think honestly that there is only ‘a’ Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood. I think there’s a lot more out there. There are a lot more men. There will be a lot more stories that (could) come up, and I think that happens not just in India but all over the world. It’s just the power of a man trying to take away a woman’s power.”
“The easiest thing to take away from a woman is her work… You’re always threatened that you will not get that part or you will not get that movie or this ‘big boys club’ will get together and boycott you. So that as a woman you feel completely afraid and completely alone, you know, that this is my work and these are my dreams and these will be shattered because this big boys club is not going to let me have it.”
Zeenat Shahzadi, a 26-year-old reporter of Daily Nai Khaber and Metro News TV channel, went missing on August 19, 2015, when some unidentified men allegedly kidnapped her while she was en route to her office in an auto-rickshaw from her home in a populated locality of Lahore.
Shahzadi was believed to have ‘forcibly disappeared’ while working on the case of Indian citizen Hamid Ansari, before her abduction. Ansari went missing within the country in November 2012.
Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances president Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal said last evening that Shahzadi had been rescued from an area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Thursday night.
“Non-state actors and anti-state agencies had abducted her and she has been rescued from their custody,” Iqbal said, adding that tribals from Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces had played a key role in her recovery.
“Zeenat Shahzadi today has been reunited with her family in Lahore and we are happy for her safe recovery. I am thrilled that she is home safe,” rights activist Beena Sarwar said.
Unable to withstand the loss, Shahzadi’s brother Saddam Hussain committed suicide in March last year, making her disappearance the focus of headlines again.
08:38 Delhi plans major push for public transport to reduce pollution: To prevent further worsening of air quality from ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’, the Delhi government is planning publicity and outreach programmes to encourage use of public transport.
It has approached the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to expand the frequency of service. It also plans to increase the service of the Delhi Transport Corporation, which is its own agency, reports Shreya Jai in Business Standard.
Officials rule out re-introduction of the earlier experiments with partial bans on vehicle plying. Under two phases of the scheme in 2016, private vehicles were allowed to run on alternate days, based on whether they had odd or even registration numbers.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality index on Friday indicated Delhi’s level was in the ‘very severe’ category.
Diwali apart, there has been crop burning in adjacent Punjab and Haryana.
According to Sudhakar A, member-secretary of CPCB, the air quality was definitely better than last year, when the air index was as high as 450.
“From tomorrow (Saturday), we are expecting cool north-westerly winds, which would lead to dispersion of pollutants and this will improve the situation.”
The government would also ask brick kilns to stop production, in the first phase of the plan to check pollution levels.
As for an alternative to diesel generating sets, “The government will urge the public to take temporary connections from the power distribution companies, if need be during festive and wedding ceremonies, etc,” said a senior Delhi government official.
“The second part of our plan is to monitor if the air quality worsens to severe levels. If that happens, we would stop the coal and firewood used in restaurants and use of petrol and furnace oil by some industrial units,” said Sudhakar.
Photograph: B Mathur/Reuters.
08:26 Naidu undergoes angiography test: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday underwent an angiography test at the AIIMS hospital in New Delhi following which a stent was placed to treat his condition, doctors said. Naidu, 68, was stable and under observation, a senior doctor said.
“Angiography was performed on the vice president which showed narrowing of one of the vessels in his heart and to treat that condition a stent was placed,” the doctor said. He is likely to be discharged today, the doctor added.
Naidu was admitted to AIIMS at around 8 am in the Cardio-Neuro Centre. The procedure on him was carried out under the supervision of cardiology professor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr Balram Bhargava.
Naidu previously visited the hospital for a “complete body checkup” after he became the vice president in August. Tests had pointed to some problems related to the heart, following which the procedure was carried out.
— PTI
08:09 Kamal, Pa Ranjith ask BJP to back off from Vijay’s ‘Mersal’: Veteran actor Kamal Haasan has thrown his weight behind the makers of Vijay-starrer Mersal, asking those opposing the just-released Tamil movie over references to the GST to “counter criticism with logical response”.
In a Twitter post, Haasan said: “Mersal was certified. Don’t re-censor it.”
“Counter criticism with logical response. Don’t silence critics. India will shine when it speaks,” he said.
Haasan had a few years ago threatened to leave India in the wake of protests against his film Vishwaroopam.
References to the Goods and Services Tax in Mersal have not gone down well with the BJP. The party objected to what it termed “untruths” about the new tax regime in the film and demanded that the references be deleted.
Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan demanded the removal of the “untruths” about GST, rolled out by the BJP-led NDA government on July 1, while his party colleague H Raja claimed the film exposed Vijay’s “anti-Modi hatred”.
“The film producer should remove the untruths regarding the GST from the film,” Radhakrishnan told reporters in Nagercoil. His remarks came a day after the BJP’s state unit made a similar demand, charging the filmmakers with making “incorrect references” about the central taxation regime.
Earlier, superstar Rajinikanth-starrer Kabali director Pa Ranjith came to the defence of the Mersal crew, questioning the BJP’s logic of demanding the cuts. Ranjith said there was no need for removing the scenes on GST as demanded by the BJP.
In a late evening order, Justice S K Shinde also directed the committee, set up by the state government to look into the employees’ issues, to submit its interim report by November 15 and the final report on December 21.
Over one lakh MSRTC employees went on an indefinite strike on Tuesday, demanding a salary hike in accordance with the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.
The court was hearing two PILs, including one filed by city resident Jayant Satam, seeking that the strike be declared illegal and the staff be asked to resume work.
“The strike is illegal and they (MSRTC staff) are directed to resume work with immediate effect,” the court said. “The government cannot remain a mute spectator on the strike. This is affecting the public at large, especially during the festive season,” it added.
The court was informed that a committee had been set up to resolve the issue. Noting that the government and the MSRTC needed to sit together to resolve the issue, the court posted the petitions for further hearing to January 10.
The two petitions were filed on Wednesday, highlighting the hardship the passengers were facing, especially in the rural areas where MSRTC buses are often the only public transport facility, due to the strike ahead of Diwali.
Nearly 65 lakh people travelled by MSRTC buses every day, the petitions said.
The policemen came under fire during a raid on a suspected hideout in Egypt’s western desert.
According to reports, the exchange of gunfire took place in the al-Wahat al-Bahriya district in the Giza governorate on Friday.
07:37 Indian-American Congressman moves Diwali resolution in US House: Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives recognising the religious and historical significance of the festival of lights, Diwali to millions of Indian-Americans.
The resolution was introduced yesterday and has the backing of five other lawmakers. Co-sponsored by Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Tulsi Gabbard, Ami Bera and Joe Crowley, the resolution has been sent to the House Foreign Relations Committee for necessary action.
While Bera, Jayapal, and Khanna are Indian-American lawmakers, Gabbard is the first Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress and Crowley is a top Democratic Congressman.
“I’m proud to introduce this resolution recognising Diwali’s religious and historical significance for millions of Indian-Americans,” Krishnamoorthi said.
For Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains in the United States and across the world, Diwali represents a time for giving thanks, and celebrating the triumph of light over darkness as well as good over evil, he said.
Noting that this year many members of the Congress will celebrate Diwali in the US Capitol for the first time, the resolution expresses its “deepest respect” for the Indian-Americans and the Indian diaspora across the world on the occasion.
It also acknowledges and supports the relationship of collaboration and respect between the US and India, and recognises and appreciates the religious diversity in both the countries and throughout the world.
Source: Rediff