Pak-India issues to be resolved amicably: Jamali; Confusion over Pak envoy's appointment; Three Hizbul militants, constable killed in Kashmir; Sahara moves SC in Karishma case; Novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford US writer has charged that Sahara TV mega serial 'Karishma - A Miracle of Destiny' a copy of her popular novel 'A Woman of Substance'; Don't disrupt social harmony in the name of social justice: Advani; Major narcotics haul in Kolkata, five held; Penelope goes, Kidman comes; BBC to broadcast drama on Beethoven's Third Symphony; Beckham's team goes ultra-fashionable; A film on Taj Mahal to hit the theatres soon; Winslet to star in big-budget Hollywood musical; News from India; News for Tourists and Travellers; India Travel Times; India News; India News Times; Indian News; Travel News; Travel; Tourism;

Home Contact Us Dateline New Delhi, Monday, May 19, 2003

Pak-India issues to be resolved amicably: Jamali

Islamabad, May 19: Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has said that all outstanding issues with India would be resolved amicably. Speaking to reporters at Quetta international airport on Sunday, Jamali said it is a good sign that all the issues have been taken out of cold storage. He expressed pleasure at the "step-by-step improvement" in the bilateral relations and added: "We want to resolve all the outstanding issues with India, including Kashmir, through dialogues. We are hopeful that the matter will be resolved in a better way," he emphasised. Replying to a question regarding the legal framework order (LFO), Jamali said that talks between his government and Opposition were "positive". He said it would be resolved after reviewing the suggestions of the committee constituted for the purpose.

Confusion over Pak envoy's appointment

Islamabad, May 19: Pakistan on Monday denied having appointed a new ambassador to India. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aziz Ahmed Khan told reporters in Islamabad that appointment of Riaz Mohammad Khan to New Delhi was just a speculation. "No decision as yet has been taken about the High Commissioner. Once it is taken, we will let you know. We will not keep it hidden from you. There are certain protocols which have to be observed. The normal diplomatic procedure is that after the head of a government has taken a decision, it is communicated for agreement of the other government and once that communication is received, a simultaneous announcement is made. Before that if anything appears in the press, it will be purely speculative," said Khan. State-owned PTV on Saturday quoted Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali as telling Indian state-owned Doordarshan television in an interview that Riaz Mohammad Khan had been appointed to New Delhi. India has appointed Shivshanker Menon, who is currently the ambassador to China as its High Commissioner to Islamabad.

The nuclear-neighbours scaled back their diplomatic ties after an attack on India's parliament in December 2001 that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants. Khan said Pakistan hoped India would positively respond to its efforts which would lead to resumption of a dialogue between the two arch-rivals. "We hope that Indian response will be forthcoming and they would respond positively to all gestures that the Prime Minister (Pakistani Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali) has made which would lead to quick resumption of dialogue process," said Khan. Last month Atal Behari Vajpayee said he wanted to extend a hand of friendship to Pakistan, prompting a series of trust-building by both sides.

Three Hizbul militants, constable killed in Kashmir (Go To Top)

Srinagar, May 19: Three Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists and a policeman were killed in separate incidents in Kashmir since Sunday evening. The militants were killed in an encounter with police and para- military forces at Kokernag in Anantnag district, according to sources. The battle began after the guerrillas fired on the security forces engaged in a combing operation. A local police constable Basharat Ahmad was shot dead by the ultras in his home town Guspora in Budgam district of central Kashmir on Monday morning.

Sahara moves SC in Karishma case (Go To Top)

New Delhi, May 19: The Sahara TV channel moved the Supreme Court on Monday seeking to take the legal battle back to the Calcutta High Court in a suit filed by New York-based novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford. The US writer has charged that mega serial 'Karishma - A Miracle of Destiny' was an unauthorised copy of her popular novel 'A Woman of Substance'. On May 14, the apex court, while staying all proceedings before the High Court, had restrained the TV channel from airing the Rs 60-crore serial till it decided the special leave petition filed by the author challenging an order of the Division Bench allowing telecast of the TV soap opera. A vacation Bench comprising Justice N Santosh Hegde and Justice Shivaraj V Patil, will hear the case on Thursday.

Don't disrupt social harmony in the name of social justice: Advani (Go To Top)

Thiruvananthapuram, May 19: Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani has said that social justice has to be ensured along with social harmony in such a manner that it does not disrupt the smooth functioning of society. Speaking on the occasion of unveiling of the statue of journalist and founder of the Kerala Kaumudi daily K Sukumaran, Advani said: "The backward sections of society have always yearned for social justice. But there have been leaders and journalists like Sukumaran who have always maintained that there should be not only social justice for these backward sections but social justice should be given to them in a manner as not to disrupt social harmony. Social justice along with social harmony should be ensured," he said.

Major narcotics haul in Kolkata, five held (Go To Top)

Kolkata, May 19: Police seized narcotics worth 50 million rupees from two Chinese and three Burmese nationals in Kolkata on Monday. All the five were tenants of a former CBI director. However, police officials have ruled out the involvement of the officer. "We raided the ground floor of the residence. We found five foreign nationals. Two of them were Chinese and three Burmese. There we recovered few items which according to the Narcotics Bureau are contraband items. We seized 24 kilos ephythine hydrochlorine, which is used in making emphytimine tablets," said NC Patra, Assistant Director of the city's Narcotics Control Bereau. Patra said they also recovered equipment which were to be used to produce narcotics. "The lab equipment used to make these tablets was also recovered from there. They were new items and were not installed yet. We have also recovered a motor and a compressor, which were used for testing," he added. Patra said they were investigating whether those arrested were part of an international gang.

London, May 19: Hollywood's noted actress Nicole Kidman arrived at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival on Sunday to promote her new film 'Dogville'. The Sun reported that Kidman arrived a day after her former husband Tom Cruise's new flame Penelope Cruz had left the place. Penelope had come to plug her new movie 'Fanfan La Tulipe'. She left at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, the paper said. Sources at the film fest said the departure and arrival of the two most beautiful actresses was "carefully timed."

London, May 19: Classical music still commands respect in the age of techno music. As much will be evident in BBC's effort to screen a 90-minute dramatised performance of Beethoven's Third Symphony in a peak time slot on one of its mainstream television channels. This move will definitely appease critics who accuse the corporation of ignoring classical music on the small screen .

According to a report in the Telegraph, actor Ian Hart is to play the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, suffering a gradual loss of hearing, in the BBC2 period drama-cum-concert, 'Eroica'. The symphony will be performed in full during the drama, about half of it in the form of a televised concert and the rest as part of the soundtrack. The focus will fall on the day in June 1804 when the symphony was played in full for the first time at a private rehearsal at the palace of Beethoven's patron in Vienna.

The script for Eroica, filming for which begins this week and is written by Nick Dear, who is also behind BBC2's drama Byron starring Jonny Lee Miller, examines the story behind the symphony, and, in particular, Beethoven's unrequited love for an aristocratic woman. The drama also features Tim Piggott-Smith, Jack Davenport and Claire Skinner. The music is performed by the Orchestre Revolutionaire et Romantique, regarded as one of the leading period orchestras in the world, and conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner. It will be the first time in years that the BBC will broadcast an entire symphony in the prime time on one of its major television channels.

London, May 19: Apart from game strategy, England's football team also looks for sartorial style. The legendary soccer-mad Italian designer Giorgio Armani has designed a new ultra-fashionable outfit for the British team. The latest uniform, which the players will wear for the next four years, includes two suits, an overcoat, an avant-garde, asymmetric raincoat, a revolutionary cardigan-jacket, underwear, sunglasses, watches and luggage, according to a report in Independent. The range is in a colour palette of navy, light blue and pearl- grey. Armani will supervise final fittings and join the players before it is launched at a photo-call. The team will wear the new wardrobe for the first time in an official capacity when the players fly off on Monday night to play a friendly match against South Africa. They will also wear the uniform for Euro 2004 in Portugal and the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Earlier reports said that David Beckham was the inspiration behind the change.

Mumbai, May 19: Currently at least three movies are being made on the story of Taj Mahal. The first one to hit the screens will be 'Taj Mahal - A Monument of Love', which is being directed by Robin Khosla and is an Indo-Canadian joint venture. Bhagyashree's sister, Poornima, is making her debut in this film, which is being made in English and will be dubbed in Hindi. According to Robin, he has concentrated on the interactions between the two central characters in the film, namely, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. The film has been shot in Kashmir and is of less than two hours duration.

London, May 19: After Catherine Zeta Jones, it is Kate Winslet who has opted for the first time to star in a big-budget Hollywood musical. The 'Titanic' actress will appear opposite Sopranos lead James Gandolfini in the film titled 'Romance and Cigarettes'. The movie, which also features Susan Sarandon, is reported to be a "savage, passionate and darkly comic" tale of a man's infidelity. Two years ago, Kate had a Top 10 hit with 'What If?' from the soundtrack of A Christmas Carol.