CPM expresses displeasure with UPA
Kolkata:
The CPM, a crucial ally of the UPA Government at the
Centre, has expressed its displeasure with the Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh's Government. "We are not satisfied with
the functioning of the UPA Government," veteran CPM leader
Jyoti Basu said immediately after emerging out the meeting
of the state secretariat of the party in Kolkata today.
Stressing that the Government should be "self-criticial",
Basu said he would be travelling to Delhi with other party
leaders to take up the matter with the Government.
Tiranga
Yatra takes off
Hubli:
The BJP's "Tiranga-Yatra" led by its firebrand leader
Uma Bharti set out from the northern Karnataka town of Hubli
today en route to Jallianwallah Bagh, seeking to bring the
issues of nationalism, probity in public life and "pseudo
secularism" into sharper focus. After an hour's delay caused
by a persistent drizzle, the "yatra" was flagged off by
former Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of Opposition L
K Advani amidst slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande
Mataram". Hundreds of enthusiastic BJP workers carrying
party flags crowded the Rani Chenamma circle here and raised
slogans hailing Advani and Bharti, as the 3,000 km "yatra"
rolled out amidst tight security. It was in the disputed
Idgah maidan that the BJP had tried to hoist the national
tricolour in 1994 before their stir led to violence and
claimed six lives in police firing. In his speech, Advani
described the "Tiranga Yatra" as a "historic event" and
said it was focussed on three issues-- nationalism, probity
in publice life and against "pseudo secular forces".
The
16-day yatra will cover seven states and is scheduled to
reach Jalianwalabagh on September 25. Bharti will address
52 rallies and more than 200 road-side receptions during
the yatra, which will be flagged off by During the yatra,
Bharati is expected to focus on issues of nationalism, particularly
in the context of the tricolour. She is also likely to raise
the issue over the alleged insult to noted freedom fighter
Veer Savakar by Union Petroleum Minister Mani Shanker Aiyer
and the "tainted ministers" issue. Of the 16 days, six days
will be spent in Maharashtra, which goes to Assembly polls
next month. Three days will be spent in Madhya Pradesh,
two days each in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and
a day in Haryana. The yatra comes four days after a Hubli
court discharged Bharati in a 10-year-old criminal case.
Karunanidhi
returns to films after eight years (Go
To Top)
Chennai:
Apart from playing a key role in the United Progressive
Alliance government at the center, DMK president Karunanidhi
has chosen to pen the screenplay and dialogue for a feature
film, 'Kalaignarin Kannamma'. Karunanidhi is returning to
the film world after eight years. His career in writing
screenplay for films had once enabled him to carry his political
message across to the vast Tamil masses. He first wrote
the screenplay for the film 'Rajkumari' in 1947, which was
followed by 'Abhimanyu'. But 'Parashakthi' in 1952 was the
movie that earned him a name as a prominent and powerful
scriptwriter. The film scathingly indicted social evils
prevailing in Tamil Nadu. He penned story for two films
and has written screenplay and dialogues for 33 films. The
last film that he wrote was 'Puthiya Prasahti'.
Film
director Babha Vikram Singh, who is directing the film Kalaignarin
Kannamma said that he had approached Karunanidhi with a
story few years ago, which he liked instantly but could
not find time to write the screenplay as he became the Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu. "I am have been in touch with him
for the last four to five years. He kept postponing saying
that he will write afterwards. Now, he has come forward
and accepted it because he was very much impressed by the
subject and said he will definitely write it," said Vikram.
Karunanidhi, who had come to the AVM studio after a gap
of 52 years reminisce his years in the film industry. He
said that coming to the studio was a good get-away from
his mundane political life. "I am coming to this field after
52 years. I have seen a lot of changes during this time.
Director K.B. (K. Balachanda) has shown me direction into
the new phase that today's film world has entered. I recollect
my beginning 52 years ago when I had written the script
for the film 'Parashakti', in which my friend Shivaji Ganesan
had acted," said Karunanidhi. The lead actor of the film,
Venkat, was overwhelmed about doing a film scripted by Karunanidhi.
"I have no words to describe that I am acting in Kalaignar's
(Karunanidhi) film. He referred my name after seeing my
serial 'Annamali'. I am on top of the world. I have no words
to describe it," said Venkat.
Nepalese
PM promises security to business (Go
To Top)
New
Delhi: Nepalese Prime Minister today said Kathmandu
would ensure security for the 35 firms shut down by a Maoist
rebel threat. "They (Businessmen) have not said to me. We
have promised all support and will provide all security...whatever
they request for," Sher Bahadur Deuba said on the margins
of an industry seminar in New Delhi. Deuba is in India on
a five-day visit focused on seeking help to crush the revolt
that has killed more than 10,000 people since 1996. Twelve
businesses, including a luxury hotel rocked by blast, a
leading tobacco firm and a Coca-Cola bottling plant have
reportedly shutdown, costing them four million dollars in
daily losses. The latest list of businesses asked to close
down includes the Bhotekoshi Power Company, a U.S. joint
venture generating hydroelectric power, and the Tiger Tops
Jungle Lodge in Chitaun in southern Nepal, a tourist attraction
for jungle safaris. New Delhi is a key ally in Kathmandu's
efforts to end the insurgency and is keen to see it quelled
quickly. India has so far provided the Royal Nepal Army
with boots, helicopters, arms, ammunition, anti-mine trucks
and training to troops. The Maoists are fighting to topple
the constitutional monarchy and establish communist rule
in Nepal, which straddles the Himalayas between India and
China. India fears they could ally with some of its own
radical left groups who say they are fighting for the landless
poor. Nepal's revolt has wrecked the economy in one of the
poorest countries in the world and forced thousands of people
to flee their homes.
UP
lawyers bodies to meet to chalk out future protest strategy
(Go
To Top)
Lucknow:
Several lawyers associations affiliated to the Uttar
Pradesh Bar Council and the Central Bar Association will
meet today to chalk out their future protest strategies
against alleged police excesses. The lawyers' protest will
enter its seventh day today. Work in the high court and
the lower courts has remained paralysed as the lawyers continue
their agitation to protest the police baton charge on September
2. The Uttar Pradesh Bar Council had earlier appealed to
the agitating lawyers to resume work, but the local bar
associations said the strike would not be called off unless
Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav gives a written assurance
on their various demands.
Bihar
declared 'scarcity-hit' (Go
To Top)
Patna:
The Bihar government has declared the entire state 'scarcity-hit'
"The state cabinet which met here, declared all the 38 districts
in the state scarcity-hit", Chief Minister Rabri Devi told
reporters after a cabinet meeting here. Drought and floods
had caused setbacks in the state's agricultural output,
she said, adding that standing crops worth several crores
of rupees had been damaged in recent months. The districts
declared scarcity-hit due to drought were Patna, Nalanda,
Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur, Gaya, Jehanabad, Arwal,
Nawada, Aurangabad, Munger, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Jamui,
Banka, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj and Vaishali.
Tariq
Aziz's Delhi visit shrouded in mystery (Go
To Top)
Islamabad:
Tariq Aziz, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's right
hand man, is reportedly in New Delhi to hold talks with
India's National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit. Though the
visit is shrouded in mystery, it is expected that the two
officials would finalise the agenda for the forthcoming
meeting between Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan
Singh in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly
session. The NSA Office, however, declined to confirm the
Aziz-Dixit meeting when contacted on Friday. Before leaving
for India, Aziz met Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri,
the Foreign Office officials and was also briefed about
the recent talks between Kasuri and Indian External Affairs
Minister K. Natwar Singh. Earlier, Aziz had played a similar
role when he had arranged the Musharraf-Vajpayee meeting
in Islamabad on the sidelines of the 12th South Asian Association
for Regional Countries (SAARC) summit in Islamabad in January
this year. He had then held talks with Dixit's predecessor
Brajesh Mishra.
Five
foreigners among ten killed in S Waziristan (Go
To Top)
Islamabad:
At least ten people, including five foreigners have
been killed in another operation launched against terrorists
in Southern Waziristan. Five people, including two wounded
have also been arrested, said Director Inter Services Public
Relations (I.S.P.R) Major General Shaukat Sultan. While
briefing newsmen here he said that after the air strike
on a militant training camp in WANA, operations are underway
in other areas. In reply to a question he said that foreign
militants have not been eliminated completely. "As long
as terrorists are present anywhere in the country, the operations
against them will continue", he said.
Clinton
takes 'short walks' in hospital (Go
To Top)
New
York: Former US president Bill Clinton was taking short
walks in his hospital corridor on Thursday as he continued
his recovery from open heart surgery. "He's in good spirits
and has been able to take short walks in the hallway outside
his room," Clinton's office said in a statement. Clinton,
who underwent a quadruple bypass at the New York Presbyterian
Hospital on Monday, was moved from the intensive care unit
on Wednesday afternoon. He is expected to remain in hospital
until early next week. Clinton, 58, was admitted to hospital
last Friday complaining of chest pains and shortness of
breath. Several of the former president's main blood vessels
were found to have a blockage of more than 90 percent, and
doctors said the surgery had come just in time to ward off
a major heart attack. Full recuperation should take several
months, possibly sidelining Clinton for the remainder of
the US presidential campaign in which he had planned to
stump extensively for Democratic challenger John Kerry.
Jehadis
in Britain plan to 'celebrate' 9/11 (Go
To Top)
London:
Even as the Blair government pledges its support to
US President George W. Bush in his "War Against Terrorism",
jehadis belonging to the Al Muhajiroun extremist organization
in Britain have planned to celebrate the third anniversary
of the September 11 WTC Twin tower attacks. According to
the Sun, the function to be held at a secret venue is entitled
"The choice is in your hands: Either you're with the Muslims
or with the infidels." As per the report, not only do the
fanatics plan to praise "the slaughter of the infidels"
in the 2001 attacks, they also aim to recruit young Muslims
for their future terrorist ventures. The leader of the group,
Omar Bakri said, that the all day rally was being held to
"revive the commandment of Jihad among the youth of the
Muslim nation". It is believed that the rally will showcase
previously unreleased Al-Qaeda footage, and impart lectures
on operations in Chechnya and beheadings in Iraq. However,
ordinary Muslims in Britain are not in any way pleased with
the developments. The Muslim Council of Britain has branded
Bakri and his members as "louts".
Beslan
schoolgirls were raped by militants: Survivors (Go
To Top)
London:
Video shots of terrified school children huddled together
in the Beslan school gym was probably the tip of the iceberg
as far as the atrocities perpetrated on the innocent children
by the militants was concerned, as horrifying tales of survivors
narrating stories of school girls being raped, are circulating
in the grief stricken town. According to The Sun, survivors
are narrating tales of how school girls as young as fourteen
and fifteen along with women teachers were sexually abused
before being shot dead in cold blood. "No one talks about
it openly but the whole city knows that three teachers and
at least four older pupils were raped. There are also stories
about younger girls aged only 12 being assaulted. I myself
saw the four girls in the assembly hall close to the gym
being picked out and taken away. The girls came back three
hours later crying uncontrollably. No one was in any doubt
what had happened to them," the paper quoted a 15 year old
student named Indira Tsappoyeva as saying. Reports indicate
that the militants were not only criminals but also possessed
demented mindsets. "One girl in a white dress was particularly
pretty. They told her she was so lovely she would be first
to die. She was petrified. I found out later that the killers
had kept their vow. I saw her in an open coffin - her lovely
face untouched - at one of the funerals this week. She had
been shot in the chest," a 16 year old schoolboy Zaur Aboyev,
was quoted as saying. The survivors, while considering themselves
fortunate at being alive, are however traumatized. "These
were disgusting, unspeakable acts and I still shudder when
I remember the men responsible. I still shake when I think
how I feared they might come and get me at any moment. I
still cannot believe I got out of there without being raped
or killed. I never thought I could imagine the things I
saw in that hall, let alone see them with my own eyes,"
Indira added.
Paes-Rikl
enter US Open men's doubles final (Go
To Top)
New
York: India's Leander Paes and his Czech partner David
Rikl have entered the men's doubles final of the US Open,
though Paes and Martina Navratilova lost in the mixed doubles
semi-finals. In the men's doubles semi-final, the 13th seeded
duo beat Spain's Rafael Nadal and Tommy Robredo 6-3 6-3
last night. In today's final, Paes-Rikl will take on third
seeds Mark Knowles of Bahamas and Daniel Nestor of Canada
who beat the French pair of Julien Benneteau and Nicolas
Mahut 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (7/5). But Paes's dream of completing
a rare double at the Flushing Meadows was shattered when
he and Navratilova lost a thrilling three-set match to Australians
Todd Woodbridge and Alicia Molik 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (3/10) in
the semi-finals. The Aussies will now take on fourth seeds
Bob Bryan of USA and Russian Vera Zvonareva who ousted top
seeds Nestor and Rennae Stubbs of Australia 7-5 6-3.
