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New Delhi: In the wake of comments made by Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal calling parliamentarians rapists and murderers, Sharad Yadav of the Janta Dal (United) today moved a censure motion in the Parliament. At a formal discussion held by Members of Parliament on language used by Team Anna against them, Mr Yadav said that attacking the MPs has now become a trend.
"There is a trend of targeting politicians. People should stay within their limits. We can take criticism...This house has thrown out corrupt people," said Mr Yadav.
"Election Commission and Parliament should not be attacked," he added.
In his blog today, 74-year-old Anna said politicians and their "who are you to question us" attitude is an insult to the Constitution.
He said that he accepts and respects the prerogative of Parliament to form laws. However, he said, political leaders have failed the nation because they have not been able to introduce critical laws like the Lokpal Bill, which is designed to fight corruption. Through last year, the Gandhian and his aides have campaigned for the urgent need for a new ombudsman called the Lokpal. Its nine members will be empowered to investigate complaints of graft against public servants. It was because of Anna's hunger strikes last year and the massive public support they drew that Parliament began debating the Lokpal bill in December. The bill has been passed in the Lok Sabha, but is stuck in the Rajya Sabha, where opposition parties have demanded a series of major amendments.
In the past, parties like the BJP have backed Anna's movement. But yesterday, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj delivered a scathing indictment of the activists. In the Lok Sabha, she said that the activists describe Members of Parliament as rapists and thieves. It was the same MPs, she said, who agreed in August last year to consider 74-year-old Anna's vision of a new anti-corruption Lokpal Bill.
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New Delhi: A Tibetan exile lit himself on fire and ran shouting through a protest in the Indian capital on Monday, just ahead of a visit by China's president and following self-immolations in the Himalayan region against Beijing's rule.
The protester apparently had doused himself with something highly flammable and was engulfed in flames when he ran past the podium where speakers were criticizing China and the visit by President Hu Jintao.
Fellow activists beat out the flames with Tibetan flags and poured water onto him. He was on fire perhaps less than two minutes, but some of his clothing disintegrated and his skin was mottled with black, burned patches by the time he was driven to a hospital.
The man, identified as Jampa Yeshi, sustained burns on 85 percent of his body and his condition was critical, a senior police officer said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Protesters initially prevented police from taking him to the hospital, but officers eventually forcibly took him away.
Yeshi, 27, escaped from Tibet in 2006 and had been living in New Delhi for the past two years, activists said.
Hu is expected to arrive in India on Tuesday for a five-nation economic summit.
While activists had been whispering on Monday morning that something dramatic was expected at the protest, organizers insisted they were not behind the self-immolation.
"We have no idea how this happened, but we appreciate the courage," said Tenzing Norsang, an official with the Tibetan Youth Congress. He called on the international community to talk about Tibet at the summit.
"If you care about peace you should raise the issue of Tibet," he said. "Hu Jintao is responsible for what is happening there."
The New Delhi protest comes amid a series of self-immolations inside Tibet. About 30 people - many of them monks or nuns, and often in their teens or early 20s - have lit themselves on fire over the past year, calling for the return to Tibet of the Dalai Lama and to protest Chinese rule over their homeland. The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet amid a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule, has blamed China's "ruthless policy" for the self-immolations. China accuses the Dalai Lama of stirring up trouble.
At the site of the protest, a large poster of Hu - with a bloody palm print over his face - said: "Hu Jin Tao is unwelcome" at the summit.
More than 600 demonstrators marched across New Delhi to a central plaza near the Indian Parliament to protest Hu's visit. Some carried posters saying "Tibet is burning" or "Tibet is not part of China."
China says Tibet has always been part of its territory. Tibetans say the Himalayan region was virtually independent for centuries.
Monday's was the second self-immolation in India in recent months. Last year, a young Tibetan exile set himself on fire outside the Chinese Embassy. That man suffered minor burns.
"This is what China faces unless they give freedom to Tibet," said Tenzin Dorjee, a young onlooker.
Hu will be attending a summit this week of the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, who form a grouping known as BRICS.
Police in New Delhi are bracing for protests by the tens of thousands of Tibetan exiles who live in India. Security around the summit location has been tightened, and roads leading to the hotel will be closed to the public a day ahead of the meeting.
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New Delhi: Different political parties have strongly objected in Parliament to Team Anna's description of members of Parliament as "chors" (thieves) and "rapists."
The remarks were allegedly made by activist Arvind Kejriwal yesterday in Delhi where 74-year-old Anna Hazare was on a one-day hunger strike. Mr Kejriwal had said 165 members of parliament, including 14 ministers, were corrupt and rapists.
Mr Kejriwal is Anna's closest aide; they have fronted the campaign for new anti-corruption legislation or the Lokpal Bill.
"Team Anna has lost its focus, crossed all limits," said Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, whose party has lent support to Anna's call for the Lokpal Bill. "How can you call us murderers"?" asked Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (United).
Today, Mr Kejriwal hit back at the MPs. "When Rajneeti Prasad tore the Lokpal bill, no one objects. When Women's Bill was torn, no one objected. Chairs are hurled and mikes are thrown in Parliament but no one objects. MPs are bought and is it not denigrating Parliament? ...I haven't said anything wrong. I am worried about Parliament," he claimed, adding that 1,176 MLAs also have cases registered against them.
Yesterday, Anna who was on his fifth hunger strike in the last year said the government should be prepared to be voted out of power in 2014 if it does not pass the Lokpal bill, which provides for a national anti-corruption agency.
Anna also asked for FIRs or police cases to be filed by August against 14 ministers who he accuses of corruption.
Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Basudeb Acharia and Samajwadi Party MP Shailendra Kumar termed Team Anna's allegations condemnable.
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Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan wanted an A-level actress to cast opposite Saif in Agent Vinod and decided that Kareena would be the ideal choice to play the mysterious character in the action thriller that released on Friday.
"A heroine's role should not be just to add glamour. There should be a specific character. So I made sure that I get an A-level actress (for 'Agent Vinod') and Kareena was our choice," Raghavan told IANS.
"Kareena has a mysterious character in the film and I definitely wanted a good actress for it. I love Kareena as an actress; so we just thought why not her," he added.
However, Raghavan was apprehensive about one thing regarding roping in Kareena for "Agent Vinod" as she would have to be cast opposite her real life beau Saif Ali Khan.
"The only worry was Saif and Kareena are a real life couple. So I didn't know if it will work or not. But I was convinced while making the film that they will justify the role," he said of his experience while making the action thriller, which hit the screens Friday.
Agent Vinod is Raghavan's only film which took him double the time that he usually takes to direct movie projects.
"It took three years to come up with this film. When we were writing the script, we let our imagination go wild. It's almost like I did two movies with 'Agent Vinod' because my other movies have taken 50 days to get made, but this film has taken 100 days," Raghavan said.
Raghavan is known to have directed thrillers like Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gaddar. Now post-Agent Vinod, he plans to step out of his comfort zone and experiment with different genres.
"It's not that I only want to make thrillers. But I have been partial to thriller films. If somebody has a good script, I would love to make a love story or a children's film.
"I like every genre except for out-and-out comedy. I am not good at it. The other things I will attempt for sure...like children's film, drama or a love story," he added.
Actor-producer Saif Ali Khan, who is eagerly awaiting audience reactions to Agent Vinod, says he might plan a sequel to the spy thriller, and that too in 3D.
"I don't understand 3D and don't enjoy it, but my son does. So, maybe for the larger portion of audiences, one should consider it for sequel," Saif told reporters.
"I didn't consider going for it this time. There was some talk earlier though. If it becomes a big action movie, then it is a good idea to shoot it in 3D," he added.
Agent Vinod is directed by Sriram Raghavan, and also features Saif's real life lady love Kareena Kapoor.
Saif says if at all a sequel takes shape, the character of Vinod will be staple.
"It will be the same Vinod with another cast for the sequels if at all it comes. It is too early to discuss right now," the 41-year-old said.
Actress Aishwarya Rai, who is busy playing mother to her three-and-half-month-old daughter, says her mom Vrinda is responsible for whatever she is today.
"She is the nucleus of my existence; who has gently moulded me, shaped me, picked me up when I've been down, has faith in me and taught me to be the very best version of me that I can be," Aishwarya said in a statement.
The former beauty queen acknowledged her mother with a special award of 'She's Worth It' at the L'Oreal Paris Femina Awards 2012 recently.
Aishwarya was herself honoured with 'The Iconic Woman of Worth' award at the event. She looked resplendent in an Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla ensemble.
Aishwarya enjoying her sabbatical Aishwarya Rai, currently on a sabbatical after being in the industry for over a decade recently said she was happy to have worked with different directors.
“I am glad to have worked with different directors on different roles. I had always been greedy to work with different directors on different characters," Aishwarya had said on the television show India's Glam Diva.
"I enjoy music and dance, a fact that you all by now are familiar and I guess it translates to the work I have produced on celluloid,” added the 38-year-old.
Producers willing to wait for Ash Producers are willing to wait for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to start shooting again. The buzz has it that Bollywood producers want to have Ash in their projects but are in no hurry.
They understand her situation and are willing to give her time to take care of her three-month-old daughter.
“There’s no denying that there are several offers and filmmakers have been trying to get her to at least read their scripts, but of what we know, she’s not looking at starting any film till her daughter doesn’t turn one at least. There are several filmmakers who’ve also conveyed to her that they don’t mind the wait too,” a source said.
Aishwarya happy playing mother Actor Abhishek Bachchan recently said his wife Aishwarya Rai is happy playing mother to their three-and-half-month-old daughter and would return to work when she feels like doing so.
"As and when she wants to come back, is completely her decision... as and when she decides, when she sees a script she is inspired by - the decision is entirely hers. Currently she is very happy doing what she is doing," Abhishek said at the launch of Sorabh Pant's book The Wednesday Soul.
The actress made her Bollywood debut with 1997 film Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya alongside Bobby Deol. Her big hit came with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam 1999) and there has been no looking back since.
The former Miss World has also made her presence felt in international films like Pink Panther 2 and Bride and Prejudice. Her latest film Guzaarish was opposite Hrithik Roshan.
Seoul: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, US President Barack Obama and 51 other world leaders can expect to enjoy a sumptuous spread of Western and Korean delicacies at official banquets during the two-day nuclear summit.
The international leaders can taste 'bibimbap' which is rice with assorted vegetables, reported The Chosun Ilbo. Then there is tilefish from Jeju Island.
They can also partake fair persimmon from North Gyeongsang Province and honeyed mountain ginseng - all of which can washed down with locally made sparkling wine pressed from omija, a special type of red Korean berry.
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An Afghan soldier photographs blood stains at the site of the shooting spree, allegedly a US soldier in Panjwai, Kandahar (AP)Kabul: A man in an Afghan army uniform shot and killed two British soldiers on Monday inside a NATO base in southern Afghanistan, officials said.
The attack appeared to be the latest in a string of so-called "green on blue" attacks in which Afghan security forces have turned on their international colleagues or mentors. Such attacks have become increasingly common over the past year, particularly since the burning of Qurans at a US base in February.
Six US soldiers were killed in apparent revenge attacks following that act, which also sparked riots that left dozens of Afghans dead. US officials have said the religious materials were burned by mistake.
Details were still sketchy about Monday morning's attack. The US-led coalition said in a statement that an individual wearing an Afghan soldier's uniform turned his weapon against international troops. NATO forces then returned fire.
"The gunman was shot and killed," said coalition spokesman Major Jason Waggoner. He declined to provide further details.
Since 2007, Afghan security force attacks on coalition troops have resulted in the deaths of more than 75 NATO service members and the wounding of more than 110 others, according to the Pentagon. More than 75 percent of the attacks have occurred in the past two years.
It is also possible that the assailant was an insurgent who donned an Afghan army uniform to get into the base or to get closer to his targets. Army uniforms are readily available in Afghan markets and militants have used the tactic in the past to launch sneak attacks.
A Western official in southern Afghanistan confirmed that the incident happened at the main NATO base in Lashkar Gah, Helmand province, but declined to give further information. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not been officially released.
Monday's attack also comes two weeks after a US soldier allegedly went on a pre-dawn shooting rampage in neighboring Kandahar province, killing 17 people and wounding six.
The Lashkar Gah base is dominated by British forces and a NATO official said the two victims were British soldiers. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the information had not yet been formally announced.
Britain's Ministry of Defense said it was aware of the incident, but refused to release any more details or confirm whether the soldiers were British.
The killings come at a time when international troops have stepped up training and mentoring of Afghan soldiers, police and government workers so that Afghans can take the lead and the foreign forces can go home.
The success of the partnership, which is the focus of the US-led coalition's exit strategy, is threatened by the rising number of Afghan police and soldiers - or militants disguised in their uniforms - who are turning their guns on their foreign allies.
On March 1, two US troops were killed by two Afghan soldiers and an accomplice on a joint US-Afghan base in Zhari district of Kandahar province in the south.
On February 25, two US military advisers were found dead with shots to the back of the head inside the Afghan Interior Ministry in Kabul.
Two US troops were killed February 23 by an Afghan soldier during an anti-Western protest in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan over the Quran burning.
The US apologized for the burning, saying the Islamic texts were mistakenly sent to a garbage burn pit Feb. 20 at Bagram Air Field, north of Kabul. But the incident raised what had been simmering animosity toward outsiders to a full boil. Deadly protests raged around the nation for six days - the most visible example of a deep-seated resentment bred by what Afghans view is a general lack of respect for their culture and religion.
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Chandigarh: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has filed a clemency petition with President Pratibha Patil for Sikh terrorist Balwant Singh Rajoana, who is facing death for former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh's assassination, sources said.
Sources in the SGPC, the mini-Parliament of Sikh religious affairs, said on Monday the plea was filed through Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil.
Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal had said on Sunday evening that it was willing "to go to any extent" to save Rajoana and asked the state government and the SGPC "to take all possible legal and other steps" to secure clemency for him.
A court in Chandigarh has issued the death warrant for March 31 and asked the authorities in Patiala jail in Punjab, 80 km from here, to execute Rajoana. A Babbar Khalsa International terrorist, he has refused to defend himself in any court saying that he "be hanged to death for the cause of Khalistan" (a separate Sikh homeland).
SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and other senior Akali Dal leaders are expected to seek an appointment with President Patil in New Delhi this week to seek clemency for Rajoana.
At an emergency meeting here of the party's core committee Sunday evening, chaired by party president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, members expressed satisfaction with the decision of the state government not to implement the March 31 warrants of execution issued by a court in Chandigarh recently.
The core committee had asked the SGPC to immediately file a clemency appeal for Rajoana before the president.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who was present at the meeting, disclosed that he would make a special statement on the subject in the assembly on Monday.
The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikh religion, had last week asked the Punjab government and the SGPC to initiate steps to save Rajoana from the gallows.
Rajoana was awarded the death sentence by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court here July 2007 along with another terrorist, Jagtar Singh Hawara, in the Beant Singh assassination case.
The former chief minister (1992-95), who was largely credited with wiping out terrorism from Punjab, was assassinated by a human bomb, Dilawar Singh, at the high security Punjab civil secretariat here Aug 31, 1995.
While Hawara was the mastermind of the assassination, Rajoana was the second human bomb to be used in case the first assassin failed. Rajoana, during the entire 11-year trial, had admitted that he alone was responsible for the killing of Beant Singh.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had October 2010 upheld the death sentence for Rajoana but changed the capital punishment given to Hawara to life imprisonment. Rajoana had refused to challenge the death sentence awarded to him.
An Akali Dal spokesman said: "The core committee fully endorsed the steps taken by the Punjab government in this regard so far. The core committee took note of the fact that the warrants of execution against Bhai Rajoana had been returned since it was legally not possible to execute them."
He said the Akali Dal endorsed the efforts being taken by the government to secure clemency for Rajoana.
"The party is prepared to go to any extent to secure clemency for Bhai Rajoana so that the hard earned atmosphere of peace and communal harmony in the state is not disturbed," he added.
The core committee appealed to all political parties, organisations, institutions and citizens of the country to extend support for the cause of clemency for Rajoana.
The family members of Beant Singh have also stated that they had forgiven Rajoana and that his death sentence be converted to life imprisonment.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Sunday endorsed the stand taken by the family of Beant Singh that the death sentence of Rajoana be commuted to life.
He also assured all support and cooperation to the Punjab government, whether legal or by way of making an appeal to the President for clemency to Rajoana, in this regard.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the alliance partner of the Akali Dal in the Punjab government, avoided the clemency issue of Rajoana.
"The BJP stand on terrorism has not changed. This (Rajoana) matter is sub judice. We will not comment on it," Punjab BJP president Ashwini Sharma told the media here.
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London:Chris Cairns, the former New Zealand allrounder, has won his libel case against Lalit Modi and has been awarded damages of £90,000. Neither party was present when the verdict - which is open to appeal - was announced in the High Court in London.
Modi has been granted permission to appeal the verdict on damages but not liability.
Justice David Bean, who was hearing the case without a jury, also awarded Cairns £400,000 in interim costs, which Modi will have to pay within 28 days.
The judge said Modi had "singularly failed" to provide any reliable evidence that Cairns was involved in match-fixing or spot-fixing, or even strong grounds for suspicion of cheating.
"It is obvious that an allegation that a professional cricketer is a match-fixer goes to the core attributes of his personality and, if true, entirely destroys his reputation for integrity," Justice Bean said. "The allegation is not as serious as one of involvement in terrorism or sexual offences (to take two examples from recent cases). But it is otherwise as serious an allegation as anyone could make against a professional sportsman."
In a statement read out on his behalf after the verdict, Cairns said it "lifts a dark cloud hanging over me" for the past two years. "I feel great joy because my past creer has come through this unscathed and remains intact. I had the courage to stand up in the highest court to defend my name. I feel great relief that I am able to walk into any cricket ground in the world with my head held high."
On January 5, 2010, Modi tweeted that Cairns had been removed from the forthcoming IPL auction list because of his involvement with match-fixing. Cairns denied this but Modi responded by saying: "Let him sue us, then we will produce what we have in court." Cairns issued the writ in London's High Court in January 2010, shortly after Modi's claims were made public.
Cairns was captain of Chandigarh Lions in the Indian Cricket League but had his contract terminated in October 2008, during the third edition of the tournament. The official reason given was that Cairns had breached the terms of his contract by failing to disclose an ankle injury.
During the trial, Cairns spent almost eight hours giving evidence over two days. His witnesses included his wife Mel and advisor Andrew Fitch-Holland.
A Japanese court has ordered search giant Google to suspend its auto-complete function because it breaches one man's privacy, his lawyer said.
Tokyo District Court approved a petition by the man, who claimed typing his name into the search engine generated a suggestion linking him to crimes he did not commit, lawyer Hiroyuki Tomita told media Sunday.
If a user accepts the search suggestion, thousands of results are produced that imply criminality of which the man is not guilty, Tomita said.
The lawyer added that since these postings began appearing on the Internet over the last few years, his client has had difficulty finding work, with his online reputation always in question.
Auto-complete is a function provided by many search engines that predicts what a user may be looking for. It is often based on what previous users have searched for when they typed the same initial letters of a word.
Tomita said the auto-complete function was problematic because it guides users to sites that may contain false or misleading information.
Google has responded to the man's complaints by saying that since the results are compiled automatically there is no intrusion of privacy, Tomita said.
The petition was approved by the court on March 19, but Google has so far refused to take action, saying Japanese law does not apply to its US headquarters and its own corporate privacy policy, Tomita told reporters.
The man may seek financial damages in a bid to press Google to erase the suggested search, said Tomita, who was trained in California and has taken on many Internet-related cases, including online reputation issues.
Google did not immediately respond to AFP enquiries about the case, but has told Japanese network NHK that it was considering its response.
Seoul: Investment from South Korea is a "priority" for India, visiting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday, adding that the government was taking "proactive" steps to improve the business climate and move forward with the POSCO mega steel plant project in Orissa that has been plagued by farmer protests.
"Investment from Korea is a priority for India. We will take pro-active steps to address investor grievances and improve the business climate in the country. Many states of our Union have been actively encouraging foreign investment and we will support these efforts. I urge Korean industry to have faith in India," Dr Singh said in his address to South Korean CEOs during his two-day official visit to this country.
"I recognise that sometimes our processes can be slow but there are effective mechanisms for resolution of problems and differences and a strong rule of law. The government is keen to move forward with the POSCO project and there is some progress in this regard. I believe that India is a stable and profitable long-term investment opportunity," he told the 20 CEOs, including those of Hyundai and Samsung, who attended the meeting.
The POSCO steel project, India's largest foreign investment project estimated at $12 billion, has been hobbled for years by local protests against land acquisition of over 4,000 acres in Paradip in the eastern coastal state.
The POSCO issue had figured in the joint statement issued after the Summit talks Sunday between Manmohan Singh and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak, which noted that there had been progress forward on issues like land acquisition.
This is the third time in two days that Manmohan Singh has spoken of how much India values South Korean investments.
Noting that many South Korean companies have become a household name in India, Manmohan Singh said on Sunday he hoped to see many more, particularly from the medium and small sectors, setting up shop there.
"I invited Korean firms to invest in India in a big way. Companies such as LG, Hyundai and Samsung are already household names in India. We would like to see small and medium sized Korean companies also making India a base for their manufacturing," the prime minister said at a joint media interaction with President Lee after their Summit.
"I informed President Lee that India is making a huge effort in upgrading our physical infrastructure. We want Korean companies to help us realize this objective and benefit from the opportunities provided by this," Manmohan Singh added.
He again referred to the Korean companies during his speech at a lunch hosted by President Lee.
At the CEO's meeting, to illustrate why India was such an attractive investment destination, Manmohan Singh noted that the country had managed to maintain a 7 percent growth rate in the last few years and listed six fundamentals that would enable it to return to 8-10 percent growth in the coming years:
A domestic savings rate of 33-35 per cent of GDP and growing,A very young population, with half of the working population in its twenties,Heavy investments in education, health and agriculture to give a new deal to rural India. Rural markets are booming and the middle class is growing rapidly.Huge expansion in higher education and skills and development of ports, airports, railways, energy and roads. India is poised to continue to be a frontline player in the global knowledge economy.Ambitious plans for the development of physical infrastructure. Planning to secure investment of almost $1 trillion in the next five years in new projects in highways, power plants, mass transport systems, ports and airports. This will be achieved through both public and private investment and Public-Private Partnerships.Determined to pursue a strategy of green growth. Committed to increasing energy efficiency and the share of renewables, including solar and nuclear power, in the energy mix. There will be large business opportunities and I am aware of Korean capabilities in environmentally friendly technologies. "Korean companies have always recognised these strengths and competitive advantages of the Indian economy. They were among the early investors to look at India as a strategic investment destination," Manmohan Singh said, adding that Hyundai has a 25 percent market share in India's domestic passenger car industry.
Noting that after the implementation of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on January 1, 2010, bilateral trade has surged by roughly 65 percent in two years and reached $20.6 billion in 2011, the prime minister said: "However, it is still below its huge untapped potential."
"Therefore, President Lee and I decided yesterday to revise the bilateral trade target to $40 billion by 2015. This is a challenge as well as an opportunity that we must both seize together," Manmohan Singh added.
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Chennai: The 13,000-crore nuclear plant at Kudankulam in coastal Tamil Nadu is now filled with engineers, scientists and other workers. They report to work everyday even as thousands of villagers protest against the nuclear project, which, when completed, will be India's largest nuclear power-generating complex. Here are 10 big developments in this story:
After the Tamil Nadu government gave its go-ahead to the Indo-Russian nuclear project on March 19, after which work at the plant is on in full swing, 1. The Madras High Court today has refused to order the government to lift its ban on public gatherings in and around Radapuram Taluk, where the Kudankulam plant is located. Section 144, which prevents large groups from meeting in an area, was imposed last week by the District Collector. 2. The region has been tense since March 19, when the Tamil Nadu government said operations at the nuclear plant could begin. Activists and thousands of villagers have been holding large camps in protest at Idinthakarai adjoining Kudankulam. 3. They say they are not convinced that the plant is safe. They are also worried about ecological damage by radioactivity which would affect the livelihood of thousands of fishermen. 4. The leader of the protests is Dr SP Udhayakumar, who heads the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE). He said today that there is no question of ending the protest but added that "we are ready for talks. If we are considered people of this country, and if our ahimsa protest is respected, the government should talk to us." He has been on an indefinite fast since March 12 along with 14 supporters. 5. He says that the government has failed to provide any sort of disaster training to the villagers staying in and around the plant site. "People within 30km radius of the Kudankulam plant have not been given any disaster training...Without doing this, they cannot load the nuclear fuel...the Central Government and the State Government would be held liable for this criminal activity if they decide to load the fuel rods without preparing the people," Mr Udhayakumar had said. The government says that's not the case. 6. Work at the plant was suspended in September last year when the Tamil Nadu cabinet asked the Prime Minister to halt all operations till residents in the area were reassured that they were safe. 7. The Prime Minister sent a senior minister, V Narayanasamy, to meet with villagers; atomic and technical experts also audited the plant and reported it safe. 8. Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa last week cleared the project, a day after a crucial election in the area. 9. The plant, being built with the help of the Russians, will see two reactors being commissioned within months of each other. When it's completed, six reactors will generate unprecedented power supply for the state. 10. There is heavy security, including Rapid Action Force personnel, guarding the plant.
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Seoul: Dr Manmohan Singh has told the prime minister of Norway that he hopes there will be "a positive outcome" for the Indian parents fighting to bring their children back home from there. Sagarika and Anurup Bhattacharya have been trying their best to convince Norwegian officials that their young son and daughter should be released from foster care. Aishwarya (1) and Abhigyan (3) were taken away by child welfare officials in Norway who said the Bhattacharyas were negligent parents. Anurup was posted as a geologist in Stavager. His family's visas, and his own, expire this month.
Dr Singh told the Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg that India places much emphasis on strong family values. The meeting took place on the sidelines of a nuclear summit in Seoul. "It is a matter of municipality and judicial court. The sentiments of parents should not be hurt," Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said. Mr Stoltenberg reportedly told Dr Singh that the local municipality is planning to take the next steps in consultation with the district court and all parties concerned.
The Indian government stepped in a few months ago to point out to Norway that the children are Indian citizens and cannot be treated as "stateless orphans." A series of diplomats were deputed to meet child welfare and other authorities to help them accept Anurup's younger brother, Arunabhas, as the children's custodian. They would be allowed to return to India in his care with supervision by Indian authorities. But a Public Relations nightmare for the government erupted last weekend when different newspapers claimed that Anurup had said his wife is prone to violence and that he would prefer for his children to stay in Norway. Child welfare officials cited the dispute to say that the solution offered by the Indian government and the family no longer seemed acceptable. "In the light of the great uncertainty that now prevails, the Child Welfare Service (CWS) cannot maintain that a move to India would be in the best interests of the children," Child Welfare Service chief Gunnar Toresen had said.
The Indian government then asked the Bhattacharyas to clearly state what they wanted for their children. Anurup released a press statement that said that his wife and he remain committed to bringing their children home. The government has decided to back them. And the leaders of all major political parties have formally requested the Indian government to handle the case.
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Islamabad: The Indian James Bond can disarm a bomb while flying a helicopter, dodge bullets from deadly assassins and save his country from nuclear disaster. But getting into cinemas in neighboring Pakistan has proved to be an impossible feat.
Pakistan banned the film Agent Vinod a few days before its scheduled release, likely because of its critical portrayal of the country's generals and spies. They are shown providing support for the Taliban in Afghanistan and scheming to set off a nuclear suitcase bomb in archenemy India's capital.
"It was our judgment that it should not be allowed to be screened," the vice chairman of Pakistan's Film Censor Board, Muhammad Ashraf Gondal, told The Associated Press on Monday. "It falls under the negative codes of our censor."
He refused to provide further details.
The film, which was scheduled to open last week in Lahore and Karachi, likely hit too close to home because it echoes real criticism of Pakistan -- admittedly, in the exaggerated style of India's popular Bollywood film industry.
Although Pakistan has never been accused of trying to detonate a nuclear weapon in India, it has sponsored Islamist militant groups who have carried out attacks in the country. It helped the Taliban seize power in Afghanistan in the 1990s to counter Indian influence, and many believe support for the group has continued despite Pakistan's denials.
"Agent Vinod is for Indians, but it is not against Pakistanis," Saif Ali Khan, the movie's lead actor and co-producer, said in an interview with the Indo-Asian News Service. "But I understand if they get upset because we are beating them up quite often in the film."
Khan plays agent Vinod, dubbed "India's James Bond." He is a spy from India's Research and Analysis Wing, which has spent decades in a real-world cloak and dagger struggle with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency, or ISI.
Pakistan and India were founded in 1947 following the breakup of the British empire. They have fought three major wars since then, two of them over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
The Indian film shows Pakistani officials encouraging terrorist attacks in India and financing Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant group founded with the ISI's support in the 1990s focused on pressuring India to give up Kashmir.
"If you feel this is unreasonable or not true, then it is fair enough," said Khan, the actor-producer. "I think it is all quite true."
Lashkar-e-Taiba has been officially banned in Pakistan, but the government has done little to crack down on the group. It is blamed for the 2008 attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people.
Agent Vinod is certainly not the first Bollywood film to be prohibited in Pakistan. The government imposed a blanket ban on all Indian movies in 1965, following a bloody war between the two countries.
Pakistan lifted the measure in 2008 but has continued to block individual films. It banned an Indian comedy about Osama bin Laden in 2010, claiming it could spark terrorist attacks.
The impact of such censorship is limited. Indian films are popular in Pakistan, but there are relatively few movie theaters in the country. DVDs are a more common means of watching movies in the country. Pirated copies are easily available at chains of stores that specialize in them.
Huma Yusuf, a well-known Pakistani journalist, wrote a column in Dawn newspaper Monday saying Pakistan should support films and other forms of entertainment that explore controversial issues rather than seek to block them.
"They may be the only tools at the disposal of Pakistani society to stem the rising tide of hate, religious intolerance and ethnic differentiation," said Yusuf.
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Bhubaneswar: A day after the Italian tourist held hostage by Maoists in Odisha was released, a handwritten note in Odia, from the abducted MLA, Jhinn Hikaka addressed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been received by the state government.
In his letter Mr Hikaka says he is safe but has asked that for his release, all anti-Maoist combing and intelligence operation must be stopped. All rallies done to garner support for government should also stop. He goes on to write, that demands by Maoists should be acceded to and the Maoists and supporters of Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) who are in Malkangiri and Koraput jails should be released. Meanwhile, the Andhra-Odisha Border Zonal Committee which has taken responsibility for the abduction of Mr Hikaka on Saturday has also released its list of demands for his safe release.
Among the demands is the release of 66 political prisoners, immediate halt to Operation Greenhunt and complete implementation of the 14-point agreement they had with Odisha government before the release of the Malkangiri collector last year.
Written in Telegu and signed by Maoist leader Daya the letter enlisting the demands has warned against any police operation to rescue the abducted MLA.
According to sources close to Maoists, the two mediators presently negotiating with the state government for the release of the Italian national would also act as the mediators during the talks for the release of the young tribal MLA belonging to the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD)
Although there are many common demands for release of both, the Italian tour operator and the MLA, the growing fissures between the Andhra-Odisha Border Committee of the CPI (Maoist) and the Odisha Organising Committee has complicated matters.
The abduction incidents have been rocking the state assembly and the Opposition Congress has refused to vacate the well of the House occupied by them since Saturday afternoon. On Monday the house had to be adjourned repeatedly following persistent and loud demands by Congress members for a CBI probe into the alleged links the ruling party has had with the Maoists with the active support of Mr Patnaik.
Congress members allege that the BJD entered into a written agreement with Maoist-backed Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh ( CMAS ) to get the vote of a CMAS Zilla Parishad member for the election of the Koraput Zilla Parishad chief.
The talks between the two mediators Dr BD Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty and three senior Odisha government officials led by the Home Secretary UN Behera which was suspended on Saturday has been resumed on Monday. Speaking to NDTV the Home Secretary Mr Behera expressed hope that an early solution to the abduction incidents in Kandhamal and Laxmipur will be worked out.
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Direction: Sriram Raghavan Actors: Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Rating: **1/2 stars (Out of 5)
There is enough to admire in Agent Vinod. Writer-director Sriram Raghavan’s globe-trotting tale of a RAW agent ticks off all the boxes for a thriller franchise: There are at least half a dozen exotic locations (we start in a place aptly named the Desert of Death in Afghanistan and touch down in various locales including Morocco, Moscow, Riga and Somalia), several femme fatales, elaborate action, an assortment of villains and a suitcase bomb that sets the events in motion.
At the centre of this whirlwind is the agent himself — stylish, sardonic and smart — a man without the baggage of Jason Bourne or the swagger of the pre-Daniel Craig James Bond. Agent Vinod, played nicely by Saif Ali Khan, is a home-grown hero. Cool and efficient, he maintains his dry wit even in difficult times — so when his partner the Pakistani operative Iram Parveen Bilal, played by Kareena Kapoor, is weeping as they drive through Karachi because she’s returned home after 15 years, he curtly says: Yaadon ki Baraat ko disturb karne ke liye sorry.
Raghavan is a masala movie buff, and one of the hidden pleasures of watching his films is playing Spot the Reference. Here, he doffs his hat to several Bollywood hits, including the original Agent Vinod (incredibly, gang members here also maintain scorpion tattoos, like in the Mahendra Sandhu film), the original Don, Baazigar, Amar Akbar Anthony and, for good measure, Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. He also has a sly sense of humour and a robust talent that comes through in some sequences like the treatment of the song Raabta, which is absolute genius.
But when I walk into a film called Agent Vinod, what I want, more than anything else, is an adrenalin rush. The breathlessness that kicks in when you’re watching Ethan Hunt hang off the Burj Khalifa building in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol or the staggering hyper-realistic chase sequences in any of the Bourne movies or gritty action of the new Bond films. Agent Vinod doesn’t deliver on that. This is a frantically busy movie. There are so many locations, characters and twists that you are guaranteed to get confused and yet, you also get restless because the movement doesn’t build a sense of urgency. The plot plods along, especially in the first half.
Agent Vinod is also attempting to be too many things — a slick thriller to match Hollywood but also a cheeky homage to cheesy Bollywood movies. So the film has gloss and fast-paced action but the villains are a throwback to the 1980s — after all, how seriously can you take Gulshan Grover in a white suit or Prem Chopra with a ponytail or Shahbaz Khan with one glass eye?
The result is that Agent Vinod never becomes more than the sum of its parts and even though it picks up speed in the second half, it leaves you both exhausted and unsatisfied. But I enjoyed the character of Agent Vinod. If he does get a sequel, I hope he has a better narrative to romp in.
Chris Cairns, the former New Zealand allrounder, has won his libel case against Lalit Modi and has been awarded damages of £90,000. Neither party was present when the verdict - which is open to appeal - was announced in the High Court in London.
