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Prithvi-II ballisticmissile test-fired

ISLAMABAD: The footagewas startling: A group of whatappeared to be Pakistani sol-diers gunning down several

b l i n d f o l d e dmen in aforested area.As the clipsc i r c u l a t e donline and theUS threat-ened to cuta i d ,P a k i s t a n ' sarmy chiefpromised afull investiga-tion and pun-

ishment for any wrongdoers.Two years later: Silence.What has the inquiry found?The army won't say. Wasanyone punished? Not aword. Some rights activistsquestion whether an investi-gation even took place.Pakistan has spent nearlyfive years under civilian rule,an unusually long stretch fora 65-year-old country proneto military coups.

BALASORE (ODISHA): Indiaon Thursday test-fired itsnuclear-capable Prithvi-II bal-listic missile with a strike rangeof 350 km from a test rangenear here as part of a user trialby the Army."The flight testof the surface-to-surface mis-sile was con-ducted ataround 0907hrs from amobile launch-er fromIntegrated TestRange's launchcomplex-III atChandipur," defence sourcessaid. The state-of-the-artPrithvi is the first ballistic mis-sile developed under the coun-try's prestigious IntegratedGuided Missile DevelopmentProgramme (IGMPD) and hasthe capability to carry 500 kg ofboth nuclear and conventionalwarheads with a strike rangeof 350 km, they said. The mis-sile uses advanced inertialguidance system withmanoeuvring trajectory.

PACIFIC NEWS

Lisa McCune andTeddy Tahu ...

LiSA mccune and her SouthPacific lover teddy tahurhodes are officially a couple -and don't care who knows.

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Editor Guest speaker at Fremont Rotary Club

InnayaJungsFIrstbIrthday

UNION CITY (SEPT. 27) -Thirty years ago Fiji Suneditor was a guest speakerfirst time at Suva RotaryClub invited as the NationalDirector of the Fiji Instituteof Management. This is timegood friend and Rotarian Dr.

Marion Sanchez sponsoredFiji Sun editor Dr. H. Koya tospeak on Think and act likea manager. Speaking tothe Rotarians, the editoremphasized the importanceof practicing managementat home and have the whole

family involved than wait for an job promotion toacquire and us managerialskills. For full length presen-tation, please see Dr. H.Koya Guest Speaker on YouTube or log onto fijisuntv.wordpress.com

fiji Sun Photo Gallery, our popular feature PAGE 31

for more pictures

AfGhAn ExAminEr fiji Sun uS tEAm uP fornEw voicE for AfGhAnS communitiES in uSA

HAYWARD In an effort to providing service to other communities, Fiji Sun lastmonth teamed up with Afghan business owner Omid Mehdavi in launching AfghanExaminer as a fresh new voice in English language. ( Read full report on page )

At a meeting of the CommonwealthMinisterial Action Group (CMAG),on the sidelines of the UN

General Assembly in New York, foreignministers welcomed Fiji's progress inthe areas of voter registration and con-stitutional consultation.

"CMAG reiterated its commitment tosupporting and encouraging Fiji'sreinstatement as a full member of

the Commonwealth family, through therestoration of civilian constitutionaldemocracy." - CMAG Concluding Statement

Representatives from several Commonwealth nations haveagreed to support Fiji's reinstatement to the Commonwealth.

CONTINUES ON PAGE-6

Senator Bob Carr was one of eight

foreign ministers toattend the meeting.

Fiji back in Commonwealth

Civilians struggleto check Pakistanarmy's power

PAGE-07

l Vol-22 l Issue-9 l October l www.fijisun-usa.com l 510-677-4488

USA

2 l October 2012

H. Koya (PhD)Editor-Publisher

Robbie Michelson

Contributing writer

Nisha NigarCommunity News editor

Dr. M. SanchezSports &

Psychology EditorCo-host On Fiji Sun-

Coffee with Koya- YoubTube

PO BOX 54691,

Hayward, CA 94544

1-800-757-6619 www.fijisun.org

Email: fijisun@gmail.com

STAFF/AIM

FIJI SUN

EDITORIALSTAFF

Nisha Khan grabs Stockton Police AwardStage actor, Bhajan

singer and real estateinvestor, Nisha Khan hailsfrom Nawaka, Nadi, Fiji. Acrime fighter in her area inStockton, Nisha has beenworking in close corpora-tion with Stockton PoliceDepartment.

California Legislature

Assembly CitationIn the Certificate of

Recognition on theNational Night Out 2012,the citation reads:

In appreciation for yourparticipation and leader-ship in this critical pro-gram, NeighborhoodWatch is a vital tool ourlocal law enforcementrelies upon to keep ourneighborhood safe.National Night Out is afabulous way for ourneighbors to stay con-nected, get to know oneanother, and send a clearmessage that criminals

are not welcome in ourcommunities. Its commu-nity Leaders like you thatmake this program a suc-cess and help ensure asafe environment for us tolive, work and raise ourfamilies.

Assemblyman BillBerryhill. August 7, 2012,Stockton, California.

Shadow of My LifeSpeaking at her

Stockton home, NishaKhan of Nawaka, Fiji, toldChief Editor Dr. H. Koyathat she was ready withher storyline and wantedhim to write the book thatwill give a peak into herlife as a real estateinvestor, model, a Bhajansinger and an entertainerand painter.

She wants share withher readers a shadow thathas been lurking in thebackground of her life andits impact on herself.

(Above, Nisha Khan poses with some of the many certificatesshe received for her conscientious efforts as a community work-

er helping law enforcement agencies in Stockton in crime pre-vention campaigns)

Performanceat Fiji US GirmitFestival

This last August25, Nishaplayed a key

role in the first FijiUS Girmit Festivalhosted at theWeekes PublicLibrary in Hayward.Working in closeassociation with FijiKirtan Group, Nishaproduced a skit onFijis Indian immi-grants who werelured into going toFiji from India byBritish agents underthe IndenturedLaborer System.Through a dancesequence based ona Birha sung byFijis Mrs. Kumar,Nisha portrayedhow Indian weredressed and whatthey went through atrying across theseas from India toSouth Pacific in the19the Century SailBoats. In addition,Nisha also used herown paintings toenhance her amaz-ing performance.

HAYWARD-In an exclu-sive interview on COFFEEWITH KOYA a Fiji Sun TVshow famous Dr. MarionSanchez revealed that hewill write a book and haveKoya publish it for him.

The Chief editor H. Koyaprompted Dr. Sanchez towrite a book. Dr. Sanchezalready has a fewmanuscripts on hand thathe would like Koya to lookat and have them uploadedfor publication. Since Dr.Sanchez is well-travelled,Koya suggested him towrite something on his trav-el and call his book MyTravels Around The World.Dr. Sanchez liked the ideaand felt that no one hadmotivated him so far write.He thanked Koya for moti-vating him. Dr. Sanchez isa sports writer with Flipside

Times and on Koyas per-suasion he bought a pointand shoot 14 pixel, 24 Xoptical zoom CanonCamera today. Afterobtaining his MA degreefrom University of Redland,San Bernardino, Dr.Sanchez taught at BestowSchool and after one yearmoved to Azores, Portugalto teach psychology. Hequit teaching there in oneyear and returned toBestow where he taught fornext 8 years and coachedin football before taking upa new appointment as aprofessor in psychology atChabot College. Dr.Sanchez taught group psy-chology and introducedtutorial programs hisbiggest achievement andcontribution to the schoolsystem in Alameda County.

Dr. Sanchez agrees to write his first book on Coffee with Koya TV Show: You Tube

3l October 2012

4 l October 2012

PHOTO GALLERY 5l October 2012

EDEN MEDICAL CENTER FAMILY DAY AND AWARDS CELEBRATION

FIJI NEWS6 l October 2012

nations support Fiji's return to CommonwealthRepresentatives from several Commonwealth nations have agreedto support Fiji's reinstatement to the Commonwealth.

At a meeting of theCommonwealth MinisterialAction Group (CMAG), onthe sidelines of the UNGeneral Assembly in NewYork, foreign ministers wel-comed Fiji's progress in theareas of voter registrationand constitutional consulta-tion.

"CMAG reiterated its commitment to supporting andencouraging Fiji's reinstatementas a full member of the Com-monwealth family, through therestoration of civilian constitu-tional democracy."- CMAG Concluding Statement

But the group, which ismade up of a revolving

group foreign ministers ofmember states, alsoexpressed concern aboutrestrictions on human rightsand the rule of law in Fiji."[Ministers] urged theGovernment of Fiji toaddress these, in order tocreate the environment nec-essary for credible constitu-tional consultations andelections," CMAG said in astatement. The statementalso said the ministers hadreaffirmed theCommonwealth's readinessto provide assistance to Fijiand encourage "further high-level interactions betweenthe Commonwealth and Fiji". Senator Bob Carr was one of eight foreign ministers to attend the meeting.

Sun, sea and sand are agood basis for a family vaca-tion. But Fiji adds the X factor:resorts that understand how tomake your holiday one that allthe family members, from thesmallest to the tallest, willenjoy.

FREESTYLE FUN

At Shangri-La's FijianResort and Spa, they under-stand what families need. Theyneed flexibility: like the pre-packed lunch boxes that meanyou don't have to drag happilyplaying children away from thebeach to have a feed, or thatallow you to eat a relaxed lunchin your room while the littliesare having their nap.

Families also need variety:like the complimentary kids'club for children between fourand 12 years of age, with activ-ities ranging from boat ridesand crab races to fish feeding,family tie-dying, storytelling,sandcastle building, and aninspirational Marine EducationCentre a collaborative projectwith the community, where youcan get up close and personalwith the coral reef. Families

also need value for money,which is why children under 11can stay and eat for free.

That's not all that The Fijian,on Yanuca Island and one ofFiji's most established resorts,delivers. Parents will findthere's always a pair of extrahands around to assist,whether it's restaurant staffpitching in to entertain the kidswhile parents finish their meals,to the babysitting service abargain at about $13.50 forthree hours.

That leaves you plenty oftime to explore what else is onoffer at Fiji's largest resort. Youmight choose to relax by theadults-only pool, play a gameof tennis or golf, go riding,plunge into some water sports,or let yourself be pampered atthe sensational Chi spa village.

Shangri-La's Fijian Resortand Spa, shangri-la.com.Room rates start at about $250a night; children under 16 stayfree in parents' room, andunder-11s eat free, too.

THE NANNY DIARIES

Holidays are all about

choice. Like other resorts, TheOutrigger on the Lagoon offersadults plenty of choice, withfour restaurants, five bars, acouple of tennis courts and agolf training facility, as well as awide range of water sports.What The Outrigger, on theCoral Coast of Viti Levu island,does differently, however, isoffer younger guests just asmany options.

For the tiny tots, there's theMeimei nanny service. TheOutrigger is the only resort inFiji to offer dedicated nanniesavailable for babies and tod-dlers (one-on-one care for chil-dren between six months andtwo years, or two children aged

three and over). The trainednannies take the children for upto eight hours a day, keepingthem busy with a range ofactivities from Fijian arts andcrafts to fun language lessons.Parents get a daily writtenreport on what their childrenhave done that day. Older kidsaren't neglected, either. Theresort has specific kids' clubsaimed at three- to seven-year-olds and eight- to 12-year-olds,as well as a special programcatering for teenagers. Whileactivities such as horse-riding,sand dune tours and spear-making lessons are all indemand, the most popularexcursion is a visit to the local

high school. Teens get to meetstudents their own age andlearn about how they live andwhat their schools are like - agreat reality check. TheOutrigger on the Lagoon, out-rigger.com. Room rates start atabout $250 a night, allowing fortwo adults and two childrenaged 12 years and under. TheMeimei nanny service must bebooked for four consecutivedays and costs about $160.

CASTAWAY KIDS

Time doesn't matter muchon Castaway Island, but there'sone moment to remember:6pm. That's when you'll need toherd the kids towards the din-ner table, either in the buffetrestaurant or the pizza restau-rant. After they're done, youcan drop them at the kids' club,while you and your spousetake yourselves off for dinner deux. The idea of an uninter-rupted dinner is a huge drawfor many parents, but that's notthe only quality time they get toenjoy on Castaway. The kids'club, open to children three andover, operates between 9am

and 10pm every day, andkeeps the kids busy with anever-changing roster of activi-ties. During your stay, your kidscan make boats out ofcoconuts and palm leaves,then sail them on the beach;they can hone their competitiveinstincts with games of beachvolleyball and touch football; orthey can discover underwaterwonders on guided snorkellingtours. They can munch pop-corn by a bonfire on the beach,and even learn Fijian traditions,which they get to show off at aperformance night. The sight oftheir sons performing warriordances in grass skirts alwaysgets parents' cameras clicking.A strong environmental themeruns through many of theresort's activities, with kidstaught about reef protectionand planting coral cookies, aswell as learning about theplants and animals that live inthe sea, on the rocks and alongthe shore. They can bring youup to speed over lunch at thefamily pool, where they cantuck into the ice-cream barwhile you savour some sushi.

it's time to plan your next Family Getaway

Fiji has been electedto Chair the Group of 77and China for the dura-tion of 2013. With 132Member States the G77is the largest intergovern-mental organization ofdeveloping countries inthe United Nations.

The G77 provides themeans for the developingcountries to articulateand promote their collec-tive economic interestsand enhance their jointnegotiating capacity on

all major internationaleconomic issues withinthe United Nations sys-tem. The G77 activelypromotes South-Southcooperation for develop-ment. Accepting thenomination, Minister ofForeign Affairs, RatuInoke Kubuabolaassured the MinisterialMeeting Fiji would spareno effort to fulfill the obli-gations and functionsthat come with the bur-den of chairmanship.

Fiji elected to Chair G77KIA Motors Corporationwill reveal its all new 2013Carens compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) forthe first time at the ParisMotor Show this week.

Completely new from theground up, the new sevenseater Carens - also to beknown as Rondo in somecountries - is designed andengineered to meet theneeds of modern, dynamicfamilies. Built on an all-newplatform, it delivers stylish,spacious practicality, withsleek aerodynamics, a cab-forward design, long wheel-base and up to seven seats.

"The new Carens buildson the family friendly versa-tility and functionality of itspredecessor, and featuresmore athletic and visuallydynamic design," saidHyoung-Keun Lee, vicechairman and CEO of KiaMotors Corporation.

"This marks a dramaticshift forward for our MPVcontender and brings themodel in line with Kia's dis-tinctive current design direc-tion." Appealing to familieswith an active lifestyle whodon't want to compromisebetween style and practical-ity, Kia is confident that the

all-new 2013 Carens willattract a new group of con-sumers to Kia showroomsaround the world. The allnew 2013 Kia Carens isexpected to be available inFiji by mid 2013. Kia's fulllineup of award winningvehicles are available in Fijifrom Kia Motors FijiShowrooms, located at thecorner of Grantham Roadand Carpenter Street,Garden City, Raiwai Suva,and in Main Street, Naditown. All new Kia vehiclesare backed by a threeyear/100,000km warranty inFiji.

Coming soon to Fiji

BRED Bank, which isexpected to start operatingfrom October 2012, says itintends to have five branch-es within six months. TheFrench-owned banks Fijichief executive Satish Debsays the flagship and firstbranch will be at MHCC inSuva. After that we willlook at opening in otherlocations, but in the interim,we will consider appointingmerchants and businessesas agents to process cus-tomer transactions elec-tronically through EFT-POS, Deb said. The bankhas recruited 35 staff andexpects to have 45 by thetime it opens, and promises200 in three years. Thecompany is spending about$12 million on set-up costs,including on ATMs. Itexpects to have 10 ATMSin operation soon afterlaunch, with others

installed over the next 12months. Deb said BREDBank will create borrowingopportunities for potentialinvestors and increasecapability/capacity for exist-ing businesses as they willbenefit from the competi-tion.

BRED Bank is alsofocused on contributingtowards economic develop-ment through its programsfor agriculture, rural bank-ing, and microfinance. Debsaid they will be competi-tive in banking services,customer care, interestrates, fees, and charges,lending terms as well asminimising bureaucracyand simplifying banking.BRED Bank will be innova-tive in its approach andofferings, providing thepeople of Fiji with savingsin borrowing costs and bet-ter earnings on deposits.

BRED Bank eyes 5 branches

Fiji Times Ltdfound guilty

High Court judge WilliamCalanchini has found FijiTimes Limited, the owner ofThe Fiji Times, guilty of con-tempt of court. JusticeCalanchini also found thePublisher at the time, BrianO'Flaherty, and the newspa-per's Editor Fred Wesley guiltyof contempt. The case con-cerned a sports article aboutformer Fiji Football AssociationPresident Dr Shamsud-DeanSahu Khan who had beenfound guilty of professionalmisconduct by the FijiIndependent Legal ServicesCommissioner and struck offthe roll of lawyers in Fiji.

FIJI NEWS 7l October 2012

Foreign Ministers from

Australia, New Zealand and

Fiji, have continued trilateral

discussions where they are

participating in the 67th ses-

sion of the United Nations

General Assembly.

The discussions wereheld at Fijis Mission to theUnited Nations. The threeforeign ministers discussedthe progress being made inthe electronic voter registra-tion, and in the work of theConstitutional Commission.They also discussed thepossibility of a further visitby the Pacific IslandsForum Ministerial ContactGroup in November. In

addition they discussed themore flexible implementa-tion of sanctions on a case-by-case basis by Australiaand New Zealand, asagreed at the last trilateralmeeting.

Foreign Affairs Minister RatuInoke Kubuabola

FIJI was placed on ahigh pedestal at the2012 Beijing

International Property Expobut not for something unset-tling or unusual. Instead theuniqueness and status ofour country as the hub ofthe Pacific was the perfectopportunity for persuadinginvestors and potentialtourists to visit our shores.

This is what managingdirector and owner ofNaisoso Island Bob Lowresdid when he attended one ofthe largest expositions inthe world recently.

Among the 100,000international property indus-

try representatives fromacross Asia, Mr Lowres wasinterviewed several times bythe Chinese television sta-tion, CCTV, reaching 100million viewers in 140 coun-tries. It was this opportunitythat sparked the patriotic MrLowres to promote the bestof Fiji.

"Fiji is an amazing placeto do business and with FijiAirways soon to launch itsnew fleet even more peoplewill be able to effortlesslyenjoy everything Fiji has tooffer," he said. "We're see-ing more and more peoplevisiting Fiji from China andmany of these investors are

taking the time to visitNaisoso Island. "Fiji isfamous for its vast naturalbeauty and friendly people."He added there were manyways international investorscould benefit from thestrong opportunities avail-able in Fiji.

Meanwhile, Tourism per-manent secretary ElizabethPowell expressed apprecia-tion towards individuals pro-moting Fiji abroad butencouraged more collabora-tion with line ministries toensure important informa-tion about possible invest-ments and tourism is dis-seminated.

INDIAN travellers spendaround $12 million peryear in Fiji, says Pranav

Kapadia, the Tourism Fijirepresentative officer inMumbai, India.

He said an Indian trav-eller spent around $4000per year in Fiji excludingthe airfares. This meansthe Government is likely toearn around $12m from the3000 Indian travellers thatarrive in Fiji per year.

Mr Kapadia said the aimof the trade show was toincrease the number oftravellers to 10,000 in thenext five years, which couldrake in an average of $30min revenue. "We are basi-cally a small market com-pared to other countries butwe are very high earnersand we prefer to stay infive-star hotels and notbackpackers," he said.

"An Indian couple couldspend at least $6000 duringtheir six nights stay in Fiji,"he added. Mr Kapadia saidthe Tourism Fiji office inIndia had been workinghard in promoting Fiji as a

top holiday destinations.He said the India Fiji

trade show would maketheir work easier and wouldalso benefit the nation interms of income earned.

"We have been there inIndia for the past threeyears to promote Fiji to theIndian travellers. "Thisshow is an excellent initia-tive for most of us thatcome from India as we aregetting the opportunity tointeract with the about 40Fijian partners in showcas-ing what Fiji has to offer,"Mr Kapadia said.

He also highlighted whatattraction Fiji, as a destina-tion, is likely to have forIndian travellers. "Fiji isconsidered very exotic andexpensive because it isquite far but the market willbe there to stay and we aregrowing at an average of

20-25 per cent a year. "Weshould in the next fiveyears hit the 10,000 fig-ure."Mr Kapadia said thenext step for Tourism Fijiwas to approach the cus-tomers directly. "The nextstep we are going to tapnow is going to the con-sumers, now we are edu-cating the travel agents tosell Fiji then we will targetthe consumers," he said.

"With the new brandabout to be launched in thecouple of months about thenew images, video clips ofFiji Tourism, we are confi-dent of achieving our tar-get. "The advantage ofcoming to Fiji is that wedon't need a visa, the hos-pitality of the people, foodand language is not a barri-er to us. "I am confident thenumbers will grow in yearsto come," he said.

$12m spending money

A group of travel agents from India during the India Fiji Tourism trade show at Shangri-La's Fijian Resort in Sigatoka.

Lowres promotes Fiji

Fiji, NZ and Australia continuetrilateral discussions at UN

Fiji Trades UnionCongress secretary FelixAnthony visits Australia(Credit: ABC) Fiji TradesUnion Congress secretaryFelix Anthony is briefing themedia and local unionsabout what he says is theFiji interim government'sappalling track record onthe issue. He says theyclearly feel under pressure,having sent a delegation tothe hearings in Washingtonto argue their side.

Felix Anthony tells BruceHill that his members aretrying to defend Fiji work-ers, not harm the economy

and cost the country jobs,as the interim governmentalleges. Attempts to get aFiji interim governmentspokesperson to commenton the hearings in theUnited States have beenunsuccessful.

A press statementissued earlier said that theFijian Government is com-mitted to a future of equali-ty and opportunity for allFijians including ensuringthat the rights of workingpeople are protected andextended. Interim primeminister Commodore FrankBainimarama says it is esti-

mated that 15,000 jobscould be lost among the 39companies that exportproducts using the US pref-erence system, and therecould also be indirect joblosses which would affect75,000 people - more thaneight percent of our popula-tion. He says as part ofFiji's progress towardestablishing a parliamen-tary democracy, they arereviewing current labourlaws to ensure their compli-ance with the 34International LabourOrganisation Conventionsthat Fiji has ratified.

Fiji Trades Union Congress secretary visits AustraliaOne of the union leaders being criticised by the interim government as "un-Fijian" forraising concerns internationally about workers rights is in Australia at the moment.

Ageing policy for Fiji

FIJI is the first country inthe region to have an AgeingPolicy which portrays herconsideration towards theelderly. President, RatuEpeli Nailatikau said he wasproud because it was onlyunder this government thatFiji now had a national poli-cy on ageing, which heunderstands covered fourkey thematic areas. Theseinclude the ready recogni-tion of the tremendous con-tribution of older persons tothe country's social, cultural,economic and political sec-tors, the strengthening of thesocial assistance for olderpersons, healthy living andcreating a supportive envi-ronment for the elderly.

The Fijian government hasset aside 100,000 Fiji dol-lars ($57,000) to host a

grand Fiji Day celebration onWednesday next week, marking42 years since independence ina move to unite the nation.Sharon Smith-Johns, permanentsecretary for informationrevealed the news while launch-ing a joint build-up campaignwith the Ministry of Defense,local media reported hereTuesday. Smith-Johns said thewhole country should be part ofthe Fiji Day under the theme of"Celebrate United Fiji." "Over thepast few years, there has been alack of support for Fiji Day. Thisyear is like a reset. We want to

start looking again at our nation'spride." According to the official,posters for the campaign labeled" Put up a Flag, Put down a lovo(earth-pit)" hit the streets andmedia outlets in the islandnation. "Fiji Day should be fun. Itis something we should cele-brate like the rest of the worldwho celebrate their national holi-days," said Smith-Johns, addingcelebrations had been plannedfor all the main centers includingSuva, Lautoka, Labasa and theold capital Levuka. "Governmenthas put on different events. Iurge all businesses to supportFiji Day. From government's per-spective, we love to see Fiji flagseverywhere. We love to see blue

and white and I urge business-men to help us promote andpush Fiji Day this year," she said.The Suva celebrations will startwith a march through the streetsto Albert Park, while PresidentRatu Epeli Nailatikau and PrimeMinister Commodore VoreqeBainimarama will officiate in thisplanned colorful event. "Wehave a lot to be proud of. Weneed to put our differencesbehind us and Fiji Day is theideal opportunity to forget every-thing that happened in the past.We are moving ahead,Government is moving aheadand we should join hands andembrace Fiji Day and stop look-ing to the past.

Fiji to host grand independence day celebration

INDIA NEWS8 l October 2012

NEW DELHI: Eventhough the attackers ofOperation Blue Star com-mander, Lt Gen K S Brar, areyet to be identified, agencieshere suspect it might belinked to the radical elementsin the Sikh diaspora, whohave repeatedly disruptedRepublic Day andIndependence Day events ofthe Indian High Commissionin the UK.

According to intelligencesources, radical Sikh groupssuch as Dal Khalsa UK havebeen organizing protests foryears now outside the IndianHigh Commission office inLondon as well as at the con-sulate office in Birmingham.Of late, some militant Sikhyouth have gone a step

beyond by even disruptingthese national events.Sources said the Sikh youthmake forced entry at R-Dayor I-Day receptions, posingas invitees from the Indiancommunity, and mask theirfaces before shouting pro-Khalistan slogans, breakingglassware, andgrabbing/throwing micro-phones. "These radical Sikhmen then escape on theirmotorcycles as quickly," anintelligence official saidadding that though the localpolice are posted outside,they do little to stop or inter-cept them.

Sources indicated thatthe UK law enforcementauthorities prefer to take aneutral stand, assessing the

Sikh protests as an internalmatter of the Indians.Though the Indian authori-ties have been pursuing theBritish government to gettough with the Sikh extremistelements, the UK has beenreluctant to oblige.

Incidentally, the Indian agen-cies fear that the success ofthe Sikh radicals' proteststhis year they even led ahuge protests against thepending execution ofBalwant Singh Rajoana,assassin of former Punjab

CM Beant Singh mayhave emboldened them togo for the high-profile strikeat Brar. Brar, incidentally,had not followed the recom-mended drill of informing thelocal High Commission andthe UK authorities of his visit

to London, which would haveensured deployment of req-uisite security for his protec-tion. The attackers were pos-sibly aware of this and mayhave been following him forsome time.

According to an intelli-gence officer, the UK hasbeen found rather wanting inacting against the Sikh radi-cals, who now may be play-ing into the hands of groupslike Babbar KhalsaInternational that are makingfresh attempts at revivingSikh militancy with help fromPakistan's ISI. The attack onBrar is seen not as much asa daring assassinationattempt, but as a message toconvey that the Khalistanisare still alive and kicking.

Attack not meant to kill Brar, but show uprising still alive: KhalistanisIt was a Khalistani plot to kill me: BrarLONDON/CHANDIGARH: Operation Bluestar spearhead Lt Gen(retd) Kuldeep Singh Brar, who narrowly escaped an attempt onhis life on Monday, said the attack on him in London was aKhalistani plot, while also saying the policies of the ShiromaniAkali Dal government in Punjab have helped militants regroup."Britain is a hotbed of Khalistanis and radical Sikhs. Anybodycould have done it Babbar Khalsa, one of their so-called com-mando groups." In an interview to Times Now, Brar did not mincewords, saying that Akali policies were emboldening Khalistani mil-itants. "They're building a monument in memory of OperationBluestar in Amritsar. The Akalis are mixing religion with politics.

NEW DELHI: India andPakistan engaged in an uglywar of words at the UNGeneral Assembly (UNGA)on Monday, underscoringhow the two countriesremain trapped in theirrhetoric on Jammu &Kashmir.

It all started when foreignminister S M Krishna addedan extra paragraph to hisUN speech during the gen-eral debate on Monday,joining issue with Pakistanipresident Asif Ali Zardari'scontention that Jammu &Kashmir was a sign of UN"failure". In his address tothe UNGA last week,Zardari, flogged old UN res-olutions to dispute India'sclaim over J&K, somethingakin to waving a red rag atIndia. On Monday, Krishnatermed Zardari's referenceto UN resolutions on

Kashmir as "unwarranted",asserting that J&K was an"integral part of India".Pakistan, determined not tolet this go without a retort,gave a rejoinder, alsoknown as a "right-of-reply"(ROR) in diplomatic par-lance.

A bristling India came upwith its own rejoinder. Not tobe outdone, Pakistanrefused to let the UN closefor the day without register-ing its second ROR. Thebattle boiled down to onething: India saying "Kashmiris ours" and Pakistan retort-ing, "It's not".

India, Pak trapped in war ofwords over Kashmir at UN

NEW DELHI: The partydoes not have a name yetbut activist Arvind Kejriwalpromised Utopia to 1,000-strong crowd atConstitutional Club onTuesday. Announcing theirintention to contest polls,Kejriwal-led political party'svision document promisesfree healthcare, educationfor all, prices of essentialcommodities to be decidedby the common man, noland acquisition withoutpublic consent, Jan Lokpalwithin 10 days of beingelected and special policiesto protect the interests ofSC/ST/OBCs/dalits andminorities.

Although the party'sname will be announced onNovember 26 the daysymbolic of when theConstitution was adoptedby free India the group

has virtually appropriatedCongress's aam aadmiplank. Kejriwal and his col-leagues wore "main aamaadmi hoon" caps: a tacticthat is designed to show-case the claim to be a pop-ular alternative to the cor-rupt political system, andalso could help them arguethat they are not into pro-motion of personalities.

The last few events ofthe group had seen theactivists sporting "mainArvind hoon" caps in amove that coincided withtheir distancing from veter-an activist Anna Hazare.

Kejriwal promisesUtopia to aam aadmi

BJP-JD(U) Biharalliance frays

PATNA: Keeping theiroptions open in the event of asudden break-up of alliance,the BJP and JD(U) in Biharhave started preparations forcontesting from all the 40 LokSabha seats separately."While discussing our pro-gramme, I had informed theBJP national executive atSurajkund that the state unitis preparing to contest all 40seats in the next elections,"BJP state president C PThakur told TOI on Tuesday."One should always be pre-pared for any eventuality," headded. But he denied thatthere was any chance of abreak-up of the alliance inBihar at this Juncture. "Ouralliance with JD(U) is intact,"he said. Asked if the alliancewas intact, why was the BJPpreparing for all 40 seats,Thakur said, "The prepara-tion is necessary alsobecause the two parties mayexchange a few seats justbefore the elections."

Admiral Gorshkovdelay upsets India

NEW DELHI: India will'strongly' take up withRussia the delay in deliv-ery of aircraft carrier INSVikramaditya, the refur-bished Admiral Gorshkov,asking it to deploy addition-al manpower to ensure thelarge warship's 'refit pack-age' is completed withinsix-seven months.

Defence minister A KAntony will stress this to hisvisiting Russian counter-part Anatoly Serdyukovduring the 12th meeting ofIndia-Russia Inter-Governmental Commissionon Military TechnicalCooperation (IRIGC-MTC)here on Thursday, saidsources. The delivery ofthe already much-delayedVikramaditya was to takeplace on December 9, asper the re-revised timeline,but crippling engine-boilermalfunctions during thecarrier's recent sea trialshave put paid to the plan.

NEW DELHI: Union coalminister Sriprakash Jaiswalon Tuesday apologised forthe derogatory comments hehad made on women, butsaid he had been quoted outof context. "I apologise if peo-ple are upset, but my com-ments were taken out of con-text," Jaiswal, also aCongress Lok Sabha mem-ber, told reporters.He wasreacting to criticism of hiscomments made during apoetry meet at K K GirlsCollege in Kanpur Sundaynight when he had likened"the joy of a new victory to anew marriage" and said "as

the years go by, the celebra-tions like in a marriagebecome old". Women'sorganisations have slammedhis remarks as sexist anddeplorable. Cornered byreporters, Jaiswal said he wasreacting after India's big T20victory over Pakistan duringthe poetry meet. "My remarkshave been totally taken out ofcontext. I was inaugurating akavi sammelan when thenews of the cricket victorycame. The audience was in acelebratory mood, and I saidthat a fresh victory when cele-brated is good, like a newmarriage.

Sriprakash Jaiswal apologizesfor sexist remarks

President Pranab Mukherjee pays his respects at the memorial to the father of the nation MahatmaGandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi in honour of Gandhi's 143rd birth anniversary.

Rape-murderconviction injust 29 days

BHUBANESWAR: Inone of the fastest trials, acourt in Odisha convicted adriver for the rape and mur-der of a seven-year-old girlwithin 29 days of the crime,a lawyer said on Tuesday.The victim, a class two stu-dent, was the daughter of adaily wager. District andSessions Judge B PRoutray Monday held 28-year-old Pradip Dalai guiltybut would pronounce thequantum of punishment onWednesday. The accusedwas arrested by policeSeptember 3.

KARACHI: Thousandsof people thronged thestreets of Pakistan's biggestcity of Karachi on Saturdayin the latest protest againsta US-made anti-Islam film,police and witnesses said.

The protesters, whoincluded activists from thehardline 'Sunni Tehreek',wore green and white head-bands as they marchedthrough the city's main MAJinnah road while sometrampled on the Americanflag. They chanted slogansincluding "Hang theAmerican film maker" and

"We are ready to sacrificeour lives for the honour ofProphet Mohammed".

"We strongly condemnthis anti-Islam movie, it is acriminal act," Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, a prominentreligious leader told therally, and called for a globalban on insulting "allprophets and messengers".Shafiq Ahmad, a seniorpolice officer in Karachi,said there were "at least15,000" protesters whilerally organizers claimed"millions of people" partici-pated. Police beefed up

security before the rally,while paramilitary forceswere also deployed. Thecrudely-made "Innocenceof Muslims" movie hassparked angry and at timesviolent demonstrationsacross the globe. Pakistanexperienced the worst ofthe violence last Fridaywhen nationwide ralliesmobilized more than45,000, many members ofright-wing religious parties.At least 21 people werekilled and 229 wounded,mainly in clashes withpolice.

PAKISTAN NEWS 9l October 2012

Muslims march during a protest against an anti-Islam film in Karachi on September 18, 2012.

Thousands rally in Pakistan against US anti-Islam film

QUETTA: Journalistsacross Pakistan stagedprotest rallies on Tuesday tocondemn the killing of atelevision reporter in insur-gency-torn Baluchistan onthe Afghan and Iranian bor-der. Police said Abdul HaqBaluch, 37, who worked forprivate TV channel ARY,was shot late on Saturdaywhile driving home in thetown of Khuzdar, 230 kilo-metres (145 miles) south ofthe provincial capital Quetta.Journalists said masked

men opened fire on his cararound 100 yards from thelocal press club. Police offi-cer Abdul Qadir Kamraniconfirmed the killing andtold AFP that Baluch died ofhis injuries en route to hos-pital. Police have registereda case against "unidentifiedgunmen". Baluchistan isone of Pakistan's mostdeprived areas. Separatistrebels have been fightingsince 2004 for autonomyand a greater share of oil,gas and mineral deposits in

the southwestern province. Human rights groups say

hundreds have beendetained, killed or gonemissing as governmentforces try to crush the upris-ing by ethnic Baluch groups.

Farooq Faisal, presidentof the national press club,said journalists wereprotesting against extremelydifficult working conditionsin Baluchistan and north-west Pakistan, where aTaliban insurgency is con-centrated.

Protests in Pakistan over reporter's killingPakistani Talibanoffers protectionto Imran Khan

LONDON: The Pak Taliban hasoffered protection to Imran Khanwho is scheduled to hold apeace march in the violence-prone tribal areas, it was report-ed here. Imran Khan heads thePak Tehreek-e-Insaf. His rallieshave witnessed a massive par-ticipation.The Pakistani Taliban'ssenior commanders said a meet-ing headed by the group's leaderHakimullah Mehsud set asideearlier instructions to send sui-cide bombers to assassinateKhan, reported Daily Telegraph.

ISLAMABAD: The three menwho had accused a cleric of tam-pering evidence to implicate youngChristian girl Rimsha Masih in ablasphemy case on Monday with-drew their statement, claiming theywere tortured by police to testifyagainst the imam. The three wit-nesses, who had earlier recordedstatements against cleric KhalidChishti, submitted a fresh state-ment in the court of a district andsessions judge in Islamabad thatsaid police had forced them to

blame Chishti for the incident. Thewitnesses claimed police had tor-tured them and made them givestatements against Chishti. One ofthe witnesses, Hafiz MohammadZubair, works as the muezzin inthe mosque where Chishti is thecleric. Despite their dramaticturnaround on Monday, the threewitnesses had earlier spoken toseveral TV news channels andaccused Chishti of tamepering evi-dence to implicate Rimsha in ablasphemy case.

Blasphemy case in Pak: Witnessesturn hostile, blame cops

ISLAMABAD: ThePakistani military today dis-missed as "absurd andbaseless" a British newspa-per's report that the ISIagency was behind adefamation campaignagainst foreign ministerHina Rabbani Khar andPPP chief Bilawal BhuttoZardari.

A spokesman for the ISIpublic relations denied thatthe allegation carried by TheTelegraph's which statedthat the ISI was running adefamation campaignthrough the Bangladeshitabloid Blitz against Khar

and Bilawal, the chairman ofthe ruling Pakistan People'sParty. "These allegationsare absurd and baseless.The ISI has nothing to dowith this defamation cam-paign and neither any prob-lem exists between the for-eign minister and the agen-cy," the spokesman said in a

statement. The defamationcampaign was the "handi-work of those who want toweaken the state by creat-ing misunderstandingbetween various institu-tions", the spokesman said."It is not something newbecause such people havebeen fabricating misleadingand impish stories in thepast as well," he added.The Telegraph, thespokesman said, "needs tobehave more responsiblyand confirm veracity of infor-mation from respective enti-ties before printing suchmalicious stories".

Pak Army denies ISI's role in Hina-Bilawal defamation

BARNALA: Pakistangovernment has finallyrenamed Shadman Chowkas Bhagat Singh Chowk inLahore as a mark of respectto the martyr and anacknowledgement of hisrole in the struggle againstBritish rule. Freedom fight-ers Bhagat Singh, Rajguruand Sukhdev Singh werehanged on March 23, 1931,in Lahore jail, which at thattime stood at the presentday roundabout. The jailwas demolished in 1961and on the execution

ground, Shadman Chowkwas built. Institute of Peaceand Secular Studies (IPSS)director Diep Saeeda toldTOI over phone fromLahore that it was a wel-come step taken a tad toolate. "We had been advocat-ing for naming the placeafter Bhagat Singh for manyyears and only on the mar-tyr's 105th birth anniversary(September 28), thedemand has been accept-ed," said Saeeda.

"Bhagat Singh belongs toall of us and we wanted his

memory to be preserved forthe coming generations. Wewill soon press the Pakistangovernment for building aBhagat Singh monument atthe chowk," he said, addingthat the memories of martyrshave not faded from theminds of Pakistanis evenafter 81 years of BhagatSingh attaining martyrdom.Jawahar Lal NehruUniversity professorChaman Lal, who hasauthored several books onBhagat Singh, termed it as abig occasion.

Lahore chowk named after Bhagat Singh

PACIFIC NEWS10 l October 2012

European cargo

craft undocks

from space stationMOSCOW. The

European Space Agencysays its cargo craft hassuccessfully undockedfrom the InternationalSpace Station after a failedseparation caused by com-munication problems earli-er in the week. The ATV-3detached from the Russianservice module earlySaturday and is expectedto leave orbit and be jetti-soned Tuesday into anunpopulated area of theSouth Pacific. The ATV-3launched in March from afacility in the SouthAmerican country ofFrench Guiana with morethan seven tons of food,water and other suppliesfor the space station.

It has been loaded withwaste for disposal. Threeastronauts are set to travelto the space station nextmonth, bringing to six thenumber of crewmembersat the orbiting laboratory.

LISA McCune and herSouth Pacific lover TeddyTahu Rhodes are officially acouple - and don't care whoknows.

In a whirlwind week ofromance, the duo last weekmade their red carpet debutas an item at the galaHelpmann awards at theSydney Opera House onMonday before engaging ina very public display ofaffection at a Melbournecafe the following day.

Exclusive footageobtained by The SundayTelegraph showed the cou-ple could barely keep theirhands off each other asthey openly locked lips infront of diners at the popu-lar Spring St eatery.

At one point during avideo, Kiwi actor TahuRhodes put his hand under

the four-time Gold LogieAward winner's jacket andtouches her breasts.

During the scene, whichThe Sunday Telegraph con-sidered too inappropriate topublish online, a visiblyupset 41-year-old mum-of-three quickly pulled awayfrom Tahu Rhodes' hand.

But moments later thepair were again touchingeach other's faces and bod-ies.

Indeed, McCune, inMelbourne performing theRodgers and Hammersteinplay, barely left her co-star's side all week - spend-ing the days and eveningsshopping and dining outtogether.

The former Blue Heelersstar has been spotted driv-ing Tahu Rhodes around inher Audi station wagon and,

on one night, kissing himgoodbye as he walked intothe Melbourne darkness.

On another occasion theduo entered a multi-levelcar park complex and

returned smiling 15 minuteslater. McCune herself wascoy when asked at a recentpress conference about theonstage chemistry betweenher and Tahu Rhodes.

"There's a lot of stuff inthe press," she acknowl-edged. "But I have nevercommented on my privatelife in terms of that and I'djust like to keep my private

life to myself."Despite the openness of

their relationship, the cou-ple are still to speak pub-licly about their romance.

McCune's representa-tives, RGM Artist Group,refused to answer ques-tions on Friday.

However, an upcomingissue of WHO magazinereports McCune saying shehas enjoyed a life free ofregret.

"I don't have regrets, Ireally try to live by thatmantra of not regrettinganything," the magazine,released Wednesday, willsay. McCune told the mag-azine her seeminglyestranged husband of 12years, Tim Disney, who is inHawaii with his girlfriend,has been one of her great-est influences.

Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes put on a show for public

A FORMER city council-lor facing perjury claimsover a ferry disaster in theSouth Pacific has beencleared just days after hiswife died.

Ramsay Dalgety, whomoved to Tonga in 1991,was accused of giving falseevidence into the 2009sinking which cost 74 lives.

At a court hearing yes-terday, the case wasthrown out due to insuffi-cient evidence.

Lord Dalgetys wife,Mary, originally from theCapital, died suddenly inVaiola Hospital in theTongan capital Nukualofaon Sunday. Described asthe adored mum ofCaroline and Neil, herfuneral was held in Tongaon Wednesday with amemorial service set totake place in Edinburgh ona date to be confirmed.

Lord Dalgety appearedin court in relation to thesinking of MV Princess

Ashika in August 2009, theworst accident in the coun-trys maritime history.Among those who drownedwas Daniel MacMillan, 48,from Islay. The formerdirector of Scottish Operawas secretary of theShipping Corporation ofPolynesia, which operatedthe government-ownedferry. The lord was accusedof playing down his involve-ment in the corporation dur-ing the official inquest intothe tragedy and was previ-ously criticised in an officialreport into the sinking. Hewas described by TongasRoyal Commission ofInquiry as unfit to holdsuch an important position,evasive and lacking cred-ibility. The QC was alsocriticised for failing to orderan independent surveybefore the purchase of theferry, which he admittedhad been a rust bucket.

Lord Dalgety, who was acouncillor in Edinburgh

between 1974 and 1980,was charged with perjuryand put under house arreston his last day of giving evi-dence to the committee inFebruary 2010.

Justice Charles Catosaid in his ruling on the per-jury allegations that LordDalgetys words were so farremoved from the vitalissues the commission hadto consider concerning thetragic ferry crash, that hedid not think a guilty verdictwould be a safe verdict.

He said: It is my viewthat the charges of perjurymust be made out plainlyand that is not the case

here. I rule that the Crownhad failed to reach the levelrequired under the legalstandards I must apply andaccordingly I dischargeLord Dalgety from theindictment.

I do not consider thatthe prosecution for perjurywas pursued by the policeor the Crown for someimproper, collateral or mali-cious reason and decline astay. Lord Dalgety wasappointed a Scottish QC in1986 and has been aTonga law lord since 2008.The kingdom of Tonga is agroup of 176 islands with apopulation of just over100,000 people. Only 52 ofthese islands are inhabitedby people. The islandsstretch a distance of 500miles wide and are foundoff New Zealands eastcoast. Tonga becameknown as the FriendlyIslands in 1773 whenCaptain James Cook firstvisited the country.

Ex-Edinburgh councillor not guilty just days after wifes deathDuchess

Catherine designs

own clothesThe duchess wore a yel-

low broderie anglaise sun-dress on her recent SouthPacific tour, and it has nowemerged it was a piecespecially-commissioned byQueen Elizabeth's tailors,based on the royal's ownideas. A source told Graziamagazine: "This dress wasa piece commissioned byKate. She likes to have afew pieces that are one-offs and that she has hadsome input in, so sheasked the queen's tailorsfor some help. "Theyworked on it together aftershe went to them withideas of colour, fabric andstyle."

Catherine - who wasknown as Kate Middletonbefore her wedding toPrince William - regularlywins praise for her fashionchoices, and was recentlynamed one of the best-dressed royals by VanityFair magazine.

Shilton wins SouthPacific Open by 1

New Caledonia BradShilton closed with an even-par71 on Saturday to win the SouthPacific Golf Open Championshipby one shot. The New Zealanderfinished at 13-under-par 271 atTina Golf Club. This was his firstwin on the Australasian Tour. "I'mstoked, it's been a pretty longtime coming so to finally get itdone is awesome. I still felt like Iwas playing ok, I tried to staycontrolled and the whole day justreally kept my head on," Shiltonsaid. "To finish pretty strong atthe end making a few birdiescoming in was awesome."

Labour's foreign affairsspokesman Phil Goff is warningthat the sale of the PacificForum Line may affect econom-ic development in the SouthPacific.

He says the shipping linejointly owned by twelve govern-ments of countries in the Pacificis being marketed and the lead-ing bidder is Sofrana. "I believethere was a meeting in Fiji lastweek and one in Tonga nextweek will complete the pro-cess," Mr Goff told NZNewswire. The New Zealand

government, through theMinister of Transport, currentlyholds 23.1 per cent of theshares and 8.3 per cent of thevoting rights. The Pacific ForumLine was set up in 1978 to pro-vide competition in shippingservices to the Pacific islands ina bid to keep freight rates atreasonable levels and fosterisland trade and economicdevelopment. Mr Goff said hewas concerned that if the lineleft government ownership andbecame simply a commercialenterprise it would no longer

achieve the goals it was createdfor. "What I'm concerned aboutis that there has been no publicdiscussion and this will be pre-sented as a fait accompli whenthe process is completed," hesaid. The company runs fourschedules, according to its web-site. One serves Fiji, Samoa,Tonga and the Cook Islands.Another serves Papua NewGuinea, Solomon Islands andVanuatu, while a separate ser-vice goes to the Republic ofKiribati and Tuvalu and anotherserves French Polynesia.

Goff warns of shipper sale consequencesNew Zealands Brad Shilton

has won the 2012 South PacificGolf Open Championship by onestroke. Shooting an even par finalround, for a tournament total of13-under par 271, was enough tosecure Shilton his break throughwin on the PGA Tour ofAustralasia. Im stoked, its beena pretty long time coming so tofinally get it done is awesome,said Shilton.I still felt like I wasplaying ok, I tried to stay con-trolled and the whole day justreally kept my head on. To fin-ish pretty strong at the end mak-ing a few birdies coming in, was

awesome. Starting the day with athree shot lead, the 33-year-oldheld his composure as defendingchampion Matthew Griffin chal-lenged for the title. I got a wee bitnervy I suppose but thats goingto happen. Considering I haventbeen in that position for ages,especially in one of these events,I am pretty proud of that. I had arough idea of what Matt wasdoing, but I wasnt terribly sureuntil the 15th tee when I saw hewas 13-under and probably goingto 14, and thats when I made acouple of birdies so I figured that Iwas keeping up with him.

Shilton breaks through in Noumea

11l October 2012

Diwali is a festivalsynonymouswith celebrations

in India and amongIndians all over theworld, is an occasionfor jubilation andtogetherness.Irrespective of religiousand economic back-ground, the celebrationof Diwali festival inIndia is throughout thecountry to ward off thedarkness and welcomethe light into their lives.This explains the illu-mination of numerousDiwali lamps andDiwali diyas on thepious occasion of

Diwali. Though thisfestival is celebrated invarious ways but oneof the best ways of cel-ebrating this joyful fes-tival is of giving outsome unique Diwaligifts to each other.Unique Diwali giftsideas should be suchthat they can touch thedeepest chord of therecipient's heart andcan bring a sense ofsatisfaction in thegiver's heart that hisgift was able to bringthe long cherishedsmile on the recipient'sface. Well here aresome suggestions for

unique Diwali gifts,which will definitely beable to satisfy all yourneeds for a uniqueDiwali gift for your nearand dear ones. WhiteGanesha Sculpture Aunique Diwali gifts canbe white metalGanesha sculpture.This white sculpture ofLord Ganesha can beconsidered to be thebest definition of beau-ty and elegance andhas the potential ofbringing about a touchof devotion on thepious occasion ofDiwali. You can alsolook for the whitesculptures ofGoddessLakshmi asboth LordGanesha andgoddessLakshmi forman integral part ofthe Diwali cele-brations.

DIWALI SEPCIAL12 l October 2012

DIWALI Gifts Ideas

DiyaWallhanging

Another option forunique Diwali gift canbe wall hanging diya,

which have theengraved pictures of

Lord Ganesha andGoddess Lakshmi and

other Diwali pictureson them. These diyascan be simply hanged

from the entrance ofthe home or from theentrance point of the

small temples in the home.

Lakshmi On a LOtusIt is a tradition to commemorateGoddess Lakshmi on the eve ofDiwali through the means ofLakshmi Puja. So go ahead andgift the idol of Goddess Lakshmiseated on a lotus flower to yourloved ones this Diwali, so that they canalso get a beautiful and graceful picture ofGoddess Lakshmi and can honor her intheir own ways. If you are not in the coun-try then you can send this Diwali gift toIndia as a token of your love for them.

DiwaliPooja Thali

The festival of Diwali isnot just limited tobursting of firecrack-

ers, shopping, wearingnew clothes and sharingsweet delicacies, decorat-ing homes and officesattractively, but also aboutworship of the Almighty toensure health, wealth andprosperity. The ceremoni-ous occasion, which lastsfor five days of extravagan-za, encompasses spiritual-ism in it, which reminds usof its connection to theHindu mythology. This isthe reason why, peopleindulge themselves inoffering prayers to theirfavorite deity. A number ofpujas add to the spiritualmood of the celebrations. Apuja thali becomes impor-tant, when you worship. Apuja thali is the plate inwhich all the items requiredto perform the worship orthe puja of the God andGoddess are kept. Thepuja items include Roli fortilak, Akshat, Ghanti (bell),a small Kalash filled withwater, Kalava to tie aroundthe wrist, gold or silvercoins, aarti-diya and somecolorful flowers. The puja-thali has special signifi-cance for the festival ofdiwali in which the worshipof Goddess Lakshmi is themain theme.

Afestival of lights, Diwali cele-brates the victory of divinespirit over the evil. Apart from

the exchange of sweets and gifts,new clothes, shopping and fire-works, illumination of premises withdiyas and electric lights plays aprominent part of the festival. Bylighting candles in every nook andcorner of the home and premises,we try to destroy the reign of dark-ness, on the night of Diwali. Whilelighting earthen diyas is the tradi-tional way to celebrate Diwali, can-dles have gained popularity, for thefestival of Diwali. Apart from beingsuperior to diyas in terms of attrac-tiveness, candles burn for a longertime, as compared to them. Diwalicandles are available for differentprice ranges, to satisfy every kind ofconsumer, in India. Numerous typesof candles have been literally flood-ing the market. The candle businesshas gained considerable successover the passing time, because it isbelieved that lighting candles inhome on Diwali brings in the posi-tive spirits. The collection of candlesis an ideal to be used for your Diwalipuja and for decorating your home.They make perfect gift items as well.Read more about the different typesof Diwali candles, in the followinglines.

Deepavali Candles

TealighT CanDles

Made of high quality wax, tea lightcandles are scented ones, whichcan burn for many hours. Tea lightcandles are safe and perfect forlighting crackers.

Designer CanDles

A nice way to brighten up yourhome on Diwali is to make use ofdesigner candles. Depending uponyour budget, purchase somedesigner candles.

gel CanDles

Gel candles come in set of petiteglass pots that contain colored gelin them. Apart from illuminatingyour home on Diwali, gel candlescan serve as beautiful decorativeitems.

Flower CanDles

A variant of decorative candles,flower candles comes with a miniglass filled with colorful wax.Sunflower candles are in hot trend.Other types of flower candlesinclude roses, lilies and orchids.Flower candles are beautiful orna-mental show pieces as well.

sparkling CanDles

Sparkling candles look very charm-ing and attractive. With the glory oftheir sparkles, they would makeyour Diwali truly bright andsparkling.

perFumeD CanDles

Perfumed candles are molded insmall containers. When illuminated,they would fill the ambience withsoothing fragrance and boost upthe festive spirit of your family andfriends.

hanDmaDe CanDles

There are handmade designer can-dles available in shapes of variousfruits such as apple, orange,mango, lemon etc. and coloredaccordingly. These candles whenlighted fill in your ambience with thelights of joy.

Diwali Candles

Unique Diwali gifts ideas should be such that they can touch the deepest chord of the recipient'sheart and can bring a sense of satisfaction in the

giver's heart that his gift was able to bring the longcherished smile on the recipient's face.

13l October 2012

14 l October 2012

15l October 2012

16 l October 2012 17l October 2012

18 l October 2012

19l October 201237 August 201237 August 2012

Big B, Ajay, Arjun, KareenaManoj in SATYAGRAHAEven before his Chakravyuhhas hit theatres, Prakash Jhais already busy planning hisnext biggie titled Satyagraha.For the film that deals with themovement of the middle-classto re-negotiate democracy,Jha has managed a castingcoup of sorts getting togetherAmitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal,Kareena Kapoor and ManojBajpayee on board. While allthe above mentioned nameshave worked with Jha earlier,it's the first time KareenaKapoor would be working withthe veteran filmmaker.Bachchan would be seenplaying a man who is a firmbeliever of truth a la new ageGandhi while Ajay plays anambitious entrepreneur whorepresents the modern Indiashining philosophy.

Sonakshi to staropposite Saif inBULLET RAJAAfter his much acclaimed filmPaan Singh Tomar,Tigmanshu Dhulia's next filmBullet Raja hit headlines whenthe filmmaker roped in Saif AliKhan to play the lead role.Now we hear that the gang-ster film set in UP will featureSonakshi Sinha as the leadinglady who plays Saif's loveinterest. However, unlike herearlier roles of a village belle,Sonakshi will be seen as amodern, educated and inde-pendent Bengali girl in thisfilm. Her story track in the filmrevolves around how shelands up among these gang-sters. Bullet Raja is scheduledto go on floors in Novemberthis year, and will be shot inLucknow, Kolkata andMumbai.

Bollywood20 l October 2012

Vidya to prove housewives aren't boring inGHANCHAKKAR Actress Vidya Balan, who plays ahomemaker in Ghanchakkar, saysher character will dispel the notionthat housewives are boring. "I playa Punjabi housewife inGhanchakkar and hopefully, I, withthis one, will put to rest the notionthat housewives are boring. That'sa very hugemisconception and I hope peoplerealise that after Ghanchakkar,"the 33-year-old said here. Vidyahas teamed up with her The DirtyPicture co-star Emraan Hashmi inthe film. About her chemistry withEmraan, she said: "I think Raaz3(secret) of our chemistry is thatwe may have said three words toeach other in The Dirty Picture,but in this one we have said sixwords. So, it should probably dou-ble the chemistry between us."Ghanchakkar is directed byRajkumar Gupta.

After being selected asIndia's official entry to theOscars in the foreign lan-

guage film category this year,Anurag Basu's Barfi! has addedanother feather in its cap - the filmjoins the Rs. 100 crore club ofBollywood. The total cost of themovie has reportedly been Rs. 30crore and since its release onSeptember 14, the unique love tri-angle featuring Ranbir Kapoor,Priyanka Chopra and IleanaD'Cruz has appealed so much tothe moviegoers that it has raked inRs. 100 crore at the box office.

"Ranbir Kapoor joins the much-famed Rs. 100 crore club today(Tuesday) with Barfi! and this isPriyanka Chopra's second ton thisyear, after Agneepath," tweetedtrade analyst Taran Adarsh.

The other Bollywood moviesthat grossed Rs. 100 crore this

Actress-singer Priyanka

Chopra, who plays an

autistic girl Jhilmil in

Anurag Kasyap's Barfi!, says

superstar Shah Rukh Khan

helped her play the character.

Priyanka, 30, said Shah Rukh

lent his research of autism from

My Name is Khan, where his

character showed mild form of

the "Also thank you SRK for

lending me all your My Name is

Khan research, you gave me

perspective on Jhilmil..owe you

another one..love always," she

tweeted. Priyanka's perfor-

mance in the romantic-comedy

was highly appreciated by the

audience. The film also stars

Ranbir Kapoor and debutant

actress Ileana D'Cruz.

SRK gave me perspective on Jhilmil: Priyanka

year are Housefull 2, RowdyRathore, Bol Bachchan and EkTha Tiger. The film, which mint-ed Rs. 34.6 crore during itsopening weekend andamassed a total of Rs. 58.6crore over the first week, is stillgoing strong at the ticket win-dow. "Barfi! (3rd Week)Monday Rs. 2.5 crore. Grandtotal Rs. 98.8 crore net.Crosses Rs. 100 crore marksin India today. Bravo," postedAdarsh on his Twitter page.

"The film is Ranbir Kapoor'sbiggest hit in overseas... totalafter 3rd Weekend UK622,039 (Rs 5.30 cr) ... USA$2,462,008 (Rs 12.89 cr)," hefurther tweeted.

Barfi! has been produced byUTV Motion Pictures and afterRowdy Rathore, this is the pro-duction house's second film to

Barfi!Crosses Rs. 100crore at Indian BO

achieve the feat. Gaurav Verma,Director - India TheatricalDistribution, Studios, Disney UTV,told IANS: "Barfi! has had adream run at the box office andcontinues to do extremely well atcinemas. With a huge demandamong exhibitors, we are hopingto add over 200 cinemas thisweek." Interestingly, the directorof the film had earlier stated that itwas more important for him totouch a hundred hearts than Rs.100 crore box-office takings. "Idon't know about making Rs. 100crore. But I feel it is more difficultto touch people's heart. From myfilm, I only want to touch hundredsor thousands of hearts and that'sall that matters to me. Collectionis not important for me," saidBasu.

"I don't know aboutmaking Rs. 100 crore.But I feel it is moredifficult to touch peo-ple's heart. From myfilm, I only want totouch hundreds orthousands of heartsand that's all that mat-ters to me. Collectionis not important forme," said Basu.

After opting out of MadhurBhadarkar's Heroine due toher pregnancy, Aishwarya

Rai Bachchan will reportedly bestarring in Mani Ratnam's next. Thefilm will be an adaptation of DaphneDu Maurier's 1938 novel Rebecca.

"Ash and Ratnam go back along way. Her cinematic debut,Iruvar in 1997 was directed by him.They worked again ten years laterin Guru. The same year she gotmarried. They again worked in2010 in Raavan. Whenever Ratnamhas offered Ash a role or a script,she has always respected it. Thistime too, it was the same," a sourcetold Mumbai Mirror. "Rebecca, thenovel is about a newly marriedwoman who is constantly comparedto the first wife of her husband bythe housekeeper. While she feelsbelittled by the shadow of thedeceased lady of the house, shelater realises that her husband wasnever in love earlier. Ratnam is cur-rently adapting the entire novel intoa more contemporary Indian setup,"the tabloid quoted the source assaying. The film is said to go on thefloors late next year. Aishwarya RaiBachchan has been out ofBollywood scene for a while now.Her last film was Guzaarish in2010. She has been busy takingcare of her first child, Aaradhya,who is now 10-months-old.

Aishwarya to return withMani Ratnam's REBECCA?

21l October 2012BOLLYWOOD

For all your detailingneeds Call us first!

Phone 650-458-1389 Email: reggiekhelawan.rk@gmail.com

PO Box 56491,Hayward, CA 94544

ISLAND DETAILING

Actress Nargis Fakhri is

back from a family

holiday in New York,

and she has already gotten

herself busy with walking the

ramp, supporting environ-

mental initiatives and more.

The Rockstar actor confess-

es, My life is different now. It

feels much bigger. I was a

model before, but now I get

to choose the designer that I

want to walk the ramp for.

Hailing DNAs initiatives

Eco Ganesha and Juhu

Beach Clean Up to protect

the environment, the actor

says, I totally support DNAs

awareness programme. On

Sunday, as soon as I

stepped onto Juhu

beach, it was

so exciting to see so many

volunteers, most of them

kids, getting their hands dirty

and cleaning up the coast

after visarjan. We need to

keep the environment that

we live in clean. I learnt that

from my mom who never let

me spit chewing gum or

throw wrappers on the street;

she used to get us to store

them in our pocket until we

could find a trash can. These

little things we learn, define

ourattitude towards our envi-

ronment. Ask her about her

next film after Rockstar, and

the actor gets tight-lipped,

I have a couple of

projects in the

pipeline, but I

cant talk

about them yet. After a

debut opposite Bollywood

heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor,

what's next on her wish list?

I would love to work with

both Salman and Shah Rukh

Khan. But at the end of the

day, it has to be a good script

and a good person, thats

what's more important to

me.The actor isn't limiting

herself to the big screen

alone and is open to opportu-

nities on TV. She explains,

Right now, Imfocussed on

my new film

projects,

but I

would love to do something

that involves my love for eat-

ing and travelling. What

about reality TV shows?

Personally, I dont like to

judge, but its fine if it involves

constructive criticism.

Actually, it would be nice to

be a part of such projects,

she adds. As we steer her

towards her brush with

paparazzi when they spotted

her with actor Uday Chopra

at a suburban theater, she

quips, It was simply

insane. I simply dont know

what else to say about

the whole thing.

Life is bigger: Nargis FakhriMy life is

different now. Itfeels much bigger. I

was a model before, butnow I get to choose the

designer that I want to walk the

ramp for.

Our interview is con-ducted at Yash Rajstudios, a venue

that baffles us. RaniMukerjis next two films,Aiyyaa and Talaash, haveno connection to Yash Rajin any way. So why werewe meeting there? Could ithave something to do withRanis relationship withAditya Chopra? Formonths now, there has Butthe actor isnt upset.Instead, flaunting a newself-assurance, she clearsthe air about Adi Chopra,her comeback withAiyyaa, and life inBollywood. Apparently,staffers at YRF addressyou as bhabhi. Are youmarried to Aditya Chopra?I dont know what peoplecall me behind my back.People may b***h or praiseme, but unless its to myface, I cannot comment onit. And on record, I say this:I am not married. That is anirresponsible rumour. I ama girl from a respectablefamily that would take pridein their daughters mar-riage. They dont need tolie. I have been brought upwith lots of love andrespect and such rumoursaffect my family. Marriage

is a sacred thing. When Idecide to get married, Illdo it in a respectful mannerand not in a covert way.Anything that is hidden orhas a clandestineapproach to it is an affair,not a marriage. You canthide a marriage. When I tiethe knot, Ill tell the world.That sounds like a clich.But thats how it is, at themoment. Just as I cant tellyou anything about mydeath, similarly I cant con-firm the marriage. Its veryimportant, not just to me,but also to my parents. Iwill guard my personallife very fiercely till I amofficially married,because once I am,you are going to talkabout it anyway.

On record! I'm notmarried: Rani Mukerji

I cant confirm the marriage. Its very important, not just to me, but also to my parents. I will guard my

personal life very fiercely till I am officially married, be-cause once I am, you are going to talk about it anyway.

The actor calls herself the tigressof the industry and now aspiresto become the Nicole Kidman of

Bollywood. Your Raaz 3D co-starEmraan Hashmis been calling you aserial killer. Why? During a late nightpromotional event in Dubai, I wasasked if he inspired me in any way. Iwas sleepy and instead of saying kiss-er, I said killer. So, I landed up tellinghim that I wanted his enviable serialkiller tag. (Laughs) But its not a badtag! I enjoy the TV series Dexter,where theres a reason for every kill.Quentin Tarantino is a favourite and a

Kill Bill action-packed movie would beup my street. Id love to be Indias firstscream queen! Scream queen? Yes.I want to get into the space of NicoleKidman and Sarah Michelle Gellar inBollywood. Given all the supernaturalfilms Ive done Raaz (2002), Rakht(2004), Darna Zaroori Hai (2006),Raaz 3D (2012) and Atma that fol-lows, it should be easy. Though I amyet to play a ghost.

Bipashawants to be ascream queen

SPORTS22 l October 2012

COLOMBO: India wouldsay that they were a bitunfortunate to exit from theWorld T20. They beatEngland and Pakistan, andthen pipped South Africa byone run in a thriller, as LBalaji castled MorneMorkel, who has justsmashed the first six of hisT20I career.

India's chances weredented grievously byPakistan's big win over thefavoured Aussies which leftthe Men in Blue with the stiffask of beating the Proteasby a minimum margin of 31runs in their final SuperEights game on Tuesday inorder to make the semis.They sneaked out a closewin, but couldn't do enoughto make the cut for the lastfour. India made 152 forsix, and needed to stop theProteas at 121, but Faf duPlessis, who had a highestT20I score of 13 before thismatch, smashed 65 (38b,6x4, 2x6) to spoil theirplans. However, question-able team composition for

Tuesday's must-win game,along with a major captain-cy gaffe by skipper MSDhoni didn't help India'scause. In the end, the ham-mering at the hands ofShane Watson and DavidWarner, which wonAustralia their Super Eightsgame against India with 31balls to spare, came back tohaunt them. It just provedtoo costly.

Dhoni will have muchanswering to do about whyhe didn't play veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh ona wicket on which Pakistanplayed four spinnersagainst Australia with muchsuccess. The Proteas areas bad players of spin asanybody in the world, sowhy was Harbhajan, whotook four for 12 against theEnglish earlier in the tourna-ment, not brought on in thisgame at the expense of aseamer, preferably Balaji?

Zaheer and Balajibowled their heart out, pick-ing up three wickets each,but India needed to win a bit

more easily. Harbhajancould have helped them dothat. That wasn't enough.Even as South Africa, espe-

cially Du Plessis, seemed tobe rather comfortableagainst the seamers aftersuffering the initial blows,

Dhoni perhaps forgot thathe had R Ashwin's servicesup his sleeve.

One of the best off spin-ners in world cricket wasbrought on after even part-timer Rohit Sharma hadtried his arm around!Ashwin came on in the 10thover but it was too late bythen. Yuvraj Singh did hisbit for India, scoring 21, andthen taking two wickets, buthe would trade his Man ofthe Match award with a spotin the last four for his teamany day. Earlier, SureshRaina's run out off the finalball of the Indian inningssummed up India's cam-paign in the World T20 thistime. The stylish left-han-der, who had kept India'schallenge alive till then witha 34-ball 45, was foundinches short of the creasewhile going for the secondrun. For both India, andRaina, it was a case ofbeing so near, yet so far!India fumbled initially, slip-ping to 36 for three, as thetop-order batsmen pan-

icked in search of quickruns, throwing their batsaround at everything. It wasalways going to be difficultto go bang bang against thelikes of Dale Steyn andMorne Morkel from ball one.Gautam Gambhir andVirender Sehwag fell tryingto be too adventurous.Sadly, Virat Kohli, who nor-mally steps up on theseoccasions, had an off day,gloving Jacques Kallisdown the leg side.

Yuvraj then brought Indiaback into the game, smash-ing two trademark sixes in a15-ball cameo. There was a44-run stand between RohitSharma and Raina off 36balls that gave India adecent total. In the slog,Dhoni and Raina gave Indiathe surge they needed. Itwas tragic to see Indiacrash out despite the bat-ting line-up they posses,and despite eking out athrilling win on Tuesday.

Somewhere, though,they had themselves toblame.

India beat South Africa but crash out of World Twenty20

Kumar Sangakkara celebrates after stumping Mohammad Hafeez.

MS Dhoni leads his side from the field having wonthe game but been knocked out

On a crumbling, turning,brute of a pitch by Twenty20standards, MahelaJayawardene respondedwith a T20-size classic. His42 off 36, as delightful as itwas delicate, proved to bethe difference between thetwo sides in a tight semi-final. It was a bitterly disap-pointing night for his oppo-site number: MohammadHafeez outmanoeuvred arampant KumarSangakkara in a crucialmoment in the first innings,he came back from a horri-bly slow start to his owninnings, but fell on 42 withsome way to go forPakistan.

It was Sangakkara whoreturned the favour with asuperb stumping off a grub-ber to send Hafeez backwith 48 to defend in 35

balls. Hafeez, who had justopened up with an extra-cover drive, a reverse-swept four and a punchthrough covers, was thisclose to making this his ownnight, but it was to be SriLanka's, who won their firstTwenty20 international at RPremadasa Stadium, in theprocess successfullyadjusting to a third venue inthis tournament, the mostfor any team.

The powdery surfacebegan to explode uponimpact by the third over ofthe first innings. This wasno place for average bats-men who stand there andswing from the hip. Thiswould need a quality bats-man. On turning tracks,they don't come better thanJayawardene. With the ballturning square at times, he

stayed low, swept andreverse-swept often to playwith the spinners' rhythm.Tillakaratne Dilshan, hisopening partner, seemed tobe batting on a differentpitch.

It was not just thatJayawardene was sweep-ing and reversing, it was therange of that shot, able tobeat the two square fielderson either side. He connect-ed with four reverse-sweeps, scoring 12. Thenthere was the regulationsweep and the lap shot.Jayawardene's effort herewas reminiscent of his hun-dred in the semi-final of the50-over World Cup of 2007.Just when he was runningaway with this thing, hefailed to connect well with alap off Afridi, giving Pakistantheir first wicket. That didn't

bring them any relief,though. Sangakkara beganwith a four to midwicket firstball, and later displayed alovely chip over extra cover.Hafeez was about to getinto the game now.Watching Sangakkaramove too much around thecrease, Hafeez pulled outbefore a delivery. When hedid bowl, he bowled it wideand out of reach of the mov-ing Sangakkara, and prisedout a catch in the deep.

Now, with Dilshan look-ing to break free, Umar Guland Saeed Ajmal bowledthree big overs. Gul got thebetter of Dilshan, who waslooking to break free afterhaving been nine off 18 atone point. Ajmal, who con-ceded 20 off his first twoovers, came back with asix-run 19th over.

Jayawardene inspires Sri Lanka to second WT20 final

Van Persie double puts the bite on ClujCLUJ-NAPOCA: Robin

van Persie put the bite onRomanian minnows CFRCluj in Transylvania as theManchester United striker'sdouble clinched a 2-1 win inChampions League GroupH on Tuesday.

Sir Alex Ferguson's sidesuffered an early fright in theregion best known for pro-viding the supposedly vam-pire-filled setting for BramStoker's Dracula.

But Pantelis Kapetanos'searly goal for Cluj didn'tsuck the life out of United,who maintained their 100percent start to this sea-son's competition thanks tovan Persie's brace. Unitedwere rarely at their best atthe Dr ConstantinRadulescu Stadium, but Clujultimately lacked the qualityto take advantage andFerguson should take heartfrom the way van Persie

and Wayne Rooney com-bined for both goals.Ferguson's star strikerswere starting together forthe first time, with JavierHernandez also included inan attacking line-up, asUnited looked to bounceback after Saturday's sur-prise 3-2 home defeatagainst Tottenham. United'sgo for broke approachworked, but only after Clujmade a flying start.

Where is Indianhockey coachMichael Nobbs?

BANGALORE: Thenational hockey camp isscheduled from October 15but there is no news aboutthe return of chief coachMichael Nobbs and exer-cise physiologist DavidJohn. Hockey India secre-tary-general NarinderBatra added to the intrigueon Tuesday when he saidthat he is clueless aboutthe inordinate delay.

TOKYO: London Olympicgold medallist Andy Murraystood firm in his servicegame to beat Ivo Karlovic ofCroatia in the first round atthe Japan Open tennis tour-nament on Tuesday. The 25-year-old defending championcame back to court after win-ning the US Open last monthand didn't face a single breakpoint in his 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 vic-tory. "A good thing was Ifound last night that I was

going to play Karlovic, so Ihad the evening to thinkabout the match a little bitand I was able to practisethis morning," said Murray. "Iwas able to practise things Ineed to when I play against abig server and someone whocomes into the net a lot. "It'salways hard. My opponentmakes it a little bit tougher,but I stayed very well focusedon my serve throughout thematch," he added.

Andy Murray faces toughfirst match in Japan Open

FIJI SPORTS 23l October 2012

NEXT YEAR

FIJI AWARDS NIGHTWill Present Next

AIM AWARDS NIGHT EARLY NEXT YEAR.

With select number of Fellows AIM there will be a cap n gown ceremony.

FELLOWS WILL HAVE AN OPTION FOR REGALIA.

E-mail nominations for AIM AWARDS

Aim.edu@gmx.com

AIM AWARDS NIGHT Council in partnership

with ANZ Bank hosted amorning tea at the ANZCorporate Box NationalStadium, Suva at 10.00amon Wednesday the 8th dayof August, 2012 to officiallyannounced the commence-ment of the NationalStadium Upgrade.

The Chief Guest, wasthe Honorable PrimeMinister CommodoreVoreqe Bainimarama. Hewas accompanied by theMinister for Youth andSports, CommanderViliame Naupoto. The con-tractorsfor this NationalProject was officiallyannounced at this eventwhere CommodoreBainimarama also lay thefoundation concrete for theupgraded stadium.

Minister for Sports,Commander Naupoto reit-

erates that Sports is theheart of the nation andGovernment is of the viewthat all Fijian talents andathletes must be given thebest facilities to competeon the international stage.

FSC Chairman, PeterMazey is proud of what has

been achieved to date andconfirms that this is in linewith the Strategic directionof the Fiji Sports CouncilBoard which is to ensureFiji has International facili-ties in our country. FSC isgrateful to our Governmentfor the Sports Grantextended which hasallowed this upgrade totake place. It is great forsports and theSportspeople of Fiji.

FSC CEO, LitianaLoabuka said we wouldnot have been able to evenstart this project if it werenot for the financial supportof Government. It isthrough the support of aGovernment Sports grantof $3m for the next 5 yearsthat we were able to securefunding from ANZ tofinance a project of thismagnitude.

OFFICAL COMMENCEMENT OF THE

NATIONAL STADIUM UPGRADE

Suva upbeat for IDCSuva soccer marched into camp yester-

day to step up preparation for the CourtsInter District Championship scheduled for10-14 October at Bas Govind Park.Association president, Mahen Prasad toldFijiLive, the camp will give their coach GurjitSingh ample time to mould the best combi-nation for the tournament. We are in a verytough pool so preparation cannot be takenlightly. Our game against Labasa this week,we are treating it very seriously as well as awin will ensure we finish runner-up on theNFL stadings.

Prasad said they are targeting whole-some mental and physical preparation.Inthe early stages, we will start with middayand afternoon sessions and then after aweek we will move into morning session aswell. Suva is grouped with hosts Ba, Nadi,Rewa and Savusavu in pool two.

Fiji held by Canada in FANCA WorldCup September 28, 2012A+ A-||| 0 inShareFollow @ Twitter By Sunil Sharma Hostnation Fiji and Canada played to a score-less draw in their second pool game at the15th FANCA Muslim World Cup soccertournament at Prince Charles Park last

night. The two sides are tied on points withfour apiece from a win and a draw. Inother games, USA bounced back to beatAustralia 2-1 after going down to Fiji on theopening day. Competition continues todaywith Fiji to take on defending championsNew Zealand in their third pool game at8pm today. Results from other matchesplayed yesterday are as follows: Fiji U21 4-0 Fiji Drasa Fiji U21 2-0 New Zealand U21New Zealand U21 1-1 Australia U21Canada Masters 0-1 Australia Masters NewZealand Masters 3- 0 USA Masters FijiMasters 2-3 Australia Masters CanadaVeteran 4-0 Australia Veteran Fiji Veteran1-0 New Zealand Veteran

AFGHAN NEWS24 l October 2012

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man who fulfilled the journey crafted by oneof the most learned and seasoned politiciansof Fiji the late Hon. Mr. A D Patel. THE KOYAMEMORIAL NIGHT will be dedicated to cele-brate the memories of tails of former leaderof opposition the Late Hon. S M KOYA

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France and Afghanistan

signed the 20-year "friend-

ship and co-operation treaty"

earlier this year as a commit-

ment that Paris would not

abandon the country after its

combat troops leave at the

end of 2012.

France has been one of

the largest contributors to the

Nato-led coalition and has

seen 88 of its soldiers killed in

the past 11 years. However

when the agreement reached

the Afghan senate this week,

a group of senators tried to

remove the word friendship

before it was ratified. "Some

senators said that based on

Sharia rulings we cannot use

the word friendship with infi-

dels, so after voting the word

friendship was replaced with

relationship," Senator Zahra

Sharifi told the AFP news

agency. A spokesman for the

senate speaker said the

attempt was only a recom-

mendation because the

house lacked the power to

alter the agreement. He said

the objectors were a small

minority of senators. The

attempt obviously embar-

rassed some senators. "We

argued, we said that France

has been a close friend of

Afghanistan for a very long

time," said Mohammad Alam

Ezedyar, chair of the senate

session. "Some senators dis-

agreed, but the important

thing is that the pact was

approved, and will be sent to

the foreign ministry." A foreign

ministry spokesman,

Faramerz Tamana, told AFP

the treaty would be sent to

France who would decide

whether or not to accept the

change. The agreement has

already been ratified by the

French parliament and the

lower house of the Afghan

parliament.

Afghan bid to 'de-friend' FranceAfghan senators have tried to remove the word "friendship" from astrategic pact with France, after arguing that Islamic teachings stateMuslims cannot be friends with infidels.

"I know how she feels.

Those were my first words

to my husband yesterday

morning when we heard

that a British soldier in

Afghanistan had given

birth to a baby boy with-

out even suspecting she

was pregnant. Because it

happened to me, too.

It was a Sunday morn-

ing in December 2004 and

I was tackling a pile of iron-

ing before we went

Christmas shopping.

Suddenly I was aware of

sharp pains in my stom-

ach. I headed for the bath-

room, assuming that I had

an upset tummy. The pains

got worse and worse. Then

I began to worry that it was

appendicitis or something

more serious. And finally I

got this overwhelming urge

to push. It was such an

odd feeling. It was as if I

was on autopilot. As I was

doing it, all that was going

through my head was:

What on earth is going

on?

Which is exactly what

that soldier in Camp

Bastion would have been

thinking on Tuesday. Like

me, she believed it was

just stomach pains. And

then, suddenly, she was

holding her baby.

At least she was in a

hospital. I was sitting on

the lavatory in our house at

Wickford in Essex. I tried

calling my husband,

Martin, but he was down-

stairs in the living room

with his music on, playing

computer games. He

couldnt hear me. I had no

idea what to do, but some-

how that didnt matter.

Instinct took over. I gritted

my teeth and shut my

eyes. I couldnt bear to

look because I knew I

would faint. All I knew was

that I wanted the pain to

stop and that the only way

to make that happen was

to push.

And thank God, the

baby was born quickly. It

took about half an hour.

The doctors told me that

Ben now eight had the

right shape of skull to

come out easily. It wasnt a

maternal instinct that made

me reach down and sup-

port his head. It was more

logistics. I was on the loo. I

didnt want him to drown.

And there, in