Egypt military beats protesters, fires shots

CAIRO: Military police dispersed hundreds of protesters remaining in Cairo’s Tahrir Square from of the biggest demonstrations since Hosni Mubarak was ousted using tasers and batons late on Friday night, a witness said.

Hundreds of thousands of people rallied during the day to pile pressure on the interim military rulers to meet demands including the prosecution of Mubarak.

But after the curfew, set from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m., military police and state security officers surrounded the square, fired shots in the air, used tasers and batons and arrested protesters to break up the crowd, a witness told Reuters by telephone.

“They are moving in on us with very aggressive force, I can see people running in every direction,” Mohamed Fahmy, 29, said, while the sound of screaming and gun shots, which he said were fired by the police into the air, sounded in the background.

The military has enjoyed broad support since it took control of the country on February 11, but complaints against its rule are growing. Attention is now focussed on the perceived tardiness of legal measures against Mubarak and his entourage.

Mubarak and his family have been living in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh since he left Cairo. The military has said the 82-year-old president, himself a former military officer, is banned from leaving the country.

“The corrupt perpetrators must be held accountable for what they have done, that is why we are here,” Fahmy said.

The military had forcibly dispersed protesters before from Tahrir Square, the main theatre for the demonstrations that swept Mubarak from power, leaving the army led by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi in charge.

In that case, the military apologised the next day, saying there had been no order to assault the protesters and called the incident unintentional. AGENCIES

Musharrafs mistakes made Kayani careful: Wikileaks

The whistle-blower website Wikileaks said that General Ashfaq Kayani is doing back door politics after learning lessons from Musharrafs mistakes.

The whistle-blower website Wikileaks released sensitive documents alleging that the Pakistans army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayanis opposition led to the conflict on the Kerry-Lugar Bill as it was going to result in greater civilian control on the military.A correspondence from the head of the French Interagencys Pak-Afghan cell, Jasmine Zerinini, is also included in the new secret documents released by Wikileaks. The correspondence sheds light on the Pakistan Armys policies in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). According to the released documents, General Kayani has learnt from the mistakes made by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. He is using the parliament and the government while staying in the background, the documents allege. In this way, he is becoming an obstacle to any major change in the countrys policy pertaining to Fata. Zerininis correspondence also stated that the West has lost the opportunity to crush the Afghan Taliban with Pakistans help. The correspondence stated that with aid coming in from the Gulf States, the Haqqani network has grown too strong, that defeating it will not be easy for the Pakistani military.

Zulqarnain’s family say they have received threats

KARACHI: The family of Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider have told police they have received threatening calls after the player said he would expose people involved in corruption in Pakistan cricket.

“Zulqarnain’s wife got three calls today, two from an unknown number and one from a number in Greece in which the caller speaking in Urdu threatened her of dire consequences if Zulqarnain said anything about anyone,” Aqeel Haider, the player’s brother, told Reuters.

He said the calls came after Zulqarnain said on his Facebook page on Sunday that he would soon expose people who had taken bribes.

“All these people who are saying negative things about me…they should wait for five more days then I will show them my background and status. After five days I will show them their background and place and also those who don’t take money and those who have taken

Artist Zubeida Agha’s 13th death anniversary today

Staff Report

KARACHI: Today marks the 13th death anniversary of Zubeida Agha. She was the first Pakistani modern artist. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, she was the first artist to have an exhibition of her paintings. She helped bring the modern idiom to Pakistan. She died on October 31, 1997.

ZubaidaAgha was born in 1922 in Faislabad. In 1944 – 46 she started working with B C Sanyal.

Her introverted disposition and concentrated study of philosophy formed the background against which her abstract ‘idea’ paintings emerged. At the Lahore School of Fine Art (1945), Agha began a study of Western art.

In addition to copying Old Masters, she came into contact with contemporary Indian painting and folk art. The Society of Fine Arts awarded her first prize for modern painting in 1946.

Trained in both Pakistan and Europe, she developed an

Artist Zubeida Agha’s 13th death anniversary today

Staff Report

KARACHI: Today marks the 13th death anniversary of Zubeida Agha. She was the first Pakistani modern artist. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, she was the first artist to have an exhibition of her paintings. She helped bring the modern idiom to Pakistan. She died on October 31, 1997.

ZubaidaAgha was born in 1922 in Faislabad. In 1944 – 46 she started working with B C Sanyal.

Her introverted disposition and concentrated study of philosophy formed the background against which her abstract ‘idea’ paintings emerged. At the Lahore School of Fine Art (1945), Agha began a study of Western art.

In addition to copying Old Masters, she came into contact with contemporary Indian painting and folk art. The Society of Fine Arts awarded her first prize for modern painting in 1946.

Trained in both Pakistan and Europe, she developed an

Jhootha Hi Sahi postponed by one week?

There’s a strong possibility that JHOOTHA HI SAHI may be postponed by one week. Slated for release next week 15 October, the film may now arrive on 22 October because music composer A.R. Rahman is yet to complete recording the background score of the film. Producer Madhu Mantena doesn’t rule out the possibility. “Yes, the film may get shifted to next week. It’s true that Rahman hasn’t completed recording the background score. Also, with two major films clashing on 15 October AAKROSH, KNOCK OUT, there’s no point releasing on that date. Besides, the music of JHOOTHA HI SAHI is picking up and if we shift the film ahead by one week, it will only help the music to grow further,” Mantena states.

If JHOOTHA HI SAHI is shifted to latter date, Madhu Mantena will hold the distinction of releasing four films on a single Friday – JHOOTHA HI SAHI and the three versions of RAKHT CHARITRA Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Lt. Gen. Khalid Shamim appointed as CJCSC

Lieutenant General Khalid Shamim Wayne has been appointed as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) on Tuesday and he will assume his office on October 8.
President Asif Ali Zardari promoted Lt. Gen. Khalid Shamim Wain to the position of CSCSC on the advice of the Prime Minister. He is currently serving as Chief of General Staff.
Lieutenant General Khalid Shamim Wayne, who comes from an Army background, was born on the August 28, 1953 at Abbottabad. He is a graduate of Command and Staff College, Pakistan, Command and Staff College, Germany and National Defence College, Pakistan.
He commanded School of Infantry and Tactics and Quetta based 41st Infantry division. He also served as Deputy CGS at GHQ.

Lt. Gen. Khalid Shamim appointed as CJCSC

Lieutenant General Khalid Shamim Wayne has been appointed as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) on Tuesday and he will assume his office on October 8.
President Asif Ali Zardari promoted Lt. Gen. Khalid Shamim Wain to the position of CSCSC on the advice of the Prime Minister. He is currently serving as Chief of General Staff.
Lieutenant General Khalid Shamim Wayne, who comes from an Army background, was born on the August 28, 1953 at Abbottabad. He is a graduate of Command and Staff College, Pakistan, Command and Staff College, Germany and National Defence College, Pakistan.
He commanded School of Infantry and Tactics and Quetta based 41st Infantry division. He also served as Deputy CGS at GHQ.

Shirish Kunder turns music composer and lyricist for Tees Maar Khan

Shirish Kunder is one happy man these days. Besides writing and producing his wife Farah Khan’s directorial venture Tees Maar Khan, Shirish is also set to make his mark as a music composer and lyricist with this film! Shirish, who is the writer, producer and editor of Tees Maar Khan, will be making his debut as music composer and lyricist with this film! Kunder is also composing the background score for the film. Master of all trades, we must say.

Talking to Bollywood Hungama, an elated Shirish says, “There are 5 songs in all in Tees Maar Khan, four of which are composed by Vishal-Shekhar, while I have done the title track of the film, including the composing and the lyrics. I have also composed the film’s theme music.”

Shirish can’t stop praising Sonu Nigam, who sang the title track of TMK. Reveals the debutant music director, “Sonu Nigam, who has sung the title track, needs an exceptional mention and credit for the wonders that he has done to this track. He has sung the same song 50 times in 50 different voices! Of the 50 odd voices, there are male voices, female voices, the chorus and also Chinese girl’s voices. Sonu has sung all of these voices. And even in the male voice, there are 4 different voices. Each and every vocal that one hears is sung by Sonu Nigam! This is a song that tells us about all the characters in the film.”

Well, it seems like Shirish and Sonu are all set to surprise the audiences with the title track of Tees Maar Khan.

Rahman gets his act together, juggles American concerts with background score

For the first time in his illustrious career A R Rahman is making a concerted effort to get over his habitually leisurely pace of work. At this very moment he is recording the much-delayed background score for Abbas Tyrewala’s Jhootha Hi Sahi while performing live in the US.

Driven into a corner by the constant criticism about the slow pace of his work Rahman is for the first combining studio recording with his stage concerts. Earlier he had said to me, “I will be off for my world tour for a major part of 2010. I hope to complete all my studio work by then.”

Last week, Rahman delivered the songs of Jhootha Hi Sahi after much pursuit. And the team heaved a sigh of relief. The formal music launch of Jhootha Hi Sahi has now been locked in. Last week, Tyrewala flew to Los Angeles to get the music done. Tyrewala has flown to cities in three continents to get the music of Jhootha Hi Sahi into place.

Says a source close to Jhootha Hi Sahi, “Abbas had to go to LA for the background music. There was no choice. After recording the songs Rahman left for his concerts in the US. If you want the best, you’ve to make an effort for it. It’s normal procedure for filmmakers with Rahman to go wherever he calls them. He is very busy and we’ve to be where his work takes him. We’ve recorded the songs in London and Chennai. Now we’re recording the background music in LA.”

Abbas Tyrewala confirms from LA that Rahman is indeed moonlighting with music. “Rahman’s concerts in the US were postponed because of technical glitches. They were pushed to September. Rahman had no choice but to leave. And since my film is on the verge of release, I’m here in LA to get the background music.”

Talk about killing one bird with two tones.

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