Visa issues jeopardise Usman Khawajas tour

Australian Test batsman Usman Khawaja was scheduled to participate in Champion League T20 Tournament.

On a twitter message, Usman said he is being stopped from travelling to India – because he was born in Pakistan.

Khawaja, who went to Australia when he was three, is set to fly to India as part of the NSW Blues side that will compete in the Champions League Twenty 20 competition next month. But on Tuesday, he tweeted: “Indian Visa department need to sort their issues out.

Usman Khawaja, who became the first Muslim to play a Test for Australia when he was picked for the final Ashes match against England at the SCG in January, is set to join the rest of the Aussie squad later this month for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra on 5 years of Rang De Basanti

The cast and crew of the momentous Rang De Basanti (RDB) watched the film exactly five years after its release on January 26.
And the best part of this retrospective experience was that the team watched exactly the same print that they had viewed five years ago when they first saw RDB.
After the screening, the entire retrospective team of RDB moved from the theatre to the film’s producer Ronnie Screwvala’s home.
Says Rakeysh, “Ronnie’s home was the nearest to the theatre. So we all moved there and kept chatting about the film till 5 in the morning. I got to know many things that I didn’t know about my film, things that the cast and crew had managed on its own while I was preoccupied with something else. It was an amazing experience to just sit and talk about a film that means so much to us.”
While Rakeysh is thrilled by the film’s lingering relevance to this day, he’s also deeply saddened by it. “As an artiste it is gratifying to know that the film still has a deep relevance to society and to cinema. But it’s also sad that the issues that RDB raised are today more relevant than they were five years ago. As a filmmaker I am happy that No One Killed Jessica used images from RDB. But as a citizen of India it is deeply saddening to know that issues of socio-political injustice that the film raised are more alive today than five years ago. I can only cross my fingers and hope that the issues in RDB are not relevant five years from now.”
Says Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, “The happiest part of viewing RDB again with the entire team was that my daughter Bhairavi and her best-friend Tarni who were only 7 when RDB was first released, empathized with the film now. Some of the big names associated with the film couldn’t make it though. Madhavan and Soha Ali Khan were in London. Waheeda Rehmanji was in Bangalore. A R Rahman was away. But the one we missed the most was Lataji (Mangeshkar). When I called to invite her she regretfully said she had another Republic Day commitment. Besides, she argued, she had seen RDB just two days earlier.”

MQM not to support RGST: Altaf Hussain

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain during a telephonic address at Bhit Shah on Saturday said that his party has become a party of all the segments of the country and its roots were very strong in the country and they want that MQM should play their role to resolve their issues.

He stressed upon the government to end feudal system in the country which has destroyed the agriculture sector, especially farmers adding that special tax should be imposed on feudal lords. He said if the government failed to resolve the issues of deprived people, a revolution like that of France could not be stopped. He also asked party workers to guide the party leadership in deciding whether it should quit government coalition or not. While rejecting the Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST), MQM chief said that his party works for the poor and how he can support it.

Govt policies causing rise in inflation: Nawaz

PML-N Patron Nawaz Sharif on Monday underscored the need of unity to resolve all the issues facing the country.

Talking to media at Rajanpur, the chief of his own faction said that the wrong government policies are causing rise in inflation. There is no margin of the RGST in the presence of corruption, he asserted. He maintained that dams should be build to check flooding in future.

He said that no dam was built in Musharrafs 8 years rule. He said that 75 percent work could have been done regarding the building of dams, but no such thing initiated. He vowed to set up modern villages for the flood affectees, adding that a good life standard is a revolution in itself. He said he would be glad to attend the dinner hosted by President Zardari in honour of the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

Gulistan-e-Johar Karachi – Trend Pk VIDEO

Ghayasuddin highlights the issues of Gulistan-e-Johar, Karachi. (December 1, 2010)

Gulistan-e-Johar Karachi – Trend Pk VIDEO

Ghayasuddin highlights the issues of Gulistan-e-Johar, Karachi. (December 1, 2010)

G20 leaders head into trade showdown

SEOUL: The world’s 20 biggest rich and emerging economies intensified a war of words hours before the start Thursday of a summit devoted to recalibrating huge distortions in the global economy.

The summit’s South Korean hosts said negotiators were far apart on how to address imbalances that have worsened as China’s dramatic growth kicks on and America endures a snail-paced recovery from recession.

“Considerable differences remain concerning the issues of currencies and current account imbalances,” G20 spokesman Kim Yoon-Kyung told reporters.

Talks among deputy finance ministers and senior officials stretched into the early hours of Thursday but failed to bridge differences, he said.

“They even failed to set today’s discussion schedule,” Kim said, adding the negotiators would hold another late-night session after G20 leaders open their two-day summit

MQM opposes GST Reforms Bill

Staff Report

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said that imposition of GST will not be in favor of the people, adding that the government should withdraw it immediately.

This he said during his telephonic address to the party workers on Wednesday.

He said that common people are suppressed with the increasing inflation, adding that feudal have not concerns with the issues of common man. Trend Pk

Shabqadar farmers – Trend Pk VIDEO

Ijaz Khalid reports on the issues of farmers of Shabqadar, Charsadda. (November 03, 2010)

Shabqadar farmers – Trend Pk VIDEO

Ijaz Khalid reports on the issues of farmers of Shabqadar, Charsadda. (November 03, 2010)

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