Iraqi army launches offensive on Islamic State in three cities

BAGHDAD, SEP 18 - Iraq i forces launched an intense military operation against Islamic State insurgents in three cities in centralIraq on Wednesday, fighting to regain control of lost ground, security sources said.

The offensives in Ramadi, Falluja and Haditha in the western province of Anbar started before dawn, security sources in the three cities said.

Sunni tribes revolted in these areas in late 2013 when Iraq 's former prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, moved his forces into the cities to suppress a year-long anti-government protest movement.

Islamic State insurgents then entered the cities and became the dominate force over the course of several months' fighting against the Shi'ite-led government.

Maliki's successor, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, promised last week to end strikes on cities, in order to reduce civilian casualties. Wednesday's attacks were on outlying suburbs of the three cities.

Security sources said the Iraq i Army's 8th division hit areas in western Ramadi with mortars, artillery and rocket fire. Government-aligned Sunni tribal fighters also clashed with Islamic State in Ramadi, leaving eight people dead, a hospital source in Ramadi said.

A suicide car bomb blast destroyed a bridge in Ramadi on Wednesday, killing nine people and cutting off a vital route out of the city to the west, security sources said.

In Falluja, heavy shelling and Iraq i air force strikes hit the al-Sujur district on the edge of the city, killing 12 civilians, medics in Falluja said.

Islamic State insurgents attempted to take control of Barwana, a residential area 5 km (3 miles) south of Haditha on Wednesday, a security source said, leading to clashes with pro-Baghdad forces. Unlike Falluja and Ramadi, the Iraq i army still controls much of Haditha.

Media seeks to strengthen democracy through information

SEP 15 -

Earlier this year, in June, Law Minister Narahari Acharya presented a draft bill on contempt of court to the Legislature-Parliament. Following this, there were protests from the Nepal Bar Association and the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) on grounds that the bill sought to restrain freedom of expression and stifle criticism of the judiciary. Currently, the Parliament is set to conduct public hearings on the bill. In this context, Shiva Gaunle , former chairperson of the FNJ, spoke to the Post about freedom of expression, the contempt of court bill and its implications for the Nepali media.

Broadly speaking, what has been the freedom of expression landscape post restoration of democracy in 1990?

The 1990 constitution envisioned liberal, democratic governance, which was not possible without ensuring press freedom and freedom of expression. The constitution guaranteed those rights for the first time and whatever opportunities the Nepali press has got to create an informed society and wherever it stands now is due to that constitutional provision. But the Nepali media’s progress to its current state is really interesting, as it had to struggle with forces that called themselves democratic. From 1996 to 2006, journalists worked to keep society informed, even in the absence of any form of life insurance. But even after 2006, the media has continued to face obstructions from the very forces that are expected to protect it in one way or the other.

In the recent times, the government has come down heavily on dissenting voices. For instance, it jailed people for Facebook comments and now, this new contempt of court bill. Isn’t this unbecoming of democratic practice?

In Nepal, all politicians say that they support freedom of expression but they do not have answers as to why it is important. Moreover, after the end of the decade-long conflict, there should have been no difference in the goals of  political forces commited to the Interim Constitution and the press. The press seeks to strengthen democracy by creating an informed society and lending a voice to diverse opinions. The democracy we know of also seeks to do the same. But the irony is that those who call themselves democratic are the ones that are extremely rigid in their dealings with issues of freedom of expression. For formal purposes, they speak of their commitment to the issue. But in practice, that commitment extends only until the press does not criticise them. Once criticised, these forces begin to threaten and exert undue pressure on the press.

Talking of such pressure, what do you have to say of the contempt of court bill which is currently in Parliament?

That the government is currently working on bringing a contempt of court bill is not a bad thing in itself. But certain points in the bill are highly problematic and unacceptable to the media.

In particular, it is the duty of the media to watch over any activity within the Supreme Court that might compromise the ability of a ‘strong and capable judiciary’ to give justice to the people, and make it public. But this bill seeks to stop such information from reaching the masses. Second, the constitution speaks of a ‘capable’ and ‘improved’ judiciary. For that to happen, people need to know whether the judiciary is functioning well or not.  The bill tries to muzzle any criticism of the court, similar to the Panchayat days when the media could not talk of the palace, the courts and the Army.

On its part, the Nepali press cannot even think of being disrespectful to the judiciary. It knows very well that the freedom of the press cannot be strengthened without a strong judiciary. When the state tries to interfere in the matters of the media, then the press goes to the courts for protection. For instance, it was due to the verdict of former Supreme Court justice Laxman Prasad Aryal that Nepali FM stations were permitted to read the news.

So how would you define contempt?

Contempt refers to interference in the judiciary when it is in the process of deciding on a case and during implementation of its decisions. In case of the media, if it intentionally disrespects the judiciary and repeatedly publishes or broadcasts falsified news, this is considered contempt of court.

Suppose the media repeatedly proclaims that the judiciary never provides a fair judgment and that no one should go there. Then, there can be a trial on why such things were written. But if the press writes something providing the context, facts, background, and with a good intention to improve the judiciary and help people get justice, then it cannot be contempt. Sometimes, the media can make mistakes even in news published with good intentions. Even such instances cannot be considered contempt of court as the media should be given a chance to correct its mistake. This is good practice across the world.

So why do you think the definition of contempt in the bill was expanded to curtail the media? 

It is because in Nepal those who call themselves democratic do not want to learn democratic practices or foster a democratic culture.

But do we see such a democratic culture in media houses too?

The media in Nepal has its share of problems. To start with, it has yet to be institutionalised and has a fairly short professional history. Also, there have not been adequate discussions on the investment coming into the media, the human resources it has and its accountability. To a large extent, the Nepali media is running on an ad hoc basis. Even today, many journalists are paid far less than the minimum wage. On the other hand, investment in the media is still not adequate. It is difficult to name more than a dozen media houses that regularly pay their staff. There is also the question of the quality of human resources in the media. The principle of economics holds in the case of Nepali journalism. You cannot provide a good, quality product by using the cheapest raw materials available in the market. Apart from this, the Nepali press is just a replica of Nepali society, with great disparities in the educational and critical abilities of individuals.

Yet, there are people who say that the media should lead the way towards a functioning democracy and lament that it has not been able to do so. I agree with that view. But given the short history of the Nepali media, it is only natural for that to happen. 

Lastly, if the bill passes in its current form, what will its implications be?

The bill does not question the facts presented in the news. Instead, it questions any news on the judiciary.  If this bill passes, editors will be continuously dragged to the courts.  The bill, however, will help draw a clear line between press freedom and contempt of court.  It should be taken as an opportunity to define contempt of court without restricting the role of the media in informing the people and make those holding public posts accountable.

Scots start voting in independence referendum

EDINBURGH, SEP 18 - People in Scotland began voting on Thursday in a referendum on whether the country should become independent or stay part of the United Kingdom.

After an intense final day of campaigning, voters turned up at polling stations in schools and halls as soon they opened at 0600 GMT on a day that will decide the fate of a 307-year-old union.

The first to cast a ballot in Edinburgh's Waverley Court was a businessman who gave his name as Ron.

"This is a historic day for Scotland. I've waited all my life for this. It's time to break with England. 'Yes' to independence," he said after casting his ballot.

As he spoke, a couple of workers hurrying by shouted "Vote No.!"Four opinion polls on the eve of the vote showed support for independence at 48 percent compared with 52 percent for the union but a fifth showed it even closer on 49 to 51 percent.

The surveys also showed as many as 600,000 voters out of 4.3 million remained undecided with just hours to go before the polling stations opened.

Electoral officials said the result of the vote is expected by breakfast time on Friday morning.

14 injured in Chitwan bus accident

RATNANAGAR: As many as fourteen persons were injured in a bus accident in Bhateri jungle of Ramnagar, Chitwan, in the wee hours of Saturday. 

Of the injured, condition of a passenger is critical.

According to the District Police Office, Chitwan, the incident occurred when the bus (Na 4 Kha 6223) heading towards Sarlahi from Pokhara turned turtle in the jungle along the Mugling-Narayaghat road section.

Police said that the incident took place at around 2:00 am. 

The injured passengers are receiving treatment in the Bharatipur Hospital in Chitwan. 

Federer and Wawrinka puts Swiss in control of Davis Cup semi

REUTERS

GENEVA: Roger Federer overcame some tough early resistance from Simone Bolelli and Stanislas Wawrinka eased past Fabio Fognini as Switzerland raced 2-0 ahead in their Davis Cup semi-final against Italy in Geneva on Friday.

Federer, bidding to add to his substantial collection of honours by steering the Alpine nation to a first Davis Cup triumph, delighted a capacity crowd in the Palexpo Arena with a 7-6(5) 6-4 6-4 victory.

"Margins were small in the first set," Federer said. "In the second set I was finally able to get the break and that broke the deadlock for me a little bit. I was able to play with the lead which is always easier.

"It was quite frustrating at times when the court is pretty quick. We didn't think it was going to be this fast but when you do serve well you really do feel the benefit."

Seventy-sixth ranked Bolelli, who was surprisingly selected for singles duty ahead of Andreas Seppi by virtue of having fewer previous defeats against the 17-times grand slam champion, stuck to his task impressively on the blue indoor court.

He saved two set points in the opening tiebreak but fired a backhand wide on Federer's third, to the relief of his 33-year-old opponent who was far from his fluent best.

World number three Federer finally secured the first service break of the match in the seventh game of the second set and cruised on to the 36th singles victory of his Davis Cup career.

DOMINANT WAWRINKA

Australian Open champion Wawrinka made light work of world number 17 Fognini and despatched the Italian 6-2 6-3 6-2 in one hour 30 minutes.

After struggling to rediscover the early-season form that won him the Australian Open title, Wawrinka has spoken of his desire to win the Davis Cup and he showed his intent by firing 16 aces and 37 winners past Fognini.

The fiery Swiss snatched an early break in the opening set before racing into a 4-1 lead as Fognini had no answer to the world number four's clean hitting.

More crisp and punchy strokes followed over the next two sets as Wawrinka ensured Switzerland took a 2-0 lead into Saturday's doubles.

Switzerland have reached the final once, losing to the U.S. in 1992, while Italy got there in 1998, going down to Sweden

NRB seeks MoF's permission to release units to those who had paid advance

KATHMANDU: Ownership of condominium units at Grand Apartment may be soon transferred to their buyers, as the government has initiated the process to release the asset which was frozen following violation of banking rules by project developers.

Grand Apartment, a project being built by Sudhir Basnet-promoted Oriental Builders and Developers at Dhumbarahi, comprises 39 condominium units, of which ownership of three units has already been transferred.

But before ownership of the rest of the 36 units could be transferred to buyers, Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) froze all the assets of the project developer, including that of Basnet and his family members, citing they had obtained loans from Kuber Merchant Finance by violating banking rules.

NRB has now sought the Ministry of Finance (MoF)’s permission to release 36 condo units at Grand Apartment, including the basement, as those who paid advance fees to book the property have been left high and dry.

High-ranking MoF officials told The Himalayan Times that they were positive about the request and may allow NRB to release that particular asset soon. 

NRB had asked the MoF to release the asset based on a request made by Citizens Bank International, which has partially financed the Grand Apartment project by securing the same property as collateral. Citizens Bank needs to recover Rs 115.90 million, including Rs 75.30 million in interest, from the project developer.

Citizens Bank has said ownership of apartment units would be transferred if buyers agree to deposit Rs 40 million. 

Buyers have agreed to this demand and a tripartite agreement has also been signed between the bank, buyers and the project developer, an MoF source said.

“We hope those who booked units at the apartment will get some respite once the ownership is transferred,” the MoF source said.

This is not the first time Oriental Builders and Developers, the builder of Grand Apartment, has failed to hand over apartment and housing units to buyers.

Earlier, a high-level government commission had found that Oriental Builders had not handed over ownerships of different apartment and housing units despite obtaining Rs 1.36 billion in advance booking fees from buyers. 

One potential buyer, Tara Devi Dhakal of Damak, Jhapa, had told the commission that she was yet to receive apartments from Oriental Builders even after making payment of Rs 190 million.

Oriental Builders had started duping home buyers by not transferring ownerships of apartment and housing units after Oriental Cooperatives, which is promoted by the same group, collapsed due to haphazard lending practices and heavy exposure to the real estate market. Oriental Cooperatives owes Rs 5.5 billion to its depositors.

Other cooperatives, like Oriental, that were heavily exposed to the real estate sector a couple of years ago have also suffered huge losses.

Guna Developers, which is promoted by Guna Multipurpose Cooperative, for instance, has not paid back Rs 19.90 million raised from home buyers in advance booking fee, the commission report said.

Sahayata Cooperative, Society Savings and Credit Cooperative and Hero Bahuuddeshiya Savings and Credit Cooperative also collectively owe around Rs 19.40 million to home buyers.

Development so far

• NRB asks MoF to release the asset based on a request made by Citizens Bank International, which has partially financed the Grand Apartment project by securing the same property as collateral

• Citizens Bank needs to recover Rs 115.90 million, including Rs 75.30 million in interest, from project developer

• Citizens Bank says ownership of apartment units would be transferred if buyers agree to deposit Rs 40 million

• Buyers agree to this demand and a tripartite agreement has also been signed between the bank, buyers and project developer 

• High-ranking MoF officials say they are positive about the request and may allow NRB to release that particular asset soon -

Javier Hernandez promises to give his all at Real Madrid

Madrid: Real Madrid striker Javier Hernandez is delighted to be able to continue his career at what he considers to be the best club in the world.

Hernandez's situation changed from being a likely substitute at Manchester United for the coming season when he was loaned to Real Madrid at the end of the transfer window.

Hernandez is likely to be a backup for Karim Benzema, who is first choice striker, and speaking on Spanish TV early Wednesday morning, he was delighted with the chance.

Real Madrid striker Javier Hernandez is delighted to be able to continue his career at what he considers to be the best club in the world. (Getty Images)

"It's no pressure to be compared with Benzema and I know people will try to draw us as rivals, but that happened with Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie at Manchester United. There is no pressure as I have always been competitive," said Hernandez.

"There is no excuse in a club such as Real Madrid as your performances put you in your place. If you have big dreams you have to work hard to be at the level at the club. You can't just show you are a professional, you have to do it and show it to not disappoint those who show confidence in you," he added, saying that "playing for Real Madrid is the first miracle that has come true in my life."

Hernandez insisted that he backed Cristiano Ronaldo in the debate over whether the Portuguese striker is the best player in the world ahead of Lionel Messi and said he was an admirer of Fernando Torres and former Madrid striker, Raul Gonzalez.

Finally he gave a vote of confidence to under-fire Real Madrid goalkeeper, Iker Casillas.

"He has done everything as a keeper and he is mentally very strong," he concluded.

Actor Richard Kiel, famous for his role as the Bond villain Jaws, dies at age 74

Los Angeles: Actor Richard Kiel, best known for playing metal-mouthed James Bond villain Jaws, died on Wednesday at a hospital in Fresno, California. He was 74.

Kiel died at Saint Agnes Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Kelley Sanchez said. She did not reveal any further details on the cause of his death, citing patient confidentiality.

Standing 7 feet 2 inches (2.2 meters) tall, Kiel's imposing height made him one of the most recognizable villains in the James Bond film franchise, playing Jaws in 1977's "The Spy Who Loved Me" and 1979's "Moonraker" opposite Roger Moore's Bond.

Standing 7 feet 2 inches tall, Kiel's imposing height made him one of the most recognisable villains in the James Bond film franchise

"He was a very loyal friend and client for over 35 years, a terrific husband and father, and was not only a giant actor but a giant man," said Steve Stevens, Kiel's agent.

Stevens said Kiel had taken a step back from acting after he was involved in a truck accident several years ago and was faced with walking difficulties. He remained active on the autograph circuit for avid Bond fans.

Kiel's television credits include roles in 1964's "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," 1965's "The Wild Wild West" and 1975's "Barbary Coast." The Detroit native more recently appeared in 1996's "Happy Gilmore" opposite Adam Sandler, and voiced the villain Vlad in 2010's animated princess tale "Tangled."

J&K floods: Stone pelting incidents won't deter us, we'll rescue everyone stranded, says IAF

Srinagar: The Indian Army and the Air Force have been engaged in rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir day and night. Even as there have been incidents of some soldiers being attacked during these rescue operations, they say that such incidents do not deter them from rescuing each and every person.

Speaking to CNN-IBN, Air Commodore Balachandran said that he understands that people are frustrated over the rescue and relief operations. "We have had instances of stone pelting. They are because of the desperation and expectations of the people. But these instances like stone pelting do not stop us form doing our job," he said.

ALSO SEE J&K floods: Wing Commander Abhijit Bali swam 20 km to rescue his family, neighbours

He appealed to the people to stay calm and not panic, adding that the Army and the Air Force will bring each and every person stranded due to floods to a safer place. "The situation is improving every day. Please don't panic. We have been successful in rescuing thousands to safer place," Captain Balachandran said.

An NDRF trooper had received severe injuries on his hand when the locals attacked him in Srinagar on Wednesday. The locals apparently wanted the NDRF men to concentrate on a particular area and when the force personnel decided to go to a different marooned area, the locals attacked them.

The Army, Air Force and NDRF are leading the relief and rescue operations while some of their own remain stranded. One of the heroic tales is of Wing Commander Abhijit Bali, whose family was also the victim of the floods in which over 200 people have lost their lives. Bali came back to Srinagar to rescue his family and after that he walked and swam 20 kilometre back to the base. He not only rescued his family but a few of his neighbours too.

The Air Force is also engaged in sorties air dropping supplies to those stranded on rooftops. 140 tonnes of food supplies have been received overnight.

Army Chief General Dalbir Singh also visited Srinagar on Wednesday. The Army has set up 18 relief camps across the flood zone. The Army also rescued a 28-member Pakistani golf team and the Ambassador of Nepal from Srinagar.

34 Nepalis held in Costa Rica

KATHMANDU, SEP 11 - Thirty-four Nepalis have been detained in Costa Rica on suspicion of the illegal entry into the country, local English newspaper Tico Times reported on its website.

The Costa Rican National Police on Monday detained 27 Nepali migrant in the Paso Canoas community, along country’s border with Panama. Seven more Nepalis were arrested during a routine patrol near the central Pacific beach town of Jacó last Friday.

The human smugglers were using Costa Rica as a transit point north from Panama to Nicaragua to take the migrants to the United States, the newspaper has quoted Costa Rican Public Security Minister Celso Gamboa as saying. “We have reports that these migrants usually arrive by sea to Ecuador and then continue their trips by land, mainly to the United States. We are tenaciously working to determine who is responsible for these local [smuggling] operations,” Gamboa said.

The Nepali men were taken to a local health clinic for evaluation and then handed over to the immigration authorities, the Public Security Ministry said in a statement.

“Investigation is underway as to how they entered the country. It is presumed that they crossed the southern border with the help of coyotes. Once in Costa Rica, a car picked them up and dropped off to the other side of the country,” it added.

The ministry said that police had also detained the driver as a suspect in the smuggling of immigrants.

“All undocumented immigrants were taken to immigration offices for interrogation to determine their immigration status.”

The Foreign Ministry in Nepal said it has not received any formal information about the arrest, but added that it could start a diplomatic process for their repatriation.

Officials at the Department of Foreign Employment said that many gullible workers are paying millions of rupees to unscrupulous agents to go to the United States and European countries despite plenty of risks involved in the process.

“We are not in a position to do anything as these people readily trust smugglers despite their knowledge of the risks involved,” said Badri Karki, DoFE spokesperson. 

Big three to take shot at consensus

KATHMANDU, SEP 11 - The top leaders of Nepal Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist) have agreed to begin closed-door informal meeting on Friday to explore the points of compromise on the disputed issues of constitution writing.

They said in the meeting of the Constituent Assembly’s Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (PDCC) on Wednesday that the current modality of talks cannot ensure a breakthrough and that there should be serious discussions on the issues of federalism, forms of governance, judiciary and electoral system. As per the agreement, each party head will be allowed to include another leader from their party in the negotiation process that is set to begin from Friday.  

Cross-party leaders said since the number of attending leaders in the ongoing three-party meetings are high, the closed-door meeting will allow the leaders to hold discussions on the key contentious issues of constitution writing in unhindered manner.

The PDCC meeting also discussed about seeking more time to settle the contentious issues. Noting that it will require at least three more weeks to conclude talks with CPN-Maoist, the UCPN (Maoist) has proposed that the time should be extended accordingly.

NC leaders, however, say that 7-10 days time will suffice to forge consensus on contentious issues and CA calendar should be extended accordingly. NC leader Krishna Prasad Situala said the political parties should not demand for a longer extension as it could affect the CA calendar.

Meanwhile, CPN-UML has proposed that the agreement on extending the deadline should be decided after seeing how the talks among the parties progress until September 15. 

The leaders of the three parties have said that they will take the decision after the talks with the CPN-Maoist on Thursday.

The purpose of talks is to finalise the modality and nitty-gritty of all-party conference as well as date. PDCC resumed talks with major parties in an effort to forge consensus on key contentious issues of constitution writing. PDCC Chairman Baburam Bhattarai held talks with top leaders of major three parties asking them to intensify talks to forge consensus on contentious issues, though it may not be possible to reach a final agreement before the talks with CPN-Maoist concludes

Apple Watch, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus: Meet the bigger iPhones and Apple's first smartwatch

Apple unveiled the Apple Watch alongside two new iPhones - iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus - with sharper and larger displays, calling the wearable device the next chapter in its history. 

PCA chief apologises for his comments on Moeen Ali abuse

London: The chief of England's Professional Cricketers' Association Angus Porter has profusely apologised for his comments that England cricketer Moeen Ali should have taken the abuse from the Indian fans during the one-off T20 International as a "compliment".

In an interview on Tuesday with the Press Association, Porter said that it was better for Moeen that he "rather be booed than ignored".

"There is an element of taking it as a compliment. You are more likely to boo someone when you think they are someone to be feared. Take it as as a positive, you'd rather be booed than ignored," Porter was quoted as saying by PA.

PCA chief Porter has profusely apologised for his comments that Moeen Ali should have taken the abuse from the Indian fans during the one-off T20 International as a "compliment". (Getty Images)

However after being criticized from all quarters, Porter retracted from his earlier statement with an apology.

"I made a mistake by suggesting racism does not matter and I do condemn it unreservedly. I started by saying that in the interview but I also tried to play down the situation because Moeen does not want it to become a major issue. But in trying to play it down I succeeded in doing the reverse and I am sorry." Porter was quoted as saying by the 'Daily Telegraph'.

"It is very important that I make it clear that racist behaviour is condemned unequivocally and I am happy to say that. I think it is a fact of life for professional sports people that they will get abuse from people in the crowd who have paid their money and enjoy being anonymous in a crowd rather than on the playing field," he was quoted as saying in a statement.

According to the report in the newspaper, Moeen has told the PCA that he wants to forget the issue and move on in order not to make the situation worse if he plays against India in the future.

But his father Munir told the website ESPN Cricinfo he thought the booing was racist and based on Moeen being a Muslim.

"The whole family was looking forward to it and we thought he would receive a warm welcome. Instead, he was abused from the start. He was abused because he is a Muslim and because of his Pakistan heritage. That is disgraceful," he said.

PIL filed in Delhi High Court against the makers of 'Finding Fanny' over the usage of 'vulgar word fanny'

New Delhi: A petition was filed in the Delhi High Court Tuesday seeking a ban on the release of director Homi Adajania's new movie 'Finding Fanny' starring Deepika Padukone and Arjun Kapoor, due to the use of "vulgar word 'fanny'".

The public interest litigation (PIL) also challenged the UA certificate given to 'Finding Fanny', which is scheduled to release Friday.

The film also stars Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia and Pankaj Kapoor.

A petition was filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a ban on the release of director Homi Adajania's new movie.

The plea would come up for hearing Wednesday before a division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S Endlaw.

The PIL filed by Nandini Tiwari and NGO Jai Jagriti Foundation through their lawyer Abhishek Krishna said the word "fanny" was a slang and should be removed from the movie, its songs, posters and banners.

It said the dictionary meaning of the word "fanny" was highly sexually explicit, and using the word in the movie will hurt the feelings of the citizens of India, especially minor children.

Tiwari, mother of a four-year-old, said allowing such words in films and television will pollute children's minds.

Questioning the UA certificate, the plea sought a ban on the film's release and direction to the filmmakers to delete the word "fanny" from the movie, songs and posters.

The plea was filed against the information and broadcasting ministry, the film's producer, director and actors.

Indian Army turns saviour, wins the praise of flood-hit Kashmiris, but will the perception change?

New Delhi: The men and women in olive green and their counterparts in the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and National Disaster Response Force, who have never had a very healthy relationship with the people of Kashmir Valley, are putting their lives in danger while trying to rescue and provide relief to the flood-hit residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

Despite being the target of terrorists, separatists and always viewed with suspicion by the local populace, the Indian Army launched the relief and rescue efforts on a war footing and have come as a saviour to the people.

ALSO SEE J&K floods: India shouldn't make it a prestige issue and take UN's help, says Hurriyat

Speaking to CNN-IBN Senior Editor Anubha Bhonsle at an Army run relief camp, a team of female golfers from Pakistan, who were stranded in Kashmir said, "We have been rescued by the Indian Army. They are doing a great job." It was unthinkable just a week ago. Forget the Pakistanis, not even the Kashmiris would have praised Indian Army just a week back.

The separatists have been systematically attacking the Indian Army and maligning it for almost 30 years.

Indian Army is much maligned in Kashmir, the most militarized zone in the entire world. Indian defence forces are being seen as 'invaders' or 'the occupiers' by the local population. The separatists have been systematically attacking the Indian Army and maligning it for almost 30 years. A majority of the Kashmiris are also of the same view.

But, the devastating floods seem to have changed that perception or mindset. The same Army and other security forces are now being hailed as saviours of the marooned Kashmiris. Everybody is sending distress messages to the Army pleading with the soldiers to rescue them.

The rescue and relief operations actually started only after the Army took charge of it. The local state government led by the chief minister Omar Abdullah was clueless till the flood water entered the state capital Srinagar. According to the local people, the state government's reaction was too disappointing.

The Army which has a huge presence across the state immediately swung into action. It has so far rescued more than 50,000 people and wants to rescue everyone stuck there. It is also airdropping food packets and other essential things in far flung areas.

The Army personnel on the ground are also reaching out to the people stuck at various places in Srinagar and other parts by boats and by road. They are taking the stranded people to safer places.

Omar Abdullah, who is under fire for 'inaction', said, "No state government has planes and helicopters. It has to be from the Centre. It is a national disaster."

The separatists, who work under the banner of All Party Hurriyat Conference, have completely vanished from the scene. The same leaders who claim that Kashmir can't be a part of India and they are the sole representatives of all Kashmiris are missing in action instead of helping the marooned people.

Former Union minister and the Congress leader Professor Saifuddin Soz was heckled by angry people in Srinagar. They accused him and other politicians of doing nothing to rescue the people. The same story is being repeated all over Kashmir.

The local police force is also doing little. Most of the police establishments are under water and the equipments have also been damaged. The morale is also very low among them while the Army men are doing a great job by risking their own lives at some places. They are working non-stop.

The people in rest of India are hoping that the floods will serve as an eye opener for those Kashmiris who advocate freedom from India. They hope that the Kashmiris will now realise that only the rest of India can protect them and the anti-India sentiments will disappear slowly.

However, the vested separatist interests are unlikely to accept their defeat. They are expected to start the usual anti-India tirade once the situation in across Kashmir returns to normal.

The good thing is Indian Army has won the praise of ordinary Kashmiris for the first time since insurgency started. Hope, it stays like this.

Bus ticket bookings for Dashain open today

KATHMANDU, SEP 10 - Bus ticket bookings for the upcoming Dashain festival are scheduled to open on Wednesday. A meeting of government officials and transportation entrepreneurs held on Tuesday decided to put the tickets on sale besides postponing a planned fare hike.

The conference held at the office of the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) also agreed that ticket prices would be jacked up by 7 percent from October 18. Transportation entrepreneurs have urging the government to raise public transportation fares by at least 15 percent.

Despite the annual Dashain travel rush when hundreds of thousands of Nepalis head home to be with their families, government officials and transport operators both said that tickets would be easily available.

“People can book their bus tickets at current prices from Wednesday. Fares will be hiked only from mid-October,” said Dol Nath Khanal, general secretary at the Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs (FNTE). People will be able to book their tickets without any hassles and serious measures have been taken to prevent trouble to travellers, he added.

Keeping in mind the festival rush when an exodus from the Kathmandu valley to the villages takes place, Khanal said that around 200 extra buses will be put into service on various routes. “Destinations having higher demand will get additional vehicles. Also, we will make sure that remote places too get abundant buses to carry passengers,” said Khanal.

According to a rough estimate, 1.5 million people will depart from the valley to celebrate Dashain at their homes this year. Around 3,500 buses are expected to leave Kathmandu on the day of Fulpati, the seventh day of the 10-day Dashain festival, said the DoTM.

Likewise, the meeting at the DoTM has also decided to limit bookings and sales to five tickets per person to prevent black marketing during the festival rush. “Transport entrepreneurs have expressed their commitment to abide by the rules,” said Mukti KC, director at the DoTM. “We will also be making monitoring efficient.”

To prevent black marketing and other undesirable activities, the DoTM has set up 10 help desks in the Kathmanduvalley and 12 more elsewhere in the country. The help desks will provide information about ticket sales and also receive complaints from travellers. The complaints will be promptly forwarded to the concerned authorities. The desks will be manned by officials of transportation offices. A monitoring team comprising staff from the department has been created to oversee the help desks.

KC added that there would be a monitoring team consisting of representatives from the DoTM, Traffic Police, Nepal Police, Federation of Transportation Entrepreneurs Association, consumer groups, trade unions affiliated with the three major political parties and the Department of Commerce who will conduct random checks.

Likewise, the meeting has also concluded that the buses should not stop at highway eateries marked by red stickers. Also, the DoTM has made it mandatory for bus owners to assign two drivers on long routes. As per government rules, bus drivers need to be changed every 250 km or 6 hours.

Meanwhile, the DoTM has booked 12 bus operators for selling tickets prior to the formal opening of bookings. “We have found 12 bus operators selling tickets during the market monitoring,” said KC.

Sebon urges NRB for coordination

KATHMANDU, SEP 10 - The Securities Board of Nepal (Sebon) on Tuesday asked Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to coordinate with it before taking any decision affecting the share market after its cap on investments by banks put stocks in freefall.

Sebon officials told a press meet held by the Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) that they would request the central bank for proper coordination between the two regulators.

Sebon’s move follows complaints from stockbrokers that the Nepse has taken

a beating due to unclear and untimely directives from the central bank.

Sebon Director Paristha N Poudyal said they would request the central bank to work in concert while formulating such policies. He also urged investors not to panic over

the recent drop in the Nepse.

Share prices have been on a downhill course for the last two weeks after NRB directed banks and financial institutions (BFI) to limit their investments in held-for-trading securities to 1 percent of their core capital. Held-for-trading securities are shares or bonds bought with the sole purpose of selling them at a profit after a short period.

Although the central bank later clarified that the provision would not prevent BFIs from investing in other types of shares, it does not seem to have assuaged the stock market’s fears much.

Sebon Spokesperson Niraj Giri said that they were closely observing the Nepse’s recent downward spiral. “As the secondary market is dominated by shares of BFIs, a small change in policies influencing the sector brings great fluctuations in the Nepse,” he added.

Giri said that the Nepse was due for a takeoff. “The statistics of the last few years show that the market should be growing during this time,” he said. According to Giri, the market was affected largely by the presence of a small number of institutional investors at present. “As small investors are large in number, the market slumped mainly due to a drop in their confidence.”

Similarly, Nepse General Manager Sitaram Thapaliya said, “There is no reason that should affect the stock market at present.” He added that new investors in particular should consider the situation carefully before buying shares.    

Meanwhile, former Sebon chairman Chiranjeevi Nepal described the sharp fall in the stock market as abnormal. “At a time when the market needs to rise, the sharp fall is likely to bring down the confidence of investors to make further investments,” he said.

More than just war

SEP 10 - Title: Valiant Hearts—The Great War

Company: Ubisoft

Genre: Puzzle/ adventure

Platform: All platforms and iOS

Valiant Hearts-The Great War is a story of four individuals whose fates intertwine — in a visually stunning 2D world  — through happenings in the First World War. Published by Ubisoft and developed by Ubisoft Montpellier, the puzzle-adventure video game brings to light the emotional struggle of different characters who are driven to fight and survive the War, not just for the sake of patriotism, but in hopes of seeing their loved ones again and re-uniting with them. Each character is driven by her or his own personal motive — be it love, family, friendship, revenge or simply moral duty. And it is through these motives that the characters manage to find the courage to stare at the face of death and overcome all the obstacles that come across their path.

The story begins in France where Karl, a German married to a French woman, is summoned to fight for his nation and is forced to part with his wife and infant son. Emile, Karl’s father-in-law, is also sent into the battlefield to fight for the French army. Emile, on duty, befriends Freddie, an American who has volunteered in the French Legion to avenge the death of his newly-wedded wife who was killed in the carnage led by Baron Von Dorf of Germany. And, just when the end seems to be near for these two, Anna, a young Belgian vet comes to their rescue. She is looking for her father who has been captured by their common foe Dorf to make weapons for the war.

The game progresses as you advance through four chapters  — alternatively switching between the four characters accompanied by a faithful canine who comes in handy while solving puzzles and getting you out of sticky situations. Speaking of the puzzles, this masterpiece of a story steadily unfolds as you pass through levels, solving environmental puzzles which do not keep you for long anyway. The riddles are very creative and intentionally made simple so that you do not lose focus from the primary story. Just in case you are hung up on something, there is a ‘hint’ feature that quickly tips you off. You mostly require your trusty hound Waltz to do half the job for you: given his convenient size which helps him get places you can’t reach. Plus, he is a cute distraction for the enemies — something that can seem a little odd at times. But regardless of all that , you are very less likely to get bored, although you will be pulling levers, throwing objects and sending Watlz into the tunnels in a lot of situations.

The chapters are inspired by letters written during the Great War and give us a glimpse of the horror and despair that followed the hapless souls who had to endure the dark times. The four characters contrast each other very well, and the differences become more evident as the game progresses. Freddie is a strong and brave soldier who will stop at nothing to avenge his bride while Emile is a kind-hearted elderly who mostly digs tunnels to guide others through, and occasionally uses his shovel to knock enemies out from behind. Anna is dedicated to aiding the sick and wounded, and also happens to be an exceptionally skilled driver. This, she proves while escaping German air-strikes. Karl, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to re-unite with his family, and for that, he goes on to master the art of stealth and con. 

The game is constantly spammed by historical trivia which mostly have little or nothing to do with the game and are just there to provide information and paint a more vivid picture of the War. Some might find it informative while others will only get annoyed.

Story

Valiant Hearts—The Great War is an excellent example of an exceptionally well-written emotional story despite being a war-themed game. It is rare for a game based on war to not glamorise violence. And although Valiant Hearts is entirely based on battlefields with raining bullets and fuming poison gas, it manages to evoke humane emotions: For it is not glory that follows victory but a sigh of relief. There is desperation and despair, but there is also a gleam of hope that accompanies the characters.

This is a story about people who find courage to do extraordinary deeds in the battlefield. They’re solely driven by love, and all they hope for is a better future. An excellent plot followed by a bitter-sweet ending.

Score: 10/10

Graphics

Powered by an in-house engine called UbiArt Framework which was previosly seen in Child of Light, the game is visually pleasing and sets the perfect atmosphere for the story and the gameplay. It is quite amazing to witness how further the creators can push the boundaries of 2D artwork.

Score: 9/10

Sound

The sound effects featured in the game suits the setting perfectly, and even without dialogues between characters, the narration manages to do justice to the visuals. The lack of speech during gameplay makes it more immersive while the amazing background music that accompanies the narration adds soul to the story. The voice acting of Emile might not sound anywhere close to being French, but the subtle tone during delivery is apt in keeping one on the edge of the seat out of anticipation.

Score: 9/10

Gameplay

Although enjoyable, the gameplay is not the game’s best suit. The gameplay elements are limited with each character and eventually the levels start to seem repetitive. And if you’re not looking to expand general knowledge, the historical pop-ups will rather distract you from the game.

Score: 7/10

Verdict

Despite being a masterpiece of story-telling and a pleasant experience, Valiant Hearts fails to hold up as a great ‘game’. It feels more like an interactive history lesson or a graphic novel — not a bad thing unless it comes to gaming. It seems, the developers probably wanted to target the more casual gamers. All in all, it is a heart-warming tale that delves into issues deeper and more personal than patriotism and glory.

Final Score: 8.5/10