Pandits, BJP boycott interlocutors in Jammu

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 06:46 PM

Jammu, Oct 28 (IANS) The central team of interlocutors on Kashmir Thursday concluded their visit to Jammu region on a disappointing note with some of the important groups, including the Pandits and the BJP, boycotting them.

The interlocutors, however, exhibited optimism that they would be having more groups on board during their next visit, sometime in November. 'We have covered much of the ground and we have been able to hear many groups and various shades of opinion,' Dileep Padgaonkar, one of the three interlocutors told newsmen Thursday afternoon before returning to Delhi.

Padgaonkar and academic Radha Kumar arrived here Wednesday afternoon, while the third interlocutor M.M. Ansari had left for Delhi.

During their stay in Jammu, the two interlocutors met migrants at the Muthi camp and several other groups of the Kashmiri Hindus who were displaced during the start of the militancy in the Valley in 1990. They also met some of the organizations of Pakistani-occupied Kashmir refugees and groups of Pahari-speaking people.

The ruling Congress and National Conference alliance delegations met the interlocutors but many Kashmiri Pandit organizations and major political parties of Jammu - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jammu Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) - boycotted them.

'They are pursuing a separatist agenda, hence we don't see any point in meeting them,' JKNPP legislature party leader told IANS, while the BJP said the 'interlocutors by suggesting the involvement of Pakistan in the Kashmir issue have shown their tilt.'

Rajiv Chuni, president SOS international, an organization of PoK refugees, told the interlocutors that they should first take into cognizance the invasion of Jammu and Kashmir by tribesman of Pakistan and the displacement of more than 1.2 million people due to the illegal occupation of Pakistan before looking at a solution of the Kashmir crisis.

'We have made it clear that they should visit our camps to know our plight and learn our history before suggesting any way forward on the Kashmir solution,' Rajiv Chuni told reporters after meeting the interlocutors.

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Anand draws with Topalov, remains joint second

Thu, Oct 28 10 06:38 PM

From Our Chess Correspondent Nanjing (China), Oct 28 (PTI) World champion Viswanathan Anand played out a draw with Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria to remain in joint second position after end of the eighth round of Pearl Spring Chess tournament here. After surviving a real scare against Norwegian Magnus Carlsen in the seventh round, Anand could do little with his white pieces against Topalov, who appeared well-armed after his first victory in the tournament in the previous round. The lead positions remained unchanged as the other two games of the day also ended in draws. Carlsen was troubled for a short time by Chinese hopeful Wang Yue but eventually got a draw, while Etienne Bacrot of France settled for the peace treaty quite early against Vugar Gashimov of Azerbaijan. With just two rounds to come in the six-player double round-robin tournament, Carlsen retained his lead and barring a debacle, he looks set to annex the title here. The Norwegian took his tally to 5.5 points out of a possible eight to keep Anand and Bacrot at a full point distance. Topalov and Gashimov are on 3.5 points and sharing the fourth spot, while Wang now has 2.5 points in his kitty. In the remaining two rounds of this 250000 Euros prize money event, Carlsen has to meet Topalov and Gashimov, while Anand will take on Gashimov and Bacrot. The Frenchman has Wang apart from the Indian ace and things can heat up if Anand and Bacrot win the next round. Topalov did not have to do much against a topical Catalan that has become a frequent visitor in top level chess these days. The Bulgarian went for a recently popular sequence of moves and got the dynamic balance he was looking for in the ensuing middle game. It was on the 15th move that Topalov sacrificed a knight showing precise calculations. Anand had to except and then took his king for a short walk and gave his extra material back to restore parity. Topalov again came with an exchange sacrifice and after Anand accepted it, another piece sacrifice followed to force a draw through repetition of moves. The game lasted 31 moves. .

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Becks moans suggestively in massage prank on Ellen DeGeneres video

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 06:08 PM

London, Oct 28 (ANI): English footballer David Beckham was asked to play a prank on a masseuse on Ellen DeGeneres' show, and told to moan suggestively while a hidden camera filmed the whole thing.

Becks, 35, was directed by show host Ellen DeGeneres via an earpiece, and he playfully lampooned his own celebrity status by asking the masseuse to use everything but her thumbs to relax him, the Mirror reported.

He even suggested she use "vibration therapy" by humming near his muscles.The footie ace even managed to deliver lines like "sometimes, it's just so hard to be pretty", "people tell me sometimes I have skin like baby peaches" and "do I smell Cheetos?" with a straight ace. (ANI)

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Ranchi will give India a tennis star, believes Sania

Thu, Oct 28 10 05:52 PM

Ranchi, Oct 28 (PTI) Tennis star Sania Mirza believes that the day is not far when Ranchi, hometown of India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will produce a top-class tennis player. "I will pray that a tennis player should emerge from Ranchi as M S Dhoni emerged for cricket," said Sania, who inaugurated a tennis academy here today. "I have heard a lot about Ranchi and I had a wish to see the town, and I grabbed the opportunity when I was invited for the inauguration of this tennis academy," she added. Sania also hoped that the academy, which will start with 50 budding talents, would throw up good tennis players in the days to come. "I am looking forward to come back to Ranchi to play (tennis tournaments)," Sania said. Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda assured that the government would support budding talents to promote the game in the state. "We will encourage all sports, including tennis," Munda said.

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Wayne Rooney, Coleen to renew their wedding vows

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 05:46 PM

London, Oct 28 (ANI): Wayne Rooney and Coleen have decided to renew their wedding vows.

The couple has plans to exchange marriage vows again in a lavish ceremony next June.

Coleen said their trip to the world's poshest hotel in Dubai had re-ignited their love.

She was speaking out for the first time since she discovered Wayne, 25, had paid hookers for sex.

Coleen, 24, said their relationship was now "fine".

"We came out here to get away from everything," the Daily Star quoted her as saying.

"We wanted some time away. Don't you think me and Wayne deserved this break after everything?

"Wayne and I are fine. We just want some peace and quiet and some time by ourselves," she added. (ANI)

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Russia brands England 'primitive' for its 2018 World Cup bid complaint to FIFA

Published>Thu, Oct 28 10 05:38 PM

London, Oct 28(ANI): A senior Russian football official has described England 2018 World Cup bid as "absolutely primitive" for making a formal complaint to FIFA against the Russian campaign's chief.

England had filed the complaint with FIFA after Alexei Sorokin, the Chief Executive of the Russian bid, made derogatory comments about London's crime rate and alcohol problems.

England alleged that Sorokin's comments contravened FIFA's rules which dictate that bidders must not make comments about their rivals "whether adverse or otherwise".

However, Viacheslav Koloskov, one of the most powerful officials in Russian football and former FIFA Vice-President, claims that England only made their move because they were behind Russia and were "afraid of how badly their bid is going".

"It's a comical situation. The English are afraid of how badly their bid is going. They now say one of the members of our bidding team has spoken out against England in an improper manner," the Daily Express quoted Koloskov, as saying.

"It's a raising of tensions, and also an attempt to influence the work of our bidding team. These acts have little chance of success."

"Russia should not be afraid of sanctions. There won't even be an investigation. The behaviour of the English is absolutely primitive. Instead of talking about their own excellence and merits, they try to put off their opponents," he added.

Earlier, Sorokin has said that he would explain the comments, arguing that they had been misinterpreted and mistranslated.

"I do not feel that what I said originally requires an apology. I am sure there is a record of that which, if forced, I'll have to find," Sorokin had said.

"The idea was that the media did not focus on the negative manifestations of any other societies, ours or anyone else's. The examples may have been bad examples, as it turned out, but they were just examples," he added.

England and Russia, along with Belgium/Holland and Spain/Portugal, are bidding to host the 2018 World Cup.

FIFA will announce the winner on December 2. (ANI)

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WSF hails Commonwealth Games Squash as major success

Thu, Oct 28 10 05:36 PM

New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) The staging of squash competition at the Commonwealth Games here has been hailed as an overwhelming success by the World Squash Federation at its annual general meeting. Led by 19 players from the men''s and women''s world top 20 rankings and with representation from 27 countries, the field at the October 3-14 event was truly world-class - with England emerging triumphant in the medals table, followed by Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. "It''s definitely the biggest moment of my career," admitted England''s world number two Nick Matthew after winning his second gold medal in Delhi - his first leading an English clean sweep of all three men''s singles medals. Australia''s Kasey Brown went home with three medals (one gold and two bronze), while New Zealander Joelle King became her country''s most successful athlete, and was accorded the honour to carry the Kiwi flag at the closing ceremony, after unexpected gold in the women''s doubles and silver in mixed. The event was staged in the purpose-built 11-court Siri Fort Complex - which featured a spectacular all-glass showcourt surrounded by a seating capacity of more than 3,000. "The crowds overall were sensational - most players agreeing that they had never experienced anything like it anywhere else in the world," said WSF CEO Andrew Shelley. "The exuberance of the spectators as Nicol David paraded the Malaysian flag around the showcourt after her singles gold medal triumph will remain with me forever. The Siri Fort facilities are a great legacy of the Games - and will surely kick-start the development programmes in Delhi as well as being another focus for events," added Shelley. "We attracted visits from some extremely distinguished guests of the Delhi hosts, including IOC President Jacques Rogge, Prince Albert of Monaco and HRH Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex. All expressed their enthusiasm for what they saw," added Shelley. One of the proudest squads competing in the Games was Norfolk Islands. "I know it''s not as great as winning a medal, but it is a big deal to us that Duncan Gray and Gye Duncan got in to the last 16 in the men''s doubles competition - and the two teams they got beaten by were the two Australian teams which got the silver and bronze medal," said team captain Mal Rundell. One of the venue''s most impressed visitors was Sir Matthew Pinsent, the four-time Olympic rowing gold medallist who was reporting for the BBC. "Squash would be a good addition to the Olympics - it is relatively easy to set up, especially in a modern urban environment, and is fast and exciting to watch both on television and live," said Pinsent in a BBC blog. "The fact that squash can compete with many of the sports already in the Olympics on many of these makes me think that they must be head of the list should the 28 sports ever be increased even by one," Pinsent said.

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