Thursday, March 31, 2011

Mid Day International News

Mid Day International News

Pak comedian dies of heart attack during Pak-India match

Posted:

A popular Pakistani comedian died of heart attack while performing at a special TV programme organised for the electrifying Indo-Pak World Cup semi-final clash that India went on to win.

55-year-old Liaqat Ali, popularly known as 'Liaqat Soldier' was participating in a special transmission organised for the semi-final on a local channel when he suffered a severe heart attack and died on his way to the hospital, the Daily Times newspaper reported. Besides being an actor, Ali was an entrepreneur and owned a business dealing in generators.

Several television celebrities and politicians expressed their grief and sorrow over his demise. Regretting his death, many termed him one of the greatest stage comedians of Pakistan and said his demise was an irreparable loss to Pakistan's comedy industry.

Ali started his career as an actor working in Memoni and Gujratee dramas in 1973. He has performed in more than 250 television plays, besides numerous stage dramas across the globe during his 38-year career.

Nuclear 'heroes' sleep in corridors

Posted:

They sleep anywhere they can find open space " in conference rooms, corridors, even stairwells. They have one blanket, no pillows and a leaded mat intended to keep radiation at bay.


Gruelling odds: The Fukushima 50 receive only two meals, sleep whereever
they find space and have to battle their own family tragedies. Pic/AFP

They eat only two meals each day " a carefully rationed breakfast of 30 crackers and vegetable juice and for dinner, a ready-to-eat meal or something out of a can.They clean themselves with wet wipes, since the supply of fresh water is short.

These are the grueling living conditions for the workers inside Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. They've been hailed as heroes risking their lives by braving high levels of radiation as they work to avert a nuclear meltdown.

But until now, the outside world has known little about the workers' routine. Safety inspector Kazuma Yokota, who spent five days at the plant last week, spoke about the plight of the 400 workers staying in a building within 1 kilometer of reactor no 1. Japanese officials ordered mandatory evacuations for everyone else within 20 km of the plant. The workers look tired, Yokota said. They are furiously connecting electrical cables, repairing instrument panels and pumping radioactive water out.

They work with the burden of their own personal tragedies always weighing heavily."My parents were washed away by the tsunami, and I still don't know where they are," one worker wrote in an e-mail that was verified as authentic by a spokesman for the Tokyo Electric Power Co, which runs the Fukushima plant. "Crying is useless," said another e-mail. "If we're in hell now, all we can do is crawl up towards heaven." But they are doing it all with the kind of determination required in a task with such high stakes.

Stressed out
The president of Tokyo Electric Power Masataka Shimizu, (66) was hospitalised with high blood pressure and dizziness after he was affected by the strain of the crisis.

$150 million
Amount donated
(Rs 671 crore) by America
to support Japan


Kate leads the pack in Top Trump game

Posted:

Kate Middleton has been crowned queen of style -- in a royal wedding version of Top Trumps. Prince William's bride out-trumps all her wedding day guests -- including Victoria Beckham -- in the style icon category featured on the cards.


Being tech savvy: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin looks at an
interactive screen during his visit to the Vorobyovy Gory Environmental
and Educational Center in Moscow yesterday. Pic/AFP

The five categories on the specially produced cards cover VIP, age, style icon, celebrity press and big day rating -- which ranks them according to their place in the proceedings on April 29.



Wills and Kate both have a big day ranking of 100.The cards, which go on sale from Friday, also feature Princess Diana, David Beckham and Elton John.


Assad decries 'conspiracy' in Syria

Posted:

President Bashar Assad last night blamed conspirators for deadly unrest in Syria, but declined to elaborate on major reforms despite expectations he would lift a state of emergency.


Unmoving: President Bashar Assad. Pic/AFP

In his first address to the nation since the protests erupted nearly two weeks ago, Assad failed to offer any concessions to appease the extraordinary wave of dissent. He accused the media of fabricating lies and said Syria has overcome conspiracies targeting it before and would do so again.

"I know that the Syrian people have been awaiting this speech since last week, but I was waiting to get the full picture . . . to avoid giving an emotional address that would put the people at ease but have no real effect, at a time when our enemies are targeting Syria," he said.


Clooney to testify in 'Bunga' Trial

Posted:

Hollywood superstar George Clooney may testify at the trial of Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi

Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi's defence lawyers named George Clooney, the Italian foreign minister and a bevy of showgirls as witnesses at the premier's upcoming prostitution trial, an attorney said.



The Ocean's actor is among 78 people who are named and also include his girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis, as well as several other prominent TV personalities. These include Venezuelan beauty Aida Yespica, Argentinian showgirl Belen Rodriguez and senior government officials including foreign minister Franco Frattini who was in London for Libya talks.


Will he tattle? George Clooney and his girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis have
been called as witnesses by Berlusconi's defence to prove that his parties
were nothing but elegant soirees. Pics/Getty Images

A source on Berlusconi's defence team said, "George Clooney is one of several people we have included on our list of witnesses as part of our case. The list includes several personalities as well as cabinet ministers and they will all testify and prove that the prime minister is innocent of the ludicrous allegations made against him."
The case against Berlusconi centres on Moroccan belly dancer Karima El Mahroug (18), who was said to have been paid for sex by Berlusconi when she was just 17 years old.

In interviews she later claimed that among guests as Berlusconi's parties were Clooney and Canalis and the defence aim is to call them and dismiss the suggestions and portray the teenager as "confused" and that his parties were nothing more than "convivial, elegant soirees of food and song."

Guest of PM
Clooney, who has a home on the shores of Lake Como near Milan, has been a guest at a fund raising dinner hosted by Berlusconi but there is no suggestion he was involved in anything untoward. A judge will now decide if Clooney and the others on the list are relevant and should be officially called to testify -- up until now the actor would have had no idea although his girlfriend is thought to have given defence lawyers a statement.
If he is confirmed then he will receive official notification from the court and will be expected to attend a future hearing when called. "It seems odd since I've only met Berlusconi once and that was in an attempt to get aid into Darfur," said Clooney through his representative.

Ronaldo factor
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Real Madrid striker is also one of the 78 people on the defence list. Karima el Mahroug claims she bedded the striker " which he vehemently denies.

Not his first
Clooney appeared in Milan court last year after he testified in a fraud case against three people accused of falsely using his name. During the hearing Clooney spoke in Italian and the public gallery was packed with swooning female court officials who were delighted when he turned and waved to them.


Posted by Harshad at 7:55 AM

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