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| Monday, June 4, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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“Gladiator” takes top MTV award Beijing, June 3 China has reacted sharply to India’s charge of a Chinese military build-up and termed as “irresponsible” New Delhi’s objection to the “normal” military cooperation between Beijing and Islamabad. Pak to get T-80 tank
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| Indian-American pilot to fly C-17 Washington, June 3 He may not be as famous as his politician older brother but Capt Ravi Inder Chaudhary is no less an achiever and may well be on his way to becoming one of the US Air Force’s most versatile pilots. NASA jet destroyed in test-flight
Dhaka, June 3 A new law to provide Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with security after she leaves office has sparked a row between her Awami League and the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. 2 Palestinians
killed Ronnie Biggs hospitalised
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“Gladiator” takes top MTV award Los Angeles, June 3 Pop music stars Christina Aguilera, Li’l Kim, Pink and Mya, too, performed a “Moulin Rouge” rendition of “Lady Marmalade” in shorts, bra tops, lace stockings and stack heels that left the audience screaming for more. Halle Berry, too, had her moments, drawing attention to her new movie “Swordfish” in which she bares her breasts. She, then coaxed her co-stars John Travolta and Hugh Jackman to show their body parts to the world, too. “Gladiator” was named best film by the viewers of cable television channel MTV, who vote on the awards, and Julia Roberts claimed a trophy for best female performance in “Erin Brockovich”. Those two were also winners at the Oscars — Hollywood’s top film awards — earlier this year. But unlike the Oscars, the MTV awards show is irreverent and pokes fun at the movies. MTV viewers, too, generally pick action films, or so-called “popcorn movies”, for their favourite films, and MTV awards winners with a bucket of golden popcorn. Along with “Gladiator” and Roberts, the other big winner was action star Tom Cruise for best male performer in action flick, “Mission: Impossible 2”. Hosts Jimmy Fallon, of TV’s “Saturday Night Live”, and Kirsten Dunst (“Bring It On”), opened the show with a parody of “The Mummy Returns”, in which they tried to wipe off the facial markings of a Magi warrior. Fallon, Dunst, and other actors like comedian Andy Dick also made fun of stars like Adam Sandler and Madonna, and characters from films like “Gladiator” and “Cast Away”. “I like how (the show) is more easy going. It’s like our awards. It’s younger”, said “American Beauty” star Mena Suvari, who was on hand as a presenter. The night’s first popcorn bucket for Best On-Screen team of actors went to the trio of female action stars from “Charlie’s Angels”, Drew Barrymore, Diaz and Lucy Liu. Diaz, however, was the only one on hand to take the MTV bucket, and she lamented her partners’ absence. “Sorry I showed up without my other parts”, she said, stretching out her arms as if wrapping them around her co-stars. Then, proclaiming her nervousness, she said: “I haven’t used antiperspirant in years, and I usually use them to sort of dab it on because they’re about armpit height”. Diaz grabbed a second bucket of popcorn later in the show for best dance sequence in the same movie in which she opened the film dancing in her underwear. Other crowd-pleasing awards included Best Action Sequence, which went to John Woo for the motorcycle chase in “Mission: Impossible 2”, Best Fight to Chinese newcomer Zhang Ziyi in “Crouching Tiger” and Best Kiss to Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas in “Save the Last Dance”. Best Villain was Jim Carrey for “Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. Walking to the stage, Carrey dived into a row of seats like a rock star diving off stage. Along with the female pop stars, other musical guests included The Dave Matthews Band playing “Space Between”. During the taping, the lights went off twice, and he was forced to stop, putting a little more blank “space” in the show. Along with the Best Kiss award, Sean Patrick Thomas won a popcorn bucket for his role in “Save the Last Dance”, and another relative newcomer, Erika Christensen, took an MTV trophy for her role as a drug-addicted teenager in “Traffic”. “This is killer. I’m freaking out”, an admittedly surprised Christensen told reporters backstage. “This is really awesome because it means young people really identified with the film, and I didn’t think that was going to happen”.
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Strong Chinese reaction to report Beijing, June 3 Asked to comment on the Ministry of Defence annual report for the year 2000-2001, released last Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao offered a three-part answer. “Attempting to seek an excuse to develop the military is not wise. Secondly, the Chinese stand on the Indian nuclear issue is known to all,” Mr Zhu said referring to India’s May, 1998, underground nuclear tests. Moreover, he asserted that the China-Pakistan military cooperation is ‘normal’. “For no reason, finding fault is irresponsible,” the spokesman said referring to repeated statements from the Chinese leadership that Sino-Pakistani military cooperation did not violate Beijing’s commitments to the international community. The MoD annual report had pointed out that China was working towards the goal of achieving ‘super power’ status in the new millennium and rapidly modernising its armed forces. “Every major Indian city is within the reach of the Chinese missiles and it is reported that this capability is being further augmented to include Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs),” the MoD report said. “The asymmetry in terms of nuclear forces is strongly in favour of China which additionally has helped Pakistan to build missile and nuclear capability,” it said. On Defence Minister and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh’s statement that the Indian Government has approved the development of ‘longer range’ missiles under the Agni project and that the 2,000 km-range Agni-II ballistic missile was operational and planned for induction during 2001-2002, the spokesman said China was paying “close attention” to India’s decision. Mr Jaswant Singh had informed the Parliamentary Consultative Committee members attached to the Defence Ministry that with the successful test firing of Agni II, the limited production of the surface-to-surface missile had begun and “its induction is being planned during 2001-2002.” He also stated that “Agni II is an operational missile system designed and developed using various technologies.”
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Pak to get T-80 tank tech from China Islamabad, June 3 Media reports here said as an immediate follow-up to Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji’s visit to Islamabad last month, Beijing offered to transfer the technology as a first step towards renewed cooperation in the field of defence. Ammunition technology for the T-80 tanks was hitherto being imported from the USA and NATO. “One round of ammunition imported from NATO countries used to cost us thousands of dollars. Buying arms from China would mean also having an advantage of not paying immediately as is the case with other US and Western defence organisations,” Pakistan daily Dawn reported quoting defence sources. The Chinese offer was expected to end Pakistan’s dependence on imported ammunition from the USA, they said. The offer was made during the recent visit of the Chairman of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POFs) Lt-Gen Abdul Qayyum to Beijing, who went there to initiate follow-up action to Mr Zhu’s visit to Islamabad. The ammunition will be manufactured in ordnance factories at Wah for 500 T-80 UD Ukrainian tanks, which were purchased during the tenure of former army Chief Gen Jahangir Karamat (retd). The technology transfer to manufacture T-80 tanks ammunition was in addition to an offer made by the Chinese for the production of 12.7 mm anti-aircraft guns. The mass production of these guns had already started for export purposes, Dawn said.
PTI |
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Indian-American pilot to fly C-17 Washington, June 3 Capt Chaudhary, (31) the brother of Minnesota Senator Satveer Chaudhary, will soon be flying some of the most sophisticated US fighter aircraft and also the massive C-17s that are designed for landings on unapproved airstrips. One of a select group of Asian-Americans who have strayed from the traditional fields of medicine and law and entered the brave world of a fighter pilot for the USAF, Capt Chaudhary said, “After 52 weeks of training, it was quite a feeling to be able to pin the wings of an Air Force pilot on my uniform.” In an interview with IANS, he said, “I am excited at the opportunity to fly such sophisticated aircraft,” particularly the C-17, which “despite the obvious high-tech automation is a pleasure to fly and very manoeuverable for an aircraft of its size.” He said when he found himself alone flying the sophisticated USAF fighter aircraft with an instructor “and doing loops, it’s an indescribable high!” Capt Chaudhary, who recently completed 52 weeks of training at the Laughlin Air Force base, 47th Flying Training Wing in Del Rio, Texas, and was awarded the wings of an Air Force pilot, has performed many humanitarian missions, including in India after the January earthquake. He said: “Formation flying was the most baffling of all my phases of training. I was expected to fly in fingertip formation only a few feet from the flight lead through a series of acrobatic turns and twists. I have never been required to complete a task with such precision! It’s like an aerial ballet.” Capt Chaudhary acknowledged that “you’re all over the place on the first few flights, but then, like everything else in this program, things just fall into place and it’s beautiful once you figure it out.” Capt Chaudhary, who always dreamed of being a pilot, said he would have never made it “without the undying support of my wife, Uma,” a speech language pathologist. “Family is never distant from your mind as you ascend through the program.” His six-month-old son Krishan was born during his training.
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NASA jet destroyed in test-flight Edwards Air Force Base (US), June 3 US space scientists were forced to destroy the unmanned X-43A prototype in mid-air yesterday minutes before the plane was due to fire the oxygen-scooping “scramjet” engine designed to drive it at seven times the speed of sound. NASA cameras aboard two F-18 chase planes showed the Pegasus rocket careening off course and falling out of control from the sky before controllers triggered on-board explosives to destroy it over the Pacific Ocean at about 8.45 p.m. GMT. Pieces of the booster rocket and the small, black X-43A prototype, part of NASA’s “Hyper-X” programme, fell into the sea. Dejected NASA scientists said they would form a “mishap investigation team” to determine what went wrong but vowed that the $ 185 million programme that they had billed as the future of aviation would go on. “We’re obviously disappointed at this but we’re going to find out what happened, fix it and fly again,” Hyper-X programme manager Vince Rausch said: “We didn’t think this was a slam dunk. There was some risk that this would happen and that risk wasn’t zero.” Rausch said he could not speculate on how long it would take to investigate the failure or when the next test-flight would be scheduled. The X-43A was making the first of the three scheduled test-flights in the Hyper-X programme, which NASA has said will ultimately make space travel routine and pave the way for cross-country commercial flights in 30 minutes. The scientists — who have called the programme an aviation breakthrough as historic as the Wright Brothers’ first flight — said they had no immediate information on what caused the failure, though they said it appeared to be the booster rocket, and not the X-43A itself or its hypersonic engine, that was at fault.
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Bill on security to Hasina sparks row Dhaka, June 3 League (AL) and the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The controversy has become so intense that Ms Hasina has alleged that the BNP failing to topple her government through movements, is now planning to oppose the issue of her personal security as they want to see her slain. Questioning the Opposition’s movement on her security issue, Ms Hasina said, “What’s my offence? Why do they like to see me dead? Possibly they are frustrated at not being able to kill me and that’s why they want to launch movement... But I have full faith in almighty Allah.” But the BNP claims Ms Hasina is afraid of her future as she resorted to unprecedented repression on the people, opposition and other wrong doings. The government has drafted a new law providing life-long security to the two surviving daughters of country’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman —Hasina and her sister Rehana — and the draft is likely to be placed in Parliament in the next session beginning June 6. “Possibly, they cannot tolerate my work for welfare of the people. Possibly they feel jealous of my efforts to make the country self-reliant in food and my schemes for widows, elderly, unemployed and shelterless people.” But the Opposition BNP is committed to resist the law providing Hasina and her sister security with after she leaves office on July 13. “The Prime Minister is afraid of her future as she and her party resorted to unprecedented repression to people and opposition and wrong doings,” BNP leaders said. “People under AL (Awami League) rule are completely insecure” and killing, mugging, hijacking and looting loom large. But the Prime Minister forgetful of the security of others is trying to introduce a new law for security for herself,” BNP leaders at a recent rally in Dhaka said. BNP secretary-general Abdul Mannan Bhuyian said, “Hasina need not worry about her personal security and safety as the future government of four-party alliance, will ensure her security.” He said the new law was contrary to the fundamental concept of a caretaker government and an ill effort of the government that made the people suspicious about the upcoming elections. Leaders of both the parties have met President Shahabuddin Ahmed separately to convince him in favour or against the Bill. BNP leaders gave the President a memorandum requesting him not to accept the new law. Mr Bhuyian after meeting the president told newsmen they had requested him not to assent to the “anti-people law,” that this will influence the election and sought his intervention to stop it. Law Minister Abdul Matin Khasru, whose Ministry drafted the law, termed the opposition threat of agitation as “insidious.” He said, “It’s very mysterious, why the opposition has announced action programme against the proposed law, which is still at the drafting stage.” A ruling party delegation comprising eight ministers met Ahmed to apprise him of the necessity of the law. Briefing newsmen, delegation members said, “The law is meant for her (Hasina) security. It is not meant for providing her with the state protocol after she leaves office.” “We are now more concerned about her security after the high court verdict sentencing the killers of father of the nation,” Finance Minister S.A.M.S. Kibria said. “It appeared to us that the President was satisfied with our explanation.” Water Resources Minister Abdur Razzak said, “We have reasons to be more cautious since the opposition wants to see Sheikh Hasina unprotected. There is a conspiracy behind the campaign to keep her exposed to killers. We cannot let Hasina to be an easy target of the assailants, particularly after several attempts on her life.” Referring to BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s security, Industries Minister Tofail Ahmed said, “Zia does not have any moral stand to oppose the security for Mujib’s daughters when she (Zia) was living in the President’s house in the country’s highest protected Dhaka Garrison.” Hasina and Rehana, the two surviving daughters of Mujib, were in Germany on August 15, 1975, the day he along with most of his family members were killed in a military coup. Hasina returned to Bangladesh in 1981 and took the leadership of her father’s party the Awami League and came to power in 1996.
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2 Palestinians
killed Ramallah, (West Bank), June 3 The Palestinian police quoted witnesses as saying that the two men died when their truck crashed after being shot at by Jewish settlers. The Israeli police said there was no sign of shooting on the bodies or the car. Hospital officials said Ziad Abu Eid, (35) and Ayed Abu Eid, (31) were dead on arrival at a hospital in Ramallah in the West Bank after the incident on a road between Ramallah and nearby Jericho. A third man was in a coma, hospital staff said. The Palestinian police quoted witnesses as saying that settlers had shot at the wheels of the truck and it had veered out of control into a post carrying power lines at the roadside.
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Ronnie Biggs hospitalised London, June 3 The 71-year-old crook, who has suffered three strokes in the past, returned to Britain last month after 35 years on the run and was immediately arrested by the police and sent to Belmarsh Prison, south-east of London.
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rocked the MTV Movie Awards yesterday as “Charlie’s Angels” star Cameron Diaz claimed two trophies and Chinese newcomer Zhang Ziyi proved to be the best fighter in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.
