Daily Excelsior... World

Veer Zara sweeps
6th IIFA awards

AMSTERDAM, June 12: Yash Chopra’s magnum opus "Veer Zara" has swept the 6th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) ....more

Karachi-Mumbai ferry service:Pak to decide at appropriate time

ISLAMABAD, June 12: Pakistan has said a decision on resuming the proposed ferry service between the port ....more

Diabetic men at risk of low testosterone: Study

LOS ANGELES, June 12: Men over the age of 45 with diabetes are more than twice as likely as non-diabetic men in the age group to have low ....more

Arroyo says she will use
her power to safeguard democracy

MANILA, June 12: President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo pleaded for unity today and vowed to use her power to safeguard democracy and economic.....more

Indians rendered jobless
seek help from embassy
in Bahrain

DUBAI, June 12: Around 1,000 Indians, who lost their jobs at a garment factory in Bahrain, marched to the Indian ....more

China wrongly focussing
on war shrine: senior

Japanese envoy TOKYO, June 12: China is "wrong" to focus on the Japanese Prime Minister’s visits to a controversial ...more

Protestors arrested after trying to disrupt aust US exercise

SYDNEY, June 12: Australian police today arrested six peace activists carrying fake coffins bearing the names of Iraq war dead today after they....more

Nepal lifts ban on
Indian news channels

KATHMANDU, June 12: Nepal Government has lifted the ban on Indian news channels, which was imposed after the February 1 royal takeover. .....more

Palestinians execute four men convicted of murder .........

Mexican newspaper editor gets Daniel Pearl journalism award .....

Asia’s budget airline bubble could burst .....

Crowe’s wife says loneliness no excuse for his N York behaviour .....

Veer Zara sweeps 6th IIFA awards

AMSTERDAM, June 12: Yash Chopra’s magnum opus "Veer Zara" has swept the 6th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards winning six out of the 13 popular category awards.

The grand finale of the IIFA weekend held at the Amsterdamarena last night saw "Veer Zara" bagging the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, Best Music and Best Story in the Popular Awards Category, while in the techical awards section, the film got the trophy for best make up.

Shah Rukh Khan for Veer Zara and Rani Mukherji for Hum Tum were the reciepients of Best Actor and Best Actress respectively. Abhishek collected his Best Supporting Actor Trophy for Yuva, while Akshay Kumar won the Best Actor in Comic Role Award for Mujhse Shadi Karogi. John Abraham was adjudged Best Actor in a negative role for Dhoom.

Best Lyricist Award was shared by Sayeed Quadri for "Bheege Hont" in Murder and Javed Akhtar for "Pal Pal Hai Bhari" in Swades. Javed said the song was written at short notice and reiterated his firm belief that Ram does not belong to a particular group or sect."Ram belongs to each and every individual who has compassion and love".

Kunal Ganjawala and Sunidhi Chavan were adjudged the Best Playback Male and Female for Bheege Hont (Murder)and Dhoom Macha Le (Dhoom) respectively.

Legendary Cinematographer V K Murthy and Shabana Azmi were receipients of the Life Time Achievement Award for their contribution to Indian cinema. Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta bagged the Samsung Style Icon and Style Diva Awards respectively. While Aishwarya Rai received the Global Indian Media Personality Trophy.

In the technical section, Vishal Bharadwaj got the trophy for best dialogue for Maqbool, Asim Bajaj bagged the award for best cinematography in Chameli, Abbas Tyrewala and Vishal Bharadwaj for Screenplay of Maqbool, Sharmista Roy for Art Direction in Mujhse Shadi Karogi, Allan Amin for his action in Dhoom, Vikram Phadnis for his constumes in Mujhse Shadi Karogi , Farah Khan got the award for Best Choreography in Mujhse Shadi Karogi were the other award winners. Main Hoon Na (special effects), Aitraz (Sound Recording), Mujhse Shadi Karogi (background score), Murder (song recording) were the winners.

Ayesha Takia was the Best Debutante and Farah Khan also got the Best Debut Director Award.

The showdown, hosted by Shah Rukh Khan, was marked by scintilating performances from Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Lara Dutta, Esha Deol, Malaika Arora Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapur.

Abhishek Bachchan, who performed live for the first time on an international stage, got the maximum applause as he performed to the music of his latest released film "Bunty Aur Babli" and forthcoming "Dus".

Abhishek was joined for the final act "Kajra Re" by Aishwarya Rai and none other that Amitabh Bachchan.

Peformances by Bombay Rockers, Girl Band Rouge, Hari Haran and Daler Mehendi from their latest album destiny, Salman Khan and a stage act by the entire cast of ‘Vivek Agnihotri’s forthcoming film choclate were the other highlights of the event. (UNI)

Karachi-Mumbai ferry service:Pak to decide at appropriate time

ISLAMABAD, June 12: Pakistan has said a decision on resuming the proposed ferry service between the port cities of Mumbai and Karachi would be taken once Indo-Pak relations reached an "appropriate stage".

"The Government would take a final decision on the proposed Karachi-Mumbai ferry service once an appropriate stage was reached in bilateral relations with India," Minister of Ports and Shipping Babar Ghauri told the National Assembly yesterday.

He said anticipating the commencement of service, a private company M/S Land Ocean Trading had approached the ministry for permission to operate high speed monohulls between Karachi and Mumbai.

The ministry referred the case to the Foreign Ministry as proposed amendments in the shipping protocol between Pakistan and India were held up there due to "diplomatic exigencies".

India has proposed to resume the the ferry service as part of Confidence Building Measures in 2004. Pakistan in principle has agreed to it but no steps have been taken so far in this regard. (PTI)

Diabetic men at risk of low testosterone: Study

LOS ANGELES, June 12: Men over the age of 45 with diabetes are more than twice as likely as non-diabetic men in the age group to have low testosterone, making them susceptible to sexual dysfunction, according to a study presented yesterday.

"Too many times people with diabetes have gotten the short end of the deal," said study investigator Dr Sherwyn Schwartz, Director of the Diabetes Glandular disease clinic in San Antonio, Texas. "This is a common problem that we need to start looking for."

The study, which screened 2,162 men, with an average age of of over 60, found that half of the 474 men with diabetes also had low testosterone, or hypogonadism.

That means men age 45 and older with diabetes have 2.09 times higher odds of having hypogonadism compared to non-diabetic men, the researchers said.

"This is an astonishing prevalence rate. The implication is that management of diabetes hinges on more than just managing glucose levels," said Dr Natan-Bar-Chama, a urologist with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

The research was sponsored by Solvay pharmaceuticals inc. Solbt.Br , which sells a testosterone gel called Androgel.

Low levels of the male hormone are associated with diminished sex drive, erectile dysfunction, higher body fat, reduced muscle mass and decreased bone mineral density as well as depression and fatigue.

"This is not the natural course of life in a man who is 45 or 50 years old. It’s not like women’s menopause," said Schwartz, referring to studies showing that female hormone replacement therapy does not protect against disease and increases the chance of having a stroke.

About 56 per cent of men in the study with diabetes and low testosterone reported a decreased ability to perform sexually.

Testosterone levels are checked with a blood test and treatment involves testosterone supplements, which raise the risk of enlarged prostate and cannot be used by men with prostate cancer.

"This is not isolated to Libido. The hormone has an impact on numerous medical conditions," Bar-Chama said.

Men who are treated with testosterone supplements must be carefully monitored so that levels fall within normal ranges and the prostate is not affected, he said.

"Long-term data is lacking. The prudent approach is to supplement to physiological levels in order to achieve adequate fat distribution, quality of life and sexual function while being vigilant," Bar-Chama said. (AGENCIES)

Arroyo says she will use her power to safeguard democracy

MANILA, June 12: President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo pleaded for unity today and vowed to use her power to safeguard democracy and economic reforms amid allegations of election fraud and corruption that have rocked her administration and set off fresh coup rumours.

"Mark it on stone, I would harness my power and determination for a strong democracy and to keep the country focused on the right path," Arroyo said in a speech at the heavily guarded Independence Day celebrations in Manila.

"As we extol the lessons and memory of our heroes today, I call on everybody to ward off dirty politics and fix our attention on bringing the economy forward," Arroyo said.

Last week, Arroyo faced her toughest period since last year’s bitterly contested residential election because of allegations that she tried to fix the poll resuts - an impeachable offense - and her family had pocketed illegal gambling payoffs.

The Government strongly denied the accusations, saying they were part of a plot to unseat Arroyo. Government troops in the capital and national police were placed on full alert against a pssible power grab, spooking markets in a country with a recent history of coup attempts.

A key witness in a senate investigation on illegal gambling claimed she had delivered illegal gambling payoffs to arroyo’s son and brother-in-law who are both members of the house of representatives. The two denied the accusations. (AP)

Indians rendered jobless seek help from embassy in Bahrain

DUBAI, June 12: Around 1,000 Indians, who lost their jobs at a garment factory in Bahrain, marched to the Indian embassy in scorching heat to draw attention to their plight.

The workers said they have been left with no food, water or electricity after the light style garment factory in Salmabad closed down on may 14 declaring that it was bankrupt.

The company had said then that it would provide accommodation for two weeks to the 1400 workers but the protestors claimed they are stranded with nothing in their pockets.

After walking for over three hours yesterday, the workers reached the Indian embassy in Bahrain and were stopped at the gate by the guards, the Gulf daily news said.

Four of the workers were reportedly allowed to meet embassy officials.

Indian Ambassador Bhaskar Kumar Mitra said the embassy was trying to negotiate with the Labour Ministry to sort out the workers’ problems and was trying its best to help them.

Workers’ spokesman P V Brijlal said they were desperate and did not know what to do.

"We have been told that we can go home in due course but we are left without even 100 fils in our pockets. What will we do for our food and water?" he said.

The workers include about 225 Bahraini women, 50 Bangladeshis and the rest are Indians. (PTI)

China wrongly focussing on war shrine: senior

Japanese envoy TOKYO, June 12: China is "wrong" to focus on the Japanese Prime Minister’s visits to a controversial war shrine and should instead take a broader perspective to mend ties between the nations, a top diplomat said today.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has outraged China and other nations invaded by Japan in the 20th century by visiting Yasukuni war shrine which honors 2.46 million Japanese war dead, including 14 top convicted war criminals.

"I think it is wrong that China makes various assertions by focussing solely on the Yasukuni (shrine)," deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Hitoshi Tanaka said in a debate on the private Asahi television network.

The Chinese "need to take a bit broader viewpoint and have talks on what Japan-China relations should be desirable."

He said China and Japan needed each other to achieve their mutual interests in the economy and other fields and they "must establish rules" to guide their relationship.

"The Yasukuni is one problem, but I do not think it is the right rules of play to have a submarine intrude or engage in unilateral development of natural resources," he said.

Tanaka was referring to a Chinese submarine’s intrusion into Japanese waters last November, which triggered a two-day chase on the high seas, and Chinese development of gas fields contested with Japan. (AFP)

Protestors arrested after trying to disrupt aust US exercise

SYDNEY, June 12: Australian police today arrested six peace activists carrying fake coffins bearing the names of Iraq war dead today after they entered a military base to disrupt a joint exercise involving more than 17,000 Australian and US troops.

The demonstators were arrested after they scaled a fence at the Shoalwater bay military training area in Queensland state, police said.

"The six protestors gained entry to the grounds and refused to leave despite being asked a number of times," police said in a statement. "They were subsequently arrested."

Despite the arrests, police said the protest remained peaceful.

The protestors, three men and three women aged from 28 to 50, were released on bail.

The shoalwater base is the centre of operations for exercise Talisman Saber, which involves 11,000 US and 6,000 Australian military personnel.

Australian anti-bases campaign coalition spokeswoman Hannah Middleton said the demonstrators had succeeded in delaying tanks and armoured personnel carriers from entering the base.

She said they wanted to voice their opposition to Australia’s involvement in the US-led war in Iraq.

"More than 70 per cent of Australians bitterly opposed our involvement in the Iraq war yet the Government continues to risk the lives of our young people in a war that is illegal and immoral," she told AFP.

Talisman Saber ends on June 30. (AFP)

Nepal lifts ban on Indian news channels

KATHMANDU, June 12: Nepal Government has lifted the ban on Indian news channels, which was imposed after the February 1 royal takeover.

A cabinet meeting last Wednesday decided to resume offering news channels Aaj Tak, Star News and Zee News among others, the Kantipur newspaper reported today.

As part of the restrictions imposed on the media after King Gyanendra seized power and declared a state of emergency, cable operators were barred from airing Indian news channels. (PTI)

Palestinians execute four men convicted of murder

GAZA, June 12: The Palestinian authority executed four convicted murderers today, officials said, defying international calls to halt capital punishment as part of reforms considered key to securing future Palestinian statehood.

An Interior Ministry Spokesman said three men were hanged and the fourth was killed by a firing squad after they confessed in a Gaza city court to murder.

Human rights groups say such proceedings lack due process of law, but Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is under domestic pressure to curb crime that has run rampant in the Gaza Strip and West Bank during 4-1/2 years of conflict with Israel.

The capital punishment issue is especially acute when it comes to dozens of Palestinians jailed on charges of spying for the Jewish state, a major crime in tight-knit Arab society.

Palestinian officials said in April planned executions of 15 convicted informers were suspended after they caused uproar in the European union, the biggest aid donor to the Palestinians. (AGENCIES)

Mexican newspaper editor gets Daniel Pearl journalism award

LOS ANGELES, June 12: The co-founder of a Tijuana-based weekly newspaper that has investigated Government corruption and drug cartels for more than a decade, and whose editors have repeatedly been the targets of assassination attempts, has received southern California’s top journalism honour.

Jesus Blancornela, 68, who founded the weekly Zeta in 1980 and is an editor of the paper, was wounded in a 1997 assassination attempt in which his bodyguard was killed. He was awarded the Daniel Pearl Award for courage and integrity at the Los Angeles Press Club’s 47th annual ceremony at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel last night.

Last year, Gunmen fatally shot Zeta assistant editor Francisco Ortiz as he sat in his car with his young children.

Gunmen killed Zeta co-editor hector Felix Miranda in 1988.

Those murders, and the killing of Blancornela’s bodyguard Luis Valero, remain unsolved.

Blancornelas, who has been called the Godfather of modern Mexican journalism, travels around Tijuana under heavy guard but continues to write weekly columns. His syndicated articles appear in newspapers throughout Mexico.

The Pearl Award was named in honour of the late Wall Street journal reporter, who was killed after being abducted in Pakistan.

This year the club presented its President’s Award to associated press special correspondent Linda Deutsch, who has covered some of the nation’s most famous trials, including those of Robert F Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan, kidnapped newspaper heiress Patty Hearst, Charles Manson and O J Simpson. (AP)

Asia’s budget airline bubble could burst

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12: Stiff competition and rising fuel prices will force a shake-out among Asia’s budget airlines, and some are likely to be permanently grounded, analysts say.

The success of Malaysia’s Airasia, southeast Asia’s biggest low-cost carrier, has sparked a slew of other budget operators to take to the skies, including spin-offs from major airlines which scrambled to cash in on the phenomenon.

But after a tremendous start which revolutionised travel in the region, a changing business environment may mean an end to the boom, as happened in europe where no-frills carriers suffered a bloodbath that only the strongest survived.

"Competition is tough. I foresee a drop-out soon," Osk research aviation analyst Chris Eng told AFP.

Singapore’s low-cost carriers are considered the most vulnerable because without a domestic market to fall back on in the tiny city-state, they are forced to fight with the major airlines in the international market.

Eng said there would be a struggle for survival between privately owned valuair, Qantas-backed Jetstar and Tiger Airways which is 49-per cent owned by Singapore Airlines.

As most budget airlines have to stick to routes within a three-and-a-half hour flying time due to their smaller planes and limited cargo space, flying further afield is "less cost-effective and makes it more difficult to compete," he said.

Bryan Lim, aviation analyst with securities firm Ecm Libra said it did not seem possible for all three to perform well in the competitive market, and that eventually consolidation was inevitable. (AP)

Crowe’s wife says loneliness no excuse for his N York behaviour

SYDNEY, June 12: Russell Crowe’s wife said today there was no excuse for the Oscar-winner’s telephone-throwing temper tantrum that left a New York hotel clerk with facial cuts last week.

Crowe has blamed his frustration at missing wife Danielle Spencer and a malfunctioning telephone for the bust up and said afterwards: "There’s not many things that scare me in this world, but I’m absolutely terrified of disappointing her."

Spencer, speaking in Sydney half a world away from Crowe, said she understood her husband’s feelings but there was no excuse for the way the gladiator star Acted.

"I understand when you’re apart the loneliness kicks in and obviously the phone becomes of paramount importance," she told the Sun-Herald newspaper.

"This is where it’s difficult, because I’m not condoning his behaviour. I don’t want to make excuses for him because I’m certainly not."

The 41-year-old, notoriously short-tempered Crowe was charged with assault for allegedly throwing the phone at hotel employee Nestor Estrada.

He has repeatedly apologised for his actions, which could attract a eight-year jail term and threaten his ability to work in the United States if he is convicted. (AFP)