31.12.09 / News / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)
Freed British hostage Peter Moore has told how he was subjected to “rough treatment” while in captivity but treated well in the final six months.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said Mr Moore had told his family that from June he had even had access to a TV and a Playstation.
Our correspondent said Mr Moore and his bodyguards were separated soon after their kidnapping in Iraq in May 2007.
The Guardian has claimed Mr Moore and his four bodyguards were held in Iran.
Three of the bodyguards were killed; the fourth is also thought to be dead.
Iran has dismissed reports of its involvement as “baseless”, the AFP news agency has reported.
‘House arrest’
Frank Gardner said that since June, Mr Moore had been given markedly better treatment by his captors, effectively placed under house arrest, with en suite facilities, access to satellite TV, a laptop – though not online – and a Playstation.
This was in contrast to much rougher treatment earlier on in his captivity.
Our correspondent said that Mr Moore’s bodyguards were treated by their captors as “military personnel”, in contrast to Mr Moore, who was treated as a civilian.
Mr Moore is expected to return to the UK within days.
The Guardian reported that all five were taken to a camp in Iran within a day of being seized.
The UK Foreign Office said it had seen the “speculation” about Iran’s role in the kidnappings.
A spokesman added: “Iran of course has an influence in Iraq, but we have no evidence to substantiate claims of direct involvement in this case.”
 |
ANALYSIS
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner
The findings in the Guardian’s year-long investigation into alleged Iranian involvement in kidnapping Britons in Iraq are being disputed by both British and Iraqi government officials.
A senior Foreign Office official said that while it was “not impossible” that the British hostages had, at some stage, been taken across the border into Iran, that did not mean the Iranian authorities themselves were behind the kidnapping.
The British government view remains that there is no firm evidence to suggest Iranian government involvement.
But the Guardian is sticking by its story which includes interviews with a number of people who say Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were behind the kidnapping.
The Foreign Office agrees there are close links between the kidnappers and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards who have provided them and other Iraqi militias with training, funding and weapons.
|
US General David Petraeus, the US’s top military commander in the region, told the BBC earlier this month that he thought “it was 90% certain” the Britons had been held in Iran.
But our security correspondent said this was “not the same as saying that this was directed from the top by the Iranian leadership”.
The Guardian quoted an unnamed former Revolutionary Guard
saying: “It was an Iranian kidnap, led by the Revolutionary Guard, carried out by the al-Quds brigade.”
The newspaper also said a serving Iraqi government minister with close links to Iran had told its reporter it was an Iranian Revolutionary Guard operation.
‘Absolutely confident’
But Sami al-Askari – an MP and a senior adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki – has denied the Guardian’s allegation that Iran masterminded the kidnap.
The newspaper also alleged that, as the chief negotiator, he flew to Iran several times to talk with the hostage-takers, which he has also denied to the BBC.
Mr Askari said he had been involved in talks with the kidnap group inside Iraq, which were continuing over the whereabouts of the final hostage Alan McMenemy, who is thought to be dead.
|
THE GUARDIAN’S ACCOUNT
Kidnap takes place at Finance Ministry in Baghdad
Hostages taken to Sadr City
Guardian claims the hostages are later taken to various locations in Iran, including camps at Qasser Shiereen and Tehran Pars
|
Guardian journalist Maggie O’Kane, who was involved in the investigation, told the BBC: “We are absolutely confident of the work we have done on the story.”
Frank Gardner said the paper’s investigation did not provide conclusive proof the men had been taken to Iran.
But he said the witnesses appeared to be credible and some had been re-interviewed by the BBC.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the Guardian’s reports “emanate from the British anger towards the rallies in which millions of Iranians took part to condemn British interference in (Iran’s) internal affairs,” according to the AFP news agency.
Brown thanks Iraqis
Mr Moore spent the night after his release at the British Embassy in Baghdad, where he has received medical attention and support as he prepares to return to the UK. He will also receive formal debriefing sessions.
Downing Street said Prime Minister Gordon Brown had spoken to his Iraq counterpart Nouri Maliki on Thursday to thank him for his efforts in the release of Mr Moore.
“They also discussed shared concerns for Alan McMenemy,” said a spokesman.
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.
Frank Gardner: “Relations between London and Tehran could hardly get any worse”
The bodies of Mr Moore’s British guards Jason Swindlehurst, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, and Jason Creswell, of Glasgow, were returned to the UK in June 2009, followed by that of Alec MacLachlan, of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, in September.
Mr Moore had been working for US management consultancy Bearingpoint in Iraq, while the other men were security contractors employed to guard him.
The kidnappers were understood to belong to an obscure militia known as the Islamic Shia Resistance, which demanded the release of up to nine of their associates held in US military custody since early 2007.
Several had already been handed to the Iraqi government and some had since been freed under the reconciliation process.
Frank Gardner said a senior Whitehall official had confirmed Qais Al-Khazaali – the leader of the kidnap group – was released “very recently” by the US to the Iraqi authorities.
Mr Khazaali had been suspected of involvement in the kidnapping and eventual killing of five US soldiers, he added.
31.12.09 / Bollywood / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)
It was a relatively quiet year for some of the icons of showbiz. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek spent the year shooting Mani Ratnam’s Raavan in the wilderness. John, Bipasha, Preity and Shah Rukh also had a quiet year. Saif Ali Khan made waves with Love Aaj Kal and then vanished during the second part of year. So who were the most visible faces of the year?
Big B: He took a large chunk of the year off to be with his friend Amar Singh, faced a thundering failure in Aladin. But Amitabh Bachchan bounced back at year-end as the 12-going-on-80 prematurely aged child-man Auro in Paa. Then there was his return to television with Bigg Boss. Once again at year-end the question is not, how long will Mr. Bachchan continue to surprise us, but what will he do next? Buzz is, AB Corp Ltd, back in booming business with Paa will be producing a film that will star all the four star-Bachchans together for the first time. In the meanwhile, Paa director Balki took off for the mountains for a 10-day retreat to write yet another startling role for Mr B. After courting Tabu and Progeria in Cheeni Kum and Paa respectively, what next? Balki knows best.
Ranbir Kapoor: So okay at year-end Ranbir’s most precious film and the performance he was proudest of in Rocket Singh- Salesman Of The Year failed to take off. Rocket aborted but the guy proved unstoppable with two back-to-back hits, both with weird kinky titles – Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, both featuring Ranbir in author-backed roles. The quota of conviction and credibility combined with a star presence that we thought went out of vogue with Rishi Kapoor, makes Ranbir the most dependable star-actor of our times. He won’t bend to break the rules. He will just do what he wants, regardless of repercussions. All through the year he remained in the news for his breakups, linkups, and what-not though he swears he has no interest in being newsworthy. Neither did Tiger Woods.
Katrina Kaif: Ek Katrina thi, lakhon deewane the…could be the song this wholesome lissome winsome win-all lass could sing to her grandchildren. With 3 blockbusters New York, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and De Dana Dan to her credit Katrina left the female competitors far behind. At year-end she suffered a bout of ill health but was on her feet soon enough. You can’t keep a lucky-charm down.
Pritam Chakraborty: Every year it’s the same story. The hot-hit machine. Practically every chartbuster of 2009 was Pritam’s. No wonder he can’t stop grinning from year to year. Pritam scored bull’s eye with songs in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Tum Mile, De Dana Dan , New York. The birth of a baby girl ensured that the goofy smile never left Pritam’s face.
Akshay Kumar: He ran into some choppy weather during the earlier part of 2009 when three of his purported blockbusters Chandni Chowk To China, Tasveer 8 X 10 and Kambakkht Ishq under-performed. But the second-half of the year with De Dana Dan and the singular honour of carrying the Olympian torch proved to be the high points of Akshay’s year. He’s all set for a year of big events ahead.
AR Rahman: He went off to get the Oscar for us. Came back to a cluster of pending assignments and then is now off to get the Grammy for his Slumdog Millionaire. Not since Pandit Ravi Shankar has an Indian musician made such a grand impact globally. It would be no exaggeration to say that when it comes to our music, Rahman is the global ‘band’ ambassador.
Salman Khan: With Wanted, Salman proved that the old-fashioned larger-than-life hero still ruled the roost. Salman’s spate of non-starters at the boxoffice were quickly forgotten as he single-handedly revived the sagging fortunes of Boney Kapoor’s production house. The film had no star value except Salman. As though to prove he sells solo, Salman’s home production Main Aur Mrs Khanna with the hot-and-happening Kareena Kapoor tanked during Diwali.
Vishal Bhardwaj: While he lit up the pubs with Dhan Te Nan, his latest stab at direction Kaminey got the nation’s critics swooning in ecstasy. Yup, Vishal Bhardwaj clicked in both capacities as a music composer and a filmmaker. On the home front, Vishal’s wife Rekha made headway as a playback singer of substance. This Bhardwaj sure has come a long way.
31.12.09 / Bollywood / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)
Kareena Kapoor has a lot to celebrate. Her film 3 Idiots is a runaway hit. And Kareena decided to run away to Delhi to be with her sister Karisma for New Years.
Sounding more relaxed than she did recently, Kareena took time off from the very special family gathering to speak. “I’ve been running around frantically promoting my film. And then I was ailing for a week. I decided I had to be well for the festive season. Christmas was a very very special occasion for my mom and sister. But we never get to be together for the occasion. This time I was adamant. I made sure I took time off from work so all us girls could spend time together. My mom and I were here in Delhi to spend time with my sister and niece.”
Laughs Kareena, “Karisma and I don’t get to spend that much time together. She has her home and husband in Delhi. My career takes me all over the place. Mom cribs we’re never together. This year-end reunion was something we had promised ourselves from long before.”
In Delhi, Kareena is over-whelmed by the response to her new film. “Everywhere I go I am swamped by compliments for the role. The length of the role didn’t matter. I’m just glad to be part of a historic happening. When Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir asked me to be part of their film I jumped at it. I knew the film would be special because of Raju and Aamir, and I was right. As far as our cinema is concerned, Aamir is God.”
Reacting to the opinion that Kareena hardly has anything to do in her new film Kareena says, “Who says I’ve nothing to do? I’m very part of the main drama .Would the story forward if you remove my character? ”
Kareena is specially pleased by the compliments she has received for her pairing with Aamir. “Everyone thinks we look good together. I think Aamir and I make a fantastic pair. I’d love to do another film with him immediately, this time I don’t want share him with other pivotal characters.”
In fact talks are on with two leading filmmakers including Mani Ratnam who is apparently all set to revive his Aamir-Kareena project Lajjo. A R Rahman and Gulzar have even recorded the songs.
Looking back on the year Kareena feels happy about the response to her performances in Kurbaan and 3 Idiots. “Both films are very precious to me. Kurbaan was intense, 3 Idiots was more fun. In 2010 I did films with all the Khans…. Salman, Aamir, Shah Rukh (I had a song with him in Billu) and of course Saif.”
31.12.09 / News / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)
Veteran singer Van Morrison has denied reports that he had become a father again, adding they were “completely and utterly without foundation”.
The Belfast-born 64-year-old said he had been the victim of an internet hacking attack that had placed “falsehoods” on his official website.
BBC News was one of several outlets to report the hoax as fact.
“The comments which appeared on my website did not come from me,” he said, in a statement issued to the media.
The singer said he had asked his management team to carry out an immediate investigation, adding it was the second time his website had been hacked in the last three months.
He went on to say, “for the avoidance of all doubt and in the interests of clarity”, that he was “very happily married to Michelle Morrison, with whom I have two wonderful children”.
‘Alarm bells’
A statement posted on the singer’s website on Tuesday said he had had a son named George Ivan Morrison III with a woman named Gigi Lee.
A friend of Morrison’s has since told the BBC News website that the singer had never heard of Ms Lee.
“One of the things that triggered alarm bells was the language used in the ‘statement’,” said John Saunders.
“It was so unlike him to make an announcement like this.”
Mr Saunders, founder of Dublin-based public relations company Fleishman-Hillard, said it was he who informed Morrison of the original reports.
“I hesitated before making contact, but my wife said you had better do something,” he said.
Morrison, whose hits include Brown Eyed Girl and Moondance, celebrated his 40th year in the music industry in 2008.
He first found fame in the 1960s as a member of the band Them, before embarking on a solo career.
31.12.09 / Bollywood / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)
Yesterday, we went across the B-town and found that 3 Idiots was the unanimous choice when it came to the best that 2009 had to offer. The closest contender was Paa while Avatar led from the front when it came to Hollywood flicks. However, it was quite a divided opinion when it came to the worst of 2009. Quite a few names popped up, some big (Delhi 6, Chandni Chowk To China), some small (Dil Bole Hadippa), some relatively unknown (Videsh – Heaven on Earth, Victory) and a few completely irrelevant (Deshdrohi). There was also an emotional angle involved with a filmmaker or two criticizing their own effort (Sikandar). Read on:
Ramesh Taurani – Victory, which came at the beginning of the year, stays on to be the worst film of 2009 for me.
Shirish Kunder – (Smiles) Yes, there is one movie which is really the worst for me. Still, I can’t name it since it’s been made by people known to me!
Kalki – Worst of the year was Billu (Barber) because it was just a series of music videos and nothing else.
Sajid Khan – Worst movie of the year was Delhi 6. Really, I had a lot of expectations from the film but it turned out to be such a disappointing fare.
Hasnain Hyderabadwaala – The worst film of 2009 is Dil Bole Hadippa. Really, what were the makers thinking? Audiences were taken for granted that the protagonist out there won’t be able to differentiate between a girl and a boy despite a different physicality and voice.
Jagmohan Mundhra – I have to pick two films here – Chandni Chowk To China and Kambakkht Ishq.
Rituparna Sengupta – There is nothing really which is worst for me because every movie has some effort going in there.
Ruslaan Mumtaz – Blue is the worst movie of the year
Piyush Jha – Even though I directed it, I believe worst film of the year was Sikandar. That’s because no one saw it and the media totally ignored its significance. Perhaps that happened because Sikandar didn’t have stars/big backers/comic entertainment. Whatever is the reason, the fact is Sikandar was ignored, and that is the real truth.
Sonu Sood – (Smiles) Even as the entire year is through, I still can’t decide on one worst movie. Maybe I have missed it.
Suneel Darshan – 2009 started with its worst film Chandni Chowk to China It was a ‘directionless’ disaster that disrespected the viewer’s sensibility.
Sadaa – You are asking me about the worst film of the year? You know what; there have been so many that I don’t even care to remember.
Boney Kapoor – Preity Zinta’s Videsh – Heaven on Earth was the worst that 2009 had to offer.
Robby Grewal – Worst of the lot would be Deshdrohi (the film had a staggered release across 2008 and 2009)
Ananth Mahadevan – If I pick one WORST FILM of the year, I might just stir up a hornet’s nest. For, another one might cry out that it was more deserving. So let sleeping dogs lie!
Aanand L Rai – For me, the worst movie in 2009 was Delhi 6. It was a very fine concept and from a rock solid director. Still, it failed.
Hansika Motwani – I don’t really wish to pick and choose the worst film of the year because for me every movie is good. I know what are the kind of difficulties that we actors go through so it would be wrong on my part to say that this or that movie was bad!
Tusshar Kapoor – Worst of 2009 would be all those films that were released during the strike. Ha ha ha!
Kunal Deshmukh – Chandni Chowk To China was the worst film of the year. What a waste of effort. They could have done so much with the film but that was not the case to be.
Raksha Mistry – Isn’t it ironical that the first film which I saw in 2009 stays on to be worst for me? I am talking about Chandni Chowk To China. Maybe I was expecting a lot from the film’s association with Warner Bros. But then it neither had any locations of China nor Chandni Chowk. Worse, it had no story!
