Team Anna-government confrontation turns bitter

Anna aide Prashant Bhushan has become the latest within the team to have been targeted by the government, having been slapped with a privilege notice for alleging that MPs accept money and pass laws. Bhushan has been asked to respond to the notice by September 14.

An Income Tax notice slapped on Arvind Kejriwal for Rs.9 lakh dues saw Team Anna Friday launch a frontal attack on the government, accusing it of indulging in "dirty tricks" and not having "learnt any lesson" - within days of the Aug 28 peace overture.

Kejriwal, who was slapped the Rs.9 lakh dues notice from his years in government service till 2006, Friday said he had not violated any rules and the official claims were baseless.

"Instead of indulging in dirty tricks, the government should argue on the basis of the Jan Lokpal bill drafted by the civil society," said Prashant Bhushan, another Team Anna member and senior lawyer.

"First, they started a smear campaign when the joint drafting committee on Lokpal bill was constituted. Then came Manish Tewari's baseless allegation," added Bhushan.

Kejriwal denied violating any rule. "I have not violated any rule. In 2006, when I had resigned from the service, I had written to the government to deduct my dues from my general provident fund (GPF)," he told reporters.

Addressing newsmen, Kejriwal said he had gone for a sabbatical for three years from November 1, 2000. He signed a bond that he would refund the salary if he resigns or retires or fails to resume duty within three years of his study leave.

However, the government did not deduct the dues or settle the GPF payment, and instead served him a notice after four years and just ahead of Anna Hazare's fast for a stronger Lokpal bill, he said.

"The government, which did not send any letter for the past four years, sends the notice on Aug 5 ahead of Anna's fast. I don't think that the Income Tax department has sent it, but it has been sent by their political bosses," said Kejriwal.

"Government is interpreting the bond in a wrong manner. No employee can work without taking a single break. I have not violated the bond condition. The government should return (release) the GPF amount. I would donate the entire amount in the movement against corruption," he said.

Kejriwal alleged that his uncle and other relatives in Siwani in Haryana were probed and harassed by officials of the Intelligence Bureau and other agencies. Officials were asking people to give information about any irregularities by him or relatives, he alleged.

Prashant Bhushan said the manner of sending the notice shows that the government has "not learnt any lessons".

Meanwhile, Kiran Bedi, another member of Team Anna against whom a privilege notice was moved in parliament for mocking MPs, said: "I am sorry I will not say sorry to you. I will show a bigger mirror to them on what is happening in our parliaments."

Anna Hazare ended his 12-day fast on Sunday, a day after the two houses of Parliament at a special sitting agreed on the three key points of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

News from - http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5409094

India Vs England: The great ODI rivalry

As India get set to take on England in the first ODI at Chester-le-Street on September 3, we take a look at some great images from their previous encounters in this collection.

Losing his shirt!

Andrew Flintoff removes his shirt at the Wankhede stadium in 2002 after England defeated India by five runs. Sourav Ganguly returned the compliment after India defeated England at Lord's in the final of the Natwest trophy.

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Linda Ellerbee takes right approach in 9/11 special

Linda Ellerbee hosts "Nick News Report on 9/11," a special aimed at kids too young to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and those who experienced them as children.

Linda Ellerbee is the calming voice of history in the "Nick News Report on 9/11," airing Thursday at 9 p.m. on Nickelodeon.

The half-hour special is aimed at kids too young to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as the teens and young adults who experienced them as children. It begins with a simply stated description of what happened, evolving into what this means to America 10 years later.

Nickelodeon commissioned a study by Harvest Research and The Harrison Group that showed many of today's younger children learned about 9/11 from a parent, typically after hearing a reference to it on television or at school.

But "you may get a lot of information that's wrong," says Ms. Ellerbee at the outset of the show. She adds that the graphic images and details of that day were intentionally omitted from the program, yet "the simple fact of what happened is scary."

She suggests finding a trusted adult to watch the show with, and given the subject matter, it's an excellent suggestion.

Wearing jeans and red Chuck Taylors, Ms. Ellerbee looks casual, like a trusted friend. And after 20 years of talking to kids about serious matters, she is. She begins with facts, then segments that cut to first-person accounts by those who were there. They provide a compelling window into the fear and confusion of what went horribly awry on a bright, sunny Tuesday morning.

Lila Abramson was in her fifth-grade classroom five blocks away when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Her teacher quickly closed the window blinds, she said. Later, after the towers fell, she remembers being carried by a firefighter trying to hasten the fleeing crowds.

Jamie Jones was 7 and a second-grader at Booker Elementary in Florida that morning. President George W. Bush was reading "The Pet Goat" to his class when informed of the incident by White House chief of staff Andrew Card.

"The president, he just sat there, and his face just went dead," Jamie said. "He had a blank stare."

Adults have their say in this program, such as journalist Aaron Brown, who was CNN's principal anchor that day, as well as Juliette Kayyem, former assistant secretary of Homeland Security, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, and Tom Kean, chairman of the federal 9/11 Commission.

Like other Lucky Duck Productions specials, "Nick News Report on 9/11" addresses kids' questions head-on. Who were the pilots? Why did they hate America? Should we be worried it will happen again?

Ms. Ellerbee, who wrote the show and is an executive producer, reaches for a sense of perspective that might be a bit beyond some of the viewing audience. She notes that although nearly 3,000 people died at the World Trade Centers, 50,000 people worked there. More than 100 died at the Pentagon, but out of 23,000. Although 250 people on the airplanes died, "many more were not hijacked."

Kids might not find comfort in large numbers, hearing instead just the parts about people who died.

Because the special is aimed at children, it's short and written in plain English. Given the hysteria that exists even today in some quarters, it might not be a bad idea to make it required viewing for adults, too.

News from: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11242/1170744-67.stm?cmpid=entertainment.xml#ixzz1Wlq2Djkt

New Star Wars: Blu-Ray release of original trilogy contains yet more changes

George Lucas has altered the films of the original trilogy again. Many fans pray he doesn't alter them further.

This is not just one of the many alterations to the original Star Wars trilogy that will be released on Blu-Ray on September 16 – in this case a line uttered by Darth Vader in the climax of 'Return of the Jedi' – it's also the reaction of many fans to George Lucas's endless mucking about with their favorite films.

It started off innocuously enough. Back in 1981, when the original "Star Wars" was re-released, Lucas added the line "Episode IV: A New Hope" to the title crawl and made several changes to the audio track. Throughout the '80s and '90s, as the film was released on videocassette and laserdisc, additional small changes were made. But nobody seemed to mind.

Then came the 1997 Special Edition, which added extensive CGI effects, including, most controversially, the scene in which Greedo shoots first. Two years before the release of the first prequel, the era of Lucas-bashing had begun.

The new alterations are not nearly as extensive as the ones made in 1997, but they will be noticeable to hardcore fans. In "A New Hope," the Krayt Dragon howl that Obi-Wan uses to frighten away the Sandpeople from Luke's Landspeeder is noticeably different. In "Return of the Jedi," Wicket the Ewok's eyes have been CGI'd.

And then there's that scene at the end of "Jedi." See for yourself.

What other changes would you like made to the original trilogy? The metal bikini replaced with a burqa? Han and Greedo settling their differences amicably? Chewie replaced with a Gungan? Let us know in the comments.

News from - http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Movies/2011/0901/New-Star-Wars-Blu-Ray-release-of-original-trilogy-contains-yet-more-changes

Lionel Messi: Ready to roar in Kolkata

Take a look at some images of Lionel Messi practising ahead of Argentina's international friendly against Venezuela at Kolkata's Salt Lake stadium on September 2

Excellent!

Lionel Messi seen trying a bicycle kick at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata

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