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“Colossal joke,” says Bachchan

Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan has denied criticising award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. The actor says opinions posted on his blog criticising the film for projecting India as the “third world dirty underbelly”, were made by others. He says he merely put up the comments, which he did not attribute, to start a debate and is anguished that they have been construed to be his. Slumdog Millionaire, made by British director Danny Boyle, has swept the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice awards. The film is also a favourite to win at the Oscars. “What a colossal joke this is all turning out to be! Without reading the text of my blog or the purpose behind mention of ‘SlumDog’ an entire machinery of abuse has been directed towards me,” Bachchan writes in his blog. “Fact is - someone mentioned the film on my blog. Some expressed opinion for it, some against. And yes, they contained some strong assumptions. I merely put both of them up and invited debate,” he says.

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Price of guilt

Harry Nicolaides, a 41-year-old Greek-Australian writer, has been sentenced to three years in a Thai jail after pleading guilty to defaming Thailand’s revered royal family in his self-published 2005 novel Verisimilitude. “I plead guilty,” Nicolaides told a Thai judge after charges of slandering the 81-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej and other members of the royal family, including the crown prince, were read out to him in court. Nicolaides has already spent four months in jail after being arrested at Bangkok airport in August. Dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit and shackled at the ankles, Nicolaides choked back tears as he described his jail time as like being in Alice in Wonderland. “This is an Alice in Wonderland experience. I really believe that I am going to wake up and all of you will be gone,” Nicolaides told reporters. “I would like to apologise. This can’t be real. It feels like a bad dream.”

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Making headway

Sri Lankan troops have found the wreckage of an aircraft near an air strip captured from Tamil Tiger rebels in the north of the island. The wreckage was found in the jungles around Mullaittivu, the last stronghold of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and officials were investigating if it was a part of the Tigers’ air force. “We have asked the air force to examine the wreckage and find out if it is a Tiger plane or parts of an air force aircraft downed inside LTTE-held areas some years ago,” an official said. The makeshift jungle runway was the sixth of its type to be overrun by government soldiers, who are rapidly advancing on areas in the north once controlled by the LTTE, according to the military. The Tigers are believed to have five Czech-built Zlin-143 aircraft, smuggled onto the island in pieces and re-assembled. The government now says it is on the verge of total victory.

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DNA evidence to Pak

India will give Pakistan another set of evidence on the involvement of Pakistani elements in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. DNA samples and fingerprints of Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive, are likely to be handed over to Pakistan soon. Sources say DNA sample is admissible as evidence to determine identity in Pakistani anti-terrorism court. India is also likely to name Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, leaders of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Toiba, as conspirators of the terrorist attacks in the charge-sheet. India expects Interpol to issue red corner notice against the two Lashkar leaders. Pakistan, which has all but accepted that Kasab is a Pakistani, said Indian investigators will “be more than welcome” to help in its probe into the terror strikes.

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President’s Rule

The Union Cabinet on Monday recommended President’s Rule in Jharkhand. The Cabinet also recommended that Jharkhand Assembly be kept in suspended animation as the State has been plunged into political uncertainty following the defeat of Chief Minister Shibu Soren in Tamar by-elections earlier in January. The 81-member State Assembly has been kept under suspended animation to keep options of government formation open. The decision to recommend President’s Rule was taken at a Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Monday morning where the report sent by Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibtey Razi was discussed. Governor Razi had sent a report on the political stalemate in the State after Soren stepped down on January 12 when he failed to enter the Assembly through a bye-election within six months of taking over the reins of the state.

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Getting set for polls

Cine actor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N.T. Ramarao’s son N. Balakrishna will launch his pre-election campaign on January 29 from Hindupur town in Anantapur district. Speaking to reporters, Balakrishna said he would cover Anantapur and Kurnool districts, which would comprise the first leg, and then take in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam. He said he would tour the entire State before elections and sought the support of his fans and TDP activists. Initially, the campaign was to have begun from the north coastal Andhra districts. This was later changed to Rayalaseema as TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu will tour Vizianagaram for two days, beginning January 22.Compiled by SUBAJAYANTHI

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