Osama bin Laden widows charged with illegal entry

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has charged Osama bin Laden's three widows with illegal entry, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Thursday, without saying when it had done so or when a trial would begin.

Pakistan took the Al-Qaeda terror chief's wives - two Saudis and a Yemeni - and around 10 of their children into custody after U.S. Navy SEALs killed him at his house in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.

"The case has been registered only against the adults," Malik told reporters in the capital Islamabad. "They can have a lawyer and they have full liberty to go to court and defend themselves," he added.

Malik said bin Laden's children were being kept in a five-bedroom house "with proper facilities as if they were in their own home" but that they were free to return to their native countries if their mothers agreed.

A commission probing how bin Laden lived undetected for years in Pakistan investigated his widows and daughters and took statements from them last year.

Pakistan had not previously indicated any restrictions on the women leaving the country. The investigating committee said late last year that it had no further need to speak to them, giving the green light to their repatriation.

When they were detained 10 months ago, the government said they would be handed over to their countries of origin "as per policy."

The interior minister did not specify what punishment the widows could be liable to receive.

Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, a lawyer working with the Federal Investigation Agency that registered the case, told AFP that the maximum sentence was 10 years in jail and a fine of up to 10,000 rupees ($110).

According to an interview with bin Laden's Yemeni brother-in-law published in British newspaper The Sunday Times, the Al-Qaeda leader urged his younger children to go and live peacefully in the West and get a university education.

Zakaria al-Sadah, told the newspaper that in November he had seen his sister, bin Laden's fifth wife, Amal, for the first time since she was shot in the knee during the raid, and was allowed to have several meetings with her.

He said the three wives and nine children who were in the compound - some are bin Laden's children and others are his grandchildren - have been held for months in a three-room flat in Islamabad.

They are guarded by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency, he said.

Alongside the article last month, The Sunday Times published what it said was the first photograph to show some of the young children from the compound: two sons and a daughter, and two grandsons and a granddaughter.

The children were still traumatized after seeing the raid in which bin Laden died, al-Sadah said.

Air Canada to lock out pilots

Air Canada has served notice that it intends to lock out its 3,000 pilots Monday, the same day another union, which represents thousands of ground crew and mechanics at the airline, is set to strike.

All eyes are now expected to turn to the federal government, which has in the past expressed serious concerns about flight disruptions at the country's biggest airline.

On Thursday, after negotiations to reach a new collective agreement fell short, Air Canada announced it had served 72 hours notice to the pilots union that a lockout could begin as early as 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday.

A deadline passed Thursday at noon for the what the airline had called its "best, last and final offer" — without a deal being reached.

The airline made its most recent offer Wednesday, which was less than a month after Labour Minister Lisa Raitt offered both sides a new mediator and a six-month process to help them settle contract negotiations — a gesture that was welcomed by the airline and union at the time.

"We need to bring closure to the ongoing climate of labour uncertainty at Air Canada which is affecting our customers, destabilizing the company and our operations, and damaging the Air Canada brand," Duncan Dee, the airline's executive vice-president and chief operating officer, said in a statement Thursday.

The pilots expressed frustration with their employer latest offer.

"The corporation pulled a dramatic u-turn (Wednesday) on the first day of our return to bargaining," Capt. Paul Strachan, president of the Air Canada Pilots Association, said in a statement.

"After committing to a federal mediation process that was to last up to 180 days, the corporation instead chose to table what it termed its 'final' offer only 23 days into the process, without any serious effort to bridge our differences by negotiating in good faith."

The lockout Monday would coincide with a strike by thousands of ground crew and mechanics at Air Canada.

Talks broke off late Tuesday between the airline and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents 8,600 Air Canada ground crew and mechanics.

The union had rejected a new labour agreement two weeks ago, but returned to the bargaining table this week. According to the union, talks broke after the airline balked at a list of demands from the union.

Raitt said Wednesday she was concerned about the prospect of strike action at Air Canada over the March Break.

The federal government was once again being urged not to intervene in Air Canada's labour negotiations by critics who contend it does little to mend the airline's frayed relations with employees.

Music director Ravi is no more

Mumbai, March 7 - Veteran music director Ravi Shankar Sharma, popularly known as Ravi who gave several hit songs like Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho" and "Dil Ke Aarman Aansu Bankey Rah Gaye", died here tonight following prolonged illness, family sources said. 86-year-old Ravi, who has composed music for over 70 Hindi and 14 Malayalam films, breathed his last at Bombay Hospital. Sharma?s wife Kanti died long ago and he is survived by son Ajay who is married to Varsha Usgaonkar, a Marathi and Hindi film actress. "He (Ravi) is no more with us. He was keeping ill for a week and was admitted to Bombay Hospital where he passed away today", one of his nephews told PTI. Among the music composer's popular numbers are ?Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho?, ?Tora Man Darpan Kahlaye?, 'Baar Baar Dekho Hazaar Baar Dekho' in Shammi Kapoor-starrer "China Town" (1962), 'Dil Ke Aarman Aansu Bankey Rah Gaye' from "Nikaa" (1982) and 'Milti Hai Zindagi Mey Mohabbat Kabhi Kabhi" from the 1968 movie "Aankhen" starring Dharmendra and Mala Sinha. Ravi began his career in 1955 by composing the music for "Albeli" and went to do the same for movies like "Dilli Ka Thug" (1958), "Humraaz" (1967), "Neelkamal" (1968), "Ek Phool Do Maali" (1969) and "Mehendi" (1984). "Just heard about the demise of composer Ravi saab. He was one of my most favourites. Never got a chance to meet him. Now I won't ever. R.I.P", national award-winning playback singer Shreya Ghoshal wrote on twitter.

ਗਿਆਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੋਟਲੀ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਪ੍ਰੈੱਸ ਕਲੱਬ ਬੀ. ਸੀ. ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਬਣੇ

ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਪ੍ਰੈੱਸ ਕਲੱਬ ਬੀ. ਸੀ. ਦੇ ਨਵੇਂ ਚੁਣੇ ਅਹੁਦੇਦਾਰ।

ਵੈਨਕੂਵਰ, 7 ਮਾਰਚ - ਅੱਜ ਏਥੇ ਬੜੇ ਸੁਖਾਵੇਂ ਮਾਹੌਲ ਵਿਚ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਪ੍ਰੈੱਸ ਕਲੱਬ ਆਫ ਬੀ. ਸੀ. ਦੀ ਚੋਣ ਹੋਈ ਜਿਸ ਵਿਖੇ ਏਥੋਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਮਵਰ ਸ਼ਾਇਰ ਤੇ ਲਿਖਾਰੀ ਪ੍ਰਿੰਸੀਪਲ ਗਿਆਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੋਟਲੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਰਬ ਸੰਮਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਦੋ ਸਾਲ ਲਈ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਚੁਣ ਲਿਆ ਗਿਆ। ਬਾਕੀ ਕਾਰਜ ਸਾਧਕ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਵਿਚ ਬੀਬੀ ਕੁਲਜੀਤ ਕੌਰ ਮੀਤ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ, ਗੁਰਲਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਜਰਨਲ ਸਕੱਤਰ, ਹਰਗੋਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਰੰਧਾਵਾ ਮੀਤ ਸਕੱਤਰ, ਹਰਕੀਰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੁਲਾਰ ਖਜ਼ਾਨਚੀ, ਗੁਰਸੇਵਕ ਸਿੰਘ ਪੰਧੇਰ ਮੀਤ ਖਜ਼ਾਨਚੀ ਤੇ ਕੁਲਦੀਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਮੱਲ੍ਹੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਪੋਕਸਮੈਨ ਚੁਣਿਆ ਗਿਆ। ਇਸ ਅਵਸਰ ਤੇ ਹਾਜ਼ਰ ਉੱਘੇ ਪੱਤਰਕਾਰ ਸੁਖਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ, ਚੀਮਾ, ਗੁਰਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਹੋਤਾ, ਸੰਤੋਖ ਸਿੰਘ ਮੰਡੇਰ, ਪਲਵਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਿੱਲ, ਜਰਨੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਆਰਟਿਸਟ, ਮੇਜਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਰੰਧਾਵਾ ਤੇ ਅਮਰਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਪੇਸ਼ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਇਸ ਗੱਲ 'ਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਨਤਾ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਕੀਤੀ ਕਿ ਗਿਆਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੋਟਲੀ ਜੇਹੇ ਸੁਲਝੇ ਹੋਏ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨਗੀ ਲਈ ਸਰਬ ਸੰਮਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਚੁਣਿਆ ਗਿਆ। ਸਾਰਿਆਂ ਨੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਪ੍ਰੈੱਸ ਕਲੱਬ ਦੀ ਬਿਹਤਰੀ ਲਈ ਨਵੀਂ ਚੁਣੀ ਗਈ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਨੂੰ ਹਰ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਸਹਿਯੋਗ ਦੇਣ ਦਾ ਵਿਸਥਾਰ ਦੁਆਇਆ

ਵਿਯਨ ਆਫ਼ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਅਤੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਆਰਟਸ ਐਸੋਸੀਏਸ਼ਨ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਜਨਾਬ ਅਫ਼ਜ਼ਲ ਸਾਹਿਰ ਦਾ ਸਨਮਾਨ

ਜਨਾਬ ਅਫ਼ਜ਼ਲ ਸਾਹਿਰ ਦਾ ਸਨਮਾਨ ਕਰਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਇਕਬਾਲ ਮਾਹਲ, ਨੀਟਾ ਬਲਵਿੰਦਰ ਅਤੇ ਬਲਜਿੰਦਰ ਲੇਲ੍ਹਣਾ।

ਟੋਰਾਂਟੋ, 7 ਮਾਰਚ - ਬੀਤੇ ਦਿਨੀਂ ਇਥੇ ਪਹੁੰਚੇ ਪਾਕਿਸਤਾਨ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਿਵ ਕੁਮਾਰ ਬਟਾਲਵੀ ਵਜੋਂ ਜਾਣੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਉੱਘੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਕਵੀ ਜਨਾਬ ਅਫ਼ਜ਼ਲ ਸਾਹਿਰ ਦਾ ਵਿਯਨ ਆਫ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਟੀ. ਵੀ. ਦੇ ਸੰਚਾਲਕ ਸ: ਇਕਬਾਲ ਮਾਹਲ ਅਤੇ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਆਰਟਸ ਐਸੋਸੀਏਸ਼ਨ ਆਫ ਟੋਰਾਂਟੋ ਦੇ ਸ: ਬਲਜਿੰਦਰ ਲੇਲ੍ਹਣਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਬਰੈਂਪਟਨ ਵਿਚ ਕਰਵਾਏ ਇਕ ਸਮਾਗਮ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਸਨਮਾਨ ਚਿੰਨ ਦੇ ਕੇ ਸਨਮਾਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਗੱਲ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਜਨਾਬ ਸਾਹਿਰ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਮਾਖਿਓਂ ਮਿੱਠੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਮਾਂ ਬੋਲੀ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ ਜਿਉਂਦੀ ਰਹੇਗੀ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਸਟੇਜ ਦੀ ਕਾਰਵਾਈ ਬੀਬਾ ਨੀਟਾ ਬਲਵਿੰਦਰ ਨੇ ਨਿਭਾਈ ਜਦੋਂ ਕਿ ਇਕਬਾਲ ਮਾਹਲ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਜਨਾਬ ਸਾਹਿਰ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਾਇਰੀ ਦੇ ਸਫਰ ਬਾਰੇ ਚਾਨਣਾ ਪਾਇਆ।