Amid criticism over silence, PM meets editors tomorrow

Under attack from civil society activists, the media and Opposition parties, voicing the need for him to be more communicative over critical issues facing the nation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is planning to meet tomorrow morning with editors of newspapers and magazines, say sources.

The last few months have seen Dr Singh's government functioning in a continuum of crises. Financial scandals have tumbled out of the offices of some senior ministers. And the controversy over the Lokpal Bill - which has headlined the summer - has left people asking why the Prime Minister isn't offering his opinion on what sort of Bill the government plans to introduce to check corruption.

Opposition parties have said the Prime Minister needs to explain the "governance deficit" that they allege has crippled the UPA coalition. Activists led by Gandhian Anna Hazare - who describe the government's version of the Lokpal bill as a "betrayal" have said repeatedly that they don't understand the PM's silence on a matter of such great importance.

In an exclusive interview to NDTV earlier this week, Home Minister P Chidambaram accepted, "Yes, I acknowledge that lots of people would like the Prime Minister to step up to the plate, so as to say, and speak more often. But that is the style of the person."

Dr Singh has so far held only three nationally-televised press conferences in the last seven years.

Sanjay Dutt's Incredible Action Hulk in Agneepath

Sanjay Dutt dons into yet another look for Karan Johar's Agneepath returns. The look - inspired by popular comic hero, The Incredible Hulk - has Sanju Baba sporting some inevitable tattoos on his well built arms and going all bald, whilst escorting himself in a loose printed, yellow shirt.

Co-starring alongside Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra, the film is said to be a remake of yesteryear's runaway hit Agneepath (1990), which starred Amitabh Bachchan in his much-celebrated character of Vijay Deenanath Chauhan.

For this ultra-villainous look of Kancha Cheena, Sanjay Dutt was believed to be working very hard, working out at least twice a day - one hour for cardio and a hour and half for weights. Over his deadly look, Dutt was recently heard saying that he did this for his fans as well as himself. The actor has been looking to get back in shape for a while now.

While Sanju Baba escorts the Hulk Hogan look, Hrithik's look on the other hand is expected to be intense and menacing.

Sunflowers to clean radioactive soil in Japan

Campaigners in Japan are asking people to grow sunflowers, said to help decontaminate radioactive soil, in response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster that followed March's massive quake and tsunami.

Volunteers are being asked to grow sunflowers this year, then send the seeds to the stricken area where they will be planted next year to help get rid of radioactive contaminants in the plant's fallout zone.

The campaign, launched by young entrepreneurs and civil servants in Fukushima prefecture last month, aims to cover large areas in yellow blossoms as a symbol of hope and reconstruction and to lure back tourists.

"We will give the seeds sent back by people for free to farmers, the public sector and other groups next year," said project leader Shinji Handa. The goal is a landscape so yellow that "it will surprise NASA", he said.

The massive earthquake and tsunami left more than 23,000 people dead or missing on Japan's northeast coast and crippled the Fukushima nuclear power plant that has leaked radiation into the environment since.

Almost 10,000 packets of sunflower seeds at 500 yen ($6) each have so far been sold to some 30,000 people, including to the city of Yokohama near Tokyo, which is growing sunflowers in 200 parks, Handa said.

Handa -- who hails from Hiroshima, hit by an atomic bomb at the end of World War II -- said the sunflower project was a way for people across the nation to lend their support to the disaster region.

"This is different from donations because people will grow the flowers, and a mother can tell her children that it is like an act of prayer for the reconstruction of the northeast," Handa said.
"I also hope the project will give momentum to attract tourists back to Fukushima with sunflower seeds in their hands. I would like to make a maze using sunflowers so that children can play in it."

EU proposes 150m euros to aid farmers

Producers of salad vegetables have seen sales plummet in the outbreak, which has killed 22 people and sickened more than 2,400.EU agriculture ministers are holding crisis talks in Luxembourg.

The EU health commissioner said the outbreak was limited to north Germany and did not need Europe-wide controls.John Dalli also warned against releasing unproven information on the outbreak, saying it had spread fear and adversely affected farm producers.

European agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos told journalists ahead of the Luxembourg talks: "I will propose 150m euros today.Compensation will cover the period from late May to late June, he said, but the amount paid could change once each country's reported losses are known.

Spain has been demanding 100% compensation from Germany for huge losses suffered by its farmers because of the false accusation that the outbreak began in Spanish cucumbers.Spain's fruit and vegetables exporters association has estimated losses at 225m euros (£200m) a week.

All the deaths from the outbreak, bar one in Sweden, have been in Germany. Twelve countries have been affected, with the cases outside Germany linked to travel there.