Findcate

Your local library may soon start looking a lot more like a bookstore, with walls of best-selling books, big living room-style spaces with comfy couches and chairs, space for readings and classes, and even a coffee kiosk.

A big shift for libraries has popular books coming out from the shelves and showing their faces along with CDs, videos and games  on what some librarians call “power walls.”

In Charlotte County, some patrons are already seeing the kind of service Sarasota wants to offer.

Customers at the new mid-county library are encouraged to order online, pick up and check out by themselves. Common areas are open, inviting and bustling with activity. Quieter areas for study are away from the library’s center.

Last year, the county completed a five-year plan for library services that includes two new regional libraries in Punta Gorda and Englewood. Those libraries will include features like historical archives and museum pieces, said Angie Patteson, library manager for Charlotte.

The willingness to change among librarians came after surveys of patrons found that they rarely raved about the depth of a collection or its organization.

“They tend to come and spend time at a library where there are friendly people, some comfortable seating,” said Sarabeth Kalajian, who heads the library system for Sarasota County. “Maybe some aspect of the collection is important to them, but it’s mainly just their basic need for information.”

In the future, there will be fewer titles on display, but almost any book will be available through inter-library loan from across town or the globe. Sarasota patrons can already browse for books from the local collection online and order them for pickup at any branch.

Gone as well, for the most part, will be the Dewey Decimal System.

“This is a renegade trend in libraries to throw out Dewey and organize the collection in the way that people might logically find things,” Kalajian said.

Much like a bookstore, patrons will find a career development section, exercise, finance and self-help sections and areas full of cookbooks, art books or science books.

This new model for libraries is not new. In 1998, the Richmond Public Library in British Columbia opened its Ironwood Branch in a retail space. Librarian Cate McNeely, a recognized visionary in her field, instituted changes that make it seem more like a high-end bookstore. Overnight, it was the most popular branch and dubbed “The Library of the Future.”

“We are a gathering place with not a lot of rules,” Jeffrey said. “Bring a coffee, have a snack, browse, sit by the fireplace, watch the Beijing Olympics on one of our big-screen TVs, take your kids to our daily story time, fill up your shopping basket with good reads and head home to enjoy them.”

Tags: games, pace

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When I first saw Henry Jaglom’s latest film “Hollywood Dreams,” I was left laughing and crying. It’s a film that focuses on the craziness of Hollywood and after watching the film, I am reminded of the phrase “Hollyweird” being used when describing our industry. I love all of Henry Jaglom’s work; the famed director has produced some of the most thought-provoking films on the silver screen. What makes his work stand out is that Jaglom focuses on the characters he’s building a story around, and not on special effects. Special effects dominate storytelling today in Hollywood, which is why movies are so boring today. All movies except Jaglom’s. His are crafted with a brilliant technique only designed and built by movie making geniuses.

Tanna Frederick is a name that many across America don’t recognize, but I promise you, it’s a name you will become acquainted with. Get your autographs from the actress right now, before they become priceless. Almost like a lightning bolt, I was stunned to see the best actress in my lifetime come flying off the screen and into my heart. Not since Bette Davis or Barbara Stanwyck has any actress dominated a film that was an ensemble piece. Everyone knows I’m a very tough critic when it comes to actors today. Many care more about what they look like on the screen than what they convey to the audience. Most characters in movies are so one dimensional that you know how the movie’s going to end.

She is absolutely incredible to look at. The red haired ravenous beauty makes every man pay attention when she’s on screen. But women will love her too. That’s a knack you simply don’t see in Hollywood today. You can’t seem to find an actress who can transcend the sexes. She transcends the sexes, generations and is the must-get for any movie studio looking to revive women’s pictures. Jaglom, like George Cukor, has an edge with actresses that many directors don’t have today. He’s actually good with everyone. So is Frederick.

That is the way Frederick was in this film. I have rarely told people that when they see a movie, they will be absolutely shocked by the ending. Jaglom is a master of mystery and intrigue and wow, it’s the moment well worth waiting for. The only problem at the end of the film was that I immediately wanted another scene. I felt like I wanted to find out what happens to her next. I know what happens with Frederick. She gave me the news that a sequel to this film is in the works. I have one dream before I die: to work with Frederick in a scene and to be directed by the greatest movie maker since Cecile B. DeMille, Henry Jaglom. I’ll have to settle for seeing the sequel to “Hollywood Dreams” I suppose. I’ll do so with excitement and anticipation.

Being able to see Tanna Frederick act is like baking a cake. Just when it’s about to come out of the oven, you want to wait and make sure it’s the right time. The anticipation is just palpable. When interviewing Frederick, you realize the Iowa born native has a lot of life experience and dreams. But she manages to perform on screen as if she were born in the role she portrays.

The game of Hollywood is hers to play. Ms. Frederick will become one of the biggest icons on the silver screen, much like her legend and heroine Bette Davis. I never thought I’d live to say, Bette has been cloned. So The Times can say she’s Bette on crack. I will say she’s Bette incarnate.

Tags: actress, hero, hollywood, special effects

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IF JOHN GALLIANO is looking for a new muse, Australia’s own Jennifer Hawkins could be it. Galliano, the fashion designer for labels such as Christian Dior, and the professional brand ambassador Hawko already look as though they are sharing the same hair stylist, sporting matching locks at this photo opportunity in Paris yesterday.

Galliano is a red-carpet favourite of actors including Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman and has a long-standing relationship with Kylie Minogue, designing tour costumes for the singer.

Hawkins - already the face of a department store, a lingerie brand and a cosmetics empire - was in the city of light at the invitation of the house of Dior with tickets to her first-ever Paris couture shows. While no cash exchanged hands in her “no-strings-attached” appearance the model was reportedly offered a deal no girl could refuse: flown first-class to Paris for the shows and no doubt leaving with more than a few designer goodies, if the looks of mutual admiration in this photo are anything to go by.

The series, which features male and female contestants, is a spin-off of a British series of the same name and the free-to-air equivalent of the Foxtel series Australia’s Next Top Model. The latter ended its fourth series last night with a live eviction episode at Luna Park, with one notable absence host Jodhi Meares. SiT revealed yesterday that Meares would not attend the event, nervous of her performance in front of a live audience, and would instead appear in pre-filmed packages, leaving viewers at home none the wiser.

Tags: cate, cate blanchett, hero, kylie minogue, nicole kidman

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Another aggravated assault over the weekend has landed a 19-year-old Boise man behind bars.

Boise Police were called to Longmont Avenue after a man and woman say a man entered their residence, and battered them both.

The male victim was taken to a hospital with several facial injuries that looked serious, but were not life threatening.

Witnesses say the suspect threw a brick at the male victim’s vehicle as he ran from the house.

Cate has been charged with aggravated battery, burglary, malicious injury to property, stalking and battery.

Tags: boise, brick, burglary, cars, cate, facial injuries, job, male victim, pets, rvs

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Angelos Charisteas joined other more mythical Greek heroes when he headed the winning goal at the Euro 2004 final against hosts Portugal – but since then he has sunk career-wise into the equivalent of Hades.

It all looked so different for Charisteas as he appeared to have shown his then Bundesliga club Werder Bremen that he could produce more than the paltry four goals he had scored for them the season leading up to the European championships.

However, it mattered not a jot to Bremen, who made it pretty clear that he was not considered to be first choice and thus after a summer of highs he was plunged into uncertainty and Greece’s German coach Otto Rehhagel a former Bremen coach – advised him to look for another team.

Thus it was in January 2005 that Dutch giants Ajax came knocking on his door, desperate to find a top replacement for Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who left for Juventus.

If he thought that five million euros transfer fee had allowed him to enter the Elysian fields with a chance to really prove himself at club level, then he was quickly disabused of that notion as then coach Henk Ten Cate placed him fifth in the list behind Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Ryan Babel, Markus Rosenberg and a certain Rydell Poepon.

However, bizarrely he ended up at Ajax’s bitter rivals Feyenoord, which went down like a lead balloon with the Rotterdam side’s supporters, some of whose more hardnosed members marched in protest – and they looked to have been right when Charisteas failed to score in his first 10 appearances.

So low had his star fallen he was shipped off to traditional German relegation candidates FC Nuremberg for just 2.5mil euros – his value in the market halved in just two years.

Thus no wonder that back at the Euro stage where he made his mark four years ago he expressed his delight to have changed scene.

Tags: ajax, bitter rivals, cate, champion, charisteas, club hell, elysian fields, euro 2004, europe, feyenoord, first choice, german coach, greece, greek heroes, henk, hero, jot, juventus, klaas jan huntelaar, lead balloon, markus rosenberg, nuremberg, rotterdam, ryan babel, rydell, ten cate, zlatan ibrahimovic

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Indiana Jones survived his first perilous outing in the Kingdom of Critical Knives on Sunday, winning a friendly round of applause at a press preview at Cannes and respectable reviews.

The world premiere of the fourth and latest installment in the adventure series, and the first in 19 years “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is the hottest ticket at this year’s Cannes film festival.

A packed crowd of hundreds, many wearing Indiana Jones hats, waved and cheered as Harrison Ford, 65, and co-star Cate Blanchett, who plays the villain, walked Cannes’ famed red carpet for the official world premiere.

Set in the late 1950s of the Cold War era, the two-hour movie sees its swashbuckling archeologist hero racing against Soviet agents to recover a mysterious pre-Colombian skull in the wilds of Peru.

The plot had been kept strictly under wraps and promotional stunts kept to a minimum as Hollywood heavy-hitters Steven Spielberg and George Lucas awaited the response to what is arguably this year’s most-anticipated movie.

“Smart, Sleek, Familiar,” ran the headline of an early review in Time magazine’s online edition, which offered an approving appraisal of the film’s veteran lead.

“Ford looks just fine, his chest skin tanned to a rich Corinthian leather; he’s still lithe on his feet, and can deliver a wisecrack as sharp as a whipcrack,” it said.

The Los Angeles Times said fears that the latest outing would prove an embarrassingly geriatric addition to the Indiana Jones franchise had proved unfounded.

“It turns out it’s one of the good ones, and everyone involved can breathe a sigh of relief,” the Times said, while People magazine concluded: “The magic is still there”.

London’s Telegraph critic David Gritten was less enthusiastic, however.

“It’s not that (it) is bad, exactly. But it’s undeniably creaky,” he said.

“He doesn’t wear the fedora with quite the same jaunty angle, his bullwhip doesn’t crack as smartly — and Harrison Ford looks all of his 65 years.”

Ford insisted on doing his own stunts, saying audiences could tell the difference between an actor and a stunt double.

“It needs to be an emotional event, like every moment on screen needs to be invested with real emotion, or pretend emotion,” he told reporters.

“That’s why it’s so gratifying that we were all happy to do the stunt sequences or the action sequences old-school. Human scale.”

Spielberg credited Ford with reviving the Indiana Jones juggernaut when the actor told him in 1994, after he presented the director with an Oscar for “Schindler’s List”, that he would be willing “to put the fedora back on”.

The director called Ford his “secret weapon” in making the movies.

“He’s concerned about the whole, he’s concerned about the story and other characters and he is a collaborator in the entire process of telling the story,” Spielberg, 61, said.

“That takes a lot of pressure and weight off my back to have this kind of a partner in the trenches every single day shooting the picture.”

Ford said he was less concerned with what the critics said than with the opinions of movie-goers round the world.

“This kind of film, it is such a celebration of the movies,” he said.

“I know that we made this movie to reacquaint people with the pure joy that can happen in a dark room with a bunch of other people seeing something that they haven’t seen before that will just kick your butt.”

This fourth adventure begins in 1957 as professor Jones returns to his US college to find he is under suspicion from the anti-Communist administration and is about to be fired.

On his way out of town he meets young Mutt (Shia LaBeouf), a bike-riding knife-flicking James Dean lookalike, who takes him off on a mission to find the Crystal Skull of Akator and to rescue his mother.

Hot on their heels is icy-cold but devastatingly beautiful Soviet agent Blanchett, who is also after the eerie skull which she says Stalin always dreamt of finding to wage “psychic warfare”.

Action-packed with car-chases, waterfall rides, man-eating ants and the usual secret underground temples, the film is chock-a-block with throw-away lines and droll quips.

Its “third dimension” style finale features a Spielberg-fathered ET character surfacing in a Mayan temple — an ending some critics said tested the audiences’ patience.

Tags: 1950s, action sequences, adventure series, applause, bullwhip, cannes, cannes film festival, cate, cate blanchett, crystal skull, david gritten, ford, franchise, george lucas, harrison ford, hats, heavy hitters, hero, hollywood, indiana jones, indiana jones hats, jaunty angle, liar, los angeles times, mutt, people magazine, red carpet, rich corinthian leather, secret weapon, shia labeouf, soviet agents, spielberg, steven spielberg, time magazine, whip, wilds, world premiere

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No, this buzz is all about hot new Hollywood in the shape of a 21-year-old actor whose name confuses the most intelligent reader, Shia LaBeouf.

So when he eventually bounds into the hotel where we’ve arranged to meet, it’s something of an anticlimax to find that he’s, well, just a 21-year-old guy, who’s desperate for a smoke. He immediately asks that we move all conversation to the patio, so he can puff.

“Yes, I smoke,” he admits shamefacedly. “It’s probably the worst thing I do. I leave wet towels on the floor, too. I don’t think I’m the Find Cate Mandigo quintessential guy to look up to right now because I’m still building myself.”

He shouldn’t be too concerned, though. Films such as I, Robot, Disturbia and last year’s smash-hit, Transformers, have already built the foundation for what looks to be a career in a million. His role in Crystal Skull could catapult him into rarefied Brad Pitt or Will Smith territory, although, right now, he’s intriguingly not at liberty to say exactly what that role is.

Rumour has it he plays Indiana Jones’ son (albeit under the name Mutt Williams), but he simply takes another puff and says, “I can’t confirm or deny that.” What he can confirm – most vocally – is that working with Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg and Cate Blanchett has been the most incredible ride.

His bond with Harrison is particularly interesting, with LaBeouf talking fondly and Find Cate Mandigo reverently of him as a father figure.

The actor’s own French-Cajun father, Jeffrey, was a clown from San Francisco who was also a heroin addict.

Their relationship was non-existent until LaBeouf landed a role on US TV series Even Stevens when he was 13 and needed a legal guardian onset. He says wistfully, “I had to rent my father back.”

Bad though it sounds, drug-free father and son now share a deep bond, formed over the nine years LaBeouf has spent playing the role of family breadwinner.

“He’s not necessarily the father I wanted, but I wouldn’t want anybody else,” he reveals. “He’s my best friend – as is my mother – they’re both wise people. But pain is the foundation of my father’s growth and I draw from him every time I do what I do.”

Cigarette smoked, LaBeouf asks to move inside. Looking all-American in his navy-blue, long-sleeve T-shirt and low-slung jeans, he takes a long gulp of vitamin water from the bottle he’s been carrying.

“Finance is a big reason that my family split up and that’s not a worry any more, but Dad was gone for a long time. I was five when my parents separated. I hated him for a long time, but from 13 years old to this point – it’s now a love affair. I’m lucky, because supporting my family has been a blessing.”

The Los Angeles native comes from a long line of artists and performers. As well as a clown for a dad, his mum, Shayna, was a dancer who studied ballet with the famous Martha Graham.

LaBeouf’s dad used to dress up the family as clowns and the three of them would perform and sell hot dogs in LA’s Echo Park.

However, nobody called LaBeouf found any real success until Shia took up acting. He made the decision, aged 10, after talking to a boy in Malibu, who was wearing all the latest designer gear, thanks to a role on Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman. LaBeouf’s schoolboy yearning for brand-name clothing paid off.

“My lineage is constant artwork never seen by the public, or just fluttered out,” he explains.

“My great-grandmother was a piano player on Lucky Luciano’s gambling boat; my grandmother was a lesbian beatnik poet who used to run with Allen Ginsberg – her poetry was never discovered. My father is this amazing pantomime clown, but nobody has heard of him and my mother is this amazing visual artist who danced and nobody has heard of her. My career is a culmination of a lot of prayers and a lot of work.”

That said, he admits that he looks towards others to fill the more Find Cate Mandigo traditional roles in his life. Harrison Ford is the latest addition to LaBeouf’s role models, alongside past co-stars, John Voight and John Hurt.

“Harrison and I became close on set, but he’s the kind of guy where you have to earn the hug,” he smiles.

“The day I got my first hug from Harrison was a big day. The hug came about through work and results. It’s not easy making these kinds of action movies – they’re very physical and emotional.

“Finding the right tone is the hardest part and once you find it, Harrison’s all over you.”

An important lesson LaBeouf has learnt from Ford is to not give away too much. The original Indy is notoriously private where LaBeouf, until now, has been happy to spill his guts.

“I have to stop that,” he says, looking at the tape recorder. “When I was younger, I was happy to tell people stuff because I was anxious to please. Now I realise that my favourite actors don’t give much away; they maintain a level of mystery and I think I have to work on that.”

He has spoken many times about his past relationship with China Brezner, the daughter of The Greatest Game Ever Played producer, Larry Brezner, whom he met while shooting the movie in 2004. His first real love, they were together until early last year.

“I was very open about my relationship with China. I’m sure that’s hurt her so I’m going to stop talking about it. Sure I have time for girls, but nothing is very serious right now. There’s no specifics.”

Would he say he’s a romantic kind of guy? “Oh yeah, I get into poetry and songwriting,” he laughs.

“I’ve flown across the country with flowers to hand-deliver, and I’ve made trails out of rose petals and put on the Jodeci music. I’ve also been known to put on some Meatloaf, which is so cheesy. I won’t say if it worked or not, but it was very funny!”

Being the next big thing probably makes it easier to get the girls, but it comes at a price. (Although, when I mention his ‘next big thing’ status, LaBeouf is quick to point out “some days I’m the next big thing, some days I’m the next worst thing”.)

His brushes with the law are well-documented. He was arrested in 2005 after ramming a neighbour’s car and threatening him with a knife; the second was last November, for trespassing in a pharmacy in Chicago. No charges were pressed for either incident.

He simply says, “I’m at ease at this point. I’ve had my moments and I guess the biggest lesson I’ve learnt with the press is to never say never.”

He makes eye contact and says, “I’ve had a couple of run-ins, but I can definitely say that I don’t want that kind of life. I surround myself with good people, but I’m 21 and I make mistakes. I’m learning to cope. I didn’t get into this business to be Captain America.”

So does he take downtime? “Why would I?” he counters. “I enjoy every moment and the bad things come up when you’re not working. The negative aspects of this industry happen in the off-time.”

But surely there has to be some time when he’s not onset? “I’ve spent more time at home recently because the last two movies I shot have been made in LA so, yes, I’ve had some time at home. I hang out with my dog, read and I’m into my sports. I have about five close friends and we sit and Find Cate Mandigo talk a lot.”

He shifts in his seat, before revealing that a lot of his old friends have fallen by the wayside. “You see, the people I’ve known for a long time, their mindset changed and they stopped being friends with me and started being friends with what I do.”

He pauses to contemplate the situation. “That’s been the hardest decision, losing friends and getting rid of the people who are bad eggs. But that’s what happens with transition. I could never have foreseen what was going to happen. Fame is a drug, it’s addictive. But this isn’t who I am, it’s what I do. You have to maintain separation or you lose your mind.”

Taking all that into consideration, is he prepared for what will surely be global Indiana Jones-mania?

“I don’t imagine things will change too much,” he says modestly. “I have a lot of people around me who keep me centred because I get haywire, too – but I’m pretty calm right now.” He laughs remembering how amazing it was to find himself on the set of such a hotly anticipated movie.

“Every day was like, ‘Omigod, I’m on the set of Indiana Jones!’ That feeling of excitement never went away, it just became something I would channel into the work. Steven (Spielberg) was amazing. He gives you a lot of room and trusts you to do exactly what he hired you for. There were never any bumps.”

Indeed, Spielberg, who suggested LaBeouf for the lead role in Michael Bay’s Transformers, returns the compliment, stating, “His talent has impressed not only his audiences, but the directors, producers and fellow actors who have worked with him.”

However, he remains tight-lipped on whether or not LaBeouf will continue to run with the Indy torch, saying simply, “We’ll see. He still has multiple Transformers films to do.”

The actor proved his commitment to Spielberg and the Indiana Jones franchise by going on a strict diet and fitness regimen, but his heart went out to co-star Cate Blanchett, who was pregnant while filming her very physical villain scenes.

“She’s kind, but the minute ‘action’ is called, she’s not Cate any more. She’s mean. She was pregnant and doing these crazy swordfights, but she held her own for hours. Honestly, she’s a bad ass.”

At 21, he has an old head on his shoulders. “I hope this year holds more of the same, and I hope that I have a lot more smiles and Find Cate Mandigo laughs. If it continues as it is now, I think I’m going to really enjoy my year.”

Tags: brad pitt, cate, cate blanchett, crystal skull, father and son, Find Cate, Find Cate Mandigo, ford, franchise, harrison ford, hero, hollywood, indiana jones, indy, mutt, rbi, shia labeouf, smile, spielberg, steven spielberg

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Some 156 Chinese cultural relics smuggled to Denmark two years ago are expected to return to Beijing tomorrow following a local court ruling in February to that effect.

The relics include pottery figurines of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) as well as some rare items dating back to the Xia (2100-1600 BC), Shang (1600-1100 BC), Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties, said Song Xinchao, director of the museum department of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) at a reception yesterday hosted by the Chinese embassy to Denmark.

The recovery of these items demonstrates the Chinese government’s resolve to seek the return of relics illegally taken overseas, he said.

Song led a group of SACH experts to help pack the relics and bring them back home. The relics will be on display after their return.

Danish police seized a batch of smuggled Chinese cultural relics along with items from other countries in Copenhagen in February 2006, and immediately notified the Chinese embassy. From the pictures provided by Danish police, Chinese experts recognized them as cultural relics.

In accordance with a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) convention in 1970 that bans illegal trade in cultural relics, the Chinese government, through its legal representatives, filed an appeal in a local court in Denmark last August asking the local police to hand over the relics to the Chinese government.

An expert group from SACH was also dispatched to Denmark to help in the proceedings.

Back in China, the Ministry of Public Security and cultural relics protection departments located the sites of the stolen relics, providing the necessary legal evidence to the Danish court.

The court ruled in late February that the relics should be returned to China. The two countries completed the formalities for the handover earlier this month.

China has intensified efforts to recover its lost relics in recent years. One case involving Sino-US cooperation in the field began in March 2000, when a statue looted from a Chinese tomb in the Five Dynasties period (AD907-960) appeared in an advertisement for an auction in the US. The statue was seized by US Customs officials prior to the auction and after year-long legal and diplomatic talks, it finally returned home.

Shan Jixiang, director of the SACH, told China Daily in February that he would like to invite directors of major museums to the sites from which cultural artifacts have been looted.

They should come and see how invaluable murals were cut into pieces and taken away and how ancient tombs were raided, he said, adding that China wants to sign with the US an MOU on cooperation in preventing theft of relics, illegal excavation and illicit trade of cultural property.

(Source: China Daily)

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The techno-savy youngsters use the internet software to communicate

regularly with Whangarei’s Manaia Kindergarten as part of a Ministry of

Education ICT professional learning project.

The kindergarten is one of 60 early childhood centres around the

country participating in the pilot scheme which involves action

research into how ICT supports children’s metacognitive thinking.

It’s a very innovative project in early childhood, head teacher Tracey Nelson said.

It’s getting the children thinking about thinking.

Skype, a software program which enables the pupils to talk live to

other pupils over the internet, is just one technological idea the

programme involves.

They have also been using a web cam to show their North Island

counterparts what equipment they have in their playground and have

performed reciprocal dances by enlarging the screen through the digital

projector.

There are several cameras for the pupils to capture learning around

the kindergarten, they are making their own movies and even have a

digital microscope to analyse all sorts of insects and objects.

Mrs Nelson said people often thought ICT was about computers but it was more than that.

She said using the technology enhanced both teaching and learning.

It motivates and keeps them interested.

It’s real interactive teaching. And great collaborative learning.

Mrs Nelson said as the children have been brought up in a digital age they are also very competent with the using the equipment.

However, she said ICT is still only part of the curriculum, fitting alongside literacy and numeracy.

The kindergarten is about half way through the three year project gather evidence and regularly report back on their findings.

Tags: cate

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Afghanistan’s Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak, currently on a week-long visit to India, Friday visited disputed Kashmir province to witness Indian counter militancy operations.

Upon his arrival in Srinagar, the minister accompanied by a six- member delegation, was briefed by top military commanders at Badamibagh here.

Badamibagh is the headquarters of Indian army’s 15th Corps, engaged in fighting Muslim militants for past 19 years.

Minister Wardak was given a presentation on the way Indian army conducts its anti-militancy operations, official sources said.

Around sixty to seventy thousand people have been killed in the militant struggle for an independent Kashmir.

Indian officials say militancy has been largely contained and a near normal situation prevails in Kashmir now.

They are expecting biggest ever rush of tourists in years to scenic Kashmir this year.

Wardak’s visit to Kashmir, first by an Afghan Minister in 3 decades, is loaded with lot of symbolism, observers here say.

The very fact that the Afghan defence minister is being taken to Kashmir indicates the significance of the visit and the underlying message that will go across to Pakistan.

Indian troops have been fighting Kashmiri militants for last 19 years.

Many of the militant groups were backed by Pakistan and some of them with links to Taliban.

However, there has been no evidence of Taliban or al-Qaeda militants’ presence in Kashmir. –IRNA

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