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India: It’s not fair to compare me with Ranbir -- Imran Pg 9 11 held in US on spy charges An incident reminiscent of the Cold War era hostilities, the US has arrested 11 people on charges of spying for Russia, angering Moscow to issue a stern warning that it would be a blow to the ObamaMedvedev ‘burger’ diplomacy

and the ‘reset’ in bilateral ties.

The arrests were made on Sunday and yesterday in Boston, New York, New Jersey and Virginia, the Department of Justice announced today alleging that the group dubbed the “illegals“ was tasked by the Russian intelligence agency SVR to enter the US,

The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, wednesdaY, june 30, 2010

Business: Diesel prices to go the petrol way: PM Pg 12

Registrar of Co-ops caught taking bribe HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JUNE 29

The Registrar of Co-operative Societies, P K Pattidar, who also holds additional charge as Director, Animal Husbandry was today caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials accepting a bribe.

ACB Police Inspector Nilesh Rane addressing media, after sleuths raided Pattidar’s Patto office disclosed that he was caught taking Rs 15,000 from a contractor.

“We received a complaint this morning from one contractor who had supplied feed worth Rs 23 lakh to the Dhaat and Koparde farms”, Rane stated.

He said that the complainant had alleged that Pattidar was demanding 10 per cent as commission for settling his bills, which was working out to Rs 2.3 lakh. After negotiations, the complainant agreed to pay the amount in instalments with the first instalment being of Rs 15,000, Rane stated.

Following the complaint, ACB sleuths laid a trap and he was caught red-handed accepting Rs 15,000 at the Registrar of Cooperative Societies office at Patto plaza, at around 5.15 pm today, the official said.

Sources in the ACB disclosed that Pattidar used to regularly call the contractors at the Patto office of Registrar of Co-op Societies for such nefarious activities.

ACB officials also raided Pat-

pRiCe Rs. 3.00 (air surcharge Rs. 1.50) pages 18

Sports: Paraguay shoot out Rising Sun Pg 18 26 CRPF men shot dead in Maoist attack PTI RAIPUR, JUNE 29

In a major Maoist attack, 26 CRPF personnel were today shot dead and seven injured in an ambush in a remote area of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district.

Heavily-armed Maoists opened fire with automatic weapons from a hilltop when a 63-member security contingent was returning from road opening duty on foot, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said in New Delhi.

The attack, which also left seven personnel including four special police officers of the Chhattisgarh Police injured, took place at Daurai Road area, about 300 km from here, at around 3 pm.

It comes nearly three months after the worst April 6 Dantewada massacre by the Maoist which left 75 personnel of the force and one Chhattisgarh policeman dead.

Pillai said security and medical reinforcements have been sent to the spot and all the bodies have been recovered. The injured have been taken to a hospital by a helicopter, he said.

According to preliminary information, the condition of one of the SPOs is stated to be serious, officials said.

The troops were from the 39th battalion of the force and were a part of its ‘E’ and ‘F’ companies, CRPF Chief Vikram SriAnti-Corruption Bureau officials escort Registrar of Co-operative So- vastava said. cieties, P K Pattidar out of his office after he was caught red-handed On May 8, eight men of the for accepting a bribe.

Photo by Rozario Estibeiro. paramilitary force were killed tidar’s house to conduct a thorAfter the raids, Pattidar was when naxals blew up a mineough probe into his assets, arrested and taken to ACB office proof vehicle also in Narayanpur at Altinho. sources said. district.

City’s garbage problem solved Police protection assured, work resumes today HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JUNE 29

Garbage collection in the capital city will resume from Wednesday after an emergency meeting of CCP on Tuesday evening managed to convince the contractor Shakeel Abdul Wahab in restarting work.

The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) Mayor Carolina Po today said that garbage collection in the city will begin from tomorrow while sorting of the same and recycling will begin tonight.

“We explained him the entire situation and also assured police protection. Accordingly, he has

Indians have the highest rate of heart disease in the UK, according to latest research the University of Oxford.

The burden of heart disease among ethnic minorities is revealed in the new report compiled by Oxford University researchers for the British Heart Foundation.

The figures suggest that while the South Asian population suffers the highest rates of heart disease, many could be missing out on access to some treatments.

The publication, Ethnic Differences in Cardiovascular Disease 2010, reports that 27 per cent of deaths in men born in South Asia and living in the UK are from heart disease, compared with 18 per cent in men born in the UK. Lead author of the report, Dr Peter Scarborough from Oxford’s Department of Public Health, said: “The report confirms what was already generally known about ethnic differences in the burden of cardiovascular disease – that South Asians in the UK suffer more coronary heart disease than the white population”.

Diabetes is also more prevalent in the South Asian popula-

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JUNE 29

agreed to send his workers at the sorting centre at St Inez”, Po said.

CCP has written to the Panjim police asking to provide protection to the workers, who were beaten up by an unknown, last week.

Contractor Shakeel who had stopped sorting and recycling work, confirmed that the Corporation has guaranteed police protection to his workers.

“I was also called by police commissioner this evening, who has also assured that protection will be provided. I narrated him entire scene and he

Ending days of speculation, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today appointed Jose Philip D’Souza as its Goa unit president.

The decision comes a day after the party general secretary and incharge of Goa desk Prakash Binsale said that they are still undecided on the matter.

However, the suspense came to an end today evening with the party announcing name of Jose Philip.

A letter to this effect was issued by the NCP Office Superintendent A Z Palwi.

Jose Philip D’Souza, who is the minister for Revenue and Civil Supplies in the Congressled coalition Government, told Herald that his first job would

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Indians top heart disease list in UK PTI LONDON, JUNE 29

Jose Philip is State NCP president

tion, while the black population has a higher risk of stroke.

The reasons for differences between ethnic groups living in the UK are not fully understood.

Scarborough explained: “There are a number of different influences that could have an effect – genetic differences, socio-economic differences, and differences in factors that can raise the risk of heart disease”.

This report shows that there are differences in risk factors within the ethnic groups in the UK, but it is difficult to assess how much these translate to the experience of heart disease.

Of course Marathi manoos will never 'bow down' under pressure.

But this song seems to be in African language not Marathi.

Mickky moves SC for bail HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JUNE 29

The absconding former tourism minister, Mickky Pacheco whose anticipatory bail application was rejected by the High Court last week, has now knocked the doors of the Supreme Court seeking relief.

Mickky has been named main accused in the death of his close friend, Nadia Torrado, who died on May 29, a fortnight after she consumed ratol (rat poison).

His aide and co-accused, Lyndon Monteiro who is also in hiding has also challenged the High Court order rejecting his anticipatory bail application.

While considering occurrence of entire incident and that the death of Nadia occurred under mysterious cir-

cumstances the High Court had rejected both applications.

“It cannot be denied that the offence appears to be of a very serious nature. It involves death of a young woman in mysterious circumstances.

Looking to the sequence of events it cannot be said that custodial interrogation of the applicant is not required”, the High Court had observed.

Mickky has been absconding since June 5, after he stepped down from the office of minister.

It is the case of the investigating agency that the house of the deceased including the bedroom was cleaned. Also, important evidence was deliberately made to disappear from the house. Two cell phones, passport and laptop of the deceased and even the ratol tube are missing.

Mickky Pacheco’s estranged wife Sara walks out of the Crime Branch office at Dona Paula after a grueling 6-hour questioning.

Photo by Rozario Estibeiro.

Sleuths grill Mickky’s wife for six hours HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JUNE 29

The Crime Branch today quizzed former tourism mini s t e r Fr a n c i s c o M i c k k y Pacheco’s estranged wife Sara Pacheco for almost six hours in connection with the Nadia Torrado death case.

Sara, who had filed a complaint of bigamy against Pacheco was accompanied by Bailancho Ekvott President Auda Viegas.

Sara refused to talk to the press after the marathon grilling but sources in the Crime Branch here said that Sara admitted she knew Nadia since 2004.

“I knew that Nadia and Pacheco were going around”, she said in her statement before police.

Nadia, who worked in

Pacheco’s firm as an accounts coordinator died after consuming poison on May 30.

Pacheco and his OSD Lyndon Monteiro are on the run after Crime Branch accused them in Nadia’s death.

Speaking to reporters Auda Viegas said that Sara married Pacheco in 1999 and their marriage ran into trouble in 2004.

In December 2008, Sara filed a complaint of domestic violence against Pacheco claiming that he abused her often and threw her out of the house.

Subsequently, in January 2009, Pacheco filed a divorce petition seeking to separate from Sara.

Sara has also filed complaint of forgery against Pacheco last year alleging that he sold all her flats and a vehicle, which were in her name.

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GOA

GOA, WEDNESDAY, 30 JUNE, 2010

Hospicio revamp: Vishwajeet pays surprise visit, reviews works

Road Safety Week from July 1 HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 29

GOACAN will observe a State Road Safety Week from July 1 to create an awareness among consumers on the importance of Road Safety and Traffic Management, the urgent need to instill traffic discipline and reduce accidents in Goa. GOACAN coordinator Roland Martins said the death of 46 persons in road accidents in 31days of May is yet another reminder of the serious problem affecting the State of Goa. The death of 19 riders and 11 pedestrians further highlights the urgent need for consumers to get involved in solutions, he added.

The Week long program during this monsoon will promote the formation of Road Safety & Traffic Management Committees at the level of the Village Panchayat & Municipal Councils and the submission of local Road Safety Plans prepared by the Consumer Forums to the various agencies like Traffic Police, Directorate of Transport, PWD, RND & District Magistrate.

During the week Consumer Forums will promote the benefits of the Road Safety Patrol (RSP) and encourage its formation in all High Schools in Goa as well as the benefits of the Traffic Warden Scheme in coordination with the various Traffic Police Cells.

Sangodd celebrations

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 29

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 29

With just a fortnight to go for Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat’s July 15 deadline to revamp Hospicio into a premiere hospital, Health Minister, Vishwajeet Rane on Tuesday made a surprise visit to the hospital to get a first hand account of the ongoing works and to put things in order.

As dirty linen greeted the Health Minister during his rounds of the Hospicio wards, Rane instructed the Hospicio administration to replace the linen on a priority basis. In fact, this is not the first time that the Health Minister has called for replacing the torn linen. During his surprise visit to Hospicio soon after taking over the reigns of office, Rane had found torn and dirty linen on the hospital beds and had directed the hospital administrator to dump the old linen.

During Tuesday’s visit to the hospital, the Health Minister checked the attendance register of the doctors and staff to find out the number of staff reporting for duty. Rane also inquired into the medicine support and the stock available in the hospital.

The Health Minister directed

Police raid Chandor bar, arrest 5 for gambling The Maina Curtorim police on Tuesday raided a bar and restaurant near the Chandor railway station and arrested five persons playing card gambling.

PI Sidhant Shirodkar informed that the police seized Rs 5500, besides gambling material from the bar during the raid.

The police has booked the five persons under Section 3 & 4 of the Goa Gambling Act. Meanwhile, the accused arrested in the case of unnatural sex late Monday night has been remanded to three days police custody.

PI Shirodkar said though the medical reports of the victim boys have come negative, the police late Monday night arrested the accused.

Further investigations are on.

File photo of Hospicio hospital, Margao.

the Hospicio authorities to keep him informed every week on emergency requirements in the hospital.

While reviewing the ongoing civil works carried out by Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation, the Health Minister also inquired into the progress of work of the new Operation Theatre proposed at the hospital.

Before leaving the hospital,

the Health Minster went round the wards and had an interaction with the patients to find out the service rendered by the staff and the availability of medicines.

Rane’s surprise visit assumes significance given that the Chief Minister had set July 15 as the deadline to revamp the Hospicio hospital in all respects. Incidentally, this is Vishwajeet Rane’s first visit to Hospicio after the Chief Minister took upon himself

the task of effecting a total revamp of the hospital after Congress workers from Margao and Fatorda demanded an improvement in the services.

The Chief Minister, who had been visiting Hospicio every week, over the last one month, had announced that there will be no shortage of medicines, while the PROs will be imparted training to help patients and visitors to the hospital.

SDM urged to call for meet to put disaster management plan in place HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 29

Fomento has asked the District Magistrate, South to call a meeting of concerned officials to put a disaster management plan in place for the Sonsodo dumping yard.

In a letter, Fomento has pointed out that a disaster management plan for Sonsodo is all the more necessary as garbage dumping sites have been hit by methane and other gases.

Meanwhile, the Goa Pollution Control Board has fixed hearing next week on the authorization sought by the Margao Municipal Council to set up a waste treatment plant at Sonsodo.

The Pollution Control Board is believed to have told the Mar-

gao Civic body to ask Fomento to attend the hearing with the project report and other details.

Pollution Control Board officials has also called for a site inspection of the Sonsodo dump yard before issuing the authorization.

SONSODO DUMP Meanwhile, the Margao Municipal Council has said that Fomento has so till date not returned back to the Civic body the draft Concession Agreement.

Sources in the know said the

draft concession agreement has not been returned to the Civic body till date to facility the body to place the same before the Council for ratification.

The delay in returning of the draft concession agreement, however, has not come in the way of Fomento’s working at Sonsodo. The company has covered the Sonsodo dumping site with Tarpaulin and a 30-member gang of workers are closely monitoring the situation in view of the monsoons.

Fomento CEO Shridhar Kamat has said that the company has received the conveyor belt and is awaiting the arrival of a trommel at the site for screening of the dumped waste.

CM summons MMC chairperson, chief officer over ‘CDP failure’ HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 29

Chief Minister Digambar Kamat summoned Margao Municipal Chairperson Savio Coutinho and other senior Civic officials on Tuesday – a day after the City Development Plan (CDP) prepared

More Obituaries on Page 10

by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) failed to find favour with the Margao city fathers.

Kamat is believed to have inquired with the Chairperson and Chief Officer Y B Tawde over the failure by the Civic body to give the stamp of approval for the CDP at Monday’s council meeting. When the MMC delegation briefed the Chief Minister on the decision to display the CDP for public viewing, the Chief Minister reportedly told the Civic officials to set the process in motion immediately and complete the exercise within a time frame.

It’s an open secret that the Chief Minister has been pushing the plan for approval with the Margao civic body since the last six months. The CDP has received the approval from the GSIDC headed by the Chief Minister. Though architect Rahul Deshpande, engaged by the GSIDC had a power point presentation with the Margao

City Fathers over two months ago, the civic body seems to be treading a cautious path, unwilling to go for the CDP given its ramifications on the future development on the city.

Meanwhile, MMC Chief Officer Y B Tawde said the Civic body would in a day or two issue notice inviting suggestions and objections to the plan from the citizens. He said the Civic body will keep the plan open for the citizens to submit objections and suggestions for a period of 15 days, before the suggestions and objections are compiled and placed before the Council for a decision.

Incidentally, a section of Councillors are of the firm opinion that the Civic body should keep the CDP open for public suggestions and objections at least for a month as the plan is bulky in nature. “The CDP is a bulky document which would require days together to study before offering any suggestions and objections”, remarked a City Father.

Artistes perform on boats stage at Sangodd festival at Orda-Candolim. Photo by Thomas Fernandes

Sonsodo rape case: accused arrested HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 29

Nearly four months after she was raped at an isolated spot at Sonsodo, the Margao police has finally arrested the alleged accused, Prashant Tari after the victim identified him on Tuesday.

Margao PI Santosh Desai said the rape case was detected after the girl told the police that a boy had recently given him a mobile number and she suspected him as the accused behind her rape four months ago.

Based on her information, the Margao police called Prashant Tari, a resident of Shiroda on the cell phone number. After he replied to the police call, the girl identified him as the accused in the case.

He has since been remanded to seven days police custody by a local court.

In this case, the victim girl from Shiroda had come to Margao to meet her cousin and was waiting at the Margao Municipal garden when the accused approached her and offered a lift.

As per the victim’s complaint, the accused sped towards Sonsodo and after raping her abandoned her at the lonely place.

The police are further investigating the case.

People celebrating Sangodd at Ribandar.

Man accused of harassing girlfriend HERALD CORRESPONDENT PERNEM, JUNE 29

A man has been accused of harassing his girlfriend, who committed suicide at Pernem.

In a complaint, Sangita Fadtare told Pernem police that her sister Sarika ended her life due to mental torture by her lover Sunny Shankar Tirodkar.

Sangita alleged that Sunny and Sarika were involved in a love affair. On June 6, there was heated argument between them, due to which Sarika set herself ablaze on June 7.

Later, Sarika was rushed to GMC Hospital in Bambolim in a critical condition, where she expired on June 27. The next day, Sangita filed a complaint against Sunny with Pernem police.

Acting on the complaint, Pernem police arrested Sunny Tirodkar of Parra and he has been remanded to seven days police custody. Pernem police is investigating the case.

A Sangodh float depicting the World Cup trophy moving in the River Sal at Assolna on Tuesday.

Photo by Santosh Mirajkar HERALD CORRESPONDENT CALANGUTE, JUNE 29

A large number of people from all over the State witnessed the traditional Sangodd Festival on the banks of Candolim River at Orda, to mark the feasts of St Peter and St Paul, who are regarded as the patron saints of the fishing community.

The fisher folk community, which is largely present in this belt of Candolim, gives thanks to its Patron St Peter with a Eucharistic celebration in Our Lady of Hope Church at Candolim.

The Church festivities are followed by a cultural entertainment Sangodd on the banks of Orda-Candolim on a stage made up of fishing boats

City’s garbage problem solved

Jose Philip is State NCP chief

be to strengthen the party. “I want to improve the functioning of the party”, D’Souza said.

In recent years, the NCP has been in turmoil after the bitter exit of Wilfred de Souza, a former chief minister and the State president of the NCP for nearly a decade.

The new president said he also wants to improve the functioning of the party.

It may be recalled Jose Philip and a few members of the executive had resigned from the party in June last year after accusing NCP chief Sharad Pawar of communalism and victimising Christian members.

Jose Philip’s appointment comes at a time when the image of the NCP in Goa is in tatters after one of its senior members, Mickky Pacheco, was accused of culpable homicide in the mysterious death of Nadia Torrado.

There are presently three NCP legislators in the 40-member Goa Assembly.

in keeping with the traditions of their ancestors, who have been celebrating the Patron’s feast with Sangodd. The artistes, professionals and locals later perform on the stage made up of boats.

This year, the stage was made up of four fishing boats while few others were decorated with country flags of Portugal, Brazil and other countries in tune with the FIFA World Cup. The Portugal boat was given a special prize for its decor.

A host of professional artistes including Bab Andrew, T Briton, Minglu de Merces, Young Chico and others enthralled the large crowd, who had come to witness the traditional Sangodd.

The local artistes also performed on the stage. The musicians were led by Xavier de Paklo, while the gummot culture also added flavour to the Sangodd festivities. Damian de Orda compered and later thanked those present.

Few people from Calangute including its Assistant Parish Priest Fr Clifford Miranda arrived in canoes for the Sangodd.

Earlier, the traditional Sangodd festival began with prayers at Holy Cross Chapel.

The festival then took the centre stage on the water banks of Orda-Candolim with people saying ‘Viva Sao Pedro’, where a decorative stage depicting a Chapel was put up on the river bank.

Tourist info counter unmanned at Vasco railway station

FROM PAGE 1 has promised necessary action”, he said.

Since the last couple of days, heaps of garbage were seen in the city emanating a foul smell at various spots. More than 20 trucks of dry waste from households and 10 trucks of garbage from hotels remained uncollected due to the strike.

Photo by Rozario Estibeiro

Unmanned tourist information counter at Vasco Railway Station.

Photo by M Prabhav HERALD REPORTER VASCO, JUNE 29

Though the eight-month-old information counter at Vasco Railway Station has displayed that it provides information on affordable accommodation, sightseeing tours, etc, but tourists visiting the counter are forced to inquire about the information with the taxi drivers outside the station.

In one such instance, when a newly married couple, Devindra Singh along with his wife, from Samastipur-Bihar, on their maiden visit to Goa, arrived at Vasco Railway Station by Patna Express on Monday morning,

the counter had nothing to offer them.

Local taxi driver, Santosh Desai, who helped these tourists, informed media that though the Tourism Department has set up information counter at the Vasco Railway Station, no one is present at the counter to guide the tourists.

However, the situation was such that the railway authority was forced to inform the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) to remove the counter or man it to serve the purpose for which it was set up.

Speaking to Herald, Vasco

Railway Station Manager P C Chacko said the information counter was set up in October, 2009.” “For initial period, it was manned but after that no one was present at the counter to guide the tourists and it has been going on for more than six months now,” he added.

He said the railway authority provided a prime location at the station to install the counter so that tourists get valid information and if it is unutilized then it is hindrance for passengers at the station.

“Considering the express

trains that connect Vasco to Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkatta, this information counter is very much required for the tourists who visit the State via railway,” said the station manager.

“At least during arrival of trains, they should man it otherwise it is of no use,” added Chacko.

When contacted, newly appointed GTDC Managing Director Nikhil Desai said he was unaware about the counter and when he enquired about it, he admitted that it is not manned properly.

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GOA, WEDNESDAY, 30 JUNE, 2010

Govt plan to acquire land at Cutbona jetty runs into troubled waters HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 29

Plans by the Fisheries Department to acquire land admeasuring 30,000 square meters at the Cutbona fishing jetty has run into troubled waters.

Velim villagers have slammed the Department for pushing the land acquisition proposal sans transparency and without preparing a project report, feasibility report and the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

What has fuelled deep suspicions amongst the villagers if the contradictory statement made by the Land acquisition officer and the Director of Fisheries over the exact purpose behind acquiring the huge land.

Fisheries Director S C Verencar, in his letter to the Panchayat, has claimed the land acquisition is for the purpose of creating additional facilities such as an ice plant, cold storage, net mending shed, auction shed, parking facility, workshop and other related activities at the fishing jetty.

On the other hand, Land Acquisition Officer Agnelo Fernandes has stated the land in question will be acquired for a fish meal plant.

Says the Convenor of Velim Civic and Consumer Forum, Romana Almeida: “The letters received by the Velim panchayat from the Deputy Collector, Land Acquisition and the Director of Fisheries clearly shows the discrepancy in the purpose for which the land was to be acquired”.

What has further agitated the villagers was the cancellation of a joint meeting with the Director of Fisheries, Land Acquisition Officer and the Panchayat at the eleventh hour on June 25, raising suspicions that the government authorities were deliberately keeping the villagers in the dark over the project.

Goa receives above normal rainfall in June

The Cutbona fishing jetty.

Incidentally, the Velim Village Panchayat, besides the gram sabha has already opposed the acquisition of the farming land for the construction of a fish meal plant and other infrastructure at the Cutbona. At the monthly meeting, the Velim Panchayat has asserted that if the fish meal plant is constructed and operated at the jetty, then rotten fish smell will pollute the environment, which will create health hazards to

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 29

Fisheries Minister Joaquim Alemao has admitted that the government is acquiring land near the Cutbona fishing jetty to set up a fish meal plant.

In a candid admission, Alemao said a fish meal plant is a dire necessity to curb pollution of the River Sal as tons of fish is thrown into the waters every year for want of a fish meal plant.

Saying that the government has proposed the

Goa received above normal rainfall for the month of June, this year, with rains touching 92 cm mark.

The Met department on Tuesday confirmed that the rainfall was almost 8 per cent above normal for this month.

“The normal rainfall for the month of June is predicted to be 87 cm, whereas till date we have received 97 cm of rains,” Indian Meteorological Observatory in-charge K V Singh said.

As per the statistics, in 2009, the rainfall was much below normal in June. The Met department had recorded 73 cm of rains.

“The normal monsoon has been predicted for the State since beginning. We expect Goa to receive more then 98 per cent of showers,” Singh said.

Till date Goa has received 38 inches of seasonal rainfall.

Meanwhile, the first spell of monsoon currents have moved away from the coast, with Met department predicting the new spell to intensify in next couple of days.

“The weakening of monsoon currents is on. The situation will improve in coming two-three days.

However, some parts of the State will continue to receive moderate amount of rainfall,” he said.

Last week, heavy to very heavy rains lashed the State thus affecting the normal life. The Met department had recorded nearly 10 inches of rainfall on Saturday.

Saying that the government is committed in implementing common cadre for the Municipal employees in the State, Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao has said the proposal is kept in abeyance for the moment in view of the financial implications arising out of the implementation of the Sixth Pay Recommendations.

He said the common cadre proposal has come back from the Law Department, with a observation that the State government may take a decision on the matter. But, the government has not taken a final decision as it involves assessing the financial implications.

“After the sixth pay recommendations came into force, the salaries of the employees have gone up tremendously. The burden of paying the Municipal

Prashant Ashtekar, who was arrested by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) in the Margao bomb blast case, has been remanded to Judicial custody.

The NIA had taken Ashtekar into their custody after the accused surrendered to the South Goa Sessions court.

The NIA has said that the investigating agency will take Prashant into custody again after effecting the arrest of the remaining accused, who are still at large.

Meanwhile, the South Goa Sessions court will pronounce its order on July 1 on framing of charges against the accused persons in the case.

While the prosecution has submitted to the court to frame charges against all the accused, persons, the defense has prayed that the accused be discharge on grounds there is no evidence whatsoever against them.

fish meal plant at Cutbona bowing to the demands of the fishermen, Alemao charged a group of persons from Betul – who are involved in supply fish to a fish meal plant across the borders – for instigating the villagers against the fish meal plant.

Allaying fears of the villagers that the plant would result in pollution, Alemao said the plant will be set up with the state-of-the-art technology to take care of pollution, if any.

Common cadre proposal for MMC staff kept in abeyance: Joaquim HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 29

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 29

That’s not all. A letter written by the Director of Fisheries to the Panchayat body clearly states that the department is acquiring the land without even conducting the basic Environment Impact Assessment report. On this question, the Fisheries Director has assured the Panchayat that the project will be developed only after the EIA and other aspects of the environment are taken care of.

Joaquim admits govt acquiring land for fish meal plant

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JUNE 29

Margao blast case: accused remanded

Photo by Santosh Mirajkar

the residents.

The Velim Communidade too has lodged its objections to the project, while the Velim Civic and Consumer Forum has submitted a 24-point memo objecting to the land acquisition proposals.

Ramona says the villagers have objected to the proposal since the government intends to acquire the land without even mentioning the specific purpose and details of the project.

employees salaries will rest on the government once the common cadre is implemented”, he added.

“Chief Minister Digambar Kamat is very serious in introducing common cadre for the Municipal staff. The government will look into the demand from the Municipal Councillors “, he said.

Alemao’s statement assumes significance given that the Margao Municipal Councillors on Monday demanded common cadre for Municipal staff to bring discipline and efficiency in the employees.

However, the Goa Municipal Employees Association has vehemently opposed common cadre for the Municipal staff. “Municipal employees from Margao and across the state will resort to agitation as well as challenge the government decision on common cadre in the

2 temples, jewellery shop burgled at Curchorem HERALD CORRESPONDENT CURCHOREM, JUNE 29

Burglars targeted two temples and one jewellery shop in Curchorem area and decamped with cash of Rs 1 lakh and other articles on Tuesday.

According to reports, the burglars entered Santeri Temple in Curchorem market by break opening the doors and decamped with cash from the donation box. The burglars after break opening the donation box decamped with the cash and abandoned the donation box in the gutter behind the temple.

The burglars also entered in the Mahamaya Santeri Temple at Hader-Curchorem by breaking the door and lifted the donation box from the temple. After removing the cash from the donation box, the burglars threw it outside the temple.

Later, the burglars affected entry in a jewellery shop in main Curchorem market. The burglars opened the shutter and decamped with silver ornaments worth Rs 50,000.

Curchorem MLA Shyam Satardekar visited the three spots and took stock of the situation and directed Curchorem police

to conduct intensive investigation to nab the culprits. Curchorem police PI Bhanudas Dessai is investigating the case.

SDPI protests against fuel price hike HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 29

The Social Democratic Party of India on Tuesday held a protest outside the South Goa District Collectorate against the exorbitant hike in fuel prices by the UPA government.

Demanding that the UPA government frame special guidelines and policies to benefit the poor as far as fuel and essential commodities are concerned, the SDPI demanded that Prime Minister should call an all party meeting to discuss the present situation and arrive at an amicable solution to safeguard interest of the common man.

The SDPI said it will not tolerate any type of atrocities and other wrong policies affecting the common and vowed to fight tooth and nail against injustice.

court of law”, warned Association general secretary Anil Shirodkar.

He maintained that common cadre is not at all a solution to the problem, adding that common cadre concept will only take away powers of the Municipal bodies to the Director of Municipal Administration (DMA).

“We have always maintained that the Municipal officers are free to initiate action against any erring employee. At the same time, the elected Councillors should not except the employees to do any illegal work or to dance to their tunes”, Shirodkar added.

Exporters using Panjim Port now must obtain NOC from Mines HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JUNE 29

All exporters and shippers using Panjim Port henceforth will not be able to make shipment unless they obtain an NOC from the Directorate of Mines and Geology to the effect that royalty stands paid on the quantity to be exported.

The Captain of Ports has notified exporters about the new condition to submit an NOC or produce bill of lading prior to sailing of the vessels and before grant of outward clearance to vessels calling at the port.

The initiative assumes importance as months after the BJP complaint of illegal mining trade and consequent loss of revenue, the government has finally acknowledged that illegally ext r a c t e d o re i s u l t i m a t e l y exported and consequent loss of royalty.

To safeguard revenue as well as to prevent the unregulated exploitation of natural resources, this measure has been initiated, said one officer who did not wish to be named.

However, one cannot say the government has effectively plugged the holes unless similar

House burgled at Arambol HERALD CORRESPONDENT PERNEM, JUNE 29

Burglars decamped with goods worth Rs 21,000 from a residence at Girkarwado-Arambol.

Jivaji Kamat, who presently resides at Karaswada-Mapusa, told Pernem police that the burglars effected entry into the closed house by cutting the window grills and decamped with items like copper utensils, worth Rs 21,000.

The incident occurred between June 24 and June 25, when the house inmates were not in the house. Pernem police is investigating the case.

measure is adopted by Mormugao Port Trust since maximum ore is exported from Mormugao Port.

In 2008-09 about 16.48 million ton ore was exported from Panjim Port where as 40 million ton ore was shipped off from Mormugao Port. The Directorate of Mines has intimated the government to take up the matter with MPT to make it mandatory for ore exporters using Mormugao Port submit NOC showing they have paid royalty for ore to be exported.

It is learnt that exporters are not very happy with the new development. When contacted S Shridhar, Executive Director, Goa Mineral Ore Exporters As-

sociation (GMOEA) said, it is not the case. The new condition can

however cause procedural delays and delay export.

Benaulim Community Centre

Zen Gardens, Near Maria Hall, Benaulim

“a new hope”

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S H O RT TA K E S Felicitation function organised

Stray dog menace rampant in Palolem, allege farmers Domestic livestock worst hit

HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, JUNE 29

Vithal Parwadkar along with chief guest Udaysingh Rane, Forum President Dasharath Mandrekar and other members of the Forum.

Photo by Ashraf Khan

VALPOI(HC): The Sattari Reporters Forum felicitated drama script writer and journalist from Honda-Sattari Vithal Parwadkar in a function at Forest Rest House, Valpoi, recently.

Birondem Sarpanch Udaysingh Rane, who was the chief guest, presented shawl and srifal besides memento to Parwardkar.

In his speech, Parwadkar said he started writing drama script (Marathi) in 1989. His two scripts became popular not only in Goa, but in other states too. “Dramas Ramdas Swami and Sawrajya Surya became very popular,” he said proudly.

He further informed that his latest book Ayee mee Honar will be released shortly.

Chief guest Rane complimented Parwardkar for his services to the society and also complimented the Sattari Reporters Forum for recognizing the services of deserving persons and felicitating them every year.

Sattari Reporters Forum President Dasharath Mandrekar welcomed the guests, Mahesh Gaonkar compered the function, while Raghoba Pednekar proposed the vote of thanks.

Awareness drive

Farmers in Canacona taluka have blamed Canacona Municipal Council’s (CMC) over its inability to check the stray dog menace, which has taken a toll on their livestock.

A farmer from Palolem, who rears about 15 cattle for his farming activities, including buffaloes, informed that mad dog or infected stray dogs menace is increasing every passing day, thereby posing serious threat to the existence of citizen’s domestic livestock.

“The menace has already taken toll of many cattle and domestic fowls, as they are often attacked and bitten by infested stray dogs,” informed Premanand Bandekar, a farmer from Palolem.

“As the stray dogs and mad dogs menace is too rampant in civic areas, we informed municipal authorities to contain the menace several times, but to no avail,” said Bandekar who has a cowshed at Devabhag.

Bandekar also informed that presently one of his buffalo calf is seriously infected by a rabid dog bite, which went unnoticed till the disease blown over and calf began to behave violently.

“When we approached a vet-

Missing taxi found HERALD CORRESPONDENT CALANGUTE, JUNE 29

Tree plantation drive being carried out at Chorla Ghat.

Photo by Vishant Vaze

MAYEM(HC): Vivekanand Environmental Awareness Group (VEAG), Kerim-Sattari, recently undertook a drive to plant variety of local trees, which will help the environment in maintaining ecological balance.

The trees included Buniyan, Custal Palas, Nano, the seeds of which were sown in the open places in areas like, Gulle, Pansule and other areas of Kerim. The Custal tree was also planted by Sai Shingde from Vagheri forest.

The drive was led by Deepak Morajkar, Reshma Morajkar, Deepak Gawas, Swapnil Volvoikar, Sanket Naik, Narayan Parodkar and other VEAG members.

Quepem Patrakar panel

A taxi was reported missing from a resort at Arpora on Friday, but was later traced on Saturday.

According to Anjuna Police, Umesh Shirgaonkar of VerlaParra complained that his tourist taxi, parked in the parking lot at a resort in Arpora, was missing since June 25.

The keys of the tourist taxi had been handed over to the counter manned by the resort security on June 23.

As the driver did not operate the taxi that day, it remained at the resort on June 24 but went missing on June 25.

The one security guard was also reportedly missing and smelling something fishy, Shirgaonkar lodged a complaint with Anjuna Police on June 26.

According to reliable sources, the vehicle was found somewhere in Arpora later in the day.

SMC chief polls on July 2 HERALD CORRESPONDENT MAYEM, JUNE 29

The election to the post of chairperson of Sanquelim Municipal Council (SMC) will be held on July 2 at SMC Hall, Sanquelim.

Prahar

Siddesh

CURCHOREM(HC): Prahar Savardekar and Siddesh Samant have been elected president and secretary of Sanguem Quepem Patrakar Sangh.

Office bearers elected are Mayur Naik (vice president), Pradeep Talekar (assistant secretary), Mandar Naik (treasurer), Amar Naik (assistant treasurer) and Sunil Fatrpekar, Avinash Parulekar, Sudin Kenkre and Dinkar Talekar (members).

Other office bearers elected are Pratiksha Sawardekar (cultural activities in-charge), Shubangi Naik (assistant cultural activities in-charge), Sarvanand Sawant Dessai (educational activities in-charge), Abhinay Savardekar (sports in-charge), Rupesh Naik (panchayat area in-charge), S P Naik (social activities in-charge), Sameer Bhat (souvenir publication incharge), Chandrakant Parsekar, Suhas Savardekar, Vaman Bhadri, Vithal Audienkar and Dnyaneshwar Shirodkar (advisory committee).

Free health camps opened

PANJIM(HND): Prominent social worker and member of the Textile Board, Government of India, Michael Ferns declared open the free health centre at the Benaulim Community Centre, Zen Gardens, Near Maria Hall, Benaulim.

Also present on the occasion were Maria Luz Rebello, Chairperson of the South Goa ZP and Munnalal Halwai, prominent businessman and member of the Task Force Goa of the Ministry of Food Procession Industries, Government of India.

The initiative of Dr Hubert Gomes under the Dr Hubert Gomes Health Care Foundation will provide free basic medical treatment to patients in need of Benaulim and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, the Benaulim Community Health Centre will be inaugurated on July 1 by the people of Benaulim constituency led by prominent social activist Orlando da Silva at 9.30 am.

Anti-drug day held

VALPOI(HC): National High School, Valpoi, staged a rally to create awareness among the public and students about the ill-effects of drugs to observe International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at Valpoi.

On the occasion, School Headmaster Shabbir Ahmed Khan spoke about the ill-effects of drugs and guided the students.

Later, the students staged a drama on the ill-effects of drug.

School teachers and some residents also attended the function.

A calf is tied after being bitten by a rabid dog.

Photo by Kathy Pereira

erinary doctor, he informed us that the sickness is in the advanced stage of a rabid dog bite.

Medicinally, there is no cure for the calf ’s recovery from the ailment,” added Bandekar.

He further informed that two months ago, his other three cattle were found bitten by a rabid dog roaming in the locality.

“However, the presently infected buffalo calf may have missed our attention, due to which on-time treatment could not be given,” he said.

He also said that earlier, two fully grown cattle had died, after bitten by rabid and infected dogs.

Bandekar is not the only person, who feels piqued about the rabid and stray dogs menace, but if sources are to be believed several other residents regularly complains about the cattle or domestic fowls being attacked, bitten and killed by rabid or infected stray dogs in Devabhag, Palolem, Sawantwada, Char Rasta, Ponsulem, Kindlebhag, Sheller, etc.

Parents of the students studying at Pragati Vidhalaya at Tittowado-Nerul are agitated with authorities for failing to lay a speed breaker along the VeremCandolim road at Tittowado.

Following the construction of a bridge at Tittowado on the Verem-Candolim road, there has been a heavy flow of traffic, especially during the tourist season from October till May. Further, there has been constant movement of water tankers on the road. Besides, several accidents have taken place on the stretch in recent years. The two schools – Primary and Middle – are located on either side of the road near Tittowado.

Since 2006, the school authorities of Pragati Vidhyalay have been requesting the panchayat and other concerned au-

HERALD REPORTER VASCO, JUNE 29

‘Ratol’, the product meant to kill rats, has now becoming a common weapon to end one’s life and in a recent case, a 28year-old woman from MangorVasco consumed the chemical “by mistake” and is battling for her life at the Naval Hospital, INS Jeevanti, Vasco.

The mother of two children, who had married about nine years ago, consumed Ratol at her residence at Mangor on Monday afternoon and was rushed to Jeevanti Hospital, where she claimed that she consumed by mistake.

“The victim consumed Ratol by mistake on Monday afternoon and is admitted in Jeevanti Hospital,” informed Vasco police.

Police further informed that the doctor at Jeevanti Hospital has informed that the woman was out of danger now.

“The Magistrate will record the statement of the woman and find out the cause, whether she had consumed it by mistake or had tried to commit suicide,” said police.

This is the third such incident in Mormugao, wherein only women have consumed Ratol mistakenly.

Recently, a woman originally from Cortalim and married in Margao, who had consumed Ratol expired, while about one year ago a lady police constable consumed Ratol cake at the police barracks, but had consumed a small quantity and due to timely medical aid, she survived the incident.

Drugs destroys families, harms society: Misquita HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, JUNE 29

Stating that drugs kills a person, destroys families, poses a threat to society, spoils health and breaks relationships, Chief Officer of 1-Goa Battalion NCC, Panjim, Rene Misquita said the drug addict has no gain at all, but the damages caused to him, his family and society are incoherent.

Misquita was speaking as a resource person on the ‘International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking’ at Shri Mallikarjun High School, Char-Rasta and Shri Mallikarjun College, Mastimoll, organized by the Excise department, Canacona, in collaboration with Shri Mallikarjun High School.

Speaking further after inaugurating the function, Misquita said: “Drug addicts loses precision of life and becomes a confused lot. Students should stay away from drug peddlers and avoid falling prey to drugs to lead a happy life.”

Misquita also displayed slides to the students and others present on the occasion to showcase how drugs becomes injurious to health, spoils health and re-

thorities to lay the speed breaker at Tittowado, but in vain.

Speaking to Herald, Pragati V i d h y a l a y a H e a d m i s t re s s Deepalaxmi Lotlikar said the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) of the school had adopted a resolution in 2006 to request the concerned authorities to lay a speed breaker at Tittowada.

Accordingly, letter was sent to the Nerul Panchayat. After persistent follow-ups, the panchayat with its recommendation forwarded their letter to the Collector North Goa. The District Magistrate North Goa finally wrote a letter on May 27, this year, to the Superintendent of Police, North Goa, requesting him to send the report about laying speed breaker at Tittowado.

The police inspected the site and did the marking as to where the speed breaker can be laid.

The Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs have issued instructions regarding lifting allocation of foodgrains.

Once the quota is lifted from the godown of the Food Corporation of India and unloaded in Civil Supplies godown the concerned godown keeper will receive the allocation as per the allotment order and certify that the 100% allotment has been received in godown and send intimation immediately, on the same day, to the undersigned through the Mamlatdar and also one copy to the Office of the Minister of

HERALD REPORTER VASCO, JUNE 29

The Indian Naval Air Squadron 300 will celebrate its golden Jubilee on July 7.

Aptly christened The White Tigers, the 300 squadron represents the finest attributes of courage, professionalism and esprit de corps that can be found anywhere in the armed forces.

In 50 years of continuous frontline service, INAS 300 has distinguished itself in peace and 1971 War, a unique achievement, unlikely to be surpassed by many combat units.

The art of operating fighter aircraft from the confines of an aircraft carrier has been not only kept alive by this sterling ‘fighting unit’, but also matched with the best in the world.

To commemorate the half century of yeoman service rendered by the squadron, the Government of India, Department of Posts, will be releasing a Commemorative Postage Stamp and First Day Cover.

However, this is a rare honour bestowed upon the squadron by the government which truly acknowledges the selfless sacrifices made by the personnel

who have manned the squadron for the last 50 years. Governor Dr SS Sidhu will be the chief guest for the function.

Meanwhile, under the guid-

ance of Flag Officer Naval Aviation Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai, a seminar ‘Naval Fighter Aviation Seminar – 2010’ is also being conducted by the Squadron on July 6 and 7 at INS Hansa, Goa, while the theme would be ‘Future Carrier Borne Fighter Aircraft and Transformation’.

The chief guest for the seminar is Admiral Nirmal Verma, chief of the naval Staff, while the flag officer commanding in chief western naval Vice Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin will also be present.

upcOMing EvEnTS Laughter show at Margao

PANJIM(HND): The Lions Club of Margao Service Trust will organize a ‘laughter show’ to celebrate the completion of 3 years of the foundation of Senior Citizens Recreation Centre at Pedda, Margao. The function will be held at Ravindra Bhavan on July 4 at 5 pm. Well known artistes will present humorous jokes and short skit plays for the evening. Dr Ajay Vaidya, a veteran play actor and humorist will be the chief guest. The function is open to all the senior citizens with their family and specially the grand children.

Felicitation function

Eduardo to address function Rene Misquita, chief officer of 1-Goa Battalion NCC, Panjim, inaugurates the seminar on ‘International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking’ at Shri Mallikarjun High School, Canacona.

Photo by Kathy Pereira

lationships and subsequently causes most pitiable deaths.

Canacona Excise Inspector Shamba Naik also spoke on the ill-effects of consuming and trafficking of drugs and advised the students to stay away from such practices and become responsible citizens of the country.

Asking the students ‘to stop before you start’, Naik even advised the students to watch if

Thereafter, there has been no further action on the part of concerned authorities to lay the speed breaker.

“There is an urgent need of the speed breaker at Tittowado.

Since risk to the lives of the students is involved, teachers are not allowing the students to go home alone unless and until their parents come to pick them up,” said Lotlikar.

When contacted, former sarpanch and Nerul Panch Narcis Almeida said the Collector North Goa has already approved laying of speed breakers, one each at Vatteshwar Temple and the other near Pragati School and the onus now lies with PWD to start the work.

He said he has been following up the matter regularly with PWD authorities, who have assured him that the speed breakers will be laid soon, as the sign boards are ready.

any family member or a friend is addicted to drugs and stay away from such persons and do not follow in their footsteps.

“A true friend will never impart pressure to consume or traffic drugs and if such situation arise, don’t hesitate to even change the so-called friends, and find a new friends group,” Naik advised the students’ community.

Youth awards date extended HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, JUNE 29

The last date for submission of the duly filled in application forms to Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs for the Institution of the State Youth Awards 2009-10, enclosing the relevant Bio-data, credentials certificate of achievements, etc, in youth related Work, has been extended to July 16, 2010, says a press release.

All eligible Candidates/Youths/ Youth Organizations are hereby requested to note the same and submit the relevant application forms complete in every respect to U D Navelkar, Asst Physical Education Officer, Youth Section of the Directorate of Youths and Youth Affairs, Campal, Panaji during office hours on any working day.

The Meritorious Youth/Youth Organizations will be duly recommended for the National Youth Award 2009-10.

Civil Supplies issues directives on lifting of quota HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, JUNE 29

INAS 300 to celebrate golden jubilee

PANJIM(HND): The annual felicitation of the Saraswat meritorious students and distribution of scholarships to the deserving students is on August 8 at 4 pm at N D Naik Hall(AdarshHall), Pajifond Margao.

All the interested students are requested to collect the prescribed forms from the respective Saraswat committees. The forms are also available at Maya Book stores Margao Goa .Duly filled forms along with one photograph and copy of mark sheet has to be submitted on or before July 15.

Speed breaker demanded along Verem-Candolim road HERALD CORRESPONDENT PORVORIM, JUNE 29

Vasco woman also uses ‘Ratol’ in suicide bid

Civil Supplies with date and time.

After issue of order for release of allotment by the Mamlatdar/Inspector of Civil Supplies to the Fair Price Shops the Mamlatdar/Inspector of Civil Supplies send intimation immediately, on the same day, to the undersigned and also to the office of the Minister of Civil Supplies.

After the allocated quota is released to the concerned Fair Price Shops by the godown keeper, the concerned godown keeper should intimate the quota released alongwith details of Fair Price Shop owners immediately, on the same day, to the Director of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and concerned Mamlatdar Office and also to the

Office of the Minister of Civil Supplies.

Mamlatdar/Inspector directed to issue the allocation order for release of quota to Fair Price Shops latest by 5th of every month failing which action will be taken on concerned Officer.

The Fair Price Shops are directed to lift the quota allotted to them latest by 10th of every month, failing which action as deemed fit will be taken against them including cancellation of their license.

These instructions supersedes all previous instructions/orders if any, applicable for smooth release of foodgrians to the consumers.

PANJIM(HND): Commissioner for NRI Affairs, Eduardo Faleiro will address the Ex-NCC Achievers Awards function organized

by State Ex-Cadets of NCC Association on June 30 at 10.30 am at Goa International Centre, Dona Paula. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Speaker of Legislative Assembly, Pratapsingh Rane and other dignitaries will also address the function.

Sankalp to celebrate birthday today HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, JUNE 29

The Goa Youth Congress president Sankalp Amonkar, who has recently been appointed as the chairperson of the Goa Horticulture Corporation, is all set to celebrate his 35th birthday on June 30, 2010.

As Sankalp celebrates this important milestone in his life, Youth Congress members in Goa, his friends and wellwishers, fondly remember his achievements in the political, social and cultural field.

According to a press release, Sankalp is the eldest son of Vascobased social worker and politician Padmanabh Amonkar. Sankalp is now carrying forward his father's vision in serving the society of Goa. Sankalp's state level and national level abilities with the student's cell also prompted the Congress bosses to nominate him as the president of NSUI (National Students' Union of India).

He worked at the grassroots to unite the youth all across Goa and his tireless initiatives prompted many youth to embrace the youth Congress. Although it was his own party's government, he always took firm stances against the government if the government's decision were not in favour of the common man.

On the eve of his birthday, Sankalp is now set to take on a new responsibility of the chairmanship of the Goa State Horticulture Corporation.

The Youth Congress wishes Sankalp Amonkar a very happy birthday and God's choicest blessings on him to serve the people of Goa for many years to come, adds the press release.

Expo for Goan artisans in Delhi HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, JUNE 29

Goa Handicrafts, Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Ltd (GHRSSIDC LTD) will be organising an exhibition at Dilli Haat at New Delhi from August 26 to September 8 where GHRSSIDC will be taking up around 25 stalls for Goan artisans to sell their handmade products. Based on the concept of “Haat” or traditional Indian market Dilli Haat has representatives from all states in India displaying and selling their wares which include handicrafts, food, clothes, jewellery etc.

Dilli Haat is popular shopping spot in Delhi which attracts a large amount of tourists as well as locals. This will provide Goan artisans an opportunity to market Goan handicrafts to people all over India. GHRSSIDC Ltd has invited applications from Goan handicrafts artisans to take part in this exhibition. The cost incurred towards boarding/lodging, travelling and stall arrangements will be taken care of by GHRSSIDC Ltd. Artisans who are interested in participating in this exhibition may contact Ms Neha Mahambrey/Mr John Sebastian/Mr Krishna Karapurkar at the GHRSSIDC Head Office at Crafts Complex, Neugi Nagar, Panaji.

The last date for receiving applications is Monday, July 5.

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Ponda pharma firm workers yet to receive salaries No pay since last 10 months

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARCEL, JUNE 29

About 37 workers employed at a pharmaceutical company at Bethora-Ponda have accused its management of not paying their

workers, who claimed that the company owner in his statements which appeared in media had assured to pay their pending dues by April this year, but nothing has been done.

Workers along with Damu Naik at the company gate at BethoraPonda.

Photo by Amresh Parab

salaries since the last 10 months.

Workers claimed that even production had stopped since the last 10 months after the owner claimed to have sold the company to a Mumbai-based businessman.

However, workers, who till date have no clue of the new owner, said the company was still owned by its original owner, based in Margao.

Workers, who are in piquant situation, report to work everyday, which has been going on since September, last year.

“On two occasions, we tried to meet company owner in Margao, but to no use,” said the

According to the workers, there are no issues with whosoever takeover of the company, but what has angered them is the non-payment of their salaries since the last 10 months.

Workers claimed that they tried every possible manner, but the company owner is least bothered to solve their problem.

“What are we going to eat and how can we survive without salaries? Can anyone tell us?

Even the authorities are mum over the issue. We met Urban Development and Labor Minister Joaquim Alemao, but what

we get in return are only assurances and nothing else. Is this a common man’s government,” asked Manisha Naik, an employee.

“Our workers union is affiliated to the Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh (BMS) and we don’t know what sort of action is being taken by them. But we have hope in BMS. We are also been supported by the Shiv Sena and we hope atleast something will happen good,” added Naik.

North Goa Shiv Sena Chief Damu Naik along with Ponda Block Chief Kamalakant Naik on Monday met the aggrieved workers and assured full support.

“I don’t know what the authorities are doing to solve the problem of these innocent workers. They are with no pay since the last 10 months. This is unjust and government should give justice. We will do whatever possible to solve the issue,” said Damu Naik.

The issue is now pending before the Labour Commissioner.

When contacted, BMS General Secretary Hryudaynath Shirdokar claimed that the case was pending because of the illegal order passed by the Labour Commissioner.

“The Labour Commissioner has favoured earlier owner and that proper procedure was not followed, which resulted in delay,” alleged Shirodkar.

“However, the case is in our favour bur due to unmethodical process adopted by the Labour Commissioner, it is pending,” claimed Shirodkar.

Merces villagers condemn move to topple sarpanch, dy HERALD CORRESPONDENT MERCES, JUNE 29

Ahead of the crucial No-confidence Motion against Merces Sarpanch Prakash Naik and D e p u t y S a r p a n c h Yo g i t a Kavlekar on July 2, about 300 villagers from Voilem Bhat and Bamon Bhat met on Tuesday evening to condemn the action of the three ruling panchas, who have joined hands with three opposition panchas to topple the current dispensation on flimsy grounds and for their own personal benefits.

The villagers felt that the greed of power and money is the real motive behind the noconfidence motion.

Speaking to Herald, villager Bharat Volvoikar informed that if the panchas really feel that the sarpanch has been encouraging illegal activities in the village, they should come forward and prove their allegations.

“Just by alleging that the sarpanch is encouraging illegal activities do not prove the same,” he said and alleged that

MBA welcomes HC decision HERALD REPORTER VASCO, JUNE 29

Mormugao Bachao Abhiyan (MBA) Convenor Simon Pereira has welcomed the High Court decision to permit mechanized coal handling terminal at Berth No 11, but said the MBA is firm on its demand that first manual handling of coal should be stopped and then go ahead with the construction of proposed coal terminal.

Speaking to media on Tuesday, Pereira said MBA is abiding the High Court directives as it does not have any problem with mechanized handling of coal at Berths No 10 and 11, which are infamous for the coal dust pollution in Vasco city.

“It will take another four years to shape up the proposed new mechanized coal terminal at Berth No 11, but by that time it completes, will the port authority stop manual handling of coal at Berths No 10 and 11, which has been a big health hazard for the surrounding people,” asked Pereira.

“We are firm on our demand that manual handling should be stopped first and then go ahead with construction of proposed terminal,” demanded Pereira.

He further pointed out that entire sea shore line near Vasco fishing jetty turned into black for the last few days, as spillage of dirt and coal particles from stacked coal from Berths No 10 and 11 have drained out in the sea near Khariwado fishing jetty.

many signatories to the noconfidence motion are themselves involved in the promotion of illegal activities in the village.

A n o t h e r v i l l a g e r, U d a y Narvekar, said Merces village has seen a lot of development under Sarpanch Prakash Naik, which was never seen before in the village and added that Naik does not need to be a sarpanch or even a panch as he has been working for the development of his wards even before getting elected as a panch.

Earlier, Sarpanch Naik explained to the villagers the sequence that could have led to the three panchas moving the no trust mo tion.

He informed that a NOC to a private company in Vaddy-Merces was the bone of contention among the panchas who felt that the NOC has been given to setup a call centre and that huge money has exchanged hands in the deal.

“I do not know anything about a call centre coming up i n Va d d y, ” s a i d N a i k a n d

added that the NOC has been given to the company to setup a waste treatment plant and not to set-up a call centre as suspected by the three panchas.

He then hoped that the three panchas would change their mind and not get swayed by the empty promises of a few individuals who are out to de-estabilise the panchayat.

Naik further sought the opinion of the villagers on whether he should resign or face the noconfidence motion.

The villagers, however, were of the firm opinion that the sarpanch should boldly face the no-confidence motion and not resign as it would send a wrong signal to the villagers. The villagers also urged the sarpanch to seek an explanation, before the motion, from the three panchas over the allegations levelled against him.

Deputy Sarpanch Yogita Kavlekar and Panch Armstrong Braganza were also present for the meeting.

CHWC failed agitation attributed to govt ‘effort’ HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACIONA, JUNE 28

The failure of Canacona Health Welfare Committee (CHWC) to

stage a successful road blockade agitation in demanding the muchneeded boost to the taluka’s lone ill-equipped hospital has now be-

come the talk of the town.

While some attribute this failure to the mismanagement by CHWC, others claim that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat managed to quell CHWC’s agitation.

Given the non-experience of newly formed CHWC, it looks the seasoned politician from Margao played timely action in creating cracks within the already in disarray CHWC, which too willing fell prey to the role played by the chief minister.

Seeing the noise created by CHWC is too much, Kamat like any other seasoned politician contacted both local MLAs from the taluka, who lately showed an inclination towards the demands pursued by CHWC. The best opportunity came on the way for the chief minister to settle the score for once is when CHWC gave a call for road blockade agitation, after which his (Kamat) office made all-out effort to reach out all the prominent people of Canacona, including CHWC officebearers.

HE RA LD GOA, WEDNESDAY, 30 JUNE, 2010

Pg7 Pistol used in honour killing case recovered PTI NEW DELHI, JUNE 29

Making a headway in the Ashok Vihar honour killing case, Delhi Police have recovered from Rishikesh the pistol allegedly used by three youths to kill three of their relatives for marrying outside their caste.

A team of city police recovered the .32 bore pistol from Rishikesh where they had taken the accused -- Ankit, Mandeep and Nakul -- for further investigation in the case.

The trio was arrested from Ghaziabad on June 24.

"We have recovered the pistol from river Ganga. The accused told us that they have thrown the pistol in the river. We searched the location with the help of locals. The water was shallow and we recovered it," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-West) N S Bundela said.

The pistol will be sent for forensic examination, he said.

The accused had told police that they had thrown the pistol in the river after killing Ankit's sister Monica and her husband Kuldeep for marrying outside the community. Later, they allegedly killed Shobha, Mandeep's sister, who had earlier eloped with a person outside her community.

They carried out the murders on a single day – June 20. First they allegedly killed Shobha after asking her to meet them.

Then they called Kuldeep to meet them and killed him. Later his wife Monica was murdered at her home.

After the murders, the three escaped to Uttarakhand.

Investigators have collected evidence through which they are reconstructing the chain of events, a senior police official said.

They have also taken the fingerprints of the accused to match them with those lifted from the house of Monica as well as that in Shobha's car.

Man held for rape bid on American PTI DEHRA DUN, JUNE 29

A man, working as a bus conductor in Delhi, was arrested for allegedly attempting to rape an American national in Mussoorie near here, police today said.

22-year-old Sandip Kumar, a resident of Sonepat in Haryana, was arrested after 24-year-old woman lodged an FIR against him last night, they said.

The woman, who hails from California, said in her complaint that she met Sandip yesterday at Kempty Falls, a famous tourist spot of Mussoorie. On their way back, they consumed liquor together at a restaurant. As she came back to her hotel room, Sandip also followed her and made a rape attempt on her, police said.

The woman, however, managed to run away from the hotel and lodged the complaint with the nearest police station.

Sandip works as a conductor in DTC buses in New Delhi, police said.

Ammunition seized in Kolkata PTI KOLKATA, JUNE 29

Over 5,000 rounds of .315 cartridges, possibly meant for the Maoists, were found in a car after it was intercepted by police for violating traffic rules near Shovabazar Metro Railway station here.

A traffic sergeant on a motorcycle stopped the car bearing a Bihar registration number yesterday at Jatindra Mohan Avenue for jumping a red light and asked for the papers, police said today.

When one of the occupants of the car alighted, the driver sped off with the traffic sergeant chasing it, police said, adding the man who had got down fled from the spot.

The sergeant caught up with the car and managed to stop it, as two others in it fled, the sources said.

A search of the car revealed 5000 rounds of .315 bore ammunition, they said, which was possibly meant for the Maoists.

Police said similar ammunition was used by the Maoists.

The seizure was being investigated by the Special Task Force of the police.

OHERALDO

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OPINION

Pg8

www.oheraldo.in

O HERALD O

Rebels Without A Cause

Vol No CX No: 167 Goa, Wednesday 30 June, 2010

A

Taking us all for a ride

s usual, bus owners say they want an immediate fare hike, because the prices of diesel have gone up. They have also demanded the immediate removal of Transport Minister Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar, and called for a oneday token strike on July 5, in protest against the government’s failure to revise the ticket price.

The bus owners say that the last time that tickets prices were hiked was in December 2008, more than 18 months ago. Then, they say, the price of diesel was Rs35.33 per litre.

After the recent increase, the price of diesel price is Rs40.27, an increase of Rs4.94. Still, they complain, the government is hesitating to raise ticket prices.

It all sounds nice, logical and simple. But there’s more to it. Let the government first find out whether the private bus owners are actually charging the fares fixed the last time they were raised. We say this because it is an old habit for private bus owners to agitate for a fare increase, and then not implement it. Why? Because the perennially loss-making Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) will immediately introduce the new prices, giving private bus owners an advantage; they can charge less than Kadamba.

Several times in the past, the private bus owners implemented the previous fare hike after they negotiated a fresh one, to give them that price advantage. If the government finds that the buses are charging lower fares than the previously agreed ticket rates, it obviously means that they can make a profit without any increase.

The bus owners say that they understand the problems the ‘aam admi’ faces owing to inflation, and therefore have demanded a hike of ‘just’ 20 paise per kilometre. They claim they were to go on an indefinite strike from May 25, but owing to an intervention by the Director of Transport, they put it off.

Our hearts overflow with the concern the bus owners have for the common people, but they need to show this empathy more concretely; by not overcrowding their buses; training their drivers to drive more safely and not race other buses at mad speeds to get to the stop first and grab the passengers; by training their conductors to be more polite, wear uniforms and actually issue tickets; by making their buses ply as per the timetable and not wait till passengers are packed in like sardines…

If they do these few things first, the bus owners will have the full support of the public in their bid to get the fares raised. But not until then…

B

Now a junket!

ad enough the Goa Police completely neglected to contact Swedish model Lucky Farmhouse, who had originally put up the video of her alleged drug peddler boyfriend Yaniv Benaim alias Atala bragging about how everyone in the state was in his pocket. Now, they are talking taking a holiday in Sweden, allegedly to interview her!

Wonderful, is it not? Instead of looking into why the officer in charge of the investigation did not bother to contact this lady and get some vital evidence, the police chief is actually thinking of rewarding them for their inefficiency “if necessary”, by spending large amounts of taxpayers’ money to send them on a summer holiday to Sweden, on the pretext of investigations.

Director General of Police Bhimsain Bassi needs to remember how the CBI was refused permission by the Court to go to the UK, allegedly to ‘interview’ Fiona McKeown in the Scarlet Keeling case. His force faces accusations of having deliberately sabotaged the investigations into the high profile politicianpolice-drug mafia nexus. The High Court has used some very strong words to admonish his lads, and he needs to take them far more seriously than he seems to be doing right now.

No nexus!

M K Shambhu, Dy Conservator of Forests, Margao I was taken aback on reading the letter ‘Frog-Forest nexus’ by Cedrick Fernandes (Herald, 25 June). This is to clarify that animals rescued from poachers are tended if they are injured, and released in their natural habitat at the earliest. The process of release is properly documented under a ‘panchanama’ and is done in the presence of reliable witnesses. Such releases are not publicised so as to keep away unscrupulous elements from poaching. Many times, NGOs and activists are also associated with the release process.

It would have been better if Cedrick Fer-

100 Years Ago PRIMEIRO DIARIO NAS COLONIAS PORTUGEZAS

30 June 1910

School Certificates • The villagers arrived to the Capital City to collect and forward to the Institute of Instruction, their Certificates of ‘Primeiro Grau’.

Monthly Magazine

• The Printing Press of Arthur Viegas will begin work from this month onwards on its monthly magazine titled “A Revista Moderna“.

Cowherd Killed • At Usgao, a cowherd while roaming around through that locality, was killed by a tiger.

Grant Authorised • A sum of Rupees one lakh for the construction of an edifice at Bombay for the purpose of Primary Education was authorized by the State’s exchequer.

Money Donated • Wealthy landowner Mr. Vishnu Sinai Dempo donated to the Military Philanthropic Society of Goa, a sum of Rupees twenty.

Comparisons are being drawn between Islamist militants and Maoist radicals in India, writes PACHU MENON

O

rganizational upheavals within the Indian Communist movement following the IndoSino War in 1962 saw the party split into the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) – the CPI (M). While the CPI preached the theory of ‘peaceful road to noncapitalist development’, the CPI (M) adopted the centrist line. It is at such a time, that an incident in a remote area transformed the history of leftwing extremism in India.

It all started in a remote village called Naxalbari in West Bengal, on March 2, 1967. A tribal uprising against the tyrannical landed gentry, within a short span acquired great visibility and tremendous support from cross sections of Communist revolutionaries belonging to the state units of the CPI (M) in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.

Bimal Kissan, the tribal youth, who showed exceptional courage in going against the diktats of the powerful landlords in Naxalbari, would never have imagined that his act of resistance would build-up into an ‘armed struggle’ that would see decades of bloody massacre of those in authority, and quite often of the innocents too. The ‘Naxalite Movement’ thus brought into its gambit the tribal and peasants’ aspect of the conflict.

Early into the new millennium, over a series of new leanings, the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCC) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People’s War (popularly known as the People’s War Group or PWG) merged to form a new entity, the Communist Party of IndiaMaoist (CPI-Maoist). As a consequence, it has become increasingly difficult to differentiate between various fundamental groups sharing their beliefs in the ‘annihilation of class enemies’ and in extreme violence as a means to secure organizational goals.

The abduction and beheading of Police Inspector Francis Induwar of Jharkhand by the Maoists demanding the release of two of their central leaders arrested by the law enforcement authorities in New Delhi and West Bengal; the gruesome killing of six villagers including the village head in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district on charges of spying for the police, and the ambush of policemen who were out on an operation against them in thick forests of Dantewada district in Chhatisgarh which saw the brutal massacre of

Insurgency In India 76 CRPF personnel, were some of the vile acts perpetrated by the rebels that sent ripples of fear and panic amongst the locals there.

A ready apology and a shrug of helplessness by the Maoists while stating that their targets were actually the special police officers travelling in the bus, after a bomb went off under a crowded bus in Chhattisgarh killing two or more civilians and admitting that the derailment of the HowrahKurla Jnaneshwari Express in western Midnapore in West Bengal claiming over a hundred civilian lives ‘was a mistake’ as they were planning to blow up a goods-train. As if these were not exemplifications of a cruel joke played by the red cadre! In fact, the very outrageousness of these deeds implies that Maoists groups may go to any extent to achieve their misconceived and misconstrued objectives.

India is now torn by the veracity of Maoist insurgency, more than cross-border terrorism. The ineffectiveness of the Police and Para-military personnel in engaging the rebels and coming out tops in any encounter, has prompted the Gov-

How now, San Joao!

Goan abroad

“Aaargh!” I fell off the almirah with a thud, and my parrot yelled.

“You crazy?” Cocky cried, “Why jump like that if you’re not well?”

“Well,” I said, “I was pretend to jump into a well, idiot. In Goa it’s the feast of San Joao. We jump into wells and paddy fields just to impress hot chicks. But sadly, there’s no wells in New York.“ “Firstly,” she spat, “I’m not your hot chick. Secondly, there’s a huge blown well in the Gulf of Mexico that you can happily jump into.“ “That’s oil!” I shot back, “Hah, you don’t seem to be well... read!”

“Damn the ‘well’ puns!” Cocky bit me, “Tell me about San Joao!”

“Well...” I giggled, “It all started with this Biblical prophet John, a cousin of Jesus, who quite unfortunately got his head cut off.“ “For jumping in a well?” Cocky gaped, “Was it Alibaba’s cave?”

“No,“ I said coldly, “You’re mixing him up with Goa’s forty chors.“

nandes had verified the matter with the department before expressing such damaging doubts openly without any proper information whatsoever.

Cool freeze Jose Maria Miranda, Margao It is heartening to note that the Margao City Development Plan (CDP) envisages a complete freeze on construction activity in the city. After having satisfied his favourite lobby with multi-storeyed buildings that have come up recently in the heart of the city, some without parking lots, and perhaps others already approved and due to come up shortly, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has decided, even though belatedly, to do the right thing for Margao with a freeze on constructions.

However, as the Municipal Councillors have rightly pointed out, the CDP needs to be placed before the public for suggestions and objections. Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) also needs to be explained to the stake holders. The government should not rush with this project without taking Madganvkars into confidence. Margao should not lose grants from central government agencies if the project is unduly delayed.

Act or quit Arwin Mesquita, Abu Dhabi It appears that in addition to the agitation in South Goa, the Mopa villagers have also seen the negatives of this proposed airport.

It is high time that we unite the southern and northern forces against corrupt politicians who are hell-bent on setting up this airport for personal objectives.

No more political talk; South Goans must unitedly force their silent MLAs and MP to oppose Mopa or resign. It is now or never!

Unfair oil price hike S Kamat, Alto Betim Your editorial ‘The myth of petrol subsidy’ (Herald, 28 June) hit the nail on the head. If we talk of deregulation of fuel prices, we should also talk about transparency on how we arrive at the prices. It is not fair to put the ‘aam admi’ at the mercy of fluctuating

ernment to mull deeply on the thought of roping in the army to fight the Naxals. Singling out Leftwing extremism as the gravest internal security threat faced by the Nation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has sought ways and means to eradicate the menace of Maoists.

Incidentally, comparisons are being drawn between Pakistan’s Islamist militants and Maoist radicals in India. It is being argued that although both claim to champion the cause of social justice, the former rely on persuasion and control by forceful application of the religious edicts; the later rely on sheer exploitation of local grievances against the biased approach, lack of developmental work and poor governance. Both, nevertheless, do not shrink away from resorting to violence against the state to try and achieve their aims.

While the Pakistani Islamists are from the religious right and have become powerful enough to strike at the heart of the country’s major cities, the Maoists with their far-left philosophies are extending their sphere of influence through large parts of the rural hinterland, the tribal belt to be

more specific – and they very conveniently call it the ‘Red Corridor’!

I would however equate the Maoists with the dacoits of the Chambal ravines of Madhya Pradesh in the 1960s and 1970s. The domination by the zamindars spawned an era of serfdom where the small farmers were constantly in debt to the landlords. Persecution at their hands forced many to take up arms and flee into the deep forests of the Chambal Valley, after having settled scores with the tyrants. While dacoits Man Singh and Vikram Mallah terrorized neighbouring villages, Putli Bai and Phoolan Devi gave a feminine touch to the sadism and brutality usually attributed to the male members of the clan.

Through amnesties granted and a lot of sustained hard work that went into their rehabilitation, many of the dreaded dacoits were brought back into mainstream society and allowed to live respectful lives. But even during this period, there were many who, citing reasons of discrimination and harassment, became outlaws solely for wielding the power a loaded gun gave, looting and plundering, terrorizing the people – and enjoying all this too, mind you! These brigands could only be called ‘rebels without a cause’!

This is precisely what is happening with the Maoist movement, the Naxalite culture! Recently an article in a leading daily was highly quizzical of the nature of tactics employed by the Maoists and opined that “a movement that used to claim that it targeted only combatants is increasingly resorting to excitative terrorism against non-combatants,” suggesting that “a movement carried out in the name of India’s poor has, for all practical purposes, degenerated into an inhuman cult of death.”

So disoriented are the cadres, that many are disillusioned with the ideologies and have preferred to move out of the organization. In an expose by the Indian Express, a member of the cadre who surrendered, confessed, “We were told to kill, but never told why!” Many are also convinced that “the tribals’ lot was not going to improve under the Maoists.” Moreover, the indiscriminate killing of tribals on the pretext that they were informers was putting them in direct conflict with the very cause they had taken up.

When the credibility of the Maoist leaders among fellow members is on the line. Need anything more be said? What sort of a revolution is this?

“Oh, I thought he might have been a Baptist,“ she smiled, “After all, aren’t they the ones who get baptised by jumping in a well?”

“Do you,” I asked sternly, “want to know the tradition of San Joao or not? John the Baptist was a great man who preached the truth.“ “You see? I knew it! He was a Baptist all along. Maybe a tiatrist?”

“Watch it,“ I snapped. “Anyway, this has nothing to do with the San Joao feast, but his head was brought to the party on a platter.“ “I see this tradition even today with a pig’s head,“ she said, “Now if only we could have the Minister for Pork’s head... less corruption!”

“Ha, ha he’s in Dubai for San Joao right now; no pork there…“ “Anyhow, what’s all this about flower crowns and looting zanvois?”

“No idea, quite honestly,“ I admitted, “But I do know that many new sons-in-law (zanvois) used to secretly hide their valuables in

A safe destination

Irineu Gonsalves, Verna

A tourism business portal, TripAdvisor, which some days back listed Goa as India’s top favourite for vacationing families, has now tagged Goa as the second most unsafe destination in India after Delhi. What a humiliation; even crime-infested places like Patna and Noida are rated as more safe!

After British teenager Scarlet Keeling was found dead at Anjuna in 2008, warped media coverage has dogged Goa with a few highly publicised cases of rape and death involving foreigners. The blame should go to our politicians and police, who are in hand-in-glove with drug traffickers.

In real terms, Goa is the safest destination in India. That is why celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Nana Patekar, and other Bollywood celebrities want to buy houses in Goa. Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar already has one. Akshay Kumar, who owns a house here, said that when he is in Goa he can let his hair down and ride a bike without being mobbed.

Sex in the city Walter de Mello, Candolim Just scratch below the beautiful scenery and touristic locale of Candolim, and you will find filth underneath. The prostitution racket ‘unearthed’ at Candolim is no surprise; it was in operation for over three years.

Calls and letters to the police and local newspapers brought no relief. It is a shame on the part of the proprietor to allow his premises to be used for such exploitative activities, when he himself has two daughters. I hope the Crime Branch takes action against other ‘night clubs’, a euphemism for dance bars and prostitution joints, which are still open for business.

Faulty autopsies?

Edwin J Coutinho, Canacona Is the Goa government promoting itself as the perfect murder cover-up destination?

the household well, to avoid being looted by thieves.“ “No kidding,“ Cocky was aghast. “So... many of our Goan wells must still have stacks of loot from bygone days – long forgotten.“ “Oh, much more,“ I scolded, “Our wells had secret caves dug during Portuguese days, which had hiding places for people too.“ “Whaaat?” she gasped, “I thought only rats could survive there.“ “Spoken like a true Goencar,“ I said. “Last year, a huge monster rat’s progeny was missing. Guess where he was? In luxury too…“ “Oh my God, I get it now, San Joao,“ Cocky screamed. “What’s missing now is not a rat, it’s a mouse! A big-eared American one!”

“Hiding in luxury down a... well?” I gurgled, “What mouse…?”

“Mickey!” she shrieked, sinking in giddy hysteria.

The popat always knows.

[If you just arrived: Langoti ‘Long’ John Silva is a globe-trotting Goencar, always accompanied by his wise-cracking parrot Cocky]

Letters to the Editor

Letter of the Day

international oil prices, while the government and the oil marketing companies (OMCs) keep their revenues and margins the same.

Both the centre and state governments need to immediately cut the customs duty on petroleum products to zero and excise and sales tax from 22 to 33 per cent to reasonable levels. The ‘aam admi’ is not a beast of burden.

By Francis Rodrigues

The quality of autopsies performed by its surgeons leaves much to be desired. The autopsy performed by a panel of doctors on Nadia Torrado in Goa said there was nothing unusual. But the autopsy performed in Chennai earlier reported 11 contusions on her body.

Are Goa’s forensic surgeons writing what is told to them by the police, politicians and, God forbid, even criminals on the autopsy report? Is that why so many murders go undetected? A faulty autopsy is the perfect way to cover up a murder. Those involved in such illegalities should be dismissed and jailed.

The reluctance of our government to start a full-fledged forensic lab is because our politicians and police are themselves doing narcotic drugs business. The lab would have exposed many drug overdose deaths.

Mera Bharat Mahaan Maya Dessai, by email Advocate Radharao Gracias, who wrote the article ‘Chauvinism versus Patriotism’ (Herald, 25 June), is known for his extremist views. He has used your paper to write rubbish about our beloved country. India always was a powerful nation, despite its massive area and large population. Today, India is known all over the world for IT, call centres, etc. We are also a nuclear state.

Our ancient rishis invented Ayurveda, Vedic Maths and the zero. Today, western people come to India for Ayurveda. Many are becoming vegetarians. Vegetarian food is the best, according to all doctors. Radharao is anti-Indian. He must leave the country if he does not like it.

Mera Bharat kahaan?

Anthony J Simoes, Dona Paula Adv Radharao Gracias is a person who does not pull his punches. He calls a spade a spade. His ‘Chauvinism vs Patriotism’, (Herald, 25 June) tells it like it is.

India is a demographic disaster. Our population density is more than 1,000 persons per square mile. Due to this, we concentrate on quantity rather than quality. We produce millions of people who are qualified, but not educated. We have laws galore, but no law and order. We do not believe in safety or maintenance, since life is cheap. We learnt nothing from Bhopal.

Lest we forget, it took only 200,000 British officers, clerks and Tommys to colonise and control 350 million Indians. Today, India is a circus with 100 clowns for every performer.

Improve buses first Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco It appears that the state government is all set to give in to the demands of private bus-operators and hike the bus fare, as the price of diesel has increased. Transport Minister Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar has said that the government will also hike the fare for Kadamba buses. The ‘aam admi’, who is already facing high prices of essential commodities, will now be burdened even more.

If the increase in the bus-fare is unavoidable, the government should see to it that the hike comes with strings attached. The private bus-operators must give better service to the travelling public. They should issue tickets. The number of standing passengers should not exceed the limit. Conductors should wear uniform and name badges. They should be polite towards passengers, specially women. Buses should leave the bus-stand as per the time-table, not when the bus is full. They should stop only at designated stops. If the public have to pay more, they deserve better service.

Paths of Wisdom

Practise what you preach One day, an old lady came to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa with her 10- yearold grandson. Prostrating before the saint she said, “Master! I have come to seek your advice. This is my grandson.

He lost his parents when he was only five years old . I have been taking care of him. He is very fond of sweets. He eats so much that his health is deteriorating everyday. Despite the doctors advice against it he eats sweets. However, he respects and admires you. So I have come to request you to advice him“.

Ramakrishna said, “ Don’t worry, come with your grandson after a month. In the meanwhile I shall think of a plan to convince the boy that health is more important than wealth”. The old woman thanked him and left. Exactly a month later, the lady returned to visit Ramkrishna with her grandson.

Ramakrishna said to him, “My dear boy! Remember, one’s real wealth is health. Unless you take proper care of your health, you will not be able to grow into a strong and healthy young man.

You will not be able to do anything great in life if you are weak. When something that we eat does not suit our constitution, we should give up eating that item.

From tomorrow you should not eat sweets. After some time you may eat moderately. You are a nice boy and will listen to me, will you not?” The boy nodded and promised that he would not eat sweets.

The lady asked the saint, “ This advice which you have given my grandson, you could have given last month itself. Why did you ask me to come again after a month?“ Ramakrishna replied with an understanding smile: “Mother! I myself eat lot of sweets. How can I advise the boy to do something that I am not doing myself? One has no right to preach anything to others before practising it himself. We should never advise anyone about anything which we ourselves have not put into practice.

(Source : Stories and Parables ‘Oka Chinna Katha’)

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HE RA LD

Pg9

GOA, WEDNESDAY, 30 JUNE, 2010

opinionatEd Government Eyes Cabo-de-Rama Fort

By Freddy Agnelo Fernandes

It is said that “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”. But it does depend on what sort of eyes the beholder looks at the beauty with; it can be plain admiration or it can be lust. Cabode-Rama, is situated on the west coast of southern Goa, about 30 kilometres from Margao; it has sea on three sides and hills abreast a plateau on its north east. The scenic beauty reminds one of Kanya Kumari at sunset. Cabo de Rama is blessed with a beautiful beach and a plateau that’s envied and eyed by a lot of hoteliers. This beach and the adjoining plateau have been used by a good number of Bollywood producers for film shoots and music videos. It is indeed scenic and picturesque, I for one, never tire of viewing and admiring its beauty.

The Cabo-de-Rama fort is strategically built, from where it gives a clear view of the vast coast and the open sea. Inside its walls is abundant greenery, over there is an awesome view of the sides of the Fort. Although only the remains of the old residences of the Portuguese exist, the Church built by the Portuguese and dedicated to St Anthony of Padua in the centre of this fort, still looks immaculate. This Church will complete 400 years in January 2011. About 50 metres from the sides of the Church, all around it, there are 14 crosses depicting the 14 Stations of the Cross. The parishioners of this Church are the residents of Cabo-de-Rama and the residents of Nuem, which is a small hamlet situated between Cabo-de-Rama and Canaguinim. At all major Church festivals the residents of Nuem gather at the Cabo-de-Rama Church. The blessing of the first fruits “Navidade” is give from atop this Fort, from where you get a picturesque view of all the fields and houses of Cabo-de-Rama. The processions during the feasts and the Holy Week are taken out around the 14 crosses. The feast of the Church is celebrated on February 15 with great devotion and gaiety.

From my childhood I have been hearing various stories that the Cabo-de-Rama fort was to be taken over by the Navy, the hotel industry, Atomic Energy Commission, Airport and the Tourism Department etc. There were also rumours that a hi-fi educational institute was supposed to be taking over the fort.

But now finally the cat is out of the bag and the intentions of the government are clear. The Government is certainly looking at the Cabo-de-Rama fort with licentious eyes and that has made the residents of Cabo-de-Rama and Nuem residents very jittery. The air of these villages is filled with the anxiety of its residents. We certainly do not have any reason to trust the Government.

We are all aware of what happened when the Anjediv Island was handed over to armed forces; no one is allowed access to the church despite umpteen requests and delegations sent there to meet the officials. We certainly do not want our community to suffer the same and invite nuisance around our place of worship. Ours is a small community and we surely wouldn’t want ourselves to be run over by our conniving government. We will do everything possible to protect the privacy of our village and our rights.

We have co-operated with the Government on the matter of the restoration and the maintenance of the fort. But we will certainly oppose privatisation of the fort; it is the land of the community- to be use only for the benefit of the community.

Our people have learned a lesson from the mining issue and we will not be taken for granted. What the Government does in the area, has to be discussed with the locals and the panchayat. There should be transparency in any process that the government undertakes, to see how beneficial or adverse it would be for the residents of the area.

The reputation of the present Government in supporting and appeasing the luxury hotel consortiums and mega builders against the wishes of the locals is well known. The concerns and the problems of the locals are not what interest them as long as they can get much out of it for themselves; what happens to the rest is inconsequential to them. So it is left up to us to protect and safeguard our interests.

Save Cabo-de-Rama Fort from privatisation. Let the people of Cabo-de-Rama decide what they want.

Do you have a strong opinion about something? Then write it down in around 1,100 words and send it to ‘editor@herald-goa.com’ with the word ‘OPinionatED’ in the subject line. Or send it to: OPinonatED, Herald, Rua San Tome, Panjim, Goa-403001. If we find it suitable, it will appear in this column. Please note all contributions will be edited to correct the English and improve readability. Personal attacks or any matter that is potentially libellous may also be edited out.

2 warships commissioned into Navy fleet PTI VISAKHAPATNAM, JUNE 29

Giving a boost to the Indian Navy’s defence capabilities, to stateof-the-art high-speed warships INS Cankarso and INS Kondul were commissioned here today.

Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan commissioned the ships in the presence of Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Naval Command Vice-Admiral Anup Singh and other senior Naval officials.

The indigenously-built ships use water jet propulsion technology and can use achieve speeds in excess of 35 knots. They will be based in Goa and tasked with the role of detecting, locating and destroying small, fast-moving enemy surface craft engaged in covert operations, a Navy spokesman said.

INS Cankarso and INS Kondul are fitted with 30-mm CRN-91 gun built by Ordnance Factory, Medak, and Igla missiles and set of machine guns ranging from light to heavy. “These features are an improvement over the previous fast attack craft (FAC) ships,” the spokesman added.

These two ships are the first lot of the ten similar ships that the Indian Navy proposed to induct in its fleet. They belong to the Car Nicobar class V and VI in the FAC series.

“In addition to their primary role, the ships will be tasked with the role of policing, anti-smuggling and fisheries protection in India’s coastal waters. In the long run, these ships could help in ensuring stability in India’s maritime zones of responsibility,” the spokesman said.

INS Cankarso is named after an island near Goa while INS Kondul derives its name from an island near Nicobar.

Kolkata-based Garden Reach Ship Builders and Engineers, headed

by Rear-Admiral (Retd) K C Shekar, built these ships in two years.

Water jet technology has rapidly gained acceptance as the leading means of propulsion for all types of high-speed marine craft, including ferries, work boats, patrol crafts and pleasure boats.

Recent advances in water jet technology have put them ahead of conventional propulsion systems in high-speed performance and reliability, the Navy spokesman said.

INS Cankarso is commanded by Arun Bahuguna and INS Kondul

by Shashidhar R Patil. The two crafts that have 45 sailors and four officers on board, are equipped with a reverse-osmosis technology drinking water plant and sewerage treatment plant.

PM asks Sikh MPs not to bring divisive elements of politics UNI TORONTO, JUNE 29

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked Sikh Parliamentarians in Canada not to bring to this country some of the divisive elements of politics back home, saying it would not help advance the cause of the Sikh community. ‘’I have only one word to say that we should not bring to this country some of the divisive elements of politics back at home. You would well know that it does not help to advance the cause of the community,’’ Dr Singh said. ‘’It does not help by living in the past. We take pride in the fact that your roots make you feel emotional about various provinces, about various states but there is still a need to present a united image of the Indo-Canadian community.

I have only this request to make,’’ the Prime Minister said at a function organised by India’s High Commissioner to Canada, S M Gavai, to meet Canadian Senators, Members of Parliament and Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP) of Indian descent.

Describing the 1984 events as ‘’horrible’’ and should never have happened, the Prime Minister said he had on behalf of the Government of India, apologised for what happened in 1984.

There were concerns about those who perpetrated these crimes must be brought to book.

He said there were possible weaknesses in the Indian legal system, as there may be in the Canadian system and the government of India was trying to address these issues. ‘’Our Government, the UPA Government, has opened up all cases for compensation. We are open to provide relief, succor to victims, the relatives so they can once again lead a life of dignity.

It is futile to stay in the past. We can’t get away from our past but the challenge is to look ahead in a world increasingly globalised, integrated whether you are here or in India. We are part and parcel of a united India, a country of great diversity where the Sikhs are an honoured part, where I am the Prime Minster of India,’’ Dr Singh said.

‘’You are vitally involved and must accept all the changes in a globalised world. Divisive elements have no place in an increasingly integrated world,’’ Dr Singh said.

The Prime Minister conveyed his admiration for the achievements of the Indo-Canadian community in Canada and their role in forging closer India-Canada relations.

Others who addressed the gathering included Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deepak Obhrai, MP and Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Harinder Takhar, MPP and Minister for Government Services, Government of Ontario and Ujjal Dosanjh, MP, Liberal Party.

Expressing gratitude, Dr Singh said, ‘’My first words are going to be words of gratitude, words which speak of the immense pride and joy we have in the achievements of the Indo-Canadians in this country.’’

He said the Sikhs were a community of 1.5 million people in Canada and the name and fame that they had earned through hard work had helped change people’s perspective in the Western world of what India had earned, what India stood for and what India could do. ‘’This alone, I think, entitles you to earn our gratitude. I am very happy that you have flourished in this land. That is the pride we have in your achievements.’’

He said when he was the Finance Minister, what he learnt was that the people of India were very keen to prove that given the appropriate environment, Indians were second to none. ‘’We have to ensure that people don’t have to go out of India to Silicon Valley for this to happen.

I would like to say that you have distinguished yourselves in all walks of life, whether it is politics, whether it is industry, whether it is trade and whether it is science and technology. In each of these areas people of Indian origin have done us proud.’’

The Prime Minister said there were several issues which the Parliamentarians had raised and others might have similar issues.

Indian gets 17 years jail for beating wife to death in Oz PTI MELBOURNE, JUNE 29

An Indian national, who brutally beat his wife to death after abusing her for years, was today sentenced to 17 years in jail by the Victorian Supreme Court.

Sukhmander Singh, who pleaded guilty to murdering his wife Mohinder Kaur, was jailed for 17 years and was ordered to serve a minimum of 13 years and six months.

While announcing the verdict, Judge Terry Forrest said the accused had no remorse for his actions.

Mohinder was beaten to death with a wooden stake by Singh on the Valley Lake Boulevard at Niddrie on May 7, 2009.

The accused followed his wife Mohinder who came to Australia from India in 2008 because of years of physical abuse and being falsely accused of having affairs by him.

The couple had four children and their daughter Sarabjit Kaur, 21, was studying in Melbourne.

Sarabjit had arranged for her mother to obtain a visa and five months later in March last year she also arranged for her father to join them after he assured of a good behaviour.

Justice Terry Forrest said that Singh’s conduct towards his family improved significantly after he arrived in Melbourne in early March.

However, his behaviour deteriorated and last May he attacked his wife while taking a stroll on Valley Lake Boulevard in Niddrie suburb in Melbourne’s northwest.

“What followed then was a brutal conclusion to your wife’s life,” Forrest said.

“Mohinder was crying and told Sarabjit that you had taken a wooden stick from the ground.

She heard what sounded like a crack, and last words she heard her mother utter were: ‘Neena, your father is killing me,” Forrest told Singh.

Singh’s daughter Sarabjit testified that as long as she could remember there was fighting and argument between Singh and his wife, the Age reported.

“The children would stay outside the house crying while you set about beating their mother,” Judge told Singh.

“For cultural reasons I am unable to comprehend, these beatings were not reported to the police,” Forrest said, adding “Sarabjit states that over the last few years the fighting and beatings became considerably worse. You would kick your wife, hit her and use objects to inflict pain upon her.”

The court heard Singh would abuse his wife almost every day and the physical beatings would happen almost once a week.

Kaur had given evidence that she moved to Australia in 2007 to get away from her father but her mother could not leave because of her younger brother and sister in India.

“She (Sarabjit) spoke to her mother regularly and recounted her mother’s distress over her father’s accusations of her affairs,” Forrest said, adding “she also recounts the belief that Mohinder held that you would end up killing her.”

The court also heard that Singh’s behaviour was accompanied by an “extraordinary consumption of alcohol and perhaps opium” which included a bottle of whiskey a day and at least up to two kilograms of opium poppy husks each month.

Mohinder sought help in Australia to remove her mother

from the violent environment and a 12-month tourist visa was arranged without her husband’s knowledge.

She arrived in the country in October 2008 and spent some happy and fulfilling months with her daughter, the court heard.

“Some months later after extracting a promise from you that you would not drink, your daughter arranged for you to come to Australia,” Forrest told Singh.

During his stay, the family arranged for Singh to spend time at the Sikh temple in Cragieburn where they endeavoured to treat his alcohol addiction with prayer.

But Forrest said Singh’s mood changed and he again falsely accused his wife of having affairs.

The following day he went for a walk with his wife after dinner. “At approximately 5 p.m. you and Mohinder left the house in Newsman Crescent, Niddrie to walk towards the lake a short distance away,” the judge said.

“Your daughter telephoned Mohinder at 6.24 pm. Mohinder was crying and told Sarabjit that you had taken a wooden stick from the ground. She heard what sounded like a crack and the last words she heard her mother utter were: ‘Neena, your father is killing me’.”

Forrest described the attack as a “brutal conclusion” to his wife’s life. “You beat her with a large heavy stake until she was dead.”

A forensic pathologist described multiple skull and facial bone fractures among other injuries and estimated a minimum of three or four blows to the scalp-forehead region with further blows to the mid-facial and neck area.

Students of National Institute of Technology (NIT) throwing up their caps after convocation ceremony in Patna on Tuesday.

Fresh clashes in Kashmir leave 13 hurt PTI SRINAGAR, JUNE 29

Fresh clashes today broke out between locals protesting the killing of youths in alleged CRPF firing and security forces in parts of Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag districts, leaving 13 people injured.

With violence spreading to more places, curfew was imposed this morning in parts of Baramulla, Anantnag and seven police station areas of Srinagar as the situation remained tense in troubled Sopore in the wake of the protests.

In view of the violence, mobile services in north Kashmir and SMS service in the entire valley were blocked on the instructions of the state government.

With separatists giving fresh calls for strike, life remained crippled across Kashmir valley, including Srinagar, for the fifth consecutive day today.

In Anantnag, 65 kms from here, locals assembled at a bus stand and protested against the killings. Paramilitary forces deployed in the town initially cane charged them but when they refused to budge, they opened fire resulting in injuries to three persons including a teenager identified as Irshiad Ahmad Bhat.

He suffered a bullet injury in one of his legs at the Mattan bus stand, a police spokesman told PTI.He said Bhat was admitted to a hospital where doctors described his condition as stable.

The spokesman said people also took to the streets in K P Road in Anantnag but there was no report of any casualty in the clashes that ensued between the protestors and law enforcing agencies.

In Srinagar, agitators staged protest demonstrations in Maisuma area, Zaldager, Galwanpora, the airport road, Nund Resh Colony, Boatman colony in Bemina, Batmaloo and HMT Zainakote, he said. Five persons were injured in the clashes.

In Baramulla town of north Kashmir where a teenager was killed yesterday, people staged demonstrations in the town, Delina and Khanpora and clashed with security forces resulting in injuries to five persons, he said.

It’s not fair to compare me with Ranbir: Imran

PTI NEW DELHI, JUNE 29

Both of them come from film backgrounds and made their movie debut within months of each other. Comparisons between actors Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor are inevitable but the former thinks it is not fair to equate the two.

“There is space for everyone in the industry. It is not fair to compare one actor’s success with another. You cannot compare me with Ranbir,” said Imran.

The actor is often weighed against Ranbir, who belongs to the famous Kapoor family in Bollywood.

Imran is the nephew of Aamir Khan and his first film ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ was produced by the Bollywood superstar. But the actor has moved on from under his uncle’s umbrella and takes his career decisions himself.

“I do not take any advice from him. He has a successful film career of his own and is very busy with that,” said Imran, who

was in the capital to promote his upcoming film ‘I Hate Luv Storys’ releasing on July 2.

The 27-year-old actor began his Bollywood career with a romantic film in 2008 but went onto act in action flicks ‘Luck’ and ‘Kidnap’ with roles very different from that of his first movie.

When asked about his choice of films, Imran said, “I keep doing different kinds of films so that I don’t get bored.

There are many good directors making films in different genres. We actors are very lucky that we have so much choice these days.”

He is back with the romantic flick ‘I Hate Luv Storys’ and Imran says the format of love stories in Bollywood has changed over the years.

“Romantic films made in Bollywood have changed. Earlier the conflict used to be social, like a rich girl in love with a poor boy.

These days the protagonists have ideological differences, like in our film,” said Imran.

IHLS has Imran playing a Casanova who runs after girls but doesn’t believe in the concept of love, while Sonam Kapoor, the female lead, is a love-struck die-hard romantic.

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Blast kills senior cop, two others Reuters BAIJI, IRAQ, JUNE 29

Reuters BAIJI, IRAQ, JUNE 29 Three people were killed, including a senior police officer, and 13 wounded today when a car bomb went off as a police patrol was passing in a town north of Baghdad, Iraqi police said.

Police said the explosion occurred in the centre of Baiji, 180 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad.

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US new space policy looks to India PTI WASHINGTON, JUNE 29 Looking to India as a “great” up and coming space-faring nation, the US said its newly announced space policy attached “vital” importance to enhance cooperation with that country.

“By and large, we are looking to India as a great up and coming space-faring nation to work with us,” Peter Marquez, Director of Space Policy, at the National Security Council, told reporters at a conference call after the White House unveiled the new National Space Policy.

The new policy is designed to strengthen US' leadership in space and putting emphasis on greater cooperation with India in this field.

“We see that there's great potential there and we would love nothing more to continue to build upon the great foundation we have with India and expand that cooperation,” Marquez said. Despite the fact that the Indian Space Research

Organization (ISRO) is in the entities list, NASA collaborated with ISRO through the Chandrayan-I that detected water on the moon.

India has demanded that ISRO be removed from the entities list that poses a major hurdle in the space co-operation between the two countries.

Marquez said US President Barack Obama has discussed with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on issues related to space cooperation between

the two countries.

“Cooperation with India is vitally important to as we go forward in a variety of areas -- not just in the civil space -- you know, in NASA area where we have had cooperation, but also in the climate change and earth observation area,” he said.

“We will look for greater cooperation there. We do understand there may be areas in national security where we're going to have discussions with India,” he said in response to a question.

Meanwhile, a senior Administration official said the United States consulted with several countries including India on its new space policy.

“I think we're in the early stages right now, but we look very much forward to beginning a dialogue with India and other emerging space nations,” the official told reporters.

In a statement after the White House unveiled the basic contours of the new space policy,

Obama said, “This policy is about the boundless possibilities of the future.”

“That is why we seek to spur a burgeoning commercial space industry, to rapidly increase our capabilities in space while bolstering America's competitive edge in the global economy”, he said.

He said the administration is proposing improved observation of the earth, to gain new insights into the environment and the planet.

Another senior administration official noted that there has been a healthy dialogue with India already and the goal would be to continue that.

“So with respect to specific programmes or what have you that we might consider, that's something that we would need to discuss.”

“But I think the idea is to build in the foundation that already exists,” he said in response to a question.

Raid sparks violent clash in Afghanistan Reuters KABUL,JUNE 29

Afghan police clashed today with dozens of stone-throwing protesters who had gathered at a religious school on the outskirts of the capital to complain about arrests by foreign forces.

Reuters witnesses said police could be seen firing rounds in the air or ground to disperse the protesters and saw what appeared to be three lifeless bodies being carried away by a police vehicle.

The protest was at a madrassa, or religious school, in Qalacha on the southern outskirts of Kabul. Residents said US forces had caused outrage yesterday night when they entered the compound with dogs and detained several people.

A spokeswoman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for Afghanistan was checking into the report.

Artillery drilled not aimed at US: China Reuters BEIJING, JUNE 29

China denied today media reports that an artillery drill in the East China Sea was in response to a planned military exercise between South Korea and the United States.

The six-day, live ammunition exercise starting tomorrow in the East China Sea off China's coast was seen by some analysts as a “response to a (planned) joint exercise between the United States and Republic of Korea navies in the Yellow Sea'', said the China Daily, the country's official English-language newspaper.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Qin Gang, said there was no such link and a Chinese military officer said the timing was coincidental.

"This is a regular military exercise,'' the spokesman Qin told a regular news conference. ''This is not related to the situation

Briton rapped for racial slurs PTI LONDON, JUNE 29

Employees work on the AlpspiX viewing platform at the southern Bavarian Alps mountain Alpspitze in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Tuesday . Each arm of the so-called AlpspiX platform is 25 metres (82 feet) long and will end with a glass wall providing panoramas of Hoellental and Garmisch with a spectacular view down 1000 metres below. It is due to open on July 4.

Bullock, James end marriage Reuters LOS ANGELES, JUNE 29

Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock and her estranged husband Jesse James have filed divorce papers in Texas, ending their nearly five-year marriage after he admitted to infidelity, according to reports.

People magazine said yesterday the divorce papers were filed under seal last week, and that a representative for Bullock confirmed the divorce is final.

Bullock seemed to be on top of the world several months ago when she won the best actress Oscar for playing a tough-talking Texan socialite in the football film The Blind Side. But only days later her marriage to James was rocked by reports of his cheating.

A Briton has been penalised for racially abusing a senior Indianorigin policeman from the London borough of Harrow and for trying intimidate the latter along with his two friends.

Chief Superintendent Dal Babu, Borough Commander for Harrow, was forced to endure the racial slurs from Michael Dimaio on May 15 as he made his way to the church in St Albans.

Dimaio, 24, who was with his friend Michael Healy and a third man, was outside a pub when Babu walked by just after 7.30pm. He launched a volley of abuse at the senior cop, attempting to intimidate Babu.

Dimaio has pleaded guilty and has now been ordered to complete 100 hours of community

Alex set to become hurricane, hit oil spill efforts Reuters CAMPECHE, Mexico, JUNE 29

Tropical Storm Alex was set to strengthen into a hurricane today, delaying BP PLC's efforts to increase siphoning capacity at the gushing oil well in the Gulf of Mexico where some companies evacuated workers.

Alex was forecast to move slowly away from the Yucatan Peninsula over southern Gulf waters and curl northwest away from major oil-extraction facilities to make a second landfall in northern Mexico mid-week.

It is not expected to hurt oil capture systems at the BP oil spill or the company's plans to drill a pair of relief wells intended to plug the leak by August, a BP executive told reporters in Houston.

But waves as high as four

metres would delay this week's plans to hook up a third system to capture much more oil, said Kent Wells, BP executive vice president.

As a precautionary measure, Shell Oil Co, Exxon Mobil Corp, Anadarko Petroleum Corp and Apache Corp evacuated nonessential workers from platforms near Alex's path. Shell also shut subsea production at the Auger and Brutus platforms over the weekend.

Traders and brokers kept a close eye on Alex, but oil prices fell toward 78 dollar per barrel on Monday as most forecasters predicted the storm would pass southwest of major US offshore oil and gas installations in the Gulf of Mexico.

A hurricane watch has been issued for the coast of Texas

south of Baffin Bay to La Cruz in Mexico.

The ports of Dos Bocas and Cayo Arcas, which handle 80 per cent of Mexico's oil export shipping in the Gulf, have been closed since Sunday due to strong surf in the area.

State-run oil giant Pemex said its p latforms in the Campeche Sound continued to work normally on Monday although it suspended helicopter flights to and from the facilities.

Pemex said it is monitoring wind and sur f conditions caused by Alex. Its Isla del Carmen port, not essential for oil shipments, has been closed since Sunday night.

Barbara Blakely, a spokeswoman for Shell, told Reuters the company was closely mon-

itoring Alex's advance in the Gulf but that its LNG plant in Altamira, Mexico was working as usual.

Deaths in Central America: The storm is due to make landfall again between Brownsville, Texas, and Ciudad Madero in Mexico at mid-week, mostly sparing BP oil collection efforts south of Louisiana.

Alex, the first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, gained some strength late Monday with sustained winds of about 100 kph with higher gusts and was located about 765 km southeast of Brownsville, Texas. The system was moving north-northwest at 13 kph early today morning, the US National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters expect the storm to turn towards the

Dr Death admits he’s afraid of dying too

Reuters NEW YORK, JUNE 28

Jack Kevorkian earned the moniker ''Dr. Death'' by helping

service, and is under a curfew to be in his home between 8pm and 6am on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for the next three months.

On the day, the three men, who had been drinking, surrounded Babu even after he told them he was a police officer.

Babu called the emergency number to report the incident and the three men retreated into the pub. When the police officer tried to follow them, Dimaio and Healy tried to block his way, and he asked them to stand outside with him until back-up arrived and they were arrested.

Healy, 27, was cleared of racism, but admitted a public order offence. He must observe a curfew for the next eight weeks.

more than 130 terminally ill patients commit suicide, but even the right-to-die activist admits that he is afraid of the inevitable -- death.

Kevorkian (82_ is the topic of a new HBO documentary Kevorkian which reviews a colorful career that included an eight-and-a-half year prison term for second-degree murder between 1999 and 2007.

The 90-minute film includes his musings about life, death and the future, and interviews with close family members, colleagues, and even his former

cellmate -- with some frank admissions.

“I think I'm afraid of dying as much as anybody is,” Kevorkian, a former pathologist, told Reuters Television. “But that's only because I'm comfortable.”

Kevorkian reveals an oft-overlooked creative side to “Dr Death”: a provocative painter, composer, quirky inventor, a bad filmmaker, and a terrible golfer.

But the film also follows one of America's most polarizing figures as he runs for Congress in 2008.

So how does he feel about

his worldwide reputation as ''Dr. Death?''

“I suppose if they said Dr. Life, p e o p l e w o u l d b e h a p p y, ” Kevorkian said.

“People are taught that life is a wonderful gift. Oh sure, if you're healthy, eating well, got a job, but ask someone in Darfur or in Afghanistan if he thinks life's a gift. Many wouldn't agree with what we say,” he added.

Kevorkian said the world has a hypocritical attitude towards voluntary euthanasia, or assisted suicide.

“Now we've avoided death

because we don't like death. Religion says that's a big enemy, leave it alone. But we went beyond birth, into conception.

Now we're dabbling in that,” he said.

“If we can aid people into coming into the world, why can't we aid them in exiting the world?”

The Armenian-American pathologist said he had no regrets, not even his imprisonment for the 1998 death of Thomas Youk (52) who was in the final stages of a form of motor neuron disease.

northwest later today and then gradually turn towards the west-northwest on Wednesday.

“Additional strengthening is forecast... and Alex is expected to become a hurricane on Tuesday,” the center said on its latest update.

At least 10 people have been killed in Central America since the weekend in accidents related to Alex, local authorities reported.

Three people died in El Salvador from flooding, two others were killed in a landslide in Guatemala and five people were swept away by swelling rivers in Nicaragua, emergency officials told Reuters.

Alex was expected to bring 7 to 15 cm of rain to the Yucatan Peninsula, southern Mexico and parts of Guatemala through Tuesday.

7 Taliban ultras killed PTI

PESHAWAR, JUNE 29

A US drone fired missiles at a compound used by militants in Pakistan's restive North Waziristan tribal region killing atleast seven militants, including foreigners.

The missile targetted a house in Karikot village near Wana, the main town in North Waziristan Agency, this morning, sources said. They said the compound was frequented

by Al Qaida elements.

Asia will bear burden of Alzheimer’s disease in 40 years Reuters HONG KONG, JUNE 29

Asia's fast-ageing population will make up more than half of the world's dementia patients in 40 years, with China shouldering the biggest chunk.

With very few skilled nursing homes, daycare facilities or plans to build many more, health experts say the region is ill-prepared to cope with the sharp increase in patients needing such specialised and intensive care.

“Asia will bear the burden because of the ageing population in China ... figures in China will be tremendous,” Dr. David Dai, coordinator of the Hong Kong Alzheimer's Disease Association.

“We are not prepared. The whole of southeast Asia is not prepared,” gerontologist Dai said in an interview.

More than 35 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD)and other forms of dementia, a number expected to almost double by 2030 and pass 115 million by 2050, according to Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI).

Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, robs people of their memory and thought processes and, eventually, bodily functions.

In Asia, 13.7 million people had Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia in 2005. That is expected to grow to 23.7 million by 2020 and 64.6 million by 2050.

China alone will have 27 million sufferers by 2050 and India 16 million, according to ADI.

One for every family: About 10 per cent of those in their 70s can expect to have dementia, and 30 per cent of those in their 80s.

“Everyone will experience this, every family. It is now common to live to your 80s,” said Peter Yuen, director of the Public Policy Research Institute at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

In the United States, the annual amount spent by the government, private insurance and individuals to care for people with AD, is projected to jump more than six-fold to 1.08 trillion dollars by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

The costs are just as substantial elsewhere.

Yuen, whose mother has Alzheimer's, told a recent AD symposium in Hong Kong that

four years of daycare and two years of residential care in a general nursing home in Hong Kong would cost HK$540,000 (US$69,000) per patient.

But even that is an underestimate for 82-year-old Aw Beksum, whose children have had to fork out HK$15,000 (US$1,920) each month to take care of her since she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's four years ago. The sum covers daycare, visits to the doctor, a domestic helper and household expenses.

“It's devastating for families with AD patients. There is just not enough support,'' Yuen said He proposes long-term financing or some form of pooled insurance for patients who are chronically ill so that services will be made available once the ability to pay is assured.

Few facilities: Dedicated facilities for AD patients are scarce in Asia. Hong Kong has 110,000 patients but only 299 places in four daycare centres, and not a single residential care facility.

Many end-stage sufferers are put into general nursing homes where staff are not trained to care for them.

“In nursing homes, their conditions get worse because they are normally tied down and they don't have any social interaction, then they die quickly,” Dai said.

In Malaysia, an estimated 50,000 people suffer from dementia.

“Very few private nursing homes are dedicated to the care of the AD sufferer, although some homes will accept a few AD sufferers if they are not behaviourally challenged,” said

Philip Poi, head of Geriatric Medicine at Universiti Malaya.

“Malaysia is starting to appreciate there is a problem, but currently, caregiving is provided mainly by the informal carers such as the spouse or child.

China has up to 8 million dementia patients, but very few hospitals in the country have independent dementia units. By 2030, one in every four Chinese will be over 60.

“Because of China's ageing population, the government sees stronger demand for care and medical facilities for the old. It's possible that in the next few years, China will establish more facilities and organisations for old people and dementia patients,” said Zhang Shouzi, deputy manager of the Beijing Geriatric Hospital's dementia unit.

on the Korean Peninsula.''

Li Daguang, a professor at China's National Defence University and a People's Liberation Army (PLA) officer, said the exercise was “not aimed at the US South Korea joint exercise.”

“The PLA artillery exercise in the East China Sea and the joint US-South Korea exercise in the Yellow Sea are a complete coincidence,” Li told the Wen Wei Po, a Hong Kong newspaper under mainland control.

'The outside world shouldn't read anything into this.''

The Yellow Sea lies to the north of the East China Sea and the areas of the two exercises would not overlap.

China's Foreign Ministry said last week it was concerned about reports a US aircraft carrier may join the anti-submarine exercise with South Korea following a standoff with North Korea over the sinking of a warship from the South.

Singer killed

Mexican singer Sergio Vega was murdered while on a national tour at the weekend, just hours after denying reports of his death, local media reported.

El Shaka, was driving his red Cadillac to a concert inf Sinaloa on Saturday when his car was intercepted by unidentified shooters in a truck, reports said.

US surgeon found guilty of manslaughter Reuters SYDNEY, JUNE 29

An Australian court found a US surgeon guilty of manslaughter charges today over the deaths of three patients he operated on in an Australian hospital between 2003 and 2005, Australian media said.

Jayant Patel, a US citizen born in India, could be sentenced to life in prison on the charges, which stem from his time at the Bundaberg Base Hospital in northern Queensland state.

Patel, who pleaded not guilty, will be sentenced on Thursday.

Patel was extradited from the United States in July 2008.

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Diesel prices to go the petrol way: PM PTI PM'S SPECIAL AIRCRAFT, JUNE 29

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said diesel prices

too will be freed from government control as part of "muchneeded reforms" but LPG and kerosene will continue to be

TALK BUSINESS

ACE allows 5 star exposure to culinary arts students PANJIM (HBD) -- Academy of Culinary Education (ACE) promoted

by Fomento Educational and Charitable Society is offering an opportunity to earn while learning with different courses suiting need and education level of students.

ACE is attached to Cidade de Goa and provides a live atmosphere of a Five Star hotel kitchen, encouraging them to take over responsibilities of managing and working in a hotel kitchen from the beginning of their career.

The courses offered include 1 Year Post Graduate Diploma in Chef's Management (Eligibility - Diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology/ Diploma in Chef's Management); 3 Year Diploma in Chef's Management (Eligibility - 12th Standard pass with 50% percentage and above).

ACE also offers 1 year craft course in Food Production, 6 months courses in Housekeeping and Food and Beverage services under HRDF scheme, Govt of Goa.

CSR DEEDS

Sesa’s Met Coke division bags safety award

G P Kamat - BM (MCD) and P G Rajadhyaksha, AGM (production) receiving the award at the Hands of Chief Minister of Goa, Digamber Kamat.

PANJIM (HBD) -- Sesa Goa Ltd – Met Coke Division, located at Navelim, won consolation prize in Category C (251 and above workers) for 2009. The prize was received by G P Kamat – business manager (MCD) at the hands of Chief Minister of Goa, Digamber Kamat. Also Manguirish Pai Raikar – chairman of Green Triangle Society of Goa and S M Paranjape, Chief Inspector of Factories & Boilers were present on the dais.

The award ceremony was organised by Green Triangle Society of Goa in collaboration with Inspectorate of Factories & Boilers for those industries having remarkable performance in Occupational Safety, Health and Environment.

Cidade distributes school essentials to kids of staff

Maura Almeida, Sr. Executive Housekeeper with the youngest child lighting the inaugural lamp.

PANJIM (HBD) -- The Staff Welfare Committee of Cidade de Goa for the fourth year running distributed free school essentials to 137 school going children of its employees.

Notebooks, schoolbags, rainwear, compass/ pencil boxes, tiffin boxes along with water bottles, were distributed to 137 school going children of staff members. It was followed by a fun evening with a magic show and assorted refreshments.

Sensex plummets by 240 pts PTI MUMBAI, JUNE 29

The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today crashed by 240 points on selling in banking and metal stocks, with investors preferring to book profits amid weak global cues and fears of a hike in lending rates.

In tandem with Asian peers, the 30-share Sensex opened weak and traded in the negative zone before closing at 17,534.09, lower by 240.17 points or 1.35 per cent.

The wide-based 50-share Nifty index of the National Stock Exchange also lost 1.45 per cent to finish at 5,256.15 points.

Marketmen attributed a sharp fall in Asian stocks to concerns of slowdown in Chinese economy. Metal stocks took a hit as investors feared a dip in the intake of China, the biggest consumer.

subsidised.

He also rejected the Opposition criticism of last week's decision to hike fuel prices, which saw petrol prices being pegged to market rate.

"The fact that petrol prices have been set free, the same is going to be done to the diesel prices. (These are) muchneeded reforms," he told journalists accompanying him on his way back home from Toronto where he attended the G-20 Summit.

The government on June 25 decontrolled petrol prices, resulting in a Rs 3.50 a litre increase in rates in Delhi, and raised diesel prices by Rs 2 a litre in preparation for an eventual decontrol. Diesel rates, at current prices, will rise by another Rs 1.50 if it is freed from government control.

The Prime Minister did not say by when the diesel prices will be decontrolled but said domestic cooking gas LPG and kerosene prices will continue to be regulated by the govt.

Last week, domestic LPG prices were hiked by Rs 35 per cylinder and kerosene rates went up by Rs 3 per litre, the first increase in the poor man's cooking fuel in more than 8 years, as part of a move to cut government's subsidy bill.

Even after the hike, kerosene is being sold at Rs 15.07 per litre below cost, while a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder is under priced by Rs 226.90.

TRAI to have quarterly quality review PTI NEW DELHI, JUNE 29

volatility in global oil prices, which are to decide auto fuel prices now.

Asked about the opposition to the fuel price hike and reservations even among the allies, Singh said that he had read about the intentions of the Opposition and had not talked to anyone in the political establishment.

"What I am considering is that what we have done by way of adjusting the petroleum prices is that people of India would appreciate the compulsions, which have compelled us to undertake this measure.

"And our people are wise enough to understand that excessive populism should not be allowed to derail the progress our country is making and for which it is winning kudos internationally as well," Singh said.

He also dismissed suggestions that the decision on petroleum prices was taken under pressure from some countries.

"There is no pressure on the Government of India from any quarter. What we need is to do the right things by our country.

The subsidies for the petroleum products have reached a level which is not connected to sound financial management of our economy.

"So, it is taking this into account that this decision has been taken to put some burden on the common people, but I think it is manageable," the Prime Minister said.

PTI PM'S SPECIAL AIRCRAFT, JUNE 29

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today ruled out imposition of Tobin tax on capital inflows in the country, saying the situation in India has not not reached a problem stage.

"Well the Tobin tax has merit in particular situations but as far as India is concerned we have not reached a stage where capital flows have become a problem.

"I think if capital inflows into our country both by way of direct investment and by way of portfolio investment have been at reasonable levels, we don't face situations of the kind which would require an imposition of Tobin tax," he said.

There has been a talk among economists on a Tobin-like tax-a levy on all spot conversions of one currency into another-to prevent fluctuations in the market due to excessive capital inflows into the country.

Foreign Institutional investors have been pumping in money into the Indian stock markets, adding to the capital inflows into the country. The inflows up to June this year were a little over Rs 31,000 crore.

Since the country is battling double digit inflation, there is a feeling in certain quarters that funds coming from overseas are adding to the pressure.

Calibrated attempt needed at fiscal consolidation: PM PTI PM'S SPECIAL AIRCRAFT, JUNE 29

To improve quality of telecom services and make tariff plans easier to understand, telecom regulator TRAI will switch to a quarterly audit of Quality of Service, instead of annually now.

"From July this year, we shall be doing quarterly audit. Till now, every three months the service providers submit data on defined parameters of Quality of Service but audit was done annually by TRAI," a senior TRAI official said.

This will certainly put pressure on service providers to keep upgrading their networks constantly and swiftly redress subscriber complaints.

On information relating to tariff plans, TRAI is seeking to simplify the tariff plan literature offered by operators, as subscribers do not get the right kind of information about hidden costs and benefits of different plans.

The regulator had also convened a meeting of service providers and consumer groups last month and had sought their views on improving customer care and Quality of Services.

Aban Offshor, 798.8, 829.45, 794, 821.25 Abb Ltd., 863, 867.95, 861, 861.75 Abg Shipyard, 264.6, 268, 258.1, 259.65 Acc Limited, 869.3, 873, 858.65, 868 Adani Enterp, 536.95, 537.2, 534, 536.25 Aditya Birla, 797, 797, 753.6, 757.35 Allahabad Ba, 159.5, 162.95, 158.5, 160.05 Alstom Proje, 655.3, 659.5, 645.6, 650.5 Ambuja Cemen, 124, 124, 114.25, 114.55 Andhra Bank, 134, 135.6, 132.15, 132.4 Ashok Leylan, 64, 64.5, 62.95, 63.75 Asian Paints, 2366.05, 2400, 2342, 2360.55 Axis Bank Li, 1255.1, 1259.1, 1234, 1240.65 Bajaj Hindus, 121.05, 121.2, 116.45, 117.05 Bank Of Baro, 702.6, 724.9, 702.6, 707.55 Bank Of Indi, 345.5, 349.95, 344, 345.85 Beml Limited, 1012, 1013, 991.05, 998.3 Bharat Elect, 1759, 1759, 1711, 1724.4 Bharat Forge, 289.6, 292.9, 281.05, 282.35 Bharat Petro, 639.9, 646.8, 624.8, 635.25 Bharti Airte, 266, 267, 263.6, 265.8 Bhel, 2470, 2479.65, 2429.85, 2439.45 Bhushan Stee, 1444, 1467.9, 1401.1, 1414.9 Biocon Limit, 324.85, 331.2, 316.25, 318.9

"And the adjustment that has been made in the prices of kerosene and LPG was also necessary, considering the very high amount of subsidy that is implicit in their pricing structure," he said.

The Prime Minister was replying to a question on the government's decision Friday to effect an increase in the prices of petroleum products to cut losses for oil marketing companies and whether it indicated that the govt was getting ready for tougher reforms and further deregulations.

"Well I can't tell you what we are going to do next. I think that when things get crystallised in the govt system you will know them," he said.

The Prime Minister said the government had taken due care to ensure that the poorer sections were affected to the least possible extent and that was why the attempt to keep under regulation the prices of kerosene and LPG. The hike in fuel prices was necessitated because of the rising gulf between the cost of production and the retail prices.

Without the increase, public sector oil firms were projected to lose Rs 74,300 crore in revenues in 2010-11 fiscal and after the hikes, they will be saddled with Rs 53,000 crore of losses.

Also, the government has reserved the option of intervention in case of excessive rise or

PM rules out imposition of Tobin tax

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said that "one-sizefits-all" should not be the approach for controlling government expenditure among G-20 countries.

Instead, the exit strategy from stimulus should be left to individuals nations, he said.

"What is needed is a calibrated attempt at fiscal consolidation rather than one-size-fits-all sort of action," he told reporters in his special aircraft, summing up the decisions of the just-concluded G20 summit in Toronto.

He said even those countries which want to go ahead with fiscal consolidation, should do it without compromising growth.

"I think the caveat is that this must be done in a growthfriendly manner," the Prime Minister said.

He felt even those European countries, with targets at fiscal consolidation, have been going about their business with due caution.

"In that way, the Summit has played a useful role in clarifying what is the scope for fiscal consolidation and what manner the process of consolida-

Bombay Dyein, 500.05, 507, 488.3, 490.3 Bosch Limite, 5400, 5500, 5310, 5449.3 Brigade Ente, 136.5, 138.65, 134.9, 135.35 Cairn India, 312.5, 313.55, 302.55, 303.65 Canara Bank, 443, 457.35, 440, 448.05 Central Bank, 144, 144, 141, 141.65 Century Text, 464, 469.9, 454.8, 457.3 Cesc Ltd, 375.45, 383, 375, 375.95 Chambal Fert, 64.7, 66.35, 64.5, 64.85 Chennai Petr, 259.9, 262, 252, 253.7 Cipla Ltd, 348.4, 348.4, 340, 340.6 Colgate Palm, 849, 856.75, 842.05, 843.75 Container Co, 1338, 1343.95, 1300.05, 1331 Crompton Gre, 265, 266.9, 256.8, 265.2 Cummins Indi, 594, 600, 590.2, 595.5 Dabur India, 202.6, 206.75, 201.65, 205.55 Deccan Chron, 124.35, 125, 121.05, 122.3 Dish Tv Indi, 45.4, 45.4, 44.75, 45 Divi’s Labor, 777.4, 778.5, 764.4, 772.7 Dlf Limited, 291.5, 297.25, 283.55, 285.25 Dr. reddy’s, 1479.65, 1490, 1442.4, 1455.1 Edelweiss Ca, 501.2, 503.3, 462.3, 481.25 Educomp Solu, 543, 551.6, 536.05, 538.6 Eih Limited, 123, 123.6, 121, 121.25

tion should be funded," he said.

Referring to the debate on the levy on financial institution for funding future bailouts, Singh said that as far as India is concerned, its banking system remained well-managed.

The economy was growing at a rate of 8.5 per cent per annum. Though the fiscal situation was a cause for concern , when compared with the fiscal deficit or the GDP-debt ratio of major developed countries, India came out much better, he said.

He said the Toronto Summit was in some way a preparation for the next meeting in Seoul in November.

On India's concerns with regard to the euro zone crisis and the stability of the banking system in Europe, there was agreement that the recovery over the last year was rather fragile.

He said in an increasingly inter-dependent world, there is need for greater coordination of the macro-policy.

"People have talked about macro-economic coordination that the consolidation of the financial system, the fiscal consolidation must be undertaken

Engineers In, 317, 319.2, 312.35, 314.1 Essar Oil Lt, 142, 142.2, 137.5, 138.75 Essar Shippi, 89.7, 90.9, 86.4, 87.2 Exide Indust, 135, 137, 128.5, 129.75 Federal Bank, 315, 319.8, 312.4, 315.4 Financial Te, 1354.1, 1366, 1313, 1321.65 Gail (india), 473, 479, 466.1, 472.95 Gammon India, 209, 216.35, 206, 213.75 Glaxosmithkl, 2204.55, 2229.9, 2190.1, 2218.25 Glenmark Pha, 278.8, 278.8, 272.5, 273.65 Gmr Infrastr, 58.2, 59.25, 57.65, 58.8 Godrej Indus, 167.5, 172.75, 165.3, 166.25 Grasim Indus, 1810, 1832, 1782.55, 1798.55 Great Offsho, 450.5, 450.5, 437.3, 439.3 Gtl Infra.Lt, 47.15, 48.8, 47, 47.7 Gujarat Mine, 128.9, 133.9, 127.25, 129.25 Gujarat N R, 64.9, 64.9, 62.55, 62.95 Gujarat Stat, 101.1, 102.5, 99, 101.45 Gvk Pow. & I, 44.75, 44.85, 42.95, 43.25 Hcl Technolo, 360, 365, 357.1, 360.6 Hdfc Bank Lt, 1940.1, 1948.8, 1896.1, 1904.4 Hdfc Ltd, 2958.75, 2958.75, 2892, 2902.65

Hero Honda M, 2043.1, 2056, 2026.1, 2047.3 Hindalco in, 149.8, 150.4, 142.5, 144.2 Hindustan Co, 116.9, 118.3, 116, 116.7 Hindustan Ma, 71, 71.65, 69.25, 69.8 Hindustan Pe, 428.1, 441.95, 424.6, 436 Hindustan Un, 266.75, 269.7, 261.1, 262.65 Hindustan Zi, 975.1, 986.8, 967, 969.05 Housing Dev, 253.25, 257.8, 245.1, 246.5 Icici Bank L, 870.15, 870.15, 841.65, 848.3 Idea Cellula, 58.5, 58.7, 57, 57.3 Ifci Ltd, 53.95, 54.45, 52.9, 53.35 India Cement, 107.6, 109.6, 107.25, 108.3 India Infoli, 99.9, 100.5, 97.5, 98.4 Indiabulls F, 146, 149, 141.75, 143.55 Indiabulls R, 156.75, 159.75, 153.5, 155.7 Indian Bank, 218.8, 221.4, 216.05, 218.25 Indian Hotel, 105.35, 107.1, 104.95, 105.2 Indian Oil C, 409, 409, 388.15, 393.35 Indian Overs, 103.25, 105.5, 102.6, 103.85 Indus Dev Ba, 119.5, 120.6, 116.7, 117.45 Indusind Ban, 200.8, 208.25, 200, 205.6 Infosys Tech, 2793.05, 2813.6, 2767.1, 2793.55

in a manner that is growthfriendly," he said.

The Prime Minister said the IMF would come out with its assessment of finances of each of the 20 countries.

BOARD MEETINGS Aditya Gears Incon Engineers Resonance Specialties Ashapura Mine India Home Rids Securities Aurionpro Sol Interface Fin Royal Cushion Bampsl Sec Jai Mata Glass Shamrock Indl Blue Circle Jupiter Biosc SQL Star Empire Inds Mac Charles Emtex Inds Neogem India Telecanor Glob Gateway Distr Prima Agro Venlon Enter Gillanders Arb Prima Inds Source: Indiainfoline.com Infra. dev., 171.5, 173.6, 168.25, 172.35 Ispat Indust, 18.15, 18.3, 17.75, 17.85 Itc Ltd, 298.6, 299, 294.05, 296.35 Ivrcl Infras, 184.9, 189.45, 184.9, 186.8 Jai Corp Lim, 256.55, 259.65, 249.55, 251.2 Jaiprakash A, 131.45, 131.45, 127.1, 128.05 Jet Airways, 526.15, 535.05, 523.3, 530.15 Jindal Saw L, 205.45, 206.5, 199, 200.6 Jindal Steel, 637.85, 637.85, 615.35, 621.2 Jsw Steel Li, 1063.2, 1076, 1042.05, 1049.55 Kotak Mahind, 766, 766, 741.6, 744.55 Lakshmi Mach, 2075, 2120, 2040, 2049.7 Lanco Infrat, 69, 69, 66.25, 66.55 Larsen & Tou, 1789.65, 1806.7, 1780, 1796.8 Lic Housing, 1023.3, 1023.3, 991, 996 Lupin Limite, 1933, 1949, 1904.1, 1925.5 Mahanagar Te, 65.35, 65.65, 64, 64.25 Mahindra & M, 622, 625.5, 609, 613.9 Maruti Suzuk, 1390, 1409.9, 1380.25, 1388.95 Max India Lt, 163, 165, 156.5, 156.9 Maytas Infr., 218, 218, 209, 212.05

SBI sets base rate at 7.5% MUMBAI: State Bank of India today fixed its benchmark lending rate at 7.5 per cent following a Reserve Bank directive, a move that will end the practice of sub-prime loan to corporates. The rate will come into effect from July 1. Private banks and other lenders are also likely to peg their base rate closer to that of SBI to stay competitive in the corporate loan market.

MF FUNDA CANARA ROBECO ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY`s openended equity scheme, Canara Robeco Large Cap+ Fund, has opened for subscription on Monday and will close on July 27.

Benchmarked to BSE-100, Canara Robeco Large Cap+ Fund will invest in any of the top 150 stocks on the basis of market capitalisation.

There will be an exit load of one per cent applicable on those who exit from the fund within a year.

UTI MUTUAL FUND has launched two new funds named as UTI Fixed Term Income Fund - Series VIII - III (367 Days) & UTI - Fixed Term Income Fund - Series VIII - IV (369 Days), close ended income schemes. The NFO price for the schemes is Rs 10 per unit.

UTI - Fixed Term Income Fund - Series VIII - IV (369 Days) new fund offer opens on June 29, 2010 and closes on July 21, 2010.

The scheme would mature on July 25, 2011.

UTI - Fixed Term Income Fund - Series VIII - III (367 Days) new fund offer opens on June 29, 2010 and closes on June 29, 2010.The scheme would mature on July 1, 2011.

The minimum application amount is Rs 10,000 under dividend option and Rs 5,000 under growth option and in multiples of Rs 10. The fund seeks to collect a minimum subscription (minimum target) amount of Rs 10 million under each scheme during the NFO period.

Benchmark Index for the scheme is CRISIL Short Term Bond Fund Index. Manish Joshi and Amandeep Chopra are the Fund Managers for the scheme and Kausik Basu is the dedicated Fund Manager for investment in ADRs/GDRs/Foreign Securities.

TAURUS MUTUAL FUND has unveiled a new fund named as Taurus MIP Advantage, an open ended income scheme.

The NFO price for the scheme is Rs 10 per unit. The new issue is open for subscription from June 29 and closes on July 23, 2010.

The scheme offers two options namely growth and dividend option. Dividend option offers payout and reinvestment facility.

The minimum application amount for growth option is Rs 5000 and in multiples of Rs 1000 thereafter. Under dividend option the minimum application amount is Rs 25000 and in multiples of Rs 1000 thereafter.

The fund seeks to collect a minimum subscription (minimum target) amount of Rs 10 million under the scheme during the NFO period.

Entry load charge will be nil for the scheme. Exit load charge will be 1% if exited upto 1 year and nil if exited after 1 year.

75% of the scheme will be benchmarked against CRISIL MIP Blended Fund Index and 25% against price of gold. The fund manager of the scheme will be Rahul Pal and Sadanand Shetty.

IDFC MUTUAL FUND has launched a new fund named as IDFC Capital Protection Oriented Fund - Series III, a three year close ended scheme. The scheme shall mature on August 26, 2013.

The NFO price for the scheme is Rs 10 per unit. The new issue is open for subscription from June 28 and closes on August 11, 2010. The scheme offers dividend and growth option.

The minimum investment amount is Rs 5,000 and in multiples of Rs 10 thereafter. The fund seeks to collect a minimum subscription (minimum target) amount of Rs 10 million under the scheme during the NFO period.

Entry and entry load charge shall be nil for the scheme.

The scheme`s performance will be benchmarked against CRISIL MIP Blended Index. Ashwin Patni will be the fund manager for the scheme.

FRANKLIN TEMPLETON MUTUAL FUND has decided to revise the exit load structure for Templeton India Ultra-short Bond Fund and Templeton Floating Rate Income Fund - Long Term Plan. The changes will be effective from June 30, 2010.

The exit load charge will be nil for Templeton India Ultra-short Bond Fund. In respect of each purchase of units, the exit load charge will be 0.25% if redeemed within 30 days of allotment for Templeton Floating Rate Income Fund - Long Term Plan.

BENCHMARK MUTUAL FUND has launched a new fund named as Benchmark Short Term Fund, an open ended debt scheme. The NFO price for the scheme is Rs 10 per unit.

The new issue is open for subscription from June 29 and closes on July 12, 2010. The minimum investment amount is Rs 10,000 and in multiples of Re 1 thereafter. The fund seeks to collect a minimum subscription (minimum target) amount of Rs 10 million under the scheme during the NFO period. Entry and entry load charge shall be nil for the scheme.

The scheme`s performance will be benchmarked against CRISIL Liquid Fund Index.

Payal Kaipunjal will be the fund manager for the scheme.

Moser-baer (, 67.3, 68, 65.1, 66.9 Mrpl, 76, 76.1, 73.55, 74.25 Nagarjuna Co, 193, 193, 187.25, 188.45 Nagarjuna Fe, 31.9, 32.3, 31.4, 31.6 National Alu, 434.2, 443.8, 426, 429.25 Neyveli Lign, 155.9, 160, 155.25, 156.45 Ntpc Ltd, 199, 200, 197.15, 197.55 Oil And Natu, 1300, 1315, 1280, 1306 Omaxe Limite, 95, 96.45, 93.75, 94.55 Oriental Ban, 329.4, 333.05, 321.4, 323.5 Pantaloon Re, 423.5, 425.9, 410.5, 413.05 Parsvnath De, 123.9, 126.5, 122.25, 123.25 Petronet Lng, 77.8, 78.5, 77.1, 77.9 Power Fin Co, 290, 297.9, 288.2, 296.35 Power Grid C, 103.75, 104.75, 102.1, 102.55 Praj Industr, 83.9, 84.15, 81.2, 81.65 Punj Lloyd L, 136, 136.5, 132.1, 135.55 Punjab Natio, 1050.3, 1055, 1032.75, 1048.55 Rajesh Expor, 88.05, 88.05, 83.3, 83.7 Ranbaxy Labs, 457.9, 457.9, 446.55, 449.05 Rashtriya Ch, 83.5, 83.75, 81.6, 82.05 Rel. nat. re, 67, 67.9, 64.1, 64.85 Reliance Cap, 784.35, 788, 755.15, 758.05

Reliance Com, 201.8, 203.7, 192.5, 193.3 Reliance Ene, 902, 910, 900, 910 Reliance Ind, 995.1, 1005, 978, 984.5 Reliance Ind, 1091, 1091, 1064.2, 1067.45 Reliance Pow, 172.9, 175.8, 168.45, 169.5 Rolta India, 170, 171, 167.55, 168.3 Satyam Compu, 91, 94.6, 90.8, 91.4 Sesa Goa Ltd, 370, 372, 354.25, 355.8 Shipping Cor, 164.4, 164.4, 160.5, 160.85 Siemens Ltd, 739.7, 739.7, 727.45, 731.4 Sintex Indus, 319.9, 323.75, 310, 315.65 Sobha Develo, 287, 298, 283.5, 290 State Bank O, 2305, 2328.9, 2281.15, 2291.15 Steel Author, 197.6, 199, 191.6, 192.9 Sterlite Ind, 169, 172.75, 165.5, 167.45 Sun Pharmace, 1790, 1810, 1753.1, 1756.85 Sun Tv Netwo, 447.7, 447.7, 420, 422.55 Suzlon Energ, 58, 58.4, 57.1, 57.3 Tata Communi, 259.3, 262.6, 258.1, 260.05 Tata Consult, 765, 765, 749, 753.8 Tata Motors, 789, 789, 766.5, 770.95 Tata Power C, 1345.35, 1360, 1296.8,

1302.95 Tata Steel L, 499.8, 500, 480, 481.6 Tata Tea Ltd, 1209.65, 1218, 1179, 1194.25 Tata Teleser, 22.8, 23, 21.8, 22.1 Tech Mahindr, 746, 762, 731.85, 737.85 The Ge Shpg., 295.5, 299.5, 292.4, 293.4 The Phoenix, 214, 216, 204, 210.75 Thermax Ltd, 721, 730, 710, 721.7 Titan Indust, 2340, 2384, 2325, 2352.2 Torrent Powe, 333.85, 338.4, 331.95, 335.6 Triveni Engg, 102, 104.15, 100.4, 101.15 Tv18 India L, 93.9, 95.6, 92.15, 92.95 Uco Bank, 77.7, 78.8, 77.3, 77.75 Ultratech Ce, 949, 949, 868, 878.7 Union Bank O, 311.95, 315, 308.2, 313.5 Unitech Ltd, 74.9, 75.35, 72.5, 73.05 United Phosp, 192, 199.45, 188.3, 191.7 Videocon Ind, 214.9, 215.7, 208.75, 210.3 Vijaya Bank, 64.55, 65.15, 64.15, 64.6 Voltas Ltd, 197.2, 199, 195.3, 197.1 Wipro Ltd, 395.1, 397.9, 386.85, 389.65 Yes Bank Lim, 260, 272, 260, 267.95 Zee Entertai, 292.8, 295.4, 290.15, 291.9

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SPORTS GOA, Wednesday, 30 June, 2010

Venus, Clijsters stunned; Serena up AFP LONDON, JUNE 29

Five-time champion Venus Williams suffered a shock 6-2, 6-3 defeat against unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

Not since Jelena Jankovic defeated Williams in the third round in 2006 had Venus failed to reach the women's singles final here, but the American second seed was completely outplayed by Pironkova, the world number 82, in the most remarkable result of this year's championships.

Venus had competed in eight of the last 10 Wimbledon finals and had been odds-on to make yet another appearance in the showpiece after moving through the first four rounds without dropping a set.

Russian Vera Zvonareva stunned Belgian eighth seed Kim Clijsters 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to book her place in the semi-finals.

The Russian 21st seed, who claimed her first victory over the Belgian in six attempts, recovered superbly after Clijsters had taken the opening set in confident fashion after 38 minutes on centre court.

“I’m so excited about the match, definitely one of my dreams to be playing here in the semi-final,” an elated Zvonareva said in a courtside interview.

“I remember as a kid watching Wimbledon on TV and I’m really looking forward to the semi-final.”

The Russian, a semi-finalist at the Australian Open last year, broke serve twice to claim the second set and never looked like being reeled in by Clijsters, whose first serve and forehand

l Roddick

exits, Nadal fined

Serena Williams in action against Na Li.

buckled late in the match. The end came as Zvonareva broke the Clijsters serve yet again when the Belgian netted a straightforward forehand after an hour and 48 minutes.

She will playBulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova for a place in

Tsvetana Pironkova jubilates after winning.

Saturday’s final.

Defending champion Serena Williams put a firm halt on a run of surprise results at Wimbledon on Tuesday when she beat China’s Li Na 7-5 6-3 in their quarter-final.

Serena, seeking a fourth sin-

gles title at the All England Club, took to the court knowing sister Venus had lost to Tsvetana Pironkova in her quarter-final, and looked in no mood to follow suit in a high-quality encounter on centre court.

Bhupathi-Mirnyi face shock defeat AGENCIES LONDON, JUNE 29

India's Mahesh Bhupathi and his Belarussian partner Max Mirnyi crashed out of Wimbledon after a shock defeat at the hands of Robert Lindsted of Sweden and Horia Tecau of Romania in the men's doubles third round.

The fourth-seeded Indo-Belarussian duo lost 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(6-10), 6-8 to their 16th-seeded opponents.

With the exit of Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna

remained the only Indian in the fray in the doubles competition. Bopanna and his Pakistani partner Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi stormed into the quarter-finals after a 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, victory over Lukas Lacko of Slovakia and Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine.

In mixed doubles, Leander Paes remains the only Indian in fray. He and his Zimbabwean partner Cara Black take on Igor Zelenay of Slovakia and Alicja Rosolska of Poland in the third round.

Serena took advantage of her only break point in the 11th game before serving out for the opener after 45 minutes, and stormed home in the second, raising her finger to the skies when a Li forehand went wide to give her victory.

She will play Estonian qualifier Kaia Kanepi or Czech Petra Kvitova for a place in Saturday’s final.

Andy Roddick left Wimbledon without the champion’s trophy once again. Only this time, he headed home much earlier than a year ago - and after being beaten by a far-lessaccomplished opponent.

The No. 5-seeded American erased an early deficit Monday to even his fourth-round match against 82nd-ranked Lu Yen-hsu of Taiwan, then got beaten for the only time all day in the very last game and lost 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 9-7 despite hitting 38 aces.

“It never gets easier,” said Roddick, a three-time runnerup at Wimbledon. “Of course I’m going to be (ticked) off when I wake up tomorrow. I mean, if you got fired from your job, you probably wouldn’t wake up the next day in a great mood Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal was fined $2,000 by Wimbledon officials for receiving coaching during his thirdround match.

Nadal was given a code violation by French umpire Cedric Mourier for allegedly receiving advice from his coach, uncle Toni Nadal, during his five-set win over Philipp Petzschener on Saturday.

Both Nadals said Toni had only been giving the player encouragement.

The fine was announced on Monday. Nadal said, “The rules are the rules.”

Hockey India sets July 29 for elections PTI NEW DELHI, JUNE 29

After missing the deadline several times in the past, Hockey India today set July 29 as the new date for the much-awaited elections of the national body to be held here.

Apart from announcing the fresh date, Hockey India also named retired Justice R C Chopra as the returning officer for the elections and said the polls will be held as per the Sports Ministry guidelines.

"Mr S K Mendiratta will be the Election Observer on behalf of the Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Antonio von Ondarza, FIH Vice-President will be the observer for the International Hockey Federation," Hockey India President, Vidya Stokes said in a statement.

"The elections shall be conducted as per the guidelines framed by the Election Observer, Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

"The elections will be held from amongst the 30 permanent affiliated units, comprising of 26 states/union territories and four institutional board members," the statement added.

Earlier this month, Hockey India had ratified the affiliations of 33 units, including four institutional boards, during its Special General Meeting and said that it would conduct its elections in July.

Since 2008, hockey's national body has been running without any democratically-elected setup and its functioning has been embroiled in utter confusion and controversy.

Hockey India had thrice postponed its elections in the past which had even irked the FIH.

Mumbai Indians play Highveld Lions in CLT20 opener AGENCIES JOHANNESBURG, JUNE 29

The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, one of world cricket's most famous venues, will host the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) final after the format and match schedule for the second edition of the tournament was announced on Tuesday.

The CLT20, the grand finale of Twenty20 cricket between the world's champion teams, will start on Friday, 10 September with a Group B clash between Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians and Alviro Petersen's Highveld Lions at Wanderers.

Wanderers, which has hosted some of cricket biggest matches including the 2003 World Cup final, 2007 ICC World Twenty20 final and the 2009 IPL final, will add another chapter to its sto-

ried history in September as teams from around the world battle to be crowned the best of the best.

Durban and Centurion have been awarded the semi-finals on September 24 and 25 respectively, with the final to be played at Wanderers on Sunday, September 26.

The 10 competing teams have been divided into two groups of five for a round robin phase

before the top two teams from each group progress to the semifinals. The matches throughout the tournament have been evenly distributed across the four venues with each hosting at least five fixtures, including the final.

Mumbai and the Highveld Lions have been drawn in Group B alongside South Australia's Redbacks, Royal Challengers Bangalore and West Indies' rep-

resentative which will be determined in late-July.

Group A includes 2010 Indian Premier League champions Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings, Australia's Twenty20 Big Bash champions Victoria, along with the Warriors (South Africa's Pro Series Champions), Wayamba (Sri Lanka) and Central Stags (New Zealand).

Mumbai and the Highveld Lions have been drawn in Group B alongside South Australia's Redbacks, Royal Challengers Chennai Super Kings (DLF Indian Premier League, India), Bangalore and West Indies' repMumbai Indians (DLF Indian Premier League, India), Royal Challengers Bangalore (DLF Indian Premier League, India), resentative which will be determined in late-July.

Victorian Bushrangers (KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, Australia), The matches in Group A start South Australian Redbacks (KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, Australia), on September 11 in Port ElizaWarriors (Standard Bank Pro 20 Series, South Africa), beth with virtual internationalHighveld Lions (Standard Bank Pro 20 Series, South Africa), strength clashes between the Central Stags (HRV Cup Twenty20, New Zealand), Warriors and Wayamba in the Wayamba Elevens (Inter-Provincial Twenty20 Cup, Sri Lanka), early match, and Chennai Super TBC (West Indies Domestic Twenty20 Champions).

Kings and Central Stags in the

Competing teams

BCCI to vote against Howard AGENCIES MUMBAI, JUNE 29

Howard’s dream of ICC presidentship received yet another setback on Tuesday as according to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to vote against the controversial former Australian Prime Minister in the ICC meeting to be held in Singapore on Sunday.

According to an Indian news channel, the BCCI will join the lobby of cricket boards, who will vote against the Cricket Australia candidate for the position

of International Cricket Council (ICC) President Seven out of a total of 10 cricket boards are expected to vote against Howard in Sunday’s ICC meeting; the list also includes the Asia lobby.

The nations who are in favour of Howard are Australia, New Zealand and England, and those against are South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and West Indies.

The ICC board will deliberate on Howard’s nomination on Tuesday and Wednesday as the

PY Nuvem up

Cana-Benaulim soccer HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, JUNE 29

Parish Youth, Nuvem trounced CRC, Chinchinim 3-1 to enter the last eight of 34th Cana-Benaulim inter-village football tournament organised by Cana Benaulim Sporting Association at St. John Baptist ground, Dando, Benaulim on Tuesday.

Parish Youth were leading 1-0 at the lemon break.

Much against the run of play

34th Cana-Benaulim inter village football: OL Gloria SC Raia v. Navelim Sporting, St. John Baptist ground, Dando, Benaulim, 4.45 p.m.

Gumboots soccer quarters: St Micheal Boys, Orlim v.

Guardian Angel, Sanvordem, church ground, Orlim, 4.30 p.m.

striker Gammy Costa gave Parish Youth the lead after picking a pass from midfielder Jose Colaco.

CRCC were unable to get into the groove, despite some enterprising play by Nickson Rebello.

After change of ends, CRCC found success through a spot kick. Striker Jorex Fernandes was brought down by Nuvem stopper back Richard Fernandes inside the penalty box and the referee had no hesitation in awarding the spot kick. Noel Leitao made no mistake with the resultant spot kick to put his team on equal terms.

Unfazed, Parish Youth piled on the pressure and trouble the rival citadel with good sorties. Veterans Remmie Colaco and Jose Colaco were in the thick of action.

Rowlin Borges put Parish Youth again into the lead in the 46th minute after he outpaced the rival defender and slotted past CRCC goalkeeper Melroy with an adroit placement.

Parish Youth swelled the lead when striker Gammy Costa beat the rival Chinchinim goalkeeper with a long range shot to complete his brace eight minutes before the long whistle.

vice-president of the apex cricket body.

The ICC vice-president serves a two-year apprenticeship before becoming president of the game’s organising body, meaning Howard could be the top administrator of cricket in 2012 if he succeeds in two days` time.

Cricket Australia has already told their Zimbabwean counterparts that if they do not support Howard’s bid they would not host the bilateral A-series next year that would help the African nation re-enter top level Test cricket.

BCCI scraps IPL media rights deal with WSG PTI MUMBAI, JUNE 29

The Cricket Board has scrapped all its IPL media rights agreements with Mauritius-based World Sport Group, claiming that MSM Satellite (Singapore) Pvt Ltd was the rightful owner of all media rights relating to the Twenty20 event.

The BCCI has invalidated all its deals with WSG following revelations that the latter received USD 80 million (Rs 425 crore) as "facilitation fee" from MSM for getting back the Indian sub-continent media rights of IPL in March 2009, according to Board sources.

The deals with WSG were scrapped by BCCI after MSM had last week agreed to pay it Rs 300 crore plus the remaining amount of Rs 125 crore, which it has already paid to WSG, after initiating legal action against the Mauritius firm.

None of the BCCI's top brass was available for comment as they were currently attending the International Cricket Council's (ICC) annual conference in Singapore.

Pak-India Test series UNI LAHORE, JUNE 29

It seems that Pakistan-India cricketing ties are heading on the right track, with the Test series between the two nations likely to see the light of the day in the coming season.

The decision came following discussions on the sidelines of respective foreign secretaries meeting in Islamabad, and is expected to be the focus of discussion of officials from both countries when they meet at the end of the International Cricket Council (ICC) annual meeting in Singapore.

late fixture in Durban.

Centurion gets its first taste of CLT20 action the following day with a blockbuster Group B double-header between the Lions and South Australia, and Royal Challengers Bangalore and the qualified team from the West Indies.

A number of players have qualified to play for two or more teams, including Jacques Kallis (Warriors, Royal Challengers Bangalore), Mark Boucher (Warriors, Royal Challengers Bangalore), Makhaya Ntini (Warriors, Chennai Super Kings), Kieron Pollard (South Australian Redbacks, Mumbai Indian), Dwayne Bravo (Victorian Bushrangers, Mumbai Indian) and Cameron White (Victorian Bushrangers, Royal Challengers Bangalore).

New Zealand's Ross Taylor has become the first player in CLT20's short history to qualify

for three teams, with his home province, Central Stags, and `away' teams Victorian Bushrangers and Royal Challengers Bangalore qualifying for the event.

I f Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o emerge as champions of the West Indies Cricket Board's domestic Twenty20 competition, Pollard and Bravo will also join Taylor with three options for the tournament.

As was the case in 2009, if a player is selected to play for an `away' team rather than his `home' team (the team from the country he is eligible to represent in international cricket), the `away' team must pay US$200,000 compensation to the `home' team.

The `away' teams are not eligible for compensation if a player chooses to play for his `home' team.

gumboots soccer

crease their tally but it was poor finishing by their forwards and fine keeping by the rival goalkeeper which kept the score 1-0 at the breather.

Crossing over, Alleulia Boys put up an improved performance and created many forays into the rival territory but Mad Max’s defence was alert in frustrating the rival attackers with neat tackles.

Mad Max doubled the lead when Ceasar unleashed a right footer which crashed into the net keeping the Navelim goalkeeper dazed.

West Indies succumbed to a 20 series defeat as South Africa won the third Test in Barbados by seven wickets.

The Windies resumed only 19 runs ahead at 134-7 but after 17 were added they lost Sulieman Benn in the fifth over.

It was the first of wickets in three consecutive overs for Morne Morkel as the home side were all out for 161, leaving Shivnarine Chanderpaul on 71.

Kemar Roach took 3-22 and was involved in a row with Jacques Kallis but South Africa reached the paltry target of 47.

The South Africans needed less than nine overs to score their runs but there was no shortage of incident in that brief period.

Skipper Graeme Smith was hit in the throat by a bouncer from the hostile Roach in the opening over.

As expected Roach tested Smith with another short delivery in his next over and it proved successful when the left-hander mis-

l Eyes world No1 ranking

AGENCIES HYDERABAD, JUNE 29

Going through a purple patch, Saina Nehwal has nothing to complaint about her form. The ace shuttler now only wants to steer clear of injuries so that she can give her best in the Commonwealth and Asian Games later this year.

“I only pray that I now remain injury-free to help me focus on the World Championships and also the other two big events coming up -- the Delhi Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in China," said Saina on Tuesday.

“There are areas like my defence, which I need to improve in the days to come. The fitness level has to be really good. I think, the challenges are bound to be tougher, especially after winning these titles," said Saina.

Saina rounded off a hat-trick of international titles by defending her Indonesia Open Super Series crown in Jakarta on Sunday.

Before winning in Jakarta, which was the 20-year-old's third Super Series title overall, she won the Indian Open Grand Prix in Chennai and Singapore Open Super Series.

Saina is confident of claiming the No 1 world ranking but knows she now has to work even harder to rise there from No 3.

“Now it is important for me to work harder and win the next international events rather than concentrating on rankings. If I can become number three, then I can also become

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, JUNE 29

Mad Max, Taleigao swamped Alleulia Boys, Navelim 2-0 to storm into the semi-finals of Gumboots football tournament organised by Gumboots Boys of Orlim at church ground, Orlim on Tuesday.

Mad Max were leading 1-0 at half time.

Mad Max drew first blood when Cedric Peixoto headed home a flag kick taken byThomson.

Mad Max had chances to in-

cued a pull and found mid-wicket.

Roach then removed Alvaro Petersen in his next over when an expansive drive only resulted in an inside edge that crashed into the stumps.

Kallis was tested with two short ones from the combative Barbadian, who then sent down a brutal third successive bouncer that rose wickedly, flew past the gloves of Kallis and struck him a fearful blow on the helmet.

A flurry of verbal exchanges took place between the batsman and bowler, which continued after Roach, who will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Wednesday but may do minus a chunk of his match fee, fired yet another bouncer with the final ball of the over.

The confrontation was so severe and prolonged that Roach had to be led away by Chanderpaul and umpires Steve Davis and Simon Taufel both had to intervene.

South Africa appeared to have weathered the storm but two runs short of victory Hashim Amla drove Roach to gully.

AB de Villiers promptly dis-

patched a low full toss to the boundary first ball for the winning runs, but the Windies will be left to reflect what might have been had their brittle batting line-up given them more runs to defend.

Chanderpaul's hopes of compiling a competitive lead on the fourth morning were quashed by a menacing spell from Morne Morkel, who cut through the West Indies tail to ensure a quick end to their resistance.

Chanderpaul had stood firm amid West Indies' capitulation on the third day, and taken his team into the lead with support from Shane Shillingford, who was dismissed shortly before stumps.

The men who followed, though, were unable to put up a fight.

Scorecard: First innings - West Indies 231. South Africa 346. Second innings - West Indies 161 (S Chanderpaul 71 not out. D W Steyn 3-36, M Morkel 3-33, J Botha 3-46). South Africa 49 for 3.

Player of the match: J Botha. Player of the series D W Steyn.

number one," she said.

“I enjoyed all the matches in the three tournaments. I was a little tired but confident that I could do it. I told myself that I am going to win. Finally I am happy to win three titles in-arow. Now I want to win the upcoming tournaments," she added.

“Last year it was tough for me to win the Indonesian Open and it was something special as it was my first super series title.

But the latest one is special because I have won three tournaments in a row."

But the young Indian is not ready to compare herself with anyone.

“Definitely, there is a lot more recognition now. I am happy with this, but I don't want any comparison. I just want to make my country proud by winning," she said.

The Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association presented her a cheque for Rs 1 lakh for the rare achievement.

Meanwhile, Saina was accorded a hero's welcome when she arrived in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Her family, friends, wellwishers and officials of the Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association received her at the Rajiv Gandhi international airport.

As soon as the 20-year-old came out of the airport, she was hugged by her parents amidst slogans of `Saina, Saina'. She then drove away with her coach, 2001 All England champion Pullela Gopichand, in an open-top flower-bedecked vehicle.

Gouramangi fails to secure contract

Mad Max in semis

South Africa wrap up series win against West Indies AGENCIES BARBADOS, JUNE 29

Saina hopes to stay fit

HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, JUNE 29

Star defender Gouramangi Singh failed to secure a contract with the Australian A-League Club, Melbourne Heart FC. Gouramangi featured for Melbourne Heart FC in a pre-season friendly against A-League side Brisbane Roar and was on the pitch for the entire game. "He did impress the coaches at Melbourne Heart FC with his performances, but unfortunately they felt that even though he was at a very good level, he

might not be able to break into the first eleven due to the presence of Simon Colosimo and Michael Beauchamp, who are both established stopper backs in Australia.”

“It was mutually accepted by both parties that signing him and making him stay on the bench won't be good for the players career, especially with the Asian Cup coming up, so it was in the better interest of the player that at least for this season he doesn't sign for Melbourne Heart FC, but the option always remains for the future" said Lyndon Miranda, Gouramangi’s manager.

Gouramangi drew on the positives of the trial, "It was a good experience to come to Australia and try-out for a club here. Unfortunately, things did not work out this time, but I am still young and this was just my first trial.

I am sure more opportunities will open up in future. Now my focus is on Asia Cup and I want to do well not only for myself but for my country as well, and I am positive that we can make a good impression there."

GOA DIARY

Mini-lightning soccer

PANJIM (HSD) - St. Francis Xavier Sports Club, Bhatpal will organize their 7-a-side all-Canacona mini-lightning football tournament on July 4 at Mokhardamoll ground at 10 a.m. Spot entries will be accepted before the commencement of the matches.

The winners and runners-up will receive Rs.5, 555 and Rs.3, 333 respectively.

Football tourney at Valpoi

VALPOI (HC) - CJ Brothers, Valpoi will organise their 3rd AllGoa 6-a-side football tournament on Sunday, July 4 at municipal ground, Valpoi, Sattari. The winners will be awarded Rs.5,000 while the runners-up will get Rs.3,000. Only first 24 entries will be accepted upto July 3. Details may be obtained on 9423813254 and 9049075877.

Chess selection trials

PANJIM (HSD) – The Vasco-Da-Gama Chess Club, Vasco, under the aegis of Goa Chess Association will conduct chess selection trials to select two U-9 boys and girls to represent the State at 24th National Chess Championship from September 30 to October 10 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

The selection trials will be at Janata Vachanalaya, Vasco on July 16, 17 and 18.

Entries may be submitted to P. P. Insulkar (9226315359), Sanjay Kavlekar (9823258711), Swapnil Hoble (9881776689) or Prasanna Swamy (9890218971) upto July 15.

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Health

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Culture

Environment

GOA’S HEARTBEAT Wednesday, 30 June, 2010

Ribbit Ribbit – Save Me! The monsoons bring beautiful sights and sounds to Goa. The exclusive sound of frogs croaking in the season translates to business to frog poachers the state over. Herald highlights the importance of the frog population and suggests what you can do to increase it

BY NOMRATHA FERNANDES HERALD FEATURES oa’s major environmentalists and hardcore nature lovers say the future of these animals is bleak.

This fact should magnify the existing fear related to the overall well-being and survival of the human species, as the frog is an indicator species. An indicator species implies a species of animal that is used to indicate the general state of the environment of the area they are in. “The health of the frog population of an area will tell you what the future of the human population of that area looks like,” explains Abhijit Prabhudesai, environmentalist. And Goa’s current frog population is not looking good and we can point fingers to ourselves for this.

“Presently, the biggest threat to the frog population in Goa is the real-estate lobby. They alone have killed frogs by the millions and continue to do so,” says Abhijit. Commercial and residential structures have been on a speedy rise in the state, with little or no concern whatsoever for the ripples of their action. The frog, just like any other animal species, is overlooked in the name of development. Abhijit highlights the upcoming National Highway 17 project as a prime example of inconsideration to the frog population. “Most of the area that will be the highway is wetland, home to plenty of frog species. The project alone will slash their population,” he stresses.

On a comparatively lesser scale than the aforementioned, frog poachers are another threat. In spite of the ban on its dealing and consumption by law, it continues illegally, satiating taste buds and filling pockets and wallets.

“The frog is an important species that keeps a check on vector-borne diseases.

It is a vector-borne disease control mechanism,” informs Clinton Vaz, environmental activist. This implies that the chance of

G

catching malaria, filarial, etc is higher than when frogs were plenty. Our actions or non-actions have this as a price. Stating another fact relating to human health, Clinton stresses that the consumption of frog meat over a long period of time can cause cancer. “Frog meat is loaded with cacogenic chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers. Consuming it is hazardous to health in the long run,” he says.

While more people are gradually getting aware of the consequences of a drop in the frog population of Goa, it doesn’t help much.

The problems faced by these animals, some of which are endemic to the Western Ghats, do not go away with the spread of awareness alone. A sense of pro-activism and genuine concern for the environment and all life within it should surface and circulate among the people for positive change. The lay man – you, me, all of us together, should build a connection with nature first, to fight for its survival.

A very good example is the recently announced, interesting-sounding exclusive amphibian photography contest, ‘Click a Croak’. The organisers, Earthworm Eco Store, through photography, will promote people to observe frogs. Keeping it very simple, they say, “The contest’s prime motive is for people to observe, appreciate and celebrate frogs in their natural environments.” Aspects of photography or presentation of the photograph will not be delved in, rather increasing the number of people that respect frogs. Open to all, the last date to register is August 8, 2010.

In conclusion, it boils down to a simple question. Can we justify our actions against the environment to the mass murder of these harmless amphibians?

Take action before you know all the facts and you'll end up working twice as hard. You tend (21 Mar – 19 Apr) to move through your work so quickly that you often leave little things like organization to the others -- but not today! You know you need to straighten things up if you want to make progress.

You should shop around -- a hidden bargain will make the extra effort worthwhile. You don't (20 Apr – 20 May) mind change, as long as it's phased in and not just rammed down your throat. Watch out for bold, radical moves today -- they could come from anywhere. Your conservative nature may win out.

Be methodical about things that challenge you.

Slow and steady overcomes the hurdle. The (23 Oct – 21 Nov) urge to move furniture or to shake things up at the office is as difficult to control as it is exciting -so you may just want to go for it!

That could leave you with some explaining to do later, but it's worth it.

Ta k e t h e a d v i c e o f friends and associates -- start planning your next vacation now. You (21 May – 21 Jun) need to sequester yourself away for a bit and let that potent mental energy wander freely. You may find a new wrinkle to an old problem -- one that frees you up in a major way!

Men and masculine energy could keep you on track today. Seek out more testosterone. Your (22 Nov – 21 Dec) interpersonal relations should be as smooth as butter today, so it's a great time for a first date, first meeting of the parents or even a reconciliation with an old, embittered enemy. Go for it!

A quick mind is working on solving your problem.

Get ready for a helping hand. Financial issues (22 Jun – 22 Jul) sometimes vanish from your mind, but right now, they're almost all you can think about. You need to slow down and let things work themselves out with your slow, steady guidance.

No stranger to perseverance, you're used to a hard challenge. Today offers a doozie. You're (22 Dec – 19 Jan) not exactly resistant to change -- even the sturdiest mountain accepts some erosion, after all.

Now is a good time for you to be proactive and make sure that the future is stable.

Today you'll enjoy learning a trick or two that will give you a financial edge. Your ability to sort (23 Jul – 22 Aug) t h r o u g h o p t i o n s i s heightened today, and that's a very good thing -- you need to be able to discard dumb ideas quickly!

There's not enough time to explore all options.

Want to ensure you won't max out your credit cards? Leave all of them a t h o m e t o d a y. Yo u (20 Jan – 18 Feb) should get the audience you were expecting -- though the positive reception may come as a surprise! You should knock them off their seats with your arguments and your amazing ideas.

A combative has-been reminds you how valuable your good communication skills are. Try (23 Aug – 22 Sep) something new today -you need to break out of your current rut, no matter how comfortable it may be. Start with something small, like mixing up your early-morning routines.

A bewildering comment will stay with you all day.

It will make sense eventually. Are you being too (19 Feb – 20 Mar) hard on yourself? That's nothing new -- at least you can see you're doing it now, which is all the leverage you need to put a stop to it. Take a break and let your mind wind down a bit.

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Pg14

Life

Retirement should mark the beginning of a life without deadlines, work load and plenty of free time to do what you want rather than what is expected of you.

Herald tries to find ways to keep yourself occupied with activities that make life satisfied

BY DOLCY D’CRUZ HERALD FEATURES ork occupies a huge chunk of time often comprising time which could be spent with family and friends. After spending the prime years of one’s life sitting in office tied down with paperwork or out on the field, bustling about getting things done, once an individual completes their years of service they feel that they have completed a certain task in life with nothing to look forward to except idle time.

When still working, the idea of retirement and free time fills people with excitement and anticipation. And once this ‘glorious’ period begins, the initial days go by smoothly with the completion of pending chores, television, listening to music and other such activities. But once this becomes a routine and boredom sets in, they begin feeling sad that they can’t go back to work.

That’s when depression takes over. Many feel rejected in their family even though the attitude of their family members has not changed. They go through depression and feel lost when they are in the company of good friends and dear ones. It is surely an achievement working for a certain post or company but when they have nothing to talk about at gatherings and get-togethers, they feel like there is a gaping hole in their lives; as though something is missing.

People retiring after several years of service is a common occurrence. Some get accustomed to a certain routine way of life and find it difficult to adjust to the new free life. Working women who were used to cooking meals at early hours of the morning continue with the same and remain idle for the rest of the day. These emotions get worsened when they see their children hurrying to work and they are left alone with nothing in hand.

For people still working, the new retirement schemes that encourage every working class citizen to save some income for their ‘golden days’ seem like a good bet. With the right financial security, retired people can use their free time to indulge in some creative activity or the other. To keep you mind, body and soul healthy do what you have always wanted to do.

For those already facing retirement blues, start your new life by getting organised. Once you’re done with obligations and pending duties, get your free time set out. Prioritise what you like doing and work accordingly, giving sufficient amount to time to that hobby. Do you love reading, learning or acquiring facts? Then take membership to a library and spend the mornings reading away.

Even education has no barriers and if you thought you would

W

never have the time to study and complete a degree, voila, now there’s all the time you need.

If you are feeling bored alone at home then you could adopt a pet who would give you company and keep you on your toes. Other interesting hobbies can include travelling, singing, dancing, drawing, gardening, cooking and even playing or learning to play a musical instrument that you were always trying to perfect.

Abdonia Rodrigues is a well renowned drummer and is nearing the age of 74. He is passionately involved in music and tries to keep up with it even at this age by performing for shows, feasts and his own brass band. “I was involved in music from the very beginning so I will never retire from my work. I have now stopped playing drums as it gets tiring to play for a long time; but I keep myself busy by writing music and updating myself with the traditional music as I have to write music for the brass band. I would advise people who love music to attend musical shows especially classical music,” says Abdonia.

Bonaventure D’Pietro from Anjuna, assistant editor of ‘Goykar – The Goan Identity’, shares his friends’ experience. “Where I was working in Bombay, the foreman retired. He was a lively man with great enthusiasm but as soon as he got the news of his retirement, his attitude completely changed. He became pale, quiet and bored. His way of thinking completely changed. In Goa, when most of my friends retire, I offer them support by taking them out for fishing or travelling somewhere. I always tell them to take part in festivals. Recently we celebrated San Joao, I asked my friends to come and sing some traditional songs or play musical instruments but very few turned up. Once retired, they think that they have grown old, often underestimating their potential in life.”

The burning desire to spend your time on a certain hobby is the most satisfying for most retirees. Augustine D’Souza from Caranzalem has always dedicated time to his hobby that is creating shell craft and creations made from bamboo. “Keep yourself busy for a sound mind, body and soul. If you have a certain talent, pursue it. I always loved working with shells and once I came back to Goa from Muscat, I took part in competitions. Competitions motivate people to do better every time as you try to challenge your artistic limits. Take up activities that give you a boost,” he advises.

H

ollywood siren Megan Fox is single no more as the actress has married her longtime partner Brian Austin Green. The ‘Transformers’ star became engaged to Green for a second time in early June this year during a romantic beach vacation in Hawaii.

And she hasn’t wasted any time in getting married, even though she recently told one reporter, “It’s going to be years before we wed! I’m going to be 44 when I get married!” The 24-year-old star extended the pair’s vacation and exchanged vows with her on/off partner of six years at the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort in Hawaii late last week. “They had a fairly large wedding, but there were clearly more security people than guests.

They had to call in local security because the hotel security alone wouldn’t do.

It was very hush hush.

Everyone was sworn to secrecy,” informed a source. “It seemed like a spur of the moment thing. I don’t think it had been planned long,” the source added.

The two actors called off their original plans to marry in February last year after a two-year engagement, but reunited months later.

When the news of their second-time engagement was revealed in June, Megan had admitted that nothing is really different the second time around. “We're just even more committed to each other than we always have been, I'm more in love with him now than I was in the beginning,” she was quoted saying.

It is the first wedding for both stars. Green has an eight-year-old son from a previous relationship with actress Vanessa Marcil.

Imran thinks Comparision with Ranbir is Unfair

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Travel

email us at: goasheartbeat@herald-goa.com

Megan Fox marries Long Time Love, Green

­H­O­R­O­S­C­O­P­E Today won't completely be about relationships, but it will come awfully close. See if you can bro(23 Sep – 22 Oct) ker a peace between two feuding friends or coworkers -- your diplomatic energy is just right for signing treaties. Anything you decide should last for quite a while.

Education

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Relationships

“

Lifestyle

oth of them come from film backgrounds and made their movie debut within months of each other.

Comparisons between actors Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor are inevitable but the former thinks it is not fair to equate the two.

“There is space for everyone in the industry. It is not fair to compare one actor’s success with another. You cannot compare me with Ranbir,” said Imran. The actor is often weighed against Ranbir, who belongs to the famous Kapoor family in Bollywood.

Imran is the nephew of Aamir Khan and his first film ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ was produced by the Bollywood superstar. But the actor has moved on from under his uncle’s umbrella and takes his career decisions himself.

“I do not take any advice from him. He has a successful film career of his own and is very busy with that,” said Imran, who is currently busy promoting his upcoming film ‘I Hate Luv Storys’ releasing on July 2. The 27-year-old actor began his Bollywood career with a romantic film in 2008 but went onto act in action flicks ‘Luck’ and ‘Kidnap’ with roles very different from that of his first movie.

When asked about his choice of films, Imran said, “I keep doing different kinds of films so that I don’t get bored. There are many good directors making films in different genres. We actors are very lucky that we have so much choice these days.”

He is back with the romantic flick ‘I Hate Luv Stories’ and Imran says the format of love stories in Bollywood has changed over the years.

“Romantic films made in Bollywood have changed. Earlier the conflict used to be social, like a rich girl in love with a poor boy. These days the protagonists have ideological differences, like in our film,” said Imran.IHLS has Imran playing a Casanova who runs after girls but doesn’t believe in the concept of love, while Sonam Kapoor, the female lead, is a love-struck die-hard romantic.

Lifestyle

Relationships

Sports

Business

Health

Art

Culture

Environment

GOA’S HEARTBEAT Wednesday, 30 June, 2010

WHAT’S UP IN GOA??

‘Click a Croak’, an amphibian photography contest, organised by Earthworm Ecostore, Porvorim is open for registration till August 8. E-mail earthwormgoa@gmail.com. Call 2410871.

All Goa Inter-School Elocution Competition For Environmental Awareness, organised by Radio Mirchi 98.3FM will be held from July 1 to 7 across Panjim, Margao, Vasco, and Mapusa. Call 6656666. Log on to www.radiomirchi.com.

A workshop on ‘How To Maintain And Protect Computers/Laptops From Viruses’ will be held by the Detroit Institute, Panjim on July 1 and 2. Call 9822131835.

A reproductive child health programme will be held on July 2 at 10:30am at the conference hall, Directorate of Health Services, Campal.

Call 2225976 or 2225538.

A workshop on ‘Kitchen Gardening, The Organic Way’, organised

by Goa Chitra, Vardaan Bookstore and Ecoshop will be held on July 4 from 10am to 4pm at the Goa Chitra Museum, Benaulim. Call 9527463684.

Vishwakamat Travels will be celebrating 25 years on July 2 at the Sungrace Gardens, Ponda. There will be a variety of entertainment programmes. Call 9822126654.

Learn to climb classes for kids and adults are being held every Saturday and Sunday at Succor, Porvorim by fitness trainer Kim and his assistant Olivia. Book in advance. Call 9422438186 or 9823128184.

‘Financial Assistance for Cultural Institution’, a scheme of the Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi is open for registration till July 6. Visit the Directorate of Art and Culture, Shrama Shakti Bhavan, Patto, Panjim. Call 2438103.

A film appreciation course, conducted by the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), the National Film Association of India (NFAI) and the Film Telivision Institute (FTI), Pune will be held from July 3 to 11 from 9:30am

to 9:30pm at the Maquinez Palace, Panjim. Registration closes on July 2. Visit ESG, Maquinez Palace, Heritage Precint, D B Marg, CampalPanjim. Call 2428111, 2428113 or 2428115.

The 23rd annual Anti-Tobacco Exhibition, organised by the Tuberculosis Association of Goa will be open to the public till June 30 at the Tuberculosis Association of Goa, Nizari Bhavan, Panjim. Call 2434673.

‘Traning the Trainers’, a 4-day residential workshop, organised by the All India Management Association (AIMA), New Delhi will take place from June 30 to July 3 at the International Centre Goa, Dona Paula.

Call 2452805-10.

The Monsoon Jumble Sale, organised by the YMCA, Women’s Forum will take place on July 4 at the YMCA, Campal, Panjim. Call 9623525442, 9822582022 or 2227112.

Coaching Classes for AIEEE, G2CET, GCET, IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT starting shortly in Panaji Goa, Special batches on Saturdays, Sundays. For more information call 9822131835.

The 26th Foundation Day of the Goa University will be celebrated on June 30 at 4pm at the Kala Academy, Panjim. Call 2420452.

A Konkani Compering Workshop, organised by the Kalgado Konknni Akademi will take place on July 4 from 10:30am to 1pm at the Tiatr Academy of Goa, Campal, Panjim.

Call 9881810832.

Night school classes for Std VIII and Std IX will take place in the last week of June from 6pm to 9:30pm at the Housing Board School, Gogol.

It is conducted by the Adult Education and Welfare Association, Vidhyanagar-Margao. Call 9422059808.

Mango and coconut seedlings, lime layers, lime seedlings and chickoo grafts are being sold by the Zonal Agricultural office, Canacona at the farms in Kodar, Ponda.

epicure

“I'm not sure I want popular opinion on my side. I've noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.”

– Bethania McKenstry

Meaning : a person who cultivates a refined taste, esp. in food and wine; connoisseur.

Example Sentence Though people called him a glutton, Ernie felt he understood food, life an epicure of sorts.

DAILY GROOK FLOW SCORE

by Francis Rodrigues many batsmen inactive who keep scoring ones, shld take a laxative, they'll get the runs!

SUDOKU 592

EN

PEN T HAP

Entertainment

Fashion

Travel

INGS email us at: goasheartbeat@herald-goa.com

Photo by Clinton Monteiro

‘M

HERALD FEATURES ahan Mhozo Des’, an audio album produced by Tomazinho Cardozo and dedicated to Rajaram Upendra Pai who carved the love of freedom in the heart of Cardozo, was released at the hands of Minister for Water Resources Filipe Neri Rodrigues on June 28, 2010 at Maquinez Palace, Panjim.

Commending Cardozo for coming up with the CD, Filipe Neri Rodrigues said, “National integration should be in any form and at all levels. The youth should not think about their present but instead should think of their future and the coming generation, like our elders who thought about what the coming generation will receive from their morals and values which they had inculcated among their children.”

As the album has been produced with assistance from the Directorate of Information, Director of Information and Publicity, Menino Peres, who was also present at the occasion informed, “If any individual would like to come out with this type of venture which gives a message of national integration, the directorate will provide assistance of 80 per cent.”

Secretary of Information and Publicity and Chief Secretary of Government of Goa, Narendra Kumar stated that, “We give first priority to ourselves, our family, our village, our state and lastly to our country. This attitude needs to change as our first priority and our hearts should belong to our country.” He added that the State Gov-

ernment provides an assistance of Rs 1.5 lakhs to any person who comes out with a venture which gives a message of national integration. Tomazinho Cardozo who is the President of Tiatr Academy of Goa added, “The Academy will provide 100 per cent assistance to any person who comes out with the tiatr or musical show based on national integration.”

The album, which has music composed by Mukhesh Ghatwal, lyrics by Tomazinho Cardozo which songs sung by many noted artistes of Goa, comprises twelve songs, out of which nine are set during the days of freedom and its struggle and national leaders while the other three are based on the present situation in the country.

Tourism

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HERALD FEATURES ith the many programmes held in a bid to save the environment, the radio industry is doing their bit and Radio Mirchi has joined the brigade to fight the problems faced by the environment. They have decided to target the younger generation with an elocution competition titled, ‘Students of today, Leaders of tomorrow’, which is going to be held throughout the state in the four major towns of Panjim, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa.

The competition which is an all Goa inter-school competition is thrown open to all schools and will be happening from July 1 to July 7, 2010.

The competition is divided into two categories, the Juniors, comprising students from Stds V to VII and the Seniors from Stds VIII to X. “The students can choose between the languages of English and Konkani,” says Ethel Da Costa, Station Head, Radio Mirchi.

The students can choose from three topics: How Would You Solve the Garbage Problem of your City; Water Scarcity; My Plan for a Green Goa. The ground competitions will be at St Britto’s High School in Mapusa on July 2; La Paz Gardens in Vasco on July 3; Black Box, Kala Academy in Panjim on July 5; and Big G in Margao on July 6.

Photos by Dolcy D’Cruz

HERALD FEATURES a Santa Margarida, a home for the aged in Divar, had a brand new feel to it on June 28, 2010 as Aduzinda Gonsalves celebrated her birthday with the inmates of the home along with the underprivileged children of the St Inez Nullah area.

The art workshop for the aged children present, organised by Heritage Jazz, added to the fun-filled day.

The elders looked enthusiastic as they held their paintbrushes and combined colours to paint. Supervised by Salvador Fernandes, an artist himself, the elderly received able guidance in painting. More than 25 elderly people participated while the children played with the others.

The real party started when Dominic Pereira, Ashley Fernandes and Jackson Furtado started playing music and the elderly volunteered to sing along. They cheerfully sang while some of the inmates took to the dance floor. Surprisingly, though some looked too fragile to dance, their bright spirit didn’t let them down. The elderly enjoyed the music and dance to the fullest. Children who were trained to sing Konkani songs by Dominic sang along as spectators played coconut shells to add a beat to the party.

The Sisters of the old age home were thankful to see smiles on the faces of the elderly. As a thank you note, they said, “Thank you for the love, concern and understanding for the inmates of the house.

It is good to see different types of talents used for greater glory of the lord and the power to touch broken humanity.”

L

Instructions for Sudoku SUDOKU SOL 591 9 x 9 letter: To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in each of the nine vertical columns, in each of the nine horizontal rows and in each of the nine boxes

Beautiful Moments of ‘Sangodd’

GARFIELD

SOUTH POLE

Photos by Chiquitita D’Souza

11:00 Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 11:30 Behenein 12:00 Sapna Babul Ka ...Bidaai 12:30 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 13:00 Tere Mere Sapne 13:30 Hamari Devrani 14:00 Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat 14:30 Behenein 15:00 Chaand Chupa Badal Mein 15:30 Sapna Babul Ka ...Bidaai 16:00 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 16:30 Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 17:00 Sasural Genda Phool 17:30 Saath Nibhana Saathiya 18:00 Tere Liye 18:30 Sabki Laadli Bebo 19:00 Saath Nibhana Saathiya 19:30 Sasural Genda Phool 20:00 Chaand Chupa Badal Mein 20:30 Behenein 21:00 Sapna Babul Ka ...Bidaai 21:30 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 22:00 Tere Liye

11:30 Indian Idol 13:30 Baat Hamari Pakki Hai 14:00 Maan Rahe Tera Pitaah 14:30 C.I.D 15:30 C.I.D Classics 18:00 Indian Idol 19:30 Godh Bharaai 20:00 Maan Rahe Tera Pitaah 20:30 Baat Hamari Pakki Hai 21:00 Boogie Woogie 22:00 Indian Idol: Extra 22:30 Aahat

10:00 Choti Bahu

10:30 12/24 Karol Bagh 11:00 Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi 11:30 Pavitra Rishta 12:00 Do Saheliyaan 12:30 Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 13:00 Jhansi Ki Rani 13:30 Pavitra Rishta 14:00 Choti Bahu 14:30 Do Saheliyaan 15:00 Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi 15:30 12/24 Karol Bagh 16:00 Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 16:30 Choti Bahu 17:00 Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi 17:30 Jhansi Ki Rani 18:00 Pavitra Rishta 18:30 Ghar Ghar Mein 19:00 Do Saheliyaan 19:30 Choti Bahu 20:00 Jhansi Ki Rani 20:30 Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli 21:00 Pavitra Rishta 21:30 Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi 22:00 12/24 Karol Bagh 22:30 Do Saheliyaan

09:30 Mrs. & Mr. Sharma Allahabadwale 10:00 Papad Pol. 10:15 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta..

11:15 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 12:00 Mrs. & Mr. Sharma Allahabadwale 12:30 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta…

13:00 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 13:30 Papad Pol 14:00 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta…

14:30 Mrs. & Mr. Sharma Allahabadwale 15:00 Lapataganj 15:30 FIR 16:00 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta…

16:30 Papad Pol. 17:00 Mrs. & Mr. Sharma Allahabadwale 17:30 Gutar Gu

19:00 Bad Santa 21:00 So Close 23:20 Adaptation.

09:00 Josie and the Pussycats 11:00 Species II 12:50 Project A Part II 14:50 Transporter 3 16:55 Snow Dogs 18:55 Mad Money 21:00 Face/off 23:35 New Fist of Fury

07:30 The Bridge at Remagen 10:00 First Sunday 12:00 Fracture 14:30 My Little Eye 16:15 The Art of War II: Betrayal 18:30 TMZ 19:00 Burn After Reading 21:00 Fracture 23:30 Eight Legged Freaks

08:45 Ghar Dwaar 12:30 Naagmani 16:15 Besharam 20:00 Hum Hai Bemisaal

09:30 Astitva 12:30 Chehraa 16:00 Tumse Achha Kaun Hai 20:00 Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya

10:55 Eastern Promises 12:50 Charlie's Angels 14:50 See This Movie 16:40 Stranger than Fiction

12:00 One Two Three 16:00 Gautam Govinda 20:00 Tango Charlie 23:20 Hijack

08:00 Kasam Suhaag Ki 12:00 Jaani Dushman 16:00 Money Hai Toh Honey Hai 20:00 Mohra

E N T E R TA I N M E N T 18:00 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta…

18:30 Papad Pol 19:00 Lapataganj 19:30 Mrs. & Mr. Sharma Allahabadwale 20:00 Papad Pol 20:30 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta …

21:00 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 21:30 Mrs. & Mr. Sharma Allahabadwale

11:00 Laughter Dons 12:00 Jaane Pehchaane Se Yeh 12:30 Dill Mill Gayye 13:00 Mile Jab Hum Tum

13:30 Geet 14:00 Rang Badalti Odhni 14:30 Jaane Pehchaane Se Yeh 15:00 Vishnu-Devaa 18:30 Star One Horror Nights 19:00 Geet 19:30 Rang Badalti Odhni 20:00 Dill Mill Gayye 20:30 Jaane Pehchaane Se Yeh 21:00 Mile Jab Hum Tum 21:30 Geet 22:00 Rang Badalti Odhni 22:30 Dill Mill Gayye

11:00 CSI: NY : Battle Scars 12:00 Masters of Illusion

13:00 So You Think You Can Dance 15:00 Whacked Out Sports 15:30 Video Zonkers 17:00 The Amazing Race 18:00 Leverage: The Future Job 19:00 Masters of Illusion 20:00 Video Zonkers 21:00 Whacked Out Sports 22:00 Wipeout

10:00 30 Rock 10:30 The Simpsons 11:00 V.I.P 12:00 Friends 12:30 Castle

13:30 Whose Line Is It Anyway?

15:00 Desperate Housewives 16:00 The Simpsons 16:30 Friends 17:00 Castle 18:00 V.I.P 19:00 30 Rock 19:30 The Simpsons 20:00 Glee 21:00 Friends 21:30 Whose Line Is It Anyway?

22:00 White Collar

09:00 2010 Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships 14:00 Hitz 14:30 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2010 15:30 Wimbledon H/ls : Day 8 16:30 2010 Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships 23:30 Mobil 1 The Grid

09:00 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa: Nigeria vs.

Korea Republic 11:00 2010 FIFA World Cup Wrap Shows 12:00 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa: Chile vs.

Switzerland 14:00 2010 FIFA World Cup Matchday H/ls 16:00 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa: Greece vs.

Argentina 18:00 2010 FIFA World Cup Matchday H/ls 19:00 2010 FIFA World Cup Review 20:00 Sportscenter India 20:30 Sportscenter Asia 21:00 2010 FIFA World Cup Matchday H/ls 22:00 Sportscenter India

22:30 Sportscenter Asia

08:30 2010 South Africa Tour to West Indies H/ls : 3rd Test Day 4 10:30 2010 South Africa Tour to West Indies H/ls : 5th ODI 12:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 13:00 FIFA: Futbol Mundial 13:30 2010 South Africa Tour to West Indies H/ls : 3rd Test Day 4 15:30 WWE: Bottom Line 16:30 WWE: Specials : Fatal Four Way 19:30 2010 South Africa Tour to West Indies : 3rd Test Day 5

Nat geo 09:00 : Head On Air Crash 07:00 India Kids Club 07:30 Flavors 10:00 Vision 08:00 Creative English News 09:00 Konkani News 10:30 Vision 10:00 Creative Marathi News 11:00 Straight Talk 12:00 All Fusion Concert 11:00 NatGoa GeoYouth Specials : Slum 12:30 Flavors City 13:00 English News 14:00 Walking Kids Club 12:00 with Lions 14:30 Noman Tuka Goa 15:00 Stuntmen Straight Talk 13:00 of Bollywood 16:00 All Goa Youth Fusion 16:30 Intimate Flavors Enemies 14:00 17:00 Khell Tiatr 18:00 India Konkani News 15:00 : Head On Air Crash 19:00 Marathi News 20:00 English News 16:00 Nat Geo Junior : Big Bang 21:00 Khell Tiatr 22:00 Nat English 16:30 Geo News Junior : One 23:00 Juke Box Minute Wonder 23:30 Fantasia 00:00 Fusion Concert 17:00 Amazing Moments : 00:30 Most Flavors National Most Dan01:00 ArtGeographic's of living gerous Moments 01:30 Bhajan 02:00 Kids Club 18:00 Dangerous Encounters : Note: Subject to change

HERALD CROSSWORD - 592 Across 1- Pack away; 5- Land's end?; 10- Israeli dance; 14Gaelic language of Ireland or Scotland; 15- Paroxysmal pain; 16- "Hard ___!" (sailor's yell); 17- Contest, ethnicity; 18- Star in Orion; 19- Scorch; 20- Hosp. area; 21- Excision of part of the cornea; 23- Catlike; 25- Dull pain; 26- Apathy; 29- Flammable material; 33Lauder of cosmetics; 35- Impassive; 37- Before; 38Aforementioned; 39- Tending to a definite end; 40- Pitchfork-shaped letters; 41- ___ Paulo, Brazil; 42- Neighborhoods; 43- Juke; 44- Elaborately adorned; 46- Unilateral; 48- Cong. meeting; 50- Goes in; 53- Black, tan, and white critter; 58- Feel bad about; 59- Wrinkly fruit; 60- Lanterns; 61- Patriot Nathan; 62- Ruffian; 63- Muse of lyric poetry; 64- Up and ___!; 65- Small mountain lake; 66- Spanish Mister; 67- Capone's nemesis; Down 1- Letter cross-line; 2- Vestige; 3Act of kissing; 4- Itty-bitty; 5- Diatribe; 6- Coconut-husk fiber; 7Pond organism; 8- Michelangelo work; 9- Choosing from various sources; 10- Hurry; 11- Bread spread; 12- Quantity of paper; 13- Ethereal; 21- Human leg joint; 22- In vogue; 24- Chilled; 27- Aha!; 28- Collection of maps;

Parenting

Elocution Programme for Students W

Bringing Joy to the Elderly

Funny Quote

Pronunciation ep-i-kyoor Function Noun

CURR

Information Technology

Government encourages National Integration Ventures after ‘Mahan Mhozo Des’

LAFFS

WORD OF THE DAY

Education

30- Long for; 31- "___ SOLUTION - 591 Brockovich"; 32- Breather; 33- Canadian gas brand; 34- River to the Moselle; 36- Seine feeder; 39- Table supports; 40- Confined; 42To ___ (perfectly); 43- Supply; 45- Allot; 47- Official examiner; 49- Apportion; 51Governs; 52- Appears; 53Push with the head; 54Turkish honorific; 55- Insult; 56- Arabian sultanate; 57As far as; 61- A dynasty in China;

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GOA, Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Robinho wants to do more to help Brazil AP JOHANNESBURG, JUNE 29

Robinho feels he needs to do more to help Brazil win a sixth World Cup title.

Despite playing well and scoring his first World Cup goal in the team’s 3-0 win over Chile

on Monday, the striker says he is still not at his best and wants to improve for the final stages of the tournament in South Africa.

“I’m happy for the goal,” the Santos striker said. “But I think I could’ve played better, I know I have to play better.”

Brazil advanced to the quarter-finals of the World Cup with the victory against Chile and now will face the Netherlands on Friday in Port Elizabeth.

Robinho was key for Brazil at Ellis Park Stadium, participating in the attack that gave Brazil its second goal through striker Luis Fabiano in the 38th minute, and then scoring himself with a wellplaced shot from the edge of the area in the 59th. Chosen the man of the match by FIFA, he also had a goal correctly disallowed for off-side in the 77th.

Robinho said he didn’t even think he deserved to be named the man-of-the match, and said

other Brazilian players could’ve been given the honour on Monday.

He said the goal was important, however, and should help him improve for the next matches.

“The tendency now is to get better,” Robinho said. “After that first goal, it usually gets easier to score more.”

Robinho had already played well in Brazil’s first two matches, getting assists in the team’s 21 win over North Korea and in the 3-1 victory over Ivory Coast.

He didn’t play in the 0-0 draw against Portugal in the final Group G match as a precaution because of a minor left thigh problem.

Dunga worried by Kaka’s yellow peril AFP JOHANNESBURG, JUNE 29

Coach Dunga admitted Kaka's flurry of yellow cards was giving him concern as five-time world champions Brazil charged into the quarter-finals at the World Cup at Ellis Park on Monday.

The former world player of the year picked up his third booking of the tournament as Brazil eliminated Chile 3-0 in the last 16.

The Selecao eased into the last eight with well-taken goals from Juan, Luis Fabiano and Robinho and they will now face the Netherlands at Port Elizabeth on Friday.

Kaka, in his first outing back from a one-match suspension for his red card against Ivory Coast, again went into the referee's book and laid on the final pass for Luis Fabiano's goal before he was brought off with nine minutes left.

Kaka fell foul of English referee Howard Webb after hacking down Arturo Vidal in the 30th minute, putting him under the threat of another expulsion for his remaining time on the pitch.

Coach Dunga admitted Kaka's run of yellow cards at the World Cup was troubling.

"Yes, it is a problem, I don't

want Kaka to be left suspended, the technical players are punished and those who commit fouls aren't," Dunga said.

"This started in the group stage, we are going to talk to Kaka about this, we don't want to get bogged down on the issue of yellow cards."

The Brazilians were upset that Kaka was sent off in his last match for what they deemed a light push on the Ivorians' Abdelkader Keita, who collapsed theatrically to the ground.

Playmaker Kaka has been slowly finding his form at the World Cup after he was dogged by a thigh injury in his first season since joining Real Madrid from AC Milan last summer.

"If we look at Kaka, he didn't play a 90-minute game in the last five months, we have built him up slowly, everything has been planned," Dunga said.

The 2007 World Player of the Year showed glimpses of his best with two crucial moments against Ivory Coast.

The Real Madrid star was largely a peripheral figure against Chile before he provided the final pass for striker Luis Fabiano's goal in the 38th minute.

Kaka linked well with Robinho who made the run down the left and quickly released the Seville forward, who nipped past goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and sidefooted into an empty net.

Texas man kills crying toddler AFP CHICAGO, JUNE 29

A Texas man reportedly suffocated his two-year-old stepdaughter because she would not stop crying during a World Cup game.

Hector Castro, 28, beat the girl severely enough to crack her ribs before suffocating her during the US vs. Ghana match on Saturday, The McAllen Monitor reported.

He then jammed a screw down the girl's throat to try to make it look like an accident before calling for an ambulance, according to the Texas newspaper.

It was clear the screw was not related to

5 sentenced for stealing cash from England team

her death and police were quickly called to the apartment, where four other children survived.

Castro, an illegal immigrant, allegedly gave investigators a confession that implicated himself in the girl's death, McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez told the paper.

The other children have been taken into protective custody.

"There are no words for this," Rodriguez said.

"It makes you want to think about doing lots of things to this guy, but he will face the criminal justice system just like everybody else."

Castro was expected to face capital murder charges.

FAN PICS

AGENCIES JOHANNESBURG, JUNE 29

Four men and a woman were convicted and sentenced for stealing money and other items from the hotel rooms of some England players, South Africa's prosecution authority said on Monday.

Mthunzi Mhaga, spokesman for the National Prosecution Authority, said the incident was reported by the hotel on Saturday.

"The five involved have been arrested, they pleaded guilty and have been sentenced by a special World Cup court," Mhaga said.

They were each sentenced to three years in prison or a 6,000 rands ($791.5) fine.

Slovaks head home as heroes with bonuses REUTERS DURBAN, JUNE 29

Slovakia had already hit the jackpot by qualifying for their first World Cup and now go home with the bonuses of knocking out the holders, reaching the last 16 and building up experience for next time round.

Coach Vladimir Weiss has nurtured a group of players who work well as a team, have pace on the wings and a cutting edge up front. They showed it best last week in the 3-2 win over Italy and by no means embarrassed themselves in yesterday's 2-1 defeat by Netherlands. ''It was a good result just to get here, anything else was a bonus,'' midfielder Vladimir Weiss, son of the coach, told reporters. ''We hope we can come back to many World Cups in the future.''

A Brazilian fan celebrates victory over Chile on Tuesday.

A Japan supporter in bunny ears gives a thumbs up.

A young Japan fan blows a vuvuzela.

Fans of the German football team celebrate their victory with a kiss.

Pg17

GOA, Wednesday, 30 June, 2010

Blatter forced to reconsider technology AGENCIES PRETORIA, JUNE 29

The furore over refereeing mistakes at the World Cup forced FIFA President, Sepp Blatter into an about-turn on Tuesday, reopening the debate on the use of goalline technology.

The 74-year-old Swiss president of world soccer's governing body, who apologised on Tuesday for the errors made by referees this week, has been a stubborn opponent of technology for years.

Blatter effectively closed the door on further discussions about it three months ago at the annual meeting of soccer's law-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

Although he has again ruled out using video replays to help officials with decisions, such as off-sides, he said technology such as the Hawk-Eye system used in tennis and cricket should

Thieves steal trophies from FIFA office AFP PRETORIA, JUNE 29

Thieves have stolen replica trophies from football world governing body FIFA's offices near the venue for the World Cup final, South Africa's police commissioner said Tuesday.

In a press conference, Bheki Cele said the theft of the seven trophies and several jerseys at the Soccer City complex in Johannesburg appeared to be an inside job, without giving further details.

"We are looking into it.

The suspects are people who are very familiar with the environment," said Cele.

A FIFA spokesman told journalists he was unaware of the incident.

"I am not aware of that," said Wolfgang Eichler at FIFA's daily World Cup briefing.

Disgraced Domenech to go before Parliament AFP PARIS, JUNE 29

Disgraced French football coach Raymond Domenech and exfootball federation supremo Jean-Pierre Escalettes will appear before lawmakers on Wednesday to explain France's chaotic World Cup campaign.

The two football heavyweights are to address a hearing of the National Assembly's Cultural Affairs commission, called to discuss the disastrous showing of the French squad in South Africa.

France has reacted with a mix of humiliation and anger to the team's elimination from the tournament which came after two defeats, one draw, a players' strike and foul-mouthed squabbles in the dressing room.

Domenech, the outgoing coach, and Escalettes, who resigned on Monday as French Football Federation (FFF) have both been harshly criticised over the Bleus' debacle.

Members of President Nicolas Sarkozy's governing UMP party are pressing for a commission of inquiry while the president himself has said that those responsible for the disaster should be held accountable.

The parliamentary hearings were scheduled as FIFA president Sepp Blatter warned the French government against any meddling in football affairs, which he stressed were the purview of the football federation.

be re-examined to determine if the ball had crossed the line or not for a goal.

Blatter emphasised no technology would be debated relating to video evidence for off-sides. He said: "We will look again at technology, goalline technology, at the business meeting of the International Football Association Board in Cardiff, Wales in July.”

“The only principle we are going to bring back for discussion is goalline technology. For situations like the Mexico game you don't need technology."

Paul Hawkins, whose HawkEye Innovations company of Winchester, England, developed the system, was keeping an open mind about Blatter's comments.

Hawkins told Reuters: “Blatter has said this before and there have been other changes of mind. All he said is that they will reopen the discussion, they

haven't said they will change their minds.”

“If they're serious about this then they'll contact us and we'll just wait to find out whether

this is just a little statement to defuse the current public pressure.”

“I have had my hopes dashed too many times in the past to

get too excited, but obviously we think we can help make football a better game."

Only hours after Blatter spoke, World Cup referees said

they would welcome technology if it made their jobs easier and helped the decision-making process.

“I am open-minded for any-

FIFA chief apologises AGENCIES PRETORIA, JUNE 29

FIFA President, Sepp Blatter apologised on Tuesday for the refereeing mistakes that have blighted the World Cup and promised to look again at introducing goalline technology.

“It is obvious that after the experiences so far at this World Cup it would be a nonsense not to re-open the file on goalline technology," Blatter said at a briefing with selected media on Tuesday.

“I deplore when you see the

evident referees' mistakes.

It has not been a fivestar game for referees. I am distressed by the evident referees' mistakes. I have expressed my apologies."

The issue came to the fore after two important de-

cisions at Wo r l d C u p matches in South Africa on Sunday were shown by instant replays to be incorrect.

First a shot from England midfielder Fr a n k L a m pard that clattered against Germany's

crossbar and bounced down well over the line when England, chasing a comeback, were 1-2 down.

Germany, clearly rattled at the time, went on to win the second round match 4-1.

In the later game, Mexico had been enjoying the better of the game against Argentina when Carlos Tevez opened the scoring from a clearly off-side position, setting Diego Maradona's side on their way to a 3-1 win.

“I have apologised to the two delegations," Blatter said.

thing that would make us more credible," referee Howard Webb told reporters after a World Cup referees' training session in Pretoria. “Whatever tools I have I will use to the best of my abilities."

Blatter said that while FIFA would reconsider the goalline technology debate, he was not sure the Hawk-Eye system was 100 percent accurate. He added that a chip-in-the ball system, the Smartball, developed by Cairos technologies through Adidas was "too complicated".

Blatter said: “The Hawk-Eye system is not 100 percent accurate because it can only reveal what the camera can see." But Hawkins defended it, saying: “It is 100 percent accurate and has been independently tested by the (English) Premier League and IFAB and was shown to work in all instances tested."

After an experiment at the

Under-17 World Cup in Peru in 2007 and other selected games, the idea of technology was put on hold indefinitely as FIFA decided none of it was 100 per cent accurate.

However, the outcry over the two incidents this week has caused Blatter to rethink, and he revealed new plans to improve officiating at matches, without going into detail.

“We will start with a new concept on how to improve match control. I cannot disclose it now because the dossier is still on the presidential table," he said.

“We are going forward and will announce something in October or November, because something needs to change."

The twin mistakes highlighted the fact soccer has become isolated, with other major international sports using video replays or infrared systems to decide close calls or track the ball.

Blatter warns France, Sarkozy not to interfere AGENCIES PRETORIA, JUNE 29

FIFA President, Sepp Blatter warned the French government on Tuesday not to interfere in the affairs of its soccer association or the sport's governing body could suspend France's football federation.

Blatter's threat came a day after French Football Federation (FFF) president, Jean-Pierre Escalettes resigned in the wake of France's World Cup fiasco.

French Sports Minister, Roselyne Bachelot had said last week Escalettes's resignation was “unavoidable".

“In France they have made an 'affaire d'Etat' with football, but football remains in the hands of the federation," Blatter said on Tuesday.

“French football can rely on FIFA in case of political interference even if it is at presidential level, it is a clear message.”

“We will help the National association and if cannot be solved

by consultation then the only thing we have is to suspend the federation."

France's group stage exit, marred by the players' decision to boycott a training session in support of expelled striker Nicolas Anelka, has sparked souls e a rc h i n g a n d h i g h - l e v e l meetings in the country.

Such was the national angst in France that President, Nicolas Sarkozy urged a soccer shakeup and met former team captain Thierry Henry.

The debate will continue with the news on Tuesday that both coach Raymond Domenech and Escalettes would be heard by a parliamentary commission of the National Assembly on Wednesday.

The players' boycott came after Anelka was kicked out of the squad by the FFF for insulting Domenech at half time of a 2-0 defeat by Mexico.

France ended bottom of Group A with a draw and two defeats. Domenech will be replaced by Laurent Blanc.

Argentina’s keepers show dislike for technology Messi's failure to score in Argentina's four matches could be down to the controversial synArgentina's goalkeepers weighed thetic and seamless Jabulani ball, in against different forms of techmidfielder, who reserve keeper Mariano Andujar nology with one saying aids would has displayed rob soccer of its essence while antechnically stable said.

Messi has come close to scorother reckoned the World Cup left-footed kicks. ing on several occasions as the ball may be causing Lionel Messi's twice champions reached a quargoal drought. ter-final against Germany but he Argentina's Carlos Tevez was has yet to add to his solitary goal offside for the first goal in Sunat the 2006 finals. day's 3-1 win over Mexico while ''I was surprised that they made England's Frank Lampard had a such a bad ball for such an imshot which crossed the line but portant competition,'' said Anduwas not given, reopening the dejar of the widely-criticised official bate about whether technology tournament ball. should be introduced. ''This goes beyond making the ''Technology? Not for me, begoalkeeper's job more complicause it takes away what football cated, it affects crossfield passes is about,'' Argentina's giant ponywhich move about and are hard tailed first-choice keeper Sergio for players to dominate (and when) Romero told a news conference Lionel kicks to the far post and yesterday. the ball doesn't take the spin he ''Football is for people who play with cunning...so to put technology like a chip in the wants to give it. ''It doesn't allow the great players at this World ball to see if it went in...I think you take away the cunning and then football ends for the great players. Cup to express or show everything they can do ''Football is for the cunning, not for technology.'' with a ball at their feet,'' he said at Argentina's REUTERS PRETORIA, JUNE 29

MAN OF THE MATCH

Keisuke Honda, 24-yr-old Japan’s

Assistant referees take part in on open training session with a special focus on the demonstration of the offside training for assistant referees at Kievits Kroon, the referee headquarters in Pretoria for the 2010 World Cup Football in South Africa on Tuesday.

Refs offer defence after blunders AFP PRETORIA, JUNE 29

World Cup referees defended themselves Tuesday in the wake of officiating blunders that led FIFA President Sepp Blatter to apologize to England and Mexico and reconsider video goal reviews.

Referees Jorge Larrionda of Uruguay and Roberto Rosetti of Italy, at the center of the controversial decisions, did not attend an open training session with reporters at a local high school, leaving others to address the issues.

England's Frank Lampard had what would have been an equalizer disallowed by the Larrionda crew in a 4-1 loss Sunday to Germany although the ball was clearly beyond the line in television replays.

"I share the disappointement with the match officials if it was seen as an error, and that was my over-riding feeling on that incident," English referee Howard Webb said.

And Argentina striker Carlos Tevez was clearly offside when he scored the first goal in a 3-1 Sunday victory over Mexico. A

replay shown in the stadium video screen was not enough to allow Rosetti to make the call.

"We know when we go into this business there are going to be controversial decisions," Canadian assistant referee Hector Vergara said.

"In all of our games, 97 percent of our calls are right. The players aren't perfect 100 percent of the time. Why should the referees be?"

FIFA referees spokesman Jose Maria Garcia Aranda called World Cup officials "excellent" despite the glaring howlers and Blatter's apology and decision to reconsider video goal judging. " We h a v e t o l o o k a t 5 4 matches and the decisions the referees have made in them," Garcia Aranda said. "Apparently the referees took only four or five decisions in these 54 matches and all of them were controversial.

"Nobody is talking about the successful decisions. In order to assess the referees properly, you must assess the good decisions and wrong decisions.

These referees have made ex-

cellent decisions."

Uzbekhistan referee Rashan Irmatov, who made his World Cup debut in the South Africa-Mexico opener, was confident referees could handle video review.

"If FIFA takes this kind of decision, we will be ready," he said.

"But it's not my job to make that decision. I'm here to referee the matches."

Vergara said he doubted video replay would change things much for referees.

"The job has always been difficult. That isn't going to change," Vergara said. "If it comes in, we'll deal with it. If it doesn't, we'll deal with it."

Webb was ready for anything that would boost the credibility of referees.

"I'm open minded about anything that makes us more credible as match officials but it's a decision for other people to take," Webb said.

Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez defended humans over technology when it comes to officiating but said officials would work with video replays if FIFA commands.

"The referees have been very professional," Rodriguez said.

"In this training, you learn how to handle matches in a professional manner. We work together as a team. We're not perfect. That's reality. But we do our best."

When it came to the blunders that hurt England and Mexico, Irmatov said there has been little talk among officials.

"We don't speak about this situation," he said. "You see how hard we work. We work really, really hard not to make a mistake."

Rwandan linesman Celestin Ntagungira said it was important for officials to stand by their choices.

"You can't change your decision," he said. "When the goal is scored and you say it's a goal, you have already validated the goal. How can you say it's not a goal?"

The priority of following the offside line makes goal judgements tougher.

"In your decisions and position, the offside line is the priority, absolutely," Hungarian linesman Tibor Vamos said.

Post-mortem begins for England after painful exit

AGENCIES MELBOURNE, JUNE 29

A glum-faced England arrived at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus for the World Cup finals dressed like undertakers in tight-fitting three-piece grey suits and wearing black ties.

When they departed on Monday, it was seemingly only after they had completed the grimmest of tasks -overseeing the decline and burial of modern English soccer at World Cup

level.

Not for the first time, England failed to live up to the hype generated by a myopic media corps and the rash predictions of a manager with no previous experience of guiding a team at this level.

Fabio Capello told reporters on June 11, before the opening group game against the United States, that he was certain England would "arrive in the final on July 11".

His claim was based on his faith in

a group of experienced, but ageing, players who had qualified easily, but not played well for eight months.

On Monday, instead of eating his words he groped for excuses after a finals showing that left him baffled and England's supporters feeling cheated and humiliated.

To seasoned observers, it was a familiar story, but on this occasion manifested in a more emphatic failure than any in modern times -- and some

of the worst football ever played by an England team at the World Cup. German captain Philipp Lahm said: "Maybe England were not prepared for this game as they should be -maybe they under-estimated us because our players are not as famous as the England players."

DISMAL DISPLAYS It was a tournament campaign of such dismal displays and results that it was widely regarded as England's worst

World Cup showing since 1950 when a team of once-revered names was beaten by the unheralded United States.

The 4-1 defeat by Germany in a one-sided second round clash in Bloemfontein on Sunday was not only England's heaviest ever in the finals, but also a career-ending knell for many of the current squad's revered, if overrated, players.

In draws with the US and Algeria, a narrow win over Slovenia and Sun-

day's humiliating defeat by the Germans, too many demonstrated that they are not only growing old, but they have also grown too slow for modern international soccer.

Jaded, mechanical and unimaginative, they appeared to lack a love and enthusiasm for the game that was displayed so vigorously by such so-called 'smaller' teams as Chile, Japan, Ghana and Slovakia, not to mention Argentina or Brazil.

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fail to impress against Spain AFP CAPE TOWN,JUNE 29

A red-hot David Villa scored his fourth goal of the World Cup to fire European champions Spain past Iberian arch-rivals Portugal 1-0 on Tuesday and into quarter-final clash against Paraguay.

T h e B a rc e l o n a s t r i ke r pounced in the 63rd minute of an absorbing encounter that saw plenty of chances and Portugal's Ricardo Costa sent off, chipping a rebound over goalkeeper Eduardo after his first shot was saved.

It was enough to put Spain into a last eight showdown on Saturday against the South Americans, who crushed Japanese hopes in a dramatic 5-3 penalty shoot-out earlier in the

day.

Whoever gets through that match has either Argentina or Germany awaiting them in the semi-finals.

In a stadium packed to the rafters with Spanish and Portuguese fans, Spain quickly signalled their intentions with Fernando Torres testing Eduardo with a shot from the edge of the box in the opening minute.

The goalkeeper did well to fist it away and he was in action again soon after with Villa cutting in from the left and fizzing a shot on target.

Portugal were all over the place and Villa rifled another goal-bound in the sixth minute, with Eduardo palming it to safety as he again came to the

rescue.

It was impressive stuff from Spain, who were playing the slick passing game they are so good at.

Portugal's record of not conceding a goal in South Africa was looking decidedly shaky and Xavi troubled them again by turning and whipping a shot over the bar from a quickly taken corner.

After weathering the early storm, Portugal finally got a look in when Tiago blasted a shot from distance, with Iker Casillas pushing the ball in the air and then having to scramble it to safety as Hugo Almeida challenged him.

Another chance presented itself when Cristiano Ronaldo teed up a 30-yard free kick and

an edgy Casillas spilled the ball before the Spanish defence quickly mopped up.

Portugal were back in the hunt in a finely poised game and they almost broke the deadlock early in the second half when Carlos Puyol got his knee in the way of an Almeida cross and it looped over Casillas' head and shaved the post.

The match started opening up but it was game over for Liverpool's Torres, who was hauled off after 58 minutes with Fernando Llorente replacing him and he almost made a spectacular entrance, heading straight at Eduardo.

Llorente seemed to spark Spain into life and seconds later Villa saw a powerful shot squirm past the post before

the Barcelona striker demonstrated why he is one of the best in the business.

After some quickfire passes on the edge of the box he found space on the left and while his first shot was saved, Villa pounced on the rebound to chip it into the net.

Sergio Ramos nearly made it 2-0 just minutes later with an under-pressure Eduardo just getting his fingertips to a powerful shot to turn it behind for a corner.

Another ferocious Villa drive stung the goalkeepers' palms with 13 minutes left as Spain turned up the heat before Portugal's misery was completed when Costa was given a straight red card for elbowing Spain’s striker David Villa celebrates Joan Capdevila. after scoring the winning goal.

Paraguay shoot out Rising Sun

AFP PRETORIA, JUNE 29

A Portugal’s supporter holds a banner prior the round of 16 match Spain v. Portugal at Green Point stadium in Cape Town, on Tuesday.

MORE SPORTS ON PG 13, 16, 17

Paraguay............5 Japan.....................3 Spain..................1 Portugal................0

Paraguay beat Japan 5-3 on penalties following a 0-0 draw even after extra time to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history on Tuesday.

Substitute Oscar Cardozo scored the decisive spot-kick at the Loftus Versfeld stadium after Japan's Yuichi Komano had smashed his penalty against the crossbar.

Paraguay will play Spain, who meet later on Tuesday, in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

The shoot-out was needed after 90 minutes of regulation time and 30 minutes of extra time failed to separate the two teams in a tense affair of few chances.

But despite their negative approach and defeat, Japan coach Takeshi Okada insisted he was proud of his team and took full responsibility for the failure.

“In terms of how we played I

have no regrets at all. The players were wonderful, really wonderful and I'm truly proud," he said.

“They represented Japan and also Asia as a whole and they played until the end so I'm proud of them.”

"I was not able to make them win, that's my responsibility, I did not make them eager enough."

Yoshito Okubo had an early

chance for the Asian side but shot well wide while at the other end Edgar Benitez couldn't keep his header down from Roque Santa Cruz's inviting cross.

The game briefly exploded into life on 21 minutes as Paraguay striker Lucas Barrios sneaked in behind the defence with a lovely little drag back but then he prodded his shot straight at goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.

Less than 60 seconds later Daisuke Matsui ran onto a loose ball and tried his luck from distance only to see his curler crash against the Paraguay crossbar.

On 29 minutes Manchester City striker Santa Cruz should have done better when the ball dropped to him 12 yards out, but he rushed his left foot volley and dragged the ball wide.

Japan star Keisuke Honda set his sights five minutes from the break but his left-foot effort

from 20 yards drifted wide.

At the start of the second period Nestor Ortigoza opened up the Japanese defence to create a shooting opportunity but Yuto Nagatomo slid in to make a goalsaving block.

Yuji Nakazawa was next to dive in and stop a goal bound effort from Benitez as Paraguay started to turn the screw.

Tsukuba also found that the machine-made Jabulani was close to a perfect sphere, and has a tendency to slow suddenly in mid-flight - a disconcerting characteristic for footballers.

Australian scientist Derek Leinweber, based at Adelaide University, concluded after a series of computer tests that the ball goes faster and is more unpredictable than its predecessors.

“That means the goalkeeper can no longer really anticipate its trajectory," he said.

The Jabulani – “to celebrate”

in isiZulu - "allows for maximum control, stable flight and perfect grip under all conditions," FIFA said in unveiling the controversial ball.

The ball is constructed of eight thermally-bonded polyurethane panels, and is very nearly waterproof.

Adidas has defended its product. “There are strict FIFA guidelines on the ball (weight, size, bounce depending on what the temperature is)," commented the German company.

“Not only does our ball fulfill all these conditions but in fact they go beyond them.”

Cristian Riveros then met a Claudio Morel cross with a firm header which went straight at Kawashima.

Five minutes into extra-time, Barrios's header from Morel's cross landed in Kawashima's arms before Nelson Valdez turned sharply on the edge of the box to create a half chance that Kawashima smothered.

At the other end Paraguay captain and keeper Justo Villar palmed away a fizzing Honda free-kick.

Japan had a late opportunity on the counter attack but after Shinji Ozakazi's backheel released Keiji Tamada the Nagoya Grampus Eight forward opted to cross instead of shoot and the chance went begging.

QUARTER-FINAL LINE UP July 2 July 3 July 3 July 4

19:30 00:00 19:30 00:00

Netherlands v Brazil Uruguay v Ghana Argentina v Germany Paraguay v Spain

Jabulani ‘too perfect’ to fly straight: experts First time into AFP PARIS, JUNE 29

When it comes to the World Cup Jabulani football, perfect may not be good enough, according to scientists who have analysed the controversial ball.

Experts puzzling over its allegedly erratic flight - which has unnerved more than one goalkeeper in South Africa have concluded that the Jabulani may simply be too round to fly straight.

Since being chosen for the World Cup, the Adidas-made ball has come in for a serious

drubbing.

Spain's Iker Casillas has dissed it as “rotten," while Italy's top goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon tagged it as "unpredictable."

Julio Cesar of Brazil suggested he could do better buying a ball in a supermarket.

Part of the problem may be that “the stitches of the Jabulani are internal, so the ball resembles a perfect sphere," said Eric Berton, deputy director of the Institute of the Science of Movement in Marseille, France.

In other sports - tennis, golf or baseball - the balls have irregularities precisely to insure

Lampard blunder ref goes home

a more stable and controlled trajectory. The ridges or exposed seams are what make possible spin in tennis or a curveball pitch in baseball.

Despite the Jabulani's so-called ‘grip‘n’grove’ texturing, however, the ball apparently doesn't behave in the same way.

“Because of the shape, the

time of contact with the foot is reduced," said Berton.

“As a consequence, it practically doesn't spin. The ball travels a little less far, and will have a floating and unpredictable t r a j e c t o r y, whether for a striker or a goalkeeper," he told AFP. Wind-tunnel tests conducted

by Kazuya Seo of Yamagata and Takeshi Asai University in

Third time charmed for Santa Cruz

ORACLE

AGENCIES JOHANNESBURG, JUNE 29

AFP PRETORIA, JUNE 29

Uruguay’s Jorge Larrionda and Italy’s Roberto Rosetti, whose blunders have prompted FIFA to rethink using video technology, won’t play any further part in the World Cup. They were left off the list of 19 referees announced by FIFA on Tuesday to take part in the rest of the competition although football’s world governing body gave no explanation.

Larrionda and his linesman failed to see an England shot clearly cross the line in a 4-1 loss to Germany in a second round game on Sunday. Frank Lampard’s shot hit the bar and bounced down behind the line before spinning back into play. It would have made the score 2-2.

Rosetti wrongly awarded a goal to Argentina’s Carlos Tevez against Mexico when he took Lionel’s Messi’s pass in a clearly offside position. It was Argentina’s first in a 3-1 victory which put the team into the last eight.

“Naturally, we deplore when you see the evidence of referees’ mistakes,” said Blatter, adding it would be “a nonsense” for FIFA not to look again at goalline technology with its rulemaking panel.

Two more left out for the remainder of the competition were Koman Coulibaly of Mali, who disallowed a third United States goal in a 2-2 draw with Slovenia, and French referee Stephane Lannoy who harshly sent off Brazil’s Kaka for a second yellow after Ivory Coast’s Kader Keita ran into him while going for the ball.

Roque Santa Cruz has already made his third and final World Cup a historic one for Paraguay.

Now the Manchester City striker has the South American side poised for a shock run at the top prize.

"It was a fantastic win," Santa Cruz said. "It means a lot for the people of Paraguay because it's the deepest we have ever gone in the World Cup." Santa Cruz has already said he does not plan to take part in a fourth World Cup in Brazil in 2014, when he will be 32, but he will have another match in South Africa when Paraguay meet Spain or Portugal on Saturday in Johannesburg.

Santa Cruz said his team will be ready no matter who it faces.

"It's going to be a hard one," he said. "We're going to have to play as hard as we have to get this far. All the time our goal has been just to try to win games."

Paraguay's victory also means four of eight World Cup semi-finalists are from South America, with the possibility that Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay could create an all South American World Cup final four.

Santa Cruz was a regular at the age of 20 for Bayern Munich when he was called into Paraguay's 2002 lineup and scored in a draw with South Africa.

He was part of the Bundesliga club's 2001 Champions League title run, although he was on the bench for the championship victory over Valencia.

An octopus named Paul sits on a box, decorated with a German flag and a shell inside, at the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen, western Germany on Tuesday.

Psychic Octopus favour Germany REUTERS BERLIN, JUNE 29

An octopus with possible psychic powers, who has correctly picked the winner of Germany’s four World Cup matches so far, on Tuesday tipped Germany to beat Argentina in their World Cup quarter-final match on Saturday.

Paul, a two-year-old octopus born in England now living in a German aquarium, has a 100-per cent winning streak at the World Cup - and even accurately predicted Serbia would beat Germany in their Group D match-up earlier in the tournament.

The eight-legged octopus, a denizen of Sea Life in the west-

ern town of Oberhausen, has turned into a celebrity oracle for getting all four picks right so far - including last Sunday’s elimination round match when Germany beat England.

On Tuesday, Paul once again was given the choice of picking food from two different plastic containers lowered into his tank - one with an Argentine flag on it and one with a German flag.

The container Paul opens first is seen as his pick. Paul moved cautiously and spent about 45 minutes mulling his decision before eating the food in the box with the German flag - suggesting a hard-fought win in extra time or

even penalties.

Last week Paul ignored the England container and quickly went for the container with the Germany flag - which was taken as a hint that Germany would win a decisive victory “It took Paul a really long time to make up his mind today for the Argentina-Germany match,” said Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig. “Even after he opened the Germany container it took him a while to go in and eat the clam.”

Munzig said, by contrast, it took Paul only seconds to decide before the England match to go for the Germany container.

“That it took him so long to make up his mind suggests it’ll be

a very tense match against Argentina that won’t be decided until the very end - maybe not even until penalties,” she said.

Munzig also denied any suggestion the containers were rigged.

The morsel of food is identical and the containers are lined up in the same order as FIFA. Argentina was on the left side on Tuesday (because the match is Argentina-Germany) whereas England was on the right last week (Germany-England).

“There are no tricks, the food is the same and everything in the two containers is the same except for the flags,” she said.

So how does Paul do it? “That’s his secret,” she said.

quarters: Martino AFP PRETORIA, JUNE 29

“It’s the first time that a team from Paraguay has made it to the quarter-finals and the same would have applied for Japan," said Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino.

“I just think we were lucky during the penalty shoot-out, that made the difference.”

“When you look at how the players played, the solidarity they showed, their enthusiasm, their will to make the history books, both teams did it the same way.”

“Perhaps it wasn't the match people wanted to see but I don't think either team has anything

to repproach themselves for."

Japan coach Takeshi Okada insisted he was proud of his team and took full responsibility for the failure.