TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013 HYDERABAD
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Be fair or face eviction, T tells S employees In a new twist to the rancour between Seemandhra and Telangana, T employees have told their Seemandhra counterparts to drop the agitation against the formation of the state. If it continues, the T employees’ association have dropped a hint that the S employees may find it difficult to continue working in Hyderabad.
PG 5
HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER
TOLLYWOOD WARY OF COMING
T-S STORM One industry that can be badly hit in the event of Telangana-Seemandhra standoff is Tollywood. If things turn sour, it would be the Telangana film industry that would be the hardest-hit as most technicians, are from Seemandhra.
REPORT ON P6
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
city events
FLAVOURS TO SAVOUR
Unique flavours of Pondicherry. Where: Dakshin, ITC Kakatiya, Begumpet When: August 30 Contact: 789301 3000
Weather for Hyderabad
Evening
Overnight
Morning
Afternoon
26°C
22°C
26°C
32°C
Cloudy with showers likely.
A mix of cloudy and clear skies.
A mix of cloud and sun.
A mix of cloud and sun
New Delhi Mumbai Max 32 Max 29 Min 25 Min 25 Mostly cloudy
Chennai Max 33 Min 27
Clear with chances of rain.
Thunderstorms likely
Bangalore Max 27 Min 20
Cloudy with chances of thunderstorms.
AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Jubilee Hills When: Till August 22, 11 am to 7 pm Contact: +91-40-23113709; 40207171
SHOWS
DINING
Colourful performance Kathakali performance by PV Chandra Shekharan. Where: Vidyaranya High School, Saifabad When: August 13, 9 am Contact: 94901-22248
SHOWING THE WAY: Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society held an event on International Youth Day at RTC Kalyana Mandapam at Bagh Lingampally. Amala Akkineni was chief guest at the event. The theme this year is "HIV prevention through Life Skill Education - Saving Lives through Voluntary Blood Donation". N SHIVA KUMAR
Documentary screening Lament Of A Widow — Manipuri Play will be staged. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad When: August 13, 6 pm Contact: 93911-11622 Movie time Movie At the Crossroads will be screened. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills When: August 13, 7 pm Contact: 96427-31329 Play pursuits Play Gagana Damama Bajyo - The Legend of Bhagat Singh by Manch Theatre will be staged. Where: RNR Auditorium, MLA Colony, Banjara Hills When: 15 August, 7pm Iranian movie Iranian movie, Beloved Sky will be
screened as part of Iranian Film Festival. Where: Prasad Lab Preview Theatre, Banjara Hills When: August 16, 6 pm Contact: 93910-20243
EXHIBITION Art show A solo show by Devangana Kumar, Pageants of the Raj will be held.
Commissioner & Spl Officer
Helpline GAS BOOKING IVRS NO HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints
198 155313
POLICE CONTROL ROOM Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500 ELECTRICITY General Complaints Breakdown Section
Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills When: Till August 25, 11 am to 7 pm Contact: +91.40.66564466
155333 23431178 23431179
MUNICIPAL CORPORATION
23262266 24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833169, 27824216 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333
Photo exhibition Jal Anand: Shahi Snan, Maha Kumbha Mela 2013 by Jean Pierre Muller, Cord Meier-Klodt & Lalit Verma. Where: State Gallery of Art,Kavuri Hills, Madhapur. When: Till August 14 Contact: Goethe Zentrum on Facebook
When: Aug 3 onwards, 11.30 am onwards Contact: 6733 1133 Art attack Works of artists like Anand Panchal, Nagesh Goud, Laxman Aelay and others will be exhibited. Where: Aalankritha Art Gallery,
HOSPITAL General Hospital, Sec-bad Niloufer Hospital, Red Hills NIMS, Director, Punjagutta Osmania General Hospital Railway Hospital, Lalaguda Apollo, Jubilee Hills Care Hospital, Banjara Hills Care Hospital, Nampally Care Hospital, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar
155313 23307328 23313163
27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999
BLOOD BANKS Blood Bank,Narayanguda Chiranjeevi Blood Bank Blood Bank Mediton Goal Red Cross, Vidyanagar ADRM Blood Bank Mythri Charitable Trust NTR Memorial Trust Care Banjara Hills
27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445
AMBULANCES Apollo 23548888, 23607777 Kamineni 24022222 Medwin 23202902, 23204616 Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979 Red Cross 27627973 Niloufer Hospital 23314095 Gandhi 23320332 AIRLINES
Dining experience Chef Olaf Niemeier is holding a week long fine dining experience with Art you can Eat. Where: Fusion9, Banjara Hills When: Till August 15 Tea flavours Try the tea flavours of Budlabeta, Hapjan and Khobong Sessa. A portion of the proceeds will be contributed to WWF India's one-horned Rhino Conservation project in Assam. Where: Oxford Bookstore, The Park, 22 Rajbhavan Road When: Ongoing Contact: 8790432354
An age of innocence An exhibition by Jaya Javeri depicting playfulness, fantasy, nature and childhood memories will be held. Where: Ginger Lily, Radisson Blu Plaza
WATER SUPPLY Complaint Cell Sewerage Complaint Hyd. Water Supply
Gala dinner Taj Falaknuma Palace is celebrating Independence Day by hosting an exclusive Gala Dinner with a historical walk of the palace, marching band from the Indian Army and an exclusive screening of a never seen footage on Mahatma Gandhi. Where: Taj Falaknuma Palace When: August 14 Contact: 040-6629 8585
Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec-bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999 UK VISA OFFICE VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7
Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum
24523211 232431300/7641 24521029
Readers’ views
We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
news
YESTERDAY’S QUESTION
DID MODI JUSTIFY THE HYPE BEFORE HIS MEETING? YES (A) NO (B)
67% 33%
TODAY’S QUESTION
IS IT RIGHT TO EXEMPT POLITICAL PARTIES FROM RTI? A)
YES
B)
NO
To vote visit www.postnoon.com
ABUSE OF POWER
NIGERIA
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Authorities slumber as ‘flashers’ rule the roads
In India, the number of beacon vehicles, as per norms, at any given time should not exceed 50 in the centre or in the state. And yet, in Hyderabad alone, 350 go around making life difficult for commoners.
Boko Haram massacres 44 at mosque
What the law states about using the beacon
KANO: Suspected Islamist extremists have shot dead 44 worshippers in an attack on a mosque in Nigeria's restive northeast, a senior government official said on Monday. "Gunmen believed to be Boko Haram members entered the mosque and opened fire on Muslim worshippers, killing 44," the official said.
The law which governs the beacon and its colours is stated in rule 108 Clause III of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules of 1989. The categories that can use the red lights as specified by the court are the chief secretary, DGP, chief justice, judges of high court and Lokayukta. While, the chief minister and other cabinet rank ministers, Assembly Speaker, deputy Speaker Assembly and chairperson of the Council can use blue lights, but the militarymen also use these lights which is illegal, a senior police officer said.
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The official said the attack was believed to be in revenge over citizen vigilante groups forming to help the military battle Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, which has been waging an insurgency since 2009. Some residents spoke of the attackers arriving wearing army camouflage, a tactic they have used in the past to disguise themselves, though those details had not been officially confirmed. In recent weeks, the military has encouraged the formation of vigilante groups to help authorities locate and arrest members of Boko Haram. The vigilante groups have been credited with reducing the number of attacks, but some have warned that the situation could spiral out of control and lead to further violence. AFP
Without flasher n Chief Election Commissioner n Comptroller and Auditor General of India n Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha n Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha n Ministers of the State of the Union
Mohd Shubhan mohd.s@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Wailing sirens, revolving red and blue beacons lamps, people acting as if in a hurry and posing to be important have become quite common. Scores of vehicles illegally fitted with beacon lights and sirens are going round the City while the government and the police, supposed to check them,
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look the other way. In some occasions, a startled cop on traffic duty can be seen snapping to attention and saluting. For all he knows, it could be a parvenu or a film producer. Despite clear instructions and norms prevailing on vehicles allowed to adorn beacon
lights and sirens, the Supreme Court had asked once again the governments of both Centre and States to stick to the rules and prevent misuse. According to information available, nearly 350 ‘VIPs’ are in the City, of which only 90 are authorised to use these lights. The remainder go around nevertheless, caring little for the traffic police or even the Motor Vehicle Act.
n Members of the Planning Commission n CBDT Chairman n Attorney General of India n Cabinet Secretary n Chiefs of Staff of the three services holding the rank of full General or equivalent rank n Deputy Ministers of the Union n Officiating Chiefs of Staff of the three services holding the rank of Lt. General or equivalent rank n DSP of CBI
CITY BRIEFS Venkaiah blames Congress for stir in AP
Fitness academy students Man drowns in perform well at tennis Himayathsagar lake
New Prabhandak committee Pres. elected
Seemandhra leaders to continue their protest
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S
S
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he BJP has squarely blamed the Congress of mishandling the Telangana issue. It said the party, bereft of strong leadership, has caused much harm to the people. The ruling party has done no home work before hurriedly announcing the creation of a new state with the result that the whole state is astir today, BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said.
tudents of Sarojini Cricket and Fitness Academy performed well at the state level Tennis tournament conducted by AP lawn Tennis Association. Among the boys, the students of the academy G Charit Reddy and G Kaushik Reddy advanced to next levels in under-14 and under-12 divisions. Among the girls Shreshta Reddy won the under-12 title in a tie-breaker.
A
painter, Deepak Gaikwad, 32, resident of Vinaynagar in the Rajanderanagar area drowned in the Himayathsagar lake on Sunday. He was swimming and he is believed to have accidentally drowned. He had come with his family on a picnic and the family members were stationed a far away while he went for swimming.
ardar Trilok Singh has been elected as the President of Prabhandak Committee, Central Gurudwara Saheb, Gowliguda. The election to the president post was held at Central Gurudwara Saheb, Gowliguda. Trilok Singh defeated his nearest rival S Inder Singh by a margin of 148 votes. Of the 3,208 voters about 1,788 votes have been polled.
eemandhra Congress leaders will continue their agitation against bifurcation of the State. A decision to this effect was unanimously taken by the MPs and other Congress leaders of Rayala-Seemandhra this morning. The decision comes after the leaders were reprimanded by the party high command for agitating inside the parliament.
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News TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE Kokrajhar tragedy
L
ast year we had reported how NGO workers from Hyderabad travelled to Assam to study and offer aid to victims of ‘the worst human tragedy’ of Independent India. Some 4.6 lakh people had been rendered homeless in the ethnic strife and people were sheltering in refugee camps. The help that flowed in for the disaster was meagre and the government too was indifferent.
AUGUST 13, 2012
NUMEROLOGY
14,000
prisoners who escaped from various Libyan detention centres after the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi are still on the run, the interior minister said Monday.
Never in my life did I think that this kind of situation would come where our jobs here would be at risk. We hope our hard work keeps us here. Light technician On the fate of technicians in Tollywood See page 6
THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the world functions.
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Of VIP vehicles and privileged lives. The number of beacon vehicles, as per norms, should not exceed 50 in the Centre or in the state government. Hyderabad alone has 350 such vehicles.
2
Playschools come under government scanner. Hitherto unregulated day care centres and playschools across India would now be watched over by the government.
3
The carrier age is over, INS Vikrant. For India it would have been far better to spend money on an effective submarine deterrent, or on surface ships armed with weapons capable of sinking a carrier.
4
Perfect, assembly line sushi, anyone? Japan is dotted with kaiten (revolving) sushi restaurants where robots measure perfect rice balls, squirt wasabi and deliver the dish.
5
Take a sneak peek at a celebration of migration. Hungarians celebrate Kurultuj Festival in commemoration of their Mongolian roots.
CIVIC
Headless wing struggles GHMC’s usual speed in attending to bad roads matches that of a turtle. With the transfer of the chief engineer, even that much speed is not evident. SRINIVAS SETTY
ALEENA ALICE aleena.t@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: During the monsoon, when the City requires mending and monitoring of the roads most, GHMC coolly transferred the chief engineer, leaving the engineering wing directionless. Little wonder scores of roads look like hurdle tracks for international competitions. Every day, dozens of motorists are meeting with accidents and damaging their limbs riding through pulverised streets. It has now been 45 days since the monsoon was officially announced and yet the corporation does not seem any the wiser. In the absence of the head, the team seems engaged in playing rummy AROUND THE
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through the monsoon. Last month, after the tragic death of an Intermediate student on Begumpet Road, the GHMC officials had stated that the conditions of the roads would be improved within 10 days. Later, they went back on their word and blamed the delay on the rains. The corporation afterwards promised to fill the potholes
The directionless engineering wing has neglected to repair the City’s potholeridden roads, blaming the delay ion the rains. if there was a dry spell. For a week and a half, there was no heavy rains but the work was not done as promised. The conditions of the roads are only going from bad to worse each day. Criticising the GHMC for not appointing a new chief engineer, Singireddy Srinivas Reddy, TDP floor leader, said, “It is only because of no supervision from the higher authorities that the contractors and the assistant engineers are going slow. Whatever little work that
the GHMC has taken up for filling the potholes is being done in a shoddy manner. The workers get the BT material and dump it in the potholes without levelling it. During the general body meeting in November 2012, it was decided that road rollers should be used to level the material where the patchwork is being done.” The condition of most of the roads in the City’s core areas like Begumpet, Paradise, Koti, Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills,
Kukatpally, Narayanaguda, Sainikpuri and many more is worse than elsewhere. Heavy traffic and rains have added to the woes of the commuters. Most of the grievances brought to the notice of the GHMC commissioner during the weekly Prajavani on this Monday were with regard to the bad road conditions. The commissioner stated that the in-charge officials will be directed to speed up the filling of potholes and to use rollers to level the roads.
NO SKINNYDIPPING
Jaws — with a ‘nutty’ twist
A fish in Scandinavia has unusual tastes — it bites testicles of swimmers. The vegetarian fish loves nuts, but sometimes mistakes testicles for its favourite snack. WASHINGTON: Male skinnydippers — or those who swim in the nude — are being warned about a fish in Scandinavia that bites testicles, a media report said Sunday.
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Though the Pacu's large teeth are not as sharp as that of the piranha, they are fully capable of severing fishing lines and fingers, say experts at the museum. The Pacu, native to South America, was found by a fisherman in the Danish-Swedish strait
of Oresund, CNN reported citing experts at the Natural History Museum of Denmark.
The fish has big teeth and looks menacing. Though the Pacu's large teeth
are not as sharp as that of the piranha, they are fully capable of severing fishing lines and fingers, the museum's experts said. Even though experts say the Pacu is vegetarian, the fish love crushing nuts with their powerful jaws and sometimes can mistake the male reproductive organs for their favourite snack, CNN said. As to how the fish ended up in Scandinavian waters is a bit of a mystery, the museum said. The museum experts have advised swimmers to "keep their swimsuits well tied". IANS
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News TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF
JAIL POLICY
NZ jetpack gets flight clearance
Inventor Glenn Martin set out to create a jetpack suitable for everyday use by amateurs. WELLINGTON: The New Zealand developers of a personalised jetpack said Tuesday that aviation regulators have issued the device with a flying permit, allowing for manned test flights. Martin Aircraft chief executive Peter Coker said the certification was a significant milestone in the development of the jetpack, which the company hopes to begin selling next year.
“For us it’s a very important step because it moves it out of what I call a dream into something which I believe we’re now AROUND THE
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in a position to commercialise,” Coker told AFP. The jetpack is the brainchild of inventor Glenn Martin, who
began working on it in his garage more than 30 years ago. Inspired by childhood television shows such as Thunderbirds and Lost in Space, Martin set out in the early 1980s to create a jetpack suitable for everyday use by ordinary people. His jetpack consists of a pair of cylinders containing propulsion fans attached to a freestanding carbon-fibre frame.
The pilot backs into the frame, straps himself in and controls the wingless jetpack with two joysticks. A simpler model aimed at the general public is expected to be on the market in 2015. The price of your own personal flying machine is estimated at US$150,000-250,000, although Coker said the cost was likely to come down over time. AFP
POLITICS
‘Be fair or face eviction’ T-employees’ associations are dropping hints that S-employees may find it difficult to continue here if they don’t stop agitating against the new state. Md INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: With the Seemandhra employees going on indefinite strike from midnight, the employees from Telangana are also hardening their stance vis-a-vis their S counterparts. The joint action committee of all Telangana employees, including gazetted officers, has requested Seemandhra employees working in Hyderabad not to participate in the proposed indefinite strike. If they did, they would not be allowed to live in the City. The contention of the Telangana employees’ JAC was that they never illtreated Seemandhra employees working in Telangana region during the separate state struggle and lived with them in peace and harmony. “We always treated them like our own siblings. We never resorted to any kind of violence against them during the Telangana agitation and always considered them as an integral part of Telangana. Unfortunately, these employees are agitating to prevent the process of
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do not want the development of their respective regions with the bifurcation of the State,” Prasad fumed. He alleged that the Seemandhra employees have become mere puppets in the hands of their leaders. Another leader Vithal also expressed similar views. He said that no SC, ST and BC employees of Seemandhra region are participating in the indefinite strike.
EMPLOYEES CENSUS Telangana. If they do so, we will not allow them to live in Telangana region. They should return to their native places,” TJAC leader and Telangana Gazetted Employees Association president V Srinivas Goud told Postnoon on Monday. Seemandhra employee leaders blame TRS chief KCR for the situation. It was KCR’s provocative stance that employees from Seemandhra must go back that
spread panic among the employees from Rayala-Andhra. Another TJAC employees’ leader and Telangana NonGazetted Officers Association (TNGOA) president C Devi Prasad questioned the basis of Seemandhra agitation. “They have given strike notice opposing Indian Constitution, which would allow formation of Telangana state. How can they give such a notice? These people
T-employees’ JAC has also decided to launch a survey to identify the number of Seemandhra employees working in various departments of the State government in Telangana region. According to the T-employees’ JAC, the collected data would be used to identify the traitors supporting the Seemandhra agitation. The data would also be presented to the Union government for their repatriation after the bifurcation of the State.
US plans lower sentences for drug users SAN FRANCISCO: The United States announced plans to reduce its use of mandatory sentences for drug offences in order to tackle a cycle of poverty and incarceration in overcrowded jails. In remarks to the American Bar Association, Attorney General Eric Holder called minimum jail terms “counterproductive” while noting the need to stay strict but be smarter about tackling crime. And he warned that, while the total US population has increased by about a third since 1980, the prison population has soared by 800 per cent. The US accounts for five per cent of the world population but nearly a quarter of all people imprisoned, he said. AROUND THE
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“Today, a vicious cycle of poverty, criminality, and incarceration traps too many Americans and weakens too many communities. And many aspects of our criminal justice system may actually exacerbate these problems, rather than alleviate them,” Holder said. And of the more than 2,19,000 people jailed in federal as opposed to state-run prisons, nearly half were convicted of drug-related offences. “We will start by fundamentally rethinking the notion of mandatory minimum sentences for drug-related crimes,” Holder said. “And, applied inappropriately, they are ultimately counterproductive.” AFP
NATION BRIEFS Uttar Pradesh to count Muslims in local bodies
Pak violates ceasefire again, fires at Indian post
CISF to probe N-plant worker’s arrest
Five killed in road accident near Agra
Wife of man who killed self demands probe
LUCKNOW: The UP government has decided on a head-count of Muslim employees in local bodies and municipal corporations to increase their participation at senior levels, an official said Tuesday. Minority Welfare Minister Azam Khan had recently aired his displeasure at the lack of proper representation of Muslims in plum posts.
JAMMU: Heavy exchange of fire erupted on the border as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire yet again this morning — the eighth in the last four days — targeting Indian Border posts in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir. The firing came from Ashraf post of Pakistan. BSF troops guarding the border line retaliated effectively.
KANCHEEPURAM: The CISF is likely to take up the probe into the case relating to seizure of pen drives and a mobile phone from a contract worker at the Madras Atomic Power station (MAPS) here. The storage devices seized had over 400 photos of BHAVINI Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, police said today.
AGRA: Five people, including two women, were killed and four others were injured when their taxi collided head-on with a speeding truck near Agra, police said Tuesday. The accident took place Monday evening on Shamshabad road, 20 km from the Taj city. Police said the taxi with 16 passengers was heading towards Agra from Shamshabad.
DUBAI: The wife of an Indian man who reportedly committed suicide in Bahrain has called for fresh investigation into the case. According to a Gulf Daily News report, Sabita Mohapatra, whose husband Sitanshu Senapati was found hanging in his apartment, has sent a letter to the Indian Ambassador in Bahrain, requesting his intervention.
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News TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
SEPARATION ANXIETY
Dream industry in T-S tangle One industry that can get hit badly in the event of Telangana-Seemandhra standoff is Tollywood. If things turn sour, it would be the T-film industry that will hurt itself most sans S-technicians, Postnoon finds out ARUN D YELLAMATY arunyellamaty@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Even as many continue to debate on the issues of the Telangana State hoping that it shouldn’t hit or hurt the Tollywood-town films and its industry, many technicians and upcoming Tollywood filmmakers and producers hope that their job is not at risk. Known producers say the best technicians are from the Andhra region and it will be difficult to manage and get work done without them. But curiously, as none seriously thought T would be a reality and Hyderabad would become a bone of contention, studios are all in and around Hyderabad. Just one studio is set up in the Andhra region and the recent talks of a different film chamber for Telangana and Andhra might give a tough time for people working within the industry. Music composer C Charan
says, “There is a lot of chance of things getting rough, but I think the only people who will get hurt will be Telangana filmmakers, as most of the technicians working here are from Andhra. Apart from that, no one apart from Andhra people will spend so much money for films.” The big guns will survive either by moving across the City or flying abroad. But the cameramen, sound, light and other technicians and workers will surely face the wrath when T-Town AROUND THE
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takes a change of State. A light and sound technician, working with well-known studios, says, “We have worked very hard and have been here for a long time. I was born here and have been working here for more than 10 years and worked very hard to be where I am today.
Never in my life did I think that this kind of situation would come where our jobs here will be at risk, even though I have been hearing that people might ask us to leave. We hope our hard work keeps us here. We are facing difficulty to talk to anyone about this issue too.” He and hundred other film employees feel and hope their
BEAUTY SECRETS
Perfectly made up, even in sleep One in four women wear makeup during sleep to impress their partner, shows a new study. LONDON: A new research has found that despite the adverse side-effects of going to bed with makeup, one in four women are still doing it. Insecurities came out top in the reasons for sleeping with makeup, with 53 per cent of the vote, followed by the fact that people want to look good for their partner and nine per cent just quite simply can't be bothered to take it off. Of the women who slept in their makeup when with their partner, the AROUND THE
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majority, 52 per cent, claimed to have been in their relationship for less than a year and 12 per cent admitted that they had been in their relationship for over 10 years. Of the women who kept makeup on when going to sleep with their partner, 95 per cent admitted that they kept this a secret from their partner. And 45 per cent even admitted that they openly lied to their partner, claiming to have taken their makeup off before bed. The most common makeup products left on by women in Britain when going to bed with their partners are mascara, concealer, foundation, lipstick or gloss and fake eyelashes. When asked whether they were concerned about the effect that sleeping in makeup would have on their skin, 49 per cent of the respondents said "no". Jed MacEwan, managing director of Ergoflex UK, who conducted the research, said: "Putting the clinically proven negative impact on skin health aside, what was most interesting from our results is just how many women admitted to keeping makeup on when they slept, despite over half claiming it negatively affected the quality of their night’s sleep." IANS
jobs are safe. Another filmmaker has already been feeling the bad air around him. Arif Lalani, Filmmaker and cinematographer, says, “Just when the news of a different state came out, I have felt and seen quite a lot of technicians having a different attitude about their security of jobs, especially when the news of
the Tollywood industry separation has been out. The air is half good and half disturbing. Few people look worried, but most of the people I work with are united and are working very hard.” A well-known producer, who didn’t want to be named, said, “It’s very difficult to go through all the records and check who is from Telangana and who is from Andhra. This is not fair, for all have worked hard. There are close to 70 per cent people from Andhra in the industry and who run the show. Many local technicians have come up to me and asked about their careers being affected. But I hope they do not have much trouble in future.” He adds, “The big guns never will face much issues as they will take the technicians and other required people and fly to various locations and make their film. Most of the industry is united, the trouble is made by people who do not work hard or people not part of the industry at all.”
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News TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
HEALTH
Genetic birth defects may lead to cancer In 2010, the World Health Organisation identified birth defect prevention and care as a global priority. WASHINGTON: Children born with genetic birth defects like Down’s syndrome are at an increased risk of developing childhood cancer, says a study. Scientists have said that children born with non-chromosomal birth defects have a two-fold higher risk of cancer before age 15, compared to children born without birth defects. However, cancer risk varies by the specific type of birth defect, and is not significantly increased in many of the more
common birth defects, Science Daily reported citing the study published in July in PLOS ONE. Birth defects are an increasing health concern worldwide, and in 2010 the World Health Organisation identified birth defect prevention and care as a global priority. “There is a large body of evidence for increased cancer risk in children with Down’s syndrome, a genetic birth defect caused by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21,” says Lorenzo
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Botto, professor of paediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine and an author of the study. “However, studies to date have provided inconsistent findings on cancer risk in children with structural birth defects that are not caused by chromosome abnormalities.”
INDEPENDENCE DAY SECURITY
Supreme jolt for Lalu
NEW DELHI: In a major setback to RJD leader Lalu Prasad, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed his plea seeking transfer of his trial in the Bihar fodder scam case before another competent court. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam while directing the trial court to complete the trial as early as possible gave another five days to the prosecution to complete their arguments and 10 days to the accused persons to present their side of the case.
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Delhi on high alert Nepal terror threat puts UP on alert
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LUCKNOW: An alert has been sounded in Uttar Pradesh following intelligence reports that a terrorist group may try to sneak in from the Nepal border, police said. Following the tip-off, commandos have been stationed at Ayodhya, Mathura, Varanasi and other sensitive places.
NATION
The court said that trial court will pronounce its verdict without being influenced by whatever has been said by the Ranchi High Court and by the Supreme Court. The court also noted that the judge sought to be changed by Lalu Prasad at this stage of the trial has been hearing the matter since 2011. Lalu had alleged bias contending that the trial court judge’s sister was married to a cousin of Bihar minister P.K. Shahi who was his sworn political opponent. The apex court rejected this contention. The multi-million-rupee fodder scam in Bihar surfaced in 1996. Around 54 of the 61 cases were transferred to Jharkhand when it was carved from Bihar in November 2000. Different CBI special courts have passed judgments in more than 43 cases. IANS
NEW DELHI: Ahead of Independence Day and in the wake of an intelligence alert, Delhi has been put on high alert with heavy security arrangements and police barriers across the city. “There shall be special checking of all vehicles, both private and commercial, entering the city from neighbouring states through border entry points," said Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Shukla. Besides Delhi Police personnel and commandos, security officials in plain clothes and snipers will also be deployed around the Red Fort. At least 80
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companies of security forces (around 6,000 personnel) will be deployed at the Red Fort and the surrounding areas, said the official. “A team of snipers, National Security Guard (NSG) commandos along with Delhi Police will man the fort in a multi-tier security arrangement," he added. Delhi Police and traffic police personnel will be spread out across the city to secure important places as well as entry and exit points at “vulnerable loca-
tions". All high-rise buildings, hotels, guest houses, markets and restaurants in Paharganj, Jama Masjid and areas near the Red Fort will be under the police scanner. Intensive drives have also been conducted for verification of tenants, servants, occupants of guest houses, dealers of used scooters and cars, cyber cafe users and cycle sellers across the city, he said. “We have received a letter from IB (Intelligence Bureau) about a threat from a terrorist outfit ahead of August 15," a police source said. IANS
WORLD BRIEFS Two killed in Brazil plane crash
Key to make milk scare apology in China
Philippine rescuers race to help typhoon-hit
Weiner says he’s still in NY mayoral fight
2 dead, several injured in Norway bus crash
RIO DE JANEIRO: Two Brazilian Air Force officers were killed Monday in a plane crash in Sao Paulo state, authorities said. The victims, captains Joao Igor Silva Pivovar and Fabrico Carvalho, were flying a Smoke Squadron plane when it crashed near the Pirassununga air force academy during a training manoeuvre.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand PM John Key said he will visit Beijing later this year to personally apologise to Chinese consumers over the Fonterra milk botulism scare. China’s baby formula market is worth around $2.4 billion a year to New Zealand and Key said apologising was an important step in restoring trust in his country’s foodstuffs.
MANILA: Philippine rescuers cleared landslide-choked roads on Tuesday in an effort to reach isolated villages that were devastated by deadly Typhoon Utor, which left tens of thousands of people homeless. The government reported that two people had been confirmed killed and 11 others were missing after Utor.
NEW YORK CITY: Disgraced former US congressman Anthony Weiner insisted Monday he’s not giving up his bid to become New York mayor despite a sexting scandal that has decimated his poll ratings. “I’m going to fight. I’m going to stand up strong," said Weiner at an after-work talk in a midtown Manhattan sports bar.
OSLO: Two people were killed and several seriously injured on Monday when two buses, one Norwegian and one Swedish with foreign tourists aboard, collided in western Norway, local authorities said. The NTB news agency said that a woman from Norway and a woman from Taiwan had died.
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News TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
PALESTINE-ISRAEL CONFLICT
KERRY CALLS FOR CALM
US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged Palestinians ‘not to react adversely’ to Israel’s announcement of new settlement building, stressing the need to return to the negotiating table. NINA NEGRON BOGOTA: US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged Palestinians “not to react adversely” to Israel’s announcement of new settlement building, stressing the need to return to the negotiating table. With a fresh peace dialogue in its early stages after a three-year hiatus, the approval of almost 1,200 housing units in annexed east Jerusalem and elsewhere in the West Bank on Sunday infuriated Palestinians. The plan was swiftly followed by Israel announcing it would release 26 veteran Palestinian prisoners ahead of a resumption of peace talks Wednesday in Jerusalem. As some Israeli ministers criticized the government’s prisoner release, Palestinians denounced the settlement plan, which Washington and the European Union said Monday was illegal and detrimental to peace efforts. The last peace talks in 2010 broke down on the issue of settle-
Rocket intercepted CAIRO: Israel intercepted and destroyed a rocket fired from Egyptian territory at the Red Sea town of Eilat overnight, Israeli public radio said Tuesday. A group of jihadist fighters said earlier they had fired a Grad rocket on Eilat in retaliation for an alleged Israeli air raid.
US SECURITY
Clapper introduces review group AROUND THE
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COLOMBIA, Bogotá : US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) plays rugby with disabled army veterans playing rugby at the Colombian Institute of Sports in Bogota, on August 12, 2013 during his one-day visit to Colombia. AFP/LUIS ACOSTA
ment building. Kerry, on a trip to Colombia Monday, sought to neutralize the atmosphere in the Middle East, noting that the settlement plans were “to some degree expected," and calling for both sides to resolve their major issues. “We have known that there was going to be a continuation of some building in certain places, and I think the Palestinians understand that," the chief US diplomat said in Bogota. But he added: “I think one of the announcements or maybe one of them was outside of that level
of expectation, and that’s being discussed right now." Kerry, who took the lead in securing last month’s resumption of peace talks, said he did not expect the latest developments to become a “speed bump," but he reiterated that the United States regards all settlements as illegal. “What this underscores, actually, is the importance of getting to the table... quickly, and resolving the questions with respect to settlements, which are best resolved by solving the problem of security and borders," Kerry told reporters.
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Hamas against Abbas GAZA: The Hamas group that controls the Gaza Strip said Monday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was not authorised to negotiate peace with Israel. Mahmoud Zahar, a highranking Hamas official, told reporters at a press conference here.
WASHINGTON: US intelligence director James Clapper introduced a review group Monday that will assess whether the right balance is being struck between national security and personal privacy. President Barack Obama on Friday pledged to overhaul US spy programs amid a debate sparked by the leaks of former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, which revealed vast telephone and Internet surveillance programs. The group will assess whether the US "optimally protects our national security and advances our foreign policy while appropriately accounting for other policy considerations," the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said in a statement. This would include "the risk of unauthorized disclosure and our need to maintain the public trust," the statement said.
EDUCATION
Play schools to come under govt watch Standards will be laid down for play material, space, furniture, education material and nutritional requirements. NEW DELHI: Hitherto unregulated, mushrooming day care centres and playschools across India would now be watched over by the government to ensure they maintain certain standards. The women and child development ministry has finalised a draft ‘Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy’ which will not only make registration and accreditation of such centres mandatory but for the first time also spell out the kind of curriculum and learning tools children are provided with. A senior official of the ministry said that standards will also be laid down for the kind of play
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material, play space and furniture to be provided at such facilities. The policy will also cover anganwadi centres. The policy will specify the minimum qualification required for employment at such centres. The standards would be valid across public and private service providers, the official said. This is for the first time the government would be addressing the educational and nurturing needs of children up to the age of six. According to the draft
policy, violation of norms would invite stringent penalties. He said that to ensure proper implementation, a National ECCE Council with experts will be formed, with corresponding councils at the state level and later the district level. The council will guide and oversee the implementation of the policy as well as keep ECCE programmes consistent with the national policy. A developmentally appropriate national curriculum framework for the ECCE will be developed. It will promote play-based, experiential and child-friendly provision for early education and all-round development, the draft says. IANS
9
News TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013 CHILDFUND REPORT
‘PNG women suffer severe brutality’ SYDNEY: Women in povertystricken Papua New Guinea suffer "severe brutality" with violence, including savage attacks involving knives, axes and whips, occurring in two-thirds of all families, a new study said Tuesday. Based on interviews in Central Province's Rigo district, the report by Australian charity ChildFund detailed extreme acts of violence including a woman who had her lower lip bitten off by a stranger and one whose infant son's unconscious body was used as a weapon against her. Although there was no official government data on violence against women and children in AROUND THE
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Heights of inhumanity n
n
One study cited by the charity in its report found that half of all women would be raped in their lifetime, and another reported that 86 percent were beaten during pregnancy. Of those seeking medical help after being raped, half were younger than 16, one quarter were younger than 12 and one in 10 were under eight years of age.
the rugged Pacific nation, ChildFund said it was widely reported to occur in two-thirds of PNG families and "the incidence is likely to be higher than two in three". One study cited by the charity in its report found that half of all women would be raped in their lifetime, and another reported that 86 percent were beaten during pregnancy. Of those seeking medical help after being raped, half were younger than 16, one quarter were younger than 12 and one in 10 were under eight years of age. ChildFund interviewed 37 women in four villages and 14 men for the case studies. "Most women had experienced violence, and not one claimed to have a husband who had never beaten them," ChildFund said. The case studies included a woman whose one-month-old baby was punched unconscious by her husband and his body used as a weapon against her. The baby survived the attack. AFP
BIZARRE BUILDINGS
Row over rock house on top of apartments
The fate of the rockery building remains unclear, and law enforcement is often applied selectively in China. BEIJING: An eccentric Beijing resident has built a huge house among what looks like a pile of rocks dotted with trees on top of a 26-storey apartment block in the capital, reports said Monday. Neighbours have complained about China's latest architectural oddity, which covers more than 1,000 square metres (10,000 square feet), saying they fear it could cause the structure to collapse on top of them, the Beijing Morning Post reported. The rocks, said to be imitation shells rather than solid stone, have trees and bushes growing among them, as in classical Chinese landscape painting. Poking out from between them, sections of the house underneath can be seen — a blue-framed window here, a balcony under a curved roof there. At least two neighbours
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have moved out because of the construction work, which has been going on for years, the paper said. Others complained about damage to pipes and walls in their units, it said. "We feel this is extremely unsafe. What if the top collapses in rain and wind storms? What if our ceiling collapses?" the paper cited an unnamed 26th floor resident as saying. Authorities have posted
At least two neighbours have moved out because of the construction work, which has been going on for years.
notices that the villa in the Haidian area in the west of the city is illegal, it added. Houses standing on top of multi-storey buildings are not unknown in China, where a rising property market is making land more and more expensive. A developer in central China built 25 luxury villas on top of a shopping mall, which became migrant workers' residences after authorities declared them
illegal, Chinese media reported earlier this month. The fate of the rockery building remains unclear, and law enforcement is often applied selectively in China. Land disputes have become more frequent as officials and developers seek to cash in on the property boom, so that the government has reportedly forbidden housing demolitions without the owners' consent.
BORDER CHECKS
Gibraltar row heats up
British warships began setting sail for the Mediterranean for a naval exercise that will see the frigate HMS Westminster dock in Gibraltar.
Britain's helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious leaves Portsmouth navy base in southern England, on Monday for Gilbraltar. AFP/ANDREW COWIE
GUY JACKSON Agence France-Presse LONDON: The row between Britain and Spain over Gibraltar went up a notch Monday as London mulled legal action over
"totally disproportionate" border checks and Madrid threatened to turn to the UN. As the threats were made over the British-held territory, British warships began setting sail for the Mediterranean for a naval exercise that will see
the frigate HMS Westminster dock in Gibraltar. Helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious steamed out of Portsmouth, to be followed on Tuesday by the type-23 frigate HMS Westminster, which is set to arrive in Gibraltar within a week. The defence ministry has stressed that the deployment of the ships for the exercise is "routine" and "long planned". But in a hardening of Britain's tone, a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said the government was considering taking legal action over the checks by Spanish guards on the border of the rocky outpost on Spain's south coast. The spokesman said the checks, which have caused tailbacks of several hours for people trying to cross the border, were "politically motivated and totally disproportionate". "Clearly the prime minister is
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disappointed by the failure of Spain to remove the additional border checks this weekend. "We are now considering what legal action is open to us," the spokesman said, adding that Britain was considering whether to take "unprecedented" action against a fellow European Union member. "If we go down this route, we will certainly press the EU to pursue the case as a matter of urgency," he added. But Spain refused to stop the checks, which it countered were "legal and proportionate". Ignacio Ibanez, director general for foreign affairs at Spain's foreign ministry, said the legal threat was causing little concern.
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News TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
LOOK WHO’S HAVING FUN
T
HORSING AROUND
he Kurultuj traditional festival started last Friday and ended on Sunday. It is one of Europe's largest cultural events. It celebrates the culture and history of the Hun-Turkic-Hungarian peoples. The Hungarians, or
also known as Magyars, were an eastern people that migrated from regions near Mongolia in the far east over 1,000 years ago. They travelled all the way to Europe and finally settled in Transylvania (modern day Romania) and the Carpathian
Basin (modern Hungary). After settling, they would adopt the European lifestyle and become Christians dropping their pagan lifestyle and beliefs. The Kurultuj Festival started just a few years ago but attracts over 100 thousand visi-
tors yearly. There are many Hungarians who keep the old traditions of the Magyars alive today. The festival is a great way of uniting Hungarians who share this passion. It also invites many cultures and nationalities that are ethnic kin
of the Magyars. There were individuals and groups invited from Bulgaria, Turkey, Mongolia and Uyghuristan. Many others came from countries in the east where the Magyars migrated from over 1,000 years ago.
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News TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
FOOD
SUSHI-GO-ROUND Japan tradition served with technology Kaiten sushi restaurants have evolved from selling traditional sushi into miniature museums of the food. MIWA SUZUKI Agence France Presse TOKYO: With its masters required to hone their skills over decades, sushi in Japan is steeped in tradition. But it is also often a high-tech operation where robotic precision steals the limelight from the chef’s knife. The country is dotted with thousands of “kaiten” (revolving) sushi restaurants where raw fish slices atop rice balls travel on conveyer belts along counters waiting to be picked up by diners. Behind the scenes, however, it is far from a simple merry-go-round, with robots in some locations rolling out perfectly-sized rice balls onto plates embedded with microchips. Measured dollops of spicy wasabi paste are squirted onto the rice assembly-line style before they’re topped with raw fish. And the most cutting-edge eateries are even connected to monitoring centres that can quickly tell whether the right balance of dishes is being produced — a far cry from traditional-style places where the sushi chef and his knife still reign supreme. “Sushi isn’t going round at random but rather it is coming out based on a number of calculations," said Akihiro Tsuji, public relations manager at Kura Corp., a major operator in a market expected to hit $5.0 billion in revenue this year, according to industry figures. “Though traditional, sushi is stuffed with high technology. You can’t operate low-price revolving
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sushi restaurants without databases and scientific management," he told AFP at a Tokyo outlet. Kura has invented a serving device called “sendo-kun", which roughly translates as “Mr Fresh", a plate with a transparent dome that opens automatically when diners select the dish. While the hood keeps the sushi moist and clean, it also contains a microchip telling managers what kind of fish are swinging around on the conveyer belts and how long they have been there. Since their birth half a century ago, kaiten sushi restaurants have evolved from selling traditional sushi into miniature museums of the food that Japanese people eat today, including battered tempura, noodles, and even ice cream. The dishes are cheap, usually starting at around 100 yen (around $1) for two pieces of sushi. Now, more and more outlets are equipped with dedicated “high-
A key challenge, however, is that Japanese people are eating less fish and more meat these days as world prices rise due to strong demand in the US and Europe.
speed” lanes where customers can receive their order via a touch-screen menu. Ryozo Aida, a 68-year-old university lecturer, said he visits the Kura outlet with his wife because of its “affordable prices". “It may sound strange in a sushi restaurant, but I like tempura," he said as he jabbed his fingers at a touch-screen panel. Inside the kitchen, screens show how many adults and children are dining and roughly how long they have been in the restaurant. “Even if all the 199 seats here are occupied, how much sushi we need will differ depending on how long they have been at the table," Tsuji said. The system combines real-time data with information about how many items were consumed in similar circumstances in the past, displaying results for kitchen staff. In-store cameras feed images to dozens of supervisors who move from restaurant to restaurant with laptops — while others watch from monitoring centres — to advise restaurants instantly if there is enough food and the right mix of offerings on the conveyer belt. The cameras can zoom in on sushi to make sure it is laid out in regulation elegance — although they don’t monitor customers’ faces for privacy reasons. At another outlet run by Genki Sushi’s “Uobei” brand in the fashionable Tokyo district of Shibuya, the concept of one conveyor belt has been updated. All 90 seats face counters with three decks of “highspeed” lanes delivering sushi directly to the person who ordered via multi-lingual touch screen. Accuracy and speed is the name of the game with the store targeting delivery in under a minute. “As we looked at how fast we can deliver what’s ordered, we came up with this system," said Akira Koyanagi, district manager for Genki, adding that it also cuts down on wasted food. All this high technology costs money, but sales at kaiten sushi restaurants have grown 20 percent over the past five years with the industry expected to rake in nearly $5.0 billion this year, according to research firm Fuji-Keizai Group.
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INDIA’S ALBATROSS
The Carrier Age is over For India it would have been far better to spend money on an effective submarine deterrent, or on surface ships armed with weapons capable of sinking a carrier, rather than build the new INS Vikrant, indigenous or otherwise. ANDREW JOSEF feedback@postnoon.com
O
n October 1, 1918, a Sopwith Ship Strutter biplane landed on the flat deck of the HMS Argus. It was an event that would signal the entry of the aircraft carrier into the bloody world of war. In World War II US aircraft carriers were locked in a titanic battle against their Japanese counterparts in the Pacific theatre. The Americans eventually prevailed not just due to the superior armour and construction of their ‘floating airports’, but also thanks to their effective use of dive bombers and radar. The aircraft carrier has long since ditched its diesel engines in favour of nuclear ones, and the aircraft that take flight from its decks are state-of-the-art weapons of war. It’s true that towards the later part of the last century carrier fleets, and the US’s in particular, provided the
Gone are the days when the USS Nimitz would strike fear into the heart of the enemy. Guerrilla warfare is the rule rather than the last resort. Fighting insurgencies with aircraft carriers is like using a shotgun to kill a mosquito… pointless. navy’s spine and delivered to its users the ability to strike hard and strike fast anywhere in the world. But the 21st Century would change all that. Gone are the days when the USS Nimitz and its assortment of lethal support ships would strike fear into the heart of the cowering enemy. The new enemy now works in small groups; guerrilla warfare is the rule rather than the last resort so effectively used by the Boers. Fighting insurgencies with aircraft carriers is like using a shotgun to kill a mosquito…pointless. So why all the hoopla about India’s ‘indigenous carrier’? Aircraft carriers are phenomenally expensive. It’s not just the carrier you have to think about,
HOW THE CARRIERS STACK UP AGAINST EACH OTHER Liaoning-class
Vikrant-class
Gerald R Ford-class
Country: China Displacement: 53,000 to 55,000 tonnes standard Length/Beam/Draft: 304.5m/75m/10.5m Speed: 32knots Endurance: 45 days Main aircraft: J-15
Country: India Displacement: 40,000 tonnes standard Length/Beam/Draft: 262m/60m/8.4m Speed: 28knots Range: 15,000kms Main aircraft: Mig 29-K (12), 8 HAL Tejas and 10 Kamov Ka-31 or Westland Sea King helicopters.
Country: USA Displacement: 101,600 tonnes standard Length/Beam/Draft: 337m/252m/39m Speed: 30+ knots Endurance: n/a Nos of aircraft: 75+
Queen Elizabeth-class Country: United Kingdom Displacement: 70,600 tonnes standard Length/Beam/Draft: 284m/39m/11m Speed: 25+ knots Endurance: n/a Main aircraft: F-35. It will be capable of carrying upto 50 fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
it’s the aircraft they carry, the support ships and submarines required to make sure she’s not hit by anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, or an enemy air attack. Now unless the Taliban has acquired Russian Sizzlers, and a
squadron of F-35s, you’re on a financial hiding to nothing. Aircraft carriers have become status symbols. The US still has use for them because they are still entrenched in quags far from home: Carriers allow
American might to reach out beyond oceans. For India, however, it would be far better to spend that money on an effective submarine fleet, or on surface ships armed with weapons capable of sinking a carrier.
So while the nation’s agog at the new INS Vikrant, it must also realise that in many ways it is a maritime folly, and one that will increasingly come to resemble an albatross around our navy’s neck.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
Business
CHINA TO BECOME BIGGEST NET OIL IMPORTER
China is set to overtake the United States as the world's largest net oil importer from October, according to US figures, due to a combination of rising Chinese demand and increased US production. China is already the biggest energy user in the world.
EXPANSION
Facebook to buy voice translation specialist firm The firm, Mobile Technologies, is best known for developing the Jibbigo mobile application for speech-to-speech language translation. NEW YORK CITY: Facebook has agreed to acquire Mobile Technologies, a firm specialising in voice translation software, the two companies said Monday, without providing financial details of the transaction. Founded in 2001, Mobile Technologies is best known for developing the Jibbigo mobile application for speech-tospeech language translation. “I’m excited to announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Mobile Technologies, a company with an amazing team that’s behind some of the world’s leading speech recognition and machine translation technology,” Facebook’s Product Management Director Tom Stocky wrote in an online posting.
“Voice technology has become an increasingly important way for people to navigate
mobile devices and the web, and this technology will help us evolve our products to match
that evolution.” In a separate statement, the smaller firm said it was “excited to announce that Facebook has agreed to acquire Mobile Technologies and that once the deal has closed many of us will be joining the company at their headquarters in Menlo Park, California.” Despite having over one billion monthly users, Facebook has struggled to climb out of the wreckage of its disastrous stock market debut more than a year ago. The social network has appeared to be on an upward trajectory, however, following an earnings report last month that showed a big jump in mobile advertising revenue and sent shares soaring more than 40 per cent.
GLOBAL CURRENCY
PayPal for cash-free future
SAN FRANCISCO: Online financial transactions titan PayPal says it is keen to collaborate with others as it strives for a cash-free future. “We are all about working with developers to let them take advantage of the heavy lifting we’ve done when it comes to moving money around the world,” Hill Ferguson, the company’s vice president of global product, told AFP. PayPal -- founded 15 years ago with a vision of becoming a global currency -- has also been working with stores in the
United States and abroad to let people pay for almost anything with Internet-Age digital wallets. The trend is proliferating around the globe, according to Ferguson. “People use their identities to represent themselves when they want to buy something, and merchants get easier ways to know who their customers are and focus on the personalized experiences,” he said. “We really see the future of money as being completely digital -- bringing the experience to
the front and the payment to the background,” he added. “Right now, it is just the opposite.” Ferguson spoke on the sidelines of San Francisco’s Outside
Lands Music and Arts Festival, where PayPal had quite a setup to tune people into the prospect of going cash-free. For one, a mock police force patrolled for “visible wallet bulge” as the crowd jammed to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and other acts in Golden Gate Park. “A music festival is a place where you shouldn’t have to carry cash and worry about your wallet,” Ferguson said. “That is the future of commerce, and we want to show that and share that with the rest of the world.” AFP
GOLD`28,906 10g SILVER `45,654 1kg
24C
for
for
DOLLAR `61.44 POUND `95.02
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THE SBI GESTURE
CR Sasi Kumar was appointed chief general manager of the Hyderabad circle of State Bank of India and took up his current role on Monday. During his inaugural speech he spoke about the escalated costs for good health care making it unreachable for the middle- and lower-income group people. Benefits of GMC are available to only few people employed in the organised sector. So State Bank of India has taken up a unique initiative of selling health insurance products “specifically designed for SBI customers”, he said. This product has many features that are better than those in the market, he promised.
NUMEROLOGY
`1,630
cr
Germany has committed as soft loan to state-run Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited.
HIGHEST INFLATION The rate of inflation in Germany, Europe's biggest economy, continued to climb in July to reach the highest level seen this year, final data showed on Tuesday. The cost of living rose 1.9 per cent this month on a 12month basis, up from 1.8 per cent in June, the federal statistics office Destatis said in a statement. The pick-up in the rate of inflation was driven primarily by rising food prices, Destatis said. Using the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), the European Central Bank's inflation yardstick, the rate of inflation in Germany was also measured at 1.9 per cent in July.
THUS SPAKE The Muslim traveller is probably the largest untapped market in the travel industry today. DANY BOLDUC, CRESCENTRATING CHIEF OFFICER
BSE NSE
19,102.53 158.86
5,661.20 48.40
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
Comment Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.
BEACON OF HOPE
AMINU ABUBAKAR Agence France-Presse
T
he Clasping his shaking hands, Malam Ahmad inspects the mangled iron beds and blown out walls of a school where dozens of students were massacred last month in north-eastern Nigeria. “We are still in shock from the horror of the attack,” Ahmad said as he guided an AFP reporter around the now deserted school, where he has taught English since it was established 13 years ago. Suspected members of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram stormed the secondary school in the farming village of Mamudo on July 6 in the middle of the night, opening fire and throwing explosives inside hostels. By the time the raid was finished, 41 students and one teacher were dead in yet another attack blamed on the insurgents being pursued by a military offensive. Local officials say they will not allow the attack to deter them from educating the school’s 3,000 students and the military claims the raid was a “desperate move” by insurgents. The massacre has however instilled deep fear and led to the temporary closure of all schools in Yobe state, where Mamudo is located, to review security. One student, 17-year-old Bello Sani, said “every night I cry myself to sleep” since the attack. On the night the insurgents arrived, he was sleeping in a classroom that the students transform into a hostel in the evenings.
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GIBRALTAR BOOMS AT TIP OF RECESSION-HIT SPAIN KATELL ABIVEN
Mother Teresa Nobel laureate
Massacre by insurgents haunts Nigerian village
HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS Finally there is something that unites politicians across party lines. The neta brotherhood usually shows such bonhomie only at the time of passing fat salary hikes and perks for themselves. By sparing political parties and politicians, the nucleus of all corruption, we are killing the RTI Act.
Agence France Presse
W
ith robust growth and nearly no unemployment, the tiny British outpost of Gibraltar on Spain’s southern tip is a bubble of prosperity that contrasts with the economic malaise engulfing its neighbour. “The UK and Spain both face sluggish growth for many years to come and it feels at times that Gibraltar is stuck in an economic time warp,” the Gibraltar chamber of commerce said in its annual report. Gibraltar — whose British sovereignty Spain disputes — saw its gross domestic product (GDP) expand by 7.8 per cent last year to 1.2 billion pounds. By contrast Britain posted sluggish growth of 0.2 per cent while Spain’s economy shrank by 1.4 per cent as it continued to reel from the collapse of a property bubble in 2008. “The international economic crisis seems hardly to have affected Gibraltar,” said Gibraltar government spokesman Stuart Green. The internally self-governing British overseas territory, measuring just 6.8 square kilometres (2.6 square miles) and
home to about 30,000 people, has one of the highest GDP per capita ratios in the world. Its unemployment rate stands at just 2.5 per cent while in Spain it is more than ten times higher at 26.3 per cent — and in the region of Andalucia adjacent to the British outpost it is 35.8 per cent. Roughly 10,000 Spaniards cross the border into Gibraltar to work every day and they now find themselves caught up in a diplomatic row over the disputed waters around the territory. Spain at the end of July tightened its vehicle checks at its border with Gibraltar — causing tailbacks of several hours — after Gibraltar dropped 70 concrete blocks into the waters off its coast with the aim of creating an artificial reef. The row over the reef follows long-standing tensions over the fiscal policies that have fuelled Gibraltar’s economic success, with Madrid accusing the territory of being a tax haven that allows Spanish firms to avoid paying taxes. ‘We are clearly not a tax haven’ Gibraltar has no sales tax and in January 2011 it abolished its “exempt status tax regime” under which some companies avoided taxes and replaced it with a single 10 per cent levy, far lower than Spain’s rate of 30 per cent. The territory’s favourable
tax policies have helped build up its banking and financial services sector, which along with tourism and its port accounts for 25-30 per cent of its GDP. The online gambling sector accounts for about 15 per cent of GDP. “I have studied the Gibraltar economy for the past 35 years and I have seen it grow from an economy that provided support to Britain’s Ministry of Defence and was very much a blue collar economy into an economy with a high proportion of well qualified professionals,” said John Fletcher, a professor at Britain’s Bournemouth University. Britain has sharply reduced its military presence in Gibraltar and it now accounts for just 6.0 per cent of the local economy,
down from 60 per cent in the early 1980s. “Gibraltar’s taxes on the financial system attract money, so even it is not a tax haven it looks like one,” said Pedro Aznar, a professor at Spain’s ESADE business school. There are about 18,000 companies officially registered in Gibraltar, known as “the Rock”, which enjoy its low tax rates. Gibraltar’s tax advantages are unfair competition for Spain, said Jesus Lizcano, the head of the Spanish branch of anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International. “It is not very favourable since it is close to Spain and can channel certain business and investments,” he said.
EDITORIALS Politicians stay united in bugling over T Vikrant launch brings cheer
T
wo APSRTC employees of the Khamman depot in Telangana region have been honoured by staff of Bhimavaram, which falls in Seemandhra, as a protest against the separate-states move. APSRTC, the State-owned road transport corporation with the largest fleet in the world, like most governmental bodies has been notorious for unionism activities that could be perceived as self-centred ones detrimental to the interest of the public it has been instituted to serve. So this act of bonhomie comes as a breath of fresh air, and a powerful one at that. When the BJP lead campaigner for the coming General elections Narendra Modi emphatically declared that separate statehood to Telangana was the top priority of the party in the region, it received a muted response from the large gathering, which otherwise responded vociferously to most other things he said. It is increasingly becoming evident that the bifurcation of AP is more of the politician’s making than citizens’ demand. With the voice for division getting mutter by the day, politicians across the party line are cutting a sorry figure.
READERS’ VIEWS
B
eing the largest peninsula in the world makes the Indian Navy a very important defence establishment, especially because of its hostile neighbours. The launch of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant not only catapults the country to an elite club of nations that can boast of capacity to design and build 40,000-tonne aircraft carriers, it also saves the country huge foreign exchange during the troubled times of a dipping national currency, and something to cheer over.
We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222. Editor: Dean Williams
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
workplace SETLLING IN
Back from a break. What next?
The feeling is much like the first day of school after summer vacations. But with thoughts about bills, investments and a steady source of income haunting you, one cannot but be ready for the next innings. We ask people how to get back to work after a sabbatical. FLEME VARKEY fleme.v@postnoon.com
“T
hat’s a wrong question to ask,” says Rebecca Daniels, a 28year-old, communications manager at an international NGO. “Ask how to cope. That’s how I felt when I left my job for a two-month break. I wanted to attend this course in Art of Living, it was the only way I could do it. The break was a complete cut-off from pushy managers, clingy clients, useless emails and lots of paperwork. I make it sound so horrid, but after the break when I landed up at work, I was flummoxed. I felt I was working for the first time. The daily routines had changed and quite a number of new faces were there at work. My comfort zone had vanished, the boss was quite demanding and I felt I
could not just handle the sudden busy schedule. The first two weeks were terrible. I was slowly getting used to the pace again and in the process realised how much I had missed out on.” So how much does one miss out on? “A lot.” Says Kapil Awasthi, a former software engineer. Kapil had gone on a month’s leave to pursue a course in photography. When he returned to work, he got the feeling that he was no longer ready for a full-time job. “The workload seemed exhausting on the first day after the break. New functions had been put into place, plenty of changes had taken place in my work and since I was out of touch, it seemed all a chore to me. That’s when I decided it was better to pursue my passion than stick around and feel at sea,” he explains. Employees know what it's like to come back after a relaxing and enjoyable time off the job and leaving the job is not an option that most us can afford to use. You might ask what the fuss is all about but getting back to work after a vacation or other leaves like
Tips on how to get back to work Rework that resume The resume needs to be written differently. It should include a strong statement of objective, saying the candidate is serious about making a long-term impact in the job. Do something productive Don’t waste that break, if you have nothing planned then keep yourself involved in something creative. This way you will not be rusty and will have a reasonable explanation on the resume. Don’t lose touch Experts say people should continue to network and keep their options open. Have a flexible schedule Make sure you plan your day at home also. You might need to put in longer hours at work. So the schedule should be flexible.
maternity or a family emergency can actually be difficult. Human resources experts identify this as one of the challenges of the average job role. Sheetal Kaur, an HR executive with a multi-national talent sourcing company says, “After vacation blues is almost like having withdrawal symptoms for an alcoholic or a chain smoker. But then things like keeping in touch with colleagues about work progress, planning a day ahead for the first day etc…can help ease the depression. In the long run one will need to be extra efficient and try to take on work, so that it does not seem to others that you are slacking. Most importantly tackle the barrage of emails in the inbox. Getting such clutter out of the way, will help you get back into the groove. You will also learn what you have missed out, make a check-list of what all needs your attention. Few details like this might do the trick.” So essentially, make sure your vacations end a day before it ends. This way one can get into the normal routine and not feel swamped.
MID-YEAR REVIEW
Since most organisations, including my own, have completed mid-year reviews by this point in the summer, I asked members of Citi’s Connect: Professional Women’s Network to weigh in. Not only did a majority of respondents have a mid-year review but, of those who did, the vast majority (72%) it was extremely or somewhat valuable. So, what makes a mid-year conversation meaningful? According to Connect members, a mid-year is meaningful when it includes: n Both parties being “present” in the conversation and prepared for the conversation. n Two-way dialogue versus oneway “lecture” – with active listening and open minds by both parties. n Actionable feedforward, not just “vague” feedback. n A discussion that balances the tactical to navigate current obstacles, whether in the form of people or processes, with the aspirational to prepare for future career opportunities. n Alignment on what is expected and where the gaps are in terms of the “what” is to be accomplished or the “how” those goals and priorities should be achieved. If your organisation doesn’t hold formal mid-year reviews or if you didn’t find yours to be particularly insightful, set up a time to speak with your manager sooner rather than later, so you have the opportunity to course-correct before your year-end review. Be clear about what you want to achieve in that conversation and give your manager some “lead” time to prepare – don’t put a meeting on the calendar for later that same day. If there are specific behaviors you want to discuss, consider asking for feedback and feedforward from trusted colleagues, peers, clients and mentors in advance of meeting with your manager to use as a springboard for that discussion. The writer is Linda Descano Managing Director at Citi. This is a post found on linkedin.com
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
spotlight HAIR HIGHLIGHTS
GET TRENDY
Mirrors Salons & Academy showcased its trend collection for the season at a star-studded event recently. Organised in association with hair colour brand Schwarzkopf Professional, the event was graced by popular actress Sanjana, Maheshwari, Pink and TV actress Vidya. 2
1
FOR A LOT MORE TALK
Allu Arjun inaugurated a mobile showroom at Ameerpet on Monday. A crwod had gathered as soon as they knew their favourite star was there. N SHIVA KUMAR
3
IMPROVING HEALTH CARE IN THE CITY
Doctors explain the benefits of the Institute of Digestive Diseases (MANKInDD)-A first of its kind-Day Care Surgery Centre dedicated to Gastro Intestinal and Digestive Diseases
1 Sanjana 2
Chandu, Dr Vijayalakshmi, Director, Mirrors Salaon and Academy and RP Patnaik
3 Pinky, Madhavi, Vidya
WEDDING BELLS:
The wedding ceremony of Dr Kulsum Mirza, with Dr Faheem Mohiuddin Khan took place at the Banjara Function Hall on Sunday. The guests were also treated to a performance by the the famous Warsi Brothers.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
health
HIGH CIGARETTE TAX ALSO MAKES PEOPLE DRINK LESS A rise in cigarette tax can obviously lead to lower tobacco consumption, but a recent study in the US says higher cigarette tax can also lead to less alcohol consumption among smokers. Young adult smokers in states with high cigarette taxes skipped nearly one-quarter of their binge drinking per year than others.
DON’T POP THAT PILL
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AN OVERDOSE OF ANTIBIOTICS The biggest problem with using antibiotics when they’re not needed is the development of antibiotic resistance. POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
W
hen prescribing antibiotics, American doctors choose the most powerful drugs more than 60 per cent of the time, a new study finds. But more than 25 per cent of the prescriptions for these “broad-spectrum”
antibiotics — which are capable of killing multiple types of bacteria — are useless because the infection is caused by a virus, which cannot be treated with antibiotics, the researchers said. The investigators analyzed data from more than 2,38,000 ambulatory visits made by patients 18 and older to doctors, outpatient clinics and emergency
rooms in the United States between 2007 and 2009. They found that broad-spectrum drugs accounted for 61 per cent of antibiotic prescriptions, while narrow-spectrum drugs accounted for the other 39 per cent. Based on that sample, the researchers estimated that antibiotics were prescribed in about 101 million visits nationwide
each year during the study period, including 62 million in which broad-spectrum antibiotics were prescribed and 39 million in which narrow-spectrum antibiotics were prescribed. The study was published July 29 in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. Although this study focused on adult ambulatory care visits,
the prescription pattern for children is similar, said author Dr. Adam Hersh, an infectious-disease expert and assistant professor of paediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine. “Many antibiotics prescribed for children are unnecessary, particularly for conditions caused by viruses, where antibiotics don’t help at all,” he said in a university news release. “Even when an antibiotic is indicated, such as for strep throat or some ear infection, physicians often prescribe an antibiotic such as a Z-Pak, which can be less effective than amoxicillin.” Antibiotic overuse among children and adults is a serious problem and a threat to everyone’s health, said study coauthor Dr Lauri Hicks, a medical epidemiologist at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of California, San Francisco. “The biggest problem with using antibiotics when they’re not needed is the development of antibiotic resistance, which is when bacteria survive by outsmarting the antibiotic,” she said in the news release. “Common infections become difficult to treat, and when you really need an antibiotic, it may not work.” Hersh urged patients to play a role by asking their doctor if they really need the antibiotic WEBMD.COM
ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF
HOUSECALL
DID YOU KNOW?
PIONEERS
Beeminder
Atrial Flutter
Your tiny passengers
Charles Richard Drew
If you’re the type who can’t stick to your resolutions, Beeminder is the app for you. It charges you actual money every time you fail to stick to your plan — be it losing weight, exercising more, saving more money, writing frequently or eating more veggies. So the next time you think you’re going to ditch your diet, think of the bee!
In atrial flutter, your heart's upper chambers (atria) beat too quickly. Atrial flutter is a type of heart rhythm disorder (arrhythmia) caused by problems in your heart's electrical system. Doctors trained in heart conditions (cardiologists), heart rhythm disorders (electrophysiologists), heart surgery (cardiovascular surgeons) and other doctors collaborate to develop the most appropriate treatment plan for your condition. MAYOCLINIC.ORG
The skin of the armpits can harbour up to 516,000 bacteria per square inch, while drier areas, such as the forearm, have only about 13,000 bacteria per square inch. The human microbiome is the aggregate of microorganisms that resides on the surface, in saliva and oral mucosa, in conjunctiva, and in gastrointestinal tracts.
He was an American physician, surgeon, and medical researcher. He researched in the field of blood transfusions, developing improved techniques for blood storage, and applied his expert knowledge to developing large-scale blood banks early in World War II. This allowed medics to save thousands of lives of the Allied forces. Drew protested against the practice of racial segregation in the donation of blood. WIKIPEDIA.ORG
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
Technology ONLINE GAMBLING
YOU BETCHA! Online gambling has become huge ofconveniance late. We give conveniance you the who, what, when, where and why on this digital money-spinner.
Watch out world: Here’s a smartphone from N Korea!
ONLINE GAMBLING ODDS Why do people gamble online? 24%
24%
48%
Convenience
More comfort
Excitement
9%
6%
able to win money
privacy
Europe has the biggest online gambling market in the world, accounting for no less than
$12,000,000,000 TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY THE BEST
THE WORST Michael Jordan
Tobey Maguire
reportedly lost $1 million on a single game of golf.
won $300K from a Beverly Hills Hedge fund manager.
John Daly Alex Rodriguez Has been known to be involved in Texas Hold'em games that cost $40,000 to buy-in.
Dicaprio, Damon, Afleck Played with Maguire in No-limit hold'em Games with a $100,000 buy-in.
has been reported to have gambled away between $50 million and $60 million.
FUN FACT if it was legalised in the US, online poker could generate over
$2 BILLION
in tax revenue each year and create an estimated
10,000
tech jobs.
SEOUL: North Korea, one of the most isolated and censored societies on the planet, has unveiled what it says is a domestically-produced smartphone. Industry analysts say the "Arirang", built around Google's Android OS, is likely manufactured in neighbouring China, however. The existence of the phone, named after a famous Korean folk song, came to light during a factory inspection by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at the weekend. During the tour, Kim was given a detailed briefing on the "performance, quality and packing of the Arirang hand phone," Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency reported. Some analysts suggest the "Arirang" is aimed at getting North Koreans to use an officially-approved phone that can be properly monitored. While Internet access is virtually non-existent in North Korea, which comes bottom of any media freedom survey, the country is not a complete IT desert. Cell phones were introduced in 2008 through a joint venture with the Egyptian telecom firm Orascom, which says there are now two million users in North Korea. A domestic Intranet was launched in 2002 and some state bodies have their own websites. It is a natural progression for an impoverished country desperate for investment, but in North Korea the economic imperative is always weighed against the potential for social disruption.
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
Entertainment CINE BYTES
Dil Raju about Yevadu release
P
roducer of Ram Charan Tej's upcoming movie Yevadu, Dil Raju has requested media not to speculate about the release date of Yevadu. He says he will stick to the decided time and release the movie then. Yevadu stars Ram Charan Tej, Shruti Haasan, Allu Arjun and Kajal.
Vijay’s request to Jayalalithaa
V
ijay's Thalaivaa released all around the world but not in his home state Tamil Nadu. He is seeking the assistance of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa for the same. “I request the Chief Minister, who has helped so many others, to intervene in the problems that Thalaivaa is facing and help us to get the film released across Tamil Nadu at the earliest,” he said.
‘I am not up for any more item numbers’
L
akshmi Rai might have sizzled in the recent hit Balupu but she says she is not keen taken any more item numbers. She says, "Money is not the criteria for me. I am very selective about my work. I did Balupu only because I was playing myself in the film."
BIG BREAK
NITHIN'S FILM TO ROLL FROM THIS MONTH
P
uri Jagannath's upcoming movie with Nithin as the lead will be rolling from August 30. The movie is titled Heart Attack. Pre-production work of the movie is in full swing. Sources close to the project say that the movie will be a full-fledged romantic entertainer. Nithin is currently working on Courier Boy Kalyan. Puri Jagan is producing this film himself and shooting is expected to go on at a very fast pace. If the latest buzz is to be believed, Catherine Tresa will star opposite Nithin in Heart Attack. She was last seen in Chammak Challo and Iddarammayilatho.
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Entertainment TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
INTERVIEW
CINE BYTES
‘If not a singer, I would have been a music teacher’ Such is singer Shraddha Pandit’s passion for music. She speaks to Postnoon about her latest song Aiyo Ji from Satyagraha, slated to hit theatres next weekend. FLEME VARKEY fleme.v@postnoon.com
S
he charmed us first with her songs in Khamoshi. She was Class VI then, yet she managed to hold her own in front of stalwarts like Kavita Krishnamurthy. Her voice lent meaning and music to the lyrics of Majrooh Sultanpuri. This was one of her few most memorable performances. Slow and mellifluous songs are not her only claim to fame. With numbers like Jigar ka tukda (Ladies vs Ricky Bahl) and the theme song of Band Baaja Baraat in her kitty she proved that peppy, youthful songs are her forte as well. Down south amongst the numerous songs she has sung Pilla Neevalla (Denikaina Ready) with the famous Yuvan Shankar Raja in 2012. She is now back with Aiyo Ji (Satyagraha) picturised on Ajay Devgn and a foreign dancer in a bar. Her camaraderie with the film’s composers, SalimSulaiman, is evident when she says, “ I travel a lot with the two on their tours. They have always promoted me and so I was the first choice for this song as well. They knew I could modulate my voice, here I have tried singing in a very mature, folksy voice,” says Shraddha as she tells us how she bagged the peppy Rajasthani number. “Prasoon Joshi has penned some beautiful lyrics for Aiyo Ji. It’s a thumri basedsong made very contemporary by Salim-Sulaiman by using drums base instead of the tabla, harmonium and other instruments,” she adds. Her voice, in her own words, is versatile. A claim that none of us would dispute. Her filmography is proof enough for her range. “I believe my USP is my voice — it’s versatile. I can sing in a loud, full-throated manner to even delicate tones like the ones you find in a Lataji song. This is how I trained myself, this is how my grandfather and guru Pandit Pratap Narayan taught me. He taught me never to limit myself to any particular genre,” says the singer, who belongs to the fourth generation of the famous Mewati gharana. Hailing from a musical family, her growing up days were spent learning and listening to music. Prod her further and she concurs that the talk at the breakfast table is also about music. So if not a singer, what then? She answers, “I would have become a housewife. I am not up for a 9-5 job and even studies. My only interest was singing. On second thoughts, I would have become a music teacher.“ Shraddha’s sister Shweta Pandit is also a famous singer in the Bollywood industry, yet comparisons between them is something that is least of her concerns. In fact, she finds it a boon as together, she says, they are a powerhouse. Shraddha has worked with famous music directors from both the north and South, but new on her wishlist is her desire to work with Pritam. The best compliment she has received so far is from none other than the legend Lata Mangeshkar herself. “I was singing Allah tero naam at a concert which Lataji was attending. After the song, the organisers came and told me that Lataji had specifically said, ‘This girl sings really well’. I was 15-16 years-old at that time. This is something that I will cherish forever,” says the lyricist cum singer.
Theatre can't be compared with cinema
P
opular southern actress Madhoo, who is set to make her theatre debut, says one can't compare the medium with cinema because theatre is done for the joy of a performer, and not for money. Madhoo will debut with the stage adaption of The Verdict, which will be performed August 15 in Mumbai. IANS
Sonakshi was inspiring for Imran
A
ctor Imran Khan is very impressed with his Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara! co-star Sonakshi Sinha's professional attitude. "For the first time I have worked with Sonakshi, and I enjoyed working with her. She is very professional and a very punctual actress. Every day she reached the sets before time," Imran said . IANS
Sachiin Joshi might produce Remo’s film
A
ctor producer Sachiin Joshi says he might produce choreographer-director Remo D'Souza's new project. "There are a lot of interesting films coming my way and I am looking at few scripts which are different from others. I am in talks with few directors and if things fall in place, we may produce Remo D'Souza's next film. It's a wonderful script and it's a comedy," Sachiin told IANS.
Entertainment TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
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Entertainment TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
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Entertainment TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013 CINE BYTES
Kanye West wants lavish wedding
R
apper Kanye West wants to get married to girlfriend Kim Kardashian in style. “Kanye has never been married before and wants a big wedding, so Kim is slowly getting used to the idea. He wants something really cool and big and over the top. It won’t be cheesy though, there will be a real sense of design,” Us Weekly magazine quoted a source as saying. IANS
LOOKING BACK
TOM HIDDLESTON
reflects on his big Comic-Con entrance
Lea dedicates her award to Cory
I
n her first public appearance since boyfriend Cory Monteith’s July 13th death, Lea Michele thanked fans at Sunday night’s Teen Choice Awards for their love and support during “these very difficult past few weeks.” Accepting the award for her portrayal of Rachel Berry on Glee, she tearfully dedicated her win to Monteith.
Is JLo Simon Cowell’s secret messenger?
M
usic mogul Simon Cowell is reportedly taking Jennifer Lopez’s help to communicate with socialite Lauren Silverman, who is expecting his baby. Cowell has gone incognito after the news surfaced about his relationship with Lauren, who is still married to businessman Andrew Silverman. “She and Lauren have met at least twice. There have been quite a few phone calls between the two,” Sunday Express newspaper quoted a source.
T
om Hiddleston’s grand Hall H entrance at last month’s San Diego Comic-Con may have been a big moment for the fans, but it was arguably an even bigger one for the actor himself. “When I walked out, the noise was...I’ve never experienced anything like it,” Hiddleston told HitFix at Disney’s D23 Expo over the weekend. “It was like walking into a wall of sound. Like, it felt like a wave. You know when you’re swimming in the ocean, and an enormous wave washes over you, and you kind of stand up, and it breaks across your front or your back, and it’s bigger than you expected? It felt a bit like that. It felt like I was kind of...you know, I knew I was gonna be in the ocean, and then this kind of tidal wave of noise just hit me.” Although as Hiddleston tells it, it’s a moment that almost didn’t happen. “When I [spoke] my first line [‘humanity’], the microphone wasn’t actually on,” he recalled. “I remember saying, ‘humanity.’ And then it was like...that’s it, it’s all gonna go down. It’s not gonna work!”
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
Chai Time
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
History is more or less bunk. It's tradition. We don't want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker's dam is the history we made today. Henry Ford
KAKURO
QUICK CROSSWORD
26
SUDOKU How to play kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: ‘How do you play kakuro?’, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells — called a run — any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two — it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.
ACROSS
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
SCRIBBLING PAD
1 Young whale 5 Gab 9 Betrayer of Christ 14 A future one is judged on TV 15 Place for an ace? 16 Bolshoi Theatre offering 17 Baltic capital 18 Something ___ (extraordinary thing) 19 What are you driving at? 20 Muppet with quite an appetite 23 Place a value on 24 Outmoded 27 Ship's navigational route 31 Solitaire quorum 32 Use intense light on 35 Pants-maker Strauss 36 ___ forth (proposes) 37 Items on a modern dairy farm 40 ‘I'm ___ human’ 41 Tubers 42 Partner of ifs and buts 43 ‘Without further ___ ...’ 44 Like a tuxedo shirt 46 Drawing upon someone? 48 Repeat signs, in music 53 Insomniac's repast 57 What's hot 59 16-Across highlight 60 Bay ___ (San Francisco's locale) 61 Gate swinger 62 Float alternative 63 Some improvised singing 64 Chose (to) 65 It doesn't take long to process 66 Give an edge to?
DOWN
1 Word used to approximate dates 2 Tijuana ‘ta-ta’
3 Symbols on company letterheads 4 Snow unit 5 What Packers fans wear on their heads 6 Oscar-winner Celeste 7 Word with ‘ran’ 8 Ump chaser? 9 Push and shove 10 Took higher 11 Large dog bred for hunting 12 ‘Chances ___’ (Johnny Mathis hit) 13 Plaintive 21 American of Japanese birth 22 ___ the Hedgehog (Sega mascot) 25 Poker pot builders 26 Lass in a Hardy tale 28 Aquarium buildup 29 Assumption for the sake of argument 30 ‘Stop!’ to a sailor 32 Evans or Ronstadt 33 Ration 34 Limitless limit 36 Safety or rolling 37 Fortress barrier 38 Fishing line material 39 Hellish place 44 Encased, as peas 45 High-priced spread 47 Just a trace 49 Grind, as one's teeth 50 Drug agent, slangily 51 SpongeBob's home 52 Go rollerblading 54 Literary foot 55 He of the aging portrait 56 Handle of a sword 57 Despite that, informally 58 Critique harshly
Chai Time TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013 Thiruvaikumar
STAR POWER for 14-8-2013
27
As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Businessmen will be able to face competition and win it over. Artists will have a good time. Ups and downs are likely to remain but don’t worry as the situation will become stable soon. Travel and increased workload are likely for the employees.
STRIP TEASE AGNES
Important decisions need to be taken with caution and after due consultations. Expense for vehicle maintenance is likely to go up. Legal issues might bring you depression. Employees feel happy as they get the expected promotion or pay hike.
Friends in powerful position will extend help at the right time. You will look cheerful as tension and worries will end. Employees will have a favourable time as their promotion and hike will be approved. Change of home may get delayed.
Transfer is on the cards for employees. Children will understand and co-operate with you. Avoid hasty decisions in purchase of property. Some have a bright chance to go abroad. New efforts undertaken by businessmen will be successful.
Some are likely to undertake a jolly trip with family. All longpending wishes will get fulfilled. Employees might face the ire of superiors and more responsibilities will increase their work. Completing duties successfully will get them good recognition.
Though employees are overburdened, good sops will cheer them. Businessmen will find new customers. All your thoughts will take a shape and get implemented successfully. Good news about your daughter’s pregnancy will make you happy.
You fulfil long-pending wishes of your children. Sister’s marriage will be performed in a grand manner. A decision regarding ancestral property taken by you will bring the desired result. Women need to be patient in their worrying situation.
Pregnant women need to be careful. Expenses might increase due to blood relatives. Debt issues will be under control. You will purchase new electronic household gadgets which will make your spouse happy. Minor disappointments are likely.
Employees will be cheerful as their long-pending demands will be fulfilled by the management. Businessmen will have a favourable time and profits are likely to look up. Their staff will co-operate and remain more loyal to them.
TAROT READ
Sumaa Tekur
tarotreadhyd@gmail. com
ARIES:
GEMINI:
Four of Pentacles – You need more training in conducting group sessions and organising medium-sized to large groups of people. Read a book or attend a class.
LEO:
Page of Cups – If you have pets, they need care and attention. Take time out from work and other commitments to spend more time with the pets at home, or outside.
LIBRA:
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE
The Chariot – Your emotions are coloured by your past experiences. The challenge is to shake out of it and emerge thinking positive. Be open to change.
SAGITTARIUS:
The Moon – You are quite the giant when it comes to handling problems. You will be a role model for others looking for emotional balance.
TAURUS:
Page of Pentacles – You are shocked about the high fare for something, and wish it would be affordable. Find a creative way of finding a cheaper version.
CANCER:
Eight of Pentacles – You may come across as very sarcastic – something that people around you will not appreciate. They might not even see the humour in it.
VIRGO:
Eight of Cups – You will be surprised by a recommendation from a senior person in your industry. This person says a whole lot of nice things about you.
SCORPIO:
The Wheel of Fortune – Pay more attention to your diet. By exercising and sweating it out but eating wrong, you may be ruining your chances of losing weight.
CAPRICORN:
Two of Wands – You hear faint whispers of a gossip about you. It may or may not be true. Just concern yourself with your goals, and manage your time.
PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS
PISCES:
The Empress – You may be saying something but others may understand something else. Be clear and open about what you say. Don’t twist your words.
NUMBER GAME
– This is a great time to start on a physical exercise routine, if you already aren’t in one. Try something new. Join an aerobics class or dance class.
SCRABBLE
AQUARIUS: Ten of Swords
POOCH CAFE
Newlyweds can get ready to welcome their offspring soon. Mother’s health may be a cause for concern; take care of her. Employees need to be cordial with colleagues to avoid future problems. Politicians will gain an upper hand.
for 14-8-2013
Queen of Pentacles – You may be spending a lot of time talking on the mobile phone. It may be important, or it may just be gossip. Take frequent breaks.
NON SEQUITUR
Expense over children will increase. Those staying abroad are likely to come visiting. Litigations in ancestral property will end. Travel, tension and expenses are likely but only for a shorter period. Income through maternal relatives is likely.
SUDUKO
Changes and upward swing in your status is certain. Expenses and travel are likely to go up. Newlyweds can be cheerful as their offspring is about to arrive. Good news regarding son’s job will cheer you. Wishes will become reality now.
Boggle ITALY SPAIN POLAND FRANCE GERMANY Vol: 3, No 24 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211
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Entertainment TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
TOP RANKINGS
CINE BYTES AWARDS LIST
MOVIES Choice Movie: Action “Iron Man 3” Choice Movie Actor: Action Robert Downey, Jr., “Iron Man 3” Choice Movie Actress: Action Anne Hathaway, “The Dark Knight Rises” Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” Choice Movie Actor: SciFi/Fantasy Taylor Lautner, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” Choice Movie Actress: SciFi/Fantasy Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” Choice Movie: Drama “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” Choice Movie Actor: Drama Logan Lerman, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” Choice Movie Actress: Drama Emma Watson, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” Choice Movie: Comedy “Pitch Perfect” Choice Movie Actor: Comedy Skylar Astin, “Pitch Perfect” Choice Movie Actress: Comedy
Rebel Wilson, “Pitch Perfect” Choice Movie: Romance “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” Choice Movie Actor: Romance Robert Pattinson, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” Choice Movie Actress: Romance Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” Choice Movie Villain Adam DeVine, “Pitch Perfect” Choice Movie Scene Stealer Kellan Lutz, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” Choice Movie Breakout Star Nicholas Hoult, “Warm Bodies”
TELEVISION
Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Ian Somerhalder, “The Vampire Diaries” Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Nina Dobrev, “The Vampire Diaries” Choice TV Show: Action “NCIS: Los Angeles” Choice TV Actor: Action LL Cool J, “NCIS: Los Angeles” Choice TV Actress: Action Lucy Liu, “Elementary” Choice TV Show: Comedy “Glee” Choice TV Actor: Comedy Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory” Choice TV Actress: Comedy Lea Michele, “Glee” Choice TV Breakout Star Blake Jenner, “Glee” Choice TV Breakout Show “The Fosters”
Choice TV Show: Drama “Pretty Little Liars” Choice TV Actor: Drama Ian Harding, “Pretty Little Liars” Choice TV Actress: Drama Troian Bellisario, “Pretty Little Liars” Choice TV Show: Fantasy/Sci-Fi “The Vampire Diaries”
Choice Male Artist Justin Bieber Choice Female Artist Demi Lovato Choice Music Group One Direction Choice R&B Artist Bruno Mars Choice Hip-Hop/Rap Artist
MUSIC
FINAL TWILIGHT T MOVIE TOPS TEEN CHOICE AWARDS
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Choice Rock Group Paramore Choice Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Artist David Guetta Choice Male Country Artist Hunter Hayes Choice Female Country Artist Taylor Swift Choice Country Group Lady Antebellum Choice Country Song “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Taylor Swift Choice Single: Female Artist “Heart Attack,” Demi Lovato Choice Single: Male Artist “Beauty and a Beat,” Justin Bieber, featuring Nicki Minaj Choice Single: Group “Live While We’re Young,” One Direction Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song “Can’t Hold Us,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, featuring Ray Dalton Choice Rock Song “Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons Choice Love Song “Little Things,” One Direction Choice Music Breakout Artist Ed Sheeran Choice Music Breakout Group Emblem3
he Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 was the big winner at Sunday night’s Teen Choice Awards. The final movie in the five-film franchise won a total of seven awards, as voted on by fans, during the ceremony, which was broadcast on Fox.The movie won awards for best romance and best sci-fi/fantasy film. Star Kristen Stewart won two awards, while her co-stars Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kellan Lutz each won one.
Chris Brown plays charity basketball after seizure
J
ust two days after suffering a seizure, Chris Brown was healthy enough to play at a charity basketball game against the Lapd on Sunday. Brown suffered a seizure when working at Los Angeles recording studio, the Record Plant, on Friday. He was not hospitalised, and according to a statement issued later that night, the nonepileptic seizure was brought on by “intense fatigue and extreme emotional stress.”
South Korean star Lee Byung-Hun marries
T
op South Korean movie star Lee Byung-Hun, one of the best known faces of the Korean Wave of popular culture, married actress Lee Min-Jung on Saturday. The 43-year-old, who starred in last year’s blockbuster costume drama Masquerade, said it was “a dream come true” shortly before tying the knot with longtime girlfriend Lee.
Actress-singer Selena Gomez accepts Choice Break-up Song award for Come and Get It onstage during the Teen Choice Awards 2013 at Gibson Amphitheatre on August 11, 2013 in Universal City, California. KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES/AFP
sports
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Fraser-Pryce emulates Bolt
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce emulated her superstar compatriot Usain Bolt in reclaiming her world 100 metres title at the World Athletics Championships in front of another disappointing crowd. PIRATE IRWIN Agence France-Presse MOSCOW: Jamaican ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce emulated her superstar compatriot Usain Bolt in reclaiming her world 100 metres title at the World Athletics Championships on Monday in front of another disappointing crowd. The 26-year-old - like Bolt a two-time Olympic champion produced a stunning display to make up for her fourth place two years ago and add this title to the one she won in 2009 and repeat Bolt’s feat of Sunday in winning back the title. While she added another gold to her burgeoning collection, American David Oliver will
climb onto the top step of the podium for the first time after years of disappointment as he took the 110m hurdles title. However, it came at a cost as
The 26-year-old, like Bolt, produced a stunning display to make up for her fourth place two years ago and add this title to the one she won in 2009. his outstanding performance - he destroyed a world class field including defending champion Jason Richardson and Olympic champion and world recordholder Aries Merritt - had his
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce celebrates after winning the women’s 100 metres final at the 2013 IAAF World Championships on Monday. AFP/ADRIAN DENNIS
mum sobbing in the stands. There were tears of joy too from Britain’s Christine Ohuruogu, who produced one of her traditional late surges and a decisive dip on the line to regain the women’s 400m title she won in 2007 at the expense of defending champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana. Ohuruogu, who is the British team captain and had urged the team to ‘burn their ships’ in their efforts to win medals, was overcome with emotion at the medal ceremony. Her gold partly made up for the disappointment of taking silver at the Olympics in London last year which took place in the same area of the city where she lives. AFP
Ohuruogu stuns Montsho MOSCOW: Briton Christine Ohuruogu’s sharp dip at the line paid full dividends as she claimed the women’s 400m crown at the World Athletics Championships on Monday. The Briton, who won the 2007 worlds and took silver at the London Olympics after gold in Beijing, clocked a national record of 49.41sec in the one-lap race. But Botswana’s defending world champion Amantle Montsho had looked in prime position to finish atop the podium - until the final five Germany’s Raphael Holzdeppe competes during the men’s pole vault final at the 2013 IAAF World Championships at AFP/ANTONIN THUILLIER the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on Monday.
Holzdeppe rains on Lavillenie’s pole vault parade
MOSCOW: German tyro Raphael Holzdeppe rained on Renaud Lavillenie’s pole vault parade at the World Athletics Championships on Monday by claiming a shock gold ahead of the favoured Frenchman. The 23-year-old German, who also happens to be a bronze medallist at last year’s London Olympics where Lavillenie had won the gold medal, kept his nerve as Lavillenie had three attempts at 5.96 metres that would have ensured his continuation in the event. With each failed bid, the
crowd gasped, and on the third, Holzdeppe ripped off his singlet and headed to the crowd to search out his coach and family, the Frenchman left stricken on the mat. Holzdeppe was credited with victory on 5.89m on countback from Lavillenie. Another German, Olympic silver medallist Bjorn Otto, took bronze (5.82m). “Holzdeppe had a great competition, but I am not at my level. I wasn’t far off at 5.96m,” said Lavillenie, who has produced the best six marks in the world this
season, topped by his recent national outdoor record of 6.02m set in London, his last competition before heading to the worlds. “The title I had to win I got last year (in London) and no one will take that away from me.” The bronze medal for the 35year-old Otto ensured him a place in the record books as the oldest pole vault medallist in the history of the worlds, surpassing Ukrainian legend Sergey Bubka, who took gold in 1997 at the age of 33. AFP
metres. Easing up slightly, Montsho’s body had already moved into a more upright position as she slowed. Not so the experienced Briton, who came up with a savage dip to claim victory in a photo-finish. Russian Antonina Krivoshapka claimed bronze in 49.78sec. “It’s like a dream, it’s too much” said Ohuruogu. “I cannot believe it. After the race, I did not want to get too excited until I knew for sure that I won, until my name got out first. AFP
LIGHTNING BOLT
In this photo taken on Sunday, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt is seen running during the 100m final with a lightning streak in the background at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow. AFP/OLIVIER MORIN
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sports TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
US OPEN PREVIEW
CINCINNATI MASTERS
Defending title a new challenge: Murray Andy Murray admitted he does not know how he will perform in his US Open title defence, but he hopes for a solid showing at Cinci nnati.
CINCINNATI: Andy Murray (above) admitted Monday he doesn’t know how he’ll perform in his US Open title defence, but he hopes a solid showing in Cincinnati this week will help him prepare. The world number two from Scotland, who ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a Wimbledon men’s champion last month, said that despite winning two Grand Slams he faces a new chal-
GOLF
Lee sorry after rant LONDON: Lee Westwood has apologised for his foul-mouthed Twitter rant after he rounded on internet critics who slammed his performance in the final round of the US PGA Championship. Westwood carded a disappointing six-over-par 76, leaving him 13 shots behind winner Jason Dufner. He did not seem in the mood to take any criticism of his performance and career on Twitter, and when asked by one user to “learn how to putt”, he responded from his verified @WestwoodLee account by saying: “Will you get a life first”. Further tweets from the account included: “You minions need to live from the inside out rather than the outside in!!!!”, “Just sick of negative a******** sat behind a keyboard with a pitiful life mate !thats all!” AFP
lenge when defending the American title. “A lot of the pressure comes from yourself, how much you want to keep doing and how much you want to keep working,” Murray said. “I hope there’s still pressure there and I hope there’s still some expectation. There will be nerves and stuff. “It’s going to be a new experience for me, though, at the US Open. I’ve never defended a Grand Slam title
before, and hopefully I’ll deal with that OK.” The US Open begins on August 26. Murray meanwhile has another practice day in Cincinnati as he waits to face Mikhail Youzhny or Ernests Gulbis --the Latvian who beat him last week in the second round of the Montreal Masters. In first-round matches of the combined WTA and ATP Masters tournament in Cincinnati on Monday, German Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated former finalist Mardy Fish 7-5, 6-2 to set up a Tuesday night second-round match with five-time champion Roger Federer. Swiss great Federer, who will be playing on hardcourts for the first time since March, said he is over the back injury which bothered him on clay last month and is ready to bid for another Cincinnati crown. The omens are good, at least -Federer has a 7-0 record over his German friend Kohlschreiber. Spanish 13th seed Nicolas Almagro fell in a Masters first round for the second week in succession, going down to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (7/3), 64. Dimitrov fired 19 aces. AFP
Stosur slams Kuznetsova
CINCINNATI: Samantha Stosur (in pic) continued the rehabilitation of her hardcourt game with a 6-1, 7-5 first-round defeat of fellow Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Cincinnati WTA and ATP Masters on Monday. Stosur, who won the US Open in 2011, had seen a dip in form that dropped her out of the top 10 in the WTA world rankings. The 29-year-old, who also finished runner-up in 2010 at the French Open, had fallen in the third rounds of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. She began to make up ground with a hardcourt title eight days ago in Carlsbad, California, beating two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka. Stosur needed just 66 minutes to dispatch Russia’s Kuznetsova, ranked 29th in the world after several injury plagued seasons. Stosur broke three times while never facing a break point in the contest. The Aussie arrived in Cincinnati after exiting in the third round in Toronto last week to former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. AFP
INDIAN BADMINTON LEAGUE
India gears up for million-dollar event KULDIP LAL Agence France-Presse NEW DELHI: Badminton takes a leap into the unknown on Wednesday, when a new franchise-based team event with innovative rules aimed at drawing bigger crowds opens in India. The million-dollar Indian Badminton League (IBL), trumpeted as the sport’s richest event, will be played over a fortnight between six city teams, using a more attacking style of play designed to excite the fans. But the event has suffered several blows even before the first shuttle has been hit, with Malaysian superstar Lee Chong Wei, the league’s top draw and the world number one, under an injury cloud. The standard two-point gap to win a game has been abandoned in favour of a race to 21 points for the first two games and 11 points for the decider, if
needed. There will also be a minute’s commercial break after the seventh and 14th points in the first two games and after the sixth point in the decider. “The IBL is definitely the best thing to happen to Indian badminton,” Indian great Prakash Padukone said. “Badminton has not seen
this kind of money before,” the former All-England champion said. “It will add to the popularity of the sport, besides bringing in more money for the players. A lot would, however, depend on the success of the inaugural event.” The success of popular franchised-based Twenty20 cricket
competitions around the world have also inspired copy-cat events in hockey, golf, football and tennis. Badminton teams, owned by businesses and individuals, forked out thousands of dollars at an auction last month to buy players from India and around the world for the league. Each team, comprising four foreign players, six Indians and one upcoming Indian junior, will play on a home-and-away basis in the preliminary league, with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals. All ties, including the August 31 final in Mumbai, will have five matches -- two men’s singles, and one each in women’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles. “Matches will become more competitive and open with these new rules,” said former Indian coach Vimal Kumar. “They will help those who have an attacking game.” AFP
URN
IT
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
31
ASHES 2013
‘Broad’side sinks Aussies JULIAN GUYER Agence France-Presse
England’s Stuart Broad celebrates after taking the last Australian wicket to help his side win the fourth Ashes Test at the Durham cricket ground in Durham, north-east England, on Monday. England won the fourth Test against Australia at Chester-le-Street by 74 runs with more than a day to spare. AFP/ANDREW YATES
CHESTER-LE-STREET: Stuart Broad bowled England to a stunning 74-run fourth Test win over Australia with more than a day to spare as they took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series. Australia, set 299 to win on Monday’s fourth day at Chester-le-Street, were wellplaced at 168 for two but slumped to 224 all out as paceman Broad took six wickets for 50 runs for a Testbest match haul of 11 for 121. The victory meant England, who had already retained the Ashes, had won three successive Test series against Australia for the first time since the 1950s. Australia, looking for their first win in eight Tests, lost five wickets for 13 runs as 168 for two was transformed into 181 for seven. Man-of-the-match Broad, who had taken five firstinnings wickets, enjoyed a purple patch of six wickets for 20 runs in 45 balls, with Tim Bresnan taking two for eight in 24. At tea, Australia were 120
Broad smiles grace Britain’s front-pages LONDON: (AFP) The grinning face of England’s golden boy Stuart Broad (left) adorned Britain’s front pages on Tuesday after his devastating spell of fast bowling secured Ashes glory for his team. Broad’s spell of six wickets for 20 runs in 45 balls ripped the heart out of an Australian batting line-up that was, at tea, looking well set to reach the improbable 299 run target set by England. The Sun celebrated his exploits with the headline “Stuperhero", the Daily Mail with “Stupendous!" while the Daily Telegraph splashed “Brilliant Broad” across its back page. The Times headline declared “Australia hit for six by Broad” and the Guardian said England was “on top of the world". England had already retained the Ashes after drawing the third Test in Manchester, but victory at Chester-le-Street put them 3-0 up with one game to play and ensured a series victory. AFP
for one before nine wickets fell in a sensational final session. “I was glad I could contribute," said Broad at the presentation ceremony. “The wicket suited my style of bowling and I found a slightly fuller length," added Broad, the son of Ashes-winning former England batsman Chris. England captain Alastair Cook was stunned by the turn of events. “At tea we still had a lot of wickets to get. I didn’t expect us to be stood here at 8pm (1900GMT) having won the Ashes." A bowler who can blow hot and cold, Broad at his best is as tough to face as anyone currently in world cricket and Cook added: “Stuart Broad was incredible — he bowled some jaffas (unplayable deliveries) out there. “When he clicks he’s got everything — pace, movement and control. When those three click it is hard to face." David Warner and fellow left-hander Chris Rogers gave Australia a solid platform with an opening stand
of 109 before first-innings century-maker Rogers edged off-spinner Graeme Swann to Jonathan Trott at slip on 49. And from then on it was largely one-way traffic with Australia captain Michael Clarke saddened his side’s batsmen couldn’t back up the efforts of fast bowler Ryan Harris, who earlier Monday took a Test-best seven for 117. “We got outplayed, Stuart Broad bowled a couple of outstanding spells and as soon as we lost Chris Rogers we found it difficult," Clarke said. “We’ve got to play better than that — Chris and Davey (Warner) played exceptionally well but we couldn’t get over the line. “Our bowlers have done a fantastic job throughout this series, Ryan Harris was outstanding and I feel really disappointed that I’ve let him down." Warner, who missed the first two Tests of the series, both of which Australia lost, after being banned for punching home batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar in June, looked in fine touch while making a 74-ball half-century that included a six off Swann.
Scorecard England 1st Innings 238 Australia 1st Innings 270 England 2nd Innings (overnight: 234-5) A. Cook c Haddin b Harris 22 J. Root b Harris 2 J. Trott c Haddin b Harris 23 K. Pietersen c Rogers b Lyon 44 I. Bell b Harris 113 J. Bairstow c Haddin b Lyon 28 T. Bresnan c and b Harris 45 M. Prior b Harris 0 S. Broad c Smith b Harris 13 G. Swann not out 30 J. Anderson c Haddin b Lyon 0 Extras (b4, lb5, w1) 10 Total (all out, 95.1 overs, 420 mins) 330 Bowling: Harris 28-2-117-7; Bird 20.36-67-0; Watson 6.3-1-22-0; Siddle 174-59-0 (1w); Lyon 22.1-3-55-3; Smith 10-1-0 Australia 2nd Innings (target: 299) C. Rogers c Trott b Swann 49 D. Warner c Prior b Bresnan 71 U. Khawaja lbw b Swann 21 M. Clarke b Broad 21 S. Smith b Broad 2 S. Watson lbw b Bresnan 2 B. Haddin lbw b Broad 4 P. Siddle c Anderson b Broad 23 R. Harris lbw b Broad 11 N. Lyon b Broad 8 J. Bird not out 1 Extras (b6, lb5) 11 Total (all out, 68.3 overs, 290 mins) 224 Bowling: Anderson 16-1-73-0; Broad 18.3-3-50-6; Bresnan 13-2-36-2; Swann 18-6-53-2; Root 3-2-1-0
Clarke wants better batting CHESTER-LE-STREET: Australia captain Michael Clarke (in pic) said his batsmen, including himself, had to get more runs if they were to turn the Ashes tide on home soil later this year. Current hosts England, who’d already retained the Ashes, took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series with a dramatic 74-run win in the fourth Test at Chester-le-Street on Monday. Australia, set 299 for victory, were well-placed at 120 for one at tea on the fourth day after openers Chris Rogers (49) and David Warner (71) had shared a stand of 109. That made their subsequent collapse to 224 all out all the more painful, with England paceman Stuart Broad turning things around with six wickets for 50 runs on his way to a Test-best match haul of 11 for 121. “I want our batters to get more runs. I’d like our batting to be stronger," Clarke said. “Our bowlers are doing a fantastic job — I don’t think we are making enough runs it’s as simple as that." Clarke, who made a superb 187 in the drawn third Test at Old Trafford, included himself in the criticism after
Aussie media slam ‘shameful’ batting collapse
managing just 27 runs in total at Chester-le-Street. “I am part of the batting unit — I am not different to any other batter in that order — my job is first and foremost to score runs and I only made 27 in this Test and that’s unacceptable," said Clarke, clean bowled Monday by a brilliant Broad delivery that clipped the top of off stump. Australia have now gone eight Tests without a win, a sequence they
SYDNEY: Australia’s media on Tuesday labelled as “humiliating” the dramatic batting collapse that cost the country a chance to win the fourth Ashes Test. Set 299 to win, Australia were well-placed at 168 for two but crashed to 224 all out, with Stuart Broad ripping through the middle order on his way to taking six wickets for 50. “Noone does shameful collapses quite like Australia and Michael Clarke’s side conjured up one to remember, or rather to forget, at Durham,”said cricket writer Wayne Smith. AFP
will try to end in the final match of this series at The Oval in south London starting on August 21. One consolation for Clarke’s men is that they won’t have long to wait for a chance to prize the urn away from England, with the next Ashes campaign starting in Australia in November. AFP
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013
sports
PRESSURE ON RECALLED IVORY COAST STAR DROGBA
There is a lot riding on the midweek New York friendly between Ivory Coast and Mexico for veteran Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba. The 35year-old was cast into the international wilderness after another Africa Cup of Nations campaign went horribly wrong last February.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
32
Dawn of the post-Ferguson era For the first time since 1986, Manchester United have a new man in the dug-out, with Moyes stepping in for Ferguson. TOM WILLIAMS Agence France-Presse LONDON: After a close season of unprecedented upheaval in the English Premier League, the 2013-14 campaign, starting on Saturday, looks set to be the most tightly-contested in recent memory. For the first time since November 1986, defending champions Manchester United have a new man in the dug-out, with David Moyes stepping in after the retirement of the legendary Alex Ferguson (in pic). Manchester City, champions in 2012, also have a new manager
INJURY WOES
Spurs star Bale to miss Wales friendly
LONDON: Tottenham’s Gareth Bale (above) has been ruled out of Wales’ friendly against the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday. Bale was only able to train on his own on Monday rather than join his Wales team-mates in their session and will not be risked for the clash in Cardiff as he recovers from a foot injury. He has been widely linked with a world record transfer to Real Madrid. Bale was understood to be concerned at doing further damage to his foot with the move potentially on the horizon, and he would not be part of Wales manager Chris Coleman’s plans. Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas had already said he did not expect Bale to be fit for the north London club’s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on Sunday. AFP
in the form of Manuel Pellegrini, while the most headline-grabbing appointment of the summer saw Jose Mourinho sweep back into Chelsea after six years away. In total, there have been five managerial changes, and with a new £5.5 billion ($8.5 billion, 6.4 billion euros) television rights deal kicking in, England’s elite clubs have been splashing the cash as rarely before. United romped home 11 points clear of City last season, but their aura has faded in the wake of Ferguson’s abrupt exit, and Moyes faces a challenge to prove himself a worthy successor. The champions’ pre-season
has been dogged by speculation about the future of striker Wayne Rooney, the subject of two failed bids from Chelsea, while the pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas came to nothing. Moyes faces a taxing start, with games against Chelsea, Liverpool and City awaiting in the first six weeks of the season, and he is well aware of the threat to United’s 20-year dominance amid the current state of flux. “There are new managers coming into clubs, so things can change," Moyes told journalists on United’s tour of Australia. “I think the Premier League is going to be a little bit more
unpredictable than it’s been in the past. "(Arsenal’s) Arsene Wenger is now the longest serving manager in the league and there is the chance that this could be a different kind of year."
United have failed to make inroads in the transfer market, with Guillermo Varela their only signing to date, but City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have all strengthened. AFP
City spree sends warning to title rivals LONDON: While Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have all struggled to land their top transfer targets, Manchester City have laid down a significant marker to their title rivals with a £90 million spending spree. City’s Abu Dhabi-based owners have never been shy about splashing the cash, but the arrival of new manager Manuel Pellegrini and the perceived weakness of their rivals has given Sheikh Mansour an
extra incentive to flex his financial muscles. After surrendering the Premier League to United in tame fashion and then suffering the indignity of losing to Wigan in the FA Cup final, City’s hierarchy were quick to dismiss the unpopular Roberto Mancini before hiring Chilean coach Pellegrini with the promise of major investment. Pellegrini’s bosses have been as good as their word,
with Jesus Navas, Stevan Jovetic, Alvaro Negredo and Fernandinho all arriving at Eastlands in a matter of weeks. Navas, a fleet-footed Spain winger, cost £15 million ($23 million, 17 million euros) from Sevilla and should add more penetration from midfield. Montenegro forward Jovetic, who cost £22 million ($34.8 million, 25.5 million euros) from Fiorentina, is expected to bring invention and a killer instinct to the for-
ward line. He will be partnered at times by Negredo, a £20.6 million ($31.8 million, 23.9 million euros)signing from Sevilla who has been dubbed ‘the beast’ due to his imposing physical style. Pellegrini’s first signing was his most expensive to date as Fernandinho, a powerful Brazil midfielder, joined from Shakhtar Donetsk for £30 million ($46 million, 34 million euros). AFP
FRIENDLIES
Rooney centre-stage in friendly LONDON: England manager Roy Hodgson will hope his side can banish the Wayne Rooney (right) transfer sideshow from the sports pages by beating their oldest rivals Scotland in Wednesday’s friendly at Wembley. The build-up to the game has been dominated by speculation about the Manchester United striker, whose club manager David Moyes lost his patience when quizzed about Rooney’s future by reporters after Sunday’s Community Shield. The subject of two unsuc-
cessful bids from Chelsea, Rooney has not played in any of United’s pre-season games due to hamstring and shoulder injuries, but Hodgson says he is “physically fit” to face the Scots. Given his lack of match fitness, it seems unlikely that the 27-year-old will be able to manage much more than a cameo, and Hodgson must also show care with some of his other firstteam stars. Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshere and Steven Gerrard are all returning after injury, and with the Premier League season
beginning on Saturday, avoiding further injuries will be a key consideration. Wilshere has made just one England start since 2011, brilliantly marshalling the midfield in England’s 2-1 defeat of Brazil in February, and Hodgson is delighted to have the Arsenal man at his disposal again. “I am really pleased he is back with us because he is a precocious talent," said Hodgson. “His game against Brazil, where he got the man-of-the-match award, still lives long in the memory.” AFP