Epaper 15 june 2013 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

MANAGEMENT HELPLESS EX-STUDENTS ENTER WITH FAKE IDS

smania University has been at the forefront ever since the T-agitation began once again in 2009. It’s a known fact that any agitation for Telangana sees maximum participation from OU students. But outsiders posing as students from OU have been taking part too. The Chalo Assembly protest at OU saw a large number of outsiders posing as students and entering the campus. Police have barricaded the campus and are verifying the ID cards. PG 4

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

WEATHER: CLOUDY WITH RAIN, AT TIMES HEAVY; 22°C

Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

JUNE 15, 2013 HYDERABAD

HYDERABAD FOUND TO BE WORST OFFENDER AMONG METROS, WHEN IT COMES TO ELDER ABUSE

32 PAGES

ON SATURDAY

Hyderabad tops the charts when it comes to elder abuse in Indian metros, shows the HelpAge Elder Abuse in India 2013 study. Majority of respondents identified the daughter-in-law as the primary perpetrator of abuse, followed closely by the son.

A CITY SHAMED! REPORT ON PG 5

PAGE TWO SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Spa workshop Facilities like hydrafacial and gelration will be offer. Where: The Spa at Park Hyatt Hyderabad When: June 15, 3.30 pm to 5 pm Contact: 77022 02555

Beer & biriyani Barish Beer Biryani festival is on. Where: Aditya Sarovar Premiere, Gachibowli When: Till June 16, 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm

Reel drama Sutradhar presents Biryani Aur Haleem and adaptation of French play The Pie And The Tart. Where: Salarjung, Afzalgunj When: June 16, 7.30 pm

Father’s special Harley-Davidson presents Father's Day special brunch. Where: The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, Hitech City When: June 16, 12 pm to 4 pm

Rain and bandh brought the City to a standstill on Friday. A dog spotted on the deserted Assembly road. N SHIVA KUMAR

Lebanese Spread

Southern spice

It’s a week of authentic Lebanese delicacies at Seasonal Tastes. Where: Seasonal Tastes, Westin When: Till June 16, 12 pm to 3 pm Contact: 040 67676888

Southern meals ready will be held. Where: The Square, Novotel Hotel Convention Center, Kondapur When: June 17, 7 pm Contact: 6682-4422

Show time

Film making workshop

Nirnaya Women’s Fund, a non-profit organisation, is hosting a music concert by Bangalore based folkrock band Swarathma, as a fundraising gesture. Where: Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre When: June 15, 7.30 onwards

A workshop where participants will learn to develop ideas into a script. Where: Yavanika Films, Begumpet Contact: +919490100404

Freezing a moment Photography workshop by renowned photographer Siddharth Where: Kalpataru, Banjara Hills When: June 15, 16, 11 am Contact: 90005-81919

Rock walk A rock walk from Peddagutta to Jadcherla will be held. Where: NMDC, Masab Tank When: June 16, 8 am

Free lamaze session for expecting couples will be conducted. Where: The Birthplace, Banjara Hills When: June 15, 3 pm to 4.30 pm

Ceramic exhibition

Film appreciation

Surfacing, a ceramic exhibition by Akila Chungi will be held. Where: Opposite Golkonda Resorts and Spa, Gandipet. When: Saturday June 15, 5 pm to 9 pm, Sunday June 16, 4 pm to 9 pm

CINEMAS

Two together

Mime workshop Auditions for Natvarya and a mime workshop by Indian Mime Academy. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills When: June 15, 16, 11 am to 5 pm Contact: 82971-17515

Reflect and unwind about thrillers from world cinema. Where: Yavanika Films, Begumpet When: July 22 and 23, July 29 and July 30, 11 am to 7 pm

Big Cinemas, Ameerpet, 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills, 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally, 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills, 447677770, Prasads, Tank Bund Rd, 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta, 08800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur, 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad 27844973

CITY SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Labourer hangs self

CM tours Krishna district

labourer, M Laloo, a resident of Singareeni Colony of Saidabad, committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling on Friday. The 45-year-old was a habitual drinker and didn't want to work. He stayed home and demanded `100 from his wife, Laxmi, for alcohol. She scolded him and didn't give him any money. Soon after, he hanged himself.

Bike stolen in Secunderabad

M N Kiran Kumar Reddy will tour Krishna district today. During the day-long visit, he is scheduled to participate in a series of development programmes. Some of the development programmes include inauguration of polytechnic college complex, fisheries department building and hostel complex. He is also scheduled to launch the website of the college.

motorbike parked in the premises of a housing complex in Secunderabad was stolen by unidentified persons. The owner, Mohd Khan, 33, is a resident of Hasmathpet in Bowenpally. He works as a bill collector and had gone to the housing complex to collect bills on Friday. When he returned, he found his bike missing.

Student found dead B Srinivas allegedly committed suicide on the OU campus and left a note claiming he died for a separate T-state. His friends, however, have their suspicions. N SHIVA KUMAR

Pro-T parties slam KCR’s bandh call

The parties vehemently came down on the TRS and termed the call given by its chief as unilateral. Inkeshaf Ahmed

ahmed.m@postnoon.com

Mohd SUBHAN

mohd.s@postnoon.com

Srinivas, a student who recently completed his BTech, allegedly committed suicide early Saturday on Osmania University premis-

TWO SUICIDE NOTES, BOTH WRITTEN IN TELUGU, WERE RECOVERED FROM HIM. HOWEVER, HIS FRIENDS CLAIM HE DID NOT WRITE TELUGU WELL. es. He was found hanging from a tree near the law college around 6am by people who were out for a morning walk. They immediately informed the police. The deceased is from Amangal in Mahbubnagar district. He recently completed his BTech from Guru Nanak College and was staying in B1 hostel of Osmania University as a nonboarder for the past few months.

B Srinivas’s mother is inconsolable at Gandhi Hospital. Police sources said the 22-yearold was preparing for his Group One exams. According to details, Srinivas left his room late on Friday and took the extreme step. The police found two suicide notes in his pocket, both of which were written in Telugu. In the letters, he asked that his parents be taken care of properly after his death. He also mentioned that he was going to die for a separate Telangana state. However, his friends found his death suspicious. Srinivas

didn’t know Telugu properly as he had studied in an English medium school. He also did not write Telugu very well, they claimed. They also have some doubts about the handwriting. After his death, mild tension prevailed on the OU campus. Students got angry and gathered to protest his death. The police shifted his body to Gandhi mortuary and set up a massive bandobast. Srinivas’s parents have been informed and an investigation is underway.

he ongoing separate Telangana agitation seems to have encountered the first jolt in its threeand-half-year long struggle. The bandh call given by TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao following the preventive arrest of scores of party leaders including MLAs, led to a vertical division among the proTelangana parties. These include BJP, CPI and some other splinter pro-T groups. The parties vehemently came down on the TRS and termed the call given by its chief as unilateral. These parties have announced they were not extending support to the bandh call. “KCR did not participate in the Chalo Assembly programme. He was sitting in his farm house enjoying its luxuries while the other party leaders are sweating out by

daring the police lathis. How can he give the bandh call unilaterally? We will not participate in the bandh,” a furious BJP leader said. He felt that KCR should have consulted them before giving the bandh call. CPI floor leader in AP Assembly Gunda Mallesh also expressed similar feelings. “We have great respect for the TRS for its struggle to see the creation of separate Telangana state. But the bandh call given by the TRS chief is full of arrogance. He cannot take other pro-T political parties for granted,” he said. The division has come as a boon for the ruling Congress. It came down heavily on the TRS chief by alleging that the proTelangana parties have finally acknowledged the feudal nature of KCR. State government whip T Jayaprakash Reddy alleged that the pro-T parties have become fed up with the attitude of KCR as he was trying to dominate them.

CITY SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

M ANIL KUMAR

MANAGEMENT HELPLESS Ex-students enter with fake IDs ALEENA ALICE

aleena.t@postnoon.com

smania University has been in the forefront ever since T-agitation began once again in 2009. It’s a known fact any agitation for Telangana sees maximum participation from OU students. But outsiders posing as students from OU have been taking part too. The Chalo Assembly protest at OU saw maximum number of outsiders posing as students and entering the campus. Keeping in mind the violence that prevailed at the campus in the past, four days before the actual rally, police barricaded the entire campus premises and were allowing students to enter only if an ID card was produced. However, their efforts were

dodged after many non-students entered the university with false ID cards. Though the security checks were able to stop a few outsiders, most of them successfully entered the campus. Security personnel who were checking the ID cards say it was mostly ex-students of the university who tried to gain entry into the campus with their expired ID cards. Some even went to the extent of forging their old ID cards and colour photocopying it to reflect the present year. “We had barricaded the place — right from Arts College to NCC gate — and were allowing entry only if a valid ID card was produced. During the checks, we found some people trying to fool us with their old ID cards. They did not expect us to check the year of study. We even found some ID cards which were tampered at the year and it was evident that those people tried changing the validity of the ID card. Though we identi-

Agitators at OU are mostly outsiders with forged IDs and student leaders with political backing, sources say.

fied many, there were lots more who got their way in,” said S Krishna, one of the police security personnel deployed at the campus premises. The management is grappling to keep up the name the university once had. “We are helpless in such situations. As a thumb rule, every student is supposed to return his/her ID card at the end of their academic term in the university. However, most of the students do not return it and use it

for such illegal activities. Also, with everything getting politicised inside the campus, the situation is volatile. Most of the current students realised the importance of the academic curriculum and stopped taking part in the agitation. However, it is the outsiders and a few student leaders with political backing who have been taking part in such activities,” said a senior administrative official at OU. Meanwhile, student union leaders who are aware of the issue justify the act. “While taking part in the agitation, arrest is inevitable. Some ex-students who want to express their support for the struggle for Telangana still pose as students, so that eventually they can be bailed out if they are students. We don’t see anything wrong in this, because we are all struggling with one intention [for a separate Tstate],” said Dattaraiah, student JAC leader.

Baarish: Where it rains biryani Arun Daniel Yellamaty arunyellamaty@postnoon.com

ive your taste buds a royal treat this monsoon with a delectable variety of biryanis for dinner at Cascade, Aditya Sarovar Premiere, Gachibowli. The hotel has organised a biryani festival, ‘Baarish’, which ends on June 16. You will experience a variety of tongue tantalising biryanis — irachi Chettinad, murag ambar royallu vepudu, mahi tikka, fish biryanis — that take you on a gastronomical joyride. Apart from biryani, there is haleem, tandoori chicken and other curries. Of course, there was a lot for the vegetarians too, like the Nizami tarkari biryani, paneer biryani, tikka dum Biryani, achaari aloo ki biryani, hara moong ki bi-

ryani with veg kabab, veg haleem and other popular veg curries. The spread was put up keeping in mind both vegetarians and nonvegetarians. The best part is that you will not be satisfied with just one biryani; you would want to eat them all! How can we forget the desserts? There were 11 different varieties of desserts and the main focus was on Indian sweets. The mango rabbdi was one of the best you will get to eat anywhere. Apart from that, there was kaju barfi, brownies, strawberry mousse and much more. Executive chef Vikas Grover said, “Many people usually pick biryani as a la carte; we wanted to do something different. So, welcoming the winter, we wanted to go with different biryanis. In summer, many choose to skip biryani or eat

less of it, but in winter, they can eat a lot.” “We gave it a thought and keeping in mind the vegetarians, came up with a special spread so that everyone can enjoy the dishes. Many are having a good time too,” he said. Speaking about the festival and the risk of giving out biryanis, as they are available everywhere, food and beverage manger Kevin Williams said, “There is Hyderabadi biryani everywhere. But not many places serve other chicken or mutton biryanis. We brought them biryani from different cities, like Lucknowi biryani. The response has been good too.” This biryani festival is a treat for all biryani lovers. You will get a

complimentary beer with the buffet. The cost is `950 + taxes, special discounts for corporates are available. Call them at (040 )6769 6769 for details.

Ready to taste a variety of tongue tantalising biryanis? Aditya Sarovar’s biryani festival brings you just that.

CITY SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

NUMBER OF REDRESSAL MECHANISMS KNOWN TO ELDERLY

ELDERLY WHO REPORTED ABUSE

PADMINI C

padmini.c@postnoon.com

H DIFFERENT TYPES OF ABUSE FACED

Hyderabad tops the charts when it comes to elder abuse in Indian metros, shows the Elder Abuse in India 2013 study. A majority of the respondents in metros identified the daughter-inlaw as the primary perpetrator of abuse, followed closely by the son.

ELDER ABUSE HOUNDS CITY

PERPETRATORS OF ABUSE

The Hyderabad Scene Despite a strong senior citizens welfare network, 63 per cent respondents from the City said that they had personal experience of abuse. With regards to the reasons for the alarming levels of abuse, a significant section of them attributed it to economic dependence, care givers’ stress, adjustment problems. They felt that sensitising young adults, promoting financial stability of the elderly, developing an effective social reporting and redress system was going to be the only way to curtail the problem.

REASONS FOR NOT REPORTING ABUSE

yderabad has the highest incidences of elder abuse among any Tier I cities in the country, reveals a report released by HelpAge India this morning, on UN World Elder Awareness Day. The Elder Abuse in India 2013 study, which was conducted in 24 cities across 20 states, and 7,000 respondents, paints a distressing picture of the familial set-up in the country, with a majority of the respondents in metros identifying the daughter-in-law as the primary perpetrator of abuse, followed closely by the son. Madurai (63 per cent) and Kanpur (60 per cent) recorded the highest levels of elder abuse anywhere in the country. Among the metros, Hyderabad performed the worst (37.50 per cent) followed by Kolkata (28 per cent), Delhi (20 per cent), Mumbai (11.43 per cent) and Chennai. The most common

The report reflects the changing moral fibre of Hyderabad as a city. The joint-family unit has all but disappeared and there's little interest among youngsters to take care of their parents. Every day, we see new cases of shocking neglect and abuse. But we are working aggressively to promote the use of tribunals in all the districts, so the elderly are aware of their rights and can seek legal recourse. S Dass Director & State Head, AP HelpAge India form of abuse nationally as experienced by elderly was disrespect (79 per cent), followed by verbal abuse (76 per cent) neglect (69 per cent) and physical abuse like beating/slapping (39 per cent). But the issue still continues to be brushed under the carpet, with over 70 per cent of those abused refusing to report the matter either due to “maintaining confidentiality of the family matter”, the “fear of retaliation” or simply not knowing how to deal with the problem. Another depressing factor that emerged was the overwhelming majority of senior citizens who continued to remain unaware of their rights, with nearly 90 per cent elderly not even cognisant of their legal options or the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act (2007). India has the second largest aged population in the world, currently estimated to be around 100 million.

NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Chandy sacks 2 aides

6 scam convicts get bail

harkhand High Court granted bail to six fodder scam convicts, who prayed to go for appeal against the lower court’s verdict. Hearing a petition by the convicts, the bench of Justice R R Prasad granted them the bail on the ground that all the convicts had been in prison for more than the half of the prison term pronounced against them on June 3.

aught between the protest from the opposition and silence from rivals within the Congress over alleged links between his aides and an alleged con woman, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Friday sacked two members of his staff. Those removed were Chandy’s personal assistant Tenni Joppen and gunman Salimraj, reported the Indian Express.

Monsoons arrive early

ndia’s monsoon rains are a week ahead of schedule, powering across two-thirds of the country by June 14 and heavier than normal, but the weather office is sticking to its forecast for average rains during the entire four-month period. Heavier than normal rains can trigger flooding but at this stage in the June to September season, they spur planting of crops.

Bihar BJP miffed with Nitish

The BJP’s leaders in the state have reportedly refused to meet chief minister Nitish Kumar for patch-up talks NEW DELHI: As the BJP-JD(U) alliance in Bihar reached breaking point, the BJP’s leaders in the state have reportedly refused to meet chief minister Nitish Kumar. TV reports suggest, chief minister Nitish Kumar called up Sushil Modi, the deputy chief minister of Bihar, and other senior BJP leaders, to discuss the exit of his party from the NDA alliance. “We were called by Nitish Kumar yesterday, but this morning we have read in the papers that he wants to speak to us about things that we have no jurisdiction to talk about. So we decided not to go," BJP leader

‘Distant cousin, where art thou?’ The hunt has begun for likely relatives of Prince William, who has a bit of a desi blood in him. NEW DELHI: The hunt has begun for likely relatives and cousins of Prince William, second in line to the throne of Britain, after it was revealed that the Prince had a bit of a desi blood in him. Attention was focused on the city of Surat in the state of Gujarat after it was was revealed that Eliza Kewark, Prince William’s great, great, great, great, great grandmother, was of Indian origin. In 1812, Ms Kewark gave birth to

Prince Williams’s great, great, great, great grandmother, Katharine Scott Forbes, reported the Independent. “It’s a great thing to unite people across the distances,” said Dr Jim Wilson, a geneticist at the University of Edinburgh and chief scientist at BritainsDNA, speaking from Scotland. “It shows commonality.” The tests revealed that Prince William carries Eliza’s mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). AGENCIES

State health 16-year-old girl worries Modi raped in UP ANAND: Expressing concern over malnutrition in Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi today asked the people to give attention to the health of their children to tackle the menace. Modi was speaking at a Shala Praveshotsav (school enrollment) function at Megalpur village in Sojitra taluka in the district here. “This is the same district from where rivers of PTI milk flows," Modi said.

SITAPUR : Sitapur (UP): A minor girl was allegedly raped in Parvarpur village in Kamlapur area here, police said on Saturday. The 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by the accused identified as Puran (25), when she went to nearby field on Friday, they said. On complaint of the girl, an FIR has been registered in the case and a manhunt has been launched to nab the accused, who is PTI absconding, police said.

We were called by Nitish Kumar yesterday, but this morning we have read in the papers that he wants to speak to us about things that we have no jurisdiction to talk about. So we decided not to go. Nand Kishore Nand Kishore, who is also the NDA convenor in Bihar, said on Saturday.

The JD(U) is expected to make a formal announcement on ending its ties with the BJP in a day or two. The cracks in the alliance appeared post Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s elevation in BJP as poll campaign chief for 2014. Meanwhile, in the most direct charge so far, BJP’s Bihar president Mangal Pandey accused the JD-U of trying to destabilise his party. “JD-U is trying to break the BJP in Bihar. This is objectionable and not good for democracy," Pandey told the media after a meeting of BJP workers and leaders including legislators and ministers.

WORLD SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Baldric gets his ‘due’

‘Lost city’ in Cambodia

lost medieval city that thrived on a mist-shrouded Cambodian mountain 1,200 years ago has been discovered by archaeologists using revolutionary airborne laser technology, a report said Saturday. In what it called a world exclusive, the Sydney Morning Herald said the city, Mahendraparvata, included temples hidden by jungle for centuries.

N Korea for nuke deterrent

ritish singer Adele and Blackadder stars Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson were among those given awards in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours announced late Friday. Adele, 25, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Atkinson, was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was upstaged however by Robinson, 66, who played his long-suffering sidekick Baldrick and who received a knighthood.

orth Korea on Saturday made a fresh vow to build up its nuclear deterrent in the face of “threats of war” from the United States and a “policy of confrontation” from the South. An editorial in Pyongyang’s ruling party daily, the Rodong Sinmun, said “reckless” war exercises by the US and South Korea could spark a nuclear war at any moment.

Moderate Hassan Rowhani leads Iran polls Rowhani, a former top nuclear negotiator, has collected nearly 1,460,000 votes of the some 3,024,000 ballots counted by 0330 GMT, the ministry said.

TEHRAN: With results in from 10

percent of the polling stations, moderate candidate Hassan Rowhani has a clear lead, with 49.87 percent of the vote in Iran’s presidential election, the interior ministry said Saturday. Rowhani, a former top nuclear negotiator, has collected nearly 1,460,000 votes of the some 3,024,000 ballots counted by 8:00 am (0330 GMT), the ministry said: more than twice as much as his nearest rival. On the votes counted so far, Rowhani is followed by Tehran mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf with 16 percent; top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili with 13 percent; and ex-commander of the Revolutionary Guards Mohsen Rezai with 13 percent. All three of these candidates hail from conservative camps. More than 50.5 million Iranians were eligible to vote to find a successor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Iranian authorities and media reported massive numbers of people turned out for Friday’s election. Earlier, Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said his electoral staff would not “compromise accuracy for speed,” dismissing criticism over the pace of the counting process. No official estimate of

Leaderboard Hassan Rowhani

49.87% Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf

16% Saeed Jalili

13% Mohsen Rezai

13% 50.5 million Iranians are eligible to vote.

If there’s no majority...

I Iranian women show their documents as they queue to vote in the first round of the presidential election at a polling station in Tehran on June 14, 2013. AFP/ATTA KENARE turnout has been provided yet. Rowhani, 64, led talks with world powers over Iran’s nuclear ambitions under the presidency

Canada probes mad cow disease MANILA: Four suspected cases of the human variant of mad cow disease, one of them fatal, have emerged in western Canada, local media reported Friday. The degenerative brain disease CreutzfeldtJakob is so rare that it is odd for four suspected cases to crop up at once, CBC News quoted British Columbia Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall as saying. There are two strains of the disease, and one is linked to infected cows. But Kendall said the four cases diagnosed in the Fraser Valley area east of Vancouver were not believed to stem from eating tainted beef. “I would not worry about this being the beef-associated variant,” Kendall said. British Columbia gets five to six reported cases a year. One of the patients has died and a sample of brain tissue is being analyzed.

of reformist Mohammad Khatami. He has vowed to mend Iran’s ties with the international com-

munity, and move to ease western economic sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear drive. If no candidate gets an over-

f no candidate gets an overall majority in the first round, the top two candidates will square off in a second-round run-off scheduled June 21.

all majority in the first round, the top two candidates will square off in a second-round run-off scheduled June 21.

Hacker posts Aquino’s personal numbers

Boy, 11, sires child with woman, 36

MANILA: A Philippine hacker has posted online what

WELLINGTON: An 11-year-old New Zealand boy was

he claimed to be the president’s personal mobile telephone numbers, with Benigno Aquino’s spokesman Saturday denouncing the act as “cyber vandalism”. Aquino spokesman Ricky Carandang would not confirm if the numbers were really the president’s, or if their release on the worldwide web had compromised the leader’s personal security or state secrets. “It’s cyber vandalism plain and simple,” Carandang told AFP. “We’re dealing with it. That’s all I can say for now.” The three “Personal Mobile Number(s)” were posted late Friday on the Facebook site of a user named “#pR.is0n3r”. The site owner urged his over 9,000 followers to communicate directly with their president.

reported Saturday to have fathered a child with the 36year-old mother of a school friend, raising questions on why women cannot be charged with rape in the country. Counsellors working in the area of child sexual abuse said the case highlighted a lack of attention to women as potential offenders, according to the New Zealand Herald, which reported the story. The case has also prompted an examination of the law, under which the crime of rape applies only to men. Justice Minister Judith Collins said she would investigate, the paper reported. “This case raises an important point. I will seek advice from officials on whether or not a law change is required,” Collins said. The woman and boy, whose names were not released, live in Auckland.

COMMENT SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

RENATE KALLOCH

EDITORIALS QUALITY CONTROL is the only answer India will surpass China to become the world's most populous nation around 2028, with its population crossing the 1.45 billion mark, according to the latest report by the United Nations. The number one slot has always enticed, so achieving that is a proud moment. Doesn’t matter that, till a neighbouring country became the excuse for all our underachievement, it was this explosive population of ours that was the devil blocking India’s progress. It does matter, though, that bigger numbers can bring with them bigger problems if results of qualitative assessment dip. The quality of life of any population is driven by its education. Our policymakers who believe that our population growth had to be controlled will be quick to accept that our education policies, too, have not been very successful. Literacy in India, at around 74 per cent, is well below the world average of 84 per cent. Another key factor, health, also leaves to lot desired. According to a 2005 WHO report, 42 per cent of India’s children below the age of three were malnourished, which was greater than that of sub-Saharan African region of 28 per cent. It worsened the following year! Good storytellers that our netas are, their yarns have held our attention, distracting us from the truth. Let’s not get taken in by these hoodwinkers. Let’s, instead, recall an observation made in this context by the Father of the Nation, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.” Rooting out corruption will go a long way in improving our quality of life, but first we need to clear the wool pulled over our eyes.

WHY WE LOVE... Nitish Kumar The Bihar CM initiated a series of developmental activities including building of bridges, re-laying roads, appointing over 1,00,000 schoolteachers, ensuring that doctors worked in primary health centres, and keeping crime in check. Today, he puts his foot down against Modi’s elevation.

A game plan Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR

conference I attended a few weeks ago had one of the most interesting keynote sessions. The session has stayed with me long after I left that world of networking and returned to my reality. Videogames designer and author Jane McGonigal spoke about using videogames to increase positive thinking and for better real-world interactions. The idea seems a bit odd at first because most research studies about using the Internet or social networking or other online tools repeatedly tell us that we’re being taken away into an unreal world, making us believe it’s the real thing. Nothing – emotions, connections, attachments – is good for our mental health and wellbeing. We’re told that it increases depression, makes us aloof, drives

our social skills in a negative direction, etc. So when the speaker said that playing videogames is actually good for us, there were many sniggers in the hall – and I didn’t imagine it. To prove her point, McGonigal asked us to play a game with her, right there in that room of over 300 people. The game involved all of us standing up. It was a simple enough game that we’ve all played as youngsters and adults. And I can bet that we played this game a lot more often before the Internet and mobile phone era. I wouldn’t be surprised if the tweens and younger teens today haven’t even learned the game. It’s thumb wrestling, where two players link their right or left hands together in a monkey grip with their thumbs up. The aim of the game is to pin the opponent’s thumb at the count of three. The thumb must be pinned down for five full seconds. We played this game at the conference but with a twist. We used both our hands instead of one with each hand playing with a different player.

WHERE THERE’S NO BALANCE, THERE’S NO ENJOYMENT OF ANY OF THE DISHES ON LIFE’S PLATTER. IT’S A GAME THAT HAS TO BE PLAYED; IT’S SOMETIMES A PUZZLE THAT NEEDS TO BE SOLVED. At the count of three, we had to wrestle our thumbs to victory. There was a lot of commotion in the hall when the game was on. It was over in less than a couple of minutes. So when we finished playing and took our seats, the speaker told us that the aim of this game was to get a feel of multi-player videogames and the skills and faculties it requires of us. More importantly, she asked us to look around. There were smiles, chatter, delight, surprise and the winner look on several faces. Even more important than these? Those who were hunching over their mobile phones during the sessions left their phones behind,

even if only for a couple of minutes, to participate in the game. This took their minds away from texting, Twitter, email or whatever else was engaging them. McGonigal then pulled up some slides to talk about the parts of the brain that light up when we play videogames. She then made the connection to improved concentration, better co-ordination, optimism, fighter spirit, and other traits that are essential to get through our day-to-day battles. As for the negative stories about playing videogames, it’s because one crosses the line too often. Playing more than 20 hours of videogames per week can have more problems than positive outcomes. Where there’s no balance, there’s no enjoyment of any of the dishes on life’s platter. It’s a game that has to be played; it’s sometimes a puzzle that needs to be solved; at times it’s also a passing moment that just needs to be lived. I never thought a thumb wrestling game can teach us so much. As for videogames, my brand new gaming console is unpacked and ready.

COMMENT SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

UN climate talks run into rough weather Mariette Le Roux Agence France-Presse

debilitating row with Russia at UN climate talks this week exposed a fundamental flaw in how decisions are taken — the entire system balanced precariously on an ill-defined notion of consensus, observers say. While furious with Russia for allowing the issue to stop important work at a meeting in Bonn, negotiators agree the decision-making procedure must be clarified before any long-term damage is caused. By tradition, decisions in the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) are made on the basis of “consensus” — a term that implies common resolve by its 195 parties. The principle is conceptually fuzzy and remains undefined in the organisation’s rulebook, yet it was the tool that created the Kyoto Protocol and binds the community of nations to signing an ambitious new pact on carbon emissions in 2015. “Consensus is considered important since this makes the likelihood of implementation or compliance with what has been

Urban sketches VISWAPRASAD RAJU

agreed larger, and demonstrates respect for the principle of state sovereignty,” Louise van Schaik of the Clingendael Institute of International Relations in the Netherlands told AFP. But a bust-up at a low-key meeting in Germany this past week raised stark questions as to whether the practice — at least in its current form — can endure as the bill for climate change mounts and countries fight harder over how to apportion it. “Since the beginning we’ve been sailing along in a bit of a legal grey zone where things are done by consensus without anybody really knowing what it means,” one insider told AFP. “It is a question of the chairs and presidents (of meetings) capturing the political will and feeding it back to delegates. Decisions are taken by acclamation — people stand up and clap and a decision is passed. There are almost always at least one or two countries objecting.” What currently passes for consensus is traditionally achieved through frantic, latenight haggling. Conference presidents often have to “gavel through” major deals — declaring a decision

adopted even if a country is howling dissent. What has brought matters to a head this time is Russia, which is incensed at the way the Qatari president of last December’s meeting in Doha gavelled through a decision to extend the Kyoto Protocol on curbing Earth-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Its approval hamstrung Russia’s planned sale of 5.8 billion tonnes of carbon credits amassed under the protocol’s first round, which expired at the end of last year. Outraged — according to a well-placed source, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote a furious letter to UN chief Ban Ki-moon — the Kremlin is playing tough. In the 12-day talks that finished in Bonn on Friday, Russia, backed by Ukraine and Belarus, blocked work in one of three negotiating groups — demanding a debate on how consensus is reached. “We have serious reasons to be concerned,” Russian negotiator Oleg Shamanov told negotiators. If we fail to hold such a discussion on the procedural aspects of preparing and taking decisions, we may see in 2015 a

THE PRINCIPLE IS CONCEPTUALLY FUZZY AND REMAINS UNDEFINED IN THE ORGANISATION’S RULEBOOK, YET IT WAS THE TOOL THAT CREATED THE KYOTO PROTOCOL AND BINDS THE COMMUNITY OF NATIONS TO SIGNING AN AMBITIOUS NEW PACT ON CARBON EMISSIONS IN 2015. situation where all efforts that have been made would be a failure.” He did not spell out how the system should be changed, but stressed it must take account of the “sovereign equality of all countries... to express their view.” Negotiators from other countries said Russia had a point and welcomed a debate on procedure. “Our system is sick,” agreed one European negotiator. “Maybe something good can come of this — a review of how the system works, and how it doesn’t.”

European Commission envoy Artur Runge-Metzger said: “Maybe this is something that also need to be explored at the UN level.” Veterans of the climate process say the problem has deep roots. At their very first executive meeting in 1995, parties failed to adopt the UNFCCC’s rules of procedure because they disagreed over Rule 42, which would allow for a vote when consensus fails. By mutual agreement, the parties have been applying the rules ever since, but not Rule 42. There’s an irony in all this, said climate analyst Bill Hare: “Russia is one of those countries that fought for 20 years to block the adoption of rules and procedure.” Some delegates felt there was no time to wrangle over sovereign principles with just over two years left to finalise a deal that must save Earth from calamitous global warminginduced climate change. “It’s awkward and dangerous, because it could drag the plenary on, so it would impact the effectiveness of a process that already struggles to make decisions,” said an NGO source.

Global edits

Deer Park

New York Times

Clarity on patenting nature

n a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court correctly resolved one of the most important and complex disputes in a generation involving the intersection of science, law and commerce. The justices held that human DNA isolated from a chromosome cannot be patented because it is a product of nature. Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the court, said “there would be considerable danger” in granting patents on natural phenomena because that approach would “inhibit future innovation” and “would be at odds with the very point of patents, which exist to promote creation.” The court’s decision is a narrow one, recognising the distinction the patent system must make between natural phenomena like DNA and the invention or discovery of “any new and useful... composition of matter.” The court held that synthetic DNA that is created in a laboratory is new and distinct from DNA and therefore patentable. Myriad Genetics, based in Utah, obtained broad patents on BRCA1 and

THE PETITIONERS — DOCTORS, SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHERS AND WOMEN’S HEALTH ORGANISATIONS — ARGUED THAT THE ISOLATED GENES WERE NOT MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE GENES BEFORE EXTRACTION. BRCA2, genes linked to a significant increase in the risk of breast and ovarian cancers in women. The company extracted these genes from the human body, then claimed that, by doing so, it had invented an isolated DNA markedly different from the native DNA. The United States patent office agreed with the claim. The petitioners in the case — doctors, scientific researchers and women’s health organisations — argued that the isolated genes were not materially different from the genes before extraction, and that granting Myriad a patent on the genes would amount to giving the company a patent on nature, a monopoly position that could restrict testing, research and medical innovation by others.

BUSINESS SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Offshore bank details public

massive database of private offshore banking entities that could be used for tax evasion was posted online for public use Friday. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists said anyone can now search the records of some 1,00,000 companies, trusts and funds located in leading tax havens to see who could be making use of them to skirt home-country taxes.

EU free trade deal with US

Chip to determine insurance

U trade ministers finally thrashed out a deal Friday on how to negotiate for a free trade deal with the United States, after meeting a French demand to exclude the key audiovisual sector. Officials said the ministers would leave the audiovisual sector out of the mandate for initial talks over what would be the world's biggest free trade deal.

n electronic chip under the car bonnet that can tell a policyholder's driving pattern so that a car policy can be properly priced is what Liberty Videocon General Insurance Company Ltd. is experimenting with. Queried about the admissibility of warranty claims by the car manufacturers as the device is fixed at the dealer end, he said that aspect has been taken care of.

LetsDine organises events where different groups like bloggers, poets, foodies, photographers and entrepreneurs get together over a coffee, food or a beer. A common interest is the thread that brings them together.

PRUDHVI RAJU K

prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

Working lunch

ow about meeting people who share similar interests and passions for a weekend dinner? Want to further explore this opportunity of meeting people who not only have similar food tastes but also have similar professional or personal interests? LetsDine, a recent startup in the City, facilitates strangers to meet and build offline communities. Young entrepreneurs Akhilesh Kumar (in picture) and Prashant Angyan want to swim against the tide of social media and bring a shift to make more meetings, conversations happen offline and allow new friendships to blossom. Talking about the idea, Akhilesh says, “People got caught up in social media and they seldom meet strangers in the real world. This is an opportunity to meet, converse and make memories that can be cherished for a lifetime. Indians are losing their social skills by confining themselves to nuclear families and to their few members of office team.We want to change this and make people celebrate life with communities in the real world.” LetsDine organises events where different groups like bloggers, poets, foodies, photographers and entrepreneurs get together over a coffee, food or a beer. Every event is driven by a theme which is catered to one section of society.

Their common interest is the thread that brings them together. These random people come together and become friends at the end of the event. The concept has got a huge response from the people of the City, which is pushing the founders to scale the business to other cities in just two months of launching. “It is a win-win situation for everyone. Even the top-notch restaurants and star hotels have unfilled seats during non-peak hours. This gives us an opportunity to request for a good deal and offer the best food variety and at the most reasonable prices. It also helps the hotels and restaurants to showcase themselves and turn these people into repeat customers. “For instance, we are having Crazy Italiano! (Italian Cooking Classes & Dinner) at Via Milano, Jubilee Hills. This brings Italian food lovers together, helps them learn cooking and gain foodie friends. People who like the food may end up going again to the restaurant or even host parties there,” he says. Prior to this venture, the duo started Geyser, which provided food delivery at home. Although it has got a moderate response, the founders have had to shut shop to put all their energies on LetsDine. “We were pretty ambitious and thought of starting three projects. LetsDine is the second product in the

LET’S DINE!

6 Conducted 45 events in 60 days Community of 800 people 30+ sign-ups every day from Hyderabad Investments: ` lakh

Soon to start in Mumbai and Bangalore series. We even ran both the businesses for two months. But later, we found that we should concentrate and stick with the one which gained traction from the customers. The margins and volumes are more in this venture as compared to Geyser. An entrepreneur should also know when to kill a business,” he explains. Akhilesh also wants to explore the B2B side of venture. “We can attract sponsorship, wherein a Canon or Nikon can actually be the sponsor for the event. Generally, they spend hugely and even a pie of marketing goes waste as it could not reach the potential customers. In our case, there are group of people who can be potential customers for the business. They can get their products reviewed and can even offer discounts to promote the brand,” he says. In the near future, the business also wants to reach out to corporate clients through team lunches and also conduct events such as birthday parties from their group of favourite restaurants and star hotels at the best possible prices.

FOCUS SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Fake fingers help ex-yakuza lead lawful life

Where once the missing fingers were badges of honour, proving to fellow gangsters that he was loyal, hard-working and prepared to make sacrifices, they now worked against him once he quit. AFP PHOTO / TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA

Harumi Ozawa

Agence France-Presse

TOKYO: Going straight after a lifetime spent as a member of Japan’s feared yakuza organised crime mobs poses a number of challenges. Chief among them is what to do about the fingers you chopped off. For one reformed wise guy, the answer lay in thousands of dollars’ worth of prosthetics crafted to look exactly like the three of his digits he hacked off to appease his one-time bosses. “You see how real these fingers are?” said Toru, 53, proudly showing off his artificial body parts — both little fingers and his left ring finger. “There was only one time that anyone ever knew they were fake. She was an old lady in her 70s. I told her I was injured in a factory.” Like the Italian mafia or Chinese triads, yakuza gangs engage in activities ranging from gambling, drugs and prostitution to loan sharking, protection rackets, and white-collar crime. The gangsters in Japan, who number 63,200, have historically been tolerated by the authorities, and are heavily romanticised in popular culture, spawning a vast catalogue of manga comics and movies. Observers say the strict code of honour of the yakuza, passed down from the samurai warriors of the 17th and 18th centuries, is largely gone and many are little more than brutal criminals. But even in the mob, Japan’s rigid societal rules play out. This means your peers are always supposed to look out for you and protect you. Likewise, it means you have to look out for them. Toru — not his real name — used to make his living offering “protection” to the bars and clubs of Tokyo’s Kabukicho red light district. He was a success, making sure the rival gangs stayed off

his turf and keeping the money flowing up to his seniors. But then one of the men in his gang — a “brother” — fell foul of the strict prohibition on stealing and drug use. To assuage his boss’s anger and prove the group was truly penitent, Toru sliced off the top of his left little finger. Unfortunately, someone got the group into trouble again a short time later, and Toru had to take the knife to the second joint. “The first joint of a little finger can be sliced easily,” he said. “You tie the bottom of it with thread tightly and put your body weight on a kitchen knife. But the second joint was tougher than I thought.” Luckily, there was a brother on hand, who could stand on the knife and slice through the

knuckle. The loss of the tip of the pinkie on his right hand was his own fault — he got drunk and started throwing furniture around in a bar. Unfortunately for him, the bar belonged to a friend of his boss. Out came the kitchen knife again, and off came the top of his little finger. But his fourth amputation bore a whole different significance. “I met my wife,” he said. “I

Pick

wanted to marry her, but she said she couldn’t possibly marry a yakuza guy. So I quit.” Of course, you can’t just resign from the yakuza. You need to offer a sacrifice. A ring finger, for instance. “I tried to do it as usual with a kitchen knife, but the blade didn’t go through because of the muscle. I had to ask a brother to take a hammer and a chisel to lop it off,” he said. “Oh, it was painful.” Where once the missing fingers were badges of honour, proving to fellow gangsters that Toru was loyal, hard-working and prepared to make sacrifices, they now worked against him. Life as a “katagi” (civilian) is tough when everybody knows how you used to make your living, with respectable

at the

companies unwilling to be connected to the yakuza. The only solution is to get your fingers back. That is where prosthetics specialist Shintaro Hayashi came in, crafting three silicone fingers, complete with the creases and lines of a natural digit. His works are so delicate that he even implants individual hairs taken from his subjects’ hands and arms to give each finger a really lifelike look. “I think of myself as being like Geppetto,” he said, referring to the woodcarver who created Pinocchio. “My job requires not only knowing the person well but also injecting his or her personality into the parts,” he said, adding that he keeps a photo of his client on his desk as he works. The bulk of Hayashi’s clients are people who have lost hands, feet or ears in accidents, or are born with something missing, but around five per cent are former yakuza. Making a mould for the silicon casting is expensive — around 300,000 yen (about $3,000) for one finger — but it means the prosthetics are easy, and relatively cheap, to replace when they look tatty or worn. “For me, these fingers are consumable items,” said Toru. “I have to renew them every three months.” And they have been well worth the initial outlay, allowing him to build a house renovation company that does legitimate work. “I now run two outlets for my business, making about 300 million yen a year,” he said. Asked why he granted the interview, Toru has a quick and easy answer — he wants to show yakuza stuck in a life of crime that there is another way. “They could do well if they work hard, even if they have lost some of their fingers. “Life is much easier this way.”

airport,

TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK www.quartz.com tlantic Media’s Quartz is a lean, mean business-news machine. The spare, addictively browsable, touch-friendly interface sets it apart from its more venerable financial-journalism rivals.

MOBILE GAME REVIEW

APP OF THE WEEK

ALIEN SAFARI

Beautiful Widgets

he Beautiful Widgets app lets you customize your phone’s homescreen, with weather reports, clocks, battery status, and different elements. It’s a simple app that makes your Android’s homescreen more useful to you.

Alien Safari does offer a different narrative, art style, and general tone. This doesn't necessarily make it any better — nor worse — than Fugumobile's other title — it just means it's opened out to a different audience.

WHAT’S NEW? Most of the games that were announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2013 were sequels to existing games, but there are plenty of new IPs that were announced during the event. Here are the best of the lot. MAD MAX

OMG Mad Max is back, but we don’t know anything more about this game apart from the fact that a lot of vehicles will be destroyed and a lot of bad guys will die. The last game in the series was for NES and was released in the 1990 so it’s good to see this game make a come back. The game is being developed by Avalanche Studios for all consoles except Wii and Wii U. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope it doesn’t end up with the same fate as Duke Nukem.

THE CREW

Need for Speed practically owns the genre of casual racing games and now Ubisoft wants to steal a portion of that market with this new IP. Like most racing games these days, the focus is on adding social features, but this open world racer takes it to a new level. The point is to create a crew with your friends and roam around the game world as a group, taking on other crews and other challenges. If this game can pull off the brief EA needs to be very worried.

DRIVECLUB

There is always a lot of hype around simulation racers such as Forza series of games that not many people pay attention to those that lay emphasis on fun. Driveclub is one such game and it comes packed with fast cars and interesting challenges. It may not come close to Forza or Gran Tourismo in terms of realism but this is a game to watch out for.

DEADPOOL

Deadpool is one comic book character with a great following and this game tries to appeal to that fan base. You can go with combat mechanics through most of the game, but you also have an option to wield heavy weapons and slay anything that comes in your way. It has some quirky humour in the animation and art style much like in some of the comics of the superhero.

DESTINY

There were many people who doubted Bungie’s ability to come up with a great game after they stopped working on

THE EVIL WITHIN IS A TYPICAL HORROR-SURVIVAL-SHOOTER GAME AT ONE LOOK, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CALLING IT RESIDENT EVIL DONE RIGHT. Halo. Now all those people are eating their words, hat and all the hype about this game. This futuristic open world fighter looks great and is supposed to have MMO like features. There are lot of aliens to fight off and you can team up with your friends and defend the last human city in the whole galaxy. This is definitely a game worth pre-ordering.

THE EVIL WITHIN

The storyline of this game sounds quite cliche — you land up in a place surrounded by dead creatures that want to kill you and the gamer had to fight his way out of the mess. Yes it’s a typical horror-survivalshooter game at one look, but a

lot of people are calling it Resident Evil done right. With such a description this game is definitely worth looking forward to.

you can pull off parkour moves and even control mechs as part of combat.

QUANTUM BREAK

Crytek has been working on this title set in Roman era for a while now and we were glad to see a bit of the game at E3. It is one of the few games that has integrated Kinect features smartly (for example, you can scream ‘archers’ in the middle of a game to call in support). The game looks very good on the graphics front like all games from the developer, but we need to see if it’s as fun to play with a traditional controller as it is with Kinect.

Microsoft claims this is a game, but it’s also part serial. That’s right, you play the game and the actions in it will influence a series that runs parallel to it. The concept of the game is quite interesting as it gives the gamer the power of a director and he gets to show-off the series to his family members. So if you catch a family member playing this game, don’t disturb him as he’s working on a series so you watch it.

TITANFALL

This was the most talked about game at E3 this year because of two reasons. One, it’s being developed by Respawn Entertainment, a new studio formed by formed Infinity Ward staff. Two, this team based first person shooter looks amazing. You’ll be playing as a team to clear certain objectives, but the cool part is

RYSE

WATCH DOGS

This was supposed to be a game set in the future, but with the recent Prism leaks it looks more like a possibility as of now. In the game, you play a character who can hack into the city’s main computer and control electronic equipments around you in a fight against the system. It’s like Deu Ex without cool clothes, but still very interesting.

ANIMAL KINGDOM SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

PET NEWS 14 lions rescued

Dogs replace drugs

Thai police found 14 albino lions imported from Africa and hundreds of other protected animals in a warehouse near Bangkok and have arrested a pet shop owner.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Hope for butterflies

ogs may help to correct certain human mental health disorders by beneficially affecting brain chemistry and function, a new study suggests.

ightings of the Schaus have fluctuated dramatically over the past years. In recent years, habitat loss, drought, and pesticides have contributed to a precipitous drop in sightings.

CATS AND DOGS The Animal Care Clinic 040-2335 2474 Pet’s World Dog Clinic 98856 46259 Blue Cross of Hyderabad 040-3298 9858, 23544355/ 5523 Vet-N-Pet 040-6553 9535, 93463 05890 Bluplus Pet Clinic 040-2712 1739, 2716 2636 Sri Sai Pet Clinic

040-2779 7458, 9848645350 Claws & Paws 98662 82772 All Creatures Animals Clinic 040-2773 0885 BIRDS Govt Veterinary Hospital 040-2331 9656, 2753 5755 Bird Watcher’s Society 040-2355 6166 Friends of Birds9391048315 SNAKES Friends of Snakes 8374233366

Life behind bars Pet dealers reveal that they sell 200-300 birds every month. While it may be a lucrative business for them, environmentalists urge people to stop the trade as birds deserve the sky, not a cage.

SANYA QUADRI

feedback@postnoon.com

he Anti-poaching squad along with the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau seized more than 22 roseringed parrots from astrologers recently. Officials raided worship places, picnic spots and parks where these astrologers are usually present and rescued the parrots. The birds will be handed over to the zoo after a medical examination. Most of these birds were unable to fly as fortune-tellers tie their feet and cage them. ‘Soothsayers’ in our country commonly use parrots to draw customers by promising that the birds can predict future. The caging of birds and hurting them for commercial purpose is a punishable offence under the Wildlife Act 1972 and carries a fine of up to Rs25,000. The practice of caging birds is however not limited to

astrologers. Many ‘bird-lovers’ in the city pet birds and cage them. “I used to have a pair of lovebirds, which my kids grew very fond of. They used to watch the birds in the morning every day. Sadly, the birds died a month ago. We are planning to buy one more pair of lovebirds

IT’S A CRIME TO KEEP ILLEGALLY-OBTAINED BIRDS. BUT, TODAY IT IS MATTER OF PRESTIGE FOR PEOPLE. THEY GLOAT ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY SPEND OVER EXOTIC BIRD SPECIES. as my children are very upset over the loss,” says Sudhakar, a 37-year-old man. “We are against caging birds, even as pets. Birds fly, it is their sense of freedom and by caging these birds we are snatching away the liberty from them. There is also a tremendous amount of illegal trade going around with birds. A large number of exotic species of birds are being exported and

imported,” says Shafaat Ullah, honorary secretary of BirdWatchers Society of Andhra Pradesh (BSAP). Subhasree, a 45-year-old woman talks about her experience: “I am a bird lover and I used to keep four parrots as pets a few years ago. Though

I loved them dearly and took great care of the birds, they remained caged. I used to think that keeping birds caged is okay until my 11-year-old niece knocked some sensitivity in me. During her vacation she came over to stay with me and persuaded me to set my parrots

free. They are birds and they deserve to be in the sky, she said. I took her advice and after setting them free I can call myself a true bird and nature lover.” Kiran Paul, owner of Barks and Chirps Pet Store in Banjara Hills says, “We sell about 200-300 birds every month. The most common ones that are in demand are the love birds and the African parrots.” “There are people who locate the nests of birds and steal their babies. They are experts in this heinous act,” says Ullah. “It is a crime to keep illegally-obtained birds. But, today it is matter of prestige for people to pet exotic bird species. They gloat about how lavishly they spend over the purchase of the species. It is awful.” Ullah urges everybody out there, “Birds are free, flying species. Please stop buying them and caging them. Once we stop the purchase of birds, the trade will stop too. And, if somebody ever witnesses the caging of any bird or any such illegal act, I request you to report to the AP Forest Department. They would take the required action.”

BOOKS SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

SHORT READS Title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane Author: Neil Gaiman Publisher: William Morrow Neil Gaiman is back! What started out as a short story has been transformed into a fullfledged novel by Gaiman’s magic hands. A young boy discovers his neighbour’s supernatural secrets, setting into motion an unstoppable chain of events.

Title: Doc: A Memoir Author: Dwight Gooden, Ellis Henican Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt It doesn’t matter if you’re not a baseball fan. The meteoric rise of Dwight ‘Doc’ Gooden, his tryst with fame and all its trappings, and his struggle with drugs is an all too human tale which will strike a chord with anyone.

Title: The Last Original Wife Author: Dorothea Benton Frank Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Leslie is the last first wife among her husband Wesley’s group of friends. Once she used to be proud they made it work. But now she’s headed to her hometown of Charleston, to rediscover herself.

Title: Trains and Lovers Author: Alexander McCall Smith Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Four travellers on the train from Edinburgh to London recount how their lives have been changed by love and trains. Passing their time in conversation, they explore the innate romanticism of train travel.

A W(L)EE BIT FUNNY

The fourth book in The Diary of Amos L(W)ee series is more like a Facebook update of a 12-year-old. A little lacking in humour, but worth a read. scripts for the TV show, for instance. It then starts reading less like a diary and more like an event catalogue — and in between, you are left to wonder why there is an elaborate description of iPhone 4S, two entire pages on different people involved in making a film (why?) who are not the director, and a totally unrelated essay or the curry movement (in case you’re wondering what that is, it is an essay on “curry”… vegetable curry, meat, how the

DEEPASHRI V

deepashri.v@postnoon.com

he diary entry of a 12-yearold who thinks he’s awesome, his eternally pooping younger brother, a nosy, bossy mum, crazy sister, bully friend — pretty much what you’ll be reading in the next few hours after picking up the book. So, Lee writes his diary entries in the loo, as directed by his mum. His diaries are “stolen” and published, and the boy shoots to fame (which he clearly can’t handle) in this fourth part of the series in The Diary of Amos Lee. Then comes an offer to make his diary entries into a TV show. But he doesn’t play the lead in his own story! How does Lee deal with this? How does he feel seeing his best friends and arch emeny playing out his life? There are a couple of things that make you laugh out loud — subtle dig on social media in the beginning and elections in Singapore, excerpts of his

Dogstar Rising is the second outing for Parker Bilal’s Sudanese detective Makana who is on a mission to solve a mystery set in Cairo. Arun Koshy Philip arun.k@postnoon.com

utilated bodies of young boys start appearing in the streets of Cairo. A mysterious figure is sighted at the sites of their discovery — and is soon dubbed as the Angel. Religious radicals are taking

time read for children.

Name The Diary of Amos Lee: Lights, Camera, Superstar Author Adeline Foo Illustrated by Stephanie Wong Pages 151 Publisher Hachette India

British welcomed the introduction of curry powder from India merchants, so on and so forth). Throughout the book though, Lee is struggling to overcome constipation (quite a dilemma if you have to write in the loo), asks for suggestions on Facebook, keeps receiving gifts, cards, etc from fans, goes through rejection, dejection, stardom, and many other emotions (mostly complacence, though). Not a very funny book, as one would expect from the first few pages. Then again, will make a fine one-

Delving into dark secrets advantage of the fear and insecurity among the impoverished masses to further their agenda. The short fuse of the powder keg has been lit; and unless a miracle happens the streets are going to explode. When ace former police detective Makana accepts an assignment to investigate a threatening letter, little does he know that he is about to enter a complex web of lies, deceit, crime and mindless violence. He gets a taste of that when a friend is gunned down before his eyes in broad daylight. Makana’s inquiries take him through actors across different spectra of life including a travel agency, a crime syndicate, a rad-

Name Dogstar Rising Author Parker Bilal Pages 384 Publisher Bloomsbury ical cleric, a progressive academic, a fearless journalist, security agencies and a church. Somewhere in their intertwining paths hides a monster criminal whose bestial tastes are leaving a trail of bodies and festering unrest in society. And he is not the only one ready to kill at will.

Parker Bilal’s narrative has captured the picture of Egypt in general and Cairo in particular. The underlying tensions and simmering discontent — societal, political and economic — are laid out to provide a vivid background for elements in the plot to unravel. The story has woven many complex elements into its thread and yet keeps its progress simple enough to follow. However, the attention to detail is also a downer. Too many facets of the society are being tracked in the narrative and this tends to distract the reader. At several points one tends to wonder whether the protagonist is an investigator or a philosopher. What could have been a tight, gripping, fastpaced plot has been reduced to an average read.

BOOKS SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Walking the dark path Holy Cow Entertainment did something amazing with Ravanayan. They take it to a whole new level with Aghori. NT BALANARAYAN

nt.balanarayan@postnoon.com

he series deals with the story of an Aghori with a mysterious past who is looking for his son. The premise sounds simple enough, but the story and narration is anything but simple — and that’s a good thing. In all three comics that have have been released till now the story jumps between the past and present and the tone of the narrator changes slightly with each scenario. The series begins with Vikram, a mid-level executive, whose life is spun on its head after an encounter with a woman at a pub. After going home, he kills his in-laws, daws a mark on his pregnant wife’s stomach with blood and leaves the place forever. The wife wakes up next day to find her parents slaughtered and Vikram missing. She is then taken to hospital where she dies during childbirth and the child grows up an orphan. Vikram, over-ridden by guilt wanders the streets and ends up at the banks of a river where he meets an aghori baba who gives him a purpose in life. The rest of the books show the life of Vira, as Vikram calls himself now, as he fights through evil forces who want to keep him away from his son. While the main plot itself is very interesting, the side stories are much more fascinating; think of it as X-Files meets Ghost Rider, except with an Indian twist. Though the concept of a man with powers fighting of evil might have been done to death in the West, the addition of Indian cultural elements and Hindu religious beliefs to these same stories make them different and the writers deserve a standing ovation for doing justice.

The dialogues are cheesy with some quirky humour rarely. The rare jokes thankfully don’t break the dark atmosphere the writers and artists have created over three books. The parts where Vira tells us the details of his past are as grim as they come and I read most of it in a Max Payne voice (sans sarcasm). As far as the art goes, the palette is full of dark colours and deep shades. The printing quality is good and there were no instances where the colours bled on to the other. Aghori is one of the few comic series that are created entirely by Indians and it can definitely stand its ground even against some of those created in the West. If you’re interested in buying it, you can easily grab a copy on Flipkart.

Name Aghori Author Ram V, Vivek Goel, Lalit Kumar Sharma, Gaurav Srivastav Pages 80 Publisher Holy Cow Entertainment (2013)

WHAT’S SELLING Walden best in fiction

NYT best in fiction

Walden best in non-fiction

NYT best in non-fiction

n And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

n Inferno by Dan Brown

n Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg with Nell Scovell

n And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

n Business Sutra by Devdutt Pattanaik n From Smart To Wise by P Kaipa & N Radjou

n Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson with Mark Schlabach

n The Hit by David Baldacci

n Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

n Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz

n Follow Every Rainbow by Rashmi Bansal

n Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris

n The NaMo Story by Political Life

n Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson, Hugh Delehanty

n Asura by Anand Neelakantan n Oath Of The Vayuputras by Amish Tripati n Inferno by Dan Brown n Arjuna by Anuja Chandramouli

n The Forever Of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

n Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander

WOMEN SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

WEBSITES OF THE WEEK Brazen Careerist’s Blog: Serial entrepreneur Penelope Trunk writes about work and life for over 40,000 subscribers. Her top piece of advice? Control your professional identity to stay employable.

Birds On the Blog: This London blog features career advice from 11 resident bloggers (aka ‘the birds’). Revenue from the site is used to fund the education of 5-year-old Ugandan twin girls.

Deal Seeking Mom: With five kids, Tara Kuczykowski lives on a budget. She blogs about money-saving tricks, alerting readers to freebies, coupons and sales.

Playing with clay

The final frontier

A computer science student, Akila Chungi dared to tread the unbeaten path. She tells Postnoon about life as a potter and her love for the clay art.

All About Eve

JYOTSNA N

S KUBRA FATIMA

feedback@postnoon.com

hifting career paths from the common to the uncommon seems to be an upcoming trend in India today. Various students have changed their course of education from engineering to forensic sciences, accounts to photography or law to micro-biology. One such example is of Hyderabad-based Akila Chungi (25), who received a degree in computer sciences only to throw caution to the wind and take up the beautiful, yet lesser known, art of pottery. Specialising in a form called ‘stoneware pottery’, Chungi moulds and blends together clay to create bowls, tumblers, decorative items, etc. Training under mentors Ray Meeker and Deborah Smith at the legendary Golden Bridge Academy at Auroville in Pondicherry, Chungi realised clay had taken over her life. “Clay is my first love, the feeling of digging your hands into that earthen smell and creating something out of it is a different sensation in itself, I cannot see myself doing anything apart from this,” she says. When asked about making a lifelong career in pottery, Chungi laughs and says that once her hands are in

the clay,

it is difficult to pull them out; pottery helps her to stay connected with nature and stay grounded. “Pottery is yet to catch up in India. I would love to travel around various cities in the world as there is more exposure abroad, but as a home base, it will always be India where I follow my passion.” It is said that every writer has his/her muse. Chungivs source of inspiration doesn’t come from a person or object but rather from her deep imagination and thoughts. “All my pieces have a story

behind them and they find their roots from music, different people’s behaviours, societal issues like hunger and poverty or from world issues like capitalism.” Despite the development and growth of technology, Chungi believes that no amount of technology can provide the satisfaction of crafting a pot with her

bare hands. “Handmade pottery has its own beauty to it. The design, shape and creation of each piece is like an artist’s signature which no machine can replace. It is my own personal touch.” Her upcoming exhibition in the city is creating quite a buzz in the art lover’s fraternity. “I’m very excited about showcasing my work. I have been doodling and writing for quite a while now showing it to a few people, but never before have I displayed my work to such a large crowd. My work is personal and I love that I will be sharing my thoughts in the form of pottery with the crowd.” When asked about what she plans to do with the income from the show, she surprises us and says she plans to spend it on a child’s education. “I have always loved spending time with kids and with the funds from the exhibition I would love to support a child’s education, just to do the little bit I can to make a child’s life better.” The exhibition will be held on June 16 from 4 to 9pm at Gandipet, opposite Golconda Resorts and Spa.

pace, the final frontier. Some 50 years ago, Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to reach that frontier. But 50 years after her incredible achievement, women still struggle to cross more earth-bound barriers. It took a woman’s death to prompt Ireland to change its laws on abortion to give priority to the woman’s life. In Australia, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has to contend with menus offering up her ‘small breasts’ and questions on national radio whether her live-in partner is gay. Facebook’s ‘Babe of the Day’ page has now come under fire for its sexist outlook. This is apart from the rapes, murders, sexual assaults, domestic abuse and violence against women that make headlines across the world, everyday. Casual sexism, which should have died out years ago, seems to have worsened. I know it seems like we’re always harping on the worst. It’s true that a lot more women can work without being patronised, can choose their partners and can live their lives in peace now. But here’s the thing — every time women step out alone at night, they still worry. Parents are more likely to set curfews for their daughters than their sons, not because they are sexist, but because they fear for her safety. A woman working in a mostly male-dominated office still has to contend with snide, sexist remarks, which she can’t counter without being accused of being hysterical. Women are changing across the world. They’re taking small steps, pushing forward slowly, so that they can live like equals. But their efforts will not be successful until men also change. Tereshkova didn’t travel into space on her own. It took many men and women working together to help her soar. It’s time we replicated it on earth.

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Date with Superman

Superman fans poured in to Cinemax where special screening of Man of Steel was organised by Bisket Srikant. Spotted were Jessica, Lavanya and others. 1

Art attack

Art enthusiasts made a beeline to Taj Falaknuma where French artist Remi Bertoche's works were on display. Spotted at the occasion were Manisha, Sharmila and others.

Birds of paradise Book Stray Birds by photographer Anand Vishvanadha was launched at GoetheZentrum on Thursday.

1 Dolly

4 Jessica

7 Rachna

10 Neetu

13 Preeti

2 Erica, Ronak

5 Mansi, Ratna

8 Lavanya

11 Samia, Mansoor

14 Jason, Marialyn

3 Deepali, Kiran

6 Satpal, Gurleen

9 Trishna, Pooja

12 Namita

15 Carolyn

RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

I AM ALL EARS

am 18-years-old. I have been in a relationship with a 24-year-old guy for the past two years. I have always thought that I will have sex on my wedding night and wants to wait before I lose my virginity. But, my boyfriend doesn’t support me in this decision. He is pressurising me. What should I do?

Dear disturbed kid, You mustn’t cave in just because someone is pressurising you. If you do, you will end up regretting your decision and in spite of you loving your boyfriend you will accuse him for putting pressure on you. If you feel strongly about this, then you should stick to your decision and wait for the wedding night to lose your virginity. There are many guys out there who will respect your decision. So do not worry about him leaving you.

acebook is a mirror and Twitter is a megaphone, according to a new University of Michigan study exploring how social media reflect and amplify the culture’s growing levels of narcissism. The study, published online in Computers in Human Behaviour, was conducted by U-M researchers Elliot Panek, Yioryos Nardis and Sara Konrath. www.sciencedaily.com

KANCHAN AGARWAL

kanchan.a@postnoon.com

The letter Jiah Khan left for her boyfriend Suraj Pancholi clearly indicates that she had lost her self in the relationship. She had invested her all in him only to be disappointed. There are many among us who feel the same. Jiah Khan opted to end her life but that is not a solution.

he sad incident of Jiah Khan’s suicide compels you to wonder about a vital aspect of any relationship — individuality. Just like she had invested all of her being into her relationship, so do most of us. Just as she was met with disappointment, so are we. We forget who we are, who we want to be, and let our lives be all about the one person who we are convinced we are meant to spend our lives with. One wonders why such sacrifice and love must be met with no returns. “I have seen my friends who give the relationship everything they have and are left unhappy because they have high expectations. They think that their partner now owes them something. But no one owes anyone anything,” says Anjali Parvati Koda, a playwright. Jiah Khan felt compelled to end her life but that is not a solution. There is the

For a couple of

individuals

enriching option of investing in our individuality. “In a relationship, when you take care of yourself, things automatically fall in place,” says Hansika Rao* who has been happily married for three years now. Her marriage is a living example of how great sense of individuality is the key to a healthy relationship. “I recently went on a 10day all girls trip. My husband did not crib about it at all. That is just one example of how we give each other freedom. We have immense respect for each other as individuals,” she says. Hansika thinks when you are not occupied in a job or a hobby, your life is only about your partner leading to a great loss of a sense of individuality. “When this happens, they become just what the spouse wants them to be. They fail to see there is a life beyond that

relationship. When you work on your life, you can give a better life to your partner,” she adds. All of us, at one time or another have changed our lifestyles for a particular person. “Live your own life. Don’t change your lifestyle for the other person. If he likes clubbing, and you don’t, don’t make it a part of your lifestyle. Otherwise, you will resent it and be unhappy,” says Anjali. A relationship is well defined and balanced if both partners are just as individualistic. “If they are independent people with their own sense of space and identity, then they can make it work with someone who is like that, and understands it,” says 30-year-old Rizwan Ali*, soon to be married. A relationship that is about a couple of individuals, not only survives but flour-

ishes. To keep that going, communication seems an important factor. If you stop talking, you stop growing as well. When both people are strong individuals, it’s necessary for them to talk things through no matter how trivial they might seem. Money is the biggest example here. With individuality comes pride and if pride starts sneaking into a relationship when one person is supporting the other person financially for xyz reasons, then things get out of control. It is important to lay your cards out on the table. Talk it through,” explains Rizwan. If a relationship cannot respect the individual you are, you will find yourself in a state of struggle and unhappiness. You may drag it hoping for better days but is it really worth it? A thought must be spared on taking a stand and coming out of a relationship that is nothing more than habit now.

CINEMA SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

PAWAN KALYAN-TRIVIKRAM’S

film sets a new record

awan Kalyan’s upcoming film in Trivikram Srinivas’ direction is already setting new records even before completion. The film’s overseas rights were earlier bought for a whopping `7.5 crores and the latest news is that a leading TV channel has offered `9 crores for the film’s satellite rights. This is the highest ever price that has been quoted for a Telugu film and in recent times, the satellite rights of films like Seethamma Vaakitlo Sirimalle Chettu and Baadshah were sold for around `7-7.5 crores. Pawan Kalyan is teaming up with Trivikram Srinivas for the second time after Jalsa and expectations are sky high on the film. BVSN Prasad is producing the film and it also stars Samantha, Pranitha Subhash, Nadiya and Boman Irani in important roles. Currently, the film is being shot in Europe.

Bandh takes a toll on new releases

iddharth, Hansika starrer Something... Something has opened to good reviews and a positive word of mouth, but the film will have to wait a little longer before occupancy rates go up in theatres across Nizam region. On the first day of its release, most shows were cancelled in Hyderabad due to ‘Chalo Assembly’ rally called by Telangana Joint Action Committee. Following the violence on Friday TRS Chief K

Chandrasekhar Rao has called for a Telangana bandh on Saturday. Varun Sandesh, Nisha Aggarwal’s new film Saradaga Ammayilatho also met with a similar fate at the box-office yesterday. If the bandh wasn’t enough, the monsoon surely has dented the collections of new releases. It still remains to be seen if the new films feel the heat next week too, but for now the bandh has clearly taken a toll.

BALUPU’S

team in Bangkok

avi Teja, Shruti Haasan starrer Balupu is in the last leg of shooting. Anjali is playing an important role whereas Lakshmi Rai is making a cameo. Recently, a song was shot on Ravi Teja and Lakshmi Rai in Bangkok and the entire film’s shooting is going to be wrapped up today. Directed by Gopichand Malineni, Balupu is a mass entertainer and sources say that Ravi Teja is going to be back with a bang with this film. Writer Kona Venkat has also predicted that this film has all the makings of a blockbuster and earlier this month. Dil Raju bought the film’s distribution rights for Nizam region. Balupu is the first straight Telugu film to be produced by Prasad V Potluri under PVP Cinemas banner. Gopichand Malineni, who had earlier directed Don Seenu and Bodyguard, is all praises for Ravi Teja and Shruti Haasan. Ravi Teja will be seen in two different avatars in the film and the punch dialogues are expected to be a major asset in the film. On the other hand, Shruti Haasan is playing an ultra-glamorous role in the film and her scenes with Ravi Teja and Brahmanandam are going to be a total laugh riot. SS Thaman has scored the music and the audio has become a big hit. Jayanan Vincent is the cinematographer. Balupu is slated for release on June 28.

CINEMA SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

ukrey, loosely translated as ‘losers’ or ‘good for nothings’, is produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment. So instantly you can expect high production values, good content and something fresh. Add to this an almost entire cast of newcomers, makes you think that there must be something very special about this film, which made Farhan and Ritesh invest in it. So what was it and was it worth it? Directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba, who previously directed a not-so-impressive Teen Thay Bhai, Fukrey is definitely a comeback film for him. Set in Delhi, Fukrey very much has that north Indian feel that recent films

like Vicky Donor and Band Baaja Baaraat had. The story, written by Vipul Vig, follows the aspirations of three young guys dreaming of making it into university for that very reason many of us wanted to — the girls! However, in an exam results and academic fees driven world, the guys need to find ways to overcome those hurdles. The shortcuts the boys take, in order to cross their hurdles and achieve their dreams forms the crux of the madness that Fukrey becomes! To give away any more of the plot would simply be unfair. Kudos must be given to the producers for casting unknown

faces and as did the guys in Kai Po Che, the young actors from Fukrey simply rock, from the loveable Choocha [Varun Sharma], kickass Hunny [Pulkit Samrat], sweet Lali [Manjot Singh], to intense Zafar [Ali Fazal], each and every performance is extremely enjoyable to watch. What adds to this is some great comic dialogues and scenes which makes sure the cast leaves a lasting impression with you. Not to be outdone by the boys, Richa Chadda puts in a stellar performance as Bholi Punjaban, a

female gangster! Mrighdeep Singh Lamba, along with writer Vipul Vig, co-write the screenplay, which is peppered with some fantastic scenes and moments. However, it does have parts which could have been tightened up a little, which includes the running time, which sits at around 2 hours and 15 minutes. Ram Sampat’s music jazzes up the mood of the film.

Movie: Fukrey Cast: Pulkit Samrat, Manjot Singh, Ali Fazal, Priya Anand, Richa Chadda Directed by: Mrighdeep Singh Lamba

icture this. A mother watches her young son being wheeled into the operation theatre for a minor operation. The child never returns. Medical negligence is passe. Medical arrogance is the new menace. Enter a high-end sevenstar hospital and you’re bound to run into the incredibly arrogant Dr Asthana (Kay Kay Menon, back in fabulous form), who addresses the media as though he was obliging them by giving out information and who tells his junior, “Medicine is not just about healing. It’s also about making money. Who pays the bills of those who can’t

afford them? The rich of course.” Ankur Arora Murder Case is one of the most gripping moral dramas in recent times. The deftly crafted script raises the question of right and wrong in the medical profession without getting preachy or hysterical.

CONSCIENCE

Somewhere, Dr Asthana’s arrogance connects with each one of us who has in one way or another encountered dead ends in healthcare. The performances in both the first-half (the medical drama) and the second-half (the courtroom conflict) are all

Movie: Ankur Arora Murder Case Cast: Arjun Mathur, Kay Kay Menon, Vishakha Singh, Tisca Chopra, Paoli Dam Directed by: Mrighdeep Singh Lamba Rating:

AAMC hits the

supremely poised. The actors assume brilliancy without getting compromised by the need to shine. Tisca Arora’s bereaved mother’s act is so real and restrained. She gives us goose-

bumps when after her son’s death, she gets busy on her smartphone to fob off the terrible reality of the tragedy. Kay Kay Menon rediscovers the awe-inspiring actor within himself with a performance that leaves us repelled and fascinated. Arjun Mathur as the daring intern who takes on the mighty medicine man exudes integrity without brimming over with righteous indignation. Bursting at the seams with talent, director Suhail Tatari’s restorative drama hits us where it hurts the most. The conscience.

CINEMA SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Superhero revisionism

he trailers of this movie were released in so effective a way that you start to fear if the product will fill your expectations. And with the usual critics-know-abouteverything-nothing-is-goodto-me reviews, the chances of being confused about this are increasing. As high as the expectations were raised after trailers, you will not disappointed with this movie. It is different in many ways to the usual superhero movies but is a solid product that fits in with what you expect from this kind of film. References to previous movies are well executed and new plot additions are well received too. As you can expect from a Zack Snyder movie, there are several scenes that try to resemble graphic novel arts that are very well made. Some of the nicest things about this movie are the way they made the fast moving scenes. Most look very realistic according to the laws of physics. CGI

Movie: Man of Steel Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe Director: Zack Snyder

are so well made that you wish that development for many movies you seen before. The movements are what you expect if such kinds of people exist in reality. What you realize is that critics expect another Dark Knight but this movie is not looking to be a darker one of your

beloved Superman. The Krypton-bound opening sequence sets in place the economy of the storytelling. It is loud, visually staggering and does suffer from a strange pacing issue at times — both calm

and utterly chaotic — and yet we are drawn into this other world very quickly. Michael Shannon shines in these early scenes (as he does whenever he is on screen) and his anger and conviction are matched by Russell Crowe’s fatalistic and compassionate Jor-El. The differences between their

philosophies become touchstones for Snyder’s Man of Steel and there is a far more nebulous morality to the film at times. Though it is a retelling of the origins of Kal-El, there is a welcome economy to the characterisation while the world around them is expanded upon greatly. In summary, this is a super hero movie that even Marvel fans will appreciate as it is giving a whole new level to a classic story, turning the most beloved hero in an actual hero and mixing a great graphic novel specialist with great digital artists to give you a full action packed movie that make a good foundations for sequels.

It’s all about the bling M

ost of Sofia Coppola’s films take an ambivalent attitude toward fame, but The Bling Ring tackles the subject from a slight remove. The movie opens with a nighttime robbery, as teens scale a fence and slip, ninja-like, onto what at first glance would appear to be a wellsecured property. As the film jumps forward to their capture and then flashes back to tell their story (mitigated through media interviews), The Bling Ring clarifies that this is Orlando Bloom’s house. But the prologue — and its

security-cam, night-vision POV — establishes the movie’s unusual dual perspective. This is a tale of obsessive fans, superficially unfolding from their version of events but observed by Hollywood royalty, passively watching as onlookers storm the castle. Based on a Vanity Fair article by Nancy Jo Sales, The Bling Ring is inspired by an actual 2008–2009 rash of LA-area robberies, when a group of high-schoolers from Calabasas, California, managed to invade the estates of Bloom, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Megan Fox, and others, helping themselves to whatever they wanted. Dedicated to the late cin-

Movie : The Bling Ring Director: Sofia Coppola Cast: Emma Watson, Paris Hilton, Leslie Mann ematographer Harris Savides, who was unable to complete filming, The Bling Ring shoots each robbery with a perverse matter-offactness. It’s easily Coppola’s least flashy film, but that’s not to say it lacks poetry — the burglarising of Hills star Audrina Patridge’s home is shown in a single, gorgeous long shot. If the tone of lyrical crime saga has critics

name-checking Spring Breakers, The Bling Ring isn’t so much interested in provocation as sociology. Manufacturing this sort of fame is an exercise in mutual exploitation. Ostensibly victimised by the thefts, Paris Hilton is apparently healed enough to contribute a cameo — and flattered enough to allow Coppola to film in what’s reportedly her actual home. The movie captures a moment when the lines separating anonymity, fame, and notoriety are finer than ever. And as Watson’s social climber prattles on to reporters about what a great “learning lesson” her criminal experience has been, it’s easy to see another star in the making.

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

SUDOKU

THOUGHT OF THE DAY A sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world.

– John Locke

KAKURO

How to play kakuro

SCRIBBLING PAD

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.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Work out in the ring 5 Revolver brand 9 Letter flourish 14 Bindlestiff 15 Song for Pavarotti 16 New York burg 17 ‘___ Lang Syne’ 18 Divination practitioner 19 Starch-yielding palms 20 Orchid, often 23 Blockhead 24 Spleen 25 Orthodontist's org 28 Spill the beans 31 Bury 36 Computer errors 38 Numbered piece 40 ‘Coming of Age in ___’ 41 Old Faithful locale 44 Chow from a cow 45 A shade of beige 46 ‘If the ___ fits ...’ 47 Mark with multicolored spots 49 They're tailor-made 51 ‘... ___ a bottle of rum’ 52 Chicken ___ king 54 Voice derision 56 Patriotic display 65 Potato exporter 66 Something to draw or toe 67 Continental currency 68 Computer storage device 69 Greek god of war 70 Getz into jazz 71 Toyota alternative 72 Uses a Singer 73 Adult elvers DOWN 1 Carpet type 2 Do the honors at tea 3 Having the means 4 Expensive drive in Beverly Hills 5 Business owner's finan-

cial concern 6 Layered cookie 7 In ___ of (replacing) 8 Bones of the human ankle 9 Film genre 10 List lengthener 11 Capital on the Baltic Sea 12 Desktop item 13 Speedy 21 Capture, as a burglar 22 Old word meaning ‘before’ 25 Bottomless pit (archaic) 26 ‘___ circumstances beyond our control ...’ 27 Shoelace tip 29 Vaulted altar area 30 ‘___ Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’

32 Tune for lights out of the taro 33 University of Nebraska 58 ‘Fooey!’ city 59 ‘___ you think it was?’ 34 Egghead's antithesis 60 Blarney Stone land 35 Boston ___ beans 61 All over again 37 Blinds piece 62 Ancestor of a banjo 39 Aching 63 Caspian Sea tributary 42 Sooner State 64 Many, many millennia PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER 43 What Novocain creates 48 Manning of the Giants 50 Ground layer 53 Rand's shrugger 55 Corpulent 56 Full of calories 57 Edible root

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

The World

Three of Wands

Nine of Cups

Four of Swords

Four of Pentacles

Ten of Cups

ork – Your dream job may just have landed in your lap, or you will get a job that makes you test your skills even better. Romance – Sensuality is high. You feel great about your emotions. They’re sending positive vibes all around. Spend more time doing things you like. Health – Your weighing scale may be showing the results of all the indulgence on food and drink. This is not necessarily a bad thing as long as you’re happy. Money – Where you put your money is important. You make the right decisions and also reap benefits. Tarot message – Your wishes are about to come true, even if you didn’t know that it was good for you.

ork – Your intellect is put to the test and you pass this test with flying colours. Your suggestions are taken into account by seniors. Romance – Set aside some time each week to be with your partner and do whatever you feel like. Let it be time together without an agenda. Health – Increase your intake of natural food whenever possible. Don’t rely on supplements too much if you can avoid it. Money – All is well on the money front. Just check those shopping and eating-out bills and you’ll know where to cut down if you want to save more. Tarot message – Your head is ruling your heart right now. You need to work at a better balance of the two.

ork – There’s a rhythm and routine to your job, which you enjoy. You don’t want anything to disturb that rhythm, at least for the moment. Romance – There are opportunities to better your prospects on the romance front. Weigh your options before making a deep commitment. Health – Your mental stability comes from being secure in the knowledge that every other part of your life is well taken care of. Money – You have enough stored away for a rainy day, and this gives you the confidence to take some rash decisions with the money kept aside for investment. Tarot message – Don’t get too comfortable with financial security. Do things that interest you.

ork –You’ve been working in familiar territory for some time now. Challenge yourself by signing up for new tasks. Romance – Playing the lover boy/girl comes easily to you. Don’t get too carried away by the empty promises one makes. Stay practical. Health – You may need to change your perception about taking care of your health. Ensure that you’re doing enough to maintain good health. Money – Educate yourself on the new kinds of schemes and plans that are in the market. You will be surprised at all the investment options before you. Tarot message – You’re up for new challenges and to play new roles. Just don’t have expectations that you’ll get returns immediately.

ork – Don’t sweat the small stuff. You may also have some trust issues – you may trust too easily. Be on your guard and know that people do everything for a reason. Romance – If you’re missing the passion in your love life, only you are to blame. Romantic partnerships only go that far on chemistry. You need to keep working at it. Health – Bring in variations in your exercise and fool your body into believing it is getting a new routine that challenges it. Money – There is no problem on the finances front. Spend a holiday afternoon just organising all your papers into neat files so you find them easily. Tarot message – Go with the flow but also plan a little.

SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

Libra

Scorpio

Knight of Swords

King of Cups

ork – You get adventurous, especially if your job allows for creative pursuits. You’re bored of doing the same job in the same way and you seek change. Romance – A formulaic route to romance may or may not click with your partner. There will always be trouble if things seem more obligatory and less romantic. Health – Adrenaline rush can make you work only so much. You need to relax and pace yourself in everything you do. Money – There is enough for all your needs but if you’re greedy for more, you need to try out new ways of doing things. Tarot message – Try the new and push the limits of your own thinking. Get creative.

ork – There are leaders who don’t show their emotion and those who do. You belong to the latter. It’s good because your team will know your human side, too. Romance – You want to wield power in a relationship. Maybe you need to understand that the biggest power in love is to give the other person power over you. Health – If you’re hypertensive, take steps to effective treatment. There’s no point ignoring the problem and seeing it grow. Money – There is no dearth of any money for your needs. However, there is no end to your shopping and entertainment demands. Tarot message – Your emotions are ruling at the moment. Allow your head also to make practical decisions at times.

Sagittarius Eight of Cups

ork –There are some missing links in your job and you need to act fast to fill these. You are a relationship builder and hard worker. Protect your own interests. Romance – For those of you in relationships, you’re happy but missing something. You wish you had more, but you’re not sure what that could be. Health – Create a holistic health plan so you have it covered from all angles. There is no point doing more of one thing when it should be supplemented by others. Money – Real estate deals go well. You will be in a position to put away money in the right way to see it grow. Tarot message – Aim for holistic approach to everything that you do.

Date 16-6-2013

Capricorn

Aquarius

Page of Pentacles

Ace of Swords

ork – Your hard work and experience don’t go waste. If you’re looking for a job, these come to your rescue. Keep expectations low. Romance – You cannot behave immature anymore. Take responsibility and do what’s needed to gain security in the relationship. Health – Take charge of your health. Start an exercise routine, which you can maintain without a problem. Money – You have an upper hand in matters related to money. The ball is in your court and you need to take active steps to make it work for you. Tarot message – There will be many changes in the coming days. Take these in your stride. Don’t get too emotional or be stuck on things from the past. Move on.

ork – You may be getting too emotional about what a colleague says about you. There is no office without back-biting and gossip. Accept that you will be the subject of that gossip at times. Romance – Family life is going good. You have your hands full and have lots of things to do around the house. Health – You’re feeling great, and this is having a positive impact on your health. Those with illnesses can rely on their family for support during recovery. Money – Joint ventures work well, if you’re thinking on those lines. The vibes you share with your business partners are more important than the business plan. Tarot message – Sharing and bonding with people who care, and people you care about, are highlighted.

ork – Try to take the middle path and not get too carried away by your own idea of how things ought to work. Romance – You may come across as too cold or too indulgent depending on your mood. Your partner will be confused. Health – There will be problems with the way you are approaching specific health issues. It could be weight loss or tackling a chronic headache. Approach it holistically. Money – If you can take a home loan to increase tax savings you must seriously consider that option. Consult an expert for other such measures. Tarot message – You’re either in this extreme or that. Try to balance your life in such a way that you enjoy it to the fullest.

Pisces Queen of Pentacles

ork – There will be issues at the office when it comes to work allotment. Fight for your pound of flesh. You don’t have to play dirty. Just convey your point. Romance – You’re intuitive and that’s a good place to be, while in a relationship. Pay attention to your partner’s needs. Health – Anxiety and worry about the immediate future is giving you sleepless nights. Calm yourself down. Don’t resort to alcohol or other artificial substances. Money – Inflation is high. Take into account this rate as well when accounting for the household budget. Price rise will cause a dent. Tarot message – Planning and practicality are highlighted. Know that you need to stay grounded to get a clear view of things.

Vol: 2, No 330 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 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211

THE SATURDAY QUIZ SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

IN THE NEWS

state? 12. Who wears a white jersey in Tour de France? 13. Which country is the origin of Pepsi drinks company? 14. Odysseus was away from home for how many years? 15. Who played the title role in the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves? 16. When did William Harvey

discover the blood circulation system? 17. How many windows does a Roman Pantheon have? 18. When was pop star Madonna born? 19. After The Beatles, with whom did Paul McCartney partner with? 20. In what year was the first Miss World pageant held?

Answers

in which year? 7. How many minutes are there in a week? 8. When did David Livingstone discover Victoria Falls? 9. Who is the head of the state of Guam and Puerto Rico territories? 10. What is calcium carbonate also known as? 11. Is Aruba an independent

1. Yes 2. 2 3. My mate 4. 1966 5. Fish 6. 1088 7. 10080 8. 1855 9. The spanish king 10. Chalk 11. No 12. Highest placed rider under the age of 26 13. USA 14. 20 15. Kevin Costner 16. 1628 17. 1 18. 1958 19. Linda McCartney 20. 1956

1. Is Areni an Armenian wine? 2. In how many countries is the sale of Coca-Cola banned? 3. What is the meaning of the South African word 'my china'? 4. When was AR Rahman born? 5. What type of food in Armenian cuisine are Sig, Karmakhyat, Ishkhan? 6. Western world's oldest university in Bologna was founded

TEST YOURSELF

DO YOU KNOW YOUR SUPERHEROES?

CURRENT AFFAIRS

1 2

According to United Nations which country will surpass China to become the world's most populous nation around 2028?

HOW BIG A SUPERMAN FAN ARE YOU?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Who directed Superman (1978)?

Superman once travelled back in time and met a famous English playwright. Who is he?

Who won men's 200 metres during Diamond League athletics competition at Oslo? He also holds the record for covering the distance in 19.19 secs.

Which newspaper did Superman’s alter-ego Clark Kent work with?

3 4

Where will be the next World Heritage Committee be held?

Who are the creators of Superman?

Who is the ex-CIA employee who leaked secret US surveillance? 4

When was Superman the character created?

1. India 2. Jamaica's Usain Bolt 3. Cambodia 4. Edward Snowden

Answers

In how many Superman films did Christopher Reeve star in?

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY

Who is the editor at the Daily Planet? What is Superman’s birth name?

with Santosh Ghule Find what is camouflaged in this maze.

Answer for 70:

Under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Madhya Pradesh will conduct health screening of kids up to what age?

PICTURE PUZZLE 71

It’s vase of fish not flowers!

Against which country did India lose to in the quarterfinals round of the World Team Squash Championship?

Answers:1. Drax the destroyer 2. Flash 3. Aquaman 4. Catwoman

How long has UPA government been in power?

WHO AM I? I am an Academy award winning director and scriptwriter. I have also acted in movies. I am in the news for my movie on a group of fameobsessed teenagers.

Answer: Sofia Coppola

How many people will benefit from the food security bill?

Answers :

Which European noble prince has Indian ancestry?

1. Richard Donner 2. William Shakespeare. 3. Daily Planet newspaper 4. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster 5. In the 30s 6. Four 7. Perry White 8. Kal-El

1 2 3 4 5 6

What percentage of people in Goa speak Konkani?

1. 51 per cent 2. Prince William 3. 218 million people 4. Nine 5. Egypt 6. 18

Answers

SPORTS SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Andy aware of Tsonga threat

Andretti at top in Milwaukee

ndy Murray admits he will have to raise his game to get past JoWilfried Tsonga in the semis at Queen’s Club on Saturday. Murray moved into the last four of the event with a solid 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) victory over Benjamin Becker on Friday, but the world number two acknowledged it would need a more dynamic effort to subdue the sublimely talented Tsonga.

Big Three provide spark

ndretti Autosport dominated qualifying on Friday for the IndyCar race at The Milwaukee Mile, with pole winner Marco Andretti leading the way. The team’s four drivers all finished in the top five in qualifying for Saturday’s 250-mile race. Andretti was fastest with a two-lap average speed of 170.515 mph.

iami’s marquee trio rediscovered their form and the Heat responded to a loss with another double-digit victory as the NBA finals has now become a best-ofthree series. The Heat had to win in game four on Thursday to avoid going down three games to one to the San Antonio Spurs.

Brazil face Japan in opener

Players of Japan’s national football team take part in a training session at the National Stadium (Mane Garrincha) in Brasilia, on Friday on the eve of AFP/YASUYOSHI CHIBA the FIFA Confederations Cup.

BRASILIA: (AFP) - Brazil clash with Japan in Brasilia Saturday in the opening game of the Confederations Cup, an appetizer for the World Cup, which they will host next year. The two-week tournament, which ends June 30, gets underway after nationwide protests over higher transport prices and amid resentment over the huge investments made for sporting events while

deep social inequality festers. A three-time winner, Brazil are aiming for a fourth title but face stiff competition from Spain, Italy, Uruguay, Mexico, Nigeria, Japan and Tahiti. The eight teams are divided in two groups of four, with the two top teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals. If Brazil win Group A, they will then travel to Belo Horizonte -- for a June 26 semi-

Vasishta tennis tourney Men’s quarterfinals: P Ajay bt Shiva Prasad Reddy 7-4, Raja bt Prakash Guru 7-1, Prudhvi bt Addhi Raj Sandhu 7-2, C Justice bt K Santosh 7-5 Men’s semis: P Ajay bt Raja 7-5, C Justice bt Prudhvi 7-3 Men’s Finals: P Ajay bt C Justice 7-5 Women’s semis: R Nissi Raha bt C Francina 7-0, N Sowmya Naidu bt R Sanjana 7-1 Women’s final: R Nissi Raha bt N Sowmya Naidu 7-6(3)

Festivities to kick off this weekend PARIS: Fans will have the opportunity to commemorate the 100th edition of the Tour de France this weekend by taking to the course of cycling’s most famous stage race, two weeks ahead of the Grand Depart. The Tour will celebrate the milestone on Saturday with a host of events organised throughout most of France as part of the “Fete du Tour”. The celebrations are scheduled to take place in all cities through which the race, which gets underway in AFP Corsica on June 29, will pass.

final against either reigning South American champions Uruguay or African champions Nigeria, assuming current World Cup champions Spain win Group B. But a young Brazil squad, under Luiz Felipe Scolari and currently in 22nd place in the FIFA rankings, first needs to get past four-time Asian Cup champions Japan. “We need to beat Japan,” coach Scolari said Friday. “Losing the first game puts you in an very uncomfortable position.” Brazil’s young prodigy Neymar, who has just signed for Barcelona from Santos, warned that the Japanese, coached by the hugely-experienced Italian Alberto Zaccheroni, should not be taken lightly. The two teams have met nine times since 1989, with seven wins for the Brazilians and two draws. The Confederations Cup is seen as a key test of Brazil’s readiness to stage its first World Cup since 1950 a year AFP from now.

Bosh fined $5,000 for flop

SAN ANTONIO: Miami’s Chris Bosh was slapped with a $5,000 fine for flopping in game four of the NBA finals, the league announced on Friday. The incident took place 5:53 into the second quarter of the contest at AT&T Center which the Heat won 109-93 over the San Antonio Spurs to knot the bestof-seven series at two games apiece. Bosh was positioned near the Heat basket and next to San Antonio’s Tim Duncan. As the play was going on around him, Bosh suddenly threw both arms into the air and collapsed to the floor. He had to be helped to his

feet by teammate LeBron James. A surprised looking Duncan was called for an offensive foul on the play. Bosh’s fine comes less than a week after commissioner David Stern said the league would continue to crack down on exaggerated falls by fining players and even considering suspensions if it continues to be a problem. The league brought in fines for flopping this season and players now receive a $5,000 penalty for a first offence. Last month, Stern fined Heat star James and David West and Lance Stephenson of the Indiana Pacers $5,000 each for flopping in game four of the Eastern Conference finals. Stern said the next step in the crackdown would be to bring in suspensions, but he is not sure the league is willing to go that far. “You are not going to cause somebody to stop it for $5,000 when the average salary is $5.5 AFP million,” Stern said.

Anand begins with draw MOSCOW: World champion Viswanathan Anand opened his account with a draw against lowestranked Dmitry Andreikin of Russia in the second round of Tal Memorial Chess tournament here. After suffering a shock defeat at the hands of Italian Fabiano Caruana, Anand was back as a perfect defender against Andreikin who recently won the Russian championship. World number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway surged ahead in one of the strongest tournament ever after signing peace with Sergey Karjanik of Russia along with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan and Boris Gelfand of Israel. For the records, Alexander Morozevich drew with Mamedyarov while Gelfand scored a fine victory against Caruana. Carlsen, Gelfand and Mamedyarov took their tally to 1.5 points out of two rounds and they are now trailed by Hikaru Nakamura of the United States, Sergey Karjakin of Russia,

VISWANATHAN ANAND OPENED HIS ACCOUNT WITH A DRAW AGAINST DMITRY ANDREIKIN OF RUSSIA IN THE SECOND ROUND OF TAL MEMORIAL CHESS. Morozevich, Caruana and Andreikin a half point behind. Anand is at the ninth spot on half point while Russian Vladimir Kramnik is at the bottom of the table as he is yet to open his account. The day produced two decisive games out of a possible five. Gelfand defeated Caruana showing better preparation out of an English attack game while Nakamura got the better of Kramnik. For Anand the day was not so tough with black as Andreikin went for a solid setup in the Slav defense.

Anand had a to think a little but the Russian spent most of his time after the trade of queens in trying to work out an advantage that was not forthcoming. At one point Andreikin sacrificed a few pawns but Anand gave them back at the right juncture to ensure there was no imminent danger to his position. The draw was a just result. Kramnik convincingly got a slight better position against Nakamura’s King Indian defense and had all the chances to push for a victory. Instead the Russian went haywire and opted for an erroneous continuation that gave Nakamura enough counterplay and the American pounced on his chances to come out victorious. Carlsen, meanwhile, had little problems with black against Karjakin whose handling of the Anti-Berlin did not come good. At ease with himself, the Norwegian equalised without much problems and the draw did not PTI hamper his lead.

SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Rain, luck on SA’s side Proteas scraped their way into the semis on superior net run-rate after their rain-marred match against the West Indies ended in a tie. Julian GUYER Agence France-Presse

CARDIFF: South Africa scraped their way into the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy on superior net run-rate after their rain-marred match against the West Indies in Cardiff on Friday ended in a remarkable tie. West Indies, who had to win this match to go through to the last four, were exactly level on the Duckworth/Lewis system for rain-affected matches at 190 for six off 26.1 overs. But Australian umpires Rod Tucker and Steve Davis then decided the rain was too heavy to continue and took the players off the field for the final time at 7.43pm local time. Crucially, off what turned out to be the last ball of the match, with West Indies then ahead of their D/L target, Kieron Pollard was caught for 28 by Dale Steyn at third man off Ryan McLaren and his exit swung the match back to parity. The Proteas joined already-qualified India as one of the two semifinalists from Group B. For South Africa, often dubbed ‘chokers’ — a charge levelled at them by West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo on Thursday —there was belated satisfaction Friday in coming out on the right side of a result like this. At the 1992 World Cup semi-final against England in Sydney, South Africa were left with the impossible

task of scoring 21 off one ball under the old rain rule system when play resumed after bad weather. It was the first of several extraordinary exits from major tournaments and prompted the advent of the D/L system. Their 1999 World Cup semi-final tie with Australia at Edgbaston, saw South Africa go out following a pool

Champions Trophy points table Group A P W L T NR Pt Kiwis England Sri Lanka Australia

2 2 2 2

1 1 1 0

2 3 3 2

2 1 1 0

0 1 1 1

0 0 0 0

1 0 0 1

3 2 2 1

NRR

+1.048 +0.289 -0.517 -0.960

Group B India S Africa W Indies Pakistan

0 1 1 2

0 1 1 0

0 0 0 0

4 3 3 0

+0.979 +0.325 -0.075 -1.108

loss to the Aussies. Former Proteas paceman Allan Donald, in Cardiff on Friday as South Africa’s bowling coach, played in both of those heartbreaking matches. And in 2003 he was an injured member of the squad when World Cup hosts South Africa bowed out after a failure to correctly interpret the D/L sheet saw them tie with Sri Lanka, rather than win, in Durban. “We have been on the losing side of things like this,” said South Africa captain AB de Villiers.

“I feel bad for West Indies, this is part of the game. It was in the back of my mind. It was difficult. The ball was getting wet. We needed to be calm, and we were,” he added. “I’m just glad Dale held on to that catch at the end,” he said after South Africa narrowly avoided a fourth exit from a major event at the hands of the West Indies. Meanwhile, Bravo refused to criticise the officials. “We were hoping we could get back to the field,” said the all-rounder. The umpires have a job to do, they did it to the best of their ability. The way we played we deserved to finish with a better result, but it is out of our control.” South Africa’s Colin Ingram was named man-of-the-match for his quickfire 73 out of 230 for six in a rain-reduced 31 overs. West Indies’ Chris Gayle fell for 36. Marlon Samuels smashed a six and two fours off three successive McLaren deliveries before handing out similar treatment to Robin Peterson. But having just pulled Steyn, playing his first match of the tournament following a side strain, for four, next ball the speedster out-thought him by knocking out his middle stump with a full length delivery. Samuels’ 48 took just 38 balls. The West Indies, the World T20 champions scored 72 runs off seven overs before Pollard fell. And that, combined with the rain, sealed their fate.

SCORE BOARD

Fans watch the rain affected ICC Champions Trophy match between West Indies and South Africa at the Cardiff Wales Stadium in Cardiff, south Wales on Friday. AFP/ANDREW YATES

South Africa C. Ingram c DM Bravo b Pollard 73 H. Amla c Gayle b Samuels 23 de Villiers c DM Bravo b Rampaul 37 JP Duminy c Charles b DJ Bravo 2 F. du Plessis run out (DJ Bravo) 35 D. Miller c Sammy b DJ Bravo 38 R. McLaren not out 7 R. Peterson not out 0 Extras (b2, lb4, w9) 15 Total (6 wkts, 31 overs) 230 Bowling: Rampaul 6-0-37-1, Best 50-35-0, Narine 7-0-47-0; Sammy 20-18-0; DJ Bravo 5-0-43-2, Samuels 2-0-14-1; Pollard 4-0-30-1 West Indies C. Gayle c Du Plessis b Morris 36 J. Charles c De Villiers b Steyn 16 D. Smith lbw Peterson 30 M. Samuels b Steyn 48 DM Bravo run out (Amla/McLaren) 12 K. Pollard c Steyn b McLaren 28 DJ Bravo not out 8 D. Sammy not out 0 Extras (lb5, w7) 12 Total (6 wkts, 26.1 overs) 190 Bowling: Duminy 3-0-29-0 (1w); Tsotsobe 6-0-37-0 Steyn 6-0-33-2 (1w); Morris 4-0-30-1 (1w); Peterson 4-0-22-1; McLaren 3.1-0-34-1 Match tied

West Indies’ Kieron Pollard reacts as he leaves the field after getting out during the ICC Champions Trophy match against South Africa at the AFP/ANDREW YATES Cardiff Wales Stadium in Cardiff, South Wales on Friday.

30&31

‘India match like a final’

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq said that he regarded the clash against India as a final, even though his team has crashed out of the race. Kuldip Lal Agence France-Presse

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan cap-

Just one more ball: Bravo

CARDIFF: West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo (in pic) regretted the fact his side were denied one more ball to win the match after they bowed out of the Champions Trophy following a tie with South Africa. After rain reduced Friday’s fixture in Cardiff to 31 overs per side, South Africa, sent into bat by Bravo, made 230 for six on the back of man-of-thematch Colin Ingram’s 73, as well as handy contributions from David Miller (38) and Proteas captain AB de Villiers (37). West Indies were in trouble at 87 for three but Marlon Samuels (48) and Kieron Pollard (28) both scored at better than a run-a-ball to get the World Twenty20 champions back on track. However, when Pollard was dismissed off what turned out to be the last ball of the match, the West Indies went from being in a winning position to exactly dead level on the Duckworth/Lewis method for deciding rainaffected matches at 190 for six off 26.1 overs. The umpires then took the players off the field for the final time because of rain and while both sides received a point for a tie, it was South Africa who qualified for the last four because of their superior net run-rate.

I must say I am disappointed with how the game ended, but I am not disappointed with what the umpires did. Dwayne Bravo West Indies Captain

tain Misbah-ul Haq said on Friday that he regarded the Champions Trophy clash against archrivals India as a “final”, even though his team has crashed out of the race to be in the last four. The last group B match at Edgbaston, which was billed as the showpiece game of the eightnation event, holds only academic interest since India are already through to the last four and Pakistan have no chance of qualifying. But Misbah (right in pic) said his team wanted to sign off on a winning note, hoping to lessen the blow for disappointed fans with a face-saving win over Pakistan’s south Asian neighbours and bitter rivals. “Whenever we play each other it’s like a final for everybody,” Misbah told reporters after his team’s training session at the ground in Birmingham, central England. “It’s still a very important game even though we may be out of the tournament. India and Pakistan have more followers of cricket than any other team and they all like to see us play each other.” Birmingham is one of Britain’s most ethnically diverse cities with people of Pakistani origin making up the biggest group — ensuring vocal support for Misbah’s men.

According to the 2011 Census, 13.5 percent of the city or nearly 145,000 people classed themselves as of Pakistani origin compared with nearly 65,000 of Indian origin (6.0 percent). Pakistan were let down by poor batting in the two games, having been bowled out for 170

by the West Indies and then dismissed for 167 by a depleted South African attack missing frontline strike bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. But Misbah, who top-scored in both matches, said he expected his team to rise to its potential against India since the pres-

sure was off. “It’s just one more game for us, there is no pressure on us now,” he said. “It gives us a chance to prove ourselves on the field, express ourselves freely and win back our pride.” Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s World Cup champions showed awesome batting form against South Africa and the West Indies, but Misbah said Pakistan’s 2-1 one-day series win in India in December-January will give his side confidence. “We have the bowlers to contain India,” he said. “They bowled so effectively in that series in India and will be confident of doing that again. India have played well in this tournament, so beating them will be very satisfying.” Dhoni agreed with Misbah that Saturday’s game was important, but insisted that was not only because the opponents were Pakistan “It does not matter which side you are playing because all international sides are good, so there is no point taking any added pressure,” he said. “The India-Pakistan game is always a big game. Both sides are more mellowed now than was the case in the 1980s and 1990s, and that is good for cricket. But the intensity is the same and that makes it very entertaining for spectators.” Dhoni expected Pakistan to play a hard game on Saturday, but said the result could depend on how the rivals approached the game. AFP

England wait on Trott ahead of Kiwi clash CARDIFF: Jonathan Trott (right) could miss England’s must-win Champions Trophy match against New Zealand in Cardiff with a quad injury. Often criticised for slow-scoring, Trott has nevertheless been a reliable source of runs in the 50-over format, scoring over 2,500 runs at an impressive average of 52.56. England view the Warwickshire right-hander, who bats at number three, as their one-day anchor man, providing a launch-pad for more dynamic batsmen later in the innings. It was the role Trott played in top-scoring for England with 76 at The Oval on Thursday in a seemingly challenging total of 293 for seven that Sri Lanka overhauled during a seven-wicket win thanks to an outstanding 134 not out from senior batsman Kumar Sangakkara. Trott was off the field for much of the Sri Lankan star’s innings and he now faces a fitness test to see if he will be

JONATHAN TROTT COULD MISS ENGLAND’S MUST-WIN CHAMPIONS TROPHY MATCH AGAINST NEW ZEALAND IN CARDIFF WITH A QUAD INJURY.

available to face New Zealand, a match labelled a “quarter-final” by England captain Alastair Cook and one the hosts will likely need to win if they are to reach the last four. “Jonathan had a tight right quad and we thought the best thing to do was to get him off before things got significantly worse,” said England assistant coach Richard Halsall. “We have to have a look at

him tomorrow (Saturday) at training and we don’t know yet if he’ll be fit.” Meanwhile Halsall insisted Trott’s critics were ill-informed. “Trott’s in the top 10 one-day batsmen in the world and he builds a magnificent platform for us,” he said. “It’s always reassuring to have him there. People who continue to talk about him haven’t really looked at the black and white facts. “He continues to put us in a position to score big scores which we should defend, like

yesterday (Thursday).” Halsall’s comments were a reflection of the fact England only took three wickets against Sri Lanka. We were expecting to win the game at halfway,” said Halsall. “We didn’t bowl in the disciplined manner we did against Australia (a match England won by 48 runs) in the first game and we couldn’t hammer out the consistent lengths we did against Australia. Against world-class batsmen you have to be world class when you’re bowling and we weren’t. Our bowlers would say we should defend that total and we didn’t.” As well as Trott, England could also be without seamer and hard-hitting lower-order batsman Tim Bresnan against New Zealand. Bresnan’s wife was due to give birth to the couple’s first child during the one-day series against New Zealand that preceded the Champions Trophy.

SPORTS SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2013

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still Phil, but Tiger looms Second round scores Note: 68 players unable to complete second round due to nightfall 139 - Billy Horschel (USA) 72-67, Phil Mickelson (USA) 67-72 140 - Luke Donald (ENG) 68-72, Steve Stricker (USA) 71-69, Justin Rose (ENG) 71-69 141 - John Senden (AUS) 70-71, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 69-72 142 - Mathew Goggin (AUS) 68-74 143 - Tiger Woods (USA) 73-70, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 73-70, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP) 71-72, Ernie Els (RSA) 71-72, Matt Bettencourt (USA) 72-71 144 - Geoff Ogilvie (AUS) 74-70, Bo Van Pelt (USA) 73-71, Russell Knox (SCO) 69-75 145 - Scott Langley (USA) 75-70, Kyle Stanley (USA) 71-74 146 - Justin Hicks (USA) 73-73, K.J Choi (KOR) 7076, Jamie Donaldson (WAL) 73-73, Webb Simpson (USA) 71-75, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 71-75 147 - Paul Lawrie (SCO) 76-71, Lee Westwood (ENG) 70-77, Carl Pettersson (SWE) 72-75, Bio Kim (KOR) 72-75, Adam Scott (AUS) 7275, Bubba Watson (USA) 71-76, Matt Kuchar (USA) 74-73 148 - David Howell (ENG) 77-71, Peter Hedblom (SWE) 70-78, Martin Kaymer (GER) 76-72, Michael Weaver (USA) 74-74, Kevin Chappell (USA) 72-76, Josh Teater (USA) 7474, Morten Orum Madsen (DEN) 74-74, Steven Alker (NZL) 73-75, Alistair Presnell (AUS) 73-75, Jim Herman (USA) 76-72, Dustin Johnson (USA) 71-77, Brandt Snedeker (USA) 74-74 149 - Chris Williams (USA) 75-74, Michael Thompson (USA) 71-78 150 - Brian Stuard (USA) 75-75, Morgan Hoffmann (USA) 76-74, Casey Wittenberg (USA) 79-71, Steven Fox (USA) 76-74 151 - Zach Johnson (USA) 74-77, Bae Sang-Moon (KOR) 77-74, Max Homa (USA) 73-78, Gavin Hall (USA) 74-77 152 - Brendan Steele (USA) 76-76, David Toms (USA) 75-77, Marcus Fraser (AUS) 79-73, Hwang Jung-Gon (KOR) 75-77, Brandon Brown (USA) 75-77, Keegan Bradley (USA) 77-75 153 - Marc Leishman (AUS) 78-75, Graeme McDowell (NIR) 76-77, Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 79-74, Branden Grace (USA) 70-83, Jordan Spieth (USA) 77-76 154 - Estanislao Goya (ARG) 71-83, Scott Piercy (USA) 78-76, Eddie Pepperell (ENG) 77-77, Jesse Smith (USA) 73-81 155 - Darren Clarke (NIR) 80-75, Angel Cabrera (ARG) 74-81

Boggle

Agence France-Presse

ARDMORE: Battling to finally win his first US Open after five runner-up finishes, Phil Mickelson sank a 25foot birdie putt at the 18th hole Friday to grab a share of the secondround lead. The dramatic putt from the edge of the green in the gloom of twilight rolled straight into the middle of the cup to complete a two-over par 72 second round that left the US left-hander on one-under 139 for 36 holes at Merion Golf Club. "It was a nice way to finish. I fought hard all day, let a lot of birdie opportunities slide early and in the middle of the round. I fought hard to stay in there and hit a lot of good quality shots. Made a bunch of good pars." Mickelson, who turns 43 on Sunday, was level in the clubhouse with fellow American Billy Horschel, who missed the cut at the 2006 US Open in his only prior major. But Mickelson felt he should have done more with the round. "It was the birdie opportunities that I didn't capitalize on," he said. "Had I made one, I would have changed the momentum of the round. I played well even though I didn't feel the score was what I thought it should be." Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion who won another major at the 2005 PGA Championship, finished second at the US Open in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2009 but appeared primed to charge at the title that has so long eluded him. "It's fun having a chance heading into the weekend," he said. "The way I have control off the tee and as good as the putter is, even though it didn't show today, I'm very excited about the opportunity this weekend." Horschel, who also birdied 18, fired a 67, the day's low round when darkness halted play with 68 golfers still on the course needing to finish round two on Saturday, a result of Thursday storms that halted play more than four hours. Mickelson opened with a bogey then followed with 10 pars before missing a three-foot par putt at the 12th and finding a bunker to set up a bogey at 13. Mickelson grinded out four more pars before sinking his lone birdie to match Horschel, who became the first player to hit all 18 greens in regulation in a round at a US Open since the statistic was first compiled in

Phil Mickelson of United States reacts to his biddy putt on the 18th green finishing his second round of the US Open at Merion Golf Club Friday in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. AFP/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI

BATTLING TO FINALLY WIN HIS FIRST US OPEN AFTER FIVE RUNNER-UP FINISHES, PHIL MICKELSON SANK A 25-FOOT BIRDIE PUTT AT THE 18TH HOLE TO GRAB A SHARE OF THE SECONDROUND LEAD. 1992. Horschel, who won his first PGA title two months ago in New Orleans, birdied the par-5 second and par-4 10th and 11th holes. He took his lone bogey at the par-3 13th but closed with a birdie. "Everything seems good," he said. "I've just got to stay patient and keep committing and executing every shot and I'll be OK on Sunday. Sharing third on level par 140 in the clubhouse were England's Luke Donald and Justin Rose and 46-yearold American Steve Stricker, whose best result in a major was a runnerup spot to Fiji's Vijay Singh at the 1998 PGA Championship. Rose and Stricker each fired 69s, both just finishing before play was halted by darkness, while Donald shot 72. "It's fantastic (to be a contender) - that's the job of the first two rounds, to get yourself in striking distance," Rose said. All three had to finish parts of

their first round on Friday morning as well, so Rose finishing before dark was crucial, avoiding an early morning return to play one hole then having to wait until afternoon for round three. "That was huge. That lying in in the morning is going to feel very good," Rose said. "I think it could be worth shots tomorrow, there's no doubt. It's very difficult to go back to bed and then get up and feel kind of energetic." Also on level par but yet to finish their second rounds were England's Ian Poulter, who had four holes remaining, and Taiwan amateur Pan Cheng-Tsung, who birdied the second and fifth holes but must finish the back nine when play resumes at 7:15 a.m. (1115 GMT) Saturday morning. "I'm really happy with my performance," Pan said. "I'm two-under (for the round). I think that's a good score for me and I'm very satisfied. And I still have 45 holes to go. I've got lots of work to do and I need to finish it." World number one Woods, a 14time major champion seeking his first major title since the 2008 US Open, fired a second-round 70 to finish 36 holes on 143, only four back of Mickelson and Horschel. Joining him in the clubhouse in a share of 17th were second-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, reigning British Open champion Ernie Els of South Africa, American Matt Bettencourt and Spain's AFP Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

ENGLISH TRIO OUT TO END DROUGHT GLOVE FIELD COACH PITCH CATCH

Suduko

ARDMORE: Hopes of a first English

Number game

Scrabble

SOLUTIONS

Jim Slater

win at the US Open since Tony Jacklin 43 years ago were rising on Friday with Justin Rose, Luke Donald and Ian Poulter all in contention at Merion Golf Club. Rose (69) and Donald (72) both finished the day on level par, just one stroke back from joint

leaders Phil Mickelson and Billy Horschel. Poulter had yet to finish his second round, but he too was on level par with four holes to go. Along with Lee Westwood and Paul Casey, the three friends have long been regarded as a golden generation of English golfers. AFP