Epaper 16 october 2013

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013 HYDERABAD

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

WEATHER: VARIABLY CLOUDY WITH A PASSING SHOWER; 29°C

Ben Affleck’s new film Runner Runner, has been panned by critics and film-goers alike, with some even compa ring it to his 2003 mega-turkey Gigli. Some films are so bad they achieve cult status, here are a few gobblers that you really must see…just for a laugh.

TURKEY SHOOT

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

THE

STREETLIGHT BLUES REPORT ON P4

The manual switching on and off of streetlights is proving to be quite the power-waster. So the GHMC has decided to use an automatic system that switches the lights on at dusk and off at dawn; so far so good. But sources allege that the contract to outfit the mechanism is not going to the best company for the job, rather it’s being given out for ‘different’ reasons.

PRICE SLAMS ANDRE FOR 'TRASHING' HER CAREER........ P28

ENGLAND HEADING TO BRAZIL...... P32

P16&17

Model Katie Price has slammed ex-husband Peter Andre for "trashing" her career.

She has also hit out at the singer for destroying their ‘happy family’.

32 PAGES

`3

2

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

city events

TREKKING TIME

Hear ye! Hear ye! All outdoor enthusiasts are going to be thrilled with this piece of information. The Great Hyderabad Adventure Club is organising a 15 day trip to Kathmandu. Drop in at GHAC’s website for more information regarding the trip.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

Morning

Afternoon

24°C

20°C

25°C

32°C

Sunny with cloudy periods

A mix of cloud and sun

Mix of cloudy and clear skies

A mix of cloudy and clear skies.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 39 Max 35 Min 25 Min 29 Sunny

Sunny

Chennai Max 35 Min 28

Bangalore Max 28 Min 20

Mix of cloud and sun

Thundershowers

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES WORKSHOPS

Vishal-Shekar live in concert Gear up for a musical evening filled with all masti and fun with VishalShekar.

Where: Hitex Exhibition Centre, Madhapur When: October 19, 7pm onwards, Contact: 9959547935

Young Picasso Art & Craft Workshop The event is for kids between age group 4 and 16 years. The workshop includes different types of fun activities and many more.

Where: Books N More, Library and Activity Centre, Plot No. 292, Street No. 6, West Marredpally When: Until October 19, 10:30am to 1:00pm Contact: (040) 27800722

Little Blue Planet Commissioned by Jindal Steel Works foundation, this show titled 'The Little Blue Planet' aims at presenting the occurrence of rapid climate change that the world is experiencing today.

Where: Shilpakala Vedika, Jubilee Enclave, Hitech City Road, Madhapur When: October 29, 6:30pm onwards Contact: (040) - 23112704/ 05/ 07/ 9246293943

Let’s learn Scrabble If you want to become a pro at the game of Scrabble, then this workshop is right for you. Check out the Intensive Scrabble Workshop.

Where: Our Sacred Space, Secunderabad When: October 15-16, 10am to 5pm

DEVOTIONAL FERVOUR: Muslims disperse after offering special prayers at Mecca Masjid on the occasion of Bakrid PIC: N SHIVA KUMAR festival this morning.

Where: Vivanta By Taj Hotel, Lobby Level, 1-10-147&148, Mayuri Marg, Begumpet When: Until October 26, 11.30pm2.30am Contact: (040) 67252626

Contact: 90300-13344

DINING Lunch with a Punch If you are looking for new places to eat at, then do check out The Yellow Chili’s new lunch buffet.

Where: The Yellow Chilli E3-E4, 4th Floor, Kimtee Square, Road No. 12, Banjara Hills When: Until October 31, 12:30pm 3:30pm Contact: (040) 23383838 Midnight Buffet Looking for an awesome midnight meal? Head to Viva at Vivanta by Taj and relish the best of culinary indulgences served at the midnight buffet

GAS BOOKING IVRS NO HP 9666023456 Indane 9848824365 BSNL Complaints HMWS & SB Complaints

198 155313

POLICE CONTROL ROOM Hyderabad 27852435 Traffic Control Room 27852482 DCP Traffic 23234065, 23243499F Pollution Control Board 23887500 ELECTRICITY General Complaints Breakdown Section

SHOWS Silver Linings Playbook Silver Linings Playbook is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by David O. Russell, adapted from the novel The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick.

Where: Sarathi Studio, Ameerpet When: October 19, 6:30pm Contact: 9391020243 Lunch Specials If you are looking to stuff yourself during lunch, then the best place to

Commissioner & Spl Officer

Helpline

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

head to is Nautanki Galli which offers an expansive lunch buffet. Take a walk after if you don’t want to fall asleep when you get back to work.s Where: Nautanki Galli, Madhapur When: Everyday, 12:30 pm onwards Contact: 7893010000

23262266 24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833169, 27824216 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333

Play A play in Hindi titled, Ji Jaisi Aapki

WATER SUPPLY Complaint Cell Sewerage Complaint Hyd. Water Supply HOSPITAL General Hospital, Sec-bad Niloufer Hospital, Red Hills NIMS, Director, Punjagutta Osmania General Hospital Railway Hospital, Lalaguda Apollo, Jubilee Hills Care Hospital, Banjara Hills Care Hospital, Nampally Care Hospital, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital, LB Nagar

155313 23307328 23313163

27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999

BLOOD BANKS Blood Bank,Narayanguda Chiranjeevi Blood Bank Blood Bank Mediton Goal Red Cross, Vidyanagar ADRM Blood Bank Mythri Charitable Trust NTR Memorial Trust Care Banjara Hills

Marzi, by theatre group Udaan wil be staged. Make sure to mark your calendars.

Where: La Makaan, Adj lane to CBAY, Off Road No. 1, Banjara Hills When: October 19, 7:30pm onwards Contact: Saurabh - 8237209992 Green Bandits Pushed over the edge, 3 environment-friendly bank robbers set out to rob a bank and record their heist.

A fictional political-thriller inspired by true events - the recent British Petroleum Oil Spill and the 1984 Union Carbide Gas Explosion at Bhopal. It weaves real world events and footage with fiction - both to entertain and to inspire.

Where: Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad, Journalist’s Colony, Road No. 3, Banjara Hills When: October 18, 6:30pm onwards Contact: (040) - 23350443

27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

AMBULANCES Apollo 23548888, 23607777 Kamineni 24022222 Medwin 23202902, 23204616 Smile Line Dental Hospital 23747979 Red Cross 27627973 Niloufer Hospital 23314095 Gandhi 23320332 AIRLINES

French Film French film La Faute A Voltaire is an account of the experiences of a young North African illegal immigrant in Paris.

Where: Prasad Labs Preview Theatre, Road No. 2, Near LV Prasad Eye Hospital, Banjara Hills When: October 18, 6:30pm onwards Contact: Alliance Francaise of Hyderabad - 2355-4485 / 86 Pinktober Go pink this October! The hot spot of music lovers, Hard Rock Cafe lends its support to the subject of breast cancer this month.

Where: Hard Rock Cafe, GVK One Mall, Road No. 1, Banjara Hills When: Until October 31, 12pm1.30am Contact: 7569016340

Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings.

For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec-bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999 UK VISA OFFICE VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7

Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or # Plot no.550-A1, 3rd floor, Road no-92, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad-500033 a call on a call on 2354 1412

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

news

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

HAS THE GOVERNMENT PERFORMED SATISFACTORILY IN DEALING WITH CYCLONE PHAILIN? 88% 12%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

IS NITISH KUMAR GOVERNMENT’S DECISION TO WAIVE TAX FOR CHEWING TOBACCO JUSTIFIED? A)

YES

TRAGEDY

Mystery surrounds young boy’s death

Lack of a response to private medical care leads parents to desperate measures.

MOHD SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

A

young boy, Vinay Kumar, 12, died under suspicious circumstances in a private hospital situated at Trimulgherry in Secunderabad two days ago. His family members have alleged that his death was caused due to negligence on the part of the hospital’s doctors. The Trimulgherry police have registered a case against the hospital.

Hospital sources, however, told police that the parents had taken the boy out of hospital

AROUND THE

CITY

against their medical advice and he was then subjected to a “spiritual cure by a caretaker of a dargah in Trimulgherry”.

It is alleged that a special ‘dua’ of Khuda was conducted to save the boy. “After a day spent in the dargah, the boy’s condition appeared to worsen and he was taken back to hospital where he died,” said Vinod Kumar, Assistant Commissioner of police Begumpet.

The boy was a student of a government school and lived

with his parents in Lalbazaar.

He has been suffering from ill health for some time. He had breathing problems and other complications. The parents claim that in spite of paying nearly `1,00,000 in medical bills to the hospital, they failed to cure the boy, and it was this that led them to seek a ‘spiritual’ cure.

After the death of their son, the parents turned against the hospital and staged a dharna alleging medical negligence. It is because of the ineptitude of the hospital that the parents were led to believe in spiritual cure, it was alleged.

B)

NO

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

CRIME The gang from UP and Bihar has been terrifying the city, robbing people, burgling, and even committing murders for gain.

9-member gang of dacoits arrested

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

I

n a major breakthrough the Balanagar police of Cyberabad zone have arrested a 9member gang of hardened criminals who had been doing wreaking havoc in Cyberabad areas and Medak district. Police have seized stolen goods worth `15 lakh from them.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Balanagar, S Ranga Reddy said one gang member belonged to Bihar and UP. One Rajesh Kumar Yadav, the kingpin formed the gang seven years ago.

3

Property Recovered n n n n n n n n

Huge quantities of stolen copper tubes and coils.

One country-made revolver along with four live rounds.

Two LCD TVs. Two Table Fans.

Three Knives.

Three Iron rods.

DCM Vehicle Br.No. AP 30 T 6822.

All Worth `15,00,000/-

The gang which was once arraigned in 2006 has committed two murders for gain, four robberies, four breaking and entering and several thefts.

4

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE Protest against dengue

L

ast year we had reported how TDPcorporators tied banners at various places welcoming the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the COP-11 with an image of a mosquito. This was in a bid to protest against the dengue menace in the City. Banners with the slogan “Mosquito-Mosquito kiss the PM,” written in Telugu were placed at several of the routes on the day.

OCT 16, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

100

elephants were killed by poachers using toxic cyanide in one of Africa’s prime elephant sanctuary over the past two months, said Zimbabwe’s National Park and Wildlife Authorities.

For the sake of her family, loved ones and all concerned, it is to my agonizing shame that I must confess to this terrible crime.

William Happ Death row inmate See page 8

THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the world functions.

1

Street light on automatic mode GHMC is going to install switch timer system that ensures lights come on after sunset and switch off at daybreak.

2

Fast and malodorous: Bangkok’s boat network As the city of 12mn grinds to a virtual standstill at peak times, many commuters have turned to the 30 kilometer long canal. But the boats are not for the faint-hearted.

3

Kangaroo checks in Australian Airport Australian police had to lock down part of Melbourne Airport after a kangaroo bounced into the terminal and surprised passengers shopping in a pharmacy.

4

Eleanor Catton is youngest to bag Booker Catton picked up the 2013 prize at a ceremony at London’s Guildhall, becoming only the second New Zealander to win the award.

5

Hyderabad Triathlon will be bigger and better Fourth edition of the Hyderabad Triathlon 2013 is expected to draw 1,000 participants.

WISDOM, FINALLY...

Linemen, who are charged with the maintenance and operation of street lights, has been found erratic.

GHMC is going to use nature-switchtimer system that ensures lights come on after sunset and switch off in the morning.

But there are objections about the contract and other formalities.

ALEENA ALICE Aleena.t@postnoon.com

W

e often find street lights on during day time. This results in waste of energy and a bigger energy bill to the GHMC. The Corporation has now decided to switch to automatic system.

Besides the issue of the linemen not being prompt, there has been deficiency of manpower, civic officials point out.

Officials said that in the next six months all the street lights in the GHMC limits would be changed with the nature-switch- timer system.

Nature-switch is an affordable off-the-shelf alternative to traditional lighting controls.

Street light on auto mode soon

There are presently about 2,000 nature-switch-timer lights fixed in the various places in city as a demo and almost 1,500 of them found working fine; the officials are satisfied with the performance and have given the permission to get the lights for whole city.

Speaking to Postnoon, superintendent engineer of town planning, Sreeramulu, said that to save power, GHMC decided to get timers for all the street lights which would work automatically. “No need for man power to operate these lights. It costs a little more, but we can save huge amount on electricity bills,” he said.

“There are about 35 lakh street-lights in the city. The

AROUND THE

CITY

Objections have been raised in some corners, as the contract has been given to a company favoured by the ruling party.

GHMC needs to buy nearly 26,000 timers for the existing lights, each cost `8,000 and total expenditure for the lights would be `20 crore,” he said.

Objections have been raised in some corners, as the contract

has been given to a company favoured by the ruling party.

Bhartiya Janata Party floor leader Bangaru Prakash said that there are many international companies from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand which provide the same technology for much cheaper prices, but it is incomprehensible why GHMC is purchasing the same from Kakatiya Energy Systems company.

“We demand that the contract should be distributed among two or more companies, to maintain transparency; giving contracts to a single company is improper, for the company that has the contract can act in an arbitrary manner.”

ANIMAL TROUBLE

Kangaroo checks in Australian airport MELBOURNE: Australian police had to lock down part of Melbourne Airport Wednesday after a kangaroo bounced into the terminal and surprised passengers shopping in a pharmacy.

Wildlife rescue volunteers were called in to tranquilise and capture the distressed eastern grey male, which had been hit by a car on his way to the building that services both international and domestic flights.

“Cyrus, as he has been aptly named after one of the helpers on the scene, will be assessed by a vet following his ordeal,” Wildlife Victoria said.

Australian comedian Julia Morris broke the news on Twitter, where photographs began circulating of the marsupial in the skincare aisle of the terminal’s pharmacy.

AROUND THE

NATION

“Ok, so I’m at Melbourne airport & a KANGAROO has just jumped into the chemist,” she tweeted, with the hashtags #notajoke, #soundslikeajoke, #mustneedaprescriptionfilled.

Australia’s national airline,

Qantas, features one of the animals on its livery and is known as the “Flying Kangaroo”, prompting jokes on social media sites.

Police locked down the chemist while rescuers were

called, and Wildlife Victoria said its emergency response team sped to the terminal where “the kangaroo was tranquilised and captured safely”.

The terminal is located close to bushland known to be frequented by kangaroos and although the tarmac is guarded to ensure the animals do not hop into the path of an aircraft, staff said kangaroos occasionally made their way into the site’s buildings.

In January one of the creatures led police on a chase through the airport’s multistorey carpark before it could be sedated and caught, following a similar incident in October 2012.

5

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

T BEDLAM

FESTIVAL FERVOUR

‘T creation will not stand scrutiny of law’ Is the Centre flouting constitutional propriety and legal demands in the creation of Telangana?

Seemandhra leaders seem to think so.

Alai Balai proves a visual delight Cutting across party lines, leaders of all political parties took part in the annual programme held in the City

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

MEENAKSHI SENGUPTA feedback@postnoon.com

A

fter the Seemandhra Congress leaders such as Lagdapati Rajgopal alleged highhandedness of the Congress leaders in Delhi creating Telangana, now comes a similar allegation of the TDP leaders who say the announcement of the creation of a state at a cabinet meeting was both legally and ethically wrong.

Only after Parliament gives its stamp of approval can a state be bifurcated.

TDP senior leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy today said the Centre has no right to go ahead with formation of Telangana State without the consent of Parliament.

Talking to the media at NTR Bhavan here on Tuesday, Somireddy said a mere cabinet decision resolution on the bifurcation of the State passed in the State Assembly has to be sent to the President, who in turn would send it to Parliament.

Somireddy asked whether the State Congress leaders have even met Union Home Minister

T TDP leaders say the announcement of the creation of a state at a cabinet meeting was legally and ethically wrong.

Sushil Kumar Shinde and Digvijay Singh on the issue of State bifurcation. The Centre is acting against the sentiments of Seemandhra people, who want a united state, he alleged.

Somireddy also questioned how the property of Vijayawada Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal had increased from ` 9.60 crore to `122 crore. He said Rajagopal had property worth `9.60 crore in 2004 and it has increased to `122 crore in 2009.

He further alleged that the prop-

AROUND THE

CITY

erty of YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy increased by 26,000 percent from 2004 to 2011.

Somireddy said former minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, who was facing charges in Jaganmohan Reddy assets case, is likely to shift his loyalty to the latter’s camp. He alleged that corrupt people have been joining hands and becoming a group.

Another leader from YSRCP too aired similar view stating that the announcement of a state at a press conference and cabinet was unheard of. They believe that the T creation, the way it was undertaken, will not stand scrutiny of law.

he ‘Alai Balai’ or 'Dasara Milap', an occasion to promote companionship and brotherhood among the people of the Telangana region, received an overwhelming response in the City yesterday.

Cutting across party lines, leaders of all political parties took part in the annual ‘Alai Balai’ programme hosted by the BJP National Vice-President Bandaru Dattatreya at Jal Vihar on the Necklace Road. He has been organising this event regularly after Dussera in the past few years.

Hundreds of people donning traditional attire thronged the event, with several groups such as the 'Lambadi', 'Bathukamma', 'Bonalu', and 'Dappulu' artistes welcoming guests and gently nudging the politicos to dance to the tunes of Telangana songs.

Women playing Bathukamma, folk artistes matching their step to the beats of dappu, caparisoned bulls

shaking a leg in tandem with their traditionally-attired handlers, Chindu Bhagavatham artistes showing their verve and Lambadas dancing in their colourful dresses, all provided a visual treat to the people. This was followed by a feast of Telangana dishes.

Bandaru Dattatreya said the programme promoted Indian culture and ethnic values.

Several leaders from different parties such as BJP, Congress, TRS, TDP attended the function and exchanged pleasantries.

AROUND THE

CITY

NATION BRIEFS CBI files charges against 2 BRO officials

Kudankulam n-plant faces another delay

UP official transferred over Ram temple letter

Muslims in Kerala celebrate Bakrid

Kolkata Metro fare hike put on hold

SHIMLA: The CBI has filed a charge sheet against two senior Border Road Organisation (BRO) officials in a Shimla court for allegedly procuring telephone exchanges in 2009 from a company at a highly exorbitant rate. It accused them of procuring 14 exchanges worth Rs.1.25 crore in 2009 from Siemens Enterprises.

CHENNAI: NPCIL now hopes the first 1,000 MW unit at Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) will start commercial operations next month. The expected date of commercial operation of the first unit is November 2013. The NPCIL earlier said it would connect the first unit to the grid end-August, generating 400 MW power.

LUCKNOW: The UP government Tuesday removed R.M. Srivastava from the post of Principal Secretary (Home), days after two other officials of the home department were suspended over the controversial Ram temple letter issue. It was a stern message to the bureaucracy that those embarrasing the state government will not be spared.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Muslims in Kerala celebrated Eid-ulAzha, the festival of sacrifice, with hundreds of faithful thronging mosques and specially arranged Idgahs for the morning prayers in towns across the state. In the state capital, Eid namaz at the Payalam mosque in the heart of the city was led by Imam Jamaluddin Manakada.

BEHRAMPORE : The fare hike in Kolkata Metro Railway has been put on hold and the stages of journey would be changed after discussion with the Rail Board, Minister of state for Railways Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said. Kolkata metro fares cannot be similar to that of New Delhi because of the economic differences of the people, he said.

6

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

RESEARCH

JAPAN

Doctor with TB saw over 600 patients sans mask

Small-scale farmers hold the key to cultivate and preserve biodiversity in agriculture.

Letters were being sent to all patients examined by the doctor, the health authority spokesman said.

Food production: Small is beautiful

A

s the global population approaches nine billion by the year 2050, nourishing the world and preserving diminishing environmental resources presents a daunting challenge.

After having grandiose of grow more and grow big, the world is veering round to the view that family farmer is the key to sustainable food system the world over.

On the World Food Day today, the UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) has given a cal to promote family farmers for a more sustainable global food system. It said the big is beautiful theory in farming has degraded 25 per cent of global land. “It’s a terrific loss,” remarked the FAO. The focus of World Food Day 2013 will be on “Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition.” More and more evidence is mounting to show that family farmers are at the center of sustainable food production.

Smallholder farmers can use agroecological or environmentally friendly farming practices to produce more nutritious foods with often greater

More and more evidence is mounting to show that family farmers are at the center of sustainable food production. yields than conventional farming operations. And with 2014 having been declared the International Year of Family Farming by the UN General Assembly, the whole world is poised to celebrate the multitude of ways in which family farmers contribute to food nutrition security and environmental preservation.

Smallholder farms are more likely to grow diverse, nutrient-rich crops than conventional farms, which tend to focus on starchy cash crops.

“Small-scale farmers hold the key to cultivating and preserving biodiversity in agriculture. They grow indigenous fruits, vegetables etc all over the world that not only make up diverse, healthy diets, but also provide much-needed nourishment for soils, conserve limited water resources, and cut down on the release of greenhouse gases into the

atmosphere,” says Danielle Nierenberg, Food Tank’s co-founder.

Studies have shown that when family farms start using sustainable methods, they see crop yields that are up to 79 per cent higher than those produced by conventional agriculture. This translates to more food for the world, and greater financial security for farmers.

An estimated 800 million people working in agriculture around the world live below the poverty line.

“Providing these farmers with the resources that they need to provide food for themselves and their communities will go a long way toward alleviating food insecurity and increasing incomes,” says Ellen Gustafson, cofounder of Food Tank.

These are five crucial ways in which small-scale family farmers cultivating diversified crops are contributing to a food system.

1. Improving nutrition and food security: Many case studies from Madagascar, Iran, India, and Bangladesh have confirmed that diverse diets are correlated with better nutrition, particularly in children.

2. Preserving biodiversity: About 75 per cent of the planet’s genetic resources were lost. By cultivating a variety of indigenous crops, small-scale farmers are preserving biodiversity in agriculture.

3. Increasing yields: Polyculture operations — farms growing many different varieties of crops — produce yields between 20 and 60 per cent greater than monocultures.

4. Building soil health: But practices such as cover cropping and intercropping can help to rebuild lost nutrients in degraded soil.

5. Conserving water: Healthy soils are able to absorb water and deliver it to plant roots more effectively than degraded soils, and require less irrigation.

To ensure that everyone on the planet has access to sustainable sources of nutritious food, it’s important that efforts to support small-scale farmers be scaled up on a global level.

TOKYO: A Japanese doctor infected with tuberculosis examined more than 600 patients without wearing a mask, an official said Wednesday.

The doctor, who is in his 50s and runs a clinic in central Ito city began displaying symptoms of the potentially lethal airborne disease in mid-August, but brushed them off as a common cold, the health authority official said.

He continued to see patients, without wearing a face mask, until he was diagnosed with tuberculosis earlier this month.

During that time he had contact with 658 people, including family members, clinic staff and more than 600 patients, five of whom were children, the authority said.

AROUND THE

WORLD

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that attacks the lungs and can be transmitted by coughing or sneezing. It kills approximately a million people around the world every year, according to the World Health Organization.

The disease is found all

over the planet, but is more common in the developing world, where it also has a much higher mortality rate.

Letters were being sent to all patients examined by the doctor, the health authority spokesman said, adding that the names of the clinic and the doctor were not being disclosed.

"It is only 10 to 15 per cent of people who suffer actual symptoms after they are infected with tuberculosis," he said.

"It also takes two to three months before they start showing these symptoms," he said, when pressed over why the authority had not acted more quickly in alerting people to their possible infection.The doctor has since been hospitalised for treatment.

AFP

7

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

SPORT

FIT FOR FUN?

The fourth edition of the Hyderabad Triathlon 2013 is expected to draw 1,000 participants across various categories.

ARUN D YELLAMATY arunyellamaty@postnoon.com

Triathlon Challenge 1. Half Iron Triathlon: swim (1.9 kms), cycle (90 kms), run – (21.1 kms) 2. Olympic Triathlon: swim (1.5 kms) cycle (40 kms), run (10 kms).

3. Sprint Triathlon: Cycle (20kms) Run (5kms), Swim (750mts) 4. Novice Triathlon: cycle (8 kms), Run (2 kms), Swim (300 mts)

H

YDERABAD: Four years ago close to 30 people participate in the first ever Hyderabad Triathlon. This year at the fourth edition close to 600 people have already registered, with just one week for the main event.

“We are turning this city into a fitness crazy city — this year’s triathlon is bigger and better.

Our focus is not a competition, we are focusing on participation and making people fit,” says, Deepam Morparia, event organiser.

The Great Hyderabad Adventure Club (GHAC), India’s Largest Organised adventure club will be organizing the Hyderabad Triathlon on Sunday, 20 October 2013.

Hyderabad Triathlon is a sporting event conducted in the glory of the sport. It’s a test of strength, stamina and endurance and pushing one’s

Duathlon Challenge Olympic Duathlon: Run (10kms) , Cycle (40kms), Run (5kms) Sprint Duathlon: Run (5kms), Cycle (20kms), Run (3kms) Novice Duathlon: Run (8 kms), Cycle (2 kms)

Team Challenge: TeamSprint: Swim (750mts), Cycle (20kms), Run (5kms) TeamNovice: Swim (300mts) Cycle (8kms), Run (2kms) More information on the Triathlon can be found on www.hyderabadtriathlon.com/ limits, while reveling in the satisfaction of finishing the triathlon.

Triathlon will be conducted primarily out of the GMC Balyogi Gachibowli Stadium and its environs will be in four variants: Half Iron, Olympic, Sprint and Novice – which will involve Swimming, Running and Cycling. To enable those who do not know swimming the Duathlon with various levels is being organised.

To enable friends and family bonding, a Team relay variant of the Triathlon will be held in the afternoon.

International athletes and over a 100 national athletes are

AROUND THE

CITY

It’s a test of strength, stamina and endurance and pushing one’s limits. travelling down to Hyderabad to participate in the event including the likes of Madhurjya Borah from Bangalore.

The participants in the Half Iron event from Hyderabad include Sunil Menon, Richard, Dheeraj Taneja, Prashant

Morparia. The event will witness the likes of Lakshan Reddy who is a veteran triathlete, 66, participating in the Olympic level. There is a special Para triathlon olympic relay event for the physically-challenged athletes. “We have Aditya Mehta, an above knee amputee who will be cycling, Kiran Kanojia, a below knee amputee who will be running, and Srinivasa Naidu, an above knee amputee, will do the swimming in a sequence to complete the Olympic level team triathlon.

Aditya will join Manish Pandey, a below knee amputee, who will be running in the Sprint Duathlon category. These four

the main event on 20th October 2013.

Contact: triathlon@ghac.in, 040-68888197 brave hearts are role models for everyone in India,” said sources with the organisers. The event is directed by Deepam Morparia, Co-Organiser GHAC. Deepam was instrumental in starting and bringing “Hyderabad Triathlon” to its current status. A team of 300 volunteers from GHAC and other partner organisations will be involved in supporting the event.

CONTROVERSY

Dutch diplomat beaten up in Russia MOSCOW: A senior Dutch diplomat at the Netherlands embassy in Moscow was beaten up at his home in the Russian capital by unknown individuals who scrawled the letters "LGBT" on a mirror, officials and reports said. The incident comes amid growing tensions between Russia and the Netherlands over the arrest by the Russian authorities of the 30 crew of a Dutch-flagged

AROUND THE

WORLD

Greenpeace ship campaigning against oil drilling in the Arctic.

The deputy head of the Netherlands mission in Moscow, Onno Elderenbosch, was approached at his home by men who presented themselves as electricians who then beat him

up, Russian news reports said.

The intruders who broke in to his flat took nothing but scrawled the letters LGBT (standing for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) and a drawing of a heart, the Interfax news agency quoted a security source as saying.

The diplomat, 60, was not badly harmed and did not seek medical attention, the report added. Dutch Foreign Minister

Frans Timmermans confirmed the attack on his Facebook page, saying that Elderenbosch was assaulted by two intruders. He said he had called the diplomat, "who is now doing fine".

Tensions between Russia and the Netherlands surged last week when police in the Hague detained a Russian diplomat over accusations he was mistreating his children.

8

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013 FALL FROM GRACE

Minister quits over Dotcom donation

DAMAGE CONTROL

ANTI-SNOOPING MOVE

Cong acts on ‘sick’ Sonia hoardings The hoardings also urged Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Phoolpur parliamentary constituency.

WELLINGTON: A New Zealand government minister resigned Wednesday after being ordered to stand trial over electoral fraud allegations involving campaign donations from Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom (pictured).

Prime Minister John Key said small business minister John Banks had agreed to step down from his portfolio until the case is resolved.

Banks will retain his seat in parliament, preserving Key’s slim majority.

AROUND THE

WORLD

“Mr Banks maintains his innocence but realises this is a distraction for the government and has offered to resign as a minister,” Key said in a statement.

The case centres on donations Banks received from Dotcom and the Sky City Casino in 2010 to help bankroll a failed bid to become Auckland mayor.

Dotcom told a court this week that he donated NZ$50,000 ($42,000) to Banks, but the politician asked him to make two NZ$25,000 installments so the source of the funds could remain anonymous under campaign funding laws. Dotcom was close to Banks until his arrest for alleged online piracy in January 2012.

AFP

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee Wednesday issued notices to its office bearers in Allahabad for putting up hoardings depicting Congress president Sonia Gandhi as “beemar” (ill).

The hoardings also urged Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Phoolpur parliamentary constituency, once represented by the late prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Confirming that show cause notices have been issued to district secretary Haseeb Ahmad and party leader Shreesh Chandra Dubey, a senior party leader told IANS that the “party cracked the whip as the hoardings depicted the Congress president in bad light and had unnecessarily dragged Priyanka into political space”.

After going through their responses, the party state unit will decide to act upon them, the leader said.

The hoardings that came up

(Mother is often ill now, brother (Rahul Gandhi) is over burdened, Priyanka become the candidate from Phoolpur and campaign for the party, help Congress make its government for the third time).

The district Congress committee had earlier this week

RIO DE JANERIO: Brazil and India will work together to devise internet regulations in order to protect online privacy from snooping by other countries.

The partnership was announced in Brazilian capital Brasilia Tuesday, after a meeting between foreign ministers of Brazil and India, Luiz Alberto Figueiredo and Salman Khurshid, reported Xinhua.

AROUND THE

AROUND THE

WORLD

NATION

in the posh Civil Lines area Tuesday showed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi along with a text written on the top which says in form of a couplet — “Maiya ab Rahti Beemar, Bhaiya par badh gaya bhaar, Priyanka Phoolpur se bano ummedwaar, party ka karo prachaar, Congress ki sarkaar banao teesri baar

India, Brazil to devise internet regulations

brainstormed on the probable candidates for the parliamentary constituencies in and around Allahabad where demands to make Priyanka a candidate were also raised.

Name of former Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president and currently a legislator from Lucknow, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, was also considered for the seat of Allahabad.

Earlier, Joshi has held the office of Allahabad Mayor.

IANS

Brazil has been aggressively targeted by US spying agencies, according to recent revelations based on documents leaked by former US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

While the US insists it intercepts digital communications to prevent terrorist attacks, Brazilian targets, such as the Mines and Energy Ministry and state oil giant Petrobras, indicate the US is also driven by economic motives.

Brazil and India have agreed to share information of internet security strategies.

IANS

SOUTH KOREA

‘Gangnam Style’ tourist police unveiled SEOUL: South Korea unveiled its new “tourist police” force Wednesday, with snappy uniforms from rapper Psy’s costume designer and a “Gangnam Style” launch in central Seoul.

Around 100 young policemen and women make up the first batch of the new force — formed to protect tourists from being ripped off during their stay in the South Korean capital.

The officers were handpicked for their linguistic skills, and can speak a range of languages

AROUND THE

WORLD

including English, Japanese and Mandarin.

“Those who think they were overcharged by taxi drivers or street food vendors can come and talk to us. We will help settle the problem,” English-speaking recruit Park Jae-Hyoung said.

Each officer wears a badge denoting his language expertise

on a special dark-blue uniform created by one of the costume designers for the “Gangnam Style” star Psy. The singer’s global hit was

played at Wednesday’s launch event, with a police drill unit performing his signature horse-riding dance.

The police are unarmed and are meant to summon regular officers in the event of any serious crime.

The number of foreign travellers to South Korea has steadily grown over the years and topped 10 million for the first time in 2012, partly thanks to interest sparked by the global popularity of “Gangnam Style”.

AFP

WORLD BRIEFS Taiwan helicopter crash kills three

World powers, Iran brace day 2 of N-talks

Greens pull out of talks with Merkel

Nigerian military kills 40 Boko Haram fighters

19 missing as Cargo ship sinks off S Korea

TAIPEI: Two crew members and a weather station employee were killed on Wednesday when a helicopter crashed into a mountain in central Taiwan, officials said. The Sunrise Airlines helicopter was carrying supplies to a weather station on Yushan, the island’s highest mountain, when it crashed into the mountain’s north peak, NFA said.

GENEVA: World powers and Iran braced Wednesday for a second day of talks aimed at ending their decade-long standoff over Tehran’s nuclear programme, after the Islamic republic put a new proposal on the table. With all sides praising the changed tone from new President Hassan Rouhani’s team.

BERLIN: Germany's Green party on Wednesday pulled out of coalition talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, who must now get Social Democrats on board in order to form a new government. Negotiations on forming a left-right "grand coalition" with the Social Democrats are due to resume on Thursday.

ABUJA: The Nigerian military Tuesday confirmed it killed 40 Boko Haram in the northeastern Borno state, Xinhua reported.

Military spokesman Aliyu Danja said the military repelled the insurgents’ attempt to launch coordinated attacks at three towns.

Soldiers also destroyed a pickup vehicle loaded with explosives.

SEOUL: A cargo ship sank off the coast of South Korea late Tuesday with all 19 crew members missing, the coastguard said. Rescuers have been unable to reach the 8,461tonne Panama-flagged vessel due to stormy weather conditions.

9

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

YOUNG ACHIEVER

MOMENT OF TRUTH

At 28, Eleanor Catton is youngest to bag Booker Catton picked up the 2013 prize for her novel The Luminaries, which is based on the New Zealand gold rush of the mid-1800s.

LONDON: New Zealand author Eleanor Catton on Tuesday became the youngest winner of the Man Booker Prize for fiction, claiming the award for her novel “The Luminaries ”.

Catton, 28, picked up the 2013 prize at a ceremony at London’s Guildhall, becoming only the second New Zealander to win the prestigious award.

The novel, described as a “Kiwi Twin Peaks”, follows fortune-seeker Walter Moody as he is drawn into a web of mystery during the New Zealand gold rush of the mid-1800s.

Catton thanked the Booker board “for providing the value and the worth for this extraordinary prize” on picking up her award.

She later told a press conference that “it was just a white wall,” when her name was announced.

On her age, she said: “I feel very honoured and proud to be living in a world where the facts of somebody’s biography doesn’t give them a way of how people read their work, and I think that’s true of age and also of eth-

AROUND THE

WORLD

The novel, described as a “Kiwi Twin Peaks”, follows fortune-seeker Walter Moody in the mid1800s.

nicity and all sort of other features of being human.”

Chairman of judges Robert Macfarlane described the 832page book, the longest work ever to win the prize, as “dazzling”. “‘The Luminaries’ is a magnificent novel,” he said.

“Awesome in its structural com-

plexity, addictive in its storytelling and magical in its conjuring of a world of greed and gold.

“The maturity of this work exists in every sentence, indeed every sentence, and you are astonished by its knowledge and its poise.”

Catton was 25 when she

started writing the book and 27 when she completed it.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key led the tributes.

“This is a hugely significant achievement on the world stage for a New Zealander,” Key said in a statement.

“This will be a tremendous boost for young New Zealanders in the arts and is a testament to the obvious talent and hard work of Eleanor Catton.”

Booksellers New Zealand chief executive Lincoln Gould said orders for Catton’s book rose hours after her win.

AFP

DISASTER STRIKES

Japan typhoon toll hits 13 Search for Philippine quake survivors

TOKYO: At least 13 people are known to have died after a powerful typhoon lashed Japan’s Pacific coast, police said Wednesday, warning that the death toll was likely to rise.

Typhoon Wipha, dubbed the strongest in a decade, caused

landslides that buried houses as it churned past an island just south of Tokyo.

“We’ve confirmed that 13 people have died, and the number is likely to increase later,” a police official in Oshima exclaimed.

LOON: Rescue workers raced Wednesday to reach isolated communities on a popular Philippine tourist island that was devastated by a huge earthquake, as aftershocks tormented survivors and the death toll climbed to 107. The 7.1-magnitude earthquake smashed the central island of Bohol on Tuesday morning, triggering landslides that engulfed entire homes, ripping apart bridges and tearing down centuries-old churches.

The national disaster agency said the number of people confirmed killed on Bohol and neighbouring islands had climbed from 93 to 107, and more bad news was expected as rescue workers were yet to reach some villages and towns.

AROUND THE

WORLD

Broadcaster NHK said 50 people were unaccounted for after houses were destroyed or swept away by a series of landslides and floods on Oshima, 120 kilometres south of the Japanese capital.

Many of the bodies of those who died were found in houses that had been splintered by huge volumes of earth sent crashing down mountainsides by torrential rains and strong winds.

Footage from the island showed ruined wooden houses half buried in mud.

Many local residents had sought shelter in evacuation centres, reporting dirty water had been gushing into their homes.

AFP

American confesses to murder as he is executed WASHINGTON: An American man confessed to a murder he had long denied as he was put to death Tuesday night in Florida by lethal injection.

William Happ, 51, had spent 24 years on death row in connection with the death of a young woman named Angela Crowley in 1986.

The state corrections system used a new lethal chemical for the first time, and the execution reportedly did not go smoothly.

Florida news reports said Happ took more than 15 minutes to die, as his body repeatedly made convulsive movements.

He was pronounced dead at 6:16 pm (2016 GMT, said Misty Cash, a spokeswoman for the state prison system.

Happ, who had drug and alcohol problems, met Crowley in a parking lot. The woman was strangled and raped, and her body found in a canal.

He was initially arrested for AROUND THE

WORLD

For the sake of her family, loved ones and all concerned, it is to my agonizing shame that I must confess to this terrible crime.

William Happ Death row inmate an unrelated crime, and the murder probe led to him because of a footprint of his that was found by investigators.

In a statement expressing his last words as he lay on the table where he was ultimately executed, Happ confessed.

“For 27 years, the horrible murder of Angela Crowley has been clouded by circumstantial evidence and uncertainty. For the sake of her family, loved ones and all concerned, it is to my agonizing shame that I must confess to this terrible crime,” Happ wrote.

He added: “I wish to offer my most sincere and heartfelt apologies not only to those concerned for Angela Crowley but also to those I deceived and allowed to believe in my innocence”.

AFP

10

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

WHERE THERE’S A WILL...

Power-starved Iraqis know their amps from watts Many city dwellers have switched to private generator operators who, for a fee, will provide power to a single building, or an entire street, when the national grid is down.

FRANCIS CURTA Agence France Presse BAGHDAD: In electricitystarved Iraq, just about everyone knows his amperes from his watts, and juggling electrical appliances to run them off a generator is by now second-nature.

Power cuts and shortages have gone on for so long that most Iraqis turned to generators to make up for the lack of national grid electricity.

“In Iraq, there isn’t a single home without a generator... from the most simple abode to the most remote tent,” says Abu Karar al-Quraishi, who sells small generators in central Baghdad.

“And in villages, generators are often as important as food” because they run water pumps needed for agriculture.

But the personal generator business is not what it used to be, and while the government trumpets rising power supplies, most people still require plenty of supplementary electricity.

As time has gone on, many city dwellers have switched to private generator operators who, for a fee, will provide power to a single building, or an entire street, when the national grid is down.

“From 2006 to 2010, I used to sell 100 to 150 generators a day,” says Quraishi. “Since 2011, sales have dropped and I only sell 10 to 15 a week.”

“People prefer buying power from private generator operators because they do not need to buy fuel, change the oil, or otherwise maintain their own generators.

It’s easier to let generator operators handle the problems.”

Selling electricity can be good business.

Abud Sajad, a generator operator near Aqba bin Nafia Square in central Baghdad, operates two 500 Kilovolt (Kv) generators from a shack, and guarantees up to 18 hours of electricity a day to his 150 neighbourhood customers.

“It is a hard job,” says the 37year-old, who previously worked as a car painter and taxi driver.

“You must be on hand day and night to keep an eye on the cables and make sure the genera-

AROUND THE

WORLD

While things are slowly getting better, few actually believe government promises that Iraq will produce more electricity than it consumes by year-end.

tor does not overheat.

“And if the generator shuts down for half an hour you can be sure the customers will be all over you complaining.”

THREE AMPS AND TV IS ON

During the hot summer, prices are fixed by the government which, in exchange, subsidises the fuel needed to run the generators.

In the winter, generator operators pay market rates for fuel, but consumption typically drops as temperatures cool off and Iraqis have less use for their air conditioners.

But even though the government sets prices during the summer, charges vary on the ground.

Sajad charges 12,000 Iraqi dinars ($10) per ampere per month, with a minimum threeampere contract. Operators in other neighbourhoods, however, charge as little as 7,000 dinars per amp per month.

Three amps, a measure of current, will be enough for a small fridge, a television, a fan and some lights. Ten amps will allow for an air conditioner, and more lights.

When customers exceed their allotment, power automatically shuts off.

That means they must learn to juggle appliances — turning off the television to use a microwave, or shutting every-

thing down to ensure there is enough power to run a small airconditioner in the summer heat.

From inside his shack where a generator thunders away, Sajad keeps a close eye on the meters.

A maze of cables, which could easily prove a fire hazard, sprouts from the shack into a spidery web which runs off to nearby houses.

Sometimes the jumble of cables outside allows a thief to “hook on” undetected to a wire to steal a few amps here and there. Others just steal the wires themselves.

‘I COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT MY GENERATOR’

Officials have poured in billions of dollars since the 2003 US-led

invasion to solve the power problem, caused by decades of war and sanctions which led to a reliance on obsolete technology.

And while things are slowly getting better, few actually believe government promises that Iraq will produce more electricity than it consumes by yearend.

Such a date is “unrealistic” according to Suzan al-Saad, a member of Iraq’s parliamentary oil and energy committee.

“There are still many technical obstacles to overcome.”

Saad pointed in particular to a decision to build gas-powered power plants, despite the lack of domestically-extracted gas.

While Iraq sits on a sea of oil, it produces hardly any gas and

the little that is extracted, as a byproduct of crude, is “flared off” rather than captured.

The widespread corruption plaguing Iraq is also said to have hampered electricity provision.

According to electricity ministry spokesman Musab alMudaris, the national grid now provides 14 hours of electricity per day in Baghdad, and up to 20 hours per day elsewhere in the country.

Many Iraqis would dispute those figures.

Production currently stands at 11,000 megawatts (MW), and is estimated to increase to 13,000 MW by year-end and 20,000 MW by late next year, says Mudaris.

Peak summer demand is pegged at 16,000 MW, and Mudaris says the ministry hopes to meet that demand next year.

But Iraqis aren’t letting go of their generators just yet.

“I couldn’t live without my generator,” said Maria Hawil, a 58-year-old Baghdad housewife who has been using the same one for six years.

“It goes wherever I go.”

11

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE LAST OF ME

Cher takes on Miley Cyrus with first album in 12 years Some 49 shows are planned in the United States to promote the album with the option of more depending on “how I feel about it”, says Cher.

HELEN ROWE Agence France Presse PARIS: At 67, Cher is one of a generation of 1960s performers holding out against retirement, and she says she has no plans to make room for younger singers like 20-year-old Miley Cyrus (right).

“I’ve noticed... (with) my mother’s generation and my grandmother’s generation, that at a certain age they would just kind of move aside,” the US singer told reporters in Paris, where she was promoting her first album in 12 years.

“In my generation — especially in music — if you can move us out you can get in, but if you can’t, we’re still there. Any other generation would have moved aside to let newer kids come in but we’re not giving up,” Cher said.

The album cover of Closer to the Truth features the singer and actress in a suitably age-defying blonde wig and skimpy lace dress.

‘WE’RE NOT GIVING UP, KIDS’

Some 49 shows are planned in the United States to promote the album with the option of more depending on “how I feel about it”, she said.

Cher waded into the Cyrus debate last month when she criticised the singer and “Hannah Montana” star’s provocative performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in August.

But she told reporters in Paris she had now modified her views.

“I’m not a fan but I respect her because she’s very smart,” Cher said.

“In the beginning I thought this is really bad. I didn’t like it because I didn’t think it was professional.

“Then I thought ‘she’s not doing it for people like me’, she’s doing it for her audience and it was so perfect it was genius. People will talk about it for ever.”

The Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe and Grammy winner made her name in the mid-1960s as one half of the husband and wife duo Sonny and Cher.

She went on to became a solo artist selling over 100 million albums worldwide and has starred on Broadway and in Hollywood films.

But she made it clear that professional life was far from being the only

The Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe and Grammy winner made her name in the mid-1960s as one half of the husband and wife duo Sonny and Cher.

AROUND THE

WORLD

thing that mattered to her.

Last month she turned down the chance to open the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia in protest over the country’s new law prohibiting teaching about homosexuality to minors.

BACKING UP FEMINISM

She said she was also appalled that feminism in the US appeared to be going backwards, with abortion clinics closing in many parts of the country, resulting in women losing “control over their bodies”.

“We’re fighting a terrible battle that we already won in the seventies and lost some how in the last 10 years.

“I believe that feminism should be something that is picked back up... because you can’t just lose all of your rights and play dead,” she said.

A frequent visitor to France, Cher added that she liked the country so much she wanted to be buried there.

“I always wanted to be buried here but they don’t allow it,” she said.

“You have to die on the spot so if I know in advance, if I’m very sick, I’m coming!”

12

News WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

A RIDE TO REMEMBER

Fast and malodorous: Bangkok’s boat network As the city of 12 million grinds to a virtual standstill at peak times, many commuters have turned to the 30 kilometer long canal. But the boats are not for the faint-hearted.

DELPHINE THOUVENOT Agence France Presse BANGKOK: Every morning, tens of thousands of Bangkok’s most rushed, reckless or cashstrapped commuters hop onto its “khlong” boats — plying the main canal in a speedy, if not fragrant, bid to avoid the city’s notorious road congestion.

“I take the boat because it goes much faster,” 18-year-old university student, Pam Olanthanyawat, told AFP before she leapt blithely onto one of the crowded shuttles on the Saen Saeb canal.

As the city of 12 million grinds to a virtual standstill at peak times, many commuters have turned to the 30 kilometre (19 mile) long canal, or khlong in Thai.

But the boats are not for the faint-hearted.

Passengers are overwhelmingly the young and able bodied — few older people or families with children dare board the vessels, which often pull in to dock for just seconds during rush hour.

Agile men and women — many of whom manage the feat despite perilous high heels — leap aboard the narrow vessels and cling onto a system of ropes inside as they speed off to the next stop.

The online video sharing site YouTube abounds with footage of unfortunate passengers who are not quick or deft enough when boarding and so plunge into the foul-smelling khlongs.

One clip shows what it calls a khlong “tsunami” — waiting passengers getting drenched as giant waves, caused by passing boats, wash over a pontoon — and has notched up several hundred thousand hits.

The boats’ waterproof canvas roofs are controlled by passengers themselves, who move them up and down to allow others to board and keep everyone protected from khlong water.

But it is not always entirely effective.

“My mother never takes the boat because she is too scared,” said Pam as grey spray thrown up by boats travelling in the opposite direction, dripped through the canvas.

A STINKY ‘VENICE OF ASIA’?

Bangkok has a vast network of canals, although rapid urbanisation means that many are now simply short disconnected stretches, while others are blocked with pipes or other objects that would prevent them being used by boats.

Tawatchai Laosirihongthong, a professor and transport expert at Thonburi University said

AROUND THE

WORLD

despite their problems, the khlong boats are a draw.

“There is no ‘boat jam’ and the fare is cheap,” he said.

There were 38 million passenger journeys on the khlong boats in 2012, according to offi-

cial figures, or 100,000 per day.

At less than 20 baht, or some 0.50 cents, a ticket is much cheaper than the elevated train network for those travelling from the outskirts of the city.

Buses are the capital’s cheapest rides, but with their open windows, lack of air-conditioning and propensity to get snarled in the Bangkok traffic, they are a less popular option for the timestretched commuter.

Currently, the khlong shuttles are run entirely by a private company, Family Transport, whose fleet of 70 shuttles covers nearly 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the city’s canals.

Tawatchai said the challenge is that in Bangkok’s infrastructure “everything needs to be improved”.

Municipal authorities are testing public boats on a supplementary 11 kilometre stretch, adding 14 new pontoons to the 27 already in use.

Bangkok is also promising more sewage and waste water treatment plants to make the

khlongs a less pungent way to get around.

A recent article by the English language Bangkok Post expressed frustration that the city does not make more of its canals and main river, making an unfavourable comparison with the South Korean capital’s reinvigoration of one of its waterways.

“Since Seoul can do it, why not Bangkok and our government?” it said of the Cheonggyecheon stream that runs through the heart of Seoul, where city residents can dip their feet into the water and picnic on its banks.

The Rough Guide to Bangkok said Khlong Saen Saeb was a worthwhile experience for visitors to the Thai capital, a city widely nicknamed the Venice of Asia.

“This is your quickest and most interesting way of getting between the west and east parts of town, if you can stand the stench of the canal,” the guide said.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

Business

CHINA'S ECONOMY GREW 7.8% IN THIRD QUARTER

China's economic growth jumped to 7.8 per cent in the third quarter, analysts polled by AFP forecast ahead of the release of the figures Friday, the first acceleration in the world's second-largest economy for almost a year.

US IN CRISIS

POLLUTION CASES AT SC

Political chaos pushes US up against debt deadline Just 26 hours before the US government begins to run short of money to pay its bills, hopes for an exit strategy rested with late-night talks between Senate majority leader Harry Reid and Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell.

STEPHEN COLLINSON & MICHAEL MATHES feedback@postnoon.com WASHINGTON: A day of political disarray pushed America to within hours of a debt default deadline, but two veteran senators chased a lastgasp deal to stave off a sudden shock to the global economy.

Just 26 hours before the US government begins to run short of money to pay its bills, hopes for an exit strategy rested with late-night talks between Senate majority leader Harry Reid and Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell.

The two old foes saddled up after efforts by the House of Representatives to send a bill to the Senate dissolved into chaos, as Speaker John Boehner tried and failed to rein in Tea Party conservatives.

If Congress fails to raise US borrowing authority before midnight Wednesday 0400 GMT Thursday the US Treasury would begin to run out of money to meet all US obligations and slip towards a historic debt default.

In the face of the deadline, the US political system, divided between President Barack Obama's Democrats and Republicans who run the House of Representatives, has effectively ground to a halt.

Major world powers meanwhile looked on in dismay at the brinkmanship and political recriminations in Washington.

Amid rising anxiety on the

13

WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court agreed to take on six cases related to federal regulation of greenhouse gasses. The court announced it was combining six lawsuits from plaintiffs in the chemical and oil industries, the US Chamber of Commerce, and Texas, each protesting carbon-emission regulations put in place by the EPA. All six cases address just one question: Whether the agency "permissibly determined that its regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from new motor vehicles" also related to emissions from stationary sources, such as factories and power plants, the court said.

NUMEROLOGY

232

million

is the number of active users on Twitter, up from 218 million as of June 30. Twitter shares will trade on the New York Stock Exchange rather than the Nasdaq.

YAHOO TAKES BIG BITE

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (C) speaks to the media outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC. AFP/SAUL LOEB

markets, the financial rating agency Fitch put the United States on warning for a downgrade from its top-grade AAA spot. Despite the deepening impasse, Obama said he still expected the issue would be resolved in the end.

"My expectation is that this gets solved, but we don't have a lot of time," he told an ABC television affiliate in New York.

"What I'm suggesting to the congressional caucus is to avoid any posturing ... do what's right, open the government and make sure we pay our bills."

What was essentially a wasted day, with precious few hours to spare Tuesday, unfolded as House Republicans tried to extend US borrowing authority until February 7 and re-open the partially shuttered US government until December 15.

Several draft bills would have constrained aspects of Obama's signature health care law — and in effect stood no chance to pass the Democraticled Senate.

But Boehner used the measures to try to corral the Tea Party faction and to pressure the

LAWSUIT ACCUSES BLACKBERRY OF RAISING FALSE HOPES

OTTAWA: BlackBerry shareholders on Tuesday launched a class-action lawsuit against the company, alleging its optimistic sales forecasts for its new smartphones cost them hundreds of millions of dollars, lawyers announced.

The lawsuit on behalf of Canadian shareholders who purchased

BlackBerry stock between September 27, 2012 and September 20 of this year, alleges that senior management "knowingly or negligently" misrepresented that its BlackBerry 10 line of smartphones were being well-received by consumers and that the company was in a strong financial position. AFP

Senate — but in the end was unable to amass sufficient Republican votes to even put the measures on the floor.

Senate talks, which had been on hold all day pending developments in the House, were quickly resumed on Tuesday evening.

Leadership aides on both sides said they were "optimistic" that an agreement was in reach.

"We're making very very good progress, we're not there yet, but we're getting real close," said Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer.

SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo on Tuesday took attention off a lackluster quarterly report with word that it plans to hold onto a larger chunk than originally planned of Chinese e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba.

The California-based Internet pioneer that has been struggling for years to reinvent itself after withering in Google shadow said that its profit in the recently-ended quarter slipped from the same period a year ago, when its coffers were swelled by the sale of shares in China's Alibaba.

Yahoo reported earnings of $297 million on revenue of $1.139 billion in the quarter that ended September 30.

THUS SPAKE Our needs always exceed the funding that we receive. Signficantly. We have almost a billion dollars shortage between what we have and what we believe is needed.

ERTHARIN COUSIN, HEAD OF THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

INTEL PROFIT TOPS ESTIMATES, REVENUES FLAT

SAN FRANCISCO: Intel, the world's biggest computer chipmaker, said Tuesday its quarterly profit dipped 0.7 percent from a year ago to $2.95 billion, but managed to beat Wall Street estimates.

Intel, which is struggling to make inroads in the surging market for pro-

cessors for smartphones and tablets in a rapidly shifting tech landscape, said revenues for the third quarter were up a scant 0.2 percent at $13.48 billion.

The profit translated to 58 cents a share, or five cents better than the Wall Street consensus.

AFP

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

Comment

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS

Let’s have one thing clear: whether the master blaster scores a ton or goes out for a duck in his last test, he will remain what he is: a legend. You don’t want to spoil the occasion with talks about making it easier for him.

That’s the ultimate slight.

‘POP’E! GOES MY FAITH!

14

German Church in a soup over ‘bling bishop’

FREDERIC HAPPE Agence France-Presse

Poor church?

T

he 53-year-old has been summoned to the Vatican for a decision on his fate, and was set to meet on Thursday with humility advocate Pope Francis, who has called for a “poor Church for the poor”.

G

ermany’s Roman Catholic Church, already grappling with the fallout from a child sex scandal, fears losing more followers — and financing — because of public anger over a big-spending “bling bishop”.

For the past week the Bishop of Limburg, Franz-Peter Tebartzvan Elst, has generated damaging headlines after the cost of his extravagant new residence complex blew out to at least 31 million euros ($42 million).

The 53-year-old has been summoned to the Vatican for a decision on his fate, and was set to meet on Thursday with humility advocate Pope Francis, who has called for a “poor Church for the poor”.

With many faithful in the German diocese in open revolt over the lavish bishop’s palace and its 15,000-euro bathtub, there has been a sharp increase in local registered Catholics formally leaving the Church.

If the exodus in the ancient town of Limburg were echoed on a national scale, observers say it would be a severe blow to the Church — especially in a country where the faithful provide the bulk of its funding.

“I’ve never seen such a wave” of people quitting the

faith, Ruediger Eschoffen, an official in charge of Church registrations in Limburg, was quoted as telling the newspaper Frankfurter Neue Presse.

Germany has a religion tax, and taxpayers must declare whether they are Catholic, Protestant or non-religious.

People are however free to opt out and stop paying the socalled “Church tax”.

Last year 295 Catholics in Limburg, in the central state of Hesse, officially left the Church, said Eschoffen. But he said the figure shot up to 29 people in a single day on Monday, after 18 left on Friday and 20 on Thursday.

Germany’s roughly 23 million Catholics paid 5.2 billion euros to the Church in 2012 in religious taxes, its main source of income in the country. The state tax amounts to an eight to 10 percent addition to payable income tax.

The money pays for the operating expenses of the clergy, but

also for hospitals, kindergartens and other welfare organisations.

The German Catholic Church, just as in Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United States, was already hit hard by a paedophilia scandal, which erupted in the country between 2010 and 2012.

The revelations sparked a flood of people quitting the Church, with 180,000 leaving in 2010. By 2012, the figure had dropped to 118,000, a lower level than in 2009 before the abuse charges came to light.

‘A LOSS OF CONFIDENCE’

The latest scandal spells a real risk for the Catholic Church, said Detlef Pollack, a sociologist researching religion and politics at the University of Muenster.

Tebartz-van Elst, dubbed by local media the “bling bishop”, is also accused of giving false statements in court in a case centred on an expensive flight he took to India to visit poor communities.

“Many people say they do not want to continue to (financially) support the Church if it is to satisfy the appetite for luxury of a bishop,” Pollack told AFP. Beyond the financial risk, the Church fears a loss of confidence in an institution that still plays an important role in society, especially in the mainly Catholic south.

EDITORIAL Where’s their place in a Super India?

T

here’s a study that reveals that 33 per cent of urban Indians believe that the pros of having slum dwellers outweigh the cons. To be exact, it’s the services rendered by these people that curry favour with their betters. What about the grime, the slime, the dirt, the disease, the halfclad kids, the shelters of blue tarpolin that can barely withstand a heavy downpour or a determined gale, and greatest of all, the poverty that makes the biggest contrast between the ser-

READERS’ VIEWS

vice providers and those who are served? Do they get proper benefits, do they prosper, do they have health

care — do they even figure in the great plans that our visionary leaders have for India, the super-power-to-be? No, they don’t. Like offsprings of crabs that eat away at their mothers to survive and thrive, humans eat away at mother earth and everything else that’s in and on it. And those who live a better and richer life think it their right to use those who are “beneath” them. Sure, it will take a hell of a job to make them realise that things can be better. But will they be told that if the betters

think it better to keep them in the dark? Those who said slum-dwellers are ‘good’, they enthuse of a vague grim sense of the characters and situation in 1984… an elite ruling class and a proletariat, which do not know what the real story is. Perhaps instead of studying what urban Indians think about bumbkins and rustics and country ‘fellows’, it’s time we ask the latter what they think of the cities and urban culture, if they know about a better life and their place in a Super India.

We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or Plot No 550-A1,3rd Floor, Road No 92, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad–500033 Landmark — Volkswagen showroom or even by way of a call on 040-2354 1412. Editor: Dean Williams

15

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

Cinema WESTERN DOMINATION

US films dominate Rome festival line-up American films seem to be dominating the competition lineup for the 8th edition of the Rome Film Festival ROME: US director Spike Jonze’s Her will be one of the hotly-awaited premieres at the Rome film festival, including movies starring Scarlett Johansson and Christian Bale, the festival’s director said Monday.

Marco Mueller, formerly the head of the Venice film festival, on Monday unveiled a line-up for November featuring Brazilian, Chilean, Iranian, Japanese, Mexican and Portuguese films.

Of the 18 films in competition, 17 are world or international premieres, with a strong American and Italian presence in particular.

US director James Gray, best known for his 2007 crime drama We Own the Night, will head up the jury for the festival, which runs November 8 to 17.

Mueller said there was no overriding theme linking the films selected: “We chose the ones that moved us, that spoke to our hearts, our guts,” he said.

Jonze’s Her, already a favourite with critics granted a first look at New York’s film festival this month, stars Joaquin Phoenix as a Los Angeles-based man who gets a new operating system on his mobile phone that answers his daily questions.

As the voice — played by Johansson — becomes less machine-like and more human he develops an infatuation for it in a wryly comic tale which questions our increasingly intimate relationships with technology.

Scott Cooper’s US thriller Out of the Furnace — produced by Ridley Scott and Leonardo DiCaprio — will also have its international premier.

Starring Bale — of Batman fame — Casey Affleck and Willem Dafoe, it tells the tale of

two brothers dreaming of a better life in the poverty-hit Rust Belt, who end up drawn into a spiral of violence with a ruthless gang.

The competition’s ambitious line-up includes Japan Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Seventh Code and Chinese Jian Cui’s Blue Sky Bones.

Mueller said the first seven days of the festival in the Eternal City will feature a nightly screening of a US film with “an important star” on the red carpet

The competition’s ambitious line-up includes Japan Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Seventh Code and Chinese Jian Cui’s Blue Sky Bones.

— though he would not be drawn on names.

Critics and audiences are looking forward to American

producer Mark Turtletaub’s first film as director, Gods Behaving Badly.

Starring Christopher Walken as Zeus, Sharon Stone as Aphrodite, Oliver Platt as Apollo and John Turturro as Hades, it sees a mortal couple run across the down-on-their-luck Greek gods living it up in New York city.

Mueller also promised a “return to real Italian comedy” with the opening screening,

Giovanni Veronesi’s The Fifth Wheel, about an unlikely everyman hero.

The new Hunger Games installment, Catching Fire directed by Francis Lawrence, will open out of competition with Josh Hutcherson in the lead role.

The festival will also host a masterclass with Silence of the Lambs director Jonathan Demme.

- AFP

18

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

spotlight SETTING THE FLOOR ALIGHT

Desi beats rule Excitement soared on the final day of Navratri Utsav at Imperial Gardens. Dressed in traditional Gujarati style clothes, youngsters set the dance floor on fire.

LOUD & CLEAR

Rock music lovers were in attendance at Hard Rock Cafe where Indian Ocean band performed.

Those present were seen grooving to the music and having a gala time.

UP IN ARMS

Actress Charmee Kaur along with female models and trainers kickstarted the ‘PASS - Protest Against Smelly Stubble’ movement in the City. Also present at the do was actor Arbaaz Khan.

The event was organised by Gillette.

IN FULL GLORY

Minister of Handlooms & Textiles Prasad Kumar and Minister for Tourism Vatti Vasant Kumar presented the excellence award for the best hotel management institute to Shri Shakti Institute of Hotel Management.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

health RESEARCH

AIR POLLUTION HARMING EUROPEAN HEALTH

The European Environment Agency (EEA) listed tiny airborne particles and ozone as posing a significant threat. However, the authors said nations had significantly cut emissions of a number of pollutants, including sulphur dioxide, lead and carbon monoxide.

19

MAD COW DISEASE

One in 2000 in UK carry protein

It has been estimated that one person in 2,000 in Britain carries the protein linked to the human version of mad cow disease

A

round one person in 2,000 in Britain carries the protein linked to the human version of mad cow disease, a figure higher than previous estimates, a study said on Tuesday.

But how many people will actually develop the crippling and ultimately fatal disease is unknown, its authors say.

They also warn Britain to fight the risk of wider contamination through blood transfusions and surgical instruments.

The study, published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), is the most exhaustive attempt yet to quantify the risk to Britons from variant CreuzfeldtJakob disease, or vCJD. This is a brain-destroying disorder whose suspected cause lies with eating beef contaminated by mad cow disease, a bovine illness that erupted in Britain in the late 1980s and spread to other countries through cattle exports.

Culls to curb mad cow disease -- official name bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) -went into higher gear in the 1990s.

But experts have been struggling to calculate the risk for people exposed to the rogue prion protein, called abnormal PrP, during the risk years.

The problem is that little is known about the incubation time for vCJD, although it is likely to be long, and not everyone who carries the prion may develop the disease itself.

Researchers led by Sebastian Brandner, a professor of neuropathology at University College London, analysed 32,441 appendixes that were removed at 41 British hospitals, and tested

them for PrP. Sixteen samples were positive, a figure that, when extrapolated across the United Kingdom’s population equates to around one in 2,000.

This compares with a previous sample study that put the figure at an average of one in 4,000.

The new estimate cannot be directly described as being twice as high as the previous one, for the two tallies overlap in their upper and bottom range of estimates.

“Our study detected the presence of abnormal prions in the population,” Brandner said in an email exchange with AFP. “However, it is not possible to predict how many will ever develop the disease. Should anyone develop a disease, it may present differently from vCJD.” So far, an official count by British watchdogs gives a rela-

But experts have been struggling to calculate the risk for people exposed to the rogue prion protein, called abnormal PrP, during the risk years. tively tiny number of vCJD cases, just 177 compared to the millions likely to have been exposed to abnormal PrP. Brandner said the samples were assessed anonymously, which means it was impossible to know how the patients acquired the prion.

“It is likely, however, that most or all would have acquired (it) through BSE-contaminated food,” he said.

The positive samples came from people of all ages and geo-

graphical background.

Incubation the big unknown The study says the new figures may be an underestimate, given the limitations of the testing technology and uncertainties about when the prion becomes detectable in lymphoid tissue.

And, it suggests, a broad range of Britons may carry the prion, on the basis of a genetic profile of the appendix samples.

Four of the “positives” came back from people with a socalled VV variation on part of the gene that encodes for prion proteins. Only 15 percent of the British population have this.

By contrast, all of the known cases of vCJD have involved people with the so-called MM variation of the gene, which accounts for 43 percent of the population.

Eight of the “positives” were MM. The other four “positives”

were MV, meaning a mixture of the two variants on this part of the gene. People with the MV variant account for nearly 45 percent of the British population.

Still unclear is why so few individuals with the “MM” variant have actually fallen with sick with vCJD. Also unknown is whether individuals with the “V” component may develop the disease after a very long incubation, or whether in fact they may be shielded from it, says the paper.

The study warns the authorities to maintain their guard.

So far, results indicate “the risks of transmission of vCJD by blood transfusion are low,” it says.

However, “it is unclear how many blood recipients have subclinical disease and if their life expectancy is shorter than the incubation time.

20

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

Technology STYLISH HIRE Burberry’s widelyacclaimed chief executive Angela Ahrendts is quitting her role at the British luxury fashion group to become head of retail at Apple.

WHISTLE ME THIS WASHINGTON: A US press freedom group announced it would be offering news organizations access to an open-source whistleblower submission system dubbed ‘SecureDrop.’ The Freedom of the Press Foundation said it has taken charge of what was originally known as the DeadDrop project, developed by the late Internet activist Aaron Swartz.

The foundation will also provide on-site installation and technical support to news organizations wishing to run the system.

The new system adds to the Wikileaks-style system for anonymous submission of news tips and documents.

TCS PROFITS UP

MUMBAI: India’s biggest IT

APPLE OPTS FOR ANGELA’S FASHION FLAIR BEN PERRY feedback@postnoon.com LONDON: Burberry’s widelyacclaimed chief executive Angela Ahrendts is quitting her role at the British luxury fashion group to become head of retail at Apple, the pair said on Tuesday.

Burberry’s chief creative officer Christopher Bailey will take over from the 53-year-old US national, adding chief executive to his title.

US technology giant Apple said in a statement that Ahrendts would oversee the “strategic direction, expansion and operation” of its retail and online stores.

“I am thrilled that Angela will be joining our team,” said Apple chief executive Tim Cook.

“She shares our values and our focus on innovation, and she places the same strong emphasis as we do on the customer experience. She has shown herself to be an extraordinary leader throughout her career and has a proven track

record.”

Ahrendts will have been chief executive of Burberry for about eight years by the time of her departure in 2014.

The London-listed firm, famous for its trademark red, camel and black check design on clothes and handbags, has undergone huge expansion into emerging markets with Ahrendts at the helm.

Ahrendts said she was “profoundly honoured to join Apple” and was leaving Burberry “in brilliant shape”.

British national Bailey, who has been at Burberry since 2001 and chief creative officer for the past six years, said he was “profoundly moved and humbled to be asked to take on the CEO role”.

Burberry chairman John Peace described the appointment of Bailey, 42, as “a natural progression”.

Separately on Tuesday, Burberry reported sales of £1.03 billion ($1.65 billion, 1.21 billion euros) in the group’s first half, up 14 percent compared with

Burberry, famous for its red, camel and black check design on clothes, has undergone huge expansion into emerging markets with Ahrendts at the helm. the six months through to the end of September 2012.

“The impressive update has been overshadowed by the news that the chief executive will be leaving,” Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said in a note to clients.

Burberry opened 14 stores and closed eight during its first half.

“Store openings included a net two in China and one additional store in each of Brazil, Mexico and India as the group continued to invest in high

potential markets,” it said on Tuesday.

Founded in 1856 by dressmaker Thomas Burberry, the company invented the gabardine waterproof raincoat and provided kit to officers in the British armed forces during World War I. Since mid-2006, when Ahrendts became Burberry chief, the group has doubled revenues and more than trebled its share price.

Ahrendts was last year by far the highest-paid chief executive among the FTSE’s 100 top companies with a package totalling £16.9 million, according to a survey by pay consultancy MM&K. She is currently one of only three women to head FTSE 100 index companies along with Carolyn McCall at budget airline EasyJet and Imperial Tobacco’s Alison Cooper.

The number could increase should newly part-privatised Royal Mail, headed by Moya Greene, join as expected the leading index in a reshuffle.

outsourcing firm, Tata Consultancy Services, on Tuesday reported a 34 percent jump in quarterly net profit, beating market forecasts, led by outsourcing deals and new contracts.

The company, popularly known as TCS and part of the steel-to-tea Tata conglomerate, said consolidated net profit rose to 47.02 billion rupees ($760 million) for the three months to September from 35.12 billion rupees in the same period a year earlier.

CASIO’S NEW ‘POMRIE’ TOKYO: Japan’s Casio Computer has found a way to marry Japan’s love of ink stamps with its technological wizardry in the form of a desk-top device.

The “pomrie” gadget uses photographs taken on a smartphone or saved on a computer and makes them into a stamp that will allow users to repeatedly recreate versions of their favourite scenes using up to eight colours at a time.

Casio hopes the device, which melts a negative image onto a sponge material, leaving only the unmelted parts able to soak up ink, will prove popular in Japan, where stamps are still very common.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

Entertainment RUNS IN THE FAMILY

21

FAMILY MULTI-STARRERS IN VOGUE IN TELUGU FILM

I

t’s a rarity but a treat for movie buffs to see real life film families working together on the big screen. In the Telugu film industry, three such family multi-starrers are getting ready for release.The most awaited of these is Telugu comedy-drama Manam, featuring three generations of actors of the Akkineni lineage.The film, which is being directed by Vikram Kumar, stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, his son Nagarjuna and grandson Naga Chaitanya in key roles.

Nagarjuna says it’s an opportunity he couldn’t let go of.”We always wanted to do a film as a family.

Dad and I have worked

together earlier, but since Chaitanya entered the industry, we were keen to team up again. When Vikram narrated the script, we immediately fell in love with it and agreed to work together. I just couldn’t let go of the opportunity,” Nagarjuna had earlier told IANS. Manam director said the idea was not to cash in on their popularity.”It was a conscious decision to cast them. I’m definitely honoured to work with actors from three generations of the Akkineni clan, but I didn’t cast them because they’re popular,” Vikram said.

Nageswara Rao and Nagarjuna have earlier worked together in films such as Collector Gari Abbai and Sri Ramadasu. Family multi-starrers are definitely crowdpullers, says trade analyst Trinath. “Filmmakers may or may not realise it, but family multi-starrers can draw audiences in large numbers to cinemas. Both Nageswara Rao and Nagarjuna are popular actors and have a large fan base, while Chaitanya has an equally strong fan base amongst youngsters. One can imagine what will happen when they

act together,” Trinath said. Another highly anticipated film, which is yet-untitled, features the Manchu family. Currently on floors, this project features Manchu Mohan Babu and his sons Vishnu and Manoj. This is the first time the trio is coming together. Vishnu, who plays one of the leads in the film, says the idea for their film was conceived even before the Akkineni multi-starrer was announced.

“We always wanted to do a family multi-starrer for years now. This project was initiated much before the Akkineni family project was announced. Apparently, dad was supposed to play the lead in this film; I was to produce it. But since I was happy with the script, I requested the writers to make some changes in it because dad was playing lead after several years. After some changes were made to the script, I was requested to join the cast along with my brother.

When I went through the script, I was convinced that all three of us were suitable for the film. So, we agreed to work together,” he said. This project is touted to be the biggest multi-starrer in Telugu filmdom. Besides the Manchu clan, it also features Varun Sandesh, Tanish, Hansika Motwani, Praneetha and Raveena Tandon in vital roles.

While Manam and the Manchu family project are on floors, and are expected to hit theatres next year, the third film in the lineup is likely to feature cousins Akkineni Naga Chaitanya and Rana Daggubati. “A leading director has expressed interest to cast these two actors together in another multi-starrer. Nothing has been confirmed so far, but the official announcement is likely to be made soon,” said Trinath. Telugu action-drama Yevadu, which is scheduled to release soon, also features cousins Ram Charan Teja and Allu Arjun.

IANS

22

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

GET WELL SOON

CINE BYTES

Prequel to Gangaajal

P

RANBIR GETS HURT A

ccording to sources, actor Ranbir Kapoor was hurt on the sets of Bombay Velvet which is Anurag Kashyap’s upcoming drama film. Ranbir’s role is that of a street fighter and there are quite a few fight sequences.

When our very own “Ranboo” was shooting for one such fight sequence, he hurt his knuckles and elbow and was in immense pain following the injury. Now, we all know the kind of professional that Ranbir is. He shot the fight sequence anyway. Here’s hoping that the Kapoor lad gets better soon!

rakash Jha’s critically acclaimed film, Gangaajal which was inspired by the Bhagalpur blinding incidents is going to soon have a prequel.

Jha has already started writing the project and wants to reprise Ajay Devgn’s role as SP Amit Kumar. Devgn has also agreed to do the film.

The prequel will develop the back story of the protagonist, before he joins the police force in the crime-ridden Tezpur district.

I never said yes to 'Milan Talkies': Shahid Kapoor

S

hahid Kapoor has slammed reports that he has walked out of Milan Talkies, saying that he never even agreed to do the film in the first place.

"When were there reports that I said yes to 'Milan Talkies'? You have to first say 'yes' to something before you can say 'no' to it. I never said yes.”

IANS

Shahid and Sonakshi get dirty

T

he mantra to grabbing eyeballs is to get dirty. Shahid Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha did just that with their killer moves in the song Gandi Baat from R… Rajkumar. A glimpse into the trailer of the song and we are more than curious to see what’s in store for us. Well, let’s keep mum on the verdict and wait till we watch the whole video to figure if this would be the song of the year.

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

23

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

24

25

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

LONE MODERN BEAUTY

JOLIE CAN COMPETE WITH MONROE'S BEAUTY A

ctress Angelina Jolie is the only modern beauty who could compete with silver screen legends Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardner, says celebrity photographer Terry O'neill.

During his career, O'neill has captured the world's most iconic beauties during his prolific career and he insists the days of the movie siren are numbered because there are just few current stars who possess the look, the elegance and the class of the greats.

But he feels that there is one actress who rises above the rest, reports contactmusic.com.

"Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Marilyn Monroe, all of them were stunning. Now, they all seem the same. The only one who really stands out is Angelina Jolie, a different class of girl altogether. She's a stunning, beautiful woman - a rarity,” he said.

IANS

CINE BYTES

Selena Gomez Jokes About "Single Lady Problems,"

S

elena Gomez posted a cute picture of her cousin cuddling up to her boyfriend and it looks like the brunette beauty couldn't help but feel, well, single.

"Spending time with my cousin and her man… #3rdwheel #singleladyproblems #futurecatlady #werk," she wrote as a caption to the cute image.

Russell Crowe to star in ‘Fathers and Daughters’

R

ussell Crowe is heading to New York to play the lead in Voltage Prods.’ drama Fathers and Daughters, directed by Gabriele Muccino. Besides Voltage, production companies are Busted Shark Prods., Fear of God Films and Leone Films.

Anna Friel's experience with gorilla

A

nna Friel says she was terrified while shooting a wildlife documentary in Africa, when a gorilla charged at one of her crew members. The 37-year-old headed to Uganda in August this year to make a film highlighting the plight of mountain gorillas, but the trip almost ended in a nightmare when a silverback primate turned on one of the members.

IANS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

“One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.” - Nelson Mandela

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

26

SUDOKU How to play kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: ‘How do you play kakuro?’, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers.

However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number.

Within each collection of cells — called a run — any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once.

Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on...

So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run.

Note the second cell in row two — it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 Lifeline locale 5 Hit, in show biz 9 Diet ad caption 14 Eye layer 15 Racetrack fence 16 Trombone piece 17 Ne’er-do-wells 20 Mount of Exodus 21 ATM maker bought by AT&T 22 Tiny protest 23 Fancy fabric 26 Retain 28 Ermine, in summer 30 Go by, as time 34 Bar requirements 37 Neck of the woods 39 Haughty look 40 What practicing every day makes one 44 Become unnavigable in winter 45 It’s written at the top of the list 46 Dash lengths 47 Depressing state of affairs 49 Vowed again, say 52 Bookish one 54 Come up with, as a plan 57 Rent-a-car option 60 Never say this 62 Host 64 Put this to impress people 68 Packaged hay 69 It’s seen in many Christmas specials 70 Pelvic bones 71 Verdugo or Kagan 72 One Marx 73 Abound

DOWN

1 Short-muzzled dogs 2 Stay away from 3 Hotelier Helmsley

4 They head houses of ill repute 5 Term of endearment, for a frat boy 6 You’ll need to get it into your scull 7 "Huckleberry ___" 8 Shepherd’s charge 9 Cigar residue 10 Impudent 11 Pitchfork prong 12 Move cautiously 13 Breathing-related (abbr.)

18 Formal decree 19 Cherry or lemon, e.g.

24 Eagles may do it 25 Gold purity unit 27 Otherwise 29 Kind of sax or singer 31 Rose that had spikes 32 Appear 33 Makes a blunder 34 Footnote abbr.

35 Like the Chrysler Building design 36 Hobo concoction, in stereotypes 38 Produced a sum 41 Light-bulb filament metal 42 Fencer’s blade 43 Heavyweight champ after Holyfield 48 Change, as the decor 50 Always 51 Blockhead 53 Stand in the mall?

55 Post office device 56 Creepy 57 Monastery resident 58 Piccata meat 59 ___ of Capri 61 Volcano that blew its stack in 2002 63 Asner’s cheese choice?

65 Consumer’s protective agcy.

66 Supporting 67 It’s said to be wise

Chai Time WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 17-10-2013

27

As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

As there is a happy atmosphere at home, women will feel happy; also good events are likely to take place in line.

Those planning to go abroad will get their visa without much effort. You will complete all the challenging tasks successfully.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Financial position looks strong and there is no need to worry.

But caution to be exercised while spending and also good monitoring is required to avoid extravagance. Struggles are inevitable but success is yours without fail.

Politicians will be in limelight.

You will be the most respected in the functions and public meetings which are attended by you. Unwanted tensions and higher expenses are likely to upset your mood. Employees may feel frustrated.

Avoid getting angry and emotional outbursts on family members which will boomerang on you. Persons involved in real estate business will have a boom time.

Politicians will do good job, hence get appreciation.

Businessmen will affect drastic changes. Those want to change their job, can initiate their efforts now as the time is favourable.

Debt issues will be under good control. Employees might be favoured with promotion or pay hike.

Minor ego clashes existed between couple will disappear and they will live in good cooperation hereafter. Employees are likely to get entrusted with new responsibilities and get recognition on completing the same successfully.

You need to be brisk by driving out the laziness in you so that the planned works can get completed successfully. Avoid bringing in a third person to mediate for the problem between you as it might widen the rift substantially.

Good effects are likely to get delayed and hence it is advisable to postpone new efforts.

Avoid interfering into others’ personal issues voluntarily which might bring a bad reputation to you. Employees need to plan their work and focus.

Debt problems will be under good control with the help of your friends and close relatives.

Those expecting for a good job opportunity should be prepared to relocate considering the good benefits. You will be happy as marriage of son/daughter.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Nine of Swords – Pay attention to your dreams. You will see situations differently and your dreams will allow you to manage your emotions.

LEO:

Page of Cups – You’re feeling youthful, adventurous, wild and a little impulsive. Don’t take no for an answer and go ahead with what you think needs to be done.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Six of Swords – Overseas contacts are in focus. You will get a business opportunity either in a foreign company or in a company that has strong foreign links.

SAGITTARIUS:

Six of Cups – An elderly person will come to your rescue. You will be grateful for this person’s advice. It comes as a huge relief to you. Thank this person.

TAURUS:

Seven of Swords – Someone is about to backstab you.

Be on the lookout if you don’t want to get hurt. There is high competition in the office.

CANCER:

Death – Change is inevitable. You have no choice but to manage the new circumstances, however difficult it may be to do so.

Accept it and all will be fine.

VIRGO:

The Hanged Man – Take active steps to still the mind.

You need to meditate or exercise enough to clear your mind. Deal with the confusion in your head.

SCORPIO:

Knight of Cups – You’re the knight in shining armour or the beautiful princess in someone’s life. But you’re unsure if you want to be part of that person’s life.

CAPRICORN:

Page of Swords – Some important decisions have to be made. Given a choice, you’re more likely to pick the one that is more practical.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Five of Wands – You would need to deal with some conflict – it could be internal or external. There’s a good chance that you face-off with an authority figure.

NUMBER GAME

Priest – The keys are with you. All you need to do is just pick them up and move along with your plans. Too much dilly-dallying is causing delays.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: The High

POOCH CAFE

Some are likely to undertake abroad tour. Mother’s health might be a cause for concern.

Employees can expect drastic changes at workplace which will suit their expectations and make them happy. Vehicle might give trouble.

for 17-10-2013

Knight of Pentacles – You have no choice now but to do things the conventional way. There will be times when you feel like this is a new job all over again.

NON SEQUITUR

Politicians will be entrusted with more complicated responsibilities and hence they need to struggle for getting them completed but finally they will achieve their goals. Women at family will work with patience and shrewdness.

SUDUKO

New efforts might need lot of good and hard work but will get completed successfully.

Misunderstanding is likely to take place between couple; need to remain in harmony to avoid unwanted rifts.Promotion with transfer on cards.

Boggle SEAL WHALE WALRUS DOLPHIN PORPOISE Vol: 3, No 84 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at # Plot no.550-A1,3rd floor, Road no-92, 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 040-23541412,

o th s de k e Th Pe lam l Pr ids sin e 35 "h in , J ge -y "tr ter me Ka ap ce un r, ea as d tie he S py ss T ior wi r-o hin "b r h f ia , th ld g A e Pr m i** sou e a am am eig wh ha " he nd x-h ice ar h" n lso ily ii ht o s r re us ria fo d ". , f , a m als ca ba ha or n s o re ge llo lik acc nd s d e h h u d , w e s es si e h it o r. for ha w in a ed tro x- a u hi g " lfye s t a ch th ba hi y ye a t in ar w t m I u d e n ar w to la b m o g -o o st re u f h b t l ne ic io an s, r he d ed ak m m ep if w h g ir th up " a aki an he spa is rap ex ort re o n ng t d w p be h r a s e- f t d fa " im as er, ing y, L ct con an he a I ov f ta m a d- ir t ag b sh afa lwa ily, hou e b uild e s seri e, L rom ctm us w m y g y in ai al ip in alk ily s w som ht w tra g u d: " ised stic he ic.c s k e I r om a d w a e t e hi p t ph o as nt hi ha ng hi fel in T and ne . on ut d ed. ng d a m s o t to he Li w n e -- es B w se ine wn m S es, ca tel tro u h cu . w eve ca e a un ll. lin y t ic re h an y r re s To g ed th h , h er y h pr m a hi " clo e l ope th e wh t I h app H su ef rl in n is it e ha a y qu ter ts e re t s y s da w n pp ve w a i v P t y s y n o on o I po h e u o c k se er ntl iew he ov ete e y s the ld ur ou en di cre ha er w v w o t o m ld to g h s se as rce beh as av e m ften arri ne m ag ve e IA cr no . in a e su aga a N et S ." da The d o dar th bs zin dro e. r g bou a e e u r p k e r t t t – k e r

Pr 'tr ice M as s hi lam ng s 'h A er nd ca re re fo er r

Entertainment WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

28

BLAME GAME CINE BYTES

Lance Bass wants show on ‘N Sync

S inger Lance Bass, who recently reunited with former bandmates of ‘N Sync for performance at an award show, believes there should be a TV reality show to capture their chemistry on camera. "We see each other a lot, but we never get to see each other all five of us in the same room.”

They disbanded a decade back.

IANS

Lawson to join Jessie J on Alive tour

L

awson band members will perform the main support act for singer Jessie J's Alive tour. The band, which comprises Adam Pitts, Andy Brown, Joel Peat and Ryan Fletcher, will perform a total of 14 dates alongside Jessie, who is touring in support of her new album “Alive”, reports entertainmentwise.com.

IANS

I'm not a pushy parent: Andie Macdowell

ndie MacDowell avoids giving her daughter acting advice. The 55-year-old, recently filmed a movie with her daughter Rainey Qualley, an aspiring actress. Even though she is an incredibly supportive parent, she believes it's important for Qualley, 23, to find her own feet in Hollywood, reports contactmusic.com.

A

IANS

sports

29

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

KOREA OPEN PREVIEW

McIlroy seeks ‘solace’ and form McIlroy competes at the $1 million OneAsia Tour event at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club, south of Seoul, having taken a month off since failing to qualify for the USPGA Tour Championship.

SEOUL: Troubled former world number one Rory McIlroy admitted he was “seeking solace” as he prepared to begin a lucrative three-week Asian swing at the Kolon Korea Open on Thursday.

McIlroy competes at the $1 million OneAsia Tour event at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club, south of Seoul, having taken a month off since failing to qualify for the USPGA Tour Championship.

But his break from playing has coincided with an acrimonious split from his management company and rumours abounding in the British and Irish press of the end of his relationship with long-term girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki.

The rumours were denied by the tennis player in a Danish newspaper on Tuesday, and were subject of a sharp response from McIlroy in Korea: “My private life is private. I’d like to keep it that way.”

So the softly-spoken Northern Irishman can be forgiven for getting as far away from it all as possible over the coming weeks in places where he has good memories.

“I’m just happy to be back on the golf course and doing what I do best. It’s a nice place for a little bit of solace,” McIlroy said at a press conference on Tuesday.

McIlroy tied for third at the Korea Open in 2009, and was the runner-up in 2011 to American Rickie Fowler.

“I’ve played good golf here before, but I haven’t played quite well enough to win,” he said.

With no opponents of Fowler’s calibre this week, McIlroy fancies his chances

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland takes a shot on the course during the Pro-Am competition of the Kolon Korea Open at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club near Cheonan, on Wednesday.

AFP/PAUL LAKATOS

despite his poor form — he has only recorded one top 10 finish in his last 10 starts. “Hopefully, it will be the third time lucky for me,” he said.

McIlroy’s main focus will surely be to use the event to get back some form and confidence for the bigger prizes ahead as he moves on next week to China for Shanghai’s $7 million BMW Masters, where he was runnerup last year.

His hectic schedule will squeeze in another million-dollar payday in an exhibition match against Tiger Woods at Mission Hills on the southern island of Hainan, before he flies the 1,700 kilometres (1,100 miles) back to Shanghai for the WGC-HSBC Champions, an event carrying an $8.5 million prize fund.

McIlroy swept all before him last year, but has yet to win in 2013, tumbling to six in the

world. He refused to put his loss of form down to the much publicised switch to Nike clubs — worth a reported $20 million a year — and claimed it was more down to poor swing mechanics.

“I developed a couple of bad habits,” he said. “I wasn’t playing as well as I wanted, and that obviously dents your confidence a little bit. It definitely had nothing to do with equipment.”

The par-72 6,591-metre

(7,208-yard) Woo Jeong Hills layout has been described as “close as you can find in Asia to a big, brutish US tournament course” by one golf website — and that could suit the big-hitting McIlroy if he can get in the groove.

Only five players broke par in last year’s event, with Kim Dae-sub claiming his third national open title — but only the first as a professional — with a five-under total of 279.

AFP

ONE FOR THE REEL

Frears to shoot Armstrong biopic

PARIS: Stephen Frears, the award-winning British director of “The Queen” and “Dangerous Liaisons”, will this week start shooting his biopic of legendary-turned-notorious cyclist Lance Armstrong, French media said.

Filming of the provisionally titled “Cycling Project” will begin Friday in the French Alps, with other locations including the northeastern Ardennes region and Britain,

the daily newspaper Le Parisien said.

Frears’s biopic will trace the career of the cancer survivor who finally admitted in January 2013 that he had cheated his way to a record seven Tour de France titles.

European companies Studiocanal and Working Title will co-produce the films, the trade journal Film Francais said.

British actor Ben Foster

from the TV series “Six Feet Under” will play the disgraced Armstrong who has been banned for life from the sport for taking performanceenhancing drugs.

The screenplay by Danny Boyle’s “Trance” writer John Hodge will be based on the book by journalist David Walsh, who investigated Armstrong and cycling’s vast doping scandal.

IANS

sports

30

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

AUSTRIAN OPEN

GRAND SLAM OF GOLF

Brands books Tsonga showdown

VIENNA: Daniel Brands booked a date with top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (right) as he sent a second home player to a first-round defeat on Tuesday at the Austrian Open.

Brands, who staged the biggest coup of his career in July when he beat Roger Federer in the Gstaad second round after losing to the Swiss the week before in Hamburg, won his opening challenge with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) result over 2010 finalist Andreas Haider-Maurer.

Australian Lleyton Hewitt’s debut here lasted for 95 minutes as the former number one lost to Canadian Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 in the first round. Hewitt has been troubled by a wrist problems but decided to take his chances in Vienna. He is due to have the injury checked out fully when he returns to Australia.

The 32-year-old never got his game cranked up in the face of a dozen aces from his opponent who won a tiebreaker first set and broke to start the second.

Hewitt could not convert on a pair of set points deep into the tiebreak. “It was a tough match and conditions were a lot different than they’ve been the last few weeks in Asia,” said the Pospisil, ranked 40th who is hoping to advance enough in the rankings to

claim an Australian open seeding.

Brands meanwhile now has the chance to start reversing a run of poor form since his upset of Federer three months ago by taking another top 10 scalp in a dream scenario against Tsonga.

French top seed Tsonga is bidding to secure a spot in next month’s season-ending World

Tour Finals in London and stands provisional ninth with this week and two more to play in the regular ATP season.

With Andy Murray missing the season wrap-up as he heals after back surgery, the leading nine point scorers will comprise the London field.

Tsonga will go into opening

action in the second round after reaching a Shanghai semi-final at the weekend. But he will need to have jet-lag and general fatigue under control.

The Frenchman must also keep close watch on fragile knees as he plays in his fourth event of the last five weeks in the mad rush to qualify for London. AFP

England’s Rose leads

SOUTHAMPTON: US Open champion Justin Rose fired a four-under par 67 on Tuesday to take a twostroke lead after the opening round of the four-man Grand Slam of Golf.

Jason Dufner carded a two-under 69, Masters winner Adam Scott fired a oneunder 60 and defending champion Padraig Harrington stumbled to a threeover 74.

Harrington replaced Phil Mickelson in the event designed to pit the year’s four major champions against each other.

Rose, Dufner and Scott were tied for the lead at three-under on the tee at the par-three 16th. Scott’s tee shot landed in a greenside bunker and the Australian ended up with a double bogey.

“It was impossible to get it near the hole,” Scott said of his sand shot. “I was trying to hit it 50 feet long up near Justin’s ball, but misjudged it a little bit and it came out so soft.”

AFP

RACING MISHAP

Edwards dies, motorsport mourns LONDON: British motorsport was in mourning Tuesday following the death of driver Sean Edwards (in pic) at the Queensland Raceway in Australia.

The London-born 26-year-old was a passenger in a Porsche which the BBC reported had hit the barriers during a private test session. The driver survived Edwards was leading the Porsche Supercup championship, a series which supports Formula One races, and in May was a co-winner of the Nurburgring 24 hours event.

He is the son of former Formula One driver Guy Edwards,who pulled Grand Prix great Niki Lauda out of a burning car following the Austrian’s

crash at the Nurburgring in 1976.

Edwards played the part of his father in the recently released motion picture ‘Rush’, which recounts Lauda’s rivalry with James Hunt.

Former McLaren driver turned BBC Grand Prix commentator David Coulthard tweeted: “Shocking news about Sean Edwards passing, top man and super talented racer, condolences to his nearest and dearest.”

Three-times Le Mans 24 Hours winner Allan McNish added: “I knew his father initially from his sponsorship days, so I have followed Sean’s career a bit closer than you would normally do.

“The tragedy of it is he was leading the Supercup champi-

onship after such strong performances through the middle of the year. It looked like he was going to win.

“Also, having won the Nurburgring 24 Hours this year, I would say this was probably his strongest year in racing.

“He won the Porsche Supercup race in Monaco this year by 20 seconds, which is unheard of in a one-make-spec championship.

“This was a breakthrough year for him. He was showing what talent he had, but had maybe never had the opportunity to actually display it.

“Apart from that, he was a guy who loved life, loved racing, loved cycling, was strong and fit.”

AFP

sports

31

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

PAKISTAN VS SOUTH AFRICA

Khurram gives Pakistan lead Khurram Manzoor, the 27-year-old right-handed batsman, was unbeaten on 131 and Misbah was batting on 44 as Pakistan made a strong reply of 263 for three to South Africa’s 249.

ABU DHABI: Opener Khurram Manzoor notched a maiden hundred to help Pakistan take the upper hand in the first Test against South Africa in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old right-handed batsman was unbeaten on 131 and skipper Misbah-ul Haq on 44 not out as Pakistan made a strong reply of 263-3 to South Africa’s 249 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Manzoor put in a solid 135 for the opening wicket with debutant Shan Masood (75) to help Pakistan take a 14-run lead with seven wickets intact.

Manzoor, who hit twin halfcenturies in Pakistan’s last Test against Zimbabwe in Harare in September, dominated the ball during his 244-ball knock and has so far hit 14 boundaries.

Along with Misbah he added 85 for the unbroken fourth wicket stand as Pakistan looked set to get a big lead.

In the morning South Africa were dismissed after adding just four runs to their overnight score of 245-8. Manzoor in company of Masood started confidently, blunting a four-pronged South African pace attack on a lifeless pitch, reaching 77-0 at lunch.

Left-hander Masood was the first to reach his maiden half-cen-

Pakistan’s opener Khurram Manzoor (R) bats as South African wicketkeeper AB de Villiers looks on during the second day of their first Test at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

AFP/KARIM SAHIB

tury, off 102 balls while Manzoor reached his sixth fifty — third in a row in Tests — off 96 deliveries.

Masood finally fell, legbefore to part-timer Jean-Paul Duminy after hitting eight boundaries off 140 balls.

South Africa then hit back

with two quick wickets.

Paceman Vernon Philander had Azhar Ali caught behind for 11 and then Morne Morkel had Younis Khan caught in the slips for one to leave Pakistan at 178-3.

Manzoor though continued in the same vein, sweeping left-

arm spinner Robin Peterson for two boundaries and an over later pushed the same bowler for two to reach three figures, getting a standing ovation from the 7,000 strong crowd.

He took 198 balls to reach the milestone, bettering his previous

SWANSONG

DONNING A NEW ROLE

Fill up Eden for Sachin: Sourav KOLKATA: Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly Tuesday appealed to the city’s cricket buffs to fill up Eden Gardens during the Nov 6-10 Test match against the West Indies to give a befitting farewell to Sachin Tendulkar, who would be playing the penultimate game of his glittering career.

The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India earlier in the day announced that Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium would host the 200th and swansong test match of Tendulkar’s career Nov 14-18.

Eden Gardens would host Tendulkar’s 199th Test match.

“I appeal to the cricket aficionados of Kolkata to fill up Eden. Not a single seat should be empty. We must give Sachin a grand felicitation,” said Ganguly, who shared the Indian dressing room for one and half decades with the Mumbaikar.

Expressing happiness at Eden

best of 93 made at Colombo against Sri Lanka in 2009.

Manzoor and Masood dominated the bowling in the first session, putting on a solid hundredplus stand. It was Pakistan’s first century stand for the first wicket since Taufiq Umar and Mohammad Hafeez put on 114 against England in Dubai in January last year, ten Tests earlier.

The Manzoor-Masood pair is Pakistan’s sixth different combination in seven Tests as they struggled to find a solid pair for several years.

Misbah too has batted solidly, hitting four boundaries.

Masood said he was pleased with his performance.

“We were told to keep things simple,” said Masood, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Monday. “I could have batted longer, made a mistake to get out but had a decent outing.

“I think it’s still even, but if we bat the whole day tomorrow we can put pressure on them,” said Masood.

South African coach Russell Domingo hoped for a fightback.

“At the moment Pakistan looks strong but the second new ball will be crucial in the morning and we must find ways to come back in the game,” said Domingo.

AFP

Ganguly felt with emotions likely to run high among the people, the two Test matches (Kolkata and Mumbai) would be a tough task for Tendulkar. getting to host the match, Ganguly said “it is a great feeling. It will enthuse local youngsters who can see him in action for India for the last time”.

However, Ganguly felt with emotion likely to run high among the people, the two Test matches would be a tough task for Tendulkar.

“It will not be easy to play in such an emotion-surcharged atmosphere. He has to concentrate leaving aside everything else. I hope he will be among runs,” he said. IANS

PCB name PM as board patron LAHORE: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was Tuesday made patronin-chief of the country’s cricket board, while an ad-hoc committee took control of the game’s administration in an effort to end months of turmoil.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ran into trouble in May this year when a court suspended chairman Zaka Ashraf after complaints about the procedure for his election.

Veteran journalist Najam Sethi took over as interim chairman but he too fell foul of the courts, with another judgement severely curtailing his powers.

The PCB is appealing against the second court ruling but in the meantime has set up a five-man committee to run the game pending another hearing.

AFP

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2013

sports

HODGSON FRETS OVER ENGLAND WORLD CUP PICKS

England manager Roy Hodgson admitted that he was dreading the prospect of selecting his World Cup squad after his side booked their place by beating Poland. Goals late in each half from Rooney and Gerrard ensured that England preserved their advantage over Ukraine at the top of Group H.

ROAD TO WORLD CUP

England finalise Brazil trip It was an evening of cloying intensity for Roy Hodgson’s side, as Poland threatened to pull off a repeat of their 1-1 draw in London 40 years ago.

LONDON: England survived a night of tension to qualify for the World Cup after Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard secured a 20 win over Poland at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday.

Needing victory to conserve top spot in European qualifying Group H, England met their objective thanks to a 41st-minute header from Rooney and a late strike from the captain, Gerrard.

It was an evening of cloying intensity for Roy Hodgson’s side, however, as Poland, backed by around 18,000 raucous fans, threatened to pull off a repeat of their 1-1 draw in London 40 years ago that had denied England a place at the 1974 World Cup. Instead, a pair of goals made in Merseyside saw England home, meaning that Hodgson can now look forward to becoming only the sixth Englishman to manage England at a World Cup in Brazil next year.

“I’m greatly satisfied,” said Hodgson. “It was a tough group — both Montenegro and Poland showed themselves to be great opponents, both home and away.

England’s striker Wayne Rooney (2-L) heads the ball to score the opening goal during the World Cup 2014 Group H qualifying against Poland at Wembley Stadium in north London on Tuesday.

AFP/GLYN KIRK

“We played some sensational football in the first half and we dug in very well and controlled them in the second.

“We’ve been working together for 18 months and the way we play has changed. We’re getting better all the time and hopefully will get better still.

The players really are a group and they trust each other.”

England finished the campaign unbeaten, a point clear at

the top of the group above Ukraine, whose 8-0 win away to San Marino was to prove in vain, with Poland nine points off the pace in fourth place.

“We tried to prove we can play as a unit and as a team, that we still have some strength in our team,” said Poland coach Waldemar Fornalik.

“Looking at the goals and the points, the perception of our overall performance is different

from the assessment of the way we played.”

Hodgson made two changes to the team that had beaten Montenegro 4-1 on Friday, with Chris Smalling replacing the suspended Kyle Walker at rightback and Michael Carrick preferred to Frank Lampard in midfield.

For Poland, meanwhile, Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny was the goalkeeper presented with a chance to emulate Jan Tomaszewski, whose acrobatics famously denied England a World Cup place in 1973.

With smoke from Polish fans’ flares drifting across the pitch at kick-off and chants of ‘Polska!’ filling the air, the visitors could have been forgiven for thinking that they were the home side.

Indeed, England initially seemed cowed by the occasion and their failure to manage a succession of Polish counter-attacks saw first Waldemar Sobota and then Robert Lewandowski spurn good chances to put the Poles ahead.

Germany floor Sweden STOCKHOLM: Chelsea’s Andre Schuerrle claimed a second-half hat trick as Germany came from two goals down to seal a 5-3 win away to Sweden in Tuesday’s final World Cup qualifier.

Germany had already qualified for Brazil 2014 as Group C winners while Sweden as runners-up now face a two-legged play-off next month.

But there was far more than just pride at stake at Stockholm’s Friends Arena with Germany smarting from their 4-4 draw in Berlin last October after throwing away a 4-0 lead.

Having last lost either a European Championships or World Cup qualifier back in

October 2007, Germany were heading for a rare defeat until scoring four second-half goals.

“It’s annoying to concede three goals, but we have once again shown what power we have when we are going forward,” beamed man-of-thematch Schuerrle clutching the match ball.

“That would make it hard for any team in the world.”

Joachim Loew’s Germany extended their unbeaten run to 32 qualification matches, but captain Philipp Lahm was not impressed.

“We have a bit of work to do, not only in defence, but also in attack,” said the Bayern Munich star.

Even without suspended

Germany’s midfielder Andre Schurrle (2ndL) scores past Sweden’s goalkeeper Johan Wiland during their FIFA 2014 World Cup group C qualifying match on Tuesday in Solna near Stockholm.

AFP/JONATHAN NACKSTRAND

superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden raced into the lead with goals by Tobias Hysen and Alexander Kacaniklic before Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil pulled one back just before the break.

The Germans then ran riot in the second-half with Bayern Munich’s Mario Goetze coming on to equalise before Schuerrle

hat-trick, while Hysen pulled one back for the Swedes.

Sweden capitalised on some poor German defending after just six minutes when a great pass from Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson found Hysen in space and he fired past Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

AFP

32

Uruguay defeat Argentina

Uruguayan Luis Suarez (back) vies for the ball with Argentine Augusto Fernandez during their World Cup South American qualifier match on Tuesday.

AFP/DANIEL CASELLI

MONTEVIDEO: Two-time champions Uruguay served up a thrilling 3-2 win over Argentina on Tuesday but must beat Jordan in next months’s intercontinental playoff if they are to reach the World Cup finals.

Uruguay were beaten to the punch by Chile and Ecuador, who claimed the final automatic South American qualifying berths behind regional group winners Argentina and secondplaced Colombia.

Saluting his team for a “dignified” end to their regional program, Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez indicated they must not take Jordan lightly, despite their rivals being ranked 73rd to their own seventh.

“Like all Uruguayans I hope we make it through (but) we would be very wrong to think Jordan cannot cause us problems,” Tabarez warned.

Chile beat Ecuador 2-1 in Santiago to ensure third place in the regional table with 28 points from their 16 matches, two behind Colombia and four shy of two-time world champions Argentina.

Despite their loss Ecuador just prised the final automatic slot away from the Uruguayans on goal difference after both landed a points tally of 25.

Uruguay had lost their previous qualifier in Ecuador, compromising their hopes, but signed off with a win and should prove too strong for Asian minnows Jordan.

AFP