Epaper 22 june 2013

HUES & VIEWS OF ANDHRA PRADESH

P

opular blogger Anuradha Goyal has lived in 14 cities across India and then in some abroad. Her extensive globetrotting has made her appreciate her motherland even more.

PG 16&17

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

WEATHER: CLOUDY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS; 29°C

Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

JUNE 22, 2013 HYDERABAD

32 PAGES

`3

ON SATURDAY

STAMP SCAM?

GAIMAN'S GEMS

The government has failed to control stamp vendors duping public.

REPORT ON PG 3

PICTURE FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSE ONLY

N

eil Gaiman's recently released The Ocean At The End Of The Lane is being called his best novel ever, but the prolific writer's oeuvre has several gems in it already. Here is our pick of Gaiman's must reads.

PG 15

GAMING IMMORTALS

I

t’s tough to find gamers who haven’t heard of Counter Strike, one of the most popular multiplayer games ever. It turned 14 this week, but there are many other games that share the same distinction of being popular years after release. Here are some of them. PG 12

2

PAGE TWO SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK

Reel abilities Between the Lines, English play by Nandita Das will be staged.

Where: The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, Hitech City When: June 22, 7.30 pm Contact: 6767-6767

Interview workshop Workshop on success in interview will be held.

Where: Swamy Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence, Lower Tankbund When: June 22, 10 am to 1 pm Contact: 2762-7961

Parental workshop Tips for pregnant women by Dr Rekha Sudarshan will be held.

Where: Fortune Select Manohar, Begumpet When: June 22, 2 pm to 6 pm

A traffic cop was seen driving an auto at Attapur on Friday.

Where: Sky, Avasa, Madhapur When: June 29, 9 pm

Where: Ozone 3- Fitness N Spa, Banjara Hills When: June 22 and June 23, 10 am to 6 pm Contact: 001-212-213-8208

Comedy invasion Raj Sharma and Vasu Primlan will be performing.

Where: Aros Lounge Bar, Madhapur When: June 22, 7.30 pm Contact: 80083-00550

Word club A fun workshop for kids above the age of 8 will be organised.

Where: Just books, Jubilee Hills.

When: Every Sunday, 10 am to 12 pm Contact: 9849748117

Art attack

Food fest Pasta food festival is on.

Where: Prego, The Westin When: Till June 30, 7 pm to 11 pm Contact: 040 6767 6828

Film appreciation Reflect and unwind about thrillers from world cinema.

Where: Yavanika Films, Begumpet When: July 22 and 23, July 29 and July 30, 11 am to 7 pm

Masala workout Masala bhangra workout will be held.

CINEMAS

Aakar Art academy is conducting a painting workshop for kids above the age of 4.

Where: Just Books, Jubilee Hills When: Every Friday and Saturday from June 28, Friday - 4 to 5.30 pm

M ANILKUMAR

Skin care Contact: (040) 66662323

Mime workshop Auditions for Natvarya, a workshop

by Indian Mime Academy will be held.

Where: Sutradhar School of Acting, Himayathnagar When: June 22 and June 23, 11 am to 5 pm Contact: 82971-17515

Skin care workshop will be held.

Where: Pearl Palace, Begumpet When: June 22, 9.30 am to 12.30 pm Contact: 80086-34949

Kakatiya food Kakatiya Food Festival is on.

Where: Bidri, Marriott When: Till June 30, 6.30 pm to 11.30 pm Contact: +91 40 2752 2577

Freezing a moment Workshop on professional photography.

Where: Zing Academy, Banjara Hills When: June 22, 10 am Contact: 99598-88188

Celebrity DJ Celebrity DJ Nikhil Chinapa will set the dance floor on fire at Sky, Avasa.

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

3

CITY SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

22-yr-old dies in accident

A

Four AP students top JEE

22-year-old woman was killed in a road accident on Friday.

Krishna Veni, a resident of Jeedimetla, was in a car with her boyfriend Jayachandra. The car was speeding near Begumpet flyover when it overturned. She died on the spot.

Vain was working as a junior artiste in the Tollywood industry. The Begumpet police have registered a case.

Woman found murdered

T

A

he first-ever JEE (advanced) 2013, saw four students from the State figure in the top ten ranks in the open category. All the four toppers from the State are from Sri Chaitanya Narayana IIT academy. P Sai Sandeep (17) topped the country with 322 marks out of 360. Ravi Chandra bagged the second rank. S Leena Madhuri stood eighth.

25-year-old woman, Chandrakala, was allegedly murdered by her husband Dassappa. The murder came to light when the victim’s sister found her lying in a pool of blood. She had severe head injuries. Chandrakala and her husband used to have problems, reportedly about her fidelity. The police are looking for him, said inspector NB Ratnam.

Stamping out the menace The government has failed to control stamp vendors duping public.

ALEENA ALICE

aleena.t@postnoon.com

V

enkata Ramana, 64, a resident of Narayanaguda, was in for a surprise when he was asked to pay `150 for a non-judicial stamp paper. To make a rental agreement, he had approached a stamp vendor to buy a stamp paper of face-value `10. He was told there was no stock, and was forced to buy a `100 stamp paper for `150.

This is a very common scene faced by everyone who wants to purchase stamp papers for various notary agreements. Visit any vendor outside any court in the City to buy judicial or a nonjudicial stamp paper and you will be forced to pay 50 per cent more than what it cost.

“Stamp papers, especially the non-judicial ones, are very important for common people for sale deeds or affidavits for different purposes. Even though they are sold at a high rate, we are compelled to buy them to avoid further harassment,” says Sudipto Roy, who came to purchase a stamp paper outside the High Court on Friday.

As per the government norm, any individual while purchasing a stamp paper needs to pay an amount equal to the exact worth of the stamp paper.

However, these licensed vendors have been clearly flouting the norms. Surprisingly, stamp papers of face value `10 to `50 are always out of stock at any given time in the year. With no other option, customers are forced to buy stamp papers with higher denominations.

Gopal Krishna Kalanidi, a senior advocate, alleges that a

Sr citizen held for raping minor Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

T

he Dabeerpura police arrested a senior citizen of his involvement in the rape of a minor. The arrested, Shaik Ismail, 68, was produced in court and sent to prison, said inspector DV Ranga Reddy.

Ismail is a resident of Naga Bowli Yakutpura in Old City. He has been running a bone setting centre for the past few decades.

The victim is an eight-yearold girl who is a Class I student in a school in Ismail’s locality.

Her father works as a private employee and her mother works as a maid in Naga Bowli Basti.

Two days ago, Ismail allegedly lured the girl to his house by promising to give her chocolates.

He then allegedly raped her. She raised a hue and cry, hearing which locals entered Ismail’s house and caught him. They lodged a complaint against him in Dabeerpura police station.

The police sent the victim for a medical check-up. They found nail marks on her chest. The police arrested Ismail soon after.

The victim is still undergoing treatment.

In another incident in East Marredpally in Secunderabad, a woman was molested near the court. The victim, Shashikala, is from Bangalore. She had lodged a complaint against one Ravi Babu of Secunderabad, who had cheated her. When she left the court, he was waiting for her outside. He allegedly caught her, slapped her and tried to molest her, tearing her clothes. She managed to escape and lodge a complaint with the police.

In yet another incident, a four-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a tractor driver. As a result, she is in a critical condition and is undergoing treatment in a government hospital.

The incident happened in Kamlapur village of Adilabad district. The driver, Ramlu, 25, caught the girl while she was playing in front of her home. He allegedly took her into the bushes and raped her. The injured girl came home and told her parents what had happened. They then lodged a complaint with the Kamlapur police.

N SHIVA KUMAR

nexus is in operation in the State, and that some people stockpile stamp papers to create an artificial crisis. “It is mandatory that every sub-registrar office display the number of stamp papers that are available.

However, never do any of the designated offices display the fig-

ures. Some of the licensed stamp vendors give away the stamp papers to non-licensed people who in turn sell them at a very high rate and then the profit is shared among themselves.”

He says, “This issue has been brought up several times before the authorities concerned. I had

caught a few stamp vendors stocking up stamp papers redhanded. However, goons came to my door to threaten me to take back my complaint.”

Despite stamp vendors robbing the public openly, government officials seem to be turning a blind eye. In spite of several complaints since the last year, no official has conducted a check in any of the designated sub-registrar offices to keep a check on the number of stamp papers.

Agreeing that they are aware of the offences committed by the stamp vendors, A Prem Raj, subregistrar at Bowenpally office, said, “As long as people encourage them by agreeing to pay to their demands, they will continue.

People can complain about such irregularities and even if there is no evidence to support their complaints, we will warn the vendors that such violations would lead to their licence being revoked.”

Osmania hospital gives accident victim new life Arun Yellamaty arunyellamaty@postnoon.com

O

smania Hospital doctors have saved the life of a man who has been fighting for life on a ventilator for the past 60 days, after a tractor hit and ran over him. The 30year-old’s abdomen was smashed in the accident, which took place in Kurnool.

Speaking about the case, Dr Pavani, assistant professor of Anaesthesia, said, “Durgesh met with an accident and was rushed to the hospital early on February 22. The accident had smashed his abdomen. We operated, worked on multiple bowel leaks, sutured and repaired the abdomen.”

Two days later, he developed breathing difficulties, was put on a ventilator in RICU of Osmania General Hospital. He later developed multiple surgical complications. He underwent multiple stages of surg-

AFTER 90 DAYS, DURGESH WAS OBSERVED FOR ONE MORE WEEK AND WAS DISCHARGED WITH A METAL TRACHEOSTOMY TUBE AND COLOSTOMY. eries for his complications. He required two months of ventilator support and critical life support.

After 90 days, Durgesh, a labourer, was observed for one more week and was discharged with a metal tracheostomy tube and colostomy.

The doctor added that the 100 days of ICU support could have cost not less than `20 lakh, apart from medicines.

But at Osmania hospital, on payment of a mere `35,000 and donations from philanthropists, he was discharged.

Talking about the surgery, Durgesh said, “I thought I would die after the accident. I was worried about my children and wife. I always worked very hard for my living. This accident changed my life. I am very thankful to the doctors here at the government hospital, who took care of me. I was told the surgery would have cost a lot of money, which I did not have, but here it did not cost a lot.”

The surgical team consisted of Dr B Nagendar, Dr K Ramsingh, Dr Sanjeev, post graduates Dr Azad, Dr Abeer, Dr Vinod, and Dr Swethna.

The RICU and anaesthesia team headed by Dr CG Raghuram, Professor and HOD Anaesthesia, Dr Pavani, Dr Jyothi, Dr Pandunaik, Dr Srinivas, Dr Indira and other post graduates and nursing staff including Bhanumathi, Regina, Mary, Ashwini (Sr) and (Jr), Lalitha, Manjula, and Kamala.

4

CITY SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

State gives education a boost The Education Fortnight that starts today will see the launch of a series of development initiatives in the education sector. tion, women and child welfare, SC, ST, BC, minority, disabled welfare, culture, sports, forest, residential schools societies, and so on are involved in implementing these novel initiatives of the State government.

Md INKESHAF AHMED

ahmed.m@postnoon.com

EVERY

L

ess than 24 hours after the sine die conclusion of AP Legislative Assembly, the State government plunged into action with much gaiety and fervour.

Keeping the commencement of all educational institutions in mind, the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy-led Congress government has decided to hold a 15-day long

THE FIRST INITIATIVE

Special Days

THAT WILL KICK OFF THE PROGRAMME WILL BE THE INAUGURATION OF 300 MODEL SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE. Education Fortnight celebrations, beginning today. During the programme, it has decided to unveil a series of development initiatives in the education sector to the tune of a whopping `5,348.9 crore.

These initiatives of the State government are likely to transform the State into a true welfare state when it comes to imparting education. The first initiative of the State government that will kick off the

DAY IS A SPECIAL DAY

The State government has also planned to celebrate every day as a special day as part of the celebrations. The first day is to be celebrated as Model School Day, while the second day will be celebrated as Welfare Day. The third, fourth and fifth days will be celebrated as Residential School Day, Minority Day and Kasturba Gandhi Girl Schools Day respectively.

S

ome of the other important days that are being planned to be celebrated are as follows.

Education Fortnight will be the inauguration of 300 model schools across the State. The model schools have been constructed by spending `816 crore to impart exclusive English medium education to all the next-generation students of the State.

CM Kiran Kumar Reddy will participate in a formal programme marking the inauguration of these model schools in the City. This initiative will be

immediately followed by the inauguration of 120 unique Kasturba Gandhi Girl Schools (KGBV) and 8,000 classrooms in various public schools across the State.

The fortnight will also see the inauguration of 173 school complexes which were constructed at a cost of `54.16 crore and laying of foundations for 3,437 school buildings across the State. The school buildings are being constructed by spending

`1,202.95 crore.

The State has also decided to distribute 52.15 lakh uniforms with `224 crore and 5.27 crore text books with `200 crore. The State is also going to spend `2,270 crore to construct new school buildings, residential schools, residential hostels and Anganwadi centers for the development of SC, ST, women and minority community students as part of the celebrations.

The departments of educa-

Rastriya Madhyamika Shiksha Abhiyan Scheme JUNE 28: Mother Tongue Day JUNE 30: Child Rights Day JULY 1: Pre-School Day JULY 3: Tree Plantation Day JULY 4: Health and Sanitation Day JULY 5: Sports Day JUNE 27:

City ‘likes’ traffic cops’ FB page With a user-friendly interface, helpful updates and interactions, the traffic police Facebook page has become a go-to zone for commuters.

Padmini C padmini.c@postnoon.com

THE PAGE PROVED USE-

W

FUL ESPECIALLY DURING THE RECENT BANDH WHEN LIVE UPDATES WERE POSTED ABOUT CLOSED ROUTES AND ALTERNATIVE ROADS.

hile most State government departments have websites that can easily qualify as cyber minefields, the traffic department stands out as a vibrant and user-friendly interface.

Hyderabad Traffic Police Facebook page has been gathering a lot of praise for being interactive, up-to-date and useful to commuters to voice their grievances and suggestions in addition to providing feedback.

Since its inception two years ago, the page has already had 68,529 ‘likes’ and 13,344 people ‘talking about it’. Frequented mostly by the 18-24 age group, the page has become a go-to zone for commuters in the City who wish to interact with the traffic cops.

“A lot of the times, we hesi-

tate to go and report it if we are fined wrongly by the traffic constables or harassed on the road by an autowallah. But now, we can just send an email or simply write on their FB page and traffic officials respond immediately.

So it has been very helpful,” says

Sucharita S, a commerce student from St Francis College.

The interactive page proved to be particularly useful especially during the recent bandh when live updates were posted about closed routes, traffic diversions and alternative roads.

“I didn’t know of all the routes that were closed or diverted on the day. If HTP hadn’t shared an update on Facebook, I would have been completely lost.

I wish more government departments were half as useful or approachable,” says City-based IT engineer Siva Kesava.

Officials say they’re also harnessing the feedback from the users to improve service and implement suggestions, where practical. “It’s serving a lot of

functions. Firstly, we are getting a lot of useful suggestions about how to improve the traffic on the roads which we are implementing, where possible. Then, it has become a forum for people to voice their complaints and concerns, clarify doubts, and reach us directly. Lastly, it’s a good platform for us to publicise our initiatives. We’ll definitely be doing more activities on this page,” says Syamsundar, deputy commissioner of police-II. Sadly, however, even the virtual space is bound by jurisdiction and turf battles as the Hyderabad Traffic Police state on their page that they will “respond only to queries which fall within Hyderabad Traffic Police limits”. So it seems that those in Cyberabad, Secunderabad and other zones in the City limits will have to wait their turn.

5

CITY SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

Residents protest attempts to encroach park land The park land, which belongs to the layout-1962, has been completely defaced in the recent months after its fencing was intentionally removed.

THE PARK WAS GIVEN AWAY BY THE SOCIETY AND BELONGS TO PEOPLE OF THE AREA. LOCAL LEADERS ARE MAKING SIMILAR ATTEMPTS ON OTHER PARKS, ALLEGE LOCALS, WHO ARE ON A RELAY HUNGER STRIKE.

Md NIZAMUDDIN

nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

N SHIVA KUMAR

R

esidents of Venkataramana Colony near Banjara Hills started a relay hunger strike against attempts by a local leader to encroach the park space.

The park land, which belongs to layout-1962, has been completely defaced in the recent months after its fencing was intentionally removed, slowly turning it into a garbage dumping yard. Youngsters of the locality have fond memories of playing on the land, which is now on the verge of encroachment. “I was born and brought up here and part of my childhood was spent on this land. I do not want this land to fall prey to vested interests,” says B Satish, a local leader.

The Colony’s Welfare Association gave several representations to the authorities.

Several attempts were made earlier by the leaders. According to

the collector, who wrote to the GHMC in 2008, that land falls in TS No 45 Block-Q Ward-11 correlated to Survey No.94 part of Shaikpet village and is recorded

as “M” (Municipal Park) in Col.No.20 of Town Survey Land Register.

President of the colony, PVR Naidu is running from pillar to post to protect the land. “The park was given away by the society and belongs to people of the area. Local leaders are making similar attempts to the other parks, but I shall fight to the hilt,” says Naidu.

Even the tehsildar noted in his observation that the mandal

surveyor reported that the land correlated to old Survey.No.94 part and was recorded as ‘M’.

Residents point out that as the area is close to Banjara Hills, the only plots that remain are of government land, which is making the local leaders to manipulate documents in the civic bodies in their favour. “The same leaders who got the mandate of people are eyeing the park,” notes Suresh, another resident.

The colony association, which is now part of the UFERWAS (United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations) has got complete support from the body. Syed Badshah, assistant general secretary of the federation, who is taking part in the protest, said that everyone has the duty to protect park spaces in urban areas. “I shall be visiting the parks of the entire locality, which is one of best green cover. UFERWAS will be taking up the issue, after getting the facts on ground,” he said.

Tumbling ` hurts middle class most Over 92 per cent of the respondents said that their monthly bills have jumped by 15-20 per cent in the last one month.

Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

I

ndia’s Middle Income Group (MIG) has been impacted by inflation particularly in context of the falling rupee and its cascading effects on price rise of petroleum products, edible oil, higher foreign education, foreign trips to extent of 15-20 per cent to manage their household budgets, according to a survey by apex chamber ASSOCHAM.

The quick survey was conducted by ASSOCHAM in major places like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Chandigarh and Dehradun. A little over 200 employees were selected from each city on an average. The survey reveals that the cascading impact of the rupee falling has hit even the middle income group to the extent of 15-20 per

cent, particularly on items related to petroleum products, edible oil, higher foreign education, foreign trips and so on.

ASSOCHAM’s nationwide survey reveals that rupee depreciation impacted consumers in metros and other major cities the most, vis-à-vis tier-III and semi-urban areas. Over 92 per cent of the respondents said that their monthly bills have jumped by 15-20 per cent in the last one month. The middle class and the lower class are the worst hit, adds the survey.

“Despite the efforts by the government to control gold imports, the Indian middle income group is bound by societal traditions and continues to buy gold even at higher prices which have increased the prices of gold due to rupee weakening,” said DS Rawat, secretary general of ASSOCHAM. Around 55 per cent of the survey respondents fall under the age bracket of 20-29 years, followed by 30-39 years (26 per cent), 40-49 years (16 per cent), 50-59 years (two per cent) and 60-65 years.

(Compiled by PK Surendran)

Survey specifics

T

he survey was able to target employees from 18 broad sectors, with maximum share contributed by employees from IT/ITES sector (17 per cent). After IT/ITES sector, contribution of the survey respondents from financial services is 11 per cent. Employees working in engineering and telecom sector contributed nine per cent and eight per cent respectively in the questionnaire. Nearly six per cent of the employees belonged from market research/KPO and media background each. Management, FMCG and infrastructure sector employees share is five per cent each, in the total survey. Respondents from power and real estate sector contributed four per cent each.

Employees from education and food and beverages sector provided a share of three per cent each.

6

NATION SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

Didi gets people’s fatwa

Indian held in Iran

A

n Indian fisherman was among 12 people arrested in Iran for allegedly entering Iranian waters without permission, a military official said. The 12 fishermen were onboard two vessels from the UAE. Iranian forces from the Abu Mus navy base intercepted two fishing boats from the UAE that entered the Persian Gulf and have arrested their crews, sources said.

W

Flood death toll hits 600

Relief teams were racing against time Saturday to rescue tens of thousands of stranded people in rain-ravaged northern India as the death toll from flash floods and landslides neared 600.

In this handout photograph released by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, ITBP personnel prepare to maneuver a flood evacuee across a raging river in Ghangaria.

DEHRADUN: Relief teams were racing against time Saturday to rescue tens of thousands of stranded people in rain-ravaged northern India as the death toll from flash floods and landslides neared 600.

Rescuers have recovered scores of bodies from the swollen Ganges river with nearly 63,000 people, mainly pilgrims and tourists, still stranded or missing after torrential monsoon rains struck the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, officials said.

Raging rivers have swept away houses, buildings and entire villages, and destroyed bridges and narrow roads leading to pilgrimage towns in the mountainous state, which is known as the “Land of the Gods” for its revered Hindu shrines.

“575 bodies have been recovered so far but the toll is likely to go up. As per our records, 62,790

MoU with Romanian varsity

K

elcoming the huge rally brought out on the streets of Kolkata Friday against atrocities on women, veteran film maker Mrinal Sen said the people of West Bengal have given a “fatwa” to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government to mend their ways. “They have stood up against the dirt in the society which seems to have spread everywhere. On top of this, the filthy abuses used by those in power and their misdeeds, it (the huge procession) was needed,” said Mr Sen.

RESCUERS HAVE RECOVERED SCORES OF BODIES FROM THE SWOLLEN GANGES RIVER WITH NEARLY 63,000 PEOPLE, MAINLY PILGRIMS AND TOURISTS, STILL STRANDED OR MISSING. people are still stranded,” Uttarakhand home secretary Om Prakash told AFP Saturday.

A seven-member team of doctors and officials was on its way to the popular Hindu pilgrimage site of Kedarnath “to collect the bodies lying there”, Prakash added.

Dozens of helicopters and thousands of soldiers have been deployed to rescue the trapped

people, almost one week after the rains hit.

TV images showed paratroopers rappelling from military choppers to assist in rescue operations.

Rescue teams were bracing for more challenges with further downpours expected in the state and also in parts of central India from Sunday onwards.

Meanwhile, a group of 20 trekkers including six Americans were rescued Saturday after they were trapped near a remote glacier since the rains struck last week.

“They were on a trekking trip but got trapped because of the landslides and flash floods. The chopper has landed there now and they are all safe,” Neeraj Khairwal, a top official of Pittorgarh district, told AFP. Also Saturday, the army managed to make contact with nearly 1,000 people stuck in mountains near Kedarnath.

alasalingam Deemed University in Virudhunagar district has signed a MoU with the Agora University at Romania. Under the MoU, the university’s students would be able to take up research work and post graduate studies in the Romanian university. Similarly students from Agora university also could undertake research programmes in Kalasalingam university.

Super 30 stays super PATNA: Bihar’s Super 30 has done it again. In another big success, 27 of the 30 candidates from the coaching centre have cracked the highly competitive Indian Institute of TechnologyJoint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) this year, its director said.

“Their hard work paid off and Super 30 has again proved that talent requires nothing but right encouragement and opportunity to blossom.” Anand Kumar, founder-director of the free coaching centre for economically poor students, told IANS after the results of JEE-Advance for admission into various IITs were announced Friday.

The successful candi-

dates from Super 30 include the wards of a labourer, landless farmer, mechanic and a priest. “All of them have managed to successfully chase their IIT-JEE dreams at Super 30 with

What’s Super 30

S

tudents from poor families have to pass a competitive test to get into Super 30 and then commit themselves to a year of 16 hours a day study routine. Coaching, food and accommodation are free for the students.

their commitment and hard work,” Anand Kumar said.

Last year, too, 27 students of the institute had cleared the exam.

Super 30, which helps economically backward students crack the IIT-JEE, was selected by Time magazine in its ‘The Best of Asia 2010’ list.

Anand Kumar, who was last year invited to Japan to deliver lectures on his model of teaching, said the institute is supported by income generated from his Ramanujam School of Mathematics, which has students who can afford to pay fees.

In 2003, the first year of the institute, 18 students made it to IITs.

7

WORLD SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

100,000 flee floods in Canda

Star chef in racist row

A

Snowden charged with spying

Miss Algeria after 10 years

F

top US television network on Friday dropped Paula Deen, the self-proclaimed queen of Southern cooking, from a show she has hosted for a decade after a series of racist remarks. The Food Network said it would not renew Paula Deen’s contract when it expires at the end of June, declining to provide details on the reasons behind its decision.

A

looding forced the evacuation on Friday of some 100,000 people in the western city of Calgary and nearby towns in the heart of the Canadian oil patch. Schools were closed and the military sent in a dozen helicopters and 1,200 troops to help clear more than two dozen neighborhoods as heavy rains caused the Bow and Elbow Rivers in western Canada to overflow their banks.

fter an absence of 10 years, the Miss Algeria beauty contest was held Friday in the western city of Oran, with 19-year-old science student Rym Amari taking the pageant honours. The competition was suspended in 2003 after the death of Cheradi Hamdad, who launched the beauty contest in 1996 during Algeria’s devastating civil war.

Brazil’s Dilma in dilemma Dilma Rousseff admitted in a televised address late Friday that Brazil can do better and pledged to do more to fight corruption.

BRASILIA: Embattled president

Chantal Valery Agence France-Press

WASHINGTON: US authorities have filed espionage charges against rogue intelligence technician Edward Snowden and have asked Hong Kong to detain him, a US official told AFP on Friday.

Confirming a report in the Washington Post, the official said a sealed criminal complaint has been lodged with a federal court in the US state of Virginia and a provisional arrest warrant has been issued. Snowden was charged with espionage, theft and “conversion of government property.” A report on NBC News said he was accused of sharing classified documents with individuals who were not cleared to received them.

Snowden’s former employer, Booz Allen Hamilton, a private company that seconded him to work as a contractor for the National Security Agency in Hawaii, is based in Virginia and prosecutors there often handle security cases.

Dilma Rousseff admitted in a televised address late Friday that Brazil can do better and pledged to do more to fight corruption, a day after more than a million people marched to demand better living conditions.

“We can do many things a lot better in Brazil,” said Rousseff, the day after the protesters demanded cheaper transport and more investment in education and health as well as a tougher fight against endemic corruption.

“People have a right to criticize,” added Rousseff saying she would staunchly defend that right.

In an appeal for unity Rousseff, who promised to meet with the leaders of peaceful demonstrations as well as workers and community leaders, went on: “I am the president of all Brazil. Of those who support the demonstration and those who do not.”

Reaching out to those who feel the government should direct more money to public services rather than on hosting major sporting events, she insisted that “football and sport are symbols of peace and peaceful coexistence.”

But she added she would not stand by if demonstrations turned violent, as has been the case in several cities hit by cases of looting and attacks on public buildings including the foreign ministry and several government offices.

A man wearing a gasmask holds his girl friend during a demonstration in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on June 21, 2013.

Brazil’s embattled president Dilma Rousseff was to address the nation late Friday, a day after more than one million people marched to demand better living conditions, her office said.

AFP /YASUYOSHI CHIBA “The government cannot stand by as people attack public property ... and bring chaos to our streets,” she stressed.

“We need to inject oxygen into our political system, and make it more transparent and resistant” to the tough challenges facing a country marked by extreme disparity between rich and poor,” said Rousseff.

Meanwhile, Brazil football

coach Luiz Felipe Scolari came to the defense of the Rousseff government Friday, for the first time since the mass protests began two weeks ago.

Some members of the Brazil squad, including star player Neymar, had previously expressed solidarity with the demonstrators, but Scolari said the government also wanted what was right for the country.

“We all want a fairer country, with everything you can imagine, and the people who are in government think that as well and are trying to do it. We can’t just crucify them,” he said during a press conference in Salvador. “You have to realize that the people who are there (in government) think that as well.

Often, situations don’t develop in that way.”

CIA trains Syrian rebels

Gillard launches discrimination probe

3 china ships in disputed waters

WASHINGTON: The CIA and US special operations forces have been training Syrian rebels for months, since long before President Barack Obama announced plans to arm the opposition, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. Training for rebel forces covers the use of anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons and has been carried out at bases in Jordan and Turkey since late last year, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed US officials and rebel commanders. The two-week courses, for about 20 to 45 fighters at a time, began last November at a new US base in the desert in southwest Jordan, it said. The report came days after the Obama administration announced it had approved the arming of Syrian rebels.

SYDNEY: The government of Australian Prime

TOKYO: Three Chinese government ships sailed into

Minister Julia Gillard Saturday asked the Human Rights Commission to launch an inquiry into the treatment of women in the workplace, marking a return to the vexed issue of gender equality. Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick will oversee a national survey to assess the prevalence, nature and consequences of discrimination relating, in particular, to pregnancy at work and return to work after parental leave. The inquiry will convene a series of roundtable forums with industry and employer groups, unions, workers and other organisations before preparing recommendations to reduce discrimination after reports of women being demoted, or sacked.

waters around disputed islands controlled by Tokyo on Saturday, the Japanese coastguard said. The maritime surveillance vessels entered the 12-nautical-mile zone off Uotsurijima, one of the Senkaku islands, which China calls the Diaoyus, in the East China Sea shortly after 9:30 am (0030 GMT), the coastguard added. Ships from the two countries have been involved in a standoff as Beijing and Tokyo jostle over ownership of the strategically important and resource-rich islands.

A territorial row that dates back four decades reignited last September when Tokyo nationalised three islands in the chain, in what it said was a mere administrative change of ownership.

8

COMMENT SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

EDITORIALS RUPEE DOWN IN Switzerland too It’s not surprising that Indians' money in Swiss banks has fallen to a record low level of about `9,000 crore (1.42 billion Swiss francs). The global clampdown against the famed secrecy wall of Switzerland banking system has made it unattractive for their global clients.

At a time when the Indian rupee is sliding steep, the Swiss National Bank's announcement that its official figures do not include the money that Indians or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of others is interesting. We also need to find out if there is a new saving destination for the excess money of rich Indians globally now!

The funds, described by SNB as 'liabilities' of Swiss banks towards their clients from India, are the official figures disclosed by the Swiss authorities and do not indicate the quantum of the much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in the safe havens of Switzerland.

The data has been released at a time when Switzerland is facing growing pressure from the US and other countries to share its foreign client details, while its own lawmakers are resisting such measures.

In India, also the weather for investment appears unfriendly with the finance minister advising people against buying gold and JP Morgan predicting that India’s exports will start to pick up when the global picture improves.

CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE needs a relook With the number of child sexual abuse cases on the rise, the Home ministry has directed all states to set up special courts for speedy trials of such cases and ensure immediate care and protection of the victim.

Thankfully, for the more heinous offences of penetrative sexual assault, aggravated penetrative sexual assault, sexual assault and aggravated sexual assault, the burden of proof is shifted to the accused.

This provision of the concerned Act has been made keeping in view the greater vulnerability of the victim. The conviction rate for child sexual abuse in India has been abysmally low. It is time the law, like in the case of rape, takes a relook at this dastardly crime.

No shortcuts to this destination Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR

I

downloaded a brand new predictive app on my phone because my geek friend raved about how it has become his own personal secretary. It reminds him that he needs to go grocery shopping and gives him a list of essential shopping items. If he searches for an address, it also immediately tells him how long it will take him to get there in current traffic conditions.

The app, no doubt, fascinated me with its smartness and ability to pre-empt information I may need. If I were at a friend’s house, it will pull up the route to get home along with the time it’ll take me in traffic. The app would update this information regularly, and do it in a way that’s not intrusive. There were no reminders or loud beeps.

When I picked up the phone and looked at the home page, the

information would be there in a corner for me to keep at the back of my mind when I do indeed start my journey back home. I’ve been going to the local badminton club every morning for a few games. The app recorded my regular visits to this destination and asked, one day, if I’d like to set this location as my workplace. I declined. It didn’t ask me the same question again but it continued to give me traffic updates on the route I use every day.

One morning, as I was getting into my car and heading home, I checked the traffic update and found that it reported a 15-minute delay due to some road works. I immediately alerted my sister, who was taking the same route home. She groaned and complained about my having told her this. I was taken aback, to which she asked me why I needed to know about the delay. I said that it’s good to know to be prepared; you can turn up the radio and know what you’re expecting. But she had a different opinion. She

asked: Why can’t you just enjoy the drive and let the drive surprise you?

It triggered the question that maybe I was on the route to becoming a heavily controlfreakish personality even though I didn’t intend to.

Technology simplifies our lives

ARE WE RUNNING THE RISK OF MANAGING OUR LIVES TO THE SMALLEST DETAIL THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF THE TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO DO SO, WE ARE CAUSING OURSELVES UNWANTED STRESS? and makes communication quick, easy, convenient and practical. But are we running the risk of managing our lives to the smallest detail that in the absence of the tools to be able to do so, we are causing ourselves

unwanted stress? It’s possible.

When I’m so used to having a smartphone app tell me how long it will take me to get from point A to point B in the city, undertaking a journey without knowing when I’ll reach or how long it’ll take might make me uncomfortable. This sets off the larger question of whether we’re overusing technology to seemingly add comfort to our lives through information that we don’t perhaps need. What would a 15-minute delay really cost me?

It is also, in some ways, escaping reality and living in a virtual world or an augmented world, where everything is controlled for convenience. This does not mean that I will now stop using this app. I will continue to enjoy it but will make a conscious effort to always be aware of that big difference between the real world and the tech world. Some surprises are best left to life, and where it chooses to take us. No smartphone app in the world can ever predict that one.

9

COMMENT SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

Wine producers go hi-tech to outsmart fraudsters Suzanne Mustacich Agence France-Presse

M

VISWAPRASAD RAJU

Urban sketches

Power tower

aking sure a glass of wine is everything it promises on the label was once a relatively simple process: hold against the light, tilt and observe the shade, swirl a little and give it a good sniff.

But with the ever-increasing global consumption of wine now attracting the attention of fraudsters, wine drinkers are soon just as likely to be advised to whip out their smartphones.

A quick scan can give the consumer a direct link to the supplier’s website to verify the label, trace the wine’s journey from vineyard to glass and provide information about the winery.

Fake wine and spirits can sour the drinks market, but new technology and international cooperation are now enabling producers to outsmart the fraudsters.

Castel, the largest producer of French wine, uses the technology on 13 million bottles for the Chinese market as well on exports to other emerging markets such as Vietnam where

counterfeiting is most prevalent.

“The Chinese are asking for a lot of information and for reassurance regarding the origin of the product," said Franck Crouzet, spokesperson for Castel.

But Chinese crooks are by no means the only perpetrators of wine scams.

“China is the most notorious but the problem is worldwide," said Christophe Chateau, spokesperson for the Bordeaux Wine Council.

While many bottles are ugly reproductions easily spotted by a practised eye, others are quite clever.

And although little harm befalls a consumer uncorking bulk Chilean red instead of estate-bottled Bordeaux, the consequences can be lethal when criminals sell tainted drinks.

“Last year we had a case in the Czech Republic, at least 20 people died from drinking a counterfeit local spirit," said Pierre Georget, CEO of GS1 France, part of a Brussels-based non-governmental organisation which uses unique bar codes to thwart the conmen.

GS1 guarantees that bar code numbers are never repeated worldwide, assuring traceability

NIGEL TREBLIN

IN ORDER FOR WINE LOVERS AROUND THE GLOBE TO FEEL CONFIDENT THEY ARE DRINKING A BOTTLE OF WINE ORIGINATING IN THE HILLS OF TUSCANY, FIORENTINI SAYS CHIANTI CLASSICO NOW CARRIES A DISTINCTIVE SEAL OVER THE CAP AND NECK OF THE BOTTLE, MARKED WITH A UNIQUE NUMBER AND CODE, AS WELL AS THE APPELLATION’S TRADEMARK BLACK ROOSTER.

and authentication for everything from spare car parts and prams to Chianti.

“Chianti had some problems in the past in Russia. Our consortium spends 100,000 euros ($132,000) each year on registering and protecting our wines," said Silvia Fiorentini, spokesperson for the Chianti Classico Consortium, which produces 35 million bottles annually, 80 percent of which is exported.

In order for wine lovers around the globe to feel confident they are drinking a bottle of wine originating in the hills of Tuscany, Fiorentini says Chianti Classico now carries a distinctive seal over the cap and neck of the bottle, marked with a unique number and code, as well as the appellation’s trademark black rooster.

Many wine regions are doing the same, and producers eager to learn more about fighting counterfeiters attended GS1's presentation at Vinexpo, a major wine and spirits trade show held this past week in Bordeaux.

“In wine there is an enormous problem with counterfeiting," said Georget. “The idea is to use unique identification — a bar code or data matrix bar code

— to identify each bottle of wine. This is the same technology we already use for the FDA for drugs in America."

But many say a bar code doesn’t go far enough and that the seal must contain an inviolable hologram.

“GS1 is a good start but it needs to be combined with a physical security feature," said Damien Guille, sales manager for Tesa Scribos, a German company that produces so-called tesa VeoMark labels, used for brand protection in a wide variety of sectors, including luxury goods, car parts and wine.

The labels are scanned with a smartphone and Tesa Scribos counts among its customers the Bordeaux largest appellation, Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur producers, as well as merchants Barton & Guestier and Castel.

The Bordeaux Wine Council’s Chateau said that Bordeaux as a whole had chosen to work with firms ATT, Prooftag and Tesa Scribos, but that some 15 similar technologies also existed.

“Two years ago at Vinexpo, we had zero clients. Now we have a long list," said Guille of Tesa Scribos.

Global edits The Washington Post

America sidelined, barely relevant

T

he war in Syria, started by locals, is now a regional conflict, the meeting ground of two warring blocs. On one side, the radical Shiite bloc led by Iran, which overflies Iraq to supply Bashar al-Assad and sends Hezbollah to fight for him. Behind them lies Russia, which has stationed ships offshore, provided the regime with tons of weaponry and essentially claimed Syria as a Russian protectorate.

And on the other side are the Sunni Gulf states terrified of Iranian hegemony (territorial and soon nuclear); non-Arab Turkey, now convulsed by an internal uprising; and fragile Jordan, dragged in by geography.

And behind them? No one. It’s the Spanish Civil War except that only one side — the fascists — showed up. The natural ally of what began as a spontaneous, secular, liberationist uprising in Syria was the United States. For two years, it did nothing.

President Obama’s dodge was his chemical-weapons “red line.” In a conflict requiring serious statecraft, Obama chose to practice forensics

THE NATURAL ALLY OF WHAT BEGAN AS A SPONTANEOUS, SECULAR, LIBERATIONIST UPRISING IN SYRIA WAS THE UNITED STATES. FOR TWO YEARS, IT DID NOTHING. instead, earnestly agonising over whether reported poison gas attacks reached the evidentiary standards of “CSI: Miami.”

Obama talked “chain of custody,” while Iran and Russia, hardly believing their luck, reached for regional dominance — the ayatollahs solidifying their “Shiite crescent,” Vladimir Putin seizing the opportunity to dislodge America as regional hegemon, a position the United States achieved four decades ago under Henry Kissinger.

And when finally forced to admit that his red line had been crossed — a “game changer,” Obama had gravely warned — what did he do? Promise the rebels small arms and ammunition.

That’s it? It’s meaningless: The rebels are already receiving small arms from the Gulf states.

10

BUSINESS SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

Hershey fined $4.2 million

Enron CEO’s term cut

A

US judge cut 10 years off the prison sentence of disgraced former Enron chief executive Jeff Skilling on Friday after he spent years fighting his original 24-year jail term for fraud. But he was also ordered to forfeit $42 million dollars to to compensate victims of the Enron debacle, who include employees who saw their pension savings wiped out.

Thailand may buy US copters

U

T

S candy maker Hershey on Friday pleaded guilty to participating in a chocolate price-fixing scheme and paid a CAN$4 million (US$4.2 million) fine. The company entered the plea at the Ontario Superior Court and, according to the Competition Bureau of Canada, received lenient treatment in exchange for its cooperation in an antitrust investigation.

he United States plans to sell six Lakota military helicopters to Thailand worth an estimated $77 million, Pentagon officials said Friday. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which handles US arms sales abroad, notified Congress that the Thai government had made a request to purchase the UH-72A helicopters.

NSA row pushes privacy search engines Rob Lever Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON: Internet users are taking a fresh look at “privacy” search engines that do not store data or track online activity, in light of the flap over US government surveillance.

While Google’s market share has not seen a noticeable dent, privacy search engines like USbased DuckDuckGo and European-based Ixquick have seen jumps in traffic from users seeking to limit their online tracks.

“I think people are seeking

Google told to delete data

B

ritish authorities on Friday gave Internet giant Google 35 days to delete any remaining data “mistakenly collected” by its Street View cars when taking city snapshots for its map service. The Information ommissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued Google with an enforcement notice demanding that it destroy four discs containing information it obtained from unsecured wireless networks. It did not impose a fine, but the ICO warned failure to comply with the order will be deemed a criminal offence.

out privacy alternatives," said Gabriel Weinberg, founder of DuckDuckGo, an engine created in 2007, which does not store IP addresses or create profiles of users.

The stored data has become a concern following revelations of a massive surveillance program run by the secretive National Security Agency, with access to data from Google, Yahoo! and other Internet firms.

US officials say the information gathered is vital in the fight against global terrorism.

The same data and profiles can be used by the search engine to deliver ads and sold to outside marketers as well.

“What people type in their search engines is their most personal things," Weinberg said.

“It’s a little creepy that a search engine can know so much about you."

DuckDuckGo had been growing slowly in recent years, but its traffic charts showed a surge after the first news broke June 6 of the government’s PRISM surveillance program. By June 20, traffic had hit nearly three million queries, double the level of a year earlier.

More than half of DuckDuckGo traffic comes from outside the United States, Weinberg said.

“This NSA story played into the trend of people’s fears” about online tracking, said Weinberg.

Weinberg said another factor is that Google results are being

Phone numbers and email addresses belonging to some

6MILLION. Facebook users have been improperly shared due to a software bug, the social network said Friday. But no financial or other information was revealed. gamed by search engine spammers and other companies trying to rank their results higher."

Dutch-based Ixquick, which also uses the name StartPage, said it too has seen a dramatic jump in usage after news of the PRISM data sharing program.

Last week, the two metasearch engines — which use the results of Google and other search sites and strip out identifying information — served as many as 3.6 million queries.

“This growth has been sustained, it shows no signs of slowing down," said spokeswoman Katherine Albrecht.

The revelations about PRISM “really have woken people up," she said.

“People had heard the message of privacy but hadn’t been able to nail it down to how it relates to them."

The company proclaims it “has never turned over user data to any government entity any-

where on earth” and is “not directly subject to US jurisdiction."

Another search engine, California-based Blekko, allows users to select privacy settings and keeps no data if the user selects “do not track."

“Even if you are not a criminal, you probably make searches that you don’t want your minister, boss, or spouse to know about," said Blekko’s Greg Lindahl.

Weinberg said DuckDuckGo’s model allows it to make money through “keyword” advertising, without stored profiles. So if someone is searching for a “mortgage," they might see ads for banks.

This differs from search engines that track the pages people visit and then deliver related ads, a practice known as “retargeting."

“Retargeting is effective only for a small amount of people, the

rest are just annoyed by it," he said.

Danny Sullivan, editor in chief at the specialized website Search Engine Land, said these kinds of search engines were “interesting” but unlikely to have a major market impact.

“It’s extremely unlikely in the next three to five years that any player will come along and take a sizeable share away from Google," he said. A survey of the US market showed Google with a 66.5 percent market share, with 13.3 billion search queries in a month, followed by Microsoft (17.3 percent, 3.5 billion).

Phishing rose by 87% last year

T

hose insidious email scams known as phishing, in which a hacker uses a disguised address to get an Internet user to install malware, rose 87 percent worldwide in the past year, a security firm said Friday.

These schemes affected some 37.3 million users around in the 12 months to April 30, according to a report by the Russianbased security firm Kaspersky. The number of fraudulent websites and servers used in attacks has more than tripled since 2012.

Improved Sukhoi-35 wows Paris Djallal Malti Agence France-presse

LE BOURGET: The latest version of Russia’s Sukhoi-35 fighter jet wowed crowds with gravity-defying demonstrations at the Paris Air Show as the aircraft made its first appearance outside Russia.

In the cockpit was test pilot Sergei Bogdan, who

helped to develop and was the first to fly five years ago.

“I have worked on the Su35 from the beginning," he said in Russian to a small group of reporters. “From the first drawings I was associated with engineers in the ‘flying group’ as the plane’s first test pilot."

The twin-engine, twin-tail plane has a massive, flowing

form typical of Russian military aircraft, and performs aerial manoeuvres that are true show-stoppers.

The version shown at the Paris Air Show, in its first appearance outside Russia, is a 4++ generation aircraft that has been dubbed “Flanker Plus” by NATO forces.

It is a multi-role combat jet that weighs 17 tonnes and

can fly at up to 2,500 km/h (1,500 mph) at high altitudes and at up to 1,400 km/h (870 mph) at low altitude, with a ceiling of 18,000 metres (59,000 feet).

The climb rate is 18,000 metres/minute and its range of 3,500 kilometres (2,200 miles) can be extended to 6,500 kilometres (4,000 miles) with aerial refueling.

Russian Sukhoi 35 flies over Le Bourget airport on June 17, 2013 on the opening day of the International Paris Air show.

11

FOCUS SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

set for Grand Canyon tightrope walk

It’s not like I just grab with my hands like people visualise. I wrap my legs round it, my hands round it, I hug that wire like a bear hug until help comes. I’ve got rescue teams that would be with me within a minute.

Nik Wallenda Tightrope Walker

With seven world records on daring tightrope walks to his credit, the last one across Niagra Falls, Nick Wallenda readies to repeat the feat over Grand Canyon — sans safety ropes.

Michael Thurston Agence France-Presse

R

ecord-breaking US daredevil Nik Wallenda hopes to make history again this weekend by walking across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope, 1,500 feet above ground over the worldrenowned landmark.

The 34-year-old, who was the first person to walk across the Niagara Falls last year, will be rigged up with multiple cameras and microphones broadcasting the death-defying feat live around the world.

And unlike the Niagara Falls walk, he will wear no safety harness for the stunt, likely to take him 25 minutes in searing temperatures over the famous tourist attraction.

“I’m confident in my ability. But the mental part is where I have to be very, very cautious. It’s very challenging leading up to an event like this, it’s a worldwide event... that really plays a role on me mentally,” he told AFP. Wallenda, a seventh generation member of the Flying Wallendas circus family, said that as he steps out he will be thinking of his great grandfather Karl Wallenda, who died in 1978 after falling from a tightrope.

Video of the fatal fall in Puerto Rico is easily viewable online, and Wallenda said it is a constant reminder of the risks — and that he must stop performing at a much younger age than his forefather, who died aged 73.

“He had said publicly that that’s the way he wanted to go,” the younger Wallenda said, but added: “I

ON SUNDAY, HE WILL STEP OUT INTO THE VOID HIGER THAN THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING WITH NOTHING BUT A TWO-INCH THICK STEEL WIRE BETWEEN HIM AND THE ROCKY CANYON BOTTOM FAR BELOW. don’t want to go that way... I wanna die in a bed next to my wife, at an old age over 100 years old. That’s my dream.

“I don’t want to die performing,” he added.

In last year’s Niagara Falls stunt, Wallenda braved strong winds and heavy spray to walk on a cable suspended around 200 feet (60 meters) above North America’s biggest waterfall, on the US-Canada border.

The Niagara walk earned him his seventh world record, after others including the highest and longest bike ride on a wire, which he performed live on NBC’s “Today Show”

in 2008.

On Sunday, he will step out into the void more than six times higher — a height greater than that of the Empire State Building — with nothing but a two-inch (five-centimeter) thick steel wire between him and the rocky canyon bottom far below.

Wallenda has been planning the Grand Canyon walk for about four years, homing in on a remote location at the eastern end of the mighty geological chasm, on land operated by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation.

He began final training in Florida weeks ago, boosting stamina by walking repeatedly along a 1,000foot long rope, and using wind machines to simulate gusts of up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) an hour.

Sunday’s walk across 1,200 feet of rope could potentially be delayed in the unlikely event of winds of above 45 miles per hour, of if there was a risk of lightning. A new live broadcast attempt could then be made the following day.

There will be a seven- to 10-second delay on the live broadcast by the Discovery Channel — although Wallenda admitted that a slip or mishap would doubtless boost TV ratings.

He has trained for the worst, and said that — unlike his great grandfather who had an injured collarbone and double hernia, and grabbed vainly for the wire before falling to his death — he would be able to hold on if necessary.

“It’s not like I just grab with my hands like people visualize. I wrap my legs round it, my hands round it,

I hug that wire like a bear hug until help comes. I’ve got rescue teams that would be with me within a minute,” he said.

That help would be in the form of rescue trolleys, which hang underneath the cable and could be rolled out in seconds on a winch system to Wallenda, clinging on for his life.

“The networks would love it if that were to happen because it makes incredible TV,” he said, adding: “But I have no desire to end up that way, that’s for sure.”

The walk begins at 5.00pm Sunday (0000GMT Monday) and will be broadcast live in 219 countries.

PICK YOUR

@

Across Stores

ities Twin C

12

TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK GameHuddle f you like games, then this is your website. GameHuddle is gaming social network that allows you to share your gamer ids, show off your game collection, review games, read game articles, and find other gamers.

I

It’s tough to find gamers who haven’t heard of Counter Strike— a game that started off as a ‘mod’ based on Half Life and went on to become one of the most popular multiplayer games ever. It turned 14 this week, but there are many other games that share the same distinction of being popular years after release. Here are some of them.

T

rip Splitter is an easy way to manage expenses while traveling with friends.

There are lots of expense splitter apps, but none that have the ease of use and full functionality of Trip Splitter.

balanaryan.nt@postnoon.com

OF OF

PUZZLE PIRATES

Trip Splitter

NT BALANARAYAN

AGE AGE

MOBILE GAME REVIEW

APP OF THE WEEK

EMPIRES II: KINGS

This is one of the best games in the series and stayed popular despite some good sequels from Microsoft. The latest edition Age of Empires: Online is free-to-play, yet it does not come close to the popularity of this game that came out in 1999. The game was designed for old CRT monitors with a maximum resolution of 1024x768, so the game was recently rereleased with support for higher resolutions and higher resolution textures.

WARCRAFT 3/DOTA

Warcraft 3 was the last single player game that was released in the series. After the success of the game, Blizzard, the developers of

the game went ahead and made the sequel an MMO. Warcraft 3 however stayed around because of its popularity among gamers and is a permanent fixture in most gaming tournaments. Defense of the Ancients, a gamemode built for the game went on to become a hit among gamers and has one of the most active player base. The success of the game has inspired other companies such as Valve to release similar games.

POKÉMON

Pokémon franchise started with an RPG game for Nintendo’s GameBoy and still has a big fan base.

Characters from the series can easily be spotted in comic cons around the world and the game continues to be a system seller for Nintendo.

It’s so popular that gamers are now demanding that the game be released on home consoles too and not just on handhelds.

Considering the massive fan base such a game could make Wii U a major hit this generation.

M ARIO KART

This game came out for Nintendo’s SNES console and let gamers drive as famous characters from other Nintendo titles.

Needless to say this game was a big hit when it launched back in 1992. The company has released a sequel to this game with each console they have launched because of its popularity. What makes this game so great is that you can pick up the old SNES version of the game and still have a lot of fun playing it, despite the old school graphics.

QUAKE

This game along with Doom — both developed by the same company — defined multiplayer gaming as we know it. Most of the multiplayer modes that are standard in games these days

Hoist your anchor and prepare to puzzle—join Puzzle Pirates and become part of a thriving pirate world! Puzzle with crews of other players to loot and pillage! Customise your garb, home and ship!

Adventure in a vast world filled with pirates.

can be traced back to this 1996 title. This was also the first game to incorporate co-op gameplay over the Internet. It was also one of the games that allowed people to move in different ways — strafe, bunny hop.

However the popularity of the game is because of its fast-action-based gameplay and you can still play the game for free on Quake Live.

STREET FIGHTER

This game started off its life as an arcade game back in 1987 and has sold 33 million units over various platforms to date. The great part about the game is that gameplay remains almost exactly the same now as it in the original arcade. The game has however gone through a lot of visual improvements over the years to keep up with the changes in gaming hardware. Pro-gamers still buy special arcade style controllers to play the game at tournaments.

13

ANIMAL KINGDOM SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

PET NEWS Inbreeding causes problems

A

famous albino gorilla that lived for 40 years at the Barcelona Zoo got its white colouring by way of inbreeding, new research shows. Now, Spanish researchers have to this conclusion.

Snails reveal ancient history

E

ight thousands years ago, people brought snails from Spain to Ireland, suggests a new study, which used DNA analysis to identify a snail species that lives today only in Ireland and the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Dolphin death sparks outrage

T

he death of a dolphin in China that was photographed with beachgoers handling it shortly beforehand has sparked outrage on the country's social media sites. Social media users blamed the dolphin's death on the handling it received from the tourists.

Vanished without a trace They have only the streets to call home. But when the streets themselves become unsafe for them, where do these stray dogs land up?

AMY ROSE THOMAS

amyrose.t@postnoon.com

N

ot everyone falls into the category of those who love animals and would go the extra mile to ensure their safety. While you are not expected to work towards street animals’ welfare, it is not asking for much for not hurting and torturing these harmless creatures. However, in the past few months the City saw many animal abuse stories being reported. This was followed by the news that GHMC, a government body, that is supposed to play guardian to these animals, have been following the practice of carting dogs away to the outskirts of the City in a bid to get

rid of them. Animal welfare organisations are up in arms over this bit of news. These activists admit they have been noticing this foul play in GHMC’s practice of picking up dogs for vaccination, since these dogs go missing after being picked up.

Nita of Blue Cross says, “After the GHMC picks up a dog, there is no way one can track that dog. They claim that they leave the neutered dogs back on the streets but dogs in my locality never returned after they were picked up. Ideally, they have to leave the dogs at the same place from where they picked them up. They rarely adhere to this. I cannot save all the dogs but I do make sure that dogs in my locality are not picked up by the GHMC. Whenever they go missing, I go to the GHMC, pay the fine and get them back,” she says.

However, there is very little these organisations can do if they do not have people on their side.

“These dogs have no paperwork and are not registered so officials can easily get away with these crimes. A person from each locality should come forward and take responsibility for these dogs. And without this person’s consent, officials shouldn’t be able to pick these dogs. Now, one doesn’t have any idea the number of dogs they are picking up and those that are left back.

Dogs are territorial in nature and if a new pack of dogs are left in a new area, the dogs that have already claimed the area will attack the visitors and scare them off. Ultimately, these new dogs die without food,” she says.

Another activist Hema, of People for Animals, says that when faced with a problem from these dogs, instead of killing or torturing these animals, they can complain to NGOs. “One can call us if they have a problem with these dogs. I had gotten two complaints where in residents had complained that they had difficulty in sleeping because of the dogs barking at night. At times, when a female dog is in heat, four to five dogs follow her around and this leads to fights at night. In both the cases, dogs barked at night for the same reason. I went to the area and got the dogs neutered. These are all solvable problems and one need not have to torture or kill these dogs,” she explains.

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

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

14

BOOKS SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

SHORT READS Title: The Other Typist Author: Rose Baker Publisher: Putnam Set in the 1920s, The Other Typist follows the prim and prudish Rose Baker, a typist in a New York City Police Department precinct. While Rose has the power to sentence a person to life in prison with a few keystrokes at her job, once she leaves her workplace she’s faced with conventional gender roles.

Title: My Education Author: Susan Choi Publisher: Viking Adult Professor Nicholas Brodeur said to lie in the dark in his office while undergraduate women read couplets to him.

He’s condemned on the walls of the women’s restroom, and enjoys films by Roman Polanski. But no one has warned Regina about his exceptional physical beauty—or his charismatic, volatile wife.

Title: The Execution of Noa P Singleton Author: Elizabeth L Silver Publisher: Crown Elizabeth L Silver’s thriller features heroine Noa P Singleton, a 20-something college dropout on death row for the murder of Sarah Dixon. But Sarah’s attorney mother Marlen suddenly tells Noa that she has changed her mind and wants that her sentence be commuted to life in prison.

Title: Southern Cross the Dog Author: Bill Cheng Publisher: Ecco Cheng’s first novel, follows the journey of Robert Chatham in the aftermath of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.

Having lost everything, Robert embarks on an odyssey through the Deep South into the Mississippi hinterland, encountering characters such as piano-playing hustlers and a family of fur trappers.

‘His’tory is interesting

Every line conjures an image, every word is a line that joins and gels presenting before us a clear interesting picture of something that seemed boring in history classes.

The rise and fall is striking, from the warrior prince to the all-powerful emperor to a dying old man whose joy had been robbed by his own offspring.

RAJESH RAVINDRAN

rajesh.r@postnoon.com

A

lex Rutherford’s The Serpent’s Tooth opens like an action thriller.

Shah Jahan, who has become the emperor of the Mughal Empire after overcoming all opposition to his claim to the throne, survives another assassination attempt. If it were written in the drab way as in history text books, you will not proceed beyond the first paragraph, maybe not even the first line.

But this stuff is good. Every line conjures an image, every word is a line that joins and jells presenting before us a clear picture: The way the attacker hurls himself at Shah Jahan, his garb, his gait, his build, how the dagger gleamed in the rays of the sun, the emperor’s quick response, his overpowering him… it is as good as you saw the whole thing yourself.

In this book, you will sense the beginning of the fall of the Mughal empire. Shah Jahan, lost in sorrow by the loss of his wife, loses focus and does not see the differences and hatred among

Amy Rose Thomas amyrose.t@postnoon.com

S

eriously, Sitara? is no different from one of those Bollywood masala movies that you would enjoy to your heart's content provided you have left your brains at home.

Sitara Gopalasundaram, an arts editor of Homme magazine, is sent to interview dashing, reclusive actor Nasser Khan. Sparks start flying between the two from the word go during the interview which ends with Sitara accompanying the actor for an awards ceremony, she getting drunk at the after-party and later puking all over the superstud on

his children and by the time he does, it is too late. Aurangazeb rallies his brothers Shah Shuja and Murad, successfully rebels against his father and his brother, Dara Shukoh, the rightful heir — and keeps the curse of the “coffin or throne” alive in the Mughal dynasty. He imprisons his father, murders Murad

and executes Dara Shukoh.

One wonders if Dara Shukoh had been emperor… Dara Shukoh is the perfect Mughal prince: intelligent, charismatic and deeply spiritual and tolerant towards other religions. There are many who believed that the reign of Akbar would return had Dara succeeded Shah Jahan.

And this is exactly what the bigots of the time did not want, for their powers and influence had considerably weakened during Akbar’s time, who was open to any religion.

The book’s end is full of pathos as Shah Jahan withers from the grief from the death of his sons and the turn of events.

STAR-STRUCK her way back home. What she had hoped to be onetime never-again meeting follows with a series of highly improbable, unlikely encounters in which the star and the journalist fall in love.

The book has all the makings of a chick-lit. A clumsy protagonist over thirty. Check. A rich, successful man who is easily misunderstood only to be revealed later that he has his heart in the right place.

Check. Nagging parents who are convinced that their daughter is going to end up

Name Seriously Sitara Author Nishat Fatima Pages 328 Publisher Hachette India alone and believes that only their intervention can help matters. Check. Sounds familiar? This is the same tried and tested formula that sold millions of copies of Bridget Jones’s Diary and many other chick-lits. The only difference here is that

Name The Serpent’s Tooth Author Alex Rutherford Pages 398 Publisher Hachette this rich, successful man aka the knight in shining armour is a Bollywood actor. And mind you, he is not the shallow Bollywood type. However, the odds might be, Nasser Khan unlike other actors is reclusive, family-values upholding mamma's boy who also loves to cook.

All said, Seriously Sitara? is an entertaining read. In spite of the incredulity of the protagonists’ encounters and the unbelievable consequences, you cannot help but enjoy this witty journey of Sitara Gopalasundaram as she fights off her ex-fiancé while falling head over heels in love with Nasser Khan.

15

BOOKS SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

Gaiman's gems

THE SANDMAN

SERIES

P

robably the most iconic of Gaiman's work, The Sandman is a comic book series which has been described as a "comic strip for intellectuals". Dark, disturbing, rich with mythology and philosophy, The Sandman is no ordinary superhero series. The protagonist is Dream, the lord of dreams, portrayed by a gaunt young man in a black robe. The brilliant artwork elevates it to a whole new level. Also read the series for Death in an avatar never seen before.

JYOTSNA NAMBIAR

jyotsna.n@postnoon.com

Neil Gaiman's recently released The Ocean At The End Of The Lane is being called his best novel ever, but the prolific writer's oeuvre has several gems in it already. Here are our picks of Gaiman's must reads.

Y

ou'll never see London the same way after reading Neverwhere. Originally a TV series, Gaiman expanded the world in the novel. Richard Mayhew, an ordinary guy, stops to help a young girl, Door, and soon finds his world upside down.

He follows her to London Below, a world where magic, danger and monsters lurk. Reading this book will transport you to another world, much like it does Mayhew, and you'll never want to leave.

GOOD OMENS

A MERICAN GODS

F

G

aiman's obsession with mythology is legendary and nowhere has this fondness been given more prominence than in American Gods and its sequel, Anansi Boys. The idea that gods and monsters exist mainly because people believe in them is the central dogma of the book. The protagonist, Shadow, is caught between the old gods and the new gods like media and the Internet. Norse, Egyptian, African and Irish myths are woven together seamlessly, making the book an absolute joy for mythology fans.

antasy lovers probably went crazy with joy when this project was announced. Take two parts of Gaiman's storytelling skills and add an equal measure of Pratchett's zany wit and whimsy and you'll get Good Omens. The Antichrist has been born and angels, demons and humans are watching him carefully. Unfortunately, they have the wrong boy.

Hilarious and adorable all at once, Good Omens is a great introduction to both writers.

T

STARDUST

NEVERWHERE

his might be a controversial choice, but Stardust is Gaiman's most adorable novel to date. Funny, light and sweet, it bears little resemblance to his darkly humourous writings.

A star has just fallen from the skies and a lot of people are looking for it, including halhuman, half-Faerie Tristran Thorn. He leaves his human village of Wall and heads into the land of Faerie on his quest, which ends up bringing him love and good fortune. See a whole new side of Gaiman in this book.

WHAT’S SELLING Landmark’s best in fiction

Landmark’s best in non-fiction

New York Times’ best in fiction

New York Times’ best in non-fiction

n Inferno by Dan Brown

n Manuscript found in Accra by Paulo Coelho

n Inferno by Dan Brown

n Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson

n And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseni

n Dongri to Dubai

by Hussain Zaidi

n And the Mountains echoed

by Khaled Hosseini

n Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg with Nell Scovell n American Gun by Chris Kyle with William Doyle

n The Day I stopped drinking milk by Sudha Murty

n Revenge wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

n Secret of the Nagas by Amish

n Follow every rainbow by Rashmi Bansal

n The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver

n The Guns at Last Night by Rick Atkinson

n Immortals of Meluha by Amish

n Secret by Rhonda Bryne

n Ladies’ Night by Mary Kay Andrews

n Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty

n The Oath of the Vayuputras by Amish

18

WOMEN SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

WEBSITES OF THE WEEK The Hairpin This blog, edited by freelance writer Edith Zimmerman strives to be like “a low-key cocktail party among select female friends.”

Beauty, food, cocktails, general quirkiness.

Daily Worth: A personal finance and business site for women updated daily with money tips and blog posts. Their motto is: “We believe all women should be in charge of their financial health.”

She Knows: She knows everything–entertainment, beauty, parenting, shopping, health and more. The entire busy woman’s lifestyle hub wrapped up into a slick, searchable website.

A CULTURAL ENDEAVOUR KANCHAN AGARWAL

kanchan.a@postnoon.com

F

loors of mud, mud plaster and thatched roofs.

Meditation, classical singers and dancers, yoga, and art. A vibe that can moves you. These are all things that make Our Sacred Space the simple but extraordinary, small but inspiring cultural venue that it is.

It is more than what the founder Nayantara Nandakumar had dreamed it to be. “When I started, I never said it should look like an Indian village. I only wanted it to be as environmentally sound as possible,” she says.

After working in San Francisco for 14 years as a civil and environmental engineer, she is now back home. A trained Odissi dancer herself, her search for a platform to teach dance led her to build Our Sacred Space. “I was teaching dance in the US. My dance teachers were also looking for a place to teach. I thought I could provide that place,” she says.

Launched in January this year, Our Sacred Space offers

classes in Odissi, Kuchipudi, carnatic singing, painting, ikebana, meditation, yoga and pranic healing. Soon, Kathak, Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam, Kalaripayattu and cooking classes will be added. To an outsider it may seem tiny, but Nayantara is happy to see the progress. “People are very excited. They are happy that this venue exists, and want to be a part of it. Enrolment has been drop by drop. I think for people to fit regular practice in their life, it takes commitment. It takes some effort.”

There are 71 students of which 45 are on scholarship. “These are students from an orphanage where I teach dance,” she explains.

Our Sacred Space is a result of inspired action. Nayantara can’t help but beam about how things fell in place. The basic structure of the building was available as it is.

Besides her family’s support, she feels blessed to have teachers who were present for weeks although they knew there was only one student before more signed up.

With a bank loan, she got started.

Workers were hired as they walked in. Materials dumped in backyards came handy as sturdy and eco-friendly pieces for her project. “All these doors are old doors from torn down houses.

Instead of

It was the search for a platform to teach dance that led Nayantara Nandakumar to build Our Sacred Space.

paint, I used mud plaster. Instead of stones, I made floors of mud, and of cement for dancing. We used bricks for the amphitheatre.

The benches have been made with wood of fallen trees in my garden. Two of the rooms have thatched roofs,” she elaborates.

Now you can imagine why the term ‘Indian village’ was used to describe it. “Our Indian villages have been so kind to the planet. When you don’t need cement, don’t use it. Blocks of cements are stranded around the City. They are not biodegradable and they melt into the ground.”

Certainly a matter to take care of. She chose to study civil and environmental engineering hoping to work in rural India. With a hint of sarcasm, she confesses, “Of course, I ended up working in rural and urban America.” However, this long tenure spent in San Francisco has come to much good. It was the passion and enthusiasm for better living among people there, that stood an example of inspired action for her. “I was part of very inspiring cultural groups

in San Francisco. I have heard health practitioners, scientists and environmentalists talk of how they live with a holistic approach. Those are the most beautiful aspects about western culture, not Hollywod and consumerism.

They live on hardly any possessions. Often these were also artists. Some old, some very young. They live wisely.” In a nutshell, holistic living through art and culture, is the motive of Our Sacred Space.

“I would like it to be an environmental center. If each person tries to be as harmless to the environment as possible, a lot can happen. We want to provide healthier alternatives of yoga and dance. These are healthy habits, and I think healing ones, too.”

Looks like Nayantara has found her place in the world. Like many of us, she has wondered for years what the right kind of living is.

Today, she has an enriching and energising life hosting Our Sacred Space.

“I am very happy to be doing this after years of contemplation and soul searching,” she says.

Where are we safe?

All About Eve

NIDHI BHUSHAN

I

t's difficult to say whether violence against women has increased or its reportage.

Daily newspaper headlines force us to wonder if women were always so unsafe in society. Whether it's an office, a deserted street or public transport, women seem to have faced hostility everywhere.

On top of all this, a recent report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that one in three women, globally, will experience an incident of intimate partner violence at some point in their lives. In the most extreme cases, this violence proves fatal. Up to 38 per cent of female homicide victims worldwide having been killed by an intimate partner, current or former. So basically, women are not even safe at home. Though this doesn't come as a surprise as we've seen so many such reports in the recent past. What's shocking is the percentage and the fact that one in every three of us will or have already faced this menace.

What are the changes we need to implement in the society to change this growing inhumanity? Millions of activists have a billion suggestions. But, is it enough to just speak out? The answer is an obvious NO. We have to do more. A good start would be to nip things in the bud. There are many studies to prove that women tolerate violence against them if their partner is the culprit in the hope that he will change. We have to kill this hope. The fact is he will never change. Tolerating his nuisance will only encourage him to get his way in future too. So, the first step towards making a difference is a no nonsense policy.

Like they say, the first time you experience domestic violence, you're a victim. The second time...you're an accomplice!

As far as out first worry goes, whether violence has increased or its reportage, one cannot say. But, if it’s the latter that has risen, it’s a baby step in the right direction.

19

SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

More than talk

Members of the Ficci Ladies Organisation Hyderabad attended a talk titled Beyond Business by chief guest Sanjay Reddy, vice-chairman GVK, at Taj Krishna on Friday.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

All you desire 8

9

10

11

1 Samia Alam Khan

4 Geeta

7 Mallika

10 Rekha Lahoti

2 Priyanka, Aparna Reddy

5 Sumalatha

8 Neelu

11 MAjita Reddy

3 Padma, Rekha Reddy

6 Shashi Nahata

9 Kamala

MUSICAL NOTES

Anju Poddar inagurated the Khwaish exhibition and sale at Taj Krishna on Friday. The event will bring under one roof garments, both traditional and contemporary.

Taj Deccan on Friday was full of melodious tunes as musicians in the City performed at the venue to celebrate World Music Day.

GLITTERING HI-TEA:

Taj Krishna hosted an evening of Fashion Tea with Suhani Pittie for the unveiling of her limited edition bespoke jewellery line at the tea lounge at the Arcade on Friday.

20

RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

I

I AM ALL EARS

am 26. I have been in a relationship for the past two years. I have this habit of keeping a diary and a few days ago, my boyfriend read my diary and we had a huge fight over it.

I told him he has no right to read it. But he kept accusing me of cheating him. How do I manage this?

Dear disturbed kid, Well your privacy matters whether or not you are in a relationship or not. Tell him to keep his hands off your personal stuff. And questioning you on what you have written in your diary does not amount to any cheating. Even if you have written about your past love, your present life it gives him no authority to blame you. If he continues to act this way, tell him you would rather have trusting man than a doubting Thomas.

S

mile and the world smiles with you — but new research suggests that not all smiles are created equal.

The research shows that people actually anticipate smiles that are genuine but not smiles that are merely polite. The differing responses may reflect the unique social value of genuine smiles.The new research is reported in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

THE GAME OF LOVE

KANCHAN AGARWAL kanchan.a@postnoon.com

I

f you have fought with your partner over video games, this one is for you. You can’t let go of the game, and your partner can’t stop complaining that you have not been spending enough time. Or, you get only a few hours off work, some of which you would like to spend playing video games, but your partner can’t seem to understand why you wouldn’t spend all your free time with the partner. Does the issue need to be as annoying as it gets, or can there be a consensus point in choosing between an activity you thoroughly enjoy, and a person, you are committed to? Are married couples able to find that common ground better than those who commute to see each other?

“My ex-boyfriend was in college while I was looking for a job which means I had more free time, and less friends and fewer things to do. There have been days when I had to hang out with his friends at a gaming bar, doing nothing but concentrating on not losing my temper. I used to feel a great loss of self-worth.

His friends were fun to be with

Here are some tips on how to not let a video game ruin a beautiful relationship.

Video games can play spoilsport in a relationship. However, there are many couples who have found a common ground. Postnoon gives you tips that will help you not ruin your relationship. but I could only be polite to them, and not bond with. I would not fight with him thinking it was not his problem that I had so much free time. But I wish, he had kept his guys time separate from our time,” narrates Krupa Ganguly*, 23, a marketing executive. Although, one may say here the problem is not so much the video games as the insensitivity on the boyfriend’s part. Here is another example of a married couple who find video games to be a major part of their life. “He does not respond when I

Tips:

am talking. His game is more important than everything until he finishes it. Until then, he does not help me in household chores or spend time with me. We fight over it mostly but I try to lure him with good food, and emotional blackmail is always a trump card,” confesses Naina Dugar*, 29. Being a cleanliness freak, Naina gets busy cleaning on some instances. Having been together for long enough, they have tried playing together to no gain. “Obviously, I was not good at the game but he was. He gets

aggressive while playing and I am not used to seeing him like that. We play board games though.” However, the couple has found common ground and Naina, much patience. “We know we need space from each other. I don’t disturb his game for a couple of hours and he doesn’t come in the way of my cleaning. Eventually, he does get sick of his game, precisely when he is stuck on a level and comes to check on me. I know if he goes into hibernation playing, he will come back”.

1. Get her/him hooked: Introduce your partner to a game that he/she can relate to and enjoy.

2. Play together: It is always a great idea to play together. It is more fun and something to bond over.

3. Schedule it: If your partner respects your likes and space, understand that they also need companionship. So, have a few hours allotted to playing so you also can make time to spend together.

4. Develop a hobby: While your partner is engrossed in the game, you have ample time to do something that you immensely enjoy. Develop a hobby, and pursue it seriously. It is not only time killing, but quite enriching, too.

21

CINEMA SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

The beach hangout

G

oa is the setting for this fun fest. Few friends set out for Goa hoping to have a time of their lives. And as usual they end up massively drunk.

Reminds you of Hangover doesn’t it?

They wake up the next day to discover one of their friends missing. Who is missing? How do they find him? Will they be back in time for the wedding? This forms the storyline of the film Action 3D. Well, is there anything left to be said?

Action 3D is an Allari Naresh, Shyam, Vaibhav and Raju Sundaram starring film directed by Anil Sunkara. Neelam, Upadhyeya, Sneha Ullal, Sheena Shahabadi play the lead actresses. The movie was produced by Rama Brahmam Sunkara. The movie is made in Telugu and Tamil languages, simultaneously. The film has really good 3D effects. There are a number of scenes where viewers will experience high quality 3D sequences and the entire team Movie: Action 3D must be appreciated for having Cast: : Allari Naresh, the courage and Vaibhav,Raju Sundaram, the conviction to Kick Shyam ,Sneha Ullal, attempt this film.

Allari Naresh is Directed by: Anil Sunkara really good in the lead role. He has tried his best to make the comedy work. Kick Shyam and Vaibhav are ok. Sneha Ullal has come up with a very glamorous performance in the film. Neelam Upadhyay is neat and effective. Director Anil Sunkara has done a good job with the visuals and he has taken care of the technical aspects in a proficient manner. But the screenplay and scene development could have been better.

Will Charan be shifting to Mumbai?

Rumours abound over Rajini’s next I

I

t seems that Ram Charan has been liking it a little more in Bollywood. So much so he is now rumoured to have purchased an apartment in Mumbai. Will the Zanjeer remake star make Mumbai his permanent home? The actor has purchased 4,000 square feet flat in Mumbai suburbs. Apparently the actor asked wifey Upasana to give it a look over for her final say. After her approval, Mumbai’s famous Signature Residency close to the Khar Gymkhana is going to be their home.

When Hangover returns to haunt you 3D style.

f it’s Rajinikanth we are talking about then be sure there will be numerous rumours floating. Over the past few days, the media has been abuzz with news about the superstar’s next film.

Names such as Shankar, KS Ravikumar and P Vasu have been doing the rounds.

Will it be a repeat of the success of Padayappa and Muthu if Rajinikanth pairs up again with KS Ravikumar?

According to a section of media reports, it seems Rajini wants to do a quickie spanning just a few months' time.

Apparently he has also held initial discussions with KSR regarding the same. There are other reports then that bring in P Vasu, that he will be most probably making the much-talked about sequel to Chandramukhi (the remake of Manichitrathazhu) with Rajini. With director Priyadarshan and superstar Mohanlal currently working on Geethanjali, sort of an extension of Manichitrathazhu, there are chances of the sequel to Chandramukhi materialising, if Geethanjali is received well by the Malayalam audience when it releases later this year.

Then there is director Shankar. He

is probably working with Rajini yet again after their blockbuster team-ups for Sivaji and Enthiran. The two have held discussions regarding their new association and an official announcement is expected anytime, believes another media house. But when a scribe got in touch with a source close to the superstar, this is what he had to say "Rajini Sir is currently concentrating solely on the completion and release of Kochadaiyaan and he is not thinking beyond this project as of now. So all talks about his next film are mere rumours and speculations on the part of certain media."

So despite this lengthy speculation folks, we know Rajinikanth has not signed on any dotted line.

22

CINEMA SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013 Subhash K Jha

feedback@postnoon.com

H

e loves her to death. Cross his heart and hope to die. And it’s their wedding day. But they’re not getting married to one another. As he returns exhausted from messing up her marriage to another man, the slumbering band-baaja wallahs at his own wedding hasten awake and begin playing a wedding song wearily. It’s a brilliant defiant moment defining the contradictions and savage ironies of romantic associations.

Raanjhanaa tells us it’s not so cool to fall in love. Unless you’re ready to slither on the ground for love, if the need arises. Angry, aggressive, passionate, temperamental, moody and quite simply majestic, Raanjhanaa is an opulent, epic, seductive, raging and rippling ode to love. The script, by Himanshu Sharma, journeys from the loverboy Kundan’s childhood when he first sees his object of adoration doing her namaaz, and follows him to adulthood, much in the same way as he follows Zoya around.

The film celebrates the pain of heartbrokenness. She slaps him?

That’s fine.

He

Movie: Raanjhanaa Cast: Dhanush, Sonam Kapoor, Abhay Deol, Swara Bhaskar, Mohammed Zeeshan Directed by: Anand L Rai Rating: loves her all the more for it. She turns his proposal down? That’s okay. He’ll do it again...and ... again. It’s the protagonist’s single-mindedness that navigates this enchanting love story through a series of circumstances that make Kundan look as brazen as they make destiny look cruel.

Throughout, Kundan’s self-destructive odyssey into the heart’s darkest regions, we are made privy into his agony and ecstacy.

We see Zoya just the way Kundan does: tall, creamy-complexioned, warm, seductive and unattainable.

Dhanush, as the worshipping loverboy, lets his face become the map of his heart. So transparent are his feelings for the girl that every kind word or gesture from her brings a response of teary gratitude in his eyes. This is not love as we see it in today’s day and age.

It’s the kind of adoration that Radha had for Krishna. In many ways, Raanjhanaa is a gender-reversed take on the RadhaKrishna myth.

Towards the second movement of his extraordinarily well-crafted screenplay, Rai takes Kundan’s destiny to the University of Delhi campus. Bringing campus politics into a film about compulsive love may not seem like the easiest of marriages to implement. It is to Rai’s credit that he doesn’t lose hold of his characters’ collective and individual destiny even while moving out of their home turf.

The characters dither, stray, falter and lose focus. The narrative never does. There is scarcely a single false note in this love liaison.

There is an air of unrehearsed preparedness in the way the actors pitch their characters. Dhanush’s performance would go down in cinematic history as one of the most consistent and compelling portrayals of singleminded ardour. As for Sonam Kapoor,

she is a complete revelation! In a bornagain performance she sparkles and shines creating a kind of sunshine-girl who is so taken up with herself that she doesn’t get the chance to see what affect she has on the other until it’s too late.

Raanjhanaa is a very simply-told story of a love so intense, durable and destructive, that it hurts.

The inner turbulence, tumult and tensions of the central alliance evolves from the vibrancy of Varanasi, from each fluent note of Rahman’s music, and from every pore of director Anand L Rai’s transparent honest passionate treatment of that much-misunderstood emotion called love.

IANS

PUJA GUPTA

feels Shortcut Romeo is her debut film

A

ctress Puja Gupta has already featured in films like F.A.L.T.U. and Go Goa Gone, but feels her next movie, Shortcut Romeo, is her real debut.

“I feel this is my debut film.

Neil (Nitin Mukesh) says that about me a lot as well and I hope people really like me in this avatar,” the 24-year-old said here Thursday at a special screening of the film.

Puja believes it is her first big commercial romantic film and so, it is very dear to her.

“I am shaking (shivering out of nervousness) right now because for me, it is my first full commercial big film, where I am this actress, running around jungles and singing songs. It’s my first romantic film, so it’s very dear to me,” Puja said. Directed by Susi Ganesh, Shortcut Romeo also stars actress Ameesha Patel. It hit theatres Friday. IANS

Ghanchakkar gets U/A certificate

A

RAANJHANAA celebrates pain of heartbreak

This enormously-enriching film about the pain of love has four heroes: Dhanush, Sonam Kapoor, AR Rahman’s music and Varanasi.

A film about unrequited love.

ctor Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi’s forthcoming film Ghanchakkar has been certified U/A by the Central Board of Film Certification. Director Rajkumar Gupta is “delighted”.

“Ghanchakkar is an out-and-out masala entertainer and I’m waiting to see the reaction from the audiences. I expect full families to come to see this comic thriller,” said Gupta.

The film, which features Emraan as a Maharashtrian man, and Vidya as his loud Punjabi housewife, is slated to hit the screens June 28. IANS

CINEMA SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

23

CINEMA SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

24

25

CINEMA

Strictly for zombie lovers, Brad Pitt fans

Robert Downey Jr.

SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

signs on for Avengers 2 and Avengers 3 A

fter weeks of speculation as to whether or not he would return, Robert Downey Jr. has officially signed on to star in Disney and Marvel’s next two Avengers films. Downey had hinted in numerous interviews, including a recent segment on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, in which he says his days of playing Tony Stark were over. Marvel announced the news on their website Thursday.

World War Z is a subtle combination of a medical thriller and a horror film. Packed with fleetingly captivating emotional moments, the film evokes mixed reaction.

Troy Ribeiro feedback@postnoon.com

I

nspired by, if not really based on Max Brooks’ novel with the same name, the story is about zombie — Apocalypse.

Director Marc Froster wastes no time in introducing the conflict into the narration. After the initial two scenes of family bonding, Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), a former UN investigator, along with his wife Karen (Mireille Enos) and two daughters (Sterling Jerins and Abigail Hargrove), are caught in the mayhem on the streets of Philadelphia, where a section of the mob appears to have gone insane, randomly attacking others.

Suddenly, the city becomes a disaster zone, infested with zombies.

Thierry (Fana Mokoena), the under secretary of the UN, arranges to have the Lanes rescued, and taken to an aircraft carrier in the Atlantic.

Here, Gerry is pressurised to return to the field to find an answer to the malaise.

For the safety of his family, Gerry agrees to lead the investigation. The task takes him from South Korea to Jerusalem and finally to meet with survivors at the World Health Organization building in Cardiff, Wales.

In the film, the story is narrated through Gerry’s point of view, whereas in the book, the story is narrated through a nameless journalist’s point of view.

So, beyond the international settings and the concept

Movie : World War Z Cast : Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Ludi Boeken, Matthew Fox, Fana Mokoena, David Morse, Elyes Gabel, Peter Capaldi, Sterling Jerins and Abigail Hargrove Director : Marc Forster Rating :

of depicting how different world governments react in such a situation, the film doesn’t bear much resemblance to Brooks’ book .

The wide angle aerial shots and the set action pieces are beautifully and amazingly captured by cinematographer Robert Richardson. What’s commendable is how the makers have beautifully merged film with the computer generated images of the rushing zombies that lead to the mountainous heap of them piled up. That breathtaking image will take some time to leave your mental space.

Though the film is overt and largely producer-actor Brad Pitt’s canvas, he fails to create an impression which he critically desired.

His soulful and non-triumphalist central performance was largely unconvincing as; a harried and agitated father or of a person who is thrown in such a momentous operation.

Despite the contributions of four writers, director Marc Frosters’ endeavour fails to enamour you.

The film has gaping plotholes especially with the time-line of the story and the infestation. They do not sync.

And to top it all, the film that begins with a very promising and engaging premise plateaus on to the climax as the denouement seems to be mechanical and contrived, and that is its undoing.

Nevertheless, touted as the most expensive zombie film, this film is worth a IANS one-time watch!

Kim and Kanye’s girl has a pet NameNori

Y

ep, it’s true!

Five days after Kim Kardashian and Kanye West welcomed a baby girl, a source close to the reality star, 32, confirms to Us Weekly that the bundle of joy has been named, as long rumoured, North West. The source adds that the “birth certificate is out,” and that the little girl, born five weeks early, has no middle name. The first child for Kardashian and the rapper, 35, already has a nickname, the source adds: “They will call her Nori for short.”

26

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

SUDOKU

THOUGHT OF THE DAY Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.

– Jeff Valdez

KAKURO

How to play kakuro

SCRIBBLING PAD

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

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

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

Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14.

This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on...

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

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

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Bedouin or Omani 5 Sound beginning?

10 Step ___ the plate 14 ‘Soft’ or ‘silver’ suffix 15 Apply thoroughly, as lotion 16 What high spirits do 17 Summit 18 Underground Railroad ‘passenger’ 19 Much-used pencil 20 1978 thriller?

23 Anklebones 24 Tupperware piece 25 Short plane trip 28 Full of ruses 29 Something found in a shed 33 To boot 35 Tremble with cold or fear 37 Unmanned vessel that found the Titanic 38 Comes into being?

43 ‘Dynamic’ prefix 44 Become extinct 45 Handed-out circulars 48 Bakery product 49 Piece of food for dipping 52 H that’s a vowel 53 Wee toy maker 55 Insecticide target 57 Be very well off?

62 Five of hearts, for one 64 Whimsically hum orous 65 Anchor store locale 66 Off-color color 67 British-accented spokescritter 68 Stage accessory 69 ___ serif (font choice) 70 Notched like a leaf 71 Chart-topping songs DOWN 1 Stands ready for 2 Word with ‘equality’ or ‘harmony’ 3 Weapons storehouse 4 Complaints, in slang

5 Major in astronomy?

6 ‘To Sir, With Love’ singer 7 Alternative to a ski lift 8 Romantic competitor 9 Iron deficiency 10 It dissolved in Dec 1991 11 Archaeological fragment 12 Fraternity letter 13 Top of some scepters 21 Flexible, as a body 22 Enticing pitches 26 Olympian Korbut 27 Devious maneuver 30 Salad dressing ingredient 31 Roman who recorded Greek mythology 32 Lawful, informally 34 Float gently in the air 35 Word with ‘lace,’

‘something’ ‘string’ or ‘horn’ 58 Bad time for Caesar 36 Three-toed bird of 59 Plumb crazy South America 60 Varieties or types 38 Casual eatery 61 Arctic Ocean floater 39 Irish or Welsh ancestor 62 Semi professionals use 40 Dress rehearsal them?

41 Rocky hilltop 63 Fla neighbour 42 Beyond the fringe 46 Clerical PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER abbreviation 47 Sister ___ (‘We Are Family’ singers) 49 Serengeti expedition 50 Spotted cat 51 Olympics superstar Michael 54 Ending for ‘sea’ or ‘way’ 56 That certain

27

CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Two of Pentacles

King of Pentacles

The High Priestess

Three of Cups

The Star

The Chariot

W

W

ork – Your intuition is high and you somehow know how to work things out without really knowing where your mind comes up with these ideas. Romance – This is a great time for romance. You and your partner hit it off big time and you shower affection on each other. Health – You have a tendency to put on weight. This may be because you’re feeling quite content and happy with where you are right now. Money – You have a philosophical approach to money and it doesn’t matter to you much.

Having that approach to finances can sometimes be a boon. Tarot message – You’re feeling on top of the world. All is going well and you’re feeling stable.

W

ork – Team work will be good during the week. You’re feeling high on energy and you also get a team that is good at its job. Romance – In a relationship, interference from a third person will cause some misunderstanding. Have complete faith in your beliefs and go with it. Health – You may need to do a little more in order to improve your health or your chances of quicker recovery from a problem.

Money – Work like a squirrel and put away small amounts of money at regular intervals.

Trying to reach a high savings goal at once is not practical. Tarot message – Get a buy-in from all stakeholders involved, especially if you’re working on something new.

W

W

W

ork- Learn to shut off from work at the appointed time. No point sitting in front of your computer the whole time and being unproductive.

Romance – Make the effort to take time out for your partner. Singles need to put in effort to find someone, if they want to. Health – Anxiety, worry and tension need to be kept in check. Take a short holiday, rejuvenate and come back refreshed. Money – Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Spread out your risks so that even if one plan fails, you have a back-up. Tarot message – You may have to juggle many balls in the air. But this time is demanding and you have to rise up to the occasion.

ork – You want to be too much in control.

You desire control of all environments, both work and home. You need to loosen up a little.

Romance – Think of new ways to woo your partner.

You may need to be impulsive and get some chemistry and passion into your love life. Health – Migraine headaches or tension headaches may be coming in your way too much. Don’t let it affect you. Learn to de-stress.

Money – Not everything works to plan, especially when it comes to financial goals. Work out ways to take limited risks. Tarot message – You seek control for better security and safety. You think you know it best when it comes to creating a buffer against what might go wrong.

ork – Bring a business-like formality to your interactions and you will see a marked difference in the way coworkers respond to your requests. Romance – You may feel rejected despite being in a relationship. Bring about some changes in the way you spend time with your partner. Health – Dispose of ideas that don’t work. If an exercise is not working for you, don’t push it.

Change the plan. Money – There are some pending tasks and you have the tendency to push this to the last minute. Avoid it. Tarot message – The clouds are there. But there is also a silver lining. Don’t lose hope and continue to chase your dreams.

SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

Libra

Scorpio

Three of Swords

Knight of Wands

W

ork – You need to create a brief that is well-defined so you can cover your tracks from all sides and focus on work instead of explaining yourself. Romance – A romance may be dying out gradually. You can take a break from each other or decide to call it off. Either way, take a call. Don’t let it hang. Health – You may have overlooked some health-related detail, which is having an impact on your overall bodily and mental health. Money – Your notion of what you have in common with an affluent peer is making you take decisions that may not be in sync with your bank balance. Tarot message – Be prepared to deal with many life changes.

ork – You have some good ideas but the key is in the execution.

Create a practical process and work accordingly.

Romance – You may be impulsive and foolish when it comes to matters of the heart. This is making you all the more vulnerable to heartbreak.

Health – Focus on destressing. If you grow too excited about something, rein in your feelings so you can stay stoic about it.

Money – You come across some most striking and beautiful luxury items.

You’re tempted to splurge on these. Do so if you feel strongly. Tarot message – You must accurately record your decisions at this time so that you feel confident about your future course of action.

W

Sagittarius Temperance

W

ork –You have a tendency to plunge back into work, even when you’re on a break. Learn to chill out and not worry too much about tomorrow.

Romance – Someone from the opposite sex is falling out of favour from your list. Think of what works and what doesn’t so you can make the right decisions. Health – There may be a peculiar habit, which is affecting your health.

You need to figure out what that is, and change it.

Money – You have a chance to make some good money by making the right decisions. Don’t be afraid to work hard or do something drastic. Tarot message – Discipline takes you places, quite literally.

You can change your outlook to life.

Capricorn

Date 23-6-2013

Aquarius

The Wheel of Fortune

Six of Pentacles

W

W

ork – Don’t waste time in trying to execute outdated ideas. Keep yourself updated on what’s happening in your field of expertise.

Romance – Tickle the curiosity of your partner by springing surprises and new things that will increase the spice and passion in your relationship.

Health – There is a possibility that you get temperamental and feel bad later about some of the words you use. The stress gets to you. Money – There is no dearth of money and you can buy almost anything you want. But don’t overspend. Save when you can, for a rainy day. Tarot message – You’re at your productive best. Use your energy well to bring out good results.

ork – You’re caught in-between two opposing camps and it’s tricky to navigate because you have to work with both these groups in future. Romance – The emotions are not very stable. You find certain feelings rising and falling and you’re not in control with the situation. It will settle in time. Health – Don’t make very sudden changes to your diet or exercise routine. Let the changes be gradual so as to not shock your body too much. Money – You feel intimidated by the new investment plans that you come to know of.

It’s not a very good idea to invest in something you don’t feel right about.

Tarot message – You have no reference point for something and that bothers you.

ork – Learn to use the information that comes your way to optimise results. You will be privy to some interesting data. Use it well. Romance – How about taking some time off to groom yourself.

Not only will this be appealing to your partner, you’ll feel beautiful, too.

Health – There is no template for good health. What works for one person may not work for everyone.

Consult a doctor and get a health plan for yourself.

Money – Keep track of payments and requests received for jobs. You could easily lose some orders because you have too many jobs to finish. Tarot message – Be grateful to those who help you. In gratitude, ego must not come in the way.

Pisces Seven of Swords

W

ork – Your ideas may not be accepted by everyone in your team. Be prepared for opposition.

Present your case well.

Romance – You’re approaching romance too much from the head and not enough emotion. Your partner will not always understand. Health – There are ways to achieve better health but you need discipline. Break up your day into different tasks to feel better, mentally and physically. Money – You manage finances well. Good planning has worked well and you see the results of your planning. Tarot message – Intellect is high but you need to balance emotions as well. You risk losing the human touch in everything if you’re too mechanical in your approach.

Vol: 2, No 337 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211

28

THE SATURDAY QUIZ SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

6.

7.

8.

have?

9. What colour is next to blue in a rainbow?

10. In which year did the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher die?

11. What is the first name of Shakespeare?

12. When did the master of suspense thrillers, Alfred Hitchcock pass away?

13. Approximately how many Armenians were killed by Turks during the Armenian Genocide?

14. How many leaves does the Canadian flag have?

15. How many adrenal glands are there in the human body?

16. What happened in Britain in 1666?

Answers

5.

often?

Which of Caravaggio's paintings is the only one to be signed by him?

How old was Leonardo da Vinci when he painted The Last Supper?

Which of Mozart's operas is sung in German?

How many thumbs do six cats

1. 15 2. 1949 3. Armenian 4. 4 5. The beheading of St John the Baptist 6. 46 7. The Magic Flute 8. zero 9. Indigo 10. 2013 11. William 12. 1980 13. 1.5 million 14. 1 15. two 16. The great fire of london

TEST YOURSELF

IN THE NEWS

IDENTIFY THESE TENNIS STARS

CURRENT AFFAIRS 1

2

1 2

Where was the Group of Eight 2013 meeting held? Which nation was the host for this year’s meet?

What country witnessed strong protests over the razing of a park for the reconstruction of military barracks? What is the name of the Prime Minister?

Alter ego

Vis-à-vis

3

4

What was the name of the oldest living person who died on June 12, 2013? How old was that person at the time of death?

1. Lough Earne in Northern Ireland; UK. 2. Turkey; Recep Tayyip Erdogan 3. Lt. Cdr. Abhilash Tomy 4.Cayan Tower 5. Jiroemon Kimura, 116.

Answers with Santosh Ghule This apple has been chomped in a way that’s left a certain pattern on it. What is it?

WHO AM I? I am a famous woman sportsperson from India. I am now a number four in world rankings in my sport. I recently entered quarterfinals of a series that was held in Singapore.

Answer : Saina Nehwal

Answer for 71:

Which country has revived bilateral ties with the country to intensify cooperation by taking the relations beyond that of a buyer and seller?

PICTURE PUZZLE 72

A pussycat.

3

Answers: 1. Maria Sharapova 2. Serena Williams 3. Victoria Azarenka 4. Agnieszka Radwanska

Which agencies in the country have been given the clearance to tap directly into emails and phone calls without oversight by courts or parliament?

Par excellence Modus operandi

KNOW YOUR COUNTRY

2

Bona fide

quid pro quo

What is the name of the world’s tallest twisted tower that was launched in Dubai Marina on June 10?

How many per cent of Internet users in the country are women?

Status quo

Faux pas

Who was the person who become the first Indian Circumnavigate Globe Solo and non-stop on a sail boat?

1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Carte blanche

Answers:

3 4 5

Do you know the meanings of these foreign phrases?

1. From French meaning unlimited authority.

2. From Latin meaning the existing condition.

3. From Latin meaning genuine.

4. From French meaning a social blunder.

5. From Latin meaning something for something, usually an equal exchange.

6. From Latin meaning another I. 7. From French meaning face to face 8. From French meaning above all others 9. From Latin meaning method of operating.

1. What is the average speed of the earth's rotaton around its axis in degrees per hour?

2. In what year was NATO founded?

3.What is the origins of famous seascape painter Ivan Aivazovsky?

4. On which day of the month, do Chinese and Japanse die more

1. 40 per cent 2. Security agencies and income tax officials 3. Iraq

Answers

29

SPORTS SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

Gay impresses with 9.75

T

Bolt wins Jamaican 100m

yson Gay won the 100m at the US athletics championships in an impressive 9.75sec on Thursday to stamp himself America’s top World Championships challenger to Jamaican Usain Bolt. Gay, trailing out of the blocks, exploded near the midway point and powered home to win in the fastest time in the world this year.

Pietersen admits mistakes

S

K

print double champion Usain Bolt won the 100-metre title at the Jamaican Athletics Championships on Friday to qualify for August’s World Championships. Bolt, who broke free from the pack after 60 metres, shut it down as he crossed the line in 9.94 seconds, Kemar BaileyCole second in 9.98 and Nickel Ashmeade third in 9.99.

evin Pietersen admitted he'd made mistakes over the incident that saw him dropped by England on disciplinary grounds last season before he returned to the side.

Former England captain Pietersen returned to competitive cricket after three months out with a right knee problem by playing for Surrey in a four-day match away to Yorkshire.

Grass greener in Miami James’ second championship ring validates his decision to join the Miami Heat and sets the stage for a possible three-peat performance next season.

Greg Heakes Agence France-Presse

MIAMI: His legacy now intact, LeBron James’ second championship ring validates his decision to join the Miami Heat and sets the stage for a possible threepeat performance next season.

“I came here to win championships,” James said. “To be able to go back-to-back and win two championships in three years so far is the ultimate. I know the grass isn’t always greener and there are going to be trials and tribulations. But hopefully I can continue to be a leader for my teammates.

“I want to be, if not the greatest, then one of the greatest to play this game.”

James took another huge step in that direction Thursday by scoring a 2013 post-season high 37 points as

LeBron James of the Miami Heat celebrates winning Game 7 of the NBA Finals at the American Airlines Arena Thursday in Miami, Florida.

AFP/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI the Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 in the decisive game seven of the NBA finals to take the league championship.

Miami becomes the first

Vardhan takes top honours HYDERABAD: Vardhan Adabala placed at the top of the under-15 boys category during the Hyderabad Olympic chess tournament conducted here on Friday.

Meanwhile, D Swetha Sree took the first place in the under-15 girls event.

Results: Under-15 boys: Vardhan Adabala, P Shanmukha Teja Under-15 girls: D Swetha Sree, Manisha Ch Under-13 boys: V Krishna Sai, N Tarun Gopal Benjiman slams double ton A-1 three days Day 3 Group A R Dayanad 224 and 280/9 in 100.3 Overs (Shashank Nag 39, GV Vaibhav 92, Mehdi Hasan 7/95) vs Ensconse 219 in 83 Overs Group B India Cements 244 and 131 in 42.1 overs (Faiyaz Ahmed 39, Roshan Raghuram 6/54,

Under-13 girls: R Hari Lasya, Samudrala Devika Under-11 boys: Ojas Arun, R Jayanth Under-11 girls: D Chetana, Sk Muneerunnisa Begam Under-9 boys: Harshith Krishna Pokala, M Koushik Under-9 girls: Abhi Rami MS, D Divya Under-7 boys: V Prraneeth, A Sriman Reddy Under-7 girls: Bala A, B Saanvi Under-5 boys: Dharshil, Hari Narayana Sabrish 3/47) vs BDL 434/4 in 106 overs (Y Chaitanya Krishna 133, K Sumanth 128 n.o., Mohd Shaker Ahmed 3/81) SBH 292 vs AOC 295/5 in 94.1 overs (Nakul Verma 104 n.o.)

MP Colts 466 vs EMCC 542/8 in 123.4 overs (Benjiman 226, Sharath Mudiraj 57, Akshat 59, Sai Anurag 102 n.o., Minash Gabriel 3/80).

Eastern Conference team to win back-to-back NBA titles since the Chicago Bulls won three straight, beginning in 1996.

No fans left the

American Airlines arena in Miami early on Thursday night like they did during game six, when the Heat staged a late rally to stay alive the series.

This was the Heat’s third championship in franchise history and it came on their home floor in front of a standing room only crowd of 19,900. The Heat are now the toast of the Florida sports scene.

The baseball Florida Marlins are in disarray, the hockey Panthers play before half-empty arenas and the gridiron Miami Dolphins have had a losing record for the past four seasons.

The Heat now have three championships (2013, 2012, 2006), the Marlins two (2003, 1997), the Dolphins two (1973, 1972) and the Panthers none.

“Legacies are tied to the moment, to this game,” said Heat guard Ray Allen.

Mika Miyazato at top spot ROGERS: Japan’s Mike Miyazato fired a six-under par 65 on Friday to seize a onestroke lead after the opening round of the $2 million LPGA Northwest Arkansas Championship.

Miyazato, no relation to defending champion Ai Miyazato, fired a bogey-free round at Pinnacle Country Club to top the leaderboard in the 54-hole event, the last tuneup for next week’s US Women’s Open at Southampton, New York.

Miyazato, who won last year’s LPGA Safeway Classic and shared second place at this event in 2012, birdied the par-5 seventh and began a run of three birdies in a row at the ninth hole. She added birdies at the par4 13th and par-3 15th.

“I had so many good shots today,” Miyazato said. “I worked hard on short putts because I changed putters in the Bahamas (at an event last month) so I practiced a lot yesterday and that gave me so much confidence today.”

South Korea’s Ryu So-Yeon, the 2011 US Women’s Open champion. and American Angela Stanford, the 2009 runner-up, shared second on 66.

Another stroke adrift was a group of 10 players that included Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, Australian Sarah Kemp, Japan’s Chie Arimura and American world number two Stacy Lewis.

AFP

Watson seizes lead CROMWELL: Bubba Watson (in pic), winless since capturing last year’s Masters crown, fired a three-under par 67 on Friday to seize a two-stroke lead after round two of the US PGA Travelers Championship.

Watson, last year’s Travelers runner-up, stood on 10-under par 130 after 36 holes at TPC River Highlands with Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and American Patrick Reed sharing second on 132, each having fired back-toback 66s. A week after the US Open’s dense rough and fast greens played havoc with golf ’s finest players, this event allowed players room to show off their shotmaking and ball control.

“The golf course has generous fairways and you’re having short irons into a lot of the holes,” said Watson, an American. “And it’s playable from the rough, unlike last week.”

Australia’s Nick O’Hern shared fourth on 133 with Americans Hunter Mahan, Tommy Gainey and Tag Ridings with Zimbabwe’s Brendon de Jonge and Americans Webb

Simpson, Keegan Bradley and first-round leader Charley Hoffman on 134. Watson, who started on the back nine, opened with his only bogey but responded with bogeys at the 13th and 16th holes to grab the lead after Hoffman fell back with a double bogey at 13 and a bogey at the first, his 10th hole.

Watson, who won the Travelers title in 2010 for his first US PGA triumph, dropped a 14-foot birdie effort at the third

hole and followed with a six-foot birdie putt at the sixth.

“I love this place. I’ve always played well here,” Watson said.

“The tee shots set up well for me.

I like the way they look. There’s nothing that’s too scary for me, so somehow it’s treated me nicely.” Watson is looking for a nice finish at the weekend after winning only once in his past six chances when leading after 36 holes, that coming in 2011 at AFP New Orleans.

SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

England-India dream final too close to call

Reigning World Cup holders — India — are set to clash with England, hosts of the Champions Trophy, in an intriguing final of the tournament on Sunday, that promises to be a thriller.

BIRMINGHAM: Reigning World Cup holders India clash with hosts England in an intriguing Champions Trophy one-day final on Sunday that promises to be a thriller.

The sold-out game at Edgbaston will please organisers and fans alike as a finale to what has been billed as the last edition of the eight-nation tournament before it is replaced by a Test championship in 2017.

The final, worth $2 million to the winners and $1 million to the runners-up, will be contested by teams who’ve justified their status as the top-ranked one-day sides in the world.

India, winners of the World Cup at home in 2011, proved worthy of their number one ranking by cruising to the final with four straight wins -- the last three by emphatic eight-wicket margins.

Second-ranked England, looking for their first major oneday title, made it to the final

with three wins out of four, including a seven-wicket defeat of South Africa in the semi-final at the Oval in London.

Few would hazard to predict the outcome of the dream final between a young and ruthless

Indian side and a typically gritty England in front of boisterous supporters from both sides.

If the weather holds -- light rain has been forecast for Sunday -- a classic contest in in store between India’s batting

firepower and the crafty seam and spin attack of the hosts.

Left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan has taken the tournament by storm with 332 runs in four matches at an average of 110.66, making him the competition’s leading scorer.

Dhawan’s scores of 114, 102 not out, 48 and 68, which leave him a strong contender for the player of the tournament award, and valuable opening stands with Rohit Sharma have boosted India at the top of the order.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja has been the pick of the bowlers with 10 wickets -- jointsecond in the tournament with England spearhead James Anderson behind New Zealander Mitchell McClenaghan’s 11 scalps. Jadeja and fellow-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin have been backed admirably by the threepronged seam attack of Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav in containing

opposition batsmen.

“We have played with the consistency and passion we wanted to at the start of the tournament,” delighted India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. “But the final will always be a huge challenge.”

England, who begin an eagerly-anticipated Ashes series against Australia next month, will be desperate to bag a major one-day international (ODI) title after suffering defeats in three World Cup finals in 1979, 1987 and 1992, as well as losing the 2004 Champions Trophy final to the West Indies at the Oval.

Their batting revolves around skipper Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, who has answered critics of his perceived slow scoring in the ODI game by emerging as England’s highest run-getter in the tournament with 209 runs.

But the hosts’ hopes will rest on how well the brilliant Anderson and his new-ball partners, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn, are able to contain the Indian batting.

Off-spinner James Tredwell, whose three for 19 in seven overs wrecked South Africa in the semi-final and won him the manof-the-match award, has ensured England do not miss the injured Graeme Swann.

England have lost eight of their last 10 one-day internationals against Dhoni’s men, but all of them were on Indian soil.

When India last played in England in 2011, they were not only blanked 4-0 in the Test series, but lost the one-dayers 3-0.

A World Cup game in Bangalore in 2011 between the two sides ended in a sensational tie.

30&31 Dharmasena, Tucker to stand in final CARDIFF: Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena and Australia’s Rod Tucker will umpire the Champions Trophy final between England and India at Edgbaston on Sunday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Friday in a statement.

Dharmasena, the ICC’s umpire of the year for 2012, and Tucker were also in the middle for England’s seven-wicket semifinal win over South Africa at The Oval on Wednesday.

As was the case in that match, they will be backed up in Birmingham by Australia’s Bruce Oxenford in his role as television umpire.

But whereas former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath was the match referee at The Oval, the fact India are now in the final ruled him out of contention for the task this weekend, with the job instead being given to ex-Sri Lanka international Ranjan Madugalle.

England will be bidding for their first major ODI title on Sunday with world number one India, who thrashed Sri Lanka by eight wickets in Thursday’s second semi-final in Cardiff, looking to add the Champions Trophy to the 2011 World Cup they won on home soil against the Lankans in a final at Mumbai.

Champions Trophy final match officials Jun 23, Edgbaston: England v India Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI) and Rod Tucker (AUS) TV umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS) Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI) AFP

Kumar aims to swing final India’s way Kuldip Lal Agence France-Presse

BIRMINGHAM: India will bank on young seamer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar to contain England’s batsmen when the Champions Trophy one-day final is played at Edgbaston on Sunday.

The lean 23-year-old has made such rapid strides since his debut six months ago that captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni regularly hands him the new ball over the faster Umesh Yadav or the more experienced Ishant Sharma.

Kumar has justified his skipper’s faith with his accuracy and ability to swing the ball both ways, helping the world champions reach the final as the only unbeaten team in the eight-nation Champions Trophy tournament.

Left-arm seamer Ravindra Jadeja may be India’s leading bowler with 10 wickets in four matches, but the early breakthroughs provided by Kumar have left several opponents rattled.

He began with the wicket of South Africa’s Colin Ingram in his second over during the high-scoring tournament opener in Cardiff, then removed the dangerous Chris Gayle for 21 in the next match against the West Indies.

Kumar’s twin-strikes against Pakistan, when he got rid of Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez cheaply, contributed to India’s eightwicket win in the rain-hit game at Edgbaston.

During Thursday’s semifinal against Sri Lanka in overcast Cardiff, Kumar dismissed

Kusal Perera in his second over and finished with one for 18 from nine overs that helped restrict the Islanders to 181.

Kumar will be pleased the final is being played at Edgbaston where he has found the ball swinging a lot more than at the other two tournament venues of Cardiff and The Oval in London.

“I enjoyed playing here because the ball swung and seamed a lot,” Kumar said after the win over Pakistan where his two for 19 from eight overs earned him the man-of-thematch award.

“It’s good when you pitch the ball up and it swings. That helps to take initial wickets and put the opposition under pres-

sure.”

Making early inroads has been Kumar’s forte. In his first international match, a Twenty20 game against Pakistan in December, he bowled Jamshed in his first over. Then on his one-day international debut soon afterwards, he bowled Hafeez first ball and also dismissed Azhar Ali to finish with two for 27 from nine overs.

Kumar’s impressive start saw the selectors award him a Test bow in the recent home series against Australia, where he claimed six wickets in four matches.

If wickets are hard to come by on unresponsive pitches, Kumar relies on a steady line

and length to contain the flow of runs -- as was evident in an Indian Premier League Twenty20 match earlier this year.

Even as Gayle plundered a monumental 175 not out off 66 balls to lift the Royal Challengers Bangalore to 263 for five against Kumar’s Pune Warriors, the seamer conceded just 23 runs in four overs.

Gayle smashed 13 boundaries and 17 sixes, but in the seven balls he faced from Kumar, the aggressive opener managed only 11 runs.

“It is not a happy time for the bowlers when Gayle bats like that, but I was satisfied that I did not give away too many runs,” Kumar said.

Trott proceeding at own pace Julian Guyer Agence France-Presse

BIRMINGHAM: Whether it’s the care with which he scratches out his mark, or the way he builds an innings, England’s Jonathan Trott is not a man to be rushed. Yet for all his success, the speed with which Trott, a key figure in England’s top-order for Sunday’s Champions Trophy final against India at his Warwickshire home ground of Edgbaston, scores his runs remains a talking point.

His career one-day strike

rate of 77 has been reckoned by some observers to be too slow for the demands of the modern game.

Yet England have made it clear they want the rest of the side to bat round ‘anchorman’ Trott who has been in fine form at the Champions Trophy.

His tally of 209 runs is the third highest in the tourmanent behind India’s Shikhar Dawan (332) and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (222) while a strike-rate of 89.69 is in the top five of batsmen who’ve scored more than a hundred runs during this Champions

Trophy. But with the advent of two white balls in one-day internationals and helpful English conditions giving bowlers more of a chance early on, this tournament has not seen the huge scores many pundits forecast.

And that suggests the 32year-old Trott, who marked his Test debut against Australia at The Oval in 2009 with a hundred, and England, without injured star batsman Kevin Pietersen, like the number three born in South Africa, for this tournament, may have got their approach spot-on.

32

SPORTS SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013

Italy not leaving Brazil: Cesare Cesare dismissed rumours that his players have been asked to pull out of the Confed Cup. SALVADOR: Italy coach Cesare Prandelli (right) on Friday dismissed rumours that his players have asked to pull out of the Confederations Cup in Brazil due to the huge protests that have swept the country.

An estimated 1.25 million people took to the streets in scores of cities on Thursday evening to call for better public services and to criticise the cost of organising the Confederations Cup and next year’s World Cup. Many of the protest marches, which began last week, have culminated in violent clashes between demonstrators and riot police, but Prandelli said the Italy squad had no plans to leave the country.

“Our officials have absolutely not proposed going home,” he said during a press conference in Salvador, the day before

Italy’s final Group A game against hosts Brazil.

“Tomorrow (Saturday) is a football match and we don’t want that kind of confrontation outside the stadium. It would be a paradox to play football, to offer joy in the stadium, and to have violence 50 metres away.

“It would be an unacceptable contradiction.”

He added: “Apparently in recent days the situation has changed. In Rio, everything went well, we could visit the city without problems.

“In Recife and here, as a precaution, they’ve asked us not to leave the hotel, but going home?

No, we absolutely haven’t thought of that.”

Despite his reservations about the situation outside Arena Fonte Nova for Saturday’s game, when further protests are

expected, Prandelli said he supported the demonstrators’ right to protest.

“Every demonstration, if it

End of Tahiti adventure as Uruguay eye semis

is peaceful, if it can help the country progress, is welcome,” he said.

“There are so many people

Spain present Nigeria with mission improbable Tom WILLIAMS Agence France-Presse

Players of Tahiti acknowledge the crowd at the end of their FIFA Confederatio ns Cup Group B football match against Spain, at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday.

Spain won 10-0.

AFP/CHRISTO PHE SIMON

Chris WRIGHT

in FIFA tournament history against the rampant Spanish world champions.

Their first outing had brought a 6-1 loss to Nigeria and now the Uruguayans, having beaten the African side, will look for an easy win as they attempt to deny Nigeria second spot in Group B and with it a place in the semi-finals.

One of the lasting images of an event marred by the protests across Brazil was of goalkeeper Mikael Roche kissing the Maracana stadium turf after the Spain game where 71,000 fans gave Tahiti a generous and moving ovation. “I would like to thank them, they were great. It really touched us. They don’t know us yet they AFP applaud us like that,” said Etaeta.

RECIFE: Huge popular protests across Brazil may have moved the Confederations Cup focus away from the pitch, but Tahiti will bow out Sunday after facing Uruguay to end what was a romantic adventure even if they slid to a record 10-0 loss to Spain along the way. Despite that hiding, Tahiti coach Eddy Etaeta says it has been worth making the trip.

“We have been pleasantly surprised with our experiences in Brazil as, despite our losses, the people have been right behind us. We have won their hearts,” said Etaeta, whose team suffered a record loss

Boggle Number game

Scrabble

SOLUTIONS

FORTALEZA: Buoyed by their record-breaking 10-0 rout of Tahiti at the Confederations Cup, Spain approach Sunday’s final Group B fixture against Nigeria needing just a point to secure a place in the semis.

Thursday’s thrashing of the Pacific islanders made Spain the first team to win a game by a 10goal margin at the finals of a FIFA tournament, and only the second to score 10 after Hungary’s 10-1 thrashing of El Salvador at the 1982 World Cup. Fernando Torres scored four goals, and David Villa three, but perhaps the most pleasing aspect for coach Vicente del Bosque was the fact he was able to rest almost his entire first-choice starting XI. Of the team that began the opening 2-1 win over Uruguay, only Sergio Ramos kept his place, and the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas could all return against Nigeria.

Del Bosque’s shrewd squad management

was a key feature of Spain’s successes at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, and David Silva says rotation is something the players fully accept. “We’re always ready to step up when we get the chance,” he said.

Spain’s strong start to the tournament means they go into Sunday’s match at Fortaleza’s Estadio Castelao within touching distance of the last four. Although they require a point to make sure of a semi-final place, they would need to lose to Nigeria by at least four goals to stand any chance of being overhauled.

The situation is rather more taxing for Stephen Keshi’s Nigeria, who were beaten 2-1 by Uruguay in Salvador on Thursday and enter Sunday’s game level on points with the South American champions.

If Uruguay record a handsome win over Tahiti, Nigeria will only be able to reach the last four with a victory over the world and European champions, but coach Keshi says he has not given up hope.

IRAN CHILE INDIA SPAIN CHINA FRANCE

Suduko

Agence France-Presse

that it’s difficult to control those who want to create violence.”

Italy’s players remained inside their hotel on Friday, with the exception of striker Mario Balotelli, who is of Ghanaian origin.

When asked why Balotelli had left the hotel, Prandelli joked that it was “because he is another colour”, before explaining himself more clearly.

“Excuse me, I made a joke earlier,” he said. “Mario told me: ‘Being black, I’d like to go to see the children for a social project.’

It’s a great thing — it wasn’t just to go for a walk.”

The Salvador region, in the northeastern state of Bahia, is largely populated by people of African descent.

Later, Balotelli wrote on his Twitter account: “Salvador!! i look like a person from Bahia!!!”

Spain players train during a practice session on Friday. AFP/EITAN ABRAMOVICH