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visit to the Kumbh Mela for three photographers proved to be very visually enlightening. They brought to the world, the scenes they captured at this religious gathering. Today, as they showcase their photographs at Goethe Zentrum, the trio share with Postnoon parts of their memorable experience.
GLIMPSES OF THE KUMBH MELA
PG 16&17
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JULY 27, 2013 HYDERABAD
WEATHER: MOSTLY CLOUDY; 29°C
NO WAY THEY’RE GIVING UP
HYDERABAD! As a separate Telangana crawls towards becoming a reality, the United Andhra forces have begun attempts to salvage their pride by rooting for Hyderabad as a joint capital. They will not give up Hyderabad at any cost. REPORT ON PG 4
UDAI HELP SOUGHT TO SOLVE MURDER MYSTERY
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or the first time Hyderabad police have resorted to two novel steps to solve the mystery of a middle-aged man hacked to death. PG 3
IS THIS THE CRICKET GAME TO END THEM ALL?
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s this cricket game being developed by Big Ants the one we have all been waiting for? What makes Cricket 14 so exciting is the extant of customisation. PG 12
32 PAGES
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ON SATURDAY
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PAGE TWO SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
FLAVOUR OF THE SEASON
Dance performance K Harshitha, 31st student of Shankarananda Kalakshetra is performing her arangetram. tÜÉêÉW=Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad tÜÉåW 6.30 pm, August 2
Meet and Greet A meet and greet event by US Consulate General will be held. tÜÉêÉW=Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills tÜÉåW July 27, 4 pm to 6 pm
Proud parents watch over their daughter relishing the season’s delicacy haleem at a stall in the City. M ANILKUMAR
Aerobics Have fun while you burn calories at this aerobics workshop. tÜÉêÉW=Colorama printers, Begumpet tÜÉåW Till July 26, 4.30-6.30pm `çåí~ÅíW 2373 0328
`çåí~ÅíW 040 6733 1133
Art workshop Saturday Art Workshop, My Sweet Landscape will be held. tÜÉêÉW=Diara- Center for Arts and Culture, Banjara Hills tÜÉåW July 27, 10 am to 12 pm `çåí~ÅíW 80197-62868 / 9849987187
Theatre workshop Theatre workshop for children in the eight years and above age group. It offers a rich mix of outdoor theatre activities, readings, analysis, discussions and performances. tÜÉêÉW=Lamakaan, Banjara hills tÜÉåW Till Aug 3, 10am tÜÉåW 2329 9779
Artworks galore
Just for fun History of India Viritten will be performed by stand-up comedian Vir Das. tÜÉêÉW=N-Convention, Madhapur tÜÉåW July 27 `çåí~ÅíW 8790432354
Jal Anand - Impressions from the maha Kumbh Mela 2013 will be held. tÜÉêÉW=Goethe-Zentrum, Banjara Hills tÜÉåW Till August 4 `çåí~ÅíW 040 23113308
Tribal art exhibition Kalakriti Art Gallery presents Dots and Dashes, a Gond tribal art exhibition, curated by Rati Khemka Malaiya. tÜÉêÉW=Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills tÜÉåW On till July 28, 11am to 7pm
Freezing a moment
Unfolding history 160 years of indian railways South Central Railway (SCR) presents '160 Years Of Indian Railways'. tÜÉêÉW=Salarjung museum, Near Estate Talkies, Afzalgunj. tÜÉåW On till July 26, 10am-5pm `çåí~ÅíW 040 2452 3211
CINEMAS
A workshop on photoshop for photography will be held. tÜÉêÉW=Lamakaan, Banjara Hills tÜÉåW July 28, 10.30 am to 1.30 pm `çåí~ÅíW 96427-31329
Ramzan special
Food festival
Play time
An opportunity to taste delicacies from Gujarat and Rajasthan. tÜÉêÉW=Chill, Radisson Blu, Banjara Hills tÜÉåW On till July 31
Puppet plays will be performed by Sphoorthi Theatre. tÜÉêÉW=Lamakaan, Banjara Hills tÜÉåW July 28, 7 pm to 8.30 pm `çåí~ÅíW 96427-31329
Relish the season special iftar delicacies tÜÉêÉW=Viva, Taj Vivanta tÜÉåW Till Aug 7, 5.30-11.30 pm tÜÉêÉW=Deccan Pavilion, ITC Kakatiya tÜÉåW Till Aug 7, 7.30pm
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
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CITY SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
22 killed due to rains in AP
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s many as 22 people were killed and crops in over 60,000 hectares suffered damage due to heavy rains that lashed AP for a week now. Besides the death of 22 people, five persons sustained injuries in various rain-related incidents, official sources said here on Friday. As many as 409 minor irrigation tanks and 3,877 kms of roads also suffered damage.
Harish Rao smells a rat
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RS leader and MLA Harish Rao sees a match-fixing in the YSRC stance against the Telangana issue. Rao said the YSRC and Congress were playing it together to prevent the formation of a separate state. He said that the people of Telangana know the game and they can’t be fooled anymore in this aspect.
Recruitment of paramedics
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nterviews for recruitment of paramedical staff such as staff nurse, pharmacist, nursing assistants, ward boys, ward girls, echo cardiogram technicians, lab assistants, X-ray technicians will be held on August 1, 2013. Shortlisted candidates are advised to log on to apsrtc.gov.in. Candidates can clear their doubts from the website or contact numbers.
Cry mental torture, get divorce THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES RECENTLY WHERE PETTY REASONS HAVE BEEN CITED AS MENTAL CRUELTY.
ALEENA ALICE
aleena.t@postnoon.com
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ental cruelty is turning out to be the most cited reason for divorce these days, say advocates. Since mental cruelty is more subtle, and leaves no scars like physical violence, approaching the courts for a divorce on this basis is a preferred route for couples. If wives are approaching the courts for divorce under Section 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), for most husbands, their wives filing false cases and getting them arrested is amounting to cruelty, say advocates. Since January this year, nearly 46 per cent of the cases that came to the family court are individuals who are seeking divorce from their partners on the basis of mental cruelty. Interestingly, most of these cases are filed by husbands, asking for
separation from their wives because they were putting them through mental torture and filing false cases against them. “There have been quite a number of cases where women have been misusing Section 498A. However, in the process, the husbands have been facing
humiliation by going to jail for offences they have not committed. In such situations, if the husband approaches the court with sufficient evidence, the court grants divorce,” says advocate Arvind Raj. Till a few years ago, getting a divorce on the grounds of ‘men-
UDAI help to solve murder
tal cruelty’ was not an easy process. However, after the wide sweep of definitions given by the Supreme Court, it has become an easy process for couples to approach courts on this basis. Though not many, there have been instances where petty reasons have been cited as mental
cruelty. Recently, in a judgment at the Secunderabad Family Court, a husband was given divorce after he approached the court stating that his wife was being rebellious and not cooking for him and his family, causing inconvenience and mental trauma to his family members. Earlier, the court would have rejected such a plea and the divorce would not have been granted. However petty, the divorce judgement was passed, points out advocate Arvind Raj. “What makes mental cruelty a sticky situation at the courts is that it lacks any barometer. With every case, new laws are being formed, and the ground reality is being ignored. Since there is no comprehensive definition for mental cruelty, couples are taking advantage,” he adds.
CLOSED FOR RAMZAN
Hyderabad police resorted to two novel steps to solve a murder mystery of a man found brutally hacked to death on July 21. Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com
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unicipal scavengers were shocked to find a badly mauled body of a man, aged some 45 years, wrapped in a gunny bag and dumped in the FOR REPRESENTATION ONLY
garbage bin in the busy Mozamjahi Market on Sunday. They informed the Abids police, who too were reportedly benumbed by the way he was done to death. Abids police formed a special team to trace the killers and to
identify the victim. The police officers thought to take the help of Unique Domain Authentication Identifier (UDAI) if he had by chance taken an Aadhaar card. If he had, the identification would be easy. The police sent his fingerprints and other details to the UDAI’s Madhapur centre. This apart, the police have taken another measure. They went around displaying his enlarged picture on a jeep, announcing through loudspeakers, urging people to come up with any information about the man. This is the first time the police have taken such novel steps in earnest to identify the victim and catch the killers. The body is being kept at Osmania Hospital mortuary for postmortem and identification. Abids police said they were hopeful of solving the murder mystery and they would be setting a trend of new methods in solving similar cases.
For 15 years, Shama Talkies in Old City has been shutting down for the month of Ramzan. The staff are paid a bonus for the month and films will be screened again on Eid. M ANILKUMAR
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CITY SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
No giving up of Hyderabad, says anti-T camp
As Telangana is finally becoming a reality by all indications, the United Andhra forces have begun to salvage their prestige by rooting for Hyderabad as a joint capital. They will not give up Hyderabad at any cost.
Md INKESHAF AHMED
ahmed.m@postnoon.com
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aving realised that the Congress has no way but to cut up the State as it has gone too far in the way, the United Andhra forces have started humming a different tune now. The Samaikyandhra leaders have begun talking of Hyderabad as a joint capital, which indicates that they have withdrawn from the vicious resistance to the bifurcation of the State. Only, this time, it seems that the Rayala-Telangana movement is gaining momentum, and it would be a surrender to the MIM party that has been demanding such a union for its own stake. The reunion of the Congress and the MIM of late is to be seen in the light of Rayala-Telangana. If this is done, MIM will have a good foothold in the region. Or else, it is a non-starter in the original 10-district T-state. The Samaikyandhra leaders say they would give up their
opposition to T-state if Hyderabad is shared. Earlier, they had rejected any sort of compromise on division of the State. “We have played a crucial role in the development of Hyderabad on all fronts. We have invested a huge amount of money for it to achieve the status it has today. We are not against the formation of a Telangana state per se. We are completely against the idea of making it the capital of Telangana state. “We want the Centre to make it the capital of both Telangana and Andhra states,” a senior minister from Rayalaseema region told Postnoon from New Delhi. It seems that nobody wants to stick out his neck, so all leaders have been demanding anonymity for their comments. “Our party high command had already given clear indication that it is inching towards creation of separate Telangana state. We put in all our best efforts to prevent the division of the State. But we could not convince the party high command as it appears to have already made up its mind to divide the State. The only thing that is left to us at this juncture is to wage a fight
for making Hyderabad the joint capital,” a Congress leader said. But the Congress MLC R Padma Raju was very vocal about making Hyderabad the
Anam V Reddy warns high command Bifurcation helps only some self-serving politicians, not people, says the firebrand Congress MLA Vivekananda. Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com
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hile many leaders of Andhra-Rayala are showing fatigue at lobbying against Telangana, firebrand Congress leader and MLA Anam Vivekananda Reddy (in pic) has come out strongly against the party leaders who he believes behave in an avuncular fashion on the T-issue. A fuming Reddy made it clear that he would not be loyal to Congress or even Sonia Gandhi if the party took a decision to divide the State. Talking to the media yesterday, he said from today onwards, they would bring the State to a standstill. “We will not allow buses and
trains to run. Central offices cannot function. We are going to talk to student organisations. We will paralyse the State,” he asserted. Vivekananda, brother of finance minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, is the more vocal of the two. Though Ramanarayana Reddy did not talk so forcefully, he has nevertheless made it clear that he was opposed to State bifurcation. Anyone cutting up the State has no welfare of the people in mind. It only helps some self-serving political leaders of TRS, the MLA said. He said the State of AP, if united, has a great future and those arguing for bifurcation are the enemy of progress and development.
joint capital. “Whenever the issue of division of State came to fore, we were concerned about Hyderabad and its status. We either want the Centre to keep
the State intact or make Hyderabad the joint capital if the division is unavoidable,” he said. All the efforts of the AndhraRayala leaders now camping in Delhi are focused on saving Hyderabad for the region. Though no public statement has so far been made by these leaders on the issue, the lobbying of these leaders to achieve their new goal is happening in a covert manner. They have reportedly threatened to pull out all their capital from the City if it is handed over exclusively to Telangana. “We all have toiled hard for making the City of an international stature. How can we give up?” was the argument of a Vizag businessman and politician. These leaders have already met many top brass of the Congress, including party AP incharge Digvijay Singh and Ghulam Nabi Azad. The intense lobbying is likely to pick up momentum in coming days as these leaders have already deputed Union ministers from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, including K Chiranjeevi and K Sambasiva Rao, to lobby on their behalf with the party high command.
Annapurna—JNTU blaze a trail First-ever attempt to bring the film industry to the university gets off to a colourful start. Arun Daniel Yellamaty arunyellamaty@postnoon.com
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n a recent survey, I read that by 2020, there will be thousands of jobs open in the film industry and there is a need for skilled and trained people to take up these jobs. Through this course, we are training people. It will help them get closer to their dream,” said Akkineni Nagarjuna, president of Film School and managing director, Annapurna Studios before signing an MoU with JNTU. Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad and Annapurna International School of Film+Media have announced the launch of a twoyear Masters programme in Media Business Administration (MMBA). This will be offered to students with a creative streak and who want to become management professionals. An MoU to this effect was
signed here on Friday by vicechancellor Rameshwar Rao and actor Akkineni Nagarjuna. Prof Rao said there was a need for people with an entrepreneurial outlook to access help so they could learn the professionalism required in the media industry. “We are excited because this is a new type of collaboration. Working to help those with a creative bent of mind with AISFM, and with hands-on experience provided by the facilities at Annapurna Studios, is an interesting proposition,” he said. “Media planning, strategy and management are the core areas where this course will help students,” Nagarjuna said. He said there were new areas that were being explored and that it did not end with film production and exhibition in traditional theatres. There were several more revenue streams that needed to be tapped.
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CITY SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Pictorial journey of Indian Railways thrilled City Mohsin Ali ali@postnoon.com
A LOT OF THE VISTORS AT THE EXHIBITION WERE EAGER TO SEE THE FAMOUS PICTURE OF MAHATMA GANDHI TRAVELLING IN A THIRD CLASS COMPARTMENT.
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othing is as intricately linked to our lives as the railways. Indian Railways’ glorious sojourn that completed 160 years was captured in the just-concluded photo exhibition conducted by the South Central Railway at Salarjung museum. The week-long exhibition presented in 215 pictures the varied stages of the exciting journey of the steam engine, the iconic new age machine of transportation the British introduced for its troop movements. From the chug-chug locomotive to the modern trains in a tearing hurry on electrical lines, the machine has transformed itself, serving millions of people every day. Nearly 10,000 footfalls had been recorded at the exhibition. The particular interest to everybody was the famous picture of Mahatma Gandhi travelling in a third-class compartment. Through this exhibition, the Indian Railways brought railway history under one roof as showcased in selected pictures. It provided a unique chance of know-
ing all about Indian Railways. How the tracks were laid, how the tunnels were made, how the bridges came into being were all presented in alluring pictures. Train services in Hyderabad were introduced in the seventh Nizam tenure. “People of all age groups are coming especially to take a look at the photo exhibition, from all over the State. Tourists who just came to visit the Salarjung Museum were amused and thrilled at the pictures,” said railway officer J Selvin. Public Relation Officer of South Central railway Shakeel Ahmed said that the exhibition was a hit with the public. The exhibition is set to move to the other parts of the country — Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata, Allahabad and Jaipur.
‘One death every 30 seconds’ This is the toll of viral hepatitis in Asia, says a health group on the eve of World Hepatitis Day. SINGAPORE: A Singaporebased group fighting the spread of viral hepatitis called for greater political will to combat the disease Friday, as new data showed it killed one person every 30 seconds in Asia. Ding-Shinn Chen, chair of NGO the Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Asia Pacific, said the latest figures show that one million people die from the illness in the region annually, up from 6,95,000 in 1990. This translates to one person dying every 30 seconds from hepatitis, according to the figures, derived from the latest Global Burden of Disease Study led by the University of Washington. The results were released publicly in June. The Asia-Pacific death rate from hepatitis — which settles in the liver causing inflammation —is three times that of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Chen said. It is “symptomatic of the poor understanding and lack of political commitment that has typically surrounded these diseases in many countries,” Chen said in a statement released in
Singapore ahead of World Hepatitis Day on Sunday. “A comprehensive effort from governments is urgently needed if we are to curb the shocking death toll and prevent millions of new infections.” According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), viral hepatitis kills close to 1.4 million globally, and affects hundreds of millions of others. The disease was only discov-
ered in 1989, and exists in five forms: A, B, C, D and E. Vaccines are available for all forms except C, which morphs into stronger variants when under attack by the immune system. The body is unable to produce enough “neutralising antibodies”, the only kind able to handling a broad array of mutations. Stephen Locarnini, an infectious diseases researcher and joint secretary of CEVHAP, said vaccines as well as new treatment methods for Hepatitis C could save thousands, “but none of these matter if governments fail to tackle viral hepatitis in a more comprehensive way”. He said health authorities in the Asia-Pacific region should deal with hepatitis in the same concerted manner with which they approach AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. “This starts with the development of a national action plan and our expert members are ready and willing to help governments in the development of these, following the blueprint AFP provided by WHO.”
Know it. Confront it WHAT IS HEPATITIS? Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver and can be caused by a wide range of things. One of the most common causes of chronic (long-term) hepatitis is viral infection. AIM On World Hepatitis Day, July 28, WHO and its partners focus on the fact that although the burden of disease caused by viral hepatitis is growing, it remains largely ignored or unknown to many policymakers, health workers and the public. For 2013, the overall theme continues to be, "This is hepatitis. Know it. Confront it." TAKE ACTION World Hepatitis Day provides an opportunity to focus on specific actions, such as: n Strengthening prevention,
screening and control of viral hepatitis and its related diseases n Increasing hepatitis B vaccine coverage and integration of the vaccine into national immunisation programmes n Co-ordinating a global response to viral hepatitis. Source: http://www.who.int/
1.4
million estimated cases of hepatitis A every year
240
million people live with chronic HBV infection
150
million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus.
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NATION SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Rahul to discuss food bill
Sarna brothers guilty
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olding former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Paramjit Singh Sarna and his brother Manjit guilty of obstructing the construction of a memorial in Delhi, the Akal Takht directed them to withdraw their case from court and do religious penance. The Akal Takht is the highest temporal seat of the Sikh religion.
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Modi’s visa will be considered The State Department said that it would consider granting a visa if Narendra Modi applied for one. WASHINGTON: Reiterating that it would consider the grant of a US visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi if he applies for one, the US has said the issue has not affected India-US relations in any way. “Well, we’ve stated that publicly a number of times,” State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters Friday when asked if the department or the US embassy in New Delhi has told Modi’s party that his application would be considered. The US does not issue visas under pressure and evaluates them case by case, she said in response to another question. “No. We evaluate them case by case, and we wouldn’t speak of it publicly anyway. But of course, if he applied it would be considered.” “Beyond that, I don’t have any private diplomatic conversations to read out for you,” she said when asked if the visiting Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh had met any one in the State Department or if he had raised the issue here. Rajnath Singh him-
MODI, WHO WAS DENIED A US VISA IN 2005 FOR HIS ALLEGED ROLE OR INACTION DURING THE 2002 GODHRA RIOTS, HAS NEVER APPLIED AGAIN. self told reporters here Thursday that he would not be meeting anyone at the State department as Secretary of State John Kerry was not in town and his deputy Bill Burns had met him in New Delhi recently. Asked about the department’s reaction on the contentious visa
issue, Psaki again parried saying, “Well, certainly as I said yesterday, if he applies, it will certainly be reviewed just as any application would be. But we wouldn’t speak about that publicly.” Modi, who was denied a US visa in 2005 for his alleged role or inaction during the 2002 Godhra riots, has never applied again. But of late corporate America has been warming upto him and three Republican lawmakers who met him during a recent visit to Ahmadabad with a US business delegation had said they would take up the issue with the Obama administration. IANS
2 dead in communal clashes in UP LUCKNOW: Two people, including a woman, were killed and over a dozen injured in clashes between two communities in a village in Uttar Pradesh, police said Saturday. The clashes erupted in Nagla Mal village in Meerut district late Friday after a community objected to the playing of hymns at a temple, switched off the loudspeaker and beat up some men. Police resorted to a baton charge to control the mob. A police officer has been suspended and a hunt is on
Congress to crack the whip
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ongress vice president Rahul Gandhi will meet state party leaders to discuss the food security ordinance July 27, party sources said Friday. According to the sources, Gandhi will meet the state unit chiefs of the party-ruled states and the legislative party leaders of states where the party is in opposition, to push the food ordinance, expected to be a “game changer” ahead of the five assembly polls this year and the 2014 general elections.
to nab the rioters. Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) R.K. Vishwakarma told IANS that one person was killed in the skirmish and the other died of a cardiac arrest. District Magistrate Navdeep Rinwa said the National Security Act would be slapped on people who started the clashes. Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in large numbers to prevent any further IANS clashes.
n a clear attempt to put detractors within the party on a leash, the Haryana Congress Friday announced that a disciplinary committee would be constituted to deal with leaders who try to defame the party. Haryana Congress president Phool Chand Mullana said in a statement here that “indiscipline will not be tolerated in the party”.
US honours 4 PIOs WASHINGTON: Four Indian American professors are among the 13 mathematicians, theoretical physicists and theoretical computer scientists who have won 2013 Simons Investigators awards. Currently working at Stanford University, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Pennsylvania University, they will each receive $100,000 a year for five years for their long-term research with the possibility of renewal for five additional years. The awards are given by nonprofit New York-based Simons Foundation, incorporated in 1994 by Jim and Marilyn Simons with a mission to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences. Among four mathematicians who won Simons grants is Stanford professor of mathematics Kannan Soundararajan, “one of the world’s leaders in analytic number theory and related areas,” the
Simons Foundation said. “His work is focused on understanding the zeros and value distribution of L-functions, and on analysing the behaviour of multiplicative functions.” The India-born professor represented India at the International Mathematical Olympiad in 1991, where he won a silver medal. A Sloan Foundation Fellow, he has an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a PhD from Princeton. Two of three awards in computer science went to Indian Americans. They are Rajeev Alur, Zisman Family Professor in the department of information and computer science at the University of Pennsylvania; and Salil P Vadhan, Vicky Joseph Professor of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at Harvard University. IANS
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WORLD SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Six die in Philippines blast
Banana is the secret of Shorty’s longevity
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US drug company said Friday it was considering a banana-flavored version of its pain reliever after the world's oldest man attributed his longevity to the fruit and the drug. Spanish-born Salustiano "Shorty" Sanchez-Blazquez, a 112-year-old former coal miner who lives close to Niagara Falls in upstate New York, was named by Guinness World Records as the oldest certified man on the planet Thursday. He succeeded Japan's Jiroemon Kimura, who died on June 12 at the age of 116.
ix people were killed and more than two dozen wounded when a bomb exploded at a restaurant in the southern Philippines, police and local officials said Saturday. Police said the improvised explosive device went off around midnight (1600 GMT Friday) at a popular restaurant in the southern port city of Cagayan de Oro.
Abortion protests in Chile
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round 100 abortion rights protesters stormed Chile's Santiago Cathedral, damaging walls inside the building and disrupting service before clashing with police. The trouble flared late Thursday after hardline members of a largely peaceful demonstration of 7,000 split away from the main protest and rushed into the cathedral.
EGYPT
LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT...
‘Protests will be ended legally’ At least seven people were killed when rival demonstrators clashed in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. CAIRO: A long-running sit-in in
OBESE SOUTH AFRICAN TOLD HE CANNOT LIVE IN NEW ZEALAND WELLINGTON: An obese South African man has been told he is too fat to live in New Zealand despite shedding 30 kilograms since he moved to the country six years ago, a report said Saturday. Albert Buitenhuis — who now weighs 130 kilograms (286 pounds) — and his wife, Marthie, said they face deportation after an application to renew their work visas was rejected because of his weight.
WEIGHT WATCH
North Korean soldiers march through Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean war armistice in Pyongyang on July 27, 2013. North Korea mounted its largest ever military parade on July 27 to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, displaying its long-range missiles at a ceremony presided over by leader Kim Jong-Un. AFP PHOTO / ED JONES
Cairo by supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi will be ended "in the framework of the law," Egypt's Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim said early Saturday. In a telephone interview with satellite television station AlHayat, he was asked about the sit-in at Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya square. Tens of thousands of Morsi's supporters have been camped out there since the army ousted him on July 3, as part of their campaign to get him reinstated. Asked if the army or police planned to break it up, he acknowledged there had been complaints from local residents, adding "...there will be decisions from the prosecutor soon, and this situation will be ended".
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MORSI'S SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN CAMPED OUT THERE SINCE THE ARMY OUSTED HIM ON JULY 3, AS PART OF THEIR CAMPAIGN TO GET HIM BACK. But it would be ended "in the framework of the law", he said. On Friday, hundreds of thousands of pro- and anti-Morsi demonstrators took to the streets of several cities and towns across Egypt. At least seven people were killed when rival demonstrators clashed in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
MAN WHO ESCAPED DEATH PENATLY AS HE WAS TOO FAT, DIES IN JAIL WASHINGTON: A 485-pound convicted murderer who escaped execution after his lawyers argued he was too fat to be put to death has died in prison. Ronald Post, who spent 28 years on death row for killing a hotel worker, had been due to die by lethal injection in January. But he won a reprieve in December last year after his lawyers argued that a lethal injection would be "torturous and lingering" due to his big size.
‘Driver was alone in killer firetruck’
Kuwaitis go to second polls in eight months
Brazilians set afire 10 banks
WELLINGTON: A firetruck which killed a Chinese
KUWAIT: Kuwaitis vote Saturday in the Gulf emirate's
SAO PAULO: Some 300 Brazilian protesters ran-
student as it raced to the scene of the Asiana plane crash was driven by a sole emergency worker arriving late in a reserve vehicle, a report said Friday. Ye Mengyuan, 16, had been rescued from the Asiana plane and placed near one wing, when she was run over by the emergency firetruck, which lacked infrared equipment which could have spotted her, said ABC7 television news. The driver was a veteran 49year-old female firefighter, who had been away getting food when the disaster erupted, and therefore jumped into a reserve vehicle and drove it solo towards the burning aircraft. Normally at least two firefighters should be in each vehicle, but in extreme emergencies.
second parliamentary election in eight months, with opposition groups boycotting polls that are not expected to end years of bitter political dispute. The election — the oil-rich state's sixth in as many years — comes after a dull campaign that failed to jolt apathetic voters into action. Most opposition groups are boycotting the election for the second time since the last vote in December, in protest against an amended electoral law even though the constitutional court upheld it in June. They charge that it allows the government to manipulate election results. Earlier, a voter was able to vote for a maximum of four candidates for the country's 50-seat parliament, but under the amended law voters can choose only one.
sacked around 10 banks and set fire to a television news van in Sao Paulo on Friday before police dispersed them with tear gas. The demonstrators marched in the city in a show of support for demonstrators in Rio de Janeiro who have held several protests against state Governor Sergio Cabral. In Rio, around 200 protesters marched to within a few meters (yards) from a Copacabana beach stage where visiting Pope Francis was wrapping up a massive ceremony with hundreds of thousands of young Catholics. The protests in the two mega-cities were small in comparison to massive demonstrations that were held across Brazil last month to denounce corruption.
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COMMENT SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
ANDREAS ELSTE
EDITORIALS LEADERS: WITH ALL due respect, shut up We always knew that our leaders who claimed to empathise with the plight of ordinary men had in reality no idea of what they were talking about. Try as they may, somehow, someday, they will spill the beans about their real thoughts. We have Farooq Abdullah, Raj Babbar and a couple of others do that now. Let’s examine what Abdullah said. He said one can fill one’s stomach for ` 1 or ` 100, depending on what one wants to eat. One wonders, where was that place served him a meal for ` 1 and gave him satisfaction? He has inadvertently admitted that he has no idea about the rate of meals in eateries where the common man goes. Neither has he any idea of the prices of essential commodities. There are crores out there with that one rupee but we know the best one can buy for a rupee is cheap confectionery, which if our kind leaders knew, is not a complete meal in itself. Now if the rupee had the value of the dollar, that is another matter. But that is not the case. And BJP Raj Babbar, please do tell the people where that place is that offers a wholesome meal: heaps of rice, daal, and vegetables to go with it, all of it for ` 12. It is due to these leaders’ mismanagement and corruption that we have to go through what we have to go through: rising prices, serpentine queues for water and millions in shacks and many more without proper healthcare. And Mr Digvijay Singh, please have a care about what you utter. A man of your ‘stature’ should know what you are saying. You may have not meant what you said: but there it is: you called an MP an ‘item’.
GOODBYE DUPATTA?
There was a time when the dupatta was a must. Then came an era when it got a makeover and was used as scarf, stole or a veil. Now, dupattas are being replaced by layering by prominent designers.Designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra focus on new patterns, cuts and layering. Dupattas are on a way out from the closet as contemporary women no longer want to carry such ensemble and irritate themselves by tying it around their neck, they say. Anarkalis, short and floor length jackets with anarkali underneath and lots of layering is the new trend in style files.
The inner Guru Soul Curry SUMAA TEKUR
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he full moon that just went by is believed to have been more auspicious than the others. July 22 was celebrated as Guru Purnima, in which Hindus thank their teachers for showing them the light. Guru Purnima always falls on the full moon and indicates the triumph of light over darkness. Many believers visit temples, offer prayers and wish for the empowerment, enlightenment and the strength to go on the right path. I called my Reiki master in the evening on Guru Purnima. He’s not your conventional teacher, nor is he keen on being called a master. He’s a friend, and believes that tradition and culture are no good if they’re stopping people from overcoming their difficulties and problems. Knowing this about him
rather well, I awkwardly wished him: “Happy Guru Purnima”. I didn’t even know if that was the right thing to say. He burst out laughing. “I am no Guru to anyone. Your Guru is within you, and I only help you find it,” he said. It sounded clichéd at that moment but he truly believed it to be so. Guru Purnima is known to be a good day for initiation into any spiritual path. He acknowledges that very well but also does not underestimate the power of any other day as an equally good day and time to start on the right path of spiritual search, as long as the seeker’s intent is pure and determined. We expect certain behaviour from a Guru. We expect her or him to be calm, composed, to have all the right answers and to guide people on the right path. But Gurus are only human and are also growing on their own chosen paths to spiritual fulfilment. As long as they are here, in a human body and form, their work is not over. The first hurdle is in identifying the right path itself. How
ANYONE WHO MANAGES TO BRING PEACE AND CALM TO OUR LIVES, AND HELPS US CONNECT WITH OUR INNER GURU, CAN BE A GURU. do we, or anyone else even if she/ he is a Guru, know which is the right path for us? Sometimes what a chosen Guru says may seem right at the point but what’s the likelihood that the same general agreement will continue through life’s ups and downs? Less likely. This is the problem most disciples face when they choose a Guru whose experiences and stature are different from their own. Their expectations are high, too. The inner Guru, on the other hand, knows our difficulties and has grown with us, and will be able to guide us to the light despite these obstacles. When we have mastered this art
of creating inner stillness and calm, it will reflect in outer behaviour. Only a calm mind, heart and soul can lead to calm behaviour and a reflection of peace to the outside world. This is not to say that a Guru is not important. A Guru can be anyone who helps us find that inner calm and stillness within us to mature into higher spiritual beings. We can find such a Guru anywhere around us as long as we look, learn, observe and absorb. Anyone who manages to bring peace and calm to our lives, and helps us connect with our inner Guru, can be a Guru. Gurus of past were defined by a certain aura, and people were attracted to this aura, making them crowd pullers. Today, spirituality itself having matured, it’s not always that we find a worthy Guru walking around in ochre robes and preaching to humanity. He may be working as an engineer, teacher or tailor. A good Guru is anyone who helps us find our own inner Guru. And then leaves just as quietly for the disciple to grow and fly.
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COMMENT SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Spain rail crash threatens to derail export bid decade and it now has the second-largest high-speed train network in the world, spanning 3,100 kilometres. Only China’s is larger. The train derailed about four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the station in northwestern Santiago de Compostela Wednesday, on the eve of a famed religious festival held annually in the city, where St. James, one of Jesus’ apostles, is believed to be buried. A dramatic 10-second video from a railway security camera, seen around the world, shows the train rocketing around a curve, slamming into a concrete wall at the side of the track as the engine overturns. Daily newspaper El Pais reported that one of the two drivers on board said he was doing 190 kilometres per hour (118 mph) as he took the bend, where the speed limit is just 80 kph. The investigation is trying to find out why the train was going so fast and why security devices to keep speed within permitted limits did not slow the train. Spanish state railway company Renfe said the train — a model able to adapt between high-speed and normal tracks — had no technical problems and had just passed an inspection on the morning of the accident.
The Inside Story KATELL ABIVEN
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he horrific train crash in Spain that killed 78 people comes at the worst time for the recessionhit nation’s railway sector, which is pushing to win new markets for its high-speed trains. Spain is in the running for a contract worth $16.4 billion (12.7 billion euros) for a high-speed rail network in Brazil linking the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Campinas which will be awarded in September. The country, which two years ago won a contract to build and operate a high-speed rail link in Saudi Arabia, is also eyeing new markets in the United States, Russia, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates. “Technologically Spain is a pioneer in high-speed rail," Alejandro Lago, a logistics professor at the Iese business school in Barcelona, told AFP. Since the 1960s, the country has had trains made by its Talgo train maker that could circulate at speeds of up to 200 kilometres (125 miles) an hour, he added. Spain has invested heavily in road and rail links over the past
Urban sketches VISWAPRASAD RAJU
SPAIN IS IN THE RUNNING FOR A CONTRACT WORTH $16.4 BILLION FOR A HIGH-SPEED RAIL NETWORK IN BRAZIL LINKING THE CITIES OF RIO DE JANEIRO, SAO PAULO AND CAMPINAS WHICH WILL BE AWARDED IN SEPTEMBER. The crash — Spain’s deadliest rail disaster in decades — is a huge blow for the country’s bid for the deal in Brazil. Brazil’s bidding process for the country’s lucrative infrastructure project specifies that firms in the run cannot have had an accident that caused deaths in their high-speed rail network in the last five years, El Pais reported. That would appear to disqualify Renfe, according to the newspaper. The rule — which applies only if an accident is due to “operational causes” — has already disqualified China’s Communications Company Limited from the running due to an accident in June 2011 that AFP killed 33 people.
Global edits
Tranquillity
Int’l Herald Tribune
Beijing’s play for porn
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hen it comes to pornography, the Chinese government is guilty of naked hypocrisy. This month Xinhua, the Chinese state-run news agency, announced yet another anti-pornography crusade. The campaign, scheduled to last through August, aims to create a “benign Internet environment” for Chinese youth during the summer holidays. Web sites and online games, advertisements and forums that show “pornographic content” have been shut down, fined, asked to remove offending content or are being investigated. Just exactly what constitutes porn, however, is not spelled out. This crackdown is part of an ongoing, if erratic, battle against smut. The Chinese Communist Party has long viewed itself as a guardian against “spiritual pollution,” which runs the gamut from porn to wayward politics. Pornography has been banned in China since 1949, when the Communists came to power. China’s anti-porn laws are both nebulous and draconian. Anything that violates “public morality” or
CHINA’S ANTI-PORN LAWS ARE BOTH NEBULOUS AND DRACONIAN. ANYTHING THAT VIOLATES ‘PUBLIC MORALITY’ OR HARMS ‘THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUTH AND YOUNG PEOPLE’ CAN BE TARGETED. harms “the physical and mental health of youth and young people” can be targeted. Distributing porn was a capital offense under Deng Xiaoping. In 2005, the mastermind behind the country’s largest porn Web site was sentenced to life imprisonment. The law is also self-serving; the state’s sanctimony stops short at its own publications. Recent Xinhua headlines include ‘Hot-and-Heavy Moments: Look How Hot Irina Shayk in Bikini,’ ‘Unbelievably Flexible Women,’ ‘Top 10 Sexy Nudist Bathing Spots Around the World’ and ‘Top 10 Bikini Babies of Sports Illustrated’ (‘Babies’ in the original text). Each online slideshow features girls wearing next to nothing or, in the last case, nothing at all.
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BUSINESS SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
SBH net profit slides down
Manasa Group inks pact
Mobile hits bottom line
HYDERABAD : SBH net profit went
HYDERABAD: City-based Manasa
WASHINGTON: With the shift to mo-
Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), a Government of Ghana’s agency here on Friday for setting up an integrated agriculture enterprises in Ghana. Manasa Group is today a major producer of lemon grass oil in India.
bile Internet gaining pace, some big tech firms are adapting and others are not. The latest earnings from the sector show that mobile is hitting the bottom line, either in positive or negative ways, at giants like Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Apple. Facebook's quarterly report this week showed how they profited from that shift.
down by 12.31 per cent to `293.92 crore in the first quarter of this financial year from `335.17 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal due to higher loan provisioning. The bank registered a year on year increase of 3.43 per cent in operating profit from `682.15 crore as at June 2012 to `705.52 crore as at June 2013.
Testers surge ahead of developers Earlier, software testing was just a subset of development: Today, with the evolution of independent and specialised testing companies, testing software has become a mainstream career option for many potential employees. What is software testing? PRUDHVI RAJU K
S
oftware testing plays an integral part in the software development lifecycle (SDLC), where software is tested in various ways during the development process to reduce defects before it goes to the end user. Software testing is a quality-control (QC) activity aimed at evaluating a software item to detect differences between given input and expected output. Software testing constitutes two processes – verification and validation. Verification is the process that makes sure that the product satisfies the conditions imposed at the start of the development phase and behaves the way the manufacturer wants it to. Validation is the process that makes sure that the product satisfies the specified requirements at the end of the development phase.
prudhvi.k@postnoon.com
A
ccording to a report of Nasscom, the global software testing market is estimated to reach $50 billion by 2020 from $30 billion in 2012. India is expected to capture a leader’s share of around 55 per cent in the global software testing market by 2020. This gives rise to significant opportunities for human resource in these career aspects. Companies are looking for employees who have relevant skills in the field. “We are looking for specialised skills in testing — test automation, big data testing, selenium and mobile testing. Due to evolution and convergence of various new technologies like cloud and mobile, testing has become more challenging than ever before. Earlier, companies used to have web approach in designing software applications: Today, they say mobile first. This shift requires new skill sets unlike earlier,” said Karuna Kumar Vempala (Karan), Head of Talent Acquisition, Cigniti Technologies. Although, there is a good lateral entry human resource available in testing in country, a combination of skills has become the need of the hour while hiring human resource. “There are very few people who have expertise in varied skills. For instance, one may be a good automation tester but if you want him to be at the front end and communicate with customers, he may not be good at it,” explained Karan. There was a misconception that testing was a boring job and the salaries were not as good as that of a developer. Earlier, testers used to make a shift in their careers and opt for software development. “Today, testers with seven to eight years of experience are getting paid almost 15-20 per cent extra as compared to similarly experienced software developers. The
demand for this exotic skills set has given rise to this situation. There is a decent amount of human resource in the softwaredevelopment segment. When it comes to testing, there are not many who can fulfil the requirements. Even many developers are updating their skills and moving into the testing segment,” he emphasised. The holistic approach and understanding of development is also playing a crucial role
We are looking for specialised skills in testing — test automation, big data testing, selenium and mobile testing. Due to evolution and convergence of various new technologies like cloud and mobile, testing has become more challenging than ever before. Karan, Head of Talent Acquisition, Cigniti Technologies
in testing. “A tester also needs to have developmental mindset, needs to think from the customer’s stand point and requires logical thinking. Various skills together play a key role in determining a quality tester,” he said. Although, testing has become a lucrative career option, it is not taught as a specialised subject in engineering colleges. Testing is just touched upon as a discipline in software development but the testing tools are not taught. After completing of college, students spend a few months in taking testing certifications to take this career option. “There is a need to add this as a specialised subject in the course curriculum. As part of our company values, we are in talks with various colleges to have students armed with testing skills set, which could help the industry,” added Karan.
Various profiles n Test developers n Test architects n Performance testing
specialists n Database testing
specialists n Data scientists
Skills set required in fresh graduates n Extremely
communicative n Logical mindset n Programming skills n Positive attitude
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FOCUS SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Crisis protest songs ROCK SPAIN
Roland Lloyd Parry Agence France-Presse
MADRID: In a dark bar, Diego
Rodriguez and his friends are thrashing out some of the wildest, angriest music in Spain: blistering guitars, keening punk vocals, barking saxophone and trumpet. This is protest music, Spanish style — and after five years of on-and-off recession, it has an enthusiastic audience here in the working class Madrid suburb of Vallecas. Dressed in black, fans pogo on the dance floor, slamming into each other as the band rampages through Familia Y Real, its anthem against Spain’s increasingly unpopular monarchy. “An illegal system, imposed by the sons of fascism! The Bourbon king is robbing me from dawn to dusk!” Diego sings, breaking off to lay on a catchy Caribbean ska rhythm with his trumpet.
This is protest music, Spanish style — and after five years of on-and-off recession, it has an enthusiastic audience here.
DRESSED IN BLACK, YOUNG FANS POGO ON THE DANCE FLOOR, SLAMMING INTO EACH OTHER AS THE BAND RAMPAGES THROUGH FAMILIA Y REAL, ITS ANTHEM AGAINST SPAIN’S INCREASINGLY UNPOPULAR MONARCHY. “It is a very direct form of music, which deals with social issues,” says Diego, 32, a teacher by profession but currently unemployed, with brown hair down to his tattooed shoulders. “Ska punk wasn’t very popular in Spain until about 10 years ago. But I think slowly people are starting to appreciate the spirit of punk,” he adds, smoking wearily after an hour roaring and hopping about on stage. “A lot of our songs are about how bad the jobs situation is, and the political system that we don’t believe in. We try to focus the songs on our own experiences: being unemployed, earning no money, having to pay the mortgage.” Like much alternative music in Spain, the songs by Diego’s band Oferta Especial — currently planning a new album — echo the mass street protests in Spain over recent years. Like the demonstrators, singers complain of social injustice, economic hardship and
influenced by flamenco, the traditional gypsy lament native to her home region and itself an age-old form of social protest. “Flamenco, like rock, is a music form created by those excluded and marginalised in a capitalist society,” explained Aranda. “Flamenco has been politically engaged since the beginning.” Another Andalusian musician with flamenco roots, Chico Ocana, says he plans to release a new album of protest songs later this year. Since the early 1990s, he has fused flamenco vocals with blues and rock ‘n’ roll, singing poignant satirical ballads in a gravelly voice with soaring choruses. His new album will mix in funk, rock and Latin styles, with lyrics about corruption scandals and the evictions of ruined homeowners that have sparked outrage in Spain. “The songs are about protest, the crisis, the cuts, the war of the rich against the poor,” says, Ocana, 56, recalling his own deprived upbringing in the south. “I’ve been a child of crisis since I was born,” he says. “When nothing is being done, you have to make something happen. That is why I sing.”
AFP PHOTO/ PEDRO ARMESTRE political corruption, outraged by scandals that have even touched the conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. At the hip hop end of the spectrum, June saw the release of a new album by Mala Rodriguez, the Latin Grammy-winning princess of Spanish rap. The first single from it, La Rata, alludes to what she calls a “crisis of values” in the country. “There’s the prime minister, that bastard, why did we vote for him?” she moans, dropping her consonants in her sultry Andalusian accent as the rap mounts to a climax. “I have heard a lot of musicians in Spain who are politically engaged and not afraid to
express their anger,” said Rodriguez, 34, known as “La Mala”, or “Bad Girl”. “Rap was the only way I found to do it when I was young,” she told AFP. “Right now, in hard times when things are tight, you see who is armed for the fight.” Observers say the mainstream music industry is resisting the wave of protest, however. La Rata has made no mark on a Spanish top-40 chart dominated by international stars such as Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna. La Mala’s new album is “an invective against complacent cultural attitudes towards the crisis our country is undergoing”, according to the editor-in-
Pick
chief of the Spanish edition of Rolling Stone magazine, Beatriz G Aranda. “The groups that grab the attention of the media and public have a naive and individualistic vision of the world,” the editor told AFP. “The protest song has taken on pejorative connotations in Spain and that has not helped.”
FLAMENCO: SPAIN'S
ORIGINAL PROTEST MUSIC
Known for rapping on social themes, Mala Rodriguez is proud of her roots in her native southern Andalusia — one of the parts of Spain hardest hit by the recession. She says her style of rap is
at the
The songs are about protest, the crisis, the cuts, the war of the rich against the poor. When nothing is being done, you have to make something happen. That is why I sing.
airport,
Chico Ocana
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TECHNOLOGY SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK SoundCloud f you’ve ever listened to audio on some website visualised as an oddly alluring orange-and-gray waveform, you’ve likely bumped into SoundCloud. Founded in 2007, the site aspired to furnish artist-focused musical file sharing.
I
MOBILE GAME REVIEW
APP OF THE WEEK
CANDY CRUSH SAGA
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et’s say you find a long article on the web but you’re at work or otherwise too busy to read it. Just install the Pocket extension or bookmarklet in your browser, and you can save the story for your lunch break.
Candy Crush Saga is an addictive puzzle game that anyone can pick up and play. The ease with which you can continue your game is a huge plus point, but the frustration caused when you run out of lives could lead you to look elsewhere for your gaming fix.
Time to play cricket Is this cricket game being developed by Big Ants the one we have all been waiting for?
NT BALANARAYAN
balanarayan.nt@postnoon.com
B
ritish game developer Big Ants is working on a new cricket title and it looks like the best cricket game developed to date going by the screenshots. Most of the decent cricket games to date have been published by Electronic Arts and
Codemasters and there have been only a couple of games in the past five years that were worth playing. What makes Cricket 14 so exciting is the extant of customisation options that is baked into the game. Many old cricket games from EA have been modded to add latest kits, players by community and is still actively played to date. In Cricket 14, however you don’t need to be a skilled developer or a modded to customise characters. The company has already released their player
customisation tool to the public so anyone interested can create players of their country and then share it with anyone playing the game. When the game releases, it may not come with any of the real players or kits but because of these customisation options you’ll have access to them on day one. Apart from this bit, there are the player modes and from what we understand there will be more variants in this game than in any version earlier. Most importantly however it will have a career mode, something we have never had in a cricket game. In this mode you will be appointed the manager of a team and you’ll be able to take it through various tournaments and gradually get the responsibilities of managing a bigger team and so on. We are expecting to see the game in traditional test and one-day series modes. The game not only looks good but also packs in some good technical chops like dynamic lighting. This means that the direction of the lighting will change in real time instead of shifting abruptly from one session to the other. Weather is also customisable unlike in real life so you can be
assured no match will be interrupted by English weather. Oh yeah then there is DRS that will add a flashy touch to every umpiring decision though that is just there for visual flare. I mean come on, the computer knows if it’s out or not even before you appeal, which by the way you’ll need to do manually now. The trickiest part of the game from everything that has been announced till now is the bowling. There will be no HUD while bowling and there won’t
be any dot indicating where the ball will pitch, so the batsmen also need to react on the go. In earlier games you could pre-meditate shots looking at the position of cursor, but with this gone it’ll be more difficult than any cricket game till now. That said, this just might be a good thing, because it’s easy to score sixes if the position of the ball was that obvious. The game will be available on all three platforms — PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 — when it’s released in October.
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ANIMAL KINGDOM SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
PET NEWS Calling by names
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The hunt is on
e already knew that bottlenose dolphins can follow “recipes” in preparing mollusks and possibly do math. So it may come as no surprise that the marine mammals also call each other by whistles that act as names.
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IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Future secure
ike a finely tuned sports car, cheetahs are precision machines born to run. But for over 30 years, researchers believed the animals’ blazing speed came at a cost — the danger of overheating on a hunt. About 40 to 50 per cent of cheetah hunts end in a kill.
M
ississippi State University researchers successfully promoted egg laying in threatened Boreal toads when they moved the amphibians out of the refrigerator and into the wine chiller. They are working with a group of 52 toads.
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
FOREVER
RIENDS Dog-cat relationships don’t have to always spell trouble. There are many pet owners that have multiple-pet households where they happily get along. We give you a few pointers that promise a happy dog-cat relationship.
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heir fights are legendary with Hollywood movies being based on them. The old saying, “fighting like cats and dogs”, is rooted in the fact with first meetings of these animals amounting to nothing but the dog chasing the cat and all hell breaking loose. However, dog-cat relationships don’t have to always spell trouble. There are many pet owners that have multiple-pet households where dogs and cats happily get along. With right training cats can buddy up to their dog companions. Pet-owner Sarvesh Kumar, an IT employee, has three Great Danes and 10 cats living under the same roof at his place in Chikkadpally. He says, “I have three Great Danes and around 10 cats at home. They all have their own space and do not usually interfere with each other. In the beginning my dogs were uncomfortable and annoyed at the sight of cats but later after they realised that us family members are close to them so the dogs got settled. They stopped being annoyed and irritated. Cats on the other hand are still mischievous.
They never leave an opportunity to try and irritate the dogs. More often than not, I have caught them sneaking in and having my dogs’ food. More importantly, both dogs and cats are comfortable at my house.” It is usually the communication styles that lead to confusion. For instance, a dog wags his tail to show happiness, while a cat does the same to indicate its displeasure over something. Here are a few tips that will help you get cats and dogs share a home and live together:
n Puppies and kittens will get along more quickly since they have had no bad experiences with each other before. If you are getting them when they are young, it is advisable to have one of each.
Growing up together, they will form a bond. The only thing to remember is that a kitten is comparatively tinier than a puppy. So their play time needs to be supervised so that the puppy does not end up hurting its feline companion. n It is more difficult to socialise a stray cat and acclimate it to indoor living since a stray cat has always seen dogs as its mortal enemy and not an animal to be befriended. And some dog breeds, such as terriers, hounds and herding dogs, shouldn’t live with cats. Their instincts, which drive them to catch, shake and kill prey, will endanger
felines which they see as something to chase. n You need to conduct a slow introduction session. Patience is a must since introduction can easily be prolonged to months in some cases. Make sure that you do not force the animals together. And that you do not yell at both the animals. n Ensure that dog’s leash is on during the early meetings with your cat and that the cat is out of the dog’s biting range. n The cat should have separate refuge which is off-limits to the dog. And one should be on guard about the cat’s whereabouts for at least a few days or a week. Place a litter box, food and water, scratching post, toys and bed in this room. Your cat will feel more secure knowing she can get away from the unfamiliar experience of getting to know a dog. Before meeting each other, you can make them familiar with each other’s scent. Rub a towel over a dog and place it near the cat. Do the same with the dog. This procedure can make the initial procedure much less stressful.
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BOOKS SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
SHORT READS Title: The Son Author: Philip Meyer Publisher: Ecco It's a family saga that traces the history of Texas from before the Civil War to contemporary times, beginning with the story of a family patriarch, Eli McCollough. Kidnapped by the Comanche at the age of 13, Eli grows up to be a tough leader who uses violence when necessary to get his way.
Title: The Sounds of Things Falling Author: Juan Gabriel Velasquez Publisher: Bloomsbury In this novel, the main character, Antonio Yammara, grew up in Bogota in the 1980s at the height of the drug war, when Pablo Escobar presided over a reign of terror in Colombia.
Title: Bloom Author: Kelle Hampton Publisher: William Morrow Bloom is an inspiring and heartfelt memoir that celebrates the beauty found in the unexpected, the strength of a mother’s love, and, ultimately, the amazing power of perspective. Kelle Hampton recounts the first year in the life of her daughter Nella, who has Down syndrome.
Title: My name is memory Author: Ann Brashares Publisher: Penguin Group A magical story of reincarnation and a love that lasts more than a lifetime. Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together and he remembers it all.
Adventures of an author
Cheryl Rao, a known children’s book author recently launched her latest A Passage to Adventure. She speaks with Postnoon on writing for children, and the next generation of writers. Kanchan Agarwal kanchan.@postnoon.com
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hat she was a banker, before she turned a children’s book author, is the last thought one can have about Cheryl Rao. Of course, that was twenty years ago. Cheryl has been writing books for children, for over two decades now. It began with telling stories to her son. A basic household culture that evolved into a profession she thoroughly loves. Over the years, Cheryl has written and published stories for children, textbooks, and books on creative writing. After publishing several titles such as A friend for Raju, Camp Adventure, Holiday Adventures, Dusty the Dachshund, Adventures in the Desert and The Amazing Train Adventure, her latest A Passage to Adventure was recently launched at Treasure House. Her marriage to an Army officer, took her and her imagination places. As one understands, she saw these places, some well-known, some less than a dot on the map, as having great potential for adventure. “The cities are all about malls and traffic. At small towns, you can go out without battling the traffic. If you want to go on a picnic, you can just go.” As travelling consumed a chunk of her life, her imagination did its thing and introduced a world of writ-
ing to her. “My stories are mostly set in places we have been to. Some are set in trains. Some have been inspired by real events, too,” she says. Through her workshops on
creative writing, she has had the space to interact with children giving her an insight to what children want to read. “They don’t want to be preached. They just want to enjoy the story,” she
says throwing light on how Indian writing for children has evolved. Now children’s stories, by India writers have come a long way from ending with a moral.
“The challenge is to make it interesting for a child. Children are so smart these days. They are discerning. I don’t know if I have a signature style but I try to make each of my books different.” Going back to her workshops, which she conducts at schools and cultural centres such as Treasure House, she tells us how there is no need to underestimate a child’s writing. Most of these workshops are five-day long, and from the tone of her voice, sound like much fun. Children are encouraged to write from their own wild, free, unlimited imaginations. “Children have wonderful imaginations. They have no inhibitions. Through writing stories, they find an interesting way to express themselves. Adults think children need help to write but they are so good, that all you might want to look into is the language. Mostly, children and parents don’t know they can write. These workshops give them the idea that they can.” She insists that, in spite of a busy academic curriculum, creative writing should be made a habit. She is constantly at work, she says. If she is not writing, she is thinking. “When others think I am not doing anything, I am working — thinking of new stories. It keeps me happy”, she claims.
WHAT’S SELLING Walden's best in fiction
Landmark's best in non-fiction
New York Times’ best in fiction
New York Times’ best in non-fiction
n Empire Of The Moghu: Serpent's Tooth by Alex Rutherford
n The signal and the noise by Nate Silver
n Inferno by Dan Brown
n Lean in by Sheryl Sandberg with Nell Scovell
n Hidden Order by Brad Thor
n Happy, happy, happy, by Phil Robertson with Mark Schlabach
n Hit by David Baldacci
n Laws of the spirit world by Khorshed Bhavnagri
n Best Kept Secret by Jeffrey Archer
n Turning Points by APJ Abdul Kalam
n Fifty Shades Of Grey by EL James
n Miracles Happen Biran Weiss
n Salvation Of A Saint by Keigo Higashino
n What young India Wants by Chetan Bhagat
n And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
n Let's explore diabetes with owls by David Sedaris
n The Ocean at the end of the lane by Neil Gaiman
n Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
n Bombshell by Catherine Coulter
n I wear the black hat by Chuck Klosterman
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BOOKS SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Beyond the Booker
Writers always aspire the big three — the Man Booker, the Pulitzer and the Nobel prizes. With The Guardian setting up a Not The Booker Prize, we look at the other prestigious literary awards. n Astrid Lindgren, Memorial Award
n Costa Awards
One of UK's highest literary honours, the Costa Awards, formerly the Whitbread Book Awards, recognises some of the most enjoyable books from the UK and Ireland. There are five categories — first novel, novel, biography, poetry and children's book. Of these five winners, one is chosen as the Costa Book of the Year. Since 2012, the Costa Awards also honours short story writers. Notable winners: n Bring Up The Bodies, Hilary Mantel n The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon n The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman
n DSC Prize for South Asian Literature The DSC Prize honours writers of any ethnicity and nationality writing about South Asia, in English or translated into English. The winner is announced at the Jaipur Literature Festival. The award was instituted to raise awareness about South Asia, its culture, life and politics. It carries a cash prize of US $50,000 and though it is only three years old, it has become a prestigious award in the region.' Notable winners: n Narcopolis n Jeet Thayil n Chinaman n Shehan Karunathilaka n Home Boy, HM Naqvi
n
Hugo Award
Science fiction and fantasy's biggest prize is the Hugo Award, which has been around since 1955. The awards span over a dozen categories, and the winner gets to take home a cool rocket trophy. Apart from novels, awards are also handed out for best dramatic presentation, best professional artist and best fan magazine. While critics have claimed it is more a popular award than a literary one, the Hugo Award is an indelible stamp of approval from sci-fi lovers. Notable winners: n Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut n Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes n A Dance with Dragons, GRR Martin
The world's largest, and the richest, award for children's books is named after Astrid Lindgren, a Swedish writer immortalised by her beloved children's book character, Pippi Longstocking. The award works on the lines of the Nobel Prize; it recognises career achievement of people or organisations whose “work is in the spirit of Astrid Lindgren”. The prize money is SEK5 million, making it the richest children's book awards. Notable winners: n Maurice Sendak (Author of Where The Wild Things Are) n Isol (Argentinian illustrator) n Philip Pullman (Author of His Dark Materials series)
Honouring 'other' achievements
T
he literary world isn't without a funny bone. While the serious authors line up for the big awards, the best laughs are provided by some of these prize winners. We give you a selection of the winning works.
Writers agonise about writing the perfect opening to their novels, but these winners craft the most outrageous and hilarious beginnings of all times. - As an ornithologist, George was fascinated by the
n
Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year Thought book titles couldn't get stranger than The Joy of Chickens? Here are some of the past winners. - How to Shit in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art, Kathleen Meyer - Highlights in the History of Concrete, CC Stanley - If You Want Closure in Your Relationship, Start with Your Legs, Big Boom
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Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest
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Bailey Women's Prize for Fiction
Wondering why you've never heard of this award? You might recognise it as the Orange Prize for Fiction. Despite its problems with financial backing, this remains one of the most revered awards for women's writing in the world. While many in the literature field have condemned it for being sexist, the award itself focuses on excellent, original writing. The winner is selected by a board of 'five leading ladies' of the UK. Notable Winners: n The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller n
The Tiger's Wife, Tea Obreht
n Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
fact that urine and feces mix in birds’ rectums to form a unified, homogeneous slurry that is expelled through defecation, although eying Greta's face, and sensing the reaction of the congregation, he immediately realized he should have used a different analogy to describe their relationship in his wedding vows. — David Pepper
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Bad Sex in Fiction Award This is not high erotica, we promise. These are examples of the most uncomfortable, disturbing and hilarious ways of describing the sexual act. - Kamal and I are totally immersed in flesh, that archaic kingdom that brings forth tears and terrors, nightmares, babies and bedazzlements. The word pleasure is far too weak for what transpires there. So is the word bliss. — Infrared, Nancy Huston
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WOMEN SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
WEBSITES OF THE WEEK London Review: The London Review of Books is a respected journal for those who enjoy reading the best books in the world! At times, the reviews themselves rise to the level of great literature.
Allposters.com: Who would have thought that one of the best selections of fine art prints online would be available at a poster shop?! Allposters.com is almost like an online museum.
Priceline.com: Name the price you're willing to pay for airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, vacations, or cruises. There's no guarantee your offer will be accepted, but if it is, you will save some serious money!
A journey of rediscovery Priyanka Poogalia's working stint with women NGOs left a lasting impression in her mind. She took up art to vent out those thoughts.
Think for yourself All About Eve KANCHAN AGARWAL
Y
ARUN YELLAMATY
arunyellamaty@postnoon.com
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or Priyanka Poogalia, a corporate employee turned artist, venturing into the world of art is been a journey of rediscovering her passion. Her brief working stint with women NGOs left a lasting impression in her mind and she took up art to vent out those thoughts. “I had worked with a few women NGOs and later continued to pursue education and worked in Delhi, but back in my head I always wanted to do something for this cause. After my marriage I came to
PRIYANKA’S WORKS ARE MOSTLY IN BLACK AND WHITE, WITH AN OCCASIONAL SPLASH OF VERMILLION RED. THERE’S ALMOST ALWAYS A BAND OF VERMILLION RED AND OCCASIONALLY A DEEP SHADE OF BLUE OR VIBRANT YELLOW. Hyderabad and started to put across my thoughts on canvas.” She adds, “While working with the NGO, I learned how rural women are treated. Also in the City, domestic violence cases are on the rise. I think it is high time that people start treating women as equals. Many a time people women for granted especially their family members.”
Priyanka Poogalia’s works are mostly in black and white, with an occasional splash of vermillion red. There’s almost always a band of vermillion red and occasionally a deep shade of blue or vibrant yellow. “Life and what it teaches us is never starkly black or white;
there are many shades in between. I found charcoal to be the best medium to express these shades of grey. Red, I feel, signifies power, love, veracity and something sacred. And yellow stands for radiance,” she explains. Adding to her passion for
woman she says she didn’t want to start an NGO for woman as there are already many and she wants her art to speak to a different set of audience which do not know what an NGO is doing, “There are many NGOs in the City and they are doing a fabulous job. I am trying to make a difference through my art so that I can reach out to all section of the society. There should be a change within that is the mindset of people needs a change. There are many creative people around; some are musicians, dancers and actors. I want to touch people’s live through my art. I want to tell stories through my art. The biggest problem I believe women are facing today is that they are not vocal about their problems. They need to open more Women should start opening up more and use their talent to educate and spread awareness about the need to be independent,” she says. It is not just the rural areas change needs to be brought in even in the City. She says that even upper class families fail to respect their women and do not treat them equally. “Many forget that women from upper class families also need protection. They are very often treated badly at their work places. There are instances when rapes are committed by those belonging to upper class families. My only hope is that the change comes from deep within.” Priyanka’s art has been displayed at various art galleries in the City. She has also showcased few of her works in the US. Her recent paintings called ‘Indelible Impressions’ are on display at Beyond Coffee.
ou know, media is full of lies. All it does is either reinforce the lie we already live in, or create a new load of it. Take it from me. I work in media, so I know. The other day, I was watching Whitney Cummings. She is a stand up comedian. and I think she is brilliant! She is forthcoming, and not conservative at all. So don’t bother watching her if you are, you know, not one with an open mind. Anyway, she started with referring to these articles she read in Cosmopolitan. (I wonder how many marriages that magazine has broken) What she read had titles such as ‘How to seduce your man at work’, ‘How to turn your man on’, etc. Do I need say what exactly is ridiculous here? To begin with, it is unnatural and illogical. And unethical. Just as Whitney said, why would you want to seduce your man at work? He is working. Don't even get me started on getting your man turned on. At least that, you must agree to not control. I am sick and tired of all that magazines and newspapers write just to fill pages. What makes their verdict on signs that a man is cheating on you credible? What can possibly make them smarter than their readers? What experiences must they have possibly had to come up with solutions to all these problems, I am sure, most women didn’t know even existed, before they read them there? How are we to know that all their big talk on feminism comes from a great sense of self esteem? For all we know it comes from a bitter ex-boyfriend. It’s funny how media can manipulate a whole gender across nations using glamour and a tone of empathy. It’s funny how it has managed to make us purchase things we don’t need (including anti-ageing creams. How can you not age?). It’s funny how we have been waiting for the media to tell us how to live. Maybe media knows we don’t know we can think for ourselves.
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SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Gehena Jewellery & Bridal exhibition was launched at HICC on Friday. Shreedevi Chowdary and actress Manasa were present at the do.
Eco-friendly designs
Students of Hamstech Institute of Fashion put together various outfits using waste materials during Recycle Regalia, a two-day workshop at the college campus.
Joining forces
Picture perfect Jal Anand — Impressions from Kumbh Mela, a photo exhibition by Cord Meier-Klodt, Jean-Pierre Muller and Lalit Varma was launched at Goethe-Zentrum.
Annapurna International School of Film and Media (AISFM) and JNTU signed a MoU to offer a unique training programme. The MoU was signed by Prof. Rameshwar Rao and AISFM president Akkineni Nagarjuna.
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RELATIONSHIPS SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
I
I AM ALL EARS
have been married for two years now. In these two years I have put on a lot of weight maily because of a sitting job and marriage problems. My husband is still fit. The other day he told me if I looked like my former self we would have had two kids by now. How do I reply? I too want a change.
T
he long-distance relationship has plagued college students and people relocated for work. These relationships are seen as destined to fail, but are they actually creating stronger bonds than a geographically closer relationship? A recent paper published in the Journal of Communic-ation found that people in long-distance relationships have stronger bonds from more constant communication than normal relationships.
Dear worried kid, This is a question you need to ask yourself, your husband and if possible your gym trainer. Marriage does bring along its share of weight— sweets, custards and oily food. But since you were working before marriage then why the excuse? For many men a fit body is a turn on and that is what your husband unabashedly admitted to you. So if you pick up a fight with him, it will leave you in tears. My advice reduce that flab and go kick his butt.
16 AGAIN!
Ever wondered what it’ll be like to live with your parents after tasting the sweetness of freedom – hostel life, working in another city, marriage, etc? Postnoon talks to a few who are back to where they came from because they had little or no choice; they can’t wait to get out!
NIDHI BHUSHAN
nidhi.b@postnoon.com
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still remember when I left home for the very first time. The journey from my house to the railway station was spent answering my parents’ redundant questions — did you pack all your clothes, do you have the college papers, have you packed your toothbrush and so on. For the first time, I patiently even answered. After all, it was a first for them too — letting me go. I remember getting that sinking feeling in my stomach, a mix of excitement and sadness. I remember not being able to imagine a life without ghar ka khaana, the familiarity of my room at home, my dog, the help and other endless amenities I took for granted earlier. Finally, when it was time for goodbyes, my teary-eyed mother and sister waved till they looked like two dots to me as the train drifted away. A new chapter had begun – I was on my own now. This is what a 19-year-old Nupur B felt before she left home. Now 30, she cannot live with her parents for more than two weeks. “While I was in between jobs for a period of one year, I had no choice but to move back home. It was the worst experience ever; it felt like I was a teenager again. I had to follow the ‘rules’, be home on time, tell my parents who I’m going out with and where, had to explain my bouts of shopping, etc. I do get temporarily homesick, everyone does. But, now I like my freedom more than anything else. Visiting my parents is fine but living with them according to their whims is not cool,” says Nupur. While the reasons for moving back with parents may vary, the sentiment is mostly the same — you are un-free. Shilpa Rao, who had to go back to her parents after a failed marriage, says: “It was difficult dealing with the divorce. More than that was dealing with being at home again. Even if my parents didn’t remind me of my personal failures, others in the society did and continue to do so even now. I
WHILE THE REASONS FOR MOVING BACK WITH PARENTS MAY VARY, THE SENTIMENT IS MOSTLY THE SAME — YOU ARE UN-FREE. used to long for space. Plus, the marrying again topic was a regular dinner-time discussion.” Neetha George, who also had a living-with-parents-again stint, says it was like going to a rehab. “I’m from a small town in Kerala; my parents, like most others there, are conservative.
However, it didn’t come in my way till I went to a mass communication college in Manipal. There, I was on my own. I tasted freedom for the first time ever and I loved it. In fact, I didn’t even like going home during holidays. Soon after Manipal, I moved to Mumbai to pursue post graduation. A much bigger town, Mumbai was a different kind of freedom altogether,” recalls Neetha. Getting a job in Mumbai after finishing her post grad course was Neetha’s plan. But, have plans ever worked in one’s favour? “I had no choice. I had to move back home till an offer came along. I stayed with my
parents for seven months! It was a disaster — I couldn’t smoke, couldn’t drink or have a life that I had become so used to in Mumbai. Moreover, there were hardly any places in my village where I could hang out with my friends,” says Neetha cringing. While most of us just want an out, Bangalore-based Rashmi N felt like a burden on her parents after she moved in with them. “I quit my job in Delhi and moved back home. I was undecided about working or studying further. Though it was okay living at home initially, as the months passed I was overwhelmed with guilt. I wasn’t contributing in anyway and my
parents weren’t getting any younger. Though my parents didn’t consider me a burden, I did,” she says. Rashmi still lives with her parents. But, only because she works in the same city. She is not a “burden” anymore as she contributes to the family.
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CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
RAJENDRA PRASAD to be seen as Hitler
H
itler is one of the most feared and one of the most caricatured persons in history. While in Bollywood, Asrani’s character sported the Hitler moustache in Sholay, it's now Tollywood’s turn to bring the German dictator back to the big screen. And, like Bollywood, this is going to be a funny rendition of Hitler. Natakireeti, Dr Rajendra Prasad, will soon be seen as Hitler. Rajendra Prasad will be playing this role in Top Ranker. The film is being directed by Gollapati Narayana Rao and pro-
Vikramasinha to release in November
R
ajinikanth's Vikramasimha a 3D action animated entertainer is ready to release in november (Diwali). This has been set as the tentative date. Audio of the highlyanticipated film is expected in the last week of August or the first week of September. The south Indian superstar will be seen with two ladies Shobana and Bollywood beauty Deepika Padukone. The actor will be essaying a double role in the film. The film is being directed by Saundarya, daughter of Rajinikanth and produced by Murali Manohar. It is rumoured that the dubbing rights of the film were secured by Lakshmi Ganapathi Films for a high price.
duced by Pasupuleti Brahmam. Speaking to a Telegu film website about his role in the film, Dr Rajendra Prasad said: “I will be seen as a college principal in this film.” “Hitler is a very serious person in real life. In this film, I try to be serious but I will end up making everyone laugh. It is a film that deals with the present day education system”, he added. The movie is currently in post-production mode and the producer has informed us that it will release in Andhra Pradesh next month.
GITANJALI MARKS KEERTHI’S FIRST AS LEAD K
eerthi, daughter of Malayalam producer Suresh Kumar and former actress Menaka, is filming Priyadarshan's Gitanjali. Although acting is in her blood, she is also interested in fashion designing. Keerthi is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in fashion designing in Chennai. “I am not sure about my future plans, but I have a keen interest in fashion designing,” Keerthi told IANS. People might have to wait to see her fashion creations, but her acting skills will soon be on display.
Gitanjali is scheduled to release in October. Keerthi joined the film industry when she was just a child, but horror thriller Gitanjali, which also features Malayalam superstar Mohanlal in the lead role, is her first film as a full-fledged actress. “I have done a couple of films as a child artiste, but this is my first full-length film and I am enjoying every bit,” said Keerthi who thanks her parents. “I am indebted to my parents as I get all the necessary inputs from both of them. The biggest advantage that I had when I agreed to do the film was that both Priyadarshan and Mohanlal were my father's close friends,” said the actress and added that the director and the actor knew her father much before she was born. Currently she is only committed to Gitanjali. She is unsure how many film offers she will accept.
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CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
ISSAQ N
would make Shakespeare happy Issaq manages to project the perky innocence of first-love without getting over-cute, cloying or cheesy.
Mozart of Madras announces Rahmanishq
D
escribed by many as the world’s most prominent and prolific music composers of recent times, Indian music maestro AR Rahman is teaming up with promoters, Techfront and Rapport Global Events to produce a one-of-its kind musical extravaganza. The legendary icon will embark on a onemonth long expedition
touring Kolkata (Salt Lake Stadium, 1st), Visakhapatnam (Indira Priyadarshni Cricket Stadium, 12th), Jaipur (Bhawani Niketan Education Trust, 20th) and Ahmedabad (Sardar Patel Stadium, 27th) in October, 2013 to give fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness a live interactive theatrical experience.
othing prepares you for this. The bludgeoning impact of director Manish Tiwary's desi Varanasi must-see adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet would certainly have made Shakespeare smile. Tiwary wastes no time in getting into the thick of MontagueCapulet feud. Here they are named the Mishras and the Kashyaps — but what's in a name? Families teeming with gun-toting leery men whose voracious appetite for killing is matched by their libidos. Tiwary's plot is Machiavellian in its Shakespearean ambitions. He twists and coils the love tale into shapes of great wonderment. So, if he chooses not to tamper with the original Shakespearean ending, he makes
Movie: Issaq Cast: Prateik, Amyra Dastur, Ravi Kishen, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Makarand Deshpande, Prashant Kumar and Prashant Narayanan Directed by: Manish Tiwary Rating: radical changes in the Shakespearean play's politics. Naxalism and Maoism are interwoven into the romance and courtship through a character, brilliantly played by Prashant Narayanan, while the couple in love couldn't care less if the world all around them is going up in flames. Manish Tiwary manages to make his lead pair look so much in love and so oblivious to its damning repercussions that we wonder if this pair's karma is engendered by despair. Rahul and Bachi, that is Tiwary's Romeo and Juliet, stroll in a bangles market, the loud vibrant colours of the glass ornament screaming out a riot of lovelorn messages. This lush
sequences transpires right after Rahul's two sardonic friends discuss how nowadays Rahul has lost his machismo. But we are jumping the gun. Can't help it. Guns blaze all across this choleric love tale where the desi Romeo meets the ghar ki Juliet at a Holi bash. Fear not. Manish Tiwary knows his Shakespeare as well as he knows the rugged north Indian hinterland of blood savagery and abuses, which Vishal Bhardwaj and Anurag Kashyap have brought so persistently into our range of vision. Tiwary cleverly holds back the boorishness. There's little or no vulgarity and uncouthness in the script. Issaq manages to project the perky innocence of firstlove without getting over-cute, cloying or cheesy. A lot of the endearing and enduring impact of the romance comes from the two players. Prateik is born again as an actor. His performance as a lovesmitten Romeo is so apt that you tend to forgive his past embarrassing performances. Amyra Dastur is a prized find. Precocious, pretty, expressive and agile, this girl is a star in her very first film. This is one of the most innovative adaptations of Romeo & IANS Juliet in any language.
Satyagraha intended to entertain: Prakash Jha
F
ilmmaker Prakash Jha says he does not intend to motivate people to bring about any social change after watching his film Satyagraha. However, if that happens, it will be a bonus. "I only expect that people will get entertained, people will get engaged and they will feel satisfied
after seeing this film and that it is worth their money, it is their time's worth and it is worth the effort to come and see the film," the 61-year-old said Thursday at the launch of the song Raghupati Raghav. "Apart from that, whatever they take away from the film, is a bonus
for me," he added. Jha has already clarified that the film is not based on social activist Anna Hazare's movement. Satyagraha also features Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal among others. The film is slated for release August IANS 30.
CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
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CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
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CINEMA SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Fighting an inward battle In modern day Japan, Wolverine is out of his depth in an unknown world as he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed.
V
ulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before. According to Hugh Jackman, Wolverine being surrounded by death while being unable to die due to his healing factor is a major theme in the film: "He realises everyone he loves dies, and his whole life is full of pain. So it's better that he just escapes. He can't die really. He just wants to get away from everything." 2009's X-men Origins: Wolverine was received negatively by both critics and majority of the fans. Now the character has a chance to redeem himself with this year's The Wolverine and for the most part he does. This film has really tried to please the fans as it was loosely based on the beloved Japan story line from the comics and it is clear that the film has tried to fix the problems in the previous solo Wolverine film. Despite taking place after the events of X-men: The Last Stand this film attempts to distance itself from the rest of the X-men characters and story and focuses solely on the Wolverine character and as a result this film feels very different to all previous X-men films. This allows for the
Movie : Wolverine Cast : Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima Director : James Mangold best portrayal of Wolverine's character that we have seen so far and Hugh Jackman also delivers his best performance of the character to date. The action in this film is also very well done because every sequence is creative and has a purpose so it never feels like the mindless action we've come to expect in big budget summer films. Humour is also used effectively in this film as the writers take advantage of Wolverine's IDGAF attitude. However the film isn't perfect as there is one other mutant character that occasionally seems slightly out of place and some people might find her character a bit too over the top. Also from time to time it does feel like they are playing it too safe to insure that they don't make any of the same mistakes as the last Wolverine film. Overall The Wolverine, although not perfect, is a fun superhero film that gets a lot of things right about what makes the Wolverine characIMDB ter so popular.
JAMES MCAVOY tapped by Fox to play Victor Von Frankenstein
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ox’s search for the right actor to play Victor Von Frankenstein alongside Daniel Radcliffe’s Igor in the Paul McGuigan-directed film has ended. The studio has chosen its X-Men: First Class star James McAvoy and the dealmaking is underway. This was a coveted role, and the studio recently tested actors that included Boardwalk Empire’s Jack Huston, and Toby Kebbell, whose breakout was the Guy Ritchie-directed RocknRolla. John Davis’ Davis Entertainment is producing. While Marvel’s Hall H Comic-Con
panel is always the one to beat, McAvoy was part of a Fox panel that preceded it and might well have upstaged the day when, after Hugh Jackman and James Mangold talked about The Wolverine, Jackman brought out Bryan Singer and the entire cast of X-Men: Days Of Future Past. McAvoy most recently appeared in the Danny Boyle-directed Trance, and wrapped Filth and The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Him And Her.
Rosamund Pike to star in Gone Girl
D
avid Fincher has found his Girl. Rosamund Pike has been offered and is expected to accept the starring role opposite Ben Affleck in the 20th Century Fox mystery thriller Gone Girl, which is being cofinanced 50-50 with New Regency, sources said. Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry are being eyed
for supporting roles. Pike will play a wife who goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary, as her husband (Affleck) becomes the prime suspect. Much of the story is told in flashbacks. The British actress, who recently starred opposite Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher, landed the role that had Hollywood’s thirtysome-
thing female set jockeying for the chance to work with Fincher. A number of actresses including Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman and Emily Blunt had been reported to be in the mix, but all were ruled out for various reasons including availability. Abbie Cornish and Olivia Wilde also had been considered.
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CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
SUDOKU
THOUGHT OF THE DAY Painting is an attempt to come to terms with life. There are as many solutions as there are human beings. – George Tooker
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 Picket line crosser 5 Square things? 10 ‘Arrivederci’ city 14 Undertake 15 Sundance entrant 16 Sweeping story 17 Say it’s so 18 Russian pancakes 19 Editing mark 20 Landlord 23 Russian summer retreat 24 ___ breeze (vodka cocktail) 25 Jungle swinger 28 Slopping center? 29 South American nation 33 Ban from law 35 Farther along than 37 First name among jazz legends 38 Help things along 43 ___ to riches 44 Bean-producing trees 45 Swallow 48 Topological shapes 49 Defunct airline 52 It is abbreviated 53 Symbol for density 55 Brand of plastic wrap 57 Making distinctions of little importance 62 Apt anagram for ‘yeas’ 64 Like many seals 65 Rent-a-car option 66 Seaweed you can eat 67 ‘Cheers!’ 68 It may be in an innie 69 Sharp punches 70 One of Snow White’s seven 71 Has trouble keeping up DOWN 1 Stretches of grassy turf 2 ‘As is,’ eg 3 Part of CIA 4 Docking space 5 Pulpit of old 6 Gangland gal 7 What villains dabble in
8 Baseball outfits 9 Cleared a frosty windshield 10 Alter the appearance of 11 In working order, as a vending machine 12 A thousand thou 13 Untouchable service 21 Vampires’ accessories 22 James Clavell bestseller ‘___-Pan’ 26 Gloomy atmosphere 27 Significant time spans 30 Target center 31 College military org 32 Knock off a bowler 34 Is dating 35 Ballplayer’s theft 36 Style of many a building in Miami 38 Sandpaper surface
59 Weight marked ‘One 39 Spouse of a rajah Ton,’ eg 40 Yellowish-white hue 60 Mimic a kangaroo 41 Combative card game 61 How some people 42 Send up a flagpole chatter 46 Title of respect, in 62 Wanted-poster initials Mumbai 63 Longbow wood 47 Separate wheat from chaff 49 Unimportant stuff PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER 50 Decreasing in intensity 51 Acute anxieties 54 Japanese bidder for the 2008 Summer Games 56 In any way, shape or form 58 Once-sacred snakes
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CHAI TIME SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Knight of Cups
Two of Cups
The Magician
Ten of Swords
Ten of Cups
Five of Pentacles
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W
ork – Team work cannot be avoided no matter where you go or what you try. Learn to get along with people. Humour them and be nice. Romance – Clear the air immediately, if you are finding that there are some misunderstandings that haven’t been sorted out. Health – By being happy from within, you can ensure that you tackle any physical health problems, too. Money – If you are in the habit of eating out too many times in the week, it may be causing a huge dent in your savings. Check this. Tarot message – If you are in a dilemma about something, seek the advice of an expert or someone elderly with experience.
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ork – See what ideas a majority of your team members are backing and play your cards accordingly. You don’t want to upset the entire cart. Romance – Stop pointing fingers at each other and do everything to balance the relationship and maintain an amicable togetherness. Health – By transferring your fears and obstacles over to doing something constructive, you create a positive environment for growth. Money – Stop ranting about money and learn to live within your means. You will more than be able to do that once you stop complaining. Tarot message – It’s all too tempting to put a theory down about how to lead life. It’s not actually that simple.
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ork – Activate your awareness levels and open your senses to what is happening around you. Use your intuition to guide you. Romance – When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade. This is a great opportunity for singles to explore the world of romance. Health – You have to learn to trick your body into believing that you are giving it just what it needs. Become more health conscious. Money – How about getting into a club of stock brokers or investors and learning from the community? Take as well as give tips in the process. Tarot message – Life is a cycle of ups and downs. You have to be prepared for both.
ork – You are living in a fantasy world, where you believe everything is going as per your wishes. But check if this is actually true. Romance – Learning is required through experience in handling matters of the heart. Do not hurt your partner by saying something rude. Health – You are in the quest for the perfect state of full health – especially emotional and spiritual health. Money – You need to adapt a more frugal approach to money, time and resources. Get into the habit of conserving, not squandering. Tarot message – You are in the mood for lighthearted joy, togetherness and all things wonderful about life. Explore the less serious side of life.
ork – Save the best for the last. Good ideas, that is. Do not reveal your game plan at the very beginning. Romance – Time to woo your lover with the dinner, dates and violin tunes. Go all out and realise your every romantic dream. Health – You will be in better control of your health if you stay on top of essential things like diet, exercise regimen and mental health maintenance. Money – Make savings a habit, a daily occurrence, in order to achieve your goals. You have to force yourself into the habit. Tarot message – Don’t lose out of the larger narrative of life in your rush to complete the daily chores.
SUMAA TEKUR tarotreadhyd@gmail.com
Libra
Scorpio
Two of Pentacles
Ten of Pentacles
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ork – The focus in on your career. You are thinking of ways to further your prospects and break into the more serious, larger plan. Romance – The you-said, I-said argument can become quite painful when you should actually focus on making amends and building the relationship. Health – There is a lot of emotional muck that needs cleansing from your mind and soul. Learn meditation from an expert and do it the right way. Money – Planning is key. If you make some practical, achievable goals, there’s much you can do with the money you make. Tarot message – There is someone out there who is supporting you unconditionally. Be grateful to this person.
ork – You have a gift. Have confidence in yourself and pay attention to your own talents and how to utilise them to the maximum. Romance – Balance your relationship. Getting too emotional or being too cold is only going to ruin it for both of you. Health – If you’re feeling low and in need of strength, join some physical activity group classes where you feel motivated to exercise together. Money – When dealing with money, create zones – entertainment, essentials, extras – to save money. You will be better able to manage it. Tarot message – You may be making a mistake by not revealing everything to some close family member or friend. Don’t be so secretive.
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Sagittarius Page of Wands
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ork –You can look forward to a wonderful ride of ideas and selfexpression, by interacting with highly intellectual colleagues and peers. Romance – You meet someone interesting through an event or gathering. Those already committed will discover new love. Health – You have a break a habit in order to attain better health. It may have to do with diet or the way you eat. Money – You are doing fine on the finance front. Do not push yourself too much to save. You need to also live a little. Tarot message – You are starting a very fortunate and wonderful phase when everything you wished for will come together. This is a great time.
Capricorn
Date 28-7-2013
Aquarius
Queen of Pentacles
The Lovers
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ork – You have a few compelling ideas but you’re just not good with the follow through. Don’t be so lazy. Get up and put your ideas into action. Romance – There is clear evidence that there is love between you and your partner. But you two may choose to show it differently. Health – Heed the early warning signs and do what’s needed to avoid major health problems later in life. Lifestyle change is needed. Money – You may need to put your money away in different places and branch out your investments. Tarot message – Both heaven and hell are right here. It’s up to you what you want to make of this life here.
ork – Be social. Contact people in your industry that you have worked with before. Networking is very important. Be aware of what’s happening around you. Romance – You are likely to get into a fight with the partner for someone as silly as who will put the trash out. Health – A friend can support and guide you in times of confusion. Don’t turn on this friend, though. Be grateful, instead. Money – Someone is playing the fool with you and being naughty while revealing some information. Don’t believe everything you hear. Do your own research. Tarot message – You attain newer depths of understanding of human behaviour. Use this to your advantage by not letting ego take over.
ork – If an idea is dead, give it a decent burial and move on to the next one. No point in spending too much time analysing what went wrong unless to pick up lessons. Romance – You meet a person who matches your intellect. You both get along famously and are in the process of sealing a firm friendship. Health – Your laziness may be leading to some health problems. No one else can help you with this but you. Money – If there were some inconsistencies in accounting, you find that the confusion has been cleared. You have found the culprit. Tarot message – There are many lessons to be learnt. Take your time absorbing them.
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Pisces Six of Wands
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ork – You may be getting too caught up in pleasing everyone at the same time. It’s not going to happen. So stop trying. Romance – You have the potential to rescue a dying relationship and turn it into something quite wonderful. Pay attention to this area of your life. Health – Get into a group therapy session if you are unable to maintain your health all alone, by yourself. Money – You gain popularity by the investment choices you make. Money will follow talent and hard work, and you have both. Tarot message – Your life is a carte blanche now. What you write on it is up to you. Be wise and careful what you wish for.
Vol: 3, No 7 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, JULY 27, 2013
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
IN THE NEWS
of the front row? 8. Although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate that has allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower presently leans to the
Southwest. 9.He is an Indian journalist and author. His debut novel, The White Tiger, won the 2008 Man Booker Prize. Who is he? 10. What are the egg-shaped creatures that are shown on the Vodafone ads? 11.Which rays have more ionising power?
Answers
protest at British taxation? 5. The abbreviation LW stands for which radio frequency range ? 6. On being bombed in 1940, which Royal said ‘I’m glad we have been bombed. I feel I can look the East End in the face’ ? 7. In motor racing, what name is given to the advantageous starting positions on the inside
1.Rocky Marciano 2. Peter Andre 3. Goose 4.Boston 5. Long Wave 6. Queen Mother 7.Pole position 8. Leaning tower of Pisa 9. Arvind Adiga 10. Zoozoos 11. Gamma
TEST YOURSELF
IDENTIFY THESE FASHION DESIGNERS
CURRENT AFFAIRS 1
2
1 2 3
Afghanistan's first woman governor is now also the recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award. Who is she?
1 2
Share the moment….. Share life
In Panama this week a North Korean ship sailing from which country was found to be carrying military equipment?
Jab main chhota ladka tha,Badi shararat karta tha, Meri chori pakdi jaati… Jab roshan hota ...
A Confidence Index study was conducted by Nielsen. Reports revealed that India placed in the.......position in the 2nd quarter of 2013. In the 1st quarter India placed in the 2nd position. Due to devaluation of the rupee this position is declined. What position is India in now?
3 4
Jab Ghar ki raunak badhani ho,deewaro ko jab sajana ho,
3
4
Let’s make things better!
with Santosh Ghule Our lips are sealed... what do you see here?
The digestive system.
Answer for 76:
The Ramnath Goenka awards are given for excellence in which field?
Answers: 1. Abu Jani 2.Anju Modi 3. Shantanu and Nikhil 4. Ritu Kumar
3
PICTURE PUZZLE 77
WHO AM I? I am the chairman of Wipro and recently received the Asian Business Leader Award 2013. Ratan Tata has also been a recipient of this award.
Answer : Azim Premji
Answers
2
Recently a travel website listed Ghoomar, a folk dance of India among the TOP 10 World's amazing local dances. This dance is from which place?
Chai ke Liye jaise toast hota hai, Waise har ek friend zaroori hota hai, Aise har ek friend zaroori hota hai. It’s the way you make me feel!
1. Habiba Sarabi 2. Cuba 3. Third 4. Australia
Bangalore International Airport that was constructed five years ago is now named after the founder of Bangalore city. Who is he and what is the airport's new name?
5
6 7
KNOW YOUR COUNTRY
1
Zara si hansi, dulaar zara sa,.... Zara si anban, pyar zara sa, the taste of india.
Answers:
4
Forty-two-year old Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on July 25, 2013 officially launched his political party to contest elections in which country?
Identify these lines from different television commercials
1. Kodak 2. Bajaj Bulbs 3. Amul 4. Nerolac 5. Airtel 6. Monte Carlo 7. Philips
1. Which boxer retired in 1956 as the undefeated heavyweight Champion of the World? 2. Which Australian singer is known for his infamous junglepenned Insania? 3. Brent, barnacle and greylag are all types of which bird? 4. In 1773 in which US city was the so-called ‘Tea Party’ held in
1.Kempe Gowda, Kempe Gowda International Airport 2.Rajasthan 3.Journalism
Answers
29
SPORTS SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Scotland’s Knox shoots 59 BOISE: Scotland’s Russell Knox fired a 59 in the second round of the Boise Open on Friday, becoming only the fifth player to achieve the feat on the developmental Web.com Tour. Knox’s 12-under par round at Hillcrest Country Club made the 28-year-old from Inverness the early clubhouse leader at 14-under 128 through 36 holes.
Hejnova sets season best
Woods’ niece eyes Open
LONDON: Zuzana Hejnova of the
LONDON: Cheyenne Woods, the
Czech Republic set a season best time in the women’s 400m hurdles when she beat British rival Perri Shakes-Drayton at the London Diamond League. Hejnova, who strengthened her position at the top of the League standings, also set a new personal best time as she beat Shakes-Drayton for the third time in a League meeting.
niece of Tiger Woods, kept herself in reach of a spot at the British Open on Friday when she fired a five under par in the European Masters first round. The 23-year-old Woods is chasing one of three places available this weekend to qualify for next week’s major at St Andrews. Her 67 put her in sixth place, four shots behind the leaders.
Campbell eyes glory after Oly heartbreak Campbell was hit by gastroenteritis at the London Games that ruled her out of the 100m freestyle, and is determined to make amends at the worlds.
Having won men’s 3m synchronised gold on Tuesday with partner Qin Kai, who finished fifth on Friday, this was He’s fifth gold medal at a world championships. BARCELONA: China’s defending champi-
BARCELONA: Australia’s Cate Campbell has vowed to use her Olympic heartbreak as motivation at swimming’s world championships, which start on Sunday, having posted the fastest 50m freestyle time this year. The 21-year-old clocked 24.27sec in Adelaide in April, faster than Holland’s Olympic champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo, and is determined to bounce back after illness hit her hopes at the London Olympics. Having helped Australia win Olympic relay gold in the 4x100m freestyle, Campbell was hit by gastroenteritis which ruled her out of the 100m freestyle.
Chong claims second gold
THE 21-YEAR-OLD DID 50M IN 24.27SEC IN ADELAIDE IN APRIL, FASTER THAN HOLLAND’S OLYMPIC CHAMPION RANOMI KROMOWIDJOJO. Still suffering from the effects, she only made the semi-finals of the 50m freestyle in London, but is itching to prove herself in Barcelona. “I was watching four years of work go down the toilet — literally,” she said of her London experience. “It was heartbreaking, but it moti-
vated me.I always look for the silver lining and after three weeks off I was ready to get back in the pool. “I knew the world hadn’t seen what I was capable of in London. “Maybe it was a positive thing, it really drove me to continue swimming at a high-level until Rio (2016 Olympics), so maybe it was the extra motivation I needed.” The tall Queenslander is no stranger to illness-related setbacks. In 2010, she had to take a year off after suffering from glandular fever and post-viral fatigue, which left her immune system vulnerable as she slept AFP more than 12 hours a day.
on He Chong won the men’s 3m springboard world title for the third time in succession on Friday to claim his second gold in three days. He, 26, won with a score of 544.95 points from Russia’s Evgeny Kuznetsov’s 508.00 and Mexico’s Yahell Castillo, who tallied 498.30. Having won men’s 3m synchronised gold on Tuesday with partner Qin Kai, who finished fifth on Friday, this was He’s fifth gold medal at a world championships. It brought China’s tally to seven golds from eight diving events in Barcelona with two more events to come. “It was a hard final, but I am happy with my performance,” said He. “The other athletes also prepared themselves very well and I sincerely congratulate all the medallists.” He said he didn’t feel under pressure in the event after Chinese divers failed to win the men’s 3m Olympic title in London last year. “We don’t need to prove anything. Everyone knows the strength of our team and its capacity,” said He, who finished with bronze in London and Qin took silver. “If one fails, we keep on training, and AFP we move forward.”
Vettel charges ahead of chasing pack The 26-year-old defending triple world champion, who is seeking his first win in Hungary, twice outpaced his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber in sweltering conditions at the Hungaroring. BUDAPEST: Sebastian Vettel delivered a day of near-metronomic speed and precision on Friday as he and Red Bull dominated both free practice sessions ahead of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The 26-year-old defending triple world champion, who is seeking his first win in Hungary, twice outpaced his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber in sweltering conditions at the Hungaroring. His second performance in the afternoon saw him clock a lap in one minute and 21.264 seconds that lifted him clear of Webber by just four-hundredths
ROMAIN GROSJEAN WAS THIRD FASTEST FOR
LOTUS AHEAD OF FERNANDO ALONSO AND FELIPE MASSA. of a second in a closely-contested contest at the top. It was almost demonstration driving by the pair as they confirmed Red Bull’s superiority in the conditions to the dismay of those, including Ferrari and their fans, hoping to find a way of halting their express charge
towards another title. Vettel, in particular, appeared to relish his car’s performance and justify his claim that he needs no motivation to carry on racing. “I don’t think much, I think that helps,” he quipped. Romain Grosjean was third fastest for Lotus ahead of twotime champion Fernando Alonso and his Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa. Alonso recorded the first win of his career in Hungary while Massa suffered the blackest day of his at the circuit when he suffered serious head injuries in AFP 2009.
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SPORTS SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Bolt shines like a diamond Gary Fitzgerald
LONDON: Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt stormed to victory in the 100m at the London Diamond League meeting on Friday as he returned to his brutal, stunning best. The Jamaican superstar warmed up for his world championships bid in Moscow next month by sparkling in front of a packed crowd at the London Olympic Stadium. He won in a season-best 9.85sec despite making a lacklustre start and performed a lap of honour in front of a packed 60,000 crowd. Returning to the scene of his golden Olympic treble a year ago, the fastest man on earth blew his rivals away with at the Anniversary Games event. American Michael Rodgers (9.98) and Jamaica’s Nesta Carter (9.99) also dipped under ten seconds. “I love coming here. The fans give you so much energy and this is what makes me run faster," said Bolt. “I felt good tonight and I am pleased with the time I did even
Hewitt moves into semis Former world number one Hewitt rallied for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over third-seeded Croatian Dodig. ATLANTA: Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt booked his third ATP semi-final in four tournaments on Friday, beating Ivan Dodig to set up a clash with top-seeded American John Isner at the Atlanta Open. Former world number one Hewitt, who reached the final at Newport earlier this month but lost to France’s Nicolas Mahut, rallied for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over third-seeded Croatian Dodig. “At the start of the match I couldn’t get into it much," said the Aussie, ranked 64th in the world, adding that the 36th-ranked Dodig just didn’t give him any early openings. “He served fantastic, hit his spots every time. I didn’t think he could play any better for a set and a half," Hewitt said. “I was just trying to hold serve and stay ahead in the second set.”
Having been beaten by American Justin Gatlin in Rome earlier this year, Bolt was a man on a mission. And he did not let his worldwide fan club down.
if I was a little slow off the blocks and I had to play catch up. There is a lot of room for improvement. I am getting there and Moscow is going to be great." Having been beaten by American Justin Gatlin in Rome earlier this year, Bolt was a man on a mission. And he did not let his worldwide fan club down. The global audience may
have been a fraction of the near one billion armchair supporters who watched in awe last summer but there was still a special atmosphere inside the stadium. Bolt, who 24 hours earlier spoke openly about his despair at the latest drugs controversy to rock athletics with sprint rivals Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell implicated, had been paraded around the stadium beforehand.
The 26-year-old, six-times Olympic gold medallist stood on a mock fighter jet and held the Jamaican flag aloft, taking the applause of the sun-drenched supporters as he was driven around the stadium. Bolt had already seen compatriot Warren Weir win the 200m. Weir finished a tenth of a second ahead of another Jamaican, Jason Young in a time
of 19.89. Olympic champion Kirani James beat a high-class field to win the 400m. The Grenadian timed his run to perfection to surge through down the straight and win in 44.65. Nick Symmonds beat American rivals Duane Solomon and Brandon Johnson to win the men’s 800m in 1:43.67.
Mahan takes lead in Canada Mahan’s eight birdies were enough to seize the lead from early second-round pace-setter Merrick. OAKVILLE: Hunter Mahan fired a flawless eight-under-par 64 on Friday to take a two-shot lead over John Merrick after two rounds of the US PGA Tour’s Canadian Open. Mahan’s eight birdies were enough to seize the lead from early second-round pace-setter Merrick, who equalled the Glen Abbey course record with a 10under 62 that included an eagle and eight birdies. Mahan had a 13-under-par total of 131, with Merrick on 11under 133. Former Masters champion Bubba Watson was
alone in third place after a 67 for 135, and it was a further stroke back to Patrick Reed (68) and Australian Aaron Baddeley (68) on 136. Mahan, who played in the final group on Sunday at the British Open and finished ninth in the year’s third major, birdied his last three holes to get past Merrick. Mahan had got his round going with a similar burst of three birdies at the second third and fourth, and also birdied 11
and 13. Merrick’s round matched the course record set by Australian Greg Norman in 1986, but he acknowledged such a feat wasn’t looking likely after a poor warm-up on Friday morning. “I wasn’t hitting it that great on the range and I didn’t
feel that good," Merrick said. “Maybe that makes you focus a little bit more, try to figure out what’s going on, and I was able to kind of work a couple things out." Merrick, who claimed his first US PGA Tour title with a playoff victory at the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles in February, jump started his round with an eagle at the par-five secAFP ond hole.
Langer on course to win Senior Open The two-time Masters Champion recovered well from a double bogey on the sixth hole to end the day level on five under par with Mark Wiebe of the United States.
LONDON: Bernhard Langer remains on course to avenge last year’s Senior Open misery as the German earned a share of the lead after Friday’s second round at Royal Birkdale. Langer led by one shot into the final round of the tournament at Turnberry 12 months ago, but mistakes on the back nine meant he had to settle for a share of sixth place behind winner Fred Couples.
The two-time Masters Champion is determined to make amends this year and he recovered well from a double bogey six on the sixth hole to end the day level on five under par with Mark Wiebe of the United States. “I played like the weather today, pretty good," Langer said. “I just had one little blemish with a double bogey where I missed the green and double hit my chip shot. Otherwise it was a
really good round. “I hit a lot of good shots and putted much better today. So I’m very pleased with the position I’m in." South Africa’s David Frost is one stroke behind the leaders, while American Gene Sauers, the overnight leader, and Peter Fowler of Australia are a further shot back. Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie posted a one over par 71 to finish in a share of 23rd place.
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SPORTS SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Dhawan relishes the challenge Dhawan enjoyed more than his fair share of luck as India took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, surviving two dropped catches as well as a catch off a no-ball on his way to 116 — his highest one-day score. Tristan Holme
HARARE: Shikhar Dhawan is relishing the challenges that face opening batsmen under the testing conditions imposed by the latest oneday international laws, having scored his third century in two months to see India to a 58-run victory over Zimbabwe on Friday. Dhawan enjoyed more than his fair share of luck as India took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, surviving two dropped catches as well as a catch off a no-ball on his way to 116 — his highest one-day score. However opening batsmen such as Dhawan would argue that they deserve some fortune under the current laws, with the use of two new balls in one-day internationals tilting the balance back towards the bowlers. “It’s more difficult nowadays because you’ve got new balls from both ends,” Dhawan said. “When the ball is swinging you really need to play close to your body.
It was a very important partnership which brought us back into the game, because we knew that we had to score big runs on this wicket because it gets much better in the second innings. Shikhar Dhawan “You’ll see that in the first 10 overs, openers are not scoring that many nowadays because the ball is new and it swings a lot and you have to be more careful.” Despite gifting Dhawan three lives, Zimbabwe still made inroads into the Indian batting line-up as they reduced the tourists to 65 for four, only for Dhawan to put on a 159-run stand with
Wade wastes chance to shine Reserve wicketkeeper Wade, had hoped to force his way into the Test team as a specialist batsman. LONDON: Matthew Wade wasted a chance to underline his claims for a place in Australia’s team for next week’s third Ashes Test after falling for a duck on the first day of the tour match against Sussex at Hove. Reserve wicketkeeper Wade, playing his first game for a month, had hoped to force his way into the Test team as a specialist batsman. But the 25-year-old lasted just six balls before being held at backward point in the first over after tea aiming a forcing shot off the back foot at Monty Panesar. While Wade flopped, Steve Smith, one of several batsmen under pressure after making just three runs in Australia’s heavy defeat at Lord’s, produced the standout performance with an unbeaten 98. Ed Cowan added 66 and Phil Hughes made 84 in an opening stand of 150 as Australia, who trail 2-0 against England in the five-Test series, ended the first day on 354 for five after winning the toss. Smith and all-rounder James Faulkner put on 131 in 28 overs for the fifth wicket after Australia had failed to build on the platform provided by Cowan and Hughes when they lost four wickets for 68 runs in 27 overs. Faulkner became Panesar’s third victim in the penultimate over when he was bowled hitting across the line.
Dinesh Karthik that changed the course of the match. “It was a very important partnership which brought us back into the game, because we knew that we had to score big runs on this wicket because it gets much better in the second innings,” said Dhawan. “Then things went our way.” After India had finished on 294 for eight in their 50 overs, Zimbabwe made a bright start to their reply when Vusi Sibanda’s bold 55 took them to 109 for one after 20 overs. However Jaydev Unadkat effected two dismissals in the next over, and Zimbabwe faded to a final total of 236 for nine. “After 20 overs I thought we were going to win the game, even though we let them get away with a lot more runs,” Zimbabwe coach Andy Waller said. “I thought we had a chance but then we made some silly errors.” The third match of the series takes place at Harare on Sunday.
Proteas stun Lankans to keep series alive The victory ended South Africa’s 11-match losing streak in One-day cricket on Sri Lankan soil and gave AB de Villiers’ tourists a badly-needed win in the current series. PALLEKELE: David Miller and Lonwabo Tsotsobe played key roles as South Africa stunned hosts Sri Lanka by 56 runs in the third one-dayer in Pallekele on Friday to stay afloat in the five-match series. Miller plundered a robust 85 not out off 72 balls to steer South Africa to 223-7 after unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis had reduced the tourists to 154-7 in the 42nd over. Tsotsobe then ripped through Sri Lanka’s top order with three wickets in the space of six runs before finishing with 4-22 as the hosts were bundled out for 167 in the day-night game. The victory ended South Africa’s 11match losing streak in one-day cricket on Sri Lankan soil and gave AB de Villiers’ tourists a badly-needed win in the current series. With Sri Lanka 2-1 ahead, South Africa must also win the fourth match at the same venue on Sunday to take the series into the decider in Colombo next Wednesday. Thisara Perera lit up the gloomy evening for the hosts by smashing five sixes and a boundary in the 33rd over sent down by left-arm spinner Robin Peterson. With the second ball declared a wide, the 35 runs taken in the over fell just one run short of the
world record of six sixes hit by South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs off Dutch bowler Daan van Bunge during the 2007 World Cup. Perera’s run sequence in the over was six, a wide, six, six, six, four and a six, but his sensational hitting came too late for the hosts to
deliver an unlikely win. “It’s hard to explain how proud I am of the boys,” de Villiers said. “It was not easy and we were under pressure through the game. “It was a really good performance. But we did not have enough partnerAFP ships going.”
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SPORTS SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2013
Donovan aims for Gold Cup
Landon Donovan has sparked the US to 25 goals in an unbeaten run to what could be their first title in the North American biennial battle for football supremacy since 2007. CHICAGO: US all-time scoring leader Landon Donovan, who has netted five goals in his past six matches, leads the Americans against Panama in Sunday’s Gold Cup final. The 31-year-old striker, a three-time World Cup standout for the US
squad, has sparked the team to 25 goals in an unbeaten run to what could be their first title in the North American biennial battle for football supremacy since 2007. “I’ve never been part of a run like this,” Donovan said. “It’s a lot of fun, not only the goals,
but we’re creating lots of chances and that’s enjoyable.” Overall, the Americans are 11-2-2 this year and on a record 10match win streak that includes three World Cup qualifying triumphs and a friendly victory over Germany in June.
Donovan has not played in a qualifier this year, having taken almost four months off between seasons for the Los Angeles Galaxy and prompting US coach Jurgen Klinsmann to say he had to work his way back into the squad that is in prime position. AFP
Zaha saves United blushes Powerhouse Germany aims to make it 6 from 6 A late goal from new signing Wilfried Zaha saw Manchester United clinch a draw against a plucky Cerezo Osaka. Shigemi Sato
OSAKA: A stoppage time
Germany beat Sweden to move within a victory of an eighth European crown, while Norway beat Denmark on penalties. GERMANY, WHO WON BOTH THE
2003 AND 2007 WORLD CUPS, GO INTO THE FINAL AS FAVOURITES. sions — 1989 (as West Germany), 1991 and 2005 — with Norway’s 1993 title representing the only blemish on the Germans’ record in the competition since the fall of the Berlin wall. Germany, also winners of both the 2003 and 2007
Boggle
World Cups, go into Sunday’s encounter favoured to claim another European title but Norway will be full of confidence following a 1-0 win over Silvia Neid’s side in the group stage. “I guess most people are surprised by having Norway in the final as we were not mentioned among the favourites; I have to admit that I did not count on that,” said Norway boss Even Pellerud. “To play the final on Sunday in front of 50,000, it’s going to be hard to top AFP that experience.”
HOUR WEEK MONTH DECADE SECOND
Suduko
Scrabble
SOLUTIONS
Number game
SOLNA: Women’s football superpower Germany will bid for a record sixth successive European title on Sunday when they face old foes and two-time champions Norway in Solna. Germany dumped out hosts Sweden to move within a victory of an eighth European crown, while surprise finalists Norway turned back the clock as they held their nerves to beat Scandinavian rivals Denmark on penalties to set up a fourth finals showdown with the Germans. Germany triumphed on all three previous occa-
goal from new-face Wilfried Zaha saved Manchester United from the brink of a humiliating third defeat in their preseason Asian tour Friday, drawing 2-2 with Cerezo Osaka at Shinji Kagawa’s former J-League home. Kagawa, who moved to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund a year ago, also delighted a sellout crowd of 44,856 at the Nagai Stadium by scoring United’s first goal minutes after fluffing a penalty by kicking straight into the hands of Osaka custodian Kim Jin-Hyeon. The Red Devils now have two wins and two defeats in Asia after losing to the Thai league all stars 1-0 two weeks ago in Bangkok, overwhelming the A-League All Stars 5-1 in Sydney and again bowing 3-2 to the J-League’s Yokohama Marinos last Tuesday. “I’m happy,” new United manager David Moyes said after the match. “I thought our team did very well. I’m delighted with the way we scored the late goal.” “I thought it was our best performance since we’ve been on tour.” Zaha’s late goal was the result of the English champions pulling out all the stops in sweltering evening weather in the final minutes as Adnan Januzaj dribbled toward the area and passed to Anderson on the left side. The Brazilian midfielder crossed to the far side with Zaha beating Kim for the equaliser one minute into additional time, scoring his first ever goal for United. Ivory Coast-born Zaha, 20, an Under-21 England midfielder, joined United
from Crystal Palace in January. “He’s been quite quiet at the moment, still getting to know everybody” said Moyes, who took over from long-reigning Alex Ferguson as United manager at the end of the last season. “I think tonight will help him well because he showed the players that he can make things happen.” Cerezo striker Kenyu
I thought our team did very well. I’m delighted with the way we scored the late goal. It was our best performance. David Moyes, Man Utd manager Sugimoto opened the scoring on 34 minutes as he beat two defenders to slam a left-footer past Lindegaard after intercepting a pass by United’s Chris Smalling. United nearly levelled in the 40th minute when Kagawa struck over after Dutch striker Robin van Persie fed him a sharp cross on a rebound from a
Danny Welback shot off the left post. Kagawa bungled a penalty shot in the 53rd minute when Ashley Young was clipped down in the box by Cerezo defender Tatsuya Yamashita. But the 24-year-old Japanese quickly restored some pride by pulling one back for United two minutes later, slotting the ball through Kim’s legs after
trapping a deep left cross from Ryan Giggs. “I missed the spot shot and I put myself under tremendous pressure. I’m glad I managed to score,” said Kagawa, who left Osaka for Dortmund in mid-2010 and help the team’s back-to-back Bundesliga title wins. Minutes after Kagawa was substituted amid roars from his former home supporters, Cerezo surprised the English champions with their second goal through 18-yearold striker Takumi Minamino on 63 minutes. Minamino’s shot from the left outside the area sailed into the top far side corner. But Zaha managed to redeem the visitors with the last-gasp equaliser. “We made a fatal mistake in the injury time,” Cerezo’s Brazilian manager Levir Culpi said.