Epaper 27 september 2013

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013 HYDERABAD

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WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY; 29°C

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SPORT BLOODY HELL

Here’s a list of great comebacks and collapses in sports’ history after Oracle Team USA rallied from seven points down to cap an improbable triumph over Emirates Team New Zealand in America's Cup.

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

The Supreme Court has ruled that voters have the right to negative voting by rejecting all candidates in the fray, by exercising the option of None of the Above (NOTA) in electronic voting machines and ballot papers. The court also directed the Election Commission to introduce a button providing for NOTA in EVMs and ballot papers.

CLICK LANDMARK SC VERDICT

TO CLEAR TRASH REPORT ON P11

5-STOREY BUILDING COLLAPSES IN MUMBAI

P11

INDIAN SOCCER AWAITS RESURRECTION Everything is wrong with football in India.

There is no national concern. Parochialism and nepotism kill talents but the amazing thing is that soccer is as popular as cricket but lacks committed patronage. A full-time academy, more dedicated grounds and determination are needed to restore India’s football game to its former glory.

CELEBS FURIOUS AFTER PHONE NUMBERS LEAK ON WHATSAPP P6&7

P10

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

city events

NAWABI SPREAD

The ambience at Jewel of the Nizam transports you to an era which was classic and flavoursome not just in terms of the way people lived but what they ate as well. The Nizami Express Lunch, a quick Nawabi spread at Golkonda hotel, is on till September 27. Come, have a taste!

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

Overnight

26°C

Morning

Afternoon

26°C

32°C

A mix of cloud and sun

Mostly sunny with showers

21°C

A mix of clear and cloudy skies

A mix of cloudy and clear skies.

New Delhi Mumbai Max 39 Max 32 Min 29 Min 29 Mostly sunny

Thundershowers

Chennai Max 35 Min 27 Thundershowers

Bangalore Max 31 Min 20 Thundershowers

AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES calendar on the GHAC website.

Where: The Great Hyderabad Adventure Club When: Sept 29, 11am to 4:30pm

ACTIVITY 10 pen bowling tournament In order to promote a s port that has so tremendously grown in the past couple of months, SVM is organising a 3 day long tournament. The winners will earn prize money up to Rs. 20,000 Where: SVM Bowling and Gaming, 4th level, 6 Mall When: Sept 27, 28,29, 10am to 1pm Contact: 8096991297

DINING Bollywood Night Bollywood Night with DJ Yogi.

Where: N Convention (10.1 km) 2-92/1, Lane Opposite Shilparamam, Hitech City, Madhapur, Hyderabad When: Sept 28, 7pm.

Contact: 99595-55333 / 9966827125

DANCE

Pan Asian Sunday Bubbly Brunch Enjoy the gastronomic experience at Urban Asia as they whip you up hordes of delicacies from all across a continent.

Ballet Mark your calendars people! Don’t miss Gandhari: English Dance Ballet

by Rajeswari Sainath and Troupe.

Where: Ravindra Bharti, Opposite Legislative Assembly, Saifabad When: Sept 27, 6:30pm A WEAVER’S STORY: Minister for Information and Public Relations, D K Aruna stressed on the need to promote traditional handloom textiles while inaugurating Weavers India handloom showroom at KPHB 9th phase, Kukkatpally.

Weekend Theatre Workshop. If you are interested, you can join.

Where: La Makaan, Lane adjacent to CBAY, Road No. 1, Banjara Hills When: Sept 28, 10am to 12pm Contact: 9642731329

miss it! This could be your chance to fame!

Where: S N Vanitha Mahavidyalaya, Exhibition Grounds, Nampally Contact: 23233672/ 9866704171 Contemporary Dance Gravity: A Contemporary Dance Show by Durgakoteshwar Rao is being organised.

Where: La Makaan, Lane adjacent to CBAY, Opposite GVK One, Road No.1, Banjara Hills When: Sept 26, 7pm onwards Contact: 9642731329 Dance India Dance Auditions If you love to dance and have learnt it professionally but have no platform to perform on, then this can be your one chance to become famous.

Dance India Dance (DID) is conducting auditions in Hyderabad. Don’t

When: Sept 26, 8am to 2pm Contact: (040) 24735336/ 9573843503

WORKSHOPS Clay modelling Sculpture & Terracotta Clay Modelling Workshop For Children.

Where: Our Sacred Space, 9-184/1/C, Sardar Patel Road, Secunderabad.

Commissioner & Spl Officer

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

198 155313

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

When: 28-Sep-13 (11am to 1pm) Contact: 9030013344.

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

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

Beat Boxing Beat Boxing Workshop By Jaydeep Hora Where: Gitanjali Devshala, 154, Sappers Line, Balamraj, Balamraj Secunderabad.

When: 28-Sep-13 (5pm to 6pm).

Contact: 040 2790 8260.

Gigapan Photography The Great Hyderabad Adventure Club and TCPC present you with a workshop on introduction to gigapan photography by Ravinder Reddy.

For further details, check the events

Where: Urban Asia, 3rd Floor, 1259/A, Next To ICICI Bank, Road No. 36, Banjara Hills.

When: Sept 29, 12noon.

Contact: (040) 6555-6888 Grape stomping Grape Stomping & Cake Mixing Where: Novotel (At Shamshabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport), Shamshabad, Hyderabad.

When: Sept 29, 12noon to 4pm.

Contact: (040) 6555-6888

Weekend Theatre Director of Samahaara, Ratna Shekhar Reddy is organising a

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

155313 23307328 23313163

27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999

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

27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

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

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

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

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

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or # Plot no.550-A1, 3rd floor, Road no-92, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad-500033 a call on a call on 4067 2222

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

news

40% 60%

CRIME

HYDERABAD: Shabana Hajera is only 26 and lives

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in a rented house at Millargudda in Secunderabad. She looks aristocratic when dressed well. Her husband is said to be in the Gulf and she has no need to dupe people, but cases now registered with police say she cheated several people of their money

and gold.

The whole matter came out when one Parveen Sultana, 44, of Mettuguda became friends with Shabana. The latter used to visit Parveen daily and a close friendship developed.

One day Shabana told Parveen she knows some amazing people who could double the gold or cash in 15 days. Charmed with the idea, Praveen one day parted with 20 tola of gold ornaments and `50,000 in cash.

Shabana promised the ‘miracle’ in two weeks. When two weeks passed she asked Shabana for the gold and cash. Shabana said she need more time.

After several days when Parveen heard nothing from Shabana, she went to her Secunderabad address and found the house locked. On enquiry, she was told the tenant had vacated. The police are investigating.

DESPERATE STEP

Maid ends life over sexual abuse

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HYDERABAD: A woman who was working as a maid in the house of a head constable at the transport organisation in Lakdi-kapul, committed suicide. She

YES (A) NO (B)

44 NOT OUT

Woman charms, dupes and vanishes Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

TODAY’S QUESTION

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

SHOULD THE WC BE MOVED FROM QATAR OVER THE MODERN SLAVE ROW?

WILL JAGAN’S RETURN BOOST THE CHANCES OF THE STATE STAYING UNITED?

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died at a hospital on Wednesday from the severe burns she received after she set herself ablaze. In her death declaration before the magistrate, she said that her employer had been sexually abusing her for the last 10 years. The accused is yet to be arrested.

Elsewhere, a woman, 28, attempted suicide by consuming pesticide. The divorcee with two kids, said she was driven to take the extreme step after her lover, a DTP operator with whom she had been carrying on, refused to marry her despite making promises earlier.

A)

YES

B)

NO

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

Longest-running cartoon to go digital in Japan

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TOKYO: Sazae-san, AROUND THE the world's longestWORLD running cartoon, is to go fully digital, its Japanese broadcaster said Friday, abandoning handdrawn celluloid-based animation after a run of 44 years.

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News FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE Retail therapy fails

L

ast year, we had reported on how the Chief Minister, N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s announcement that his government will allow FDI in multibrand retail has produced an uprorar among the estimated 1.5 crore kirana (provision) stores in The State. The Kirana shops then went onto plan a massive showdown with the government.

APRIL 27, 2012

NUMEROLOGY

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crib deaths were reported at the state-run BC Roy child hospital since Tuesday. On September 24, five babies died, on September 25, nine died and on Thursday one baby has died.

We have before us a very significant breakthrough in terms of the Security Council acting finally, potentially, to impose binding legal obligations on the Syrian regime for the first time.

Samanatha Power, US ambassador to the UN

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

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Protect our water, protect our future World Tourism Day 2013 is being held under the theme Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future.

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50 Bollywood celebrities on the list The list of phone numbers shared had numbers of Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Anupam Kher, Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, RGV. Check Page 10.

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Who’s afraid of Kim-Jong Un? Not Panama The Panama Canal Authority slapped a $1 million fine on a North Korean cargo ship caught with an undeclared shipment of Cuban weapons.

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The madness continues on the ORR The Outer Ring Road is being misused by youngsters and unscrupulous drivers to vroom.

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Have a heart: arrest the spread of heart ailments Healthy Heart Foods launched ‘Healthy Heart Foundation’ with the objective to reduce the epidemic spread of heart diseases.

CITY

Banjara Hills Rd 2 to be widened

GHMC is now taking action against illegal constructions causing traffic bottlenecks. If the momentum continues, it would ease up traffic.

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

HYDERABAD: As discussed at the general body meeting held earlier this week, the town planning wing of the GHMC got into action to demolish all illegal structures that were causing inconvenience to the public.

The owner of a commercial building at Alwyn Junction at Miyapur had constructed shops in the cellar parking area.

Because of this vehicles are being parked on the road. On Thursday the town planning officials demolished the shops, removed the rolling shutters, walls and restored the parking area.

NO MORE CONGESTION ON ROAD NO 2

This could come as good news to motorists who travel by Road No 2 Banjara Hills. The bottleneck area near the Mosque and the Mountain Bakery will soon be widened.

Since 2005, the corporation has been trying to expand the area, however, all these years they were waiting for permission from the Mosque authorities, to go ahead with the road widening. However now that the mosque committee have agreed to part with 333 sq yards the GHMC will go ahead with the road widening. The famous landmark Mountain Bakery on that road too will be demolished since it is an annexe of the

The current width of the road is just 65ft, now with the road widening another 17ft will be added which will ease the traffic, especially in the mornings say officials. mosque. A new structure of the bakery will come up around that area very soon, official sources said. Because of the road widening the mosque, however, will not be affected, confirmed the town planning officials.

The mosque committee would get `60,000 per sq yard as

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compensation along with 30 per cent solatium.

The current width of the road is just 65ft, now with the road widening another 17ft will be added which will ease the traffic, especially in the mornings, said an official.

“Because of the bottleneck, it had become difficult for two cars to pass at the same time, and many a times accidents have been reported on that stretch,” said a traffic official.

The GHMC officials informed that the works would start early next month.

LITTLE DETECTIVES

Rat sleuths to sniff out crime

ROTTERDAM: The latest species to join Dutch police is hard at work behind the blacked-out windows of a building in Rotterdam: rats learning to sniff out crime and a new forensic future.

Derrick, Thomson and Thompson, Magnum and Poirot, all named after fictional detectives, are being groomed to help police not only keep the streets clean but also save time and money.

“As far as we know we’re the first in the world to train rats to be used in police investigations,” said Mark Wiebes, who heads the Dutch police “innovation” centre.

Each rat costs just 10 euros (around $13) and can, in theory, be taught to identify any odour,

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from drugs to gunpowder, while a sniffer dog costs tens of thousands of euros to buy and train.

A police dog’s training also takes around eight months,

although once completed the dog’s abilities are far greater than a rat’s.

The rats have been living in a cage inside a small prefab building since late 2011, along-

side more grandiose buildings and grounds where police dogs and horses are trained.

The rats learn quickly in the darkness. “They need barely 10 to 15 days to learn to distinguish a certain smell,” the policewoman in charge of the project, Monique Hamerslag, told AFP, lifting Derrick out of his large cage and into a smaller one where he will be put to work.

“The more boring a rat’s life is, the better it is at detective work,”said Hamerslag, who also discovered that male rats are better at the job than female rats.

AFP

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News FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

POLITICS

POLITICS

Jagan will only bat for united Andhra YSRC leaders shrug off all questions on the status of Hyderabad if it comes to power in Seemandhra after 2014 elections. The party is for a united strong Andhra Pradesh, not bifurcation. It refuses to accept the division.

Md INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: “Where is the question of Hyderabad now, man?” asked a senior YSRC leader when asked its party’s position vis-a-vis Hyderabad.

As far as the party and its chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is concerned, there should be a united Andhra Pradesh. “If people accept a division, all three regions should be given equal justice, not a percent more to any.” Jagan says he is not against Telangana and wants to tour the region to find out its woes and deal with it accordingly. Division is the last resort, not the first is his strategy.

However, party leaders brush away suggestion that the party had earlier consented to a separate Telangana state.

Speaking to Postnoon YSRCP official spokesperson Gattu Ramachandra Rao said that the party’s stand was very clear over the status of AP from the beginning. “There was no ambiguity on our party president’s stand

‘Ordinance is dangerous and anti-people’ PK SURENDRAN Surendran.pk@postnoon.com

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over the division of the state. We always said that equal justice to be done to the people of all regions by the Centre before dividing the state. If the Centre is not capable of doing, we said that it should simply keep the state united. We also thought the government should invite all political parties for discussions after the announcement of the division of the state. But it did not do so for selfish interests,” he said.

Rao further said that the party would never go back on its stand of united AP at any cost in future. Interestingly, YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also staged fast unto death at Chanchalguda jail espousing the united AP cause. He had to be admitted into NIMS when his health condition got deteriorated.

Speaking further on the city of Hyderabad Ramachandra Rao said that the party would win majority number of seats in GHMC region owing to its united

AP stand. Another party leader and intellectual DV Somayajulu said that the party wants a status quo to be maintained on Hyderabad. When we said that we want United AP, it clearly indicates that we want a status quo on Hyderabad,” he said.

Somayajulu further added that the party had arrived at the decision of championing the united AP cause after much deliberation. “There are various historical reasons which compelled us to adopt our united state stand. it is not possible to divide state as far as allocation of revenue generated by Hyderabd city. It is impossible to create a capital like Hyderabad in Seemandhra,” he noted. Another party leader from Hyderabad city said that the party has been maintaining consistent stand on Hyderabaad and alleged that the ruling Congress party is trying to gain political mileage by troubling its rivals. “ We have been telling them to solve the impasse in an amicable manner. The only worry residents of Seemandhra in the City has is their security after the division.

HYDERABAD: There is a deafening silence among all leaders of the society on the hurried manner in which the Union Cabinet rushed through an ordinance to overcome Supreme Court ruling barring convicted MPs, MLAs from contesting elections. But in some quarters in AP, voices of protests have come up.

The lone political opposition to the move has come from the Lok Satta Party national President Jayaprakash Narayan who called it anti-constitutional and anti-people move. He wanted President to send it back.

President Pranab Mukherjee has already expressed his displeasure about rushing through an ordinance.

Political sources say this unparallel urgency was to protect JRD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, a Congress ally, from a possible conviction he may receive on the fodder scam.

JP said in his letter to the President, “As an elder statesman of the country with unmatched experience and erudition, you are best qualified to protect our democratic institutions, dignity of Parliament and State Legislatures, and rule of law. As the President of the Republic, defender of the Constitution, and conscience keeper of the nation, you have the moral stature and Constitutional authority to intervene and prevent promulgation of the proposed Ordinance.”

He said the Ordinance is a blatantly unconstitutional,

NATION BRIEFS 15 crib deaths reported in Kolkota

CBI questions kin of Sohrabuddin Sheikh

19 killed in bus mishap in Sirmaur

KOLKATA: Fifteen crib deaths were reported at the state-run BC Roy child Hospital since Tuesday. Health Services director BR Satpathy said that the babies were aged within one year and initial investigations revealed that they were suffering from acute infection and most of the cases were referred cases from the districts. On September 24 five babies died, on September 25 nine died and on Thursdayone baby has died.

NEW DELH: The CBI on Thursday questioned the brother of Gujarat fake encounter victim Soharbuddin Sheikh in connection with allegations that senior BJP leaders had conspired to derail the probe in Tulsi Prajapati’s extra-judicial killing in which former minister Amit Shah is an accused. There had been a sting conducted by a journalist who had alleged BJP leaders wanted to sabotage the Tulsi Prajapati fake encounter probe.

SIRMAUR: Nineteen people were killed and another critically injured when a bus rolled down a 600-feet deep gorge near Ransua-Jabrog village in Sirmaur district on Friday morning. The bus with 20 passengers on board was on its way from Uchha Takkar to Renuka when the mishap occurred.The bus broke into pieces and some of the bodies recovered from the wreckage were mutilated beyond recognition.

An Indian Army soldier takes cover behind a Tank, used to force entry inside the Officers’ mess of 16 Cavalry unit during an attack by militants on an army camp at Mesar in Samba District, some 20 kms south-east of Jammu on September 26, 2013.

AFP/STR

The Ordinance seeks to overturn the SC judgment of July 10 holding Section 8 (4) of the Representation of the People Act as “ultra vires.”

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morally wrong and cynical move that will weaken Indian democracy. The Ordinance seeks to overturn the Supreme Court judgment of July 10 holding Section 8 (4) of the Representation of the People Act as ultra vires (beyond the powers). Meanwhile, legal circles in AP too are unhappy at the centre’s move.

LAWYERS TERM IT UNETHICAL

Senior lawyer M Rajendra Reddy saw nothing wrong in promulgating ordinance as Parliament is the supreme body and Supreme Court its watchdog. However, he agreed that there was something mysterious about the way it is being done.

K Parthasarathy, state chief of All India Lawyers Union was very specific. “It is parliament, not union cabinet that should discuss a bill or a situation arising out of the SC ruling and consider a legal remedy.

Promulgating ordinance is for an urgent, people-friendly matter, not for this sort of situation, which is unethical.”

News FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013 ARUN D YELLAMATY arunyellamaty@postnoon.com

T

he Indian football team qualified for the FIFA world cup in 1950 and was the fifth best team in the Olympics from 1952 to 1964 and remained a team to be reckoned with till 1974. A few years down, our football team dropped in ranking, and kept plummeting to the unacceptable 155 of FIFA world ranking after they lost to Afghanistan in the final of the South Asian Football Federation championship on September 11. What went wrong is the big question.

India is a country wedded to cricket, but if we look at today’s generation, people working in IT companies, students and even schoolchildren are fans of football. Many follow and watch EPL, Liga BBVA, World Cup, European championships and more. Many even look up to and want to be like Messi or Ronaldo or Maradona.

There are fan clubs of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Barcelona here in India and there are various special offers put up by restaurants when football matches are played. So as a sport, football is very popular in India.

The interest in football has grown a lot more than what it was in 1950, when India qualified for the FIFA

India Indicator

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he following are some countries that are not foot-balling powerhouses, but are better placed than India in FIFA world rankings: Maldives, Vietnam, Tanzania, Rwanda, Cyprus, St Lucia, Thailand, Sudan, Philippines, Israel.

World Cup. Today India is not able to produce even one football player who can match up to international standards, nor can the national team win international titles.

Paul Masefield, a former English right back and TV pundit has said the most popular sport in the world lacks exposure in India.

“The facilities are poor in India. For me, it is not just the basic level, for me it is to go to the top. Many coaches who I spoke to said that the facilities are bad. For quite a lot of time football was somewhere down to cricket. I saw the Indian cricket team playing football during practice. You can’t say that football is not popular — I think it lacks exposure,” he said.

Syed Hussain, a former International football player and part of Hyderabad Global FC, said, “It was an embarrassing moment when we lost to Afghanistan, the country which is in war and finds little time to play. We Indians, on the other have tons of money, and still put up a losing team. The selection process of the national team is wrong. There are four zones and each zone wants their players to be selected. No one looks into how well they play, if they are worth the selection or if they are the best players we have. They just want their zone players in the national team. The All India Football Federation has lots of money, but doesn’t use it for the correct purpose.

“They mess it up while selecting coaches too. Every coach comes and tries to build a nice unit, only to be fired without being given enough time. They hire foreign coaches who can’t speak the local language; how will they communicate with players who can’t speak or understand English? They must select the best players and stop picking players keeping zones in their mind,” he added.

Another major issue the country faces is problems at the grassroots level. There are no proper tournaments at

INDIAN SOCCER AWAITS RESURRECTION

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PICS: N SHIVA KUMAR

Everything is wrong with football in India. There is no national concern. Parochialism and nepotism kill talents but the amazing thing is that soccer is as popular as cricket but lacks committed patronage. A full-time academy, more dedicated grounds and determination are needed to restore India’s football game to its former glory.

the school level. Nor are their fulltime football academies and state associations, complain football players.

Syed Alamdar Raza, ex-State player, said, “The interest in football is growing in the country, but no one uses the opportunity and help football grow. There should be more football tournaments at school levels. It is at schools that the interest grows. Like in the case of cricket, there should be U-10 and U-12 tournaments in football too. There are hardly any fulltime private football academies; this is a major setback for football. The most important part is there should be one proper state association that handles everything. That is missing. There are more than one, which causes a lot of chaos. Seeing a career in Indian football is very difficult, and that is why many opt out. Many parents don't want their children to play football."

Adding to that, MA Syeed, a football Olympian said, “There are lots of issues due to which football in India is taking a hit. If I have to pick a few, I would say; the administration is not able to build the sport. The league, which they said will help the sport, is not living up to its standards. We need grounds and fulltime football academies. Like there are abroad, there should be junior teams under a league team, like EPL has, and that helps a lot for upcoming footballers."

“We need trained coaches and the football fed-

There are lots of issues due to which football in India is taking a hit. If I have to pick a few, I would say; the administration is not able to build the sport. The league, which they said will help the sport, is not living up to its standards. We need grounds and fulltime football academies.

MA Syeed former football player eration should train a few. Also, a coach should be given the job for a longer time. There should be a long-term goal and more and more children should be exposed to football,” suggested Sayeed.

West Bengal is a state where almost six crore people are fans of the Brazilian football team. Pele of Brazil played in Kolkata once in 1978. In 2009 the great Maradona visited Kolkata. Great footballer of Kolkata like Chuni Goswami, Balaram and PK Banerjee got world recognition in football. Goalkeeper of 1970s, Tarun Basu, is considered the best goalkeeper Asia has ever produced. He used to pick up high lobs in one hand right in front of the opponent players with ease.

Many EPL and Spanish League football teams have shown an interest in setting up football academies in India. We just hope that the government and our sports authorities work on this and help them set one up soon so that in the future, India plays some big international tournaments and also qualifies for the FIFA World Cup... and who knows, bring one home some day!

But for many Indian football fans, to see India play for the FIFA World Cup is a dream that looks very very far from realising in the near future.

News FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

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ROAD RAGE

Speed guns, patrolling for ORR MOHSIN ALI feedback@postnoon.com

dents were due to over speeding, it has been decided to procure vehicles fitted with speed guns and deploy them on he Hyderabad Metropolitan five stretches, including Kolluru to Development Corporation Narsingi, Narsingi to Patancheru, (HMDA) with Hyderabad Pedda Amberpet to Bongulur, Bongulur Growth Corridor Limited came to Tukkuguda and Tukkuguda to up with the 159 km Outer Ring Road Shamshabad, will be set soon”, said Mr (ORR) to ease the burden of the traffic Samuel Anad Kumar, project director, Outer Ring Road. “The ORR has a on city roads.

The HMDA and State government speed limit of 120 kmph speed, but were happy with the project as com- many vehicles users are violating the muters gained some freedom from traf- speed limits and driving on speed of fic hurdles. But the eight lane Ring Road 150 kmph and above, and the other reasoon converted into a fun zone for the sons for accidents is drunken driving, youngsters, and death track for those wrong routes and parking on ORR.” Officials said HMDA will appoint utilizing it for car and bike races resultcontractors as per the ing in the loss of many PPP, for incident manlives. agement system, According to sources, including operation ORR under Cyberabad and maintenance. The jurisdiction, registered incident management more than 3,000 acciinvolves road patrols, dents in which more surveillance, first aid, than 200 persons died, ambulances, cranes since ORR was inauguand other road safety rated. measures apart from Many NGOs and peoproviding crash barriple blaming the authoriers and other regular ties. They allege that there AROUND THE maintenance works is no single precaution CITY for 62 kms radius. facility provided for Since it would take emergencies, like patrolling and ambulance service, no some more time to have a traffic system monitoring or complaint cell to control on Ring Road, meanwhile it has been decided to make arrangements by way over-speeding on the ORR. There is no fencing around the road of more patrolling to prevent accidents leading to animals straying onto the till the full fledged system comes into road resulting in collisions with oncom- place.

The traffic police will also use ing vehicles.

Prateek Reddy, son of ex-minister breathalysers at toll booths to check Komatreddy Venkat Reddy, died in sim- drivers.

However, Cyberabad traffic police ilar accident last year.

The government decided to arrange has said that they are facing manpower safety precautions and the Home issues to deploy dedicated policemen Minister Sabita Indra Reddy had earlier and have written to state government announced that they would be setting a for sanction of additional resources. police check post, patrolling vehicles “We are planning to tie up with NGOs and staff, and speed guns to control but to create awareness among the comnothing has been done so far to control muters on rash driving on ORR. The overspeeding, said Save Indian Family representatives of NGOs would distribute pamphlets and explain the causFoundation.

But now the HMDA and Cyberabad es for road accidents to the commuters traffic have join hands to stop road acci- at toll booths on ORR,” added Avinash dents on this stretch. “Since many acci- Mohanti, DCP traffic Cyberabad.

T

The Outer Ring Road, meant to escape City traffic woes, is being misused by adventurous youngsters and unscrupulous drivers to vroom, putting citizen lives at risk. Several steps are afoot to rein them in.

9

News FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

REPORTERS’ DIARY

Providence saved our police

S

hocking is the lack of sensitivity of our bosses in charge of law and order. If only they would think with head, rather than with heart, the following would not have been permitted to happen.

The day Jagan Mohan Reddy was released on bail from Chanchalguda, it took five hours for him to reach his home in Lotus Pond.

The normal time if the police had paved the way would be 30 minutes. As it happened, every 10 yards he would get down from his vehicle and embrace or greet the crowds that milled around. It made our chief photographer Srinivas Setty think, “God forbid, if a crack in the crowd wanted to harm him, it would have been a child’s play.”

Indeed, if it had happened, the State would have been in turmoil and hundreds would have lost their lives and livelihood. When will police and political bosses learn that not taking chance is also courage? The police duty was to take him safely to his home and leave because he is legally still an under trial, not a free person and his safety is rests squarely on the shoulders of the police and the government. (SS)

TALE OF AN ANADI CONSTABLE Some wise chap once said that the jails and lunatic asylums have sane people as inmates while the corrupt and the insane live outside. Although one does not take it in the literal sense, there is much truth in what he said.

Take the instance of police constable Gnaneshwar. He was convicted for a year in prison and a fine of `5,000 for ‘taking a bribe’ of `600 from a complainant for getting an early post-mortem done on a body in the Osmania hospital mortuary in 2008. Gnanaswar went to prison. The other day he told Postnoon he was a victim of deception by a colleague who was on duty the same day.

In his own words, “Kare koi

Whenever VIPs go past the result is a traffic jam. Why can’t government and police realise that people are not impressed with such shows. Rather, they curse under their breath. (MA)

WHO’LL PLAY THE LAST BALL?

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bhare koi (someone does and someone else pays). On that day, I was on duty and one more person of the hospital was at the mortuary. Somebody tipped off the Anti-Corruption Bureau that those on mortuary duty were taking bribe for favours. The ACB decoy paid `600 to the person but he, a smart Alec, soon realised it was a trap as the note he got must have been marked.

He immediately thrust the money in my hands saying ‘you keep it’, and disappeared through the backdoor. The ACB officials came, handcuffed me and recovered the money. No explanation was acceptable since the marked currency was found on me. I was convicted and lost my face before family and public, while the real bribe taker goes

around as decent man.”

If the story is true, it is indeed a sad one. It shows our system of justice is too tenuous. And while those defrauding the innocents and public for mega sums go around and rule us! One is reminded of the deeply philosophical and playful number Uttam Kumar sang in an old Hindu movie, “Wah Bhagwan tu kya insaaf kiya karte hai!”

(MS)

VIP PAIN Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday laid the foundation stones for various development projects in areas of Kukatpally.

Kiran Kumar Reddy's convoy started at 11am from the camp office and reached Miyapur, which is almost 15 kilometres in just 30 minutes, which usually takes an hour and half for the common man to cover.

A day before, during the chief minister's tour, an ambulance

that was going from Nizampet towards Kukatpally — a distance of one kilometre — took 25 minutes to swim through the traffic.

Commuters wanted to give way to the ambulance, but they were helpless, because the road is too narrow in that area as the Hyderabad Metro Rail work is going on.

Roads at Kukatpally are full to the brim always. The situation is worse now with the HMR project claiming part of the road.

There is no alternative road to reach Kukatpally even for services like an ambulance and traffic police remain mute spectators.

The same situation took place while Jaganmohan Reddy got released from the Chanchalguda jail. Wherever his convoy passed, traffic halted. When he went to Panjgutta and garlanded the statue of YS Rajashekhara Reddy, the traffic jammed in Ameerpet and Khairtabad junctions.

Whatever one may say of him, all will admit that Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is a levelheaded man who does not run down rivals (as some others do) and doesn’t indulge in hysterics.

One mistake he did (which he would not admit in public) was not reading Delhi’s barometer properly on the Telangana issue and he took it for granted like most others that the T is a mirage and would not happen.

But once it happened, he came up with unusual candidness and courage, telling the party that no party is above people and wishes of two-thirds of the State can’t be wished away.

How many Congress chief ministers of today would say that?

Most of the Congress CMs crawl while asked to bend if it will please the Madam. He, as a cricketer, knows that the result of a game is never declared until the last whistle. It means, he still hopes that the division of the State was a hurried decision without considering murderous issues that would come up after one State becomes two. Dividing resources, personnel, water, rivers, irrigation projects and hundred other issues need to be addressed.

On this count, Kiran tends to agree with the Union minister Vayalar Ravi who had come a couple of times before Digvijay Singh was appointed in-charge of AP affairs. He chided media, which were pressing for an answer on T with: “Making Telangana is not as easy as making dosa or idli.” Well said, Ravi, you know that (from experience?)

(PK) (Contributed by Srinivas Setty, Mohd Subhan, Mohsin Ali & PK Surendran)

WORLD BRIEFS Six missing after Jap cargo ship capsizes

Mali rebels suspend talks with government

Panama slaps $1 million fine on N Korean ship

Set to meet ‘20 carbon emissions target: US

Fukushima operator seeks reactor restart

TOKYO: Japan's coastguard was searching Friday for six crew of a Japanese cargo ship that capsized after colliding with a Sierra Leoneregistered vessel. The Eifukumaru No 18 was found capsized in waters off Japan's Izuoshima island, around 100 kilometres south of Tokyo by patrol boats and a plane that had been dispatched to the area.

OUAGADOUGOU: Tuareg and Arab rebels, who control northern Mali, announced Thursday the suspension of negotiations with the Bamako government, dealing a blow to hopes of a durable peace.

The central issue is the future status of northern Mali, which the Tuareg movements call 'Azawad'.

COLON: The Panama Canal Authority announced Thursday that it slapped a $1 million fine on a North Korean cargo ship caught with an undeclared shipment of Cuban weapons in July. The canal administrator, Jorge Quijano, said the ship was sanctioned because "it put our canal and our people at risk to a certain point."

WASHINGTON: The US is on the way to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and by 2020 it will reduce it by 17 percent from what it were in 2005, a government report said. The average US greenhouse gas emissions from 2009-11 fell to the lowest level for any three-year period since 1994-96, Xinhua cited from a US Climate Action Report.

TOKYO: Fukushima operator Tepco on Friday asked Japan's nuclear watchdog for permission to restart a separate atomic power station, as it resumed cleaning polluted water at the crippled plant. Tokyo Electric Power switched on treatment systems at the tsunamiwrecked site, seen as key to winning public support.

News FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

10

GOING VIRAL

CAGED

Celebs furious after phone numbers leak on WhatsApp

ARUN DANIEL feedback@postnoon.com

Iain Rogers is one of many Greenpeace activists being detained and tried at the Leninsky District Court for an open-sea protest against Arctic oil drilling, resulting in criminal charges.

AFP PHOTO /GREENPEACE / IGOR PODGORNY

MEDICAL MIRACLE

Big Zaw gets fresh lease of life after brain surgery YANGON: Myanmar's tallest man — "Big Zaw" —has returned from Singapore where doctors said he underwent successful brain surgery to remove a tumour responsible for his excessive growth.

Win Zaw Oo, who stands seven feet eight inches tall (233 centimetres) arrived in Yangon on Thursday from the city-state where specialists carried out the life-saving eight-hour operation.

Media reports about "Big Zaw", who is believed to be the tallest man in the former juntaruled nation, stirred global interest leading to offers to pay for the

AUSTRALIA

Sect follower loses bid to refuse blood

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$55,000 surgery.

"Everything is fine with me now," the 36-year-old, nicknamed 'Big Zaw' told reporters late Thursday.

Khin Maung Win, a liver specialist who contacted Win Zaw Oo after his condition came to light and offered to pay most of the costs, said the operation was a "100 percent success".

"If he did not have the treatment, he would have grown taller and taller... and he would die. Now he has the chance to live," he said. "Win Zaw Oo is now a normal healthy man."

AFP

SYDNEY: An Australian teenager Friday lost his court battle to refuse life-saving medical treatment because he is a Jehovah’s Witness, with a court upholding an earlier judgement permitting a blood transfusion.

The 17-year-old, who suffers from an aggressive cancer, lost his case against Sydney Children’s Hospital in March in which he had argued that treating him with blood products or a transfusion would breach his relationship with God. His appeal in the New South Wales Supreme Court

against that judgement failed Friday after no basis was found to legally set aside the earlier order.

Justice John Basten said there was no reason why a different result should be achieved just because the applicant was now closer to his 18th birthday, which is in January, and at which point he can exercise his right to refuse treatment.

“The interest of the state is in keeping him alive until that time, after which he will be free to make his own decisions as to medical treatment,” he wrote.

The teenager, who suffers from Hodgkin’s disease, initially had several bouts of chemotherapy which achieved only a limited reduction in the size of many tumours, and no enduring remission of the disease.

His doctors recommended higher doses of different chemotherapy agents, ones which carried the inevitable side effect of anaemia and by February this year severe anaemia had set in, requiring either a blood transfusion or a cessation of treatment.

Advice was that he had an 80 per cent chance of dying from anaemia without receiving a blood transfusion -- a treatment which goes against the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

AFP

HYDERABAD: For a few days now, a lot of phones have been getting forwards from friends and unknown people and also private numbers of more than 50 Bollywood celebrities on the list.

Not kidding!

The list of phone numbers shared had numbers of Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Anupam Kher, Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, RGV and so on. When this reporter received one such message he decided to investigate. Turns out that a lot of numbers were indeed the correct phone numbers that celebs were currently using.

Rahul Kumar, a student and yet another recipient narrates his own experience.

He says, “I had got this random message on what’s app, and it was long forward. When I was about to delete it, I noticed that there were a few numbers of celebs. At first I dismissed it as a prank but out of curiosity, I just tried a few numbers. The first few on the list were unavailable but when one number got connected. When the director picked up the call, I enquired whether it was really him and he replied saying yes and asked who I was.

When I sad I was a fan, he immediately hung up the phone and when I tried back he did not take my call and later switched off his phone.”

When we got in touch with

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one of the celebs whose number was on the list, the veteran actor answered his other number, (which was not on the list) and said,”Some mischievous people who had our number leaked it out, due to which I have been getting phone calls. So, I had to turn it off and take another number. This is very annoying, I didn’t want to change my number.

Who ever did this, it’s not right in their part. I saw the list and a lot of numbers were correct number, which actors were using.”

“For those people who got the message, I’d would request them to stop calling the numbers provided and even stop passing it on. We need to respect the privacy of celebs too. We wouldn’t like it if it happened to us,” opines another youngster, Krishna Reddy.

INCONSOLABLE

A woman weeps next to her house destroyed during an earthquake on the eve, in Acari, Arequipa, 520 km south of Lima, on September 26, 2013. The 7.0 earthquake was felt with varying intensity in at least eight departments in the south and midwest.

AFP PHOTO/STR

11

News FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

MAN-MADE DISASTER

LANDMARK RULING

Voter has right to negative voting: SC

NEW DELHI: In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court Friday said that for a vibrant democracy the voter has the right to negative voting by rejecting all the candidates in fray by exercising the option of None of the Above (NOTA) in EVMs and ballot papers.

The apex court bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that negative voting would gradually lead to systemic changes as political parties will have to respect the will of the people in selecting their candidates.

Pronouncing the judgment, Chief Justice Sathasivam said the mechanism of negative voting is necessary and vibrant part of democracy.

The court directed the election commission to introduce a button providing for NOTA in the EVMs and also in the ballot papers. It asked the Central government to provide all assistance to the election commission in introducing NOTA option in the EVMs and ballot papers.

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) had moved the apex court in 2004 with a plea that voters should have a right to negative vote, saying that it does not want to vote any of the can-

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didates listed in EVM. It had sought directions to Election Commission (EC) to make provision in the EVMs providing option “None of the Above” and the right to say NOTA should be kept secret.

The apex court bench of Justice BN Agrawal (since retired) and Justice GS Singhvi by their February 23, 2009 judgment while referring the matter to a larger bench had framed two questions for the court to examine “whether the right of voter to exercise his choice for the candidate is a necessary concomitant of the voter’s freedom of expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution”.

The court on the second aspect had said, “We are further of the view that width and amplitude of the power of the (Election) Commission under Article 324 needs further consideration by a larger Bench in the light of the (earlier) judgments of this court whereby the elector’s right to be informed about the assets and antecedents of the persons seeking election to the legislature has been duly recognised”.

IANS

Building collapse kills 1, injures 6, traps 50 MUMBAI: One person was killed and six injured when a four-storey building came crashing down in south Mumbai Friday morning, officials said. About 50 people are feared trapped under the debris and rescuers scrambled to save them, said an official.

Situated near the Dockyard Road in south Mumbai, the building is a civic employees’ staff quarter. It is at least fivedecades old.

It suddenly collapsed around 5.45 a.m, catching a majority of residents in their sleep, the official said.

A few years ago, it had been

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declared extremely dilapidated and had been examined by a team of BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) that recommended urgent

repairs and shifting of the families living there.

“There were 28 rooms on the four floors of which 22 were occupied by civic employees and their families, besides a godown on the ground floor where several labourers were living. The delay in shifting out the residents to transit camps and carrying out repairs has led to the avoidable tragedy,” claimed Suresh Jadhav, a former municipal corporator from the area.

Mumbai Mayor Suresh Prabhu said priority is to rescue those who are trapped and efforts were continuing on a war-footing.

IANS

CONSERVATION

Tourism 2013 focuses on water

I

n support of United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation, World Tourism Day 2013, is being held under the theme Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future.

This year’s theme highlights tourism’s role in water access and shines a spotlight on the actions currently being taken by the sector in order to contribute to a more sustainable water future, as well as the challenges ahead.

Tourism today is a trillion dollar sector involving the movement of over one billion tourists a year around the world and another five to six billion domestically.

In line with the 2013 UN International Year of Water Cooperation, the 2013 theme for World Tourism Day is Tourism and

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NATION

Water: Protecting our Common Future. It represents a unique opportunity to raise awareness of tourism’s role in water access and shine a spotlight on the sector’s contribution to a more sustainable water future.

Tourism has proven to provide

environmentally sound solutions, as well as political and financial support, for the conservation and sustainable use of water sources. But more must be done. With a record one billion international tourists travelling in a single year in 2012, now is the time to commit to a more sustainable tourism sector in order to protect our common future.

This year’s theme highlights tourism’s role in water access and shines a spotlight on the actions currently being taken by the sector in order to contribute to a more sustainable water future, as well as the challenges ahead.

PICK YOUR

@

Across Stores

ities Twin C

12

News FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

SYRIAN CRISIS

US, Russia break deadlock on Syria chemical arms After the 15-member council held its first talks on the text, diplomats said a vote would be held Friday with foreign ministers from the major powers taking part.

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UNITED NATIONS: The United States and Russia agreed a draft UN Security Council resolution Thursday on destroying Syria’s chemical weapons, breaking a prolonged deadlock over the country’s bitter conflict.

After the 15-member council held its first talks on the text, diplomats said a vote would be held Friday with foreign ministers from the major powers taking part.

If agreed, the resolution would be the first passed by the panel on Syria since the civil war — which the UN says has killed more than 100,000 people — started in March 2011.

“I don’t think it is the time for high fives or back slapping or anything,” said the US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power.

But “we have before us a very significant breakthrough in terms of the Security Council acting finally, potentially, in a united fashion in order to impose binding legal obligations on

NO TIME FOR HIGH-FIVES YET I don’t think it is the time for high fives or back slapping or anything.

Samantha Power.

US envoy to the UN

Chief expert, Ake Sellstrom checks his mobile phone in a vehicle as UN chemical weapons experts’ convoy leaves an hotel in the Syrian capital Damascus on September 26, 2013. The experts arrived in Syria on September 25 on their second mission to the country, where they will examine some 14 alleged incidents involving the use of chemical weapons.

AFP/LOUAI BESHARA

the Syrian regime for the first time.”

The council has barely been able to discuss Syria since fighting broke out there. Russia, which backs President Bashar alAssad, has vetoed three Westerndrafted resolutions seeking to increase pressure on him.

Moscow has completely

The significance

I

f agreed, the resolution would be the first passed by the panel on Syria since the civil war — which the UN says has killed more than 100,000 people — started in March 2011.

US Secretary of State John Kerry (R) and Samantha Power.

rejected any suggestion of military force or sanctions against Assad.

The new draft US-Russian resolution, seen by AFP, does not propose immediate measures over a chemical attack in a Damascus suburb a month ago that Power said had been “the catalyst” for the new unity. But it allows for possible sanctions — after a new vote — if there are breaches of a disarmament plan.

The text says the council “decides in event of non-compliance with this resolution, including unauthorized transfer of chemical weapons or any use of chemical weapons by anyone in the Syrian Arab Republic, to impose measures under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.”

It says the council can consider measures if the world chemical weapons watchdog or UN leader Ban Ki-moon report a breach of a Russia-US disarmament plan.

Chapter VII can allow sanctions or military force. But there would have to be a new vote and diplomats predicted tough talks to persuade Russia not to use its veto again.

Any action would be “proportionate to the gravity of the violation,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

European nations had also wanted the resolution to refer the Syrian conflict to the International Criminal Court.

But the draft says only that the council “expresses strong conviction that those individuals responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria should be held accountable.”

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius still called the proposed resolution “a step forward” and added “we are satisfied.”

The resolution accord was announced after new talks between Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Lavrov told reporters “an understanding” with the United States on a draft UN resolution and a joint disarmament plan to be approved by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Kerry, meanwhile, said the international community “can now move forward and give life hopefully to the removal and destruction of chemical weapons from Syria.”

OTHER NEWS

Iran’s Rouhani warns of Syria Talibanization NEW YORK CITY: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned Thursday that Syria could become an extremist haven like Taliban-era Afghanistan as he called for cooperation to end the country’s civil war.

Iran considers Syrian President Bashar al-Assad its closest regional ally and has not accepted US intelligence that the regime killed some 1,400 people in a chemical weapons attack last month.

Iran begins talks with atomic agency VIENNA: Following a diplomatic frenzy in New York, Iran was due Friday to hold talks with the UN atomic agency, their 11th such meeting but the first since Hassan Rouhani’s election. The International Atomic Energy Agency regularly inspects Iran’s nuclear activities and every quarter its reports outline a continued expansion in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.

SC passes first resolution on small arms UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council passed its first resolution Thursday on restricting the trade in illicit small arms, but Russia refused to back the measure.

Russia was the only member of the 15nation body not to support the resolution drawn up by Australia, the council’s current president.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Business

INDO-JAPAN JOINT VENTURE IN THE OFFER

Insecticides (India) Ltd has partnered with Japan-based Otsuka AgriTechno Co Ltd to set up a joint venture for research and development of new agrochemical molecules. The two companies are setting up a state-of-the-art research centre in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan.

SPENDING SHOWDOWN

13

LIVE HALE AND HEARTY

Obama raises stakes in debt Speaking at a community college near the US capital, the president warned he would not tolerate the Republican gambit on health care.

STEPHEN COLLINSON feedback@postnoon.com WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama (in pic) warned on Thursday he would never allow Republicans to kill or delay his health care law, raising the stakes in a showdown that could shutter the government or trigger a US debt default.

Republicans oppose the overall law because they see it as government interference. They also argue that the exchanges are not ready.

House of Representatives Republicans are refusing to fund a stopgap budget or raise the $16.7 trillion federal borrowing ceiling unless the president agrees to defund or delay socalled Obamacare -- his greatest domestic political achievement.

If no deal is reached in less than five days, the government could shudder to a halt next Tuesday, at the start of the new

fiscal year, and by October 17 the United States could default on its debts for the first time ever.

But Obama, speaking at a community college near the US capital, warned sharply he would not tolerate the Republican gambit on health care.

"Some have threatened a government shutdown if they can't shut down this law," Obama said.

"Others have actually threatened an economic shutdown by refusing to pay America's bills if they can't delay the law."

But "that's not going to happen as long as I'm president," he

added. "The Affordable Care Act is here to stay."

The law works by expanding the pool of people buying insurance and sharing costs. It requires all Americans to have health insurance -- either by plans provided by their employers or through new health insurance exchanges, which start going into effect on October 1.

Republicans oppose the overall law because they see it as unacceptable government interference. They also argue that the exchanges are not ready.

The House last week passed a temporary budget, known as a continuing resolution (CR), that maintains federal spending at current levels for the coming months while Congress works out a long-term deal.

But it controversially included a provision stripping the health care law of its funding.

The Democratic-led Senate balked, and is widely expected to pass the spending bill with the health care law language stripped out. That vote is scheduled for Friday.

AFP

STUDY FINDING

Sonar mapping for oil killed whales KERRY SHERIDAN feedback@postnoon.com

ciated with relatively high frequency mapping sonar systems," said the report released by the International Whaling Commission.

"Earlier such events may have been undetected because detailed inquiries were not conducted."

The researchers described a "highly unusual event" in which melon-headed whales became stranded in shallow waters in the Loza Lagoon system in northwest Madagascar in May and June 2008.

The culprit was named as a high-power 12 kilohertz multibeam echosounder system, or MBES, operated by an ExxonMobil vessel on May 29.

AFP

WASHINGTON: A noisy technology that blasts high-frequency sounds below water to map the ocean for oil probably caused the deaths of 75 melon-headed whales off Madagascar, experts said on Thursday.

An independent panel of scientists found that sonar surveying by ExxonMobil in late May 2008 led to the sudden displacement of around 100 whales, of which at least three-quarters died.

"This is the first known such marine mammal mass stranding event closely asso-

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HYDERABAD: Healthy Heart Foods, an edible oils company, launched ‘Healthy Heart Foundation’ with the objective to reduce the epidemic spread of heart diseases. The foundation will address the issue of misinformation and also help the underprivileged, by making knowledge freely available in an easy and understandable manner to suit the Indian way of life. It also will reach out to people who are suffering from heart diseases and help them connect with the right doctors and ensure they receive treatment at minimal cost.

NUMEROLOGY

$1

bn

will be the cost of the Pentagon notification the US Congress on Thursday made of a proposed contract with Japan to upgrade the country's early warning radar aircraft.

MADOFF ACCOUNTANT HELD NEW YORK CITY: US authorities on Thursday arrested a former accountant for disgraced Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme on criminal charges of falsifying records and bilking investors.

Paul Konigsberg, a longtime accountant for Madoff Securities, pleaded not guilty on five counts in a federal court in downtown New York City. Konigsberg was released on bail, according to a person familiar with the case. The justice department indictment depicts Konigsberg as a critical supporter and enabler of Madoff's Ponzi scheme. "In order to keep his scheme hidden for so long, Madoff needed the assistance of certain willing outsiders that could be trusted to handle otherwise suspicious activity," the indictment said.

THUS SPAKE I wish to bring about a society where women shine, both within Japan and also in regions in conflict and countries suffering from poverty.

SHINZO ABE, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER

BSE NSE

19,841.97 53.12

5,871.35 11.25

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Comment

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS Contrary to claims by the saffron party, the Raghuram Rajan panel report based on a multidimensional index has categorised Gujarat one of eleven less developed states in the country. With the BJP pushing for Narendra Modi as the next PM, reprieve from poverty for the common man could stay a distant dream.

FRENCH ROMA

14

‘We are not all beggars, thieves’ ALIX RIJCKAERT COUNTERING COMMUNITY

E

thnic Roma who have built lives and careers in France hit back at a government minister who said they were incapable of integrating and should be deported.

As the row over Interior Minister Manuel Valls’s controversial remarks rumbled on, some of the Roma who have defied the odds to thrive in France warned that stereotyping a community that has been persecuted for centuries would not help anyone.

“My future is in France, for my work and for my children,” said Sorin Ciorba, who only four years ago was living with his family in a makeshift shack made from cardboard boxes in a camp on the outskirts of Paris.

The vast majority of the estimated 20,000 Roma in France live rough in similar, usually unauthorised, encampments.

From there to the world of regular work and monthly rent is a long journey and Ciorba readily admits he needed luck and help to make it.

He met a worker from the Emmaus charity who helped him find accommodation in a temporary housing project set up by a local authority, and soon he was helping to build bungalows for other families.

“It’s while working that I learnt French,” he said, sitting in

his colourful flat in Paris’s 15th district, where he now lives with his wife and six children, having obtained a work permit and been taken on full-time by Emmaus.

“Not all steal or beg,” he said.

‘HERE LIFE IS GOOD’ Liliana Hristache, who lived in a shantytown between 2004 and 2007, said her community could deliver, if given a chance.

“We really must be given opportunities,” said Hristache, who now works as a concierge in a building in the Paris suburb of Montreuil.

“I hear what Manuel Valls is saying. It’s true that the Roma have a very different mentality,” she admitted, arguing that does not however make them incapable of adapting to the French way of life.

“When my husband and I arrived in France, we did not know what an employment contract or a payslip was ... but it’s changed now and we too have adapted,” she said.

A man, who identified himself as Sergiu, said he had come to France five years ago as he had been told that “by begging you can earn 50 euros per day.”

But he was soon disillu-

sioned.

“I only earned maybe two euros a day, it was hard,” he said.

He now works in home care and is fed and lodged and receives 500 euros a month, of which he sends 150 euros back to his family in Romania.

“In Romania, it’s hard, there is no work.. Here life is good, you can take a chance to advance. That’s why we are here,” he told AFP. France signalled Wednesday that it would join other EU countries in blocking Bulgaria and Romania’s entry to the Schengen group of countries which allow passport-free travel between them, in a move interpreted as reflecting concern over Roma migration from the two countries.

“Today, we consider that Romania and Bulgaria do not fulfil the conditions to be integrated” into the Schengen area, government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said.

The announcement of France’s previously undeclared view on the issue came a day after the European Commission warned Paris that its attitude towards the Roma could put it in breach of its EU treaty commitments on the free movement of people.

As well as infuriating Brussels, Valls triggered an outcry from rights groups and some of his colleagues by saying any Roma not working should be “delivered back to the borders”, describing their way of life as “extremely different from ours,” and claiming they will never integrate into French society. AFP

EDITORIAL The BCCI should give the devil his due

T

hose who keep harping that Test cricket is the true indicator of proficiency at the game can go on with it. They will be the ones to lose out on the tremendous entertainer that Twenty20 is. The fact of the matter is Test cricket has had its time, T20 is having its now. Time today is in short change; five days is too long a time. In fact, T20s have had a positive effect on Tests of today — the ratio of wins has gone up. Also, success is a yardstick that one cannot ignore, and T20 has had suc-

READERS’ VIEWS

cess written all over it ever since it invaded India with the Indian Premier League. It has ensured full stadiums. It has hogged television TRPs. Release dates of movies are deferred so as not to lose box office collections when clashing with T20 seasons. Exam dates are realigned and even election dates contemplated. Women now know the game a lot better. Such has been the stronghold of the T20s over the country in the last decade. The credit for this sea change goes to one simple-looking but

READERS’ VIEWS

smart-thinking gentleman who goes by the name Kerry Packer, err, Lalit Modi.

Modi, that reminds us, re-enacted the Packer play, shortening the game more than Packer did and doubled the mileage. The least the Board of Control for Cricket in India can do is acknowledge that this master showman is the creator of the golden egg-laying goose called T20. Their show of a holier-thanthou attitude by banning him is not cutting ice with anyone. A shrewd businessman Modi leveraged his marketing skills

and India’s growing stature in the game to telling effect and has singularly made BCCI the money-spinning behemoth that it is today. Wheeling deals one after another the man was, alas, consumed by the same web he had spun. While it was not a surprise that Modi got the boot, what is surprising is that all 29 members voted to expel him. Very upright indeed!

Whatever happened to the judgement of these righteous gentlemen when their current boss was in the dock? But then, the boss is always right, you see.

you write to ussuggestions, comments, suggestions, just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or We invite youWe to invite write to usto comments, viewpoint or viewpoint just about or anything to feedback@postnoon.com or Plot no.550-A1,3rd floor, no-92, Hills, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad-500033 Landmark - Volkswagen showroom # Plot No#550-A1,3rd Floor, Road NoRoad 92, Jubilee Hyderabad-500033 Landmark – Volkswagen showroom or even by way or of even a callby onway 4067 Editor: of2222. a call on 4067Dean 2222.Williams Editor: Dean Williams

15

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

music

GOOOOOOOOD MORNING ALEPPO!

Home-grown radio brings ‘fresh air’ to Syria’s Aleppo ANTONIO PAMPLIEGA Agence France-Presse ALEPPO: “Gooood morning, Vietnam,” Wael Adel joked as he prepared to greet his listeners halfway around the world from Fresh Air of Syria radio in the war-battered northern city of Aleppo.

“I’ve always wanted to say that, ever since I watched the movie,” said Adel, aged 30, referring to the 1987 Oscar nominee in which Robin Williams played an unorthodox DJ broadcasting to American troops.

Sitting in his studio, the walls soundproofed with empty egg cartons, he shuffles his papers, rehearses the news bulletin once more and starts to record.

Adel and his six colleagues in Aleppo can’t broadcast live, so they pre-record everything and send it by Internet to another team across the border in Turkey.

“We would have loved to do live shows, but that’s impossible because we don’t have a sound engineer or the means to do it,” said Adel, an Arabic literature graduate who directs Fresh Air of Syria.

Aleppo, Syria’s second city and once its business hub, has been rocked since July 2012, when rebels first assaulted it, by endless fighting as government forces try to retake it.

It is now divided into proand anti-regime neighbourhoods, with large swathes of it having been destroyed.

Nine months ago, Adel and some of his friends living in exile in Turkey decided that people there needed to know what was going on, and that’s how the radio station was born.

“In Aleppo, there was no electricity, no TV. People didn’t know what was happening either here or elsewhere in the country,” he said.

News, public affairs and music.

The 12-man operation, its numbers evenly split between

Nine months ago, Adel and some of his friends living in exile in Turkey decided that people there needed to know what was going on, and that’s how the radio station was born.

Aleppo and Turkey, broadcasts 24/7 on the Internet and over the airwaves on 98.5 FM. As well as keeping listeners up-to-date on the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, Fresh Air also gives them moral support during bombings, Adel explained.

“Many people listen to the radio so that they don’t feel alone,” he told AFP, proudly adding that he’s heard accounts of “whole families locking themselves up in a room to listen.”

More than 26,400 people “like” the radio station’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/radio.n saeem.syria), contributing immensely to its growing popularity.

“We weren’t very well known in Aleppo, because unless you had Internet, you couldn’t hear us. Slowly, our audience has grown,” said Adel.

He said he spent days painting the radio’s logo on Aleppo’s walls, so that residents would become familiar with it.

“I have friends in regimeheld areas (of Aleppo) who tune in every day,” he smiled.

“But it’s the taxi drivers who listen to us most, because they spend their whole day listening to the radio. And when they recognise my voice, it

makes me feel proud of my work.”

But the first months weren’t easy for Adel and his team.

“Because of the frequent power cuts, we couldn’t send our reports to our colleagues in Turkey,” said 22-year-old Baher, a former pharmacy employee who now works at Fresh Air. The station broadcasts three weekly programmes, along with regular news bulletins.

The rest of the day is filled with Arabic music.

The first programme hosts local rebel leaders, the police, fire department and utilities chiefs, who talk about problems in the city.

Another hosts “a doctor who talks to citizens about health. It’s a good show, but because there aren’t any phone lines in Aleppo, people can’t call in to ask questions”, Adel said.

Instead, the team invites participants to go into the stu-

dio to share their views.

But the most successful show is a satire starring two comedians -- Wadih and Mutiq -- who quip about daily life in Aleppo.

“People love this one because it brings lightness into the war, and at times like this, it’s not easy to laugh,” Adel said.

Taxi driver Abu Ali surfs the airwaves looking for the station.

“I love this radio station because, last winter, it was the only one my family and I could listen to,” he said.

But not everyone has been so cooperative, says 20-year-old Abu Hassan, another member of the Fresh Air team.

Few people agree to go on air to voice their views, “because they think that if they cross over into the regime side, their voices will be recognised and they will be thrown in jail”, the journalism student explained. “As if the regime had nothing better to do than listen to the radio,” he added.

There are other problems.

“Last week, the (rebel) Free Syrian Army threatened to arrest us because we were asking people questions on the streets. They accused us of being spies,” said Abu Hassan.

But Adel and his team carry on. “I’d love to set up a television channel, though I know that it’s complicated,” said Adel, as he put on his headphones, getting ready for another show.

- AFP

18

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

spotlight DANCE OF FLAVOURS

1

2

3

4

7

8

9

10

5

6

11

1 Prakruti 2 Rupal 3 Latha 4 Vinni Singh 5 Priyanka 6 Manju 7 Nikita Reddy 8 Sushma

1

5

N E W EAT E R Y 2

6

10 Arpita

9 Seema 11 Deepti

Club Se La Vie launched a Kuchipudi restaurant at Katriya Hotel in Somajiguda. The event was organised by Nikita Reddy and had women dressed in traditional attire.

3

4

AN ENTERTAINING EVENING

7

Theatre enthusiasts in the city thronged the Park Hotel, Somajiguda to watch Mahesh Dattani’s play, Big Fat City.

1 Seema Azharuddin

3 Akhila & Ramesh

2 Sangeeta & Sampath

4 A scene

from the play 5 Sonali & Sonia

6 Shrmila & Rajesh 7 Basith with wife

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

health

ANOTHER DENGUE DEATH IN SILIGURI

One more person died of dengue while over 300 confirmed patients have been admitted to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH). Two people, including a child, suspected to be suffering from dengue, died in a nursing home since Tuesday. IANS

MIRACLE PILLS

19

Study questions brain benefit of omega-3s Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish and nuts, have been touted as potential brain-boosters in aging.

ELIZABETH LANDAU feedback@postnoon.com

I

f there were a food or dietary supplement guaranteed to help preserve our thinking skills, memory and verbal fluency later in life, we'd all take it. Unfortunately, we don't have such a miracle pill.

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish and nuts, have been touted as potential brain-boosters in aging. In some studies they were shown to be associated with a lower risk of dementia.

A new study in the journal Neurology is a knock against that theory, but more research needs to be done to confirm, as it does not prove or disprove a cause-and-effect relationship.

"Our study was observational and should not be viewed as a definitive answer on the relationship between omega-3s and cognitive function," lead study author Eric Ammann of the University of Iowa said in an e-mail. "In making health-related decisions about diet and supplements, we would advise people to consider the total body of evidence and to consult with their health care providers."

PARTICIPANTS

The study looked at 2,157 women aged 65 to 80 who had normal cognition and were already enrolled in a clinical

trial for hormone therapy. They were part of a sub-study of the large Women's Health Initiative study.

Researchers followed the participants for a median of 5.9 years.

METHODS

The study authors analysed results from blood samples that were taken from participants before they were randomly assigned to take estrogen or placebo in the broader Women's Health Initiative Study.

Researchers looked at two omega-3 fatty acids, which have been implicated in protection against cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline: DHA and EPA. They measured biomarkers of these fatty acids in participants' red blood cells

as a way of seeing how much exposure they had to these acids.

Participants also received a variety of tests to assess such skills as fine motor speed, spatial ability, short-term visual memory, verbal memory, verbal knowledge, verbal fluency and working memory. They took these cognitive assessments annually during the study.

RESULTS

Researchers did not find a significant association between the DHA + EPA levels and cognitive function at the start of the study, or with change over time in any of the areas that were tested.

"In our study, cognitive function declined at the same rate in older women across the

range of omega-3 blood levels.

Our results are more in line with the findings of randomised trials of omega-3 supplements, which have not found a protective effect on cognition over short treatment periods," Ammann said.

A randomised controlled trial, in which participants are randomly assigned to take a given quantity of omega-3s - or not - is considered much stronger scientifically than an observational study such as this one. A 2012 systematic review of such studies found no evidence that omega-3s in cognitively healthy older people leads to cognitive benefits, but noted that studies of longer duration are required for further investigation.

Why, then, have associa-

tions been found in other studies between omega-3s and brain benefits? Ammann points out that people who eat a lot of fish or nuts, or take omega-3 supplements, may be more affluent and health-conscious than those who do not. "They are also less likely to smoke, more likely to exercise, and have a lower body mass index," he said.

LIMITATIONS

Although the new study had a large sample size and gave annual cognitive tests to participants, there are a few caveats that limit the strength of the study. For instance, the DHA + EPA levels were measured at the start of the study but never again, even though participants' dietary habits may have changed over time.

Furthermore, participants in this study were all women and tended to be healthier and more educated than the average older American woman who does not have dementia, the study said.

More research is necessary to see whether omega-3s really do live up to the potential hailed by other studies. In the meantime, talk to your doctor about what diet and supplements are right for you.

(Elizabeth Landau is a CNN health writer/producer)

20

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Technology GIZMO WAR

AMAZON KINDLES JOIN GADGET BATTLE

Kindle Fire HDX tablets feature a so-called Mayday Button for users to call technical support around the clock. A representative, who can see the screen, will help troubleshoot by even navigating the device remotely.

SEATTLE: Amazon.com Inc has begun selling faster and lighter versions of its Kindle tablet with a unique video helpdesk feature aimed at giving it a leg-up over Apple Inc and Google Inc during the holiday season.

Kindle Fire HDX tablets feature a so-called Mayday Button for users to call technical support around the clock.

A representative, who can see the screen, will help troubleshoot by even navigating the device remotely.

The target

A

mazon is targeting a maximum 15-second response time for Mayday but would not say exactly how many support staff were behind the service.

The service, free for HDX customers, is Amazon’s way of standing out in an increasingly crowded field of similar devices. mazon is the world’s largest online retailer and has a growing library of digital content. Consumers pay far less for Kindles than Apple’s iPad and Android tablets from Samsung Electronics. But those gadgets have far more applications, which many industry experts consider the

THE HUMMINGBIRD

Google unveils major upgrade

G

most vital factor behind purchase decisions.

Amazon is targeting a maximum 15-second response time for Mayday but would not say exactly how many support staff were behind the service.

Amazon is training reps by the thousands and will hire more if needed, Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said.

“We’ll be ready for Christmas morning, which is always a very big tech support day for us.”

It is unclear how the upclose-and-personal support feature will affect the underlying cost of supporting the Kindle. Amazon already runs one of the Internet retail industry’s largest customer service centers.

Even if the new feature does end up incurring extra costs, Amazon is banking that customers will ultimately use Kindles more to purchase higher profit-margin products and services.

“We actually think it’s going to make us more efficient,” Bezos said, noting that letting support personnel see users’ screens will make many issues easier to solve.

Amazon sells Kindle devices at close to cost and then profits off the sale of digital content such as video and music, or physical goods like books from its website. That

Better and lighter

T

he new tablets, one with a 7-inch (18cm) screen and one with an 8.9-inch screen, are lighter and more powerful than the last Kindle HD line and appear to be aimed at Apple’s iPad. Amazon’s new HDX tablets come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage sizes.

strategy has helped to quickly establish the Kindle as a topselling tablet, behind Apple’s iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy range.

Since Amazon took the plunge into the then-nascent tablet market with the Kindle Fire in 2011, the devices have proven to be effective vending machines for purchases.

“The third-generation of Kindle tablets mark another meaningful step forward, and increasingly differentiate Kindle Fire from the increasingly crowded tablet market,” Robert W Baird analyst Colin Sebastian said on Wednesday.

“However, our biggest push-back on Kindle is the lack of a compelling app store or library of apps, compared to what is available from Apple or Google,” said Sebastian.

Apple users have about

375,000 dedicated tablet apps to choose from, far more than those for Android and Kindle tablet users.

BY THE NUMBERS The latest Kindles, which run the newest version of Amazon’s own Google Android-based operating software codenamed Mojito, will go up against steep competition this coming holidays.

Samsung began selling its Note 3 “phablet” - a cross between a tablet and a phone on Wednesday.

Apple is expected to take the wraps off its own beefedup iPads in coming months, hoping to sustain its dominance of a tablet market it helped create with the first device in 2010.

The new tablets, one with a 7-inch (18cm) screen and one with an 8.9-inch screen, are lighter and more powerful than the last Kindle HD line.

Amazon’s new HDX tablets come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage sizes.

The smaller Kindle Fire HDX tablet starts at $229 and the bigger tablet starts at $379, both for 16GB wifi models.

Amazon is taking pre-orders immediately for wifi-only models, with shipping scheduled for October for the 7-inch tablet and November for the 8.9-inch tablet.

AGENCIES

oogle has unveiled an upgrade to the way it interprets users’ search requests.

The new algorithm, codenamed Hummingbird, is the first major upgrade for three years, reports the BBC. It has already been in use for about a month, and affects about 90% of Google searches.

At a presentation on Thursday, the search giant was short on specifics but said Hummingbird is especially useful for longer and more complex queries.

Google stressed that a new algorithm is important as users expect more natural and conversational interactions with a search engine — for example, using their voice to speak requests into mobile phones, smart watches and other wearable technology.

Hummingbird is focused more on ranking information based on a more intelligent understanding of search requests, unlike its predecessor, Caffeine, which was targeted at better indexing of websites.

It is more capable of understanding concepts and the relationships between them rather than simply words, which leads to more fluid interactions. In that sense, it is an extension of Google’s “Knowledge Graph” concept introduced last year aimed at making interactions more human.

In one example, shown at the presentation, a Google executive showed off a voice search through her mobile phone, asking for pictures of the Eiffel Tower. After the pictures appeared, she then asked how tall it was. After Google correctly spoke back the correct answer, she then asked “show me pictures of the construction” - at which point a list of images appeared.

The news was announced at an press event at the Silicon Valley garage where founders Sergei Brin and Larry Page worked on the launch of Google.

21

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Entertainment SPECIAL APPEARANCE

LAKSHMI MANCHU GETS SPECIAL ATTENTION

CINE BYTES

Vishwanathan, Vani Jairam to receive PBS Puraskar

R

enowned singer-composer M.S. Vishwanathan and singer Vani Jairam will be honoured with PBS Puraskar on September 29 in fond memory of the late singer P.B. Srinivas, who passed away in April 2013. The award is being presented by Aruna Nithya Gopal Foundation, an eye care institution.Sivamani will perform at the event. – IANS

L

akshmi Manchu will be seen in a special role in her brother Vishnu Manchu’s action entertainer Doosukeltha.

This is an interesting and unexpected development.

What makes this development even more interesting is the fact that two very well known directors will be handling Lakshmi’s special role.The two directors are none other than veteran legends K.Raghavendra Rao and Dr. Dasari Narayana Rao. The two directors will supervise Lakshmi’s cameo in the film and these scenes will be shot at the Gandharva Mahal set near Manikonda.

Both K.Raghavendra Rao and Dasari Narayana Rao are very close to the Manchu family, so this is more of an honorary assignment than anything else.

Doosukeltha will hit screens for Dussehra, on October 11th. Lavanya is the heroine in the film and Veeru Potla is the director. IANS

Gowthami to begin Telugu TV innings

G

owthami, who made a strong impact in the 80s and 90s has been away from the Telugu Industry for quite sometime. Now, she is all set to begin a new innings in the world of Telugu Television shows as a judge in a new reality show that will air on Gemini TV from today.

AD fever grips city

B

lame it on Pawan Kalyan’s phenomenal star power.

Blame it on the piracy issue which caused a huge wave of support for the film. All said and done, the hype and buzz surrounding Atharintiki Daaredhi is almost unprecedented.Hero Nithiin has already requested director Puri Jagan to cancel the shoot on 27th morning, so that he can watch the morning show.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

fashion

GROW A BEARD IF YOU WANT RESPECT

A LOT of lean, clean-shaven men are growing beards , mousaches or even goatees - and getting them groomed.

Designer moustaches are the corporate sector guys’ favourite, while geometrical beards and sideburns are popular among call centre employees. The rise in the trend is because men think they are taken more seriously. - IANS

ASSAM FINDS SPACE IN BRITAIN

Assamese Designer Dhiraj Deka, who recently showcased his creations at the Fashion Finest off-schedule show for the London Fashion Week, says that Britain is a potential market for clothes inspired by Assamese traditions and that he is trying to tap this. - IANS

A period to international catwalks Fashion month comes to an end with Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014 which kick-started on Tuesday and will be on till October 2.

With world famous fashion houses flaunting their latest, up-and-coming talents weren’t far behind. We glance over at the fashion conversation so far

22&23

Entertainment FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

24

Entertainment FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

25

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

If time flies when you're having fun, it hits the afterburners when you don't think you're having enough.

Jef Mallett

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

26

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

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

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

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

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

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

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 Vehicles with medallions 5 Mayberry teacher Helen 10 Aerosol that immobilises 14 ___-bodied 15 Place for the highborn?

16 Doesn't give ___ (doesn't care) 17 He's a sorry sort 18 Shot with English 19 ‘The Right Stuff’ org 20 Delighted 23 Give a hand to 24 ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ container 25 Title of respect in colonial India 27 Rodeo rope 29 Ignited funeral heap 32 Bird's beak 33 Small, ratlike kangaroo 36 Snooty attitudes 37 Places for tireless horses 40 Dog co-star?

41 Replace in the schedule 42 Key below Z, on PCs 43 Rhyming composition 44 Black ball, in billiards 48 Brief and pithy 50 Male delivery 52 ___ de vie (brandy) 53 Mistakes, euphemistically 58 ‘Miami Vice’ cop 59 Ran ___ of the law 60 Weight training counts 61 Tenor's higher-up 62 Composed, as a letter 63 Lychee fruit covering 64 Narrow valley 65 Having renown 66 Fit to be tried?

DOWN

1 ___ tunnel syndrome 2 Loss of will power 3 Runs in the wash 4 ‘... ___, whatever will be, will be’ 5 Small part for a big name 6 Check the check 7 ___ Major (Great Bear) 8 ‘Little ___ Sunshine’ 9 Chick comment 10 Food from heaven 11 Spider or scorpion, eg 12 They take the money 13 Pollution monitoring org 21 Animal trail 22 Take unfair advantage of 26 Air rifle ammo 28 Energetic for one's age 29 Preface 30 Bygone times 31 ‘A ___ With a View’ 34 Editor's catch 35 Fairy-tale brute 36 Prefix with ‘bacterial’ 37 Potential mountain, for some 38 Theater space?

39 Cause to topple over 40 ___-a-cake 43 Cheerleader's requirement 45 Groups of species 46 Pillbox fastener 47 Little skirmish 49 Dish's companion in flight 50 Armadillo's plate 51 Lubricated 54 Demonstrate boredom 55 ‘Super Fly’ do 56 Crotchety guy 57 Big Band and others 58 Worthless cloth

Chai Time FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 28-9-2013

27

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Good turning points are likely, which will cheer you up. Expenses are likely to go up beyond expectations. Those awaiting marriage will have good news soon. Some govt officials are likely to face a favourable transfer along with promotion.

STRIP TEASE AGNES

Happy events will be performed at home. You will take bold decisions, implement them successfully and earn appreciation. Businessmen are advised to sign new contracts only after a thorough of pros and cons.

Self-confidence will be high.

Children will make you proud and happy. Financial position will be strong so that you complete all financial commitments without any problem. Even enemies are likely to turn friends with your attractive approach.

Some are likely to go abroad.

You need to act wisely in resolving issues. Be careful while driving as there are chances of getting hurt. Some might be forced to resign and search for a new job. Do not panic as the new job will be a promising one in which success is sure.

Entrepreneurs will be successful in purchasing new machinery and equipments for modernisation of their unit. Employees will be happy as their superior will support them and colleagues will understand co-operate with them.

A normal financial position is likely. You will achieve huge success in executing challenging tasks with your rich experience.

Financial help will come from the expected sources without fail. You will march ahead smashing hurdles before you.

Tension, travel and increased expenses will upset you. With courage you face tough times and march ahead by taking calculated bold risks. Those who have attended exams will get a favourable result. Searching for new job will materialise.

Employees are likely to be entrusted with new opportunities and responsibilities. They will benefit by completing them in time and to the satisfaction of the management. Newlyweds will get news of offspring to cheer them up.

Professionals and businessmen will be cheerful as they face a good time; whatever they touch will turn successful. Politicians will be in the limelight and gain importance. Health looks fine.

Work will resume and get completed sooner than expected.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail. com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

The Hermit – There is no black and white situation here. You’re dealing with a lot of grey area. The problem is that you find it hard reasoning and analysing.

LEO:

The Fool – Vintage items like an old cassette or typewriter will bring up some nostalgic memories. You dwell on the day gone by.

Don’t spend too much time there.

LIBRA:

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

Five of Wands – Be original with ideas. There is a big risk in rehashing someone else’s ideas and trying to pass them off as your own.

SAGITTARIUS:

The Hierophant – Those into collecting miniature models or restoring vintage vehicles will have a good time. You may come across good opportunities.

TAURUS:

Justice – You may have to compress a big project into a small one due to some constraints. Instead of complaining, do the job quickly and move on.

CANCER:

Ten of Wands – A new relationship brings a lot of hope and promise. You find a partner who is sharing, caring and loving. Don’t let it get too obsessive.

VIRGO:

Four of Cups – Be careful of minor injuries like cuts and bruises while using instruments. Take all precautions necessary and don’t push yourself.

SCORPIO:

The Wheel of Fortune – You will become a convert when it comes to some ideas, which you held very strong beliefs about. It’s a sign that you’re open minded.

CAPRICORN:

The Star – If you cannot control your alcohol consumption, be aware of your pattern and what you can do to manage yourself better. Scrap the home bar.

PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

The Empress – You may be getting too vocal about your feelings. Show some restraint and don’t blurt out everything that comes to your mind. It may hurt.

NUMBER GAME

Swords – There is no point regretting the things you should have done and didn’t do. Now, it’s wise only to look ahead and plan your future.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Page of

POOCH CAFE

Difficulties faced by you will disappear with efforts. Employees need to work with focus and avoid negligence at workplace in order to earn a name from management. Be wary of colleagues as some will blame you for no fault of yours.

for 28-9-2013

Five of Pentacles – If an important matter comes up, do not hesitate to cancel prior engagements. Be flexible in your approach and be willing to change plans.

NON SEQUITUR

Tension at workplace will come to an end and you will have a comfortable time with the support of colleagues. Trouble by enemies will end. Construction will resume and progress without any more hurdles and you might also build an annex.

SUDUKO

Avoid luxurious expenses. Govt officials are likely to gain importance and vital posts. Politicians will be in limelight as their schemes will be implemented and they start yielding results.

Patience is the need of the hour to achieve your goals.

Boggle LIME LEMON ORANGE TANGELO GRAPEFRUIT Vol: 3, No 66 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at # Plot no.550-A1,3rd floor, Road no-92, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad-500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon. com and for subscription, please call 040-23541412,

28

Entertainment FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

HONOUR

KAMINI KAUSHAL receives Kalpana Chawla Excellence Award

Veteran actress Kamini Kaushal received the Kalpana Chawla Excellence Awards for Women at its 10th annual function for her contribution to Indian cinema.

The 86-year-old actress was last seen in Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express.

She started her career with Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar for which she was awarded the Palme d’Or (Golden Palm) at the Cannes Film Festival in 1946.

During her time, she worked with top actors like Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar in films like Shaheed, Nadiya Ke Paar, Shabnam, Arzoo and Biraj Bahu.

From donning leading roles, the actress moved to character roles with Shaheed and was seen in many Manoj Kumar films.

She has essayed roles in almost 90 films.

The actress also steeped into the world of writing and many of her stories have been published in the children’s magazine Parag.

She acted in the TV serial Chand Sitare on Doordarshan. She also made an animation film Meri Pari.

Others who received the award included junior world chess champion Tania Sachdev, innovative educationist Minoti Bahri and Kathak dancer Vidha Lal. The award ceremony was organised by Punjab Engineering College Chandigarh Old Boys Association in memory of its alumnus, late astronaut Kalpana Chawla.

Chawla was the first Indian American astronaut and the first Indian woman in space. She was one of the seven crew members killed in the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.- IANS

CINE BYTES

Akshay excited about Holiday

A

ctor-producer Akshay Kumar, who will be seen in AR Murugadoss’ next film Holiday, says the film is based on sleeper cells and he is excited about the project.

“I am doing Holiday’ with Murugadoss. I would like to do all kinds of films like Special 26 and OMG: Oh My God!. It’s just that whatever you like, you go ahead and do it,” he said.

Remembering Dev

I

f Dev Anand was alive he would be 90 today, but this actor will live a hundred years for his fans and will be always remembered by cinema lovers. Born on September 26, 1923, Dev ‘evergreen ‘Anand was a part of the Indian cinema as an actor, writer, director and producer. There was a striking resemblance between his reel and real life, he was flamboyant and 18 at heart till his last.

Big B brings Chaplin to life

B

ollywood’s megastar Amitabh Bachchan will be restoring one of Charlie Chaplin’s rare films titled The Floorwalker for the Mumbai Film Festival. Bachchan will be restoring the 1916 masterpiece for the 15th edition of Mumbai Film Festival organised by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI). Shyam Benegal, Chairman of MAMI, praised Bachchan for this effort.

sports

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

WORLD BOXING

Stevenson to defend title

MONTREAL: Haitian-born Canadian Adonis Stevenson defends his World Boxing Council light-heavyweight title for the first time on Saturday when he faces former world champion Tavoris Cloud.

Stevenson, a 36-year-old southpaw, will be counting on hometown advantage in Montreal, having fought all but two of his career fights in the Quebec region. He carries an eight-fight win streak into the matchup.

“I know he has power. He is going to come strong,” Stevenson said. “Whenever he comes, I am knocking him out.”

Stevenson, 21-1 with 18 knockouts, flattened Chad Dawson in only 76 seconds last June to capture his first world title while Cloud, a 31-year-old American who is 24-1 with 19 knockouts, tries to bounce back after the first loss of his career.

In March Cloud lost a unanimous decision and the International Boxing Federation light-heavyweight crown to 48year-old Bernard Hopkins, the oldest world champion in boxing history who defends that title

next month against German Karo Murat.

“Poor Tavoris Cloud,” Stevenson said. “He’s a good boxer. I respect him. He has got power. But he got beat by 48year-old Bernard Hopkins. And

YACHTING

AITA tennis tournament

Dotcom wades in as NZ face choppy waters

WELLINGTON: Emirates Team New Zealand — facing a struggle to stay afloat after its epic failure in the America’s Cup — was offered an unlikely financial lifeline Friday from Internet mogul Kim Dotcom. The sailing team faces the prospect of losing its public funding in the wake of this week’s loss to Oracle Team USA, when it squandered an 8-1 lead to lose the regatta 8-9 in a result that has been described as one of the biggest chokes in sporting history.

With Prime Minister John Key refusing to guarantee that the government will repeat the NZ$36 million contribution it made to Team NZ’s San Francisco campaign, Dotcom said he was ready to step into the breach.

“Prime Minister John Key says no more funding for Team NZ? I say #Mega will become a Team NZ sponsor & we will win next time. #AmericasCup,” tweeted the flamboyant businessman, who is on bail in Auckland awaiting an extradition hearing on US charges of online piracy.

Dotcom’s offer may have been tongue-in-cheek, as he estimates his legal bills will top $50 million, but the chances of the New Zealand taxpayer bankrolling another Team NZ tilt at sailing’s top prize are equally slim,

he’s young. That belt is going to stay in Montreal.”

Cloud took a swipe at Stevenson’s record, saying most of his foes were lackluster and dismissing his fast dispatching of Dawson, who had reclaimed the

WBC title in April last year when outpointing Hopkins.

“Adonis Stevenson is a good fighter. He won the championship,” said Cloud. “Now everybody is saying he’s going to knock me out. I don’t see it that way. He hasn’t fought nobody.

Everybody told him he’s a knockout artist. He beat Chad Dawson in 76 seconds. That don’t make you a good fighter.

“I’m prepared for whatever might come, boxing, banging, whatever. I’ve trained harder than I have ever trained in my whole life and we’re going home with the belt.”

It has been nearly six years since Stevenson, who left Haiti for Canada at age four, had a fight that went the distance. His only loss came at the hands of American Darnell Boone in 2010, although he avenged that with a sixth round knock-out in March.

AFP

RESULTS: Boys U-12: R Ruchit Goud (AP) bt Rishil Gupta (AP) 9-8 (5); V Preetham (AP) bt Anne Aakash (AP) 9-8 (6); Harshith Kosaraju (AP) bt MD Iqbal Khan (AP) 9-7; Anurag Agarwal (WB) bt V Deepak (AP) 9-4 Boys U-14: Venkat Anikait (AP) bt Anne Aakash (AP) 93; Sri Harsha T (AP) bt Adarshnaga T (AP) 9-5; Kosaraju Harshit (AP) bt Syed Karimulla (AP) 9-1; Ganta Sai Karthik R (AP) bt

Aakash Reddy L (AP) 9-4 Girls U-12: Avanthika Reddy (AP) bt Juveria Fatima (AP) 9-8(2); D Sumaskrithi (AP) bt P Amulya (AP) 9-4; M Sahithi Reddy (AP) bt Sonali Jaiswal (AP) 9-6; Smrithi Bhasin (AP) bt K Shreya (AP) 9-2; Girls U-14: Juveria Fatima (AP) bt P Lasya (AP) 9-1; Omer Mishgahn (AP) bt Charita Vasi Reddy (AP) 9-3; K Shreya (AP) bt Kriti Parekh (AP) 5 9-8(9); Sravya Shivani (AP) bt Tanuja Chauhan (AP) 9-1.

League Cricket A DIVISION TWO DAYS

Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman and skipper Dean Barker is consoled by teammate Jeremy Lomas after losing the 19th and final race of the America’s Cup to Oracle Team USA on Wednesday.

AFP/MATHEW SUMNER

according to commentators. The public money was granted on the prospect of New Zealand winning the Cup and receiving a NZ$500 million economic boost when it hosted the next edition of the glamour regatta in Auckland.

The Dominion Post newspaper said that Team NZ had done the country proud against a heavily favoured US rival backed by the financial might of Oracle software billionaire Larry Ellison.

“Kiwi sports fans have

enjoyed a wild ride,” it said in an editorial. “But the government should quit the field and leave it to those rich and foolish enough to tackle the world’s fifth richest man (Ellison).”

The New Zealand Herald took a similar tack, saying Auckland had already benefitted from hosting the Cup in 2000 and again in 2003, with much of the city’s waterfront redeveloped and a hitech sailing industry emerging in the country then.

AFP

Brothers XI 153 bt Syndicate Bank 121 (G Srinivas 42, Mohammed Sajjad Ali 8/28) Oxford Blues 354 (Rohith Bharadwaj 94, Vikas Billa 33, Bharat Raj 45, Deepankar 34, Amit Singh 62, Baran Kumar 37no, Satyanarayana 3/83, CH Phaneendra 5/86) vs Osmania University 22/1 Gujrathi 212 (Baljeet Singh 83, Jamshed 54, Bhagath Verma 3/41, Charan Sai Teja 3/61) vs Kosa Raju 35/1 Galaxy 214 (Shashidhar Rao 31, Rajender 73, Chandrashekar 3/43) vs Gemini Friends 74/1 (Thomas George 30no) Zinda 281 (Shyam 71, Mohammed Hussain 68, S Shahbaaz Uddin 63, SS Bharath 4/69, Rakesh 4/56) vs Jai Bhagwati 44 for no loss

Balaji Colts 175 (Ratan Sharma 78, Vijay Ashwin 4/41, Mahesh Kumar 3/66) lost to Sultan Shahi 176/7 (Prasad 32, Mahesh Kumar 40, Inderdeep 3/14, Navjot 3/74) Pasha Beedi 209/8 (Syed Farhaan 73no, Saurav Kumar 46, Vamshi 4/54) vs Venus Cyber Tech HBCC 426/9 (Rohith Panchmarthi 89, Yudish 106, Amay 47, Sanjay 30, Omer 51, Rishab Sharma 3/69 ) vs National Budding Star 200 (Tushar 55) vs Hyd Titans 59/3 Charminar 356 (Sami Ansari 34, Mohammed Saleh Amoodi 128, Mohammed Mujeeb 39, Mir Obaid Ali 42, Mohammed Younus 42, Surya Kiram 3/123, Prasanna Kumar 5/95) vs Ours

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30

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

PAN PACIFIC OPEN

WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS

Williams denied record for fastest serve ALASTAIR HIMMER Agence France-Presse TOKYO: Venus Williams was denied a new record for the world’s fastest serve Friday after tennis chiefs said a bullet delivery clocked at 209 kilometres (129.9 miles) per hour was not measured by the right equipment.

The resurgent American star, 33, hit the rocket serve during Thursday’s 6-3, 6-7 (47), 6-3 quarter-final win over Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard at the Pan Pacific Open.

However, the IDS radar guns the WTA uses to track official service speeds are not deployed in Tokyo, meaning Williams’s own women’s record of 207.6 kph -- registered at the 2007 US Open and on her way to winning Wimbledon in 2008 -- still stands as the fastest of all time.

The seven-time Grand

Slam singles champion, whose ranking has slumped to 63rd in the world after two years of illness and injury problems, admitted she could not believe her eyes when she saw the figure 209 kph flash up on the court-side speedometer.

“I saw that but I was like: ‘Is that real?’ So I don’t know if that’s real,” Williams told the WTA. “I know I’ve been serving a lot harder this tournament than since I’ve come back from my back injury. I couldn’t really serve that hard at the US Open (earlier this month) and this summer.

“It feels good but I don’t know if it was that hard. I hope it was -- that’s insane, it’s awesome.”

Measuring the speed of serves is a notoriously inexact science as the equipment used at tournaments where the IDS equipment is not in place has proved less than reliable.

ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS

Wilson back in form GLASGOW: Former European Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson admits he is relishing being back in the spotlight after earning a share of the first round lead at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Thursday.

Wilson carded an eight-under-par first round of 64 at Kingsbarns, one of the three courses used for the pro-am event, to claim joint top spot with fellow Englishmen Tom Lewis and Richard McEvoy, France’s Alexandre Kaleka and Chile’s Mark Tullo.

The 33-year-old’s success in Scotland was a rare bright spot for a player who is now ranked a lowly 489th in the world two years after losing his European Tour card.

And if he needs any further motivation to regain the form which saw him finish seventh on the Order of Merit in 2009, he need look no further than his former Ryder Cup partner Henrik Stenson, who was 230th in the rankings at the start of 2012 but is now fourth following his Tour Championship and FedEx Cup triumph on Sunday.

AFP

Li Na qualifies for event BEIJING: Li Na on Friday became the fifth player to qualify for the $6 million end-ofseason grand finale, organisers said, as China’s top player prepares for her home country’s premier tennis tournament.

The world number five booked her place in next month’s WTA Championships in Istanbul featuring the top eight women’s players, the tennis organisation announced on its website.

The 31-year-old’s inclusion in the tournament comes after a surge in form which has seen her become the first Asian player to reach the US Open semi-finals earlier this month.

The announcement was made before the 2011 French Open winner had even hit a ball at the China Open, where qualifying matches are currently being played.

Asia’s first singles Grand Slam winner has qualified for the WTA Championships for the last two seasons, having finished 2011 ranked fifth and 2012 seventh.

“I’m so happy to have qualified again,” Li said, on the WTA’s website. “I had a great time in Istanbul last year and I’m looking forward to coming back and playing my best tennis for the fans in Turkey.”

Li is aiming for her biggest win on home soil when she takes on a star-studded field at the dual ATP and WTA event at Beijing’s Olympic Park. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic headline the men’s draw and Serena Williams leads a packed women’s field. Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwanska -- the world numbers one, two, three and four -have already qualified for the WTA Championships.

AFP

2014 WINTER OLYMPICS

Sochi ready for Games: Olympic Committee MOSCOW: Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi is completely prepared for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Thursday.

“Everything is well prepared, all this is impressive. Practically everything is ready for the Games,” head of the IOC coordination commission Jean-Claude Killy told reporters after his three-day inspection trip, reported Xinhua.

This is Killy’s final inspection to Sochi before the Games kick off.

The IOC inspectors have visited all sporting venues in the Olympics’ both coastal and mountain clusters (in Imeretinskaya Valley and Krasnaya Polyana respectively), he said.

“Four months prior to the Games’ start, Sochi is neither behind, nor ahead of the schedule,” Killy said.

Meanwhile, he called on the Russian authorities to do more publicity work.

“Please try to communicate your

enthusiasm and pride to everyone, because you really can take pride in these Games, minister,” Killy told Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, who supervises the Olympics.

Kozak said during six years of prepa-

rations, an entire new city has been erected with 260 km of new roads constructed and two million trees planted.

Killy’s trip coincided with a heavy storm hitting the Black Sea coastal city.

The IOC inspectors have visited all sporting venues in the Olympics’ both coastal and mountain clusters for the event which begins in February.

Kozak stressed that the adverse weather did not damage sporting infrastructure, as all Olympics facilities have been built in accordance with strict seismic safety, weather protection and geological protection guidelines.

The 22nd Winter Olympic Games are slated for February 7-23, 2014.

IANS

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

CLT20

Raina, Dhoni overpower SRH Dhoni, who was in mouthwatering form, smashed 63 off just 19 balls propelling his team to 202 for four. But the Kings managed to just about sneak past after restricting the opposition to 191 for seven.

RANCHI: Suresh Raina’s brilliant all-round performance and a Mahendra Singh Dhoni (in pic) blitzkrieg gave Chennai Super Kings a narrow 12-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Group B match of the Champions League Twenty20 at the JSCA International Stadium here Thursday.

Raina scored 84 off 57 balls and was the game changer with the ball as well first running out Parthiv Patel (38) and then removing the dangerous J.P. Duminy (0).

Dhoni in the meantime was in mouthwatering form as he smashed 63 off just 19 balls (one four and eight sixes), propelling his team to 202 for four. Super Kings managed to just about sneak past after restricting the opposition to 191 for seven.

The Sunrisers looked well on their way to chasing down the daunting total with openers Patel and Shikhar Dhawan (48) making merry.

It all changed with the introduction of Raina. The off-spinner took two wickets in an over to bring Chennai back into contention and Ravichandran Ashwin then removed the

INDIA A VS WI A

West Indies A sitting pretty MYSORE: West Indies A moved into a strong position as they restricted India A to 123 for three in their first innings in response to the visitors’ total of 429 at stumps on the second day of their four-day game, here Thursday.

Overnight 264 for 5, the Windies extended their innings thanks to Assad Fudadin (86, 201b, 10x4, 1x6) and some gritty batting by Nikita Millier (49, 86b, 5x4) while off-spinner Parvez Rasool came away with a haul of 5 for 116.

In reply, the home team lost wickets at regular intervals with opener Lokesh Rahul (46, 100b, 7x4) held one end up while he lost partner Jiwanjot Singh (16) and skipper Cheteshwar Pujara (3) before being dismissed after putting on 60 runs for the third wicket with Manpreet Juneja who was batting on 47 (77b, 7x4).

Brief scores: West Indies’A’ 429 all out vs India ‘A’ 124/3.

Mahi’s marauding sixes win hearts RANCHI: Chennai Super Kings captain M.S. Dhoni won the hearts of people of his hometown by hitting eight sixes against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium here Thursday.

Dhoni scored 63 runs off just 19 balls. His knock included a four. Five of his huge hits that went over the ropes came in one NLTC. Perera over.

CSK made 202 runs in their allotted 20 overs with Suresh Raina cracking 84 in just 57 balls. When Dhoni was in full flow, his fans were screaming hoarse: “Dhoni, Dhoni.”

“This was paisa vasool performance from Dhoni,” said Reema, a fan. Echoing her view, another supporter Raunak said: “Today, Dhoni enthralled us. He did what we came for. This was memorable batting from Dhoni.”

IANS

Sunrisers captain to put Chennai in the driving seat.

Darren Sammy, though, refused to give up and smashed 50 off 24 balls to keep Sunrisers hopes alive. But countryman

Jason Holder quashed all dreams in the 18th over first removing Karan Sharma (11) and then uprooting Sammy’s leg stump.

However, with three dropped catches, the Super

Kings fielding left a lot to be desired. Had they not posted such a huge target, these chances could have easily cost them the match.

Earlier, Chennai got off to the

SULTAN OF JOHOR CUP

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

India to face Malaysia JOHOR BAHRU: India , on Thursday, set-up a final date with hosts Malaysia with a 6-1 thrashing of South Korea in the U-21 3rd Sultan of Johor Cup at the Taman Daya Hockey stadium here.

India set-up a final date with hosts Malaysia with a 6-1 thrashing of South Korea in the U-21 3rd Sultan of Johor Cup. It was India’s fourth consecutive win, after beating England (2-1), Argentina (3-2) and Pakistan (4-0).

Meanwhile, Malaysia also booked their final berth defeating Pakistan 4-2 in a thrilling match.

With the win, Malaysia has 12 points, the same as India and the two teams will play in Sunday’s final. Although they

have a match against each other Saturday, it will be of academic interest as their points are unassailable by third-placed Pakistan.

It was a commanding performance from the Indians as they dominated the first half, racing to a comfortable 3-0 lead.

India opened the scoring through Amit Rohidass in the

worst possible start, losing Murali Vijay in the second ball of the match. Raina and Michael Hussey (23) stabilized things for a while before the Australian fell to the off-spin of Duminy.

Hussey had looked good in his brief innings hitting two fours and a six but Duminy’s delivery gripped and spun just the right amount to get the slightest of edges.

Raina then, took control of the match and counter-attacked brilliantly. He took on the Hyderabad bowlers with great success constantly managing to clear the in-field.

Subramaniam Badrinath (13) played the perfect sheet anchor role handing the strike to his more aggressive partner at every opportunity.

As Badrinath fell and Dhoni walked out, his home crowd went into frenzy.

Dhoni sent the decibel level rising almost immediately as he lofted Duminy out of the boundary on only his second ball.

Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera bore the brunt of Dhoni’s rampage as he was hit for five sixes in the 18th over, giving away 34 runs in it.

IANS

seventh minute whose penalty corner drag flick sailed high into the right hand corner of the South Korean goal with keeper Lee Se Young watching helplessly.

Two minutes later India doubled their advantage as Satbir Singh put the finishing touches to a move from the right by Harjeet Singh.

IANS

Schoolboy makes history LONDON: Teenage batsman Dominic Sibley hit 220 not out against Yorkshire on Thursday to become the youngest player to score a double century in the history of England’s County Championship.

His feat, at the age of 18 years and 21 days, also made him the second youngest player to score 200 runs in a firstclass game in England, behind only the legendary WG Grace, who achieved the feat aged 18 years and 12 days.

He batted for nine and a half hours at The Oval, facing 512 balls and recording 21 fours and two sixes. He was making only his third four-day appearance for Surrey. He enjoyed a partnership of 236 with Hashim Amla, before the South Africa star was dismissed for 151.

Surrey, who have already been relegated from the First Division, ended the third day of the contest on 572-4 in response to Yorkshire’s firstinnings total of 434.

AFP

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

sports

HUMBLE STAR MESSI IN COURT ON TAX CHARGES

Lionel Messi’s clean image will be tested on Friday when he answers tax evasion charges in court. The Argentine and his father Jorge Messi are summoned to go before a judge in the coastal town, accused of evading tax on his image rights to the tune of 4.16 million euros.

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

SERIE A

Evans expects United to thrive Manchester United’s Jonny Evans claims confidence has been restored among his teammates ahead of their meeting with West Bromwich Albion.

TIMOTHY ABRAHAM Agence France-Presse MANCHESTER: Manchester United defender Jonny Evans claims confidence has been restored among his team-mates ahead of their meeting with West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford on Saturday.

United were on the end of a chastening 4-1 defeat against Manchester City at Eastlands last weekend.

But David Moyes’ men were given a massive lift on Wednesday as Javier Hernandez bagged the winner in a 1-0 victory over hated rivals Liverpool in the League Cup third round.

That disciplined performance was much needed after a serious of let-downs in big games this season and Evans expects it to provide the impetus for United to go on a winning run.

“We had no complaints really after the City game,” Evans said.

“Everyone was honest in their assessment that we didn’t apply ourselves the way we should.

“Obviously it was hurtful for

fans, the manager and the players and you have to move on quickly from it and we have.

“The manager made quite a few changes against Liverpool but that’s the beauty of having a

big squad. He can rotate like he did and the lads who came in played well.

“We dug in well. We didn’t play as well as we might have wanted to, but it can be like that

against Liverpool, it’s more blood and thunder.”

Evans also said Hernandez’s return to goal-scoring form was a timely boost for United.

Hernandez opened his account for the season, but has yet to start a Premier League game under United manager David Moyes having twice come off the bench in recent weeks.

However, with Netherlands striker Robin van Persie doubtful for the visit of West Brom, the Mexico international may get his chance.

And Evans says if Hernandez, nicknamed ‘Chicharito’, is picked by Moyes he will pose a significant threat to the West Brom defence.

“Chicharito scored a brilliant goal against Liverpool,” Evans said.

“His movement was unbelievable to get away from his marker. We know what he’s like day in, day out in training.

“You’ve always got to be aware of him, he only needs a yard to get a goal. He just loves scoring goals.”

Ozil aims to shoot down Swansea SWANSEA: Mesut Ozil has pledged to become a more prolific goal-scorer as Arsenal attempt to secure their eighth successive Premier League away victory when they travel to Swansea on Saturday.

Arsene Wenger’s side are currently top of the table with 12 points from five games, but they won’t kick off at the Liberty Stadium in that position as they are sure to be overtaken by one of Tottenham and Chelsea, who meet earlier in the day. It has nevertheless been an excellent start to the campaign by a squad that was widely written off following an opening weekend loss to Aston Villa.

Arsenal’s fortunes have improved dramatically since then and the £42.5 million (50.5 million euros, $68 million) arrival of Germany midfielder Ozil on transfer deadline day has further lifted the mood of a club desperate to end their eight-year trophy

drought.

Ozil has already shown off his vast creative talents by setting up several goals for his new colleagues, but the former Real Madrid playmaker is keen to get on the score-sheet more often as well.

“I don’t want to praise myself too much but I think

Ozil has shown off his vast creative talents by setting up several goals for his new colleagues, but the he is keen to get on the score-sheet more often as well. my statistics are good. I would like to score more goals,” Ozil said.

The Gunners’ lofty league position has surprised many people given that they have not been genuine title contenders for a number of sea-

32

sons.

And it seems even Ozil hadn’t fully appreciated the qualities of his team-mates either until he played alongside them.

When asked to pick out the one who impressed him most, he replied: “I don’t just want to say one player, I am surprised by the technical quality of the whole team.”

Arsenal will need Ozil to be at his best this weekend, as they will be without a number of injured stars including Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski and Alex OxladeChamberlain.

The lengthy injury list has opened the door for previously exiled striker Nicklas Bendtner, who made his first Arsenal appearance since May 2012 when he featured in Arsenal’s penalty shootout win at West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup third round on Wednesday.

Napoli eye top spot JUSTIN DAVIS Agence France-Presse FLORENCE: Napoli face struggling Genoa away in a bid to reclaim top spot in Italy’s Serie A on Saturday, when AC Milan host Sampdoria in the hope of finally kickstarting their disastrous season. Napoli, believed to be the biggest threat to champions Juventus, dropped two precious points in a surprising 1-1 draw at home against basement side Sassuolo on Wednesday.

It came days after the league new boys were thrashed 7-0 at home by Inter Milan and allowed Roma to stretch their lead at the top of the table to two points following their 2-0 away win at Sampdoria.

Despite claiming Napoli did not under-estimate a determined Sassuolo side, coach Rafael Benitez was coy after the game. “We have to learn from this match,” said the Spaniard.

The slip means the Azzurri will head to Genoa, who by Saturday’s game will have met five of the top six teams from last season, extra determined to secure all three points.

Slovakian forward Marek Hamsik, who has scored four goals in five games, said: “It wasn’t a satisfying result for us, but now we have to look ahead to Genoa and make amends.”

Having just scraped into the top three at the end of last season, a raft of injuries and some poor displays have seen AC Milan drop to 12th.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side are already 10 points behind Roma and are missing recently-signed playmaker Kaka, who is sidelined with injury, as well as other key players including striker Mario p.

Serving a three-game ban for being sent-off in last week’s 2-1 home defeat to Napoli, Balotelli was conspicuous by his absence when Milan scraped a 3-3 draw away to Bologna on Wednesday.

Balotelli on Thursday apologised to his fellow players and the fans for his costly outburst.