WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
HYDERABAD
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BEAUTY & THE BLOKES
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DOGS PLAY PEACEKEEPERS IN HUMAN-CHEETAH CONFLICT
Princess of Wales, the new film about Diana, has been panned by her former lover, heart surgeon Hasnat Khan. Though Diana has been many good things, her memories are darkened by her several alleged liaisons. We tell you about the men believed to have had won her heart.
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HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER
URBAN INDIA PREFERS HIGH-CALORIE BREAKFAST: SURVEY
The findings of a recent survey conducted among more than 1,200 women in eight Indian cities have revealed the breakfast preferences and trends prevalent in each city. They indicate a growing awareness about the nutrition quotient of common breakfast items that is increasingly influencing the Indian household’s breakfast choices.
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COPS TURN TO
2 DIE IN CITY SUV-LORRY COLLISION
JAILBIRDS FOR HELP Not to be left looking incompetent as the NIA probes the Dilsukhnagar blast case, City cops are roping in ‘experts’ in the know of the ways of the underworld: informants in jails.
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
city events
FLAVOURS TO SAVOUR
Unique flavours of Pondicherry. Where: Dakshin, ITC Kakatiya, Begumpet When: August 30 Contact: 789301 3000
Weather for Hyderabad
Evening
Overnight
24°C
21°C
Cloudy with showers likely
Cloudy
Morning
Afternoon
24°C
27°C
New Delhi Max 33 Min 28
Cloudy with showers likely.
Cloudy with showers.
Cloudy with chances of rain
Mumbai Max 31 Min 25 Thunderstorms likely
Chennai Max 33 Min 26
Bangalore Max 28 Min 20
Cloudy with chances of storm
Cloudy with chances of showers
AROUND THE CITY: YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Where: Zodiac Hall, Golkonda Hotel. When: 12 noon, Till August 31.
SHOWS
Album tour Lost Stories album launch tour will be held. Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills When: August 30, 9 pm Contact: 6463-6375 Live performance The Last Bridge will perform live. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills When: August 31, 7 pm Contact: 96427-31329
Fish fest To showcase a slice of Indian culinary heritage, Taj Krishna is hosting the Simply Fish Festival. Where: Firdaus, Taj Krishna When: Lunch and dinner, Till August 31 Contact: +91 9246 21 5332
FESTIVE SPLENDOUR: Students of Akshara Vaagdevi International School, Secundrabad came dressed up as Bala Krishnas and Gopikas on the occasion of Janmashtami. When: Till September 6 Contact: +91-40-23113709; 40207171
Gigs in town Alter Egoz – Tribute to Pink Floyd will be performing. Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills When: August 29, 9 pm Contact: + 91 88864 80007 Play time Barbareekudu will be staged. Where: NTR Auditorium, Nampally When: August 31, 7 pm Contact: 2323-0641 / 2323-0435 Art show A group show titled Krishnastuti is on. Where: Aalankritha Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills 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
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
WORKSHOPS Robot talk Robotics In The 21st Century by Dr Ayanna Howard will be held. Where: Vidyaranya High School, Saifabad. When: August 31, 6.15 pm Contact: Manthan, at 6636-0000 Workshop for parents Handwork & Brain Development Of Kids, a workshop for teachers and parents will be held. Where: Our Sacred Space, Secunderabad When: August 29 and 30, 10 am to 1 pm Contact: 90300-13344
Deepa Kiran will be held. Where: Shwaas - Centre for Inspired Learning, Jubilee Hills When: August 30, 10 am to 1 pm Contact: Salil, at 94405-00277 or Anita, at 99593-83947
Story-telling workshop Creative story-telling workshop by
Delectable fare Oriental food festival is on.
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
DINING
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
Tea flavours Try the tea flavours of Budlabeta, Hapjan, Khobong and Sessa. A portion of the proceeds will be contributed to WWF India's one-horned Rhino Conservation project in Assam. Where: Oxford Bookstore, The Park, 22 Rajbhavan Road When: Ongoing Contact: 8790432354 Sizzling South This food festival will focus on South Indian specialties and gourmet delicacies from interiors of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Where: Chill Restaurant and Terrace, Radisson Blue When: Till August 30 Contact: 7799917999 India on a Platter A culinary journey across the country at The Square. Where: The Square, Novotel When: August 31 Contact: 8686080577
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 or even by way of a call on 4067 2222
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
news
TODAY’S QUESTION
YESTERDAY’S QUESTION
WILL PM’S STANCE ON T DISSUADE SEEMANDHRA AGITATORS?
IS LACK OF CLARITY ON HYDERABAD’S STATUS DISRUPTING DEVELOPMENT? 79% 21%
YES (A) NO (B)
A)
YES
B)
NO
To vote visit www.postnoon.com
CRIME
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Can’t nab terrorist? Grab onlooker! This seems the new strategy of the City police in trying to crack the vexed Dilsukhnagar blasts six months ago. Will it bring any result? Time alone will tell.
Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon. com HYDERABAD: While the Centre’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) is pulling its hair in despair over the Dilsukhnagar blasts six months ago, the State police are resorting to a different strategy undercover to steal a march on the NIA. And, this strategy defies logic. Batting for the police, sources however point out that the police, unable to get any clue on the blasts probably due to political patronage to criminals, are doing what it can. Officers tell Postnoon in confidence that senior IPS officers who are good at cracking crime are now putting more and more police informants behind bars on
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various counts and using the carrot and stick method to wrest some information on the possible criminals behind the Dilsukhnagar blasts. Seventeen people had lost lives and scores suffered injuries and loss of livelihood in the twin blasts that occurred in the commercial hub, Dilsukhnagar, on February 21. NIA was called to handle the issue but city police too are investigating. The city has some 400 police informants of which 30 are in jail on various crimes. The strategy is to cajole the incarcerated suspects with many
benefits and protection if they would throw light on the blasts. If this does not work, police are threatening targeted informants they would be thrown into the dungeons. This also involves choosing a few informants and training them on tackling jailed criminals and interviewing them with lucrative offers for tangible information. These informants are trained on how to handle the imprisoned criminals and others who are suspects of having dabbled in such crimes. They are sent to Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Bangalore, Lucknow, and different jails in Andhra Pradesh. So far these teams have interviewed 60 crime suspects now in different parts of AP jails.
It is pertinent to recall that the DGP V Dinesh Reddy had claimed in a media meeting in June that the ‘police was very close to’ solving the Dilsukhnagar blasts. He was enthused by the new strategy and probably believed his juniors who claimed a breakthrough using the informanttackling method. But nothing has come of it is now clear. So far the investigative teams have questioned with nearly 60 suspects whose are in prisons with different charges of terror cases in the past. Meanwhile, the victims and their relatives continue to grope in the dark as many had lost their means to livelihood and were shooed away from the scene of the blasts.
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News WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013 LAST YEAR... HERE
POLITICS
No compromise on T State, asserts PM
Lights Out
L
ast year we had reported how the GHMC in order to curb the electicity usage and deal with the power crisis in the City had ordered that lit hoardings turn off their lights and that the usage of streetlights be limited. But the situation seems back to square one. Often the City roads can be seen with streetlights on at 10am as well.
AUGUST 28, 2012
NUMEROLOGY
500
families have been displaced by flash floods in Samar province of Philippines after tropical storm Kong-Rey or locally known as Nando triggered torrential rains in the region.
The president believes and I believe that those who use chemical weapons against defenseless men, women and children should and must be held accountable.
No amount of agitation by Seemandhra is going to affect the T decision, says Manmohan Singh. However, leaders are still hopeful, reports say. HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made it clear to a delegation of AP NGOs leaders on Tuesday that there was no question of reversing the decision to bifurcate the State to pave way for the formation of a separate Telangana state. The leaders of the AP NGOs called on the PM along with Seemandhra leaders including Union Minister for Textiles KS Rao and others and exerted pressure for keeping Andhra Pradesh united. The delegation apprised the PM about the ongoing agitation in the 13 districts of Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra as a result of which the administration has not only
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The leaders of the AP NGOs called on the PM along with Seemandhra leaders and others and exerted pressure for keeping AP united. come to a standstill but also disrupted the normal life with business establishments, educational institutions, transport services and other essential services remaining shut sponta-
KRISHNA LEELA Krishna Jayanti celebrated by one and all
Joe Biden, US Vice President, See page 9
THINGS WE 5LEARNT TODAY
POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the world functions.
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he most alluring eternal godhead, Krishna, draws all, and his image is so stuck in our minds that people cutting across caste and creed today participate in the Krishna Jayanthi celebrations. A colourful procession was taken out in the City today on Krishna Jayanthi under the auspices of Balagokulam network of Hyderabad-Secunderabad. The venue was Ayyapa Temple, Kamalanagar, ECIL. Kids presented a lovely sight— dressed up in glittering robes and ornate headgear as little Krishnas and his Gopis.
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Manmohan Singh dashes Seemandhra leaders’ hopes Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made it clear to a delegation of AP NGOs leaders on Tuesday that there was no question of reversing the decision to bifurcate the State.
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Police employ new methods to find the criminals Senior IPS officers are now putting more and more police informants behind bars to wrest some information on the possible criminals.
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Talk about doing a bad job
About 300 women with faulty PIP breast implants have filed suit seeking $54.7 million in damages from three European companies.
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Geoengineering methods could prove beneficial As the planet continues to warm, the potential solutions offered by geoengineering are tempting, and several serious projects are actively being pursued.
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Now you cannot smash and throw tomatoes for free This year, for the first time, people will be paying a minimum of 10 euros for the La Tomatina festival.
resolve them to the best satisfaction of all. The PM also assured the delegation that the government would constitute another committee, if need be, of a group of ministers, to address to all the concerns of the Seeemandhra people. He also categorically stated that the government would take a final call for carving out a separate Telangana only after the committee addresses the concerns and submits its report. However, political leaders in Seemandhra are still hopeful that the T decision will not deprive them of Hyderabad. The current agitation is aimed at a leverage on Hyderabad, sources say. NSS
neously. He was also apprised about the various concerns of the people of the Seemandhra region with regard to the future academic career of their children, job security, sharing of water resources and power generation etc. They also expressed the concerns of the people with regard to the status of Hyderabad. After patiently hearing out AP NGOs leaders, the PM is understood to have told them that the bifurcation was irrevocable. As regards the fears and concerns of the people of Seemandhra, they are being looked into by the AK Antony Committee which would go in depth in all aspects and try to
CITY BRIEFS Man dies due to excess drinking
Widow complains of man KTR asks YSRCP leaders Naidu to begin harassing her for marriage to liken Jagan to Dawood Atmagourava Yatra
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xcess drinking is said to have claimed the life of one P Kumar, 30, in Siddhanti. According to police he and his friends, all labourers were ‘celebrating’ in an open place in Shamshabad. Kumar is said to have drunk heavily and he lost consciousness and died afterwards. Shamshabad police have registered a case. His friends are being interrogated as well.
he Chilkalguda police have booked one auto driver, Ravi, on the complaint of a widow, Lavanya, 27. She said in her petition that after her husband Raju’s untimely death she had been living alone in Mettuguda, and Ravi, taking advantage of her situation, pressed her to marry him though he is already married. On her refusal, he reportedly threatened her son and her.
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RS MLA K Tarakarama Rao has opined that the souls of Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagath Singh would cry if the YSRCP leaders compared their chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who looted one lakh crore public money, with them, and advised YSRCP leaders to compare Jagan with mafia don Dawood Ibrahim if they wanted.
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DP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu will begin his Atmagourava Yatra (Yatra of self-respect) from September 1. The yatra will begin from Dachepally mandal of Gurjala Assembly constituency in Guntur district. The party cadres of Guntur district are making elaborate arrangements for the success of the yatra in the district.
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News WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013 HEALTH AFP PHOTO/DANIEL GARCIA
Women sue for $54 mn over faulty implants JOSEFA SUAREZ Agence France-Presse BUENOS AIRES: About 300 women with faulty PIP breast implants have filed suit seeking $54.7 million in damages from three European companies, their attorney said Monday. “We have filed a class-action suit against France’s Poly Implant Protheses (PIP), Germany’s TUV Rheinland (quality control) and German AROUND THE
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insurer Allianz,” Virginia Luna told reporters, warning that the total damages sought could be vastly higher since some 15,000 women are believed to have been affected in Argentina alone. “In one sample we did, with 500 women, 19 per cent had breakage (in the implant) which allowed gel to migrate to underarms, neck and head areas, and even lungs,” she said. News of the faulty implants in 2011 sparked fears worldwide, but health officials in various countries have said the prosthetics were not toxic. Doctors in France have removed PIP breast implants from more than 16,000 women and found a quarter of the products had signs of splitting or leakage, a watchdog said in June. PIP founder Jean-Claude Mas, 73, has been charged with manslaughter and fraud.
STRAY DOGS
Dealing with stray dogs is the issue, not activism While the GHMC says that animal right activists are hindering them from carrying out their anti-rabies and spaying programmes efficiently, the activists in the City say there is nothing of that sort. FLEME VARKEY fleme.v@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: The common complaint is that there are too many dogs on the streets. They bite, cause rabies, sleepless nights, spread fear and chase vehicles. It is alleged that animal rights activists are stopping the GHMC from killing dogs, which results in over-breeding and problems for humans. Nihar Parulekar, Animal Rehabilitation and Protection Front founder says, “I am sure no animal right activists will have a problem with what the GHMC is doing. In fact, the GHMC is doing a great service by conducting these two programmes, it can help the stray dog population in the City. The activists do not have an issue with the programme, it is the way they do it. Many a time, the animal catchers drag the dogs along the roads, stuff them into vans and take them to the pound. Over there after the procedure, the strays remain in one enclosure, their wounds unattended, often they are not fed properly for days causing them to become all the more violent or weak. It is this inhumanity that we have a problem with. Their laxity is also another problem. Try giving them a hoax call regarding an animal emergency and most of the time the lines are busy, not reachable or some say this is not the right time, no people in place etc..” Dr Lakshmi, veterinarian and founder of Animal Care Clinic in the City says, “The GHMC stand is highly surprising because vets, animal right activists all work in tandem with the authorities. We have weekly meetings to review the progress of these programmes
undertaken and we also discuss how to improve them. In fact, the GHMC has become much more proactive now. There may be cases where the health of the dogs may be a question for concern but there is no question of stopping their work or putting cases against them. Every programme has a scope for improvement. The problem with the GHMC is that there is a huge lacuna of vets, trained Animal Birth Control surgeons, trained dog catchers, need for equipment. But we are getting better. In fact the GHMC themselves are being proactive and raising awareness about ABC programmes.” Padmaja, founder of Caring Hands For Animals says, “There has to have been some misunderstanding for the GHMC to say this as no animal rights activists
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The activists do not have an issue with the programme, it is the way they do it. Many a time, the animal catchers drag the dogs along the roads, stuff them into vans and take them to the pound. Nihar Parulekar founder ARPF, India
will do this. We are all for the spaying and anti-rabies programme but again it is the way it is carried out. Neutered dogs are often picked up by them and then they are set in another place, dogs are territorial by nature and move in packs. Putting them in a new place would bring about clashes with the existing dog pack there and hence the violent nature and residents complaining of not being able to go out etc. What is needed is awareness. The residents need to be made aware of this and prevent officials from taking away neutered dogs. It will lead to new dogs taking their place. One solution that can be applied to this problem is that the GHMC employ the help of NGOs to raise awareness in the public regarding this issue.”
NATION BRIEFS Four more children succumb to encephalitis
GORAKHPUR: Four more children succumbed to encephalitis at the BRD Medical College Hospital here, taking the death toll in the disease in eastern Uttar Pradesh to 202 this year. The deceased belonged to Gorakhpur, Mahrajganj, Kushinagar and Bihar, health officials said today. As many as 14 persons have been admitted to the hospital since yesterday.
Round-the-clock security RSS intervenes as critics for Kamduni rape accused flay Vasundhara Raje
KOLKATA: A court today directed that the accused in the Kamduni gangrape case be segregated from other prisoners and be given special protection following a prayer by them claiming fear of assault. Additional district judge at Bankshall Court, directed that the eight accused, who are in custody at the Dumdum Correctional Home be segregated from other accused.
JAIPUR: Rajasthan state BJP president Vasundhara Raje’s style of work has drawn criticism from her colleagues, forcing the RSS to intervene to try sort out growing differences within the party. Senior BJP leader Ghanshyam Tiwari, a leading Brahmin leader, recently kicked off a row with a tweet in which he took a swing at meetings held by Raje at her palace in Dholpur .
Criminal attacks medical TMC workers thrash officer inside Goa prison teachers in a school
PANAJI: A prisoner serving a sentence for robbery cases in Goa allegedly attacked a medical officer inside Aguada Central Jail, police said today. Fernandes attacked the medical officer yesterday when he was brought for a routine checkup, police said. The incident took place at the out patient department of the jail dispensary inside the prison.
RAIGANJ: In a shocking incident, a group of alleged Trinamool Congress workers assaulted the principal and other teachers of the Meghnad Saha College at Itahar in West Bengal after a party leader’s wife was caught cheating during an exam.The student is the wife of Trinamool leader and North Dinajpur Zilla Parishad member Gautam Pal.
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News WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
ENVIRONMENT
Promises and perils of
GEOENGINEERING
Worldwatch Institute examines the potential consequences of using geoengineering as a climate quick fix.
CONSEQUENCES In his chapter, The Promises and Perils of Geoengineering, Nicholson outlines some of the consequences that may arise if geoengineering is pursued. CLIMATE CATASTROPHES: The most obvious concern is the potential for causing catastrophic and irreparable damage. Even with computer models and endless calculations, there are still potential unforeseen problems that may occur with any such large-scale plan, due to our still limited understanding of the world’s climate system.
POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com
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eoengineering, by definition, is any deliberate large-scale manipulation of the planetary environment to counteract human-caused climate change. As the planet continues to warm, the potential solutions offered by geoengineering are tempting, and several serious projects are actively being pursued. In the latest edition of the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World 2013: Is Sustainability Still Possible?, Simon Nicholson, Assistant Professor in the School of International Service at American University, examines the pros and cons of such an approach to responding to climate change. The technological prospects for geoengineering are vast, and fall into two main camps. Solar Radiation Management (SRM), a tactic that aims to reflect solar radiation back into space so that it is not absorbed by the atmosphere. The intent is to counteract heat-trapping gases by scattering some percentage of incoming solar radiation by, for instance, launching sunshades into space. Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), an approach that involves drawing large amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere, and storing it where it won’t cause future harm. Land-based ideas have included carbon dioxide scrubbers that would pull large quantities of carbon dioxide straight from the air, or growing forms of biomass and then reducing it to charcoal, which can be buried. Ocean-based ideas mostly involve the cultivation of plankton, which take in carbon and bring it to the bottom of the ocean when they die. “SRM strategies are receiving the bulk of the attention,” he says. “It is hard to see a CDR scheme coming online
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Not geoengineering as a techno-fix but rather geoengineering as one small part of an effort to steer the world to a state of rightness and fitness in ecological and social terms. Simon Nicholson Faculty at American University quickly enough or being deployed at a large enough scale to make a real dent in the atmospheric carbon load.” Yet Nicholson warns that solar radiation management is not any kind of real answer to climate change. “At best, SRM can reduce the planet’s fever for a period,” he says. “Talk of geoengineering is gaining traction because it has the appearance of an easy, sacrifice-free approach to tackling climate change. It is critically important to recognise that there are sacrifices, some obvious and some harder to spot, associated with the bulk of schemes.” With outlined principles and public decision making, however, geoengineering does have the potential to become one method to battle climate change. Some scientists have suggested a “soft-geoengineering” approach, in which changes we make are still widespread, but are reversible and predictable. Examples include painting roofs white to reflect sunlight, or building up carbon in soil and vegetation.
POLITICAL DILEMMAS: Large-scale climate engineering may curtail the will to develop other forms of climate-protecting actions. If changes in the climate
affect various parts of the world, the question of who ought to control the thermostat also raises issues. Less influential countries may be left to suffer as world powers dictate climate behaviour to their advantage. Militaries may be able to start using the weather as their greatest weapon of mass destruction. ROGUE ACTORS: In October 2012, an American took a ship off the shore of Canada and dumped about 100 tonnes of iron sulphate into the Pacific Ocean in hopes of creating a carbon sink. As threats about rising temperatures increase, it is possible that more individuals and organisations will risk taking the climate’s condition into their own hands.
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News WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
IBL FEVER
HOT SHOTS
PICS: SRINIVAS SETTY
Whoever said no other sport can match cricket for fan power? A star-studded crowd had come in hundreds to cheer Saina and Hotshots. Here are a few of the moments from the event.
WORLD BRIEFS Fonterra milk scare was not botulism: NZ ministry
Eight dead in Sao Paulo building collapse
G20 talks between China and Japan unlikely
Miley's twerking dance officially enters lexicon
Death toll in Mexico train wreck rises to 9
WELLINGTON: A botulism scare that sparked global recalls of Fonterra milk products was a false alarm and there was never any danger to the public, New Zealand officials said. The crisis led to infant formula being taken off shelves from China to Saudi Arabia earlier this month and damaged New Zealand's "clean, green" reputation in Asian markets.
SAO PAULO: At least eight people were killed and 25 injured Tuesday when a commercial building under construction collapsed in Sao Paulo, officials said. Rescuers said they did not know how many people might be trapped in the rubble. News reporters said 35 people were working on the building when it collapsed.
BEIJING: Talks between China and Japan, embroiled in a bitter row over disputed islands, are unlikely on the sidelines of the upcoming G20 summit, Chinese state media reported quoting senior officials. Ahead of next month's G20 meeting in St Petersburg, Beijing's vice foreign minister Li Baodong poured cold water on prospects of the meeting.
LONDON: "Twerking", the raunchy dance that set tongues wagging when enthusiastically performed by Miley Cyrus at the MTV awards, is one of the new terms to make the latest Oxford dictionary update. The moves have been colloquially known as twerking for around 20 years, but the term has now received official recognition.
MEXICO CITY: The death toll in the derailment of a cargo train carrying migrants in southern Mexico rose to nine after authorities found three bodies inside a freight car, officials said. Six of the dead were repatriated to Honduras while 18 other migrants were injured. Tabasco state authorities blamed the derailment on speed and rain.
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News WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013 POLITICS
GUJARAT
Five feared dead in Vadodara building collapse Harikrishna blasts Cong POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Former Rajya Sabha member N Harikrishna said the Congress was stealing many ideas and ideals of the late NT Rama Rao and the food security idea was one such novel welfare schemes of the late leader. He recalled that NTR had raised food bill issue at national level when he was alive. Harikrishna has said that many visions of NTR and TDP had been stolen by the Congress unabashedly. He said that NTR was the person who implemented the idea by giving `2 per kilo rice to the poor. Fifty per cent reservation to BC, industrial promotion to create jobs for AROUND THE
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Harikrishna has said that many visions of NTR and TDP had been stolen by the Congress unabashedly. the young and mahila suraksha schemes were some other winning welfare measures of NTR and the TDP. He said the Congress never had displayed any true feelings for the common man it swears at every turn. Most of the welfare measures in India are conceived and implemented by the regional parties like AIDMK, TNC, TDP, JP. He expressed anger at some of the TDP leaders who were ‘barking’ stating that he will leave the TDP. He said that he will not respond to such talk.
AHMEDABAD: At least five people died and several others were trapped when a four-storey apartment block collapsed Wednesday in the western city of Vadodara, officials said. The government-built block "caved in" at about 4am in the city's Manjalpur area, senior administrator Vinod Rao said by telephone. Rescuers in Vadodara, which is about 110 kilometres (70 miles) from Ahmedabad, had so far retrieved eight people from the debris of the building, which had 14 apartments. "There were 15 to 20 people in the building which caved in early today," Rao said. "Eight have been evacuated and five bodies found so far." Last month, a two-storey hotel collapsed in the southern city of Secunderabad, killing 13 people and injuring 17 others. Several buildings have collapsed in India in recent months, many of them apartment blocks in the financial capital Mumbai. One collapse in April in the city killed 74 people. The accidents have highlighted shoddy construction standards in the country, where huge demand for housing and corruption often results in illegal buildings and a lack of safety inspections. AFP
Officials say there were 15-20 people when the building caved in.
FOR REPRESENTATIVE PURPOSES ONLY
ECONOMIC CRISIS
Cash-strapped Spanish town charges Tomatina revellers MADRID: Facing a squished budget, the town hosting Spain's annual tomato-throwing festival, La Tomatina, on Wednesday is charging a fee for the first time. Some 20,000 people from across the world will pack the eastern town of Bunol, many wearing goggles to protect their eyes from the stinging juice, before launching into a gigantic one-hour food fight. This year, for the first time, AROUND THE
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they are paying a minimum of 10 euros ($13) for the privilege of pelting each other with tomatoes in streets that end up flooded in red juice. The price rises to 750 euros if you want to get up on one of the
six trucks that will bring in a record 130 tonnes of tomatoes. Some 5,000 free tickets have been set aside for Bunol residents. Organisers have cut the number of participants by half citing safety concerns over the size of
crowds. This year, the festival will count on 180 safety officials, 50 private security as well as police and organizers. Emergency services will have nine ambulances, and several helicopters. "This is the first year we are
charging for access to this popular festival due the need to limit the crowd for safety reasons," Bunol town hall said in a statement. "We have had a problem for the past eight or 10 years: the Tomatina is not controlled, we don't know how many people are going to come," Bunol Mayor Joaquin Masmano Palmer told Spanish media. But the town also says organising the food fight represents a "heavy cost" for public finances. For the first time, a private company, SpainTastic, has been charged with selling entry tickets to the Tomatina, sparking concern that recession-hit Spain's town festivals may be on the path to privatisation. Days before the festival, almost all tickets offered by SpainTastic were sold out. AFP
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News WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
ACTION AGAINST SYRIA
MISHAP
West insists goal is to punish Bashar
As US forces prepare for a strike, they say usurping Assad is not on agenda.
STEPHEN COLLINSON Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON: US forces are readying to strike Syria, though the West insists its goal is not regime change but to punish President Bashar al-Assad’s government for unleashing chemical warfare on civilians. The ground for a military intervention was laid out by US Vice President Joe Biden, who for the first time said last week’s attack, thought to have killed hundreds, could only have been perpetrated by Assad’s forces. But the onrushing likelihood of action within days was met with defiance in Damascus, with regime officials pledging to fight any attack with “surprise” measures, while Syrian allies Russia and Iran warned of dire consequences. But Britain and France also moved to back the use of force in Syria, while the White House promised to provide declassified evidence this week to prove that last Wednesday’s chemical attack was the work of regime forces. The economic cost also started to be counted, as global stocks dived and world oil prices hit a six-month high. Analysts expect to see cruise missiles launched from US and allied submarines, ships and possibly planes, firing into Syria from outside its waters and airspace. Biden said an “essential
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MOHD SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com
A Syrian-Kurdish refugee woman is given a plate of rice as families queue to get food at the Quru Gusik refugee camp, 20 kilometres east of Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq on August 27, 2013. More than 50,000 Syrian refugees have crossed into Iraq’s Kurdish region in less than two weeks, an official said on August 26, 2013, as authorities rush to house them in more permanent camps. AFP/SAFIN HAMED
international norm” had been violated in Syria. “There is no doubt who is responsible for this heinous use of chemical weapons in Syria — the Syrian regime," Biden said on Tuesday. “The president believes and I believe that those who use chemical weapons against defenseless men, women and children
US intel overheard chem arms talks WASHIHNGTON: US intelligence services overheard a Syrian defense ministry official in “panicked phone calls with the leader of a chemical weapons unit” after last week’s deadly chemical attack, Foreign Policy magazine reported Tuesday. “Last Wednesday, in the hours after a horrific chemical attack east of Damascus, an official at the Syrian Ministry of Defense exchanged panicked phone calls with leader of a chemical weapons unit, demanding answers for a nerve agent strike that killed more than 1,000 people," the report said. “Those conversations were overheard by US intelligence services," the magazine said in a statement. “That is the major reason why American officials now say they’re certain that the attacks were the work of the Bashar al-Assad regime — and why the US military is likely to attack that regime in a matter of
2 die as SUV collides with lorry in Shamshabad
days." The report comes as US forces geared up to strike Syria, though the West insists its goal is not regime change but to punish Assad’s government for unleashing chemical warfare on civilians. The ground for a military intervention was laid out by US Vice President Joe Biden, who for the first time said last week’s attack, thought to have killed hundreds, could only have been perpetrated by Assad’s forces. But the onrushing likelihood of action within days was met with defiance in Damascus, with regime officials pledging to fight any attack with “surprise” measures, while Syrian allies Russia and Iran warned of dire consequences. Britain and France also moved to back the use of force in Syria, while the White House promised to provide declassified evidence this week to prove that the August 21 chemical attack was the work of regime forces. AFP
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should and must be held accountable." During a news conference earlier Tuesday, Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Damascus would defend itself. “We have two options: either to surrender, or to defend ourselves with the means at our disposal," he said. “The second choice is the best. We will defend ourselves." US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the American military was already prepared to act if President Barack Obama gave the order — though White House aides said no final decision had been taken. “We have moved assets in place to be able to fulfil and comply with whatever option the president wish-
We are ready to go, like that."
Chuck Hagel Pentagon chief about action against Syria
es to take," Hagel said in Brunei. “We are ready to go, like that." French President Francois Hollande said his country was “ready to punish” those behind the chemical attacks and that he would meet the Syrian opposition’s leader Thursday. In London, Prime Minister David Cameron recalled parliament to discuss the crisis and slammed Syria’s use of chemical weapons as “morally indefensible." The White House said that any US action would be to defend the principle that chemical weapons should not be used — and would not aim to topple Assad, despite previous calls for him to go. “I want to make clear that the options that we are considering are not about regime change," said Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney, noting that a declassified version of a US intelligence investigation into the attack would be released this week. Carney refused to say whether Washington would seek a UN Security Council mandate for action, despite the likelihood of a Russian veto. A military campaign in Syria is expected to be limited in scope, likely to last only several days and to target military sites but not the chemical weapons stocks themselves, sources in Washington said.
HYDERABAD: Two persons were killed and another sustained grievous injuries in a ghastly road mishap early this morning on Siddhanti highway in Shamshabad following a head-on collision involving a lorry and an SUV. The victims have been identified as Gopal Krishna, 40, a resident of Jubilee Hills and his driver Neelesh, 35. Another, Zaheer, a native of Warangal, a lorry helper, suffered injuries and is undergoing treatment in a hospital, Sub Inspector of RGI police station, Kashi Vishwanath said. According to details Gopal Krishna, a businessman of a private firm was going to Rajiv Gandhi airport in his Scorpio to catch a flight. Nilesh was driving. The vehicle they travelled hit the lorry coming from opposite direction. Gopal Krishna died on the spot. Pirma facie, it was reported that Nilesh’s error had caused the accident.
BAD PRIEST
Compensate child sex abuse victim, church told ROME: A court in Italy has ordered the Catholic Church to pay 700,000 euros to the family of a woman who was reportedly sexually abused by a priest when she was a child. Parish priest Giorgio Carli was arrested in 2003, accused of raping the woman when she was nine until she was 14. He was convicted of the abuse but in 2009 was acquitAROUND THE
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ted by Italy’s supreme court under the statute of limitations. Carli, 48, has always professed his innocence. The court in Bolzano said the dioceses of Bolzano and Brixen and a local parish must pay 500,000 euros to the woman and 100,000 euros each to her parents.
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News WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
HEALTH
ROYAL GAMES
Experimental drug ‘cures’ hepatitis C in small trials WASHINGTON: An experimental drug combination cured 70 percent of patients with hepatitis C in early trials, offering hope of a simpler remedy for the chronic liver disease, US researchers said Tuesday. The phase II trial described in the Journal of the American Medical Association studied the effectiveness and safety of an experimental drug, sofosbuvir, taken with the licensed antiviral drug ribavirin. The drugs were administered orally, an improvement over the current treatment which involves weekly injections with interferonalpha and can cause depression, flu-like symptoms and anemia. Ten patients with early to mod-
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erate liver disease were treated with 400 milligrams daily of sofosbuvir and weight-based doses of ribavirin for six months. All nine who completed the regimen had no virus detectable 12 weeks after therapy ended. No hepatitis C was found even 24 weeks after finishing therapy. According to study co-author Shyamasundaran Kottilil of the NIH, a patient is considered cured of hepatitis C if no virus is detectable for 12 weeks after the therapy ends. AFP
Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko playing tennis at Japan’s mountain resort Karuizawa in Nagano prefecture. The royal couple are taking a week-long summer rest at the mountain resort in central Japan. AFP
EGYPT ERUPTS
Custody deaths revive rights fears The government has denied any wrongdoing, but the rights activists say they have enough proof to hold it responsible. SARA HUSSEIN Agence France-Presse CAIRO: Sherif Gamal Siyam spent his last minutes in an Egyptian police van, suffocating to death after tear gas was fired into the vehicle taking him to the Abu Zaabal jail. He had been arrested four days earlier, on August 14, when security forces began clearing a protest camp against the ouster of Egypt’s elected president Mohamed Morsi. The Islamist president, a Muslim Brotherhood member, was deposed by the army on July 3 after massive protests against his rule. But Siyam’s friends and family insist he wasn’t camped at the protest — he had even joined rallies against the army and the Brotherhood, and considered a parliamentary run as an independent. They say he rushed to the camp site in the naive hope of convincing both sides to avoid violence.
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Both sides of the story n Egypt’s government denies wrongdoing in the incident, and the interior ministry has pledged a full investigation. n The official story of how the prisoners died has evolved, with state news first saying gunmen had ambushed the prisoner convoy as it approached Abu Zaabal, north of Cairo.
However he found himself at the scene, what happened next is not in dispute: he was arrested, and became one of 37 prisoners who died in a van full of tear gas on August 18. Egypt’s government denies wrongdoing in the incident, and the interior ministry has pledged a full investigation.
But human rights activists and relatives of those killed accuse authorities of responsibility for the deaths. The official story of how the prisoners died has evolved, with state news first saying gunmen had ambushed the prisoner convoy as it approached Abu Zaabal, north of Cairo.
Later, state news agency MENA said the prisoners had taken a policeman hostage inside the van, prompting officers to fire tear gas into it. “Thirty-seven supporters of the deposed president suffocated to death inside the transport van,” MENA said. An interior ministry statement matched that account, adding that some of the prisoners had been trampled in the panic, and the
police officer had escaped with injuries. Osama al-Mahdy, a human rights lawyer, met Siyam years earlier, and stayed friends with the 29-year-old communications engineer. He had no idea his friend had been arrested until August 19, when he discovered Siyam’s family was among those waiting outside Cairo’s Zeinhom morgue for news of their loved ones. Mahdy’s work means he is no stranger to death, but even he was shocked by the condition of Siyam’s body. “The bodies from the prison were very swollen, and the faces were very blue, almost black,” he said. Mahdy took pictures of the bodies and posted them on Twitter, in part to dispel theories that the prisoners had been shot. He examined the 20 bodies of prisoners he saw inside the morgue and found no signs of bullet wounds. The blackness of the faces led some to speculate that the bodies were burned.
JUMBO FIND
Giant deer, mammoth skeleton found in Italy ROME: Researchers in Italy have unearthed and partially reconstructed the skeleton of a million-year-old mammoth, as well as remains from a giant deer and a tortoise. The rare remains were uncovered at Ellera di Corciano,
near the central city of Perugia. Researchers had discovered in the same area in 2011 the skeletons of 200 mammals that roamed the earth around a million years ago, including hippopotamuses, deer, bison, horses
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and cheetas. Italian paleontologist Marco Cherin from the University of
Perugia’s Department of Earth Sciences has been leading a team of geology and natural science students at the dig. Geological and micro-paleontological analysis of soil strata from the site show it was once a fertile alluvial plain inhabited by
a diverse range of large mammals. Conservationists have called for the entire area to be cordoned off so that a more detailed dig with sophisticated equipment is possible. IANS
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News WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
VIENNA
CYBER WAR
Traditional city gets brand crazy in luxury facelift
Assad backers hack Twitter, NYT
A walk through the city centre reveals window displays boast the latest Miu Miu handbag or Vivienne Westwood fashion. spending tourists from Russia, Asia and the Gulf -- including Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar -- certainly contributed to this trend. “For them, it’s very much about prestige, about brands. So we’re working in that direction,” said Vienna Tourist Board director Norbert Kettner. Those most often seen toting large Chanel or Gucci shopping bags around the city centre are indeed Asian couples or Arab families. Chinese tourists are the second biggest spenders in the Austrian capital, dropping an average 623 euros ($833) per day, just behind the Thai visitors, according to Tourist
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SIM SIM WISSGOTT feedback@postnoon.com VIENNA: Half a dozen new fivestar hotels, flagship stores for Louis Vuitton, Prada and Emporio Armani: Vienna is undergoing a luxury facelift that is delighting Arab, Asian and Russian tourists, as well as locals. Always the epitome of elegance and culture, the Austrian capital was long set on tradition. Grand hotels like the famous Sacher, Bristol and Imperial dated back to the Austro-Hungarian empire and on the limited luxury shopping mile -- the Kohlmarkt -internationally recognisable brand names jostled for space with local
businesses. A new bloc called the Golden Quarter houses a threestorey Vuitton shop as well as Roberto Cavalli and Mulberry, and will soon welcome the first Yves Saint Laurent store in Austria. Three five-star hotels -- including a Ritz Carlton and a Kempinski -have also opened their doors in the last nine months. A Four Seasons, a Park Hyatt and a third top-ranked hotel are to follow by next year. “There is hardly a brand that isn’t present in Vienna... there is no reason to go anywhere else anymore for high-end shopping,” Helmut Schramm, head of the Vienna Economic Chamber’s fashion division, told AFP. The growing number of high-
Board figures.But locals are also rejoicing in the opportunity to buy the latest designs from Milan or Paris right here at home.
STILL ROOM FOR GROWTH
The timing of this luxury drive may seem odd, so soon after the financial crisis and amid continuing austerity. But “the super-rich are totally unfazed by the global crisis,” Kettner told AFP. If anything, the surprising thing is that a luxury boom did not occur sooner in a city decked out with grand palaces and elegant cafes, where waltzing at a ball is still a popular pastime. AFP
NEW YORK CITY: Twitter and The New York Times were hit with cyber attacks on Tuesday, with credit quickly claimed by a group backing embattled Syrian strongman Bashar AlAssad. The Syrian Electronic Army, ironically, used Twitter to tout its efforts to take down the globally popular one-to-many messaging service and the Times news website. “Media is going down,” a message at the SEA Twitter account proclaimed. “Twitter, are you ready?” The cyber attack was evidently aimed at the Domain Name System that acts as a directory of sorts for routing online traffic to website addresses. Hackers can hijack web traffic by altering DNS address information to send site visitors to websites of their choosing. An Australian domain
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registration service appeared to have been hit in the attack. “Our DNS provider experienced an issue in which it appears DNS records for various organizations were modified, including one of Twitter’s domains used for image serving, twimg.com,” Twitter said in a post at its status blog. “Viewing of images and photos was sporadically impacted,” the San Francisco-based company’s message explained. “No Twitter user information was affected by this incident.” The trouble was resolved within two hours, according to Twitter. The New York Times said that its website went down Tuesday due to a “malicious external attack.” AFP
EDIBLE ALGAE
Coming to a rooftop near you? The empty space on top of Bangkok’s many skyscrapers provide suitable growing conditions for spirulina. WILLIAM DAVIES feedback@postnoon.com BANGKOK: On a hotel rooftop in Bangkok, dozens of barrels of green liquid bubble under the sun — the latest innovation in urban farming. Proponents of the edible algae known as spirulina say it could help provide a sustainable source of protein as an alternative to meat. Three times a week, Patsakorn Thaveeuchukorn harvests the green algae in the barrels. “The algae is growing so fast, normally the doubling time is around 24 hours,” said Patsakorn,
PICK YOUR
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whose employer EnerGaia uses Bangkok’s rooftops to grow spirulina. With its high levels of protein and nutrients, “it is beneficial to food security,” he told AFP.
“If you compare it to meat it will take six months to grow a kilogram of beef, but this we can grow in a week,” said Patsakorn. Spirulina has been described by health food experts as a super-food, and it is becoming more popular worldwide. Rosa Rolle from the UN’s food and agriculture organisation (FAO) says it has been an important food source for centuries. AFP
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News WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
THE PROTECTORS
Dogs play peacekeepers in human-cheetah conflict
AFP PHOTO / JENNIFER BRUCE
They not only save sheep and goats, but have handed a lifeline to Namibia’s decimated cheetah numbers by reducing conflicts between farmers and predators.
JUSTINE GERARDY Agence France-Presse GOBABIS: Winding through the parched Namibian farmland, Bonzo, an Anatolian shepherd dog, has a singular focus: protecting his herd of goats from lurking predators. He pads along, sniffing the air and marking the scrubby landscape, just like a bodyguard ready to ward off any threat to his charges. “They’re not pets. They’re not allowed to be pets,” said Bonzo’s owner farmer Retha Joubert. The breed descends from ancient livestock dogs used thousands of years ago in what is now central Turkey. And they not only save sheep and goats, but have handed a lifeline to Namibia’s decimated cheetah numbers by reducing conflicts between farmers and predators. “The dogs are protecting the flock in such a way that the farmers don’t have to kill predators,” said Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) which breeds the dogs near northern city Otjiwarongo. “It’s a non-lethal predator control method so it is green, it’s happy, it’s win-win.” The concept is simple. The dogs are placed with a flock when a few weeks old to bond with the livestock. They live permanently with the animals, loyally heading out with them every day to deter hunters, and
bedding down with them at night. Marker’s centre started breeding the livestock dogs to promote cheetah-friendly farming after some 10,000 big cats — the current total worldwide population — were killed or moved off farms in the 1980s. Up to 1,000 cheetahs were being killed a year, mostly by farmers who saw them as livestock killers. But the use of dogs has slashed losses for sheep and goat farmers and led to less retaliation against the vulnerable cheetah.
‘FIGHT TO THE FINISH’
“We see about 80 to 100 per cent decrease of livestock loss from any predator when the farmers have the dogs,” said Marker. In the last 19 years, around 450 dogs have been placed with farmers and more than 3,000 farmers trained. There is now a two-year waiting list for the dogs — either
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The dogs’ presence and intimidating bark is usually enough to deter predators, who would rather opt for prey that does not have a guardian. stately Anatolian shepherds or Kangals —and the programme has expanded to other countries with predators. For Joubert, staying up late at night worrying about her sheep and goats coming home is a thing of the past. Her farm near Gobabis, east of the capital Windhoek, lost 60 animals in 2008. But the arrival of Bonzo, her first Anatolian, as a puppy five
years ago has slashed losses to just one animal last year. Joubert is now training fourmonth-old Kangal !Nussie — whose name starts with the exclamation point typical of Namibia's Nama people — to follow in Bonzo’s footsteps. The fluffy-coated pup is learning the ropes by going out with a flock every day on a leash with a human herder and beds down in the animal enclosure at night. She gets half an hour in the evening to play in the yard. The dogs’ presence and intimidating bark is usually enough to deter predators, who would rather opt for prey that does not have a guardian. But they will attack if a hunter does not back off. Bonzo for example, has killed jackals, who attack in packs and a young, weak cheetah. “If indeed they do come in, the dog could and would fight to the finish,” said Marker.
Altercations between the dogs and cheetahs, though, are rare and those who target livestock are usually desperate, such as being wounded. But working in Namibia’s tough landscape takes it toll. Bonzo has been bitten by snakes, stung by a scorpion, attacked by baboons and now has tongue cancer from exposure to the relentless sun. Ironically, despite cheetahs being seen as livestock killers, analysis of their droppings has shown only five per cent had preyed on farm animals. “They do occasionally take livestock,” said Gail Potgieter, a human-wildlife conflict specialist at the Namibia Nature Foundation. “But the perception that any cheetah is going to start killing livestock as its main diet is very wrong.” Cheetah numbers hit a low of 2,500 in 1986. But the population has now potentially reached nearly 4,000 — the biggest wild cheetah population in the world. For small stock farmers, they have proven their worth. “For the type of livestock farming that’s going on in Namibia, it's definitely one of the most promising solutions that they have,” said Potgieter, who used to manage the CCF’s dog programme. In Gobabis, Joubert needs no convincing. “I will always have dogs here,” she said.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
Business ECONOMIC REFORM
France in pensions overhaul PARIS: France’s Socialist government unveiled a major effort to reform its debt-ridden pension system on Tuesday, in the latest effort to shore up state finances without provoking protest. Under pressure from Brussels, France is looking to plug holes that will see its generous state pension scheme fall more than 20 billion euros into the red by 2020. But pension reforms are highly contentious in France and this latest effort could be the biggest test yet for President Francois Hollande’s government. The announced planavoids some of the more controversial proposals floated in recent weeks that included slapping a new tax on French retirees. Instead, the government proposes that employees as well as businesses pay more every month to France’s retirement system, a measure sure to raise eyebrows with the cost of France’s generous social net already one of the highest in the world. AFP
KOREA PLAYS DOWN FEARS OVER US STIMULUS TAPER
South Korea’s central bank head said his international counterparts mostly agreed the end of the US Federal Reserve’s stimulus would not spark a major crisis, although some emerging nations would suffer “difficulties”.
SLIPPING SENSEX
Rupee sinking... fast
MOBILE SHOPPING SURGES
Except IT and technology, entertainment and media, all other scrips were trading in the red.
MUMBAI: A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Wednesday fell over one-and-ahalf percent as the rupee fell to a record low of 68.02 against the dollar. The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,851.44 points, was trading at 17,709.50 points around 11.20 am, down 258.58 points or 1.44 per cent from the previous day’s close at 17,968.08 points.
The Sensex touched a high of 17,851.44 points and a low of 17,448.71 points during the early trade. The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) lost 105.60 points or two per cent at 5,181.85 points. The partiallyconvertible rupee slumped to a new low of 68.02 against the dollar at the inter-bank foreign exchange market in Mumbai, surpassing the previous low of 66.25 recorded Tuesday. The rupee later breached the
68.75 level around 10.30 a.m. The rupee had closed Tuesday at 66.25 - a depreciation of 2.36 percent from its Monday’s close of 64.72 against the dollar. The sharp volatility in the market comes a day after it tanked around 600 points, amidst heavy selling by foreign institutional investors, showing their lack of interest in a weak Indian economy. The markets were also concerned over the widening of the fiscal deficit as the lower house of parliament Monday passed the National Food Security Bill, whose implementation will cost nearly $20 billion. Except for the IT and technology, entertainment and media sectors, all other scrips were trading in the red. Heavy selling pressure was observed in banking index (bankex), oil and gas, capital goods, PSUs and automobile sectors. The rupee’s slide against the dollar translated into a healthy buying spree in the export-oriented IT and TECk sectors, which grew 138.46 points and 34.92 points respectively. IANS
Nissan’s self-driving car by 2020 WASHINGTON: Motorists could go hands-free, leaving their cars’ computer brains fully in charge, as early as 2020, when Nissan says it plans to have a self-driving vehicle ready for the market. The Japanese automaker said Tuesday that its “revolutionary” self-drive technology could be ready by then, and that it is already building a synthetic cityscape of real roads and buildings for testing the vehicles. Nissan, which broke ground in 2010 with the introduction of its Leaf fully electric small car, said it is aiming to build a self-
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driving car that can be sold at “realistic prices.” Nissan said it is already testing how to extend its Safety Shield technology, which uses a 360 degree system of cameras and sensors to help drivers park and avoid collisions. Autonomous Drive would enhance safety and accident avoidance, and allow drivers who spend hundreds of hours commuting every year to make more productive use of their time. It will also give the elderly and disabled much more freedom and mobility, the company said. AFP
WASHINGTON: US mobile shoppers spent more than $10 billion in the first half of 2013, in a segment making strong inroads in retailing, a survey showed Tuesday. The comScore survey showed retail sales from consumers using smartphones or tablets in the first half rose more than 25 percent from the same period a year ago and now account for 9.5 percent of all digital ecommerce sales. The report showed “m-commerce” revenues, which are highly seasonal, at $5.9 billion in the first quarter and $4.7 billion in the second quarter.
NUMEROLOGY
$25
bn
must be cut in oil import bill to tame current account deficit, according to PM Manmohan Singh.
N-PLANT TO SHUT DOWN WASHINGTON: A 40-year-old nuclear plant in Vermont will shut down next year due to the high costs of competing with cheap natural gas, the company said Tuesday. Entergy Corporation said the Vermont Yankee plant will be decommissioned after its current fuel cycle ends.The Louisianabased Entergy said the move was based on “a number of financial factors,” and noted it had poured $400 million dollars into the plant’s operations since 2002. The top reason cited in a company press release was “a natural gas market that has undergone a transformational shift in supply due to the impacts of shale gas.
THUS SPAKE We don’t want a German Europe but we want a strong Europe. That means every member state, including Germany, has to increase its competitiveness. WOLFGANG SCHAEUBLE GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER
GOLD`34,485 10g SILVER `58,854 1kg
24C
for
for
DOLLAR `68.43 POUND `106.05
BSE 5,195.85 NSE
17,733.87 -277.12 -96.75
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
Comment In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: it goes on. Robert Frost Poet
China’s debt-driven growth outlives fallen Bo TOM HANCOCK Agence France-Presse
F
allen Chinese politician Bo Xilai may have been ritually consigned to political history at his trial this week but the country’s leadership has yet to abandon the debt-fuelled economic policies he epitomised. Bo, who mounted a feisty defence at his five-day trial, won plaudits for his transformation of the southwestern megacity of Chongqing, where he became the city’s top official in 2007, funded by billions in loans from state-controlled banks. His fingerprints are visible everywhere in the sprawling metropolis, from a new light rail system that snakes across its undulating hills, to more than 3,000 kilometres (1,900 miles) of motorways and 48 new bridges government documents say were built during his tenure. Chongqing’s expansion began with China’s “Develop the West” campaign to promote growth in the vast and relatively poorer region in the late 1990s. Bo’s supercharged version of a growth model followed by cities across China — funded by loans using land as collateral — made it the country’s joint-fastest-growing region in 2011, with an annual GDP rise of 16.4 percent, according to official statistics. The urban population of Chongqing swelled by more than 20 percent during his tenure, including many from rural areas who saw their land used to boost government income. But the growth came with dangerous risks in the form of massive debts incurred.
HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS
Miley Cyrus’s twerking has been trashed as the worst example of cultural misappropriation. Well, she tried and she failed. Well, tanked would describe it better. Twerking is deemed sexy, but Miley’s crazy gyration and facial gestures only draw disgust.
FOOD SECURITY
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IT’S NOT A FAIR AFFAIR THE INSIDE STORY Adam Plowright
T
he Indian government’s new $19-billion food scheme to feed two thirds of the population, as well as the ruling party’s political fortunes, depend in large part on hundreds of thousands of shopkeepers such as Brij Kishore. The 52-year-old has been running his Fair Price Shop, a government food dispensary, for more than 30 years from a one-storey warehouse in the northern district of Jahangirpuri in New Delhi. Rough-hewn sacks of wheat, rice and sugar, which are sold for as little as two rupees (3.0 US cents) per kilo, are piled ceiling high, bearing the markings of government warehouses in neighbouring Haryana state. Several bags are emptied out on the floor by Kishore’s assistant, who in between serving customers with a large scoop, kicks back the tide of grain with his dirty sandals. Under new legislation passed in the lower house of the national parliament on Monday, about 800 million people will be entitled to five kilograms per month of subsidised grains from shops like these. But the current distribution system is dogged by complaints from customers that they are routinely shortchanged on their rations by shopkeepers, who then sell the extra grain on the
black market to help compensate for their own thin earnings. “We are working on a nonprofit basis," complains Kishore, estimating his monthly income at about 8,000-10,000 rupees (less than $150). “But it’s forced on us because we don’t have a choice." As a result, corruption “happens everywhere... In some places, it’s worse than others," he says. The scheme — which will add 230 billion rupees ($3.8 billion) to India’s annual food subsidy costs — is designed to tackle deep-rooted malnutrition which still afflicts an estimated 42 percent of Indian children. Deaths caused by starvation are rare but still a reality in contemporary India and images of stunted and malnourished children have become a source of shame for the government of an aspiring superpower. But as Kishore’s customers leave his shop, often carrying one large sack by hand and balancing another on their heads, they are eager to share their frustrations with the public distribution system. Santosh, a 35-year-old mother who feeds four children and an unemployed husband at home, says she is routinely deprived of 10 kilograms of grains which she says are then sold on the black market. “We have been getting 20 kilos of wheat and five kilos of rice and the wheat is full of dirt," she spits. Her complaints are echoed by others, who say that their grievances go unacknowledged
by local administrators. Kishore admits that he sells the “surplus” rations left behind each month, which he says is a necessary addition to his meagre income. He cuts a dejected figure as he explains how the commission he receives for selling 35 kilos of produce to a client is about 12 rupees and it hasn’t budged in years. The shopkeeper is part of the world’s biggest food distribution system for the poor, which already covers 100 million “below poverty line” families and another 140 million “above poverty line” families, official data shows. Any Indian family can apply for a ration card at present and receive 35 kilos of subsidised grain, an official in the food ministry explained, adding that the new legislation will cover 67 percent of the total population. “So the coverage will be more targeted," he said. As well as changing the criteria for the entitlements — hand-
outs will be mostly per capita instead of per family — the prices at Fair Price Shops will be reduced to as little as one rupee per kilogram. Indian consumers have been reeling from rocketing food prices for most of the government’s term and voters have told pollsters that the cost of basic goods is foremost among their concerns ahead of elections next year. But the popularity of the programme, which was temporarily activated as an executive order by the president in July, will depend on the inefficient national network of public granaries, transporters and 500,000 ration shops. One widely quoted study published in 2005 by the Planning Commission, a government advisory body, found that 58 percent of grains in the Public Distribution System (PDS) failed to reach their intended destinations.
EDITORIALS Rupee reaches new lows
A
s we write this, the dear old rupee has slipped further to a new record low of 68.75 per dollar in the late morning trade on Wednesday on persistent dollar demand from banks and importers due to further fall in equity market amid rise in crude oil prices. Demand by importers, flight of capital and rise of crude oil prices are the amalgam of causes that lead to a currency’s tumble. All this happen when a technocrat at the helms of affairs is ironical. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has clearly lost his grip over governance or senility has overtaken him. The UPA government has none to blame for the sleazy economic affair today. This government will go down in the history s the most corrupt and least efficient government of Independent India and the (dis) credit has to be shared by all the constituents of the UPA. What is not commonly appreciated is that when a national currency goes down vis-a-vis a US dollar, the government is letting down the people of the land while those working abroad will benefit. We, the unfortunate, who are condemned to swallow ever rising inflation find ourselves at the receiving end always. It is pretty sad.
READERS’ VIEWS
The world’s an omnishambles
O
mnishambles is the word of the year as per the poll run by Oxford English Dictionary. It means “a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterised by a string of blunders and miscalculations". With the situation in Syria and Egypt worsening and the Western powers response to these worrying, we need such a word to describe what is happening and the consequences. Thankee, writers of the political satire The Thick of It: no other word will do here.
We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or # Plot no.550-A1,3rd floor, Road no-92, Jubilee hills, Hyderabad-500033 Landmark - Volkswagen showroom or even by way of a call on 4067 2222. Editor: Dean Williams
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
Cinema SETTING THE SCENE
LA prop emporium the go-to spot for
HOLLYWOOD FILMS
LEILA MACOR Agence France-Presse
LOS ANGELES: A ship’s wheel here, a suitcase there. Pam Elyea walks briskly through the aisles of her cavernous warehouse pointing at antiques she has rented out as props for Hollywood movies. And she rattles off the names of the flicks or TV shows in which her vintage stuff has appeared: The Artist, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the list goes on and on. The business is called History for Hire, and it is the go-to place for Los Angeles movie folk looking to shoot a period piece. Indeed, Elyea and her husband Jim have seen their gems on the screen in such movies as Chaplin, Platoon, Argo and the wildly popular TV series Mad Men. It all started in 1985, when Jim Elyea turned his passion for collecting things into a way to make a living. A walk through the warehouse is a stroll through memorabilia of the 20th century: cameras, stethoscopes, dolls, baseball mitts, cosmetics, suitcases, telephones, military gear from the first and second World Wars as well as the wars in Vietnam and Korea, and even an electric chair for executions. “We feel very special about them because they have a second life,” Jim Elyea told AFP after a tour of his treasures at his enormous warehouse in North Hollywood. “After they fulfill their useful purpose in life, then they come to us where they are in a kind of a museum show and they play themselves in movies,” he adds. One customer has just rented 18 sets of drums and 40 guitars and bass guitars for Jersey Boys, Clint Eastwood’s movie adaptation of a hit musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons which is about to begin filming. The client is Michael Sexton, Eastwood’s prop guru, who has worked with the Hollywood legend on such films as J Edgar, Invictus, Changeling and Letters from Iwo Jima. Sexton also did Argo, Ben Affleck’s political thriller that was the big winner at the Oscars
AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK
earlier this year. “You do have to be sure it’s historically correct,” says Sexton. He explains he checks and double-checks every prop he uses in a film, no matter how small, with old catalogues, diaries, photos and even archives from manufacturers themselves. The Elyeas see historical accuracy as their social responsibility. “It’s very important to us that movies and television shows, etc, are accurate historically,” Jim Alyea said. He says most people in fact learn about history from watching movies and TV shows.
HISTORY FROM A CATALOGUE
In her sprint through the warehouse, Pam Elyea points to a black baby stroller from the 1900s that was used in The Addams Family, Bride of Chucky and Chaplin. Then she walks by a
1920s vanity that appeared in The Artist. In its mirror, the young actress played by Berenice Bejo writes the words ‘thank you’ when she is happy. The Elyeas draw much of their period film prop expertise from old yearly catalogues from
the US department store Sears, which run from 1900 to 1980. “If you want to see what an average person would use in 1922 or 1947, or 1903, you just go to our library, pick up the right catalogue and it will tell you instantly what the right thing
should be,” Jim Alyea said. He and his wife add to their already huge trove by buying, either over the Internet or in person, anything they think might come in handy for a movie, at times even such trivial things as a cereal box. For example, in Saving Mr. Banks, a film about the relationship between Walt Disney and the creator of Mary Poppins that will come out in December, the writer played by Emma Thompson will use a purse that the couple bought at an antique show in Austin, Texas. But they also make reproductions, and employ designers that copy the labels of old products.”Do you see that giant jar? That is something we made for Mad Men that was supposedly a Don Draper design,” she said, pointing to a jar of Hellmann’s mayonnaise that is supposed to be from the 1960s and designed by the show’s protagonist.
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
spotlight
SRINIVAS SETTY
BIRTHDAY FUN
PARTY
POSERS
Birthday party of Bina Mehta held at Syn, Taj Deccan was a rollicking affair. The birthday girl's besties turned up in trendy dresses and took part in the celebrations.
JOINING FORCES
COO, University of Rochester Medical Centre, Peter Robinson and Dr Preetha Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals pose for the cameras after signing the MoU between Apollo Hospitals and the university.
EYE CANDY
Saberi opened up its 12th major outlet at Kondapur on Tuesday. Actress Reshma graced the occasion of the launch.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
health
ILL ORAL HEALTH CAN CONTIRBUTE TO ORAL CANCERS
A study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research reports that poor oral health, which includes dental problems and gum disease, is an independent risk factor for oral HPV infection, and by extension, could also contribute to oral cancers.
WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE?
19
Urban India’s preference for fried and calorie dense food The findings of a recent survey conducted amongst more than 1,200 women in eight Indian cities have revealed the breakfast preferences and trends prevalent in each city, and indicate a growing awareness about the nutrition quotient of common breakfast items that is increasingly influencing the Indian household’s breakfast preferences.
B
reakfast has emerged as one of the most important meals of the day for India’s urban woman, and she is increasingly becoming conscious of the nutritional value of every food item she prepares for her family’s first meal. However, while she is focused on making the healthiest choices for herself and her family, most women are actually choosing large and heavy breakfast and fried foods first thing in the morning. Commenting on the findings of the survey, Nutritionist Sheela Krishnaswamy says “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it refuels the body after the 8 to 12 hours of fasting since dinner; and provides energy to the brain and muscles to sustain activity through the day ahead. Several studies have confirmed that eating breakfast can help to maintain weight and blood glucose, improve attention, mental performance and memory. Research has also found that people who eat breakfast have a better attitude towards work, better concentration levels, higher productivity and an increased ability to handle tasks
that require memory. Be it children, working professionals, elders or homemakers — breakfast must be a priority for everyone. However, just eating breakfast is not enough. One must make sure that the food items included are nutritious and fulfill one’s individual dietary needs and lifestyle.” Here are the key findings of the survey conducted in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Chandigarh, along with nutrition takes by Sheela Krishnaswamy.
FRIED FOOD V/S FRUITS, CEREALS AND NUTS LIKE ALMONDS An alarming 100 per cent of the respondents in New Delhi and Chandigarh; and 91 per cent in Jaipur prefer fried food like Paranthas and Aalu Puri first thing in the morning, however Mumbaikars emerge as the most health-conscious with 94 per cent including cereals, 90 per cent including almonds, and 72 per cent including fruits in their daily breakfast. The Southern states prefer traditional breakfast options like dosa,
upma, idli, sambar. However, 94 per cent of the women polled overall claim they think of nutrition while preparing
breakfast. Nutrition take: Starting the day with a smart breakfast is important to your overall health, wellbeing, performance and weight. It’s worth the planning! Practically, breakfast is a meal to wake the stomach up. A large or heavy breakfast can lead to slump in energy levels and be counter-productive.
WHAT IS A ‘HEALTHY BREAKFAST’?
94% of the overall respondents – 91% in Delhi — believe they have a healthy breakfast; while 24 per cent in Chandigarh are not sure if they are going for a healthy option or not. Across cities, women associ-
ate breakfast with energy and physical stamina (90%). Sixtysix of the women polled in Delhi believe it is anything that contains vitamin, while 50% on Mumbaikars associate it with milk. A majority of Chandigarh respondents (51%) associate healthy breakfast with one that reduces hunger, 67% of Hyderabad’s respondents associate it with energy. Nutrition take: A fiber rich, high nutrient, and antioxidant rich breakfast helps reduce the risk of several diseases. Low fat dairy, breakfast cereals like oats, muesli, barley, egg, sprouts along with nuts like almonds and seeds make a good choice for a healthy and nutritious breakfast. Due to richness in fiber, protein, vitamin E and good quality fat, almonds make a nutrient dense and high satiety food for everyone and can be included with breakfast every day.
SKIPPING BREAKFAST
Ninety-eight per cent of the respondents in New Delhi make it a point to never skip breakfast. Those who skip this important meal, % do so due to lack of time or because they are not
hungry Nutrition take: Skipping breakfast will only make you reach out for unhealthy snacking options during the day. People who miss breakfast usually don’t make up for some of the essential nutrients. Also, contrary to common beliefs that skipping breakfast may help in weight reduction, several studies have shown that if you are trying to lose weight, you need to make breakfast a priority.
Healthy breakfast options: n
n n
n
n
n
Whole grain cereal/ muesli/ granola + milk (low fat milk or soya milk) + Nuts like almonds Egg + whole wheat toast + Nuts like almonds Nuts like almonds, seeds and fresh or dried fruits with low fat yoghurt/milk and boiled corn Egg + Vegetable juice + Nuts like almonds + Mashed potato Wholegrain chapatti stuffed with vegetables with skimmed curd Milk / Buttermilk +Besan/dal cheela + Nutslike almonds
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
Technology SURVEILLANCE
US tech firms reels from Prism Revelations about vast US data collection programs are starting to hit American tech companies, which are ramping up pressure for increased transparency to try to mitigate the damage.
ROB LEVER Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON: Revelations about vast US data collection programs are starting to hit American tech companies, which are ramping up pressure for increased transparency to try to mitigate the damage. An industry group, the Cloud Security Alliance said last month that 10 percent of its nonUS members have cancelled a contract with a US-based cloud provider, and 56 percent said they were less likely to use an American company. A separate report this month by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, or ITIF, a Washington think tank,
The tech sector has been active on several fronts, filing court cases and making public pleas to the US administration for more transparency. said US cloud providers stand to lose $22 billion to $35 billion over the next three years due to revelations about the so-called PRISM program. Daniel Castro, author of the report, says a loss of trust in US tech firms could lead to “protectionist” measures that hurt the fast-growing cloud sector. “The risk is that a country like Germany will say you have to be a German company to provide data services in Germany," Castro told AFP. “I don’t think that helps anyone. We do benefit from free trade and the robust competitiveness in the tech industry." The report notes that the United States dominates the cloud computing market both domestically and abroad, and that US firms could lose between
AMAZON SELLING APPS Online retail titan Amazon on Tuesday began letting developers sell wares in games or other applications tailored for Android-powered gadgets. Android Mobile Associates software kits let developers offer Amazon products for sale in applications, with as much as six percent of the revenue going into their pockets. Amazon's own Android-powered Kindle Fire is among devices that allow in-app sales of the Seattlebased company's goods. Mobile shopping, particularly on tablets, is having a significant impact on online commerce in the United States, according to industry tracker eMarketer. The percentage of online sales made from mobile devices will climb to 15 percent this year from 11 percent last year, eMarketer forecast. US online retail commerce conducted using mobile devices should tally nearly $39 billion this year in a 56.5 per cent jump from last year, according to eMarketer.
NEW WINDOWS OS
10 and 20 percent of the foreign market in the next few years. Tech companies, especially firms in cloud computing, have been in a frenzy since details leaked in June about surveillance efforts led by the secretive National Security Agency, including PRISM, believed to scoop up massive amounts of data as part of efforts to thwart terrorism.
Heavy price
A
separate report this month by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, or ITIF, a Washington think tank, said US cloud providers stand to lose
$22 billion to
$35
billion over the next three years due to revelations about the so-called PRISM program.
Castro said in his report “the disclosures of the NSA’s electronic surveillance may fundamentally alter the market dynamics.” The news “will likely have an immediate and lasting impact on the competitiveness of the US cloud computing industry if foreign customers decide the risks of storing data with a US company outweigh the benefits," he wrote. Much concern in being expressed in Europe. Estonian President Toomas Hendrik last month urged the EU to develop its own cloud industry, noting that 95 percent of the services come from US firms. “Recent months have proven once again that it’s very important for Europe to have its own data clouds that operate strictly under European legislation," he said. Some analysts say losses could be even greater than the ITIF predicts, if the fallout affects consumer-based services like
email and search. And Forrester Research analyst James Staten argued that, in addition to the loss of foreign customers, US customers may look overseas for cloud services, and the rest of the tech sector could also see an impact. “Add it all up and you have a net loss for the service provider space of about $180 billion by 2016, which would be roughly a 25 percent decline in the overall IT services market," Staten said. The tech sector has been active on several fronts, filing court cases and making public pleas to the US administration for more transparency, in the hope that fuller disclosure will ease fears about how data is shared. Six large high-tech lobby groups sent a letter to President Barack Obama this month asking for such steps, saying more transparency “can assist in reestablishing trust, both domestically and globally.”
Microsoft on Tuesday began sending a revamped version of Windows to makers of computers, smartphones or tablets powered by the software. "We've hit an important milestone for Microsoft," Windows team executive Antoine Leblond said in a blog post. "In many ways, this marks a new day for Microsoft, reflecting a number of rapid-release firsts." Developers of applications tailored to run on Windows devices were irked, however, to find out that they will not get their hands on the finished version of Windows 8.1 until it hits the market in October. In the past, developers had early access to new versions of Windows to allow time to make sure their applications work with the software. Microsoft in June provided developers with a preview version of the "re-blended" Windows 8 OS released late last year. Windows 8.1 incorporated feedback from users and developers, and came with the promise that the US software giant was speeding up its release cycle to adapt to the dizzying pace of innovation in consumer technology.
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
Entertainment CINE BYTES
Illayaraja to compose music in public
M
usic maestro Illayaraja, known for composing in studios for over three decades, will for the first time compose tunes for upcoming Tamil period -drama Raja Raja Chozhanin Porval in public for his fans to see this rare feat. He will compose music for the film in a temple on September 11.
Asin to work with Kamal Hassan
Rural promotions will help reach masses
T
amil comedy Varutha Padatha Valibar Sangam is slated to release September 6, and its director Ponram, who is actively promoting the film in places such as Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy, believes promotions in such towns will help in connecting with masses. IANS
IANS
M
alayalee beauty Asin was happy when she was offered a role in the sequel to Welcome, but her happiness was shortlived when the makers decided to settle for Shruti Hassan. But while Asin was getting disheartened there, Kamal Hassan it seems is offering her a role for in his upcoming film Uttama Villain.
TO BE RELEASED
AN BOSE D
ebutant director AN Bose is very confident about his DK Bose movie and the director said that this film will be one of the best movies in the career of Sundeep Kishan. Nish Aggarwal is the leading lady in the film and Achhu’s songs have received positive response from the music lovers. Vishweswar is handling the cinematography and Marthand K Venkatesh is the editor. Anand Ranga and Seshu Reddy are producing DK Bose under Random Thoughts banner. Sundeep Kishan plays the role of DK Bose, a corrupt police officer in this film Sania Mirza and Siddharth unveiled the first look through twitter. Sampath Kumar, Brahmaji, Annapurna, Saptagiri, Kota Shankar Rao etc are playing other prominent roles.
CONFIDENT OF FILM’S SUCCESS
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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013 CINE BYTES
STEAMY PICTURES
C
I enjoy doing real roles: Manoj Bajpayee
B
ollywood actor Manoj Bajpayee, who has been appreciated for his roles in films like Pinjar, Raajneeti and Gangs of Wasseypur, enjoys essaying characters who are closer real characters. Glamour is not his priority, he says. “I love doing those roles. I enjoy doing real roles as I relate to them. If glamour comes with it, it’s fine. I am very comfortable doing the kind of films which I do,” Manoj said. IANS
‘Paresh Rawal is a world-class actor’
A
nil Kapoor, who is working with Paresh Rawal again in Welcome Back, a sequel to the 2007 hit Welcome, regards him as a world-class actor. “I was working internationally and they were saying ‘Anil you are doing very well and I like the way you work.’ I said, ‘I am nothing! there are great actors in India, like Paresh Rawal, they are world class actors’,” the 56-year-old said Monday. IANS
Field open for Feroz Khan’s role in ‘Welcome Back’
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ctors John Abraham and Shruti Haasan will be seen as the lead pair in Welcome Back, a sequel to the 2007 hit Welcome. But director Aneez Bazmee is still on the lookout for someone to essay the part played by the late Feroz Khan in the original. Bazmee released a teaser of his upcoming film here Monday. IANS
ontroversial model Poonam Pandey is appalled, amused and annoyed by talk that her provocative pictures on the internet and in magazines are responsible for the increase in crimes against women. Poonam, who recently made her Bollywood debut with a bold film Nasha, says she was “constantly badgered and persuaded to feel guilty about the crime” a day after the gang-rape of a photojournalist here last week. “Apparently my pictures are responsible for crime against women. Ha ha, really? The same reasoning was used against me during the Nirbhaya case in Delhi. I want to ask all those people who find me provocative enough to induce crime, was there no crime against women before I arrived on the scene,” Poonam asked while speaking to IANS. She feels people need a scapegoat for their own failings. “Why blame me for social evils? I am just a girl trying to find my place in the world. I’m used to being targeted by the moral police and the morcha-wallis. When law and order fails, the blame has to be pinned to some convenient target. But why blame me? What have I done?” she asked. “Main toh sirf baat karti hoon. Maine kuch kiya nahin ((I only talk. I haven’t done anything). There are renowned respected actresses who heave and thrust in item songs. They are watched by a lot more men than I am,” she added. Poonam is adamant that rape has no connection with the pin-up provocateurs. “I don’t think men go out and commit crime against women because of what they see in films and in pictures. On the contrary, I feel there would be far less crime against women if there would be more sexual gratification at home for men belonging to a certain class, who don’t have direct and easy access to female company,” she said. This is where Poonam feels the revival of the beer bar culture does its bit. “I think re-opening the beer bars would reduce crime against women on the streets. Men would be able to have at least some access to erotic gratification,” said the model-cum-actress. Poonam objects strongly to the view that women invite unwanted attention by the way they dress. “Oh please! Five-year-old girls get raped. Do they wear short skirts that provoke such crimes? It is ridiculous to suggest that rape can be prevented if women remain fully clothed,” she said. IANS
DON’T BLAME
ME FOR RAPES POONAM PANDEY
Entertainment WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
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Entertainment WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
LIVE ACTION/ANIMATED HYBRID
T
he studio is developing an animated Scooby-Doo feature film, returning to the franchise that produced a pair of liveaction/animated hybrid films a decade ago. The project has been set up with Atlas Entertainment with Charles Roven and Richard Suckle producing. Roven and Suckle also produced 2002’s Scooby-Doo for Warner Bros,
mixing live action actors with the titular Great Dane, which was computergenerated, along with Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed two years later. The first film generated $275 million worldwide, and the second followed with $180 million. The studio has tapped Matt Lieberman to write the script for the new project. Warner Bros is keeping
CINE BYTES the logline under wraps. Jesse Ehrman is overseeing ScoobyDoo for Warners. The original animated TV series Scooby-Doo: Where Are You? was created by Hanna-Barbera and first aired in 1969. Roven’s recent credits include Warner tentpoles Man of Steel and The Dark Knight Rises.
Warner Bros is fetching
SCOOBY-DOO again
Madonna named highest earning celebrity
S
inger Madonna has topped a list of the world’s highest earning celebrities in 2013, according to a poll conducted by Forbes magazine. The singer was named number one in the annual rich list despite the fact that her most recent album MDNA turned out to be a commercial flop. IANS
Indians think from the heart: Ashton Kutcher
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ctor Ashton Kutcher, who shot parts of his latest movie JOBS in India, believes the country’s people think from their hearts over their minds. This, he says, made his experience of shooting in India worthwhile. “We see the way people live and you start to feel that people are living based on their instincts,” he said. IANS
Selena Gomez proud of Demi Lovato
S
inger Selena Gomez says she is proud of Demi Lovato for being open about her experience in a rehabilitation centre. Lovato sought medical help for substance abuse, an eating disorder and self harm in 2010. She managed to overcome her past problems and she is now helping people who suffer from similar issues. This makes Gomez very happy. IANS
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
Chai Time
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
If men would consider not so much wherein they differ, as wherein they agree, there would be far less of uncharitableness and angry feeling. Joseph Addison
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 Snail-mail org 5 Carton’s holdings 11 Big mo in retail 14 Make a long cut in 15 7 UP, in old ads 16 Former name of Tokyo 17 Flighty 19 ‘Vigor’ go-with 20 Filling with cheer 21 Started on a course 23 Go bad 24 Stereotypical hobo fare 26 Melange 27 Refine ore 29 Density symbols, in physics 32 Penultimate word in fairy tales 33 History class topic 35 Cookie often eaten inside-out 37 Wintertime in DC 38 King Richard’s epithet 41 Start to vent? 43 Nice little alphabet run 44 UFO pilots 45 Ogden Nash’s priest 47 Spotted 49 Sunshine State city 53 In a frenzied manner 54 Wander widely 56 ___-10 (NCAA conference) 57 Rummy variety 61 Brazenly obvious 63 Decay-fighting org 64 Some warm wear 66 Little bit 67 Pollen-bearing part of a flower 68 Type of male bird that hatches eggs 69 Dir from Dallas to Philly 70 Most mean-spirited 71 Suffixes with ‘cloth’ and ‘cash’
DOWN
1 Ballpark figures 2 Race with flags 3 Hook, for one 4 Proofreader’s notation 5 Beyond well done 6 Asian jackass relative 7 91, to Caesar 8 Arial, eg 9 Peter Fonda title role 10 Stow, as cargo 11 Grew worse 12 Conveys knowledge to 13 Ease 18 Cafes 22 Amnesic John 25 No one in particular 28 Souvenir that’s strung 30 ‘... boy ___ girl?’ 31 All dried out 34 Tiny workers of the soil 36 Armchair companion 38 Citric refresher 39 Cerise or magenta, eg 40 Abbr on a keypad key 41 Mollify 42 Fast month for Muslims 46 Working name letters 48 Titled peers 50 ‘Fort ___, The Bronx’ (1981 Paul Newman drama) 51 Spindlier 52 Serves the function of 55 Wide-awake 58 Use a knife, say 59 Chicken of the Sea product 60 Word with ‘fine’ or ‘visual’ 62 Hatcher of TV 65 Word with ‘beginning’ or ‘end’
Chai Time WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013 Thiruvaikumar
STAR POWER for 29-8-2013
27
As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo. co. in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Politicians are advised to be cordial with everyone. Those in love will be happy. Businessmen might face hurdles and minor tension but they will come out of them with timely and wise actions. Your influence is set to increase.
STRIP TEASE AGNES
Working women may quit over some internal issues. Professionals like doctors, lawyers and CAs will prosper. Govt officials are likely to be punished for irregularities; be careful. Deficit financial situation is likely to pressurise you.
Success is certain in all undertaken work. Unexpected fortune is likely for some. Debt issues will be managed wisely. Women will keep their spouse happy. Avoid making new friendships blindly as you might land in trouble.
Businessmen may get promising new opportunities. Marriage of son or daughter will be fixed. Those in search of a job will get favourable news. Promotion of employees is likely. Unexpected fortune will let you relax to a large extent.
Expenses will increase but good inflow will take care of them. You will complete the difficult tasks that others were unable to. You will be a straightforward person and never allow anyone to go wrong. Self-confidence level will be at a high.
Benefits through spouse and purchase of electronic gadgets likely. Those without a job will get one soon. Children will cooperate with you. You will attend celebrations at a relative’s place and feel happy on meeting close friends and relatives.
Avoid misunderstanding with family members under all circumstances. Businessmen are likely to grow steadily as profits jump due to their sincere efforts. Leave official problems while leaving workplace and home tensions at home.
A court verdict will go in your favour. A long-delayed foreign trip will be a reality soon. Also, the purpose of the trip will be accomplished. You will be able to complete undertaken challenges successfully with your determination.
Businessmen will smash competition and march ahead. Those awaiting marriage will get good news soon. Employees might be entrusted with new responsibilities and appreciation if they complete them as per management’s expectations.
TAROT READ
Sumaa Tekur
tarotreadhyd@gmail. com
ARIES:
GEMINI:
The Hermit – There will be long periods of loneliness when you will be forced to think about your choices and your future plans. Consolidate your position.
LEO:
Four of Cups – A job offer will surprise you. You did not expected it. Or maybe they upped the stakes. Think long and hard before you make a commitment.
LIBRA:
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE
The Fool – You are jumping into a new situation and this is exciting because you get to learn something new along the way. You discover a whole new world.
SAGITTARIUS:
The Wheel of Fortune – Things will not stay the same all the time. Change is the only constant. Changes are on the way. This will take you to a better tomorrow.
TAURUS:
Three of Swords – Heartbreak, loss, disappointment – you cannot avoid these at this point. There will be depression. You have to go through this in order to grow.
CANCER:
Five of Wands – Things slow down today. Not all plans may go as you wish them to. Do not fret over it. Instead, take a break and, for once, give up control.
VIRGO:
Queen of Cups – You’re all about how you feel and less about what you think. You come completely from the heart. And this is wonderful for this time.
SCORPIO:
Ace of Swords – You are all about extremes. If you love someone, you love them to death. If you hate someone, you hate with all you have.
CAPRICORN:
The Chariot – Travel is on the cards. This may be travel on your own, where you meet interesting people and change your perception of the world.
PREVIOUS SOLUTIONS
PISCES:
Page of Cups – You are getting emotional about things that should not take so much of your time and attention. Get practical and move on with your life.
NUMBER GAME
– You have everything you need at this point. Yet, you feel like something is missing. You want to move on. But your own thoughts are stopping you.
SCRABBLE
AQUARIUS: Eight of Cups
POOCH CAFE
Problems of employees at workplace will come to an end. Journeys will have to be undertaken within short notice. Newlyweds will cheer up as they get an offspring soon. Father’s health will be a cause for concern; good care is needed.
for 29-8-2013
Ten of Wands – You are burdened by a lot of work. You will feel helpless and also will begin to doubt whether your work is being appreciated and recognized.
NON SEQUITUR
Be careful while driving as a minor accident is likely. Newlyweds will be blessed with an offspring soon. Avoid interfering in others’ personal issues and letting anyone meddling your personal issues. Anger might spell trouble.
SUDUKO
Relatives might seek your help in certain critical issues to your irk. Businessmen will face the competition and succeed. They will be able to grab customers with attractive and wise schemes. Employees will complete all tasks.
Boggle COLON HYPHEN COMMA PERIOD Vol: 3, No 39 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 Landmark - Volkswagen showroom 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 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211
28
Entertainment WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
ACTION CHICK
CINE BYTES
gbppf`^=^i_^= gets lethal J
essica Alba will join Hailee Steinfeld and Samuel L Jackson in RKO Pictures’ action film Barely Lethal. Highland Film Group handles international sales and will continue talks with buyers in Toronto next month. Production is set to commence on October 17 with Kyle Newman directing from a screenplay by John D’Arco. Brett Ratner and John Cheng are producing for Rat Entertainment alongside Sukee Chew for Hopscotch Pictures, Ted Hartley and RKO’s Vanessa
Coifman. Barely Lethal centres on Megan, a teenage assassin who is hunted by a former associate after she fakes her own death and enrols in a suburban high school. Alba will play Victoria Knox, the villain of the piece who pursues Megan. Alba will be seen in the forthcoming features A.C.O.D., Stretch, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For and Dear Eleanor and the IFC miniseries The Spoils Of Babylon.
Where will the new ‘Star Wars’ films shoot?
W
hen director JJ Abrams yells “Action!” on the first new Star Wars film in almost a decade, it will be on a location or soundstage far, far from Abrams’ home base of Los Angeles. Abrams’ Bad Robot partner and Star Wars: Episode 7 producer Bryan Burk confirms the latest entry in the famed series will shoot abroad, based at UK’s Pinewood Studios.
Fey, Poehler to host Golden Globes again?
S
ince this year’s Amy Poehler and Tina Fey– hosted broadcast of the Golden Globes did really, really well for NBC, it’s no surprise that producer Dick Clark Prods are asking them to come back. Deadline reports “there are no active conversations between the network and the funny ladies,” but they “have received an informal invitation.”
Boseman to play funk legend James Brown
4
2 star Chadwick Boseman is set to play another legend. The actor has signed on to play funk superstar James Brown in Universal’s forthcoming biopic about the singer, according to Deadline, with director Tate Taylor (The Help) set to helm from a script by Jez and JohnHenry Butterworth.
sports
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
INDIAN BADMINTON LEAGUE
Hotshots lose, yet top table Hyderabad Hotshots not only topped the points table, but also sealed their semifinal berth in the Indian Badminton League despite losing 3-2 to Banga Beats.
G. APARNA SAI aparna.s@postnoon.com HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Hotshots topped the points table even though they were defeated by Banga Beats 3-2 in the Indian Badminton League at the GMC Balayogi stadium, here on Tuesday. With their current position, the Hyderabad-based team went on to seal their semifinal berth. They are set to clash with Pune Pistons in the first semifinal, today. On Tuesday, the Hotshots began their campaign on a winning note with Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk emerging victorious in the first men’s singles match of the day. In a thrilling encounter, he defeated Beats’ iconic player Parupalli Kashyap 21-20, 21-18 The next match was the women’s singles which had Hotshots’ Saina Nehwal take on Ying Tai Tzu. This match had the
crowd on their feet cheering the local girl Nehwal for every point she earned. Nehwal looked comfortable in the first set which she won 2117 but her composure was disturbed in the second set. During this time, Tai Tzu kept the world number four on her feet and made her run all over the court. Tai Tzu dominated this set and convincingly won the match 21-18. But Nehwal was not a player to stay silent and bounced back well in the deciding set which she won 11-8. The crowd cheered along as the Hotshots won their second game. However, the joy for the local team was shortlived as the visitors pulled out a remarkable come back. They went on to win the remaining three games of the day, even though they failed to make it to the semis. In the men’s doubles match, the Hotshots’ pair of V. Shem Goh and Wah Lim Khim were defeated by Carsten Mogensen
LEAGUE CRICKET
A DIVISION TWO DAYS
Day 2 Vijay Hanuman 258 bt Hyderabad Titans 171 (Akhil 52, Kartikeya Kak 3/30, Jaya Ram Reddy 3/54, Sheir Pathan 4/32) Gouds XI 298 bt Galaxy 196 (Shashidhar Rao 90, Harish Y 3/21) Sporting XI 226 bt SA Amberpet 197 (Raheel 62, Saybaz 36, Akthar 5/36, Venkateshwarulu 3/49) Team Speed 165 (Afzal Biyabani 3/25) bt Gujrathi XI 134 (Jamshed 36 no, Sai Venkatesh 5/63) Brothers XI 377 bt P&T Colony 173 (Sarand 39, Sai Santosh 35, Azeem Warsi 6/52) Osmania 192 (Santosh Reddy 34, B Abhinav 57no, M Dinesh Kumar 34, Karthik Goud 5/47) lost to Venus Cybertech 194 (Haryank Reddy 67, Vijay Singh 42, Vamshi 32, K Satyanarayana 3/63) Nizam College 155 (Sai Kumar 65, Sami 4/20) bt Crown CC 149 (Sandeep 43, Waseem 35, Stevenson 5/40, Dhananjay 3/43) National CC 336/6 (Virender Naik 102, Melwin Johan 42, JP Naik 30, Vijender 43) bt Zinda CC 226 (Md Hussain 100no, Kalim Khan 47, Vijender 4/26, Prasad 4/35) Visaka 261/3 (Revanth Sai 157, Meher Prasad 36no, Syed Siddiq Ahmed 32) bt SBI 96 (Revanth Sai 6/15) Day 1 Sayi Satya 125 (Akash Kulkarni 43, Raja Venkatesh 5/40, Mohit Soni
Hyderabad Hotshots’ Saina Nehwal seen in action during her match against Banga Beats’ Ying Tai Tzu at the GMC Balayogi Stadium in Hyderabad on SRINIVAS SETTY Tuesday.
and Akshay Dewalkar with the score reading 21-15, 15-21, 1-11. The result was not very dif-
ferent in the men’s singles match where Jan O Jorgensen of the Beats defeated 21-11, 21-8 in a lop
sided affair. This victory also happened to be Jan O Jorgensen’s first victory in the IBL. In the deciding game, the mixed doubles, Hotshots were touted as the favourites. The Hotshots pair of Tarun Kona and Pradnya Gadre beat Carsten Mogensen and Aparna Balan 2118 in the first set. But the Beats did not take this defeat lightly and fought their way for every point to ultimately winning the remaining two sets 21-16 and 11-9. Results: Tanonsak (Hotshots) beat Parupalli Kashyap (Beats) 21-20, 21-18; Saina Nehwal (Hotshots) beat Ying Tai Tzu (Beats) 21-17, 14-21, 11-8; Carsten Mogensen/Akshay Dewalkar (Beats) beat V. Shem Goh and Wah Lim Khim (Hotshots) 15-21, 21-15, 11-1; Jan O Jorgensen (Beats) beat Ajay Jayaram (Hotshots) 21-11, 21-8; Carsten Mogensen/Aparna Balan (Beats) beat Tarun Kona/Pradnya Gadre (Hotshots) 18-21, 21-16, 11-9.
TOUR OF SPAIN
4/5) bt MCC 80 for no loss (Rayan Kanundinya 51no) Budding Star 191 (Nikhil Yadav 79, N Ram 33, Shashi Anand 3/29, Navjoth Singh 3/87) vs Balaji Colts 13 for no loss Saleemnagar 154 (Md Zameeruddin 49, Datta Prakash 6/48) vs New Blues 58/5
A DIVISION ONE DAY
MP Youngman 152 (E Srikanth 55, Siddharth 5/18) bt Cheerful Chums 74 (Uday Kumar 3/17, Adarsh 3/17) SK Blues 220/3 (T Manish Kumar 101, Hasan 35) bt Sportive CC 192 (Tarun Reddy 75) Gaganmahal 125/8 (Hameed 3/46, Omer 3/18) lost to SUCC 126/2 (Mansoor 30, Majeed 32, Ameen 36)
INTER DISTRICT TWO DAYS Day 1 Karimngar 217 (Hareen 80no, Md Sharmas Ali 30, Jagdish 4/49, Suresh 3/48) vs Nalgonda 187 (Upender 48, Narender 48, Ehtesham Ali 41, Krishna Reddy 4/70, Shashi 3/26)
HCA COCA COLA UNDER-16 INTER SCHOOL Super League Quarter Finals All Saints 207/6 (Ibrahim Siddique 90, Vamshi Srivastav 33, Madhu Kumar 33, T Eshwar Rao 3/55) bt Sri Chaitanya Techno School 101 (M Samhith Reddy 36).
Moreno takes fourth stage MADRID: Spain’s Dani Moreno (Katusha) broke clear in the final kilometre to win the fourth stage of the Tour of Spain on Tuesday as Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) regained the overall lead. Moreno attacked with conviction on the 2km climb to the finish of the 189km ride from Lalin/a Estrada to Fisterra in Galicia to hold off Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack) and Michael Matthews (OricaGreenEdge), who finished second and third respectively. “It was a spectacular victory, I am very happy,” said Moreno, who just fell short of triumphing in Sunday’s second stage, eventually won by Irishman Nicholas Roche. “I had this stage in mind and I said to Purito (Joaquim Rodriguez) yesterday that I didn’t know the climb but that I was going to try and do it. “This year I haven’t had as much luck as in the past so right now I am going to enjoy this victory.” Nibali was part of a group of 21 riders awarded the same time as Moreno that also included overall contenders Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and
Katusha Team’s Spanish rider Daniel Moreno celebrates after winnning the fourth day of the Tour of Spain on Tuesday. AFP/MIGUEL RIOPA
Rodriguez (Katusha). “I am surprised because I didn’t got to contest the stage win,” said Nibali, who is looking to win his second Tour of Spain after also claiming the Giro d’Italia this year. “I stayed at the front of the peloton just to avoid risks and control things a bit and in the end I have left with the leader’s jersey.” Veteran American Chris Horner (RadioShack), whose vic-
tory on stage three saw him wear the leader’s red jersey on Tuesday, finished six seconds behind the leading pack to fall three seconds off the lead. Saxo rider Roche, meanwhile, is a further six seconds back in the overall classification. The stage didn’t really come to life until the final stages as the peloton set a controlled pace throughout the day to prevent significant breakaways. AFP
sports
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
ASHES
Winners rested for ODIs
JULIAN GUYER Agence France-Presse
LONDON: England have rested several of their Ashes-winning Test side, including captain Alastair Cook (right), from a squad announced Tuesday for their upcoming one-day internationals against Ireland and Australia. As well as Cook, England have left out Stuart Broad, Ian Bell, James Anderson and Graeme Swann from their party for the lone one-day international against Ireland and the fivematch ODI series with Australia that follows. However, star batsman Kevin Pietersen has been included in the squad for the Australia series, with fellow Ashes-winning batsmen Joe Root and Jonathan Trott also set to face England’s arch-rivals in the oneday format after they too were excused the trip to Dublin. Eoin Morgan will captain the side, with the squad including five uncapped players in pacemen Chris Jordan and Jamie Overton as well as Morgan’s fellow ex-Ireland star Boyd Rankin. Meanwhile, Michael Carberry, a key figure with the successful Hampshire county one-day side, and Yorkshire’s Gary Ballance will also look to
win their first ODI caps. With Australia’s 18-man squad containing just seven players who took part in the Ashes, it is clear both countries are looking ahead to the return Ashes series in Australia starting in November. England begin their tour with a three-day match against Western Australia starting on October 31, meaning leading players will have little time for a break after a packed home schedule followed back-to-back
Fans deserve one-day refund: Vaughan LONDON: Former England captain Michael Vaughan said fans who’ve bought tickets for the one-day international series against Australia deserve a refund after the hosts’ left the spine of their Ashes-winning side out of the squad. Test skipper Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad, Ian Bell, James Anderson and Graeme Swann, who all featured in the recent 3-0 Ashes series win over arch-rivals Australia,
A DIFFERENT BALL GAME
Arthur likely to join Western Force SYDNEY: Sacked Australia cricket coach Mickey Arthur (in pic) is in talks to join Perth-based Super 15 rugby franchise Western Force, a report said on Wednesday. The South African, who was axed two weeks before the Ashes series against England in June, has made clear he wants to remain in Perth, where he lives, and the Sydney Morning Herald said a switch to rugby was on the cards. It said he was in discussions with Force chief executive Mark Sinderberry about stepping into a role centred around talent development and recruitment at the club with a deal possible as early as next week. Earlier this month, Arthur said he was looking for another job and hinted it did not necessarily have to be
associated with cricket. “There are a couple of options out there. I’ve had a couple of discussions. I’ll see how that unfolds over the next few weeks,” he told Perth radio. “I’m just hoping that one of the discussions I had last week comes to fruition because if it does, it will be quite exciting for me. AFP
were all left out of the squads announced Tuesday for the lone one-dayer against Ireland and the five-match ODI campaign against Australia. Australia too have made wholesale changes — only seven of their 18-man ODI squad played in the Test series — and it’s clear both countries are already looking ahead to the return Ashes in Australia in November. AFP
England have rested several of their Asheswinning Test side,including captain Alastair Cook for their upcoming one day internationals. tours of India and New Zealand. “Following a very intense period of cricket this summer we have decided to rest a number of senior players which will allow them to recover from a heavy workload over the last three months and to prepare for the tour of Australia which begins in eight weeks,” said England national selector Geoff Miller in an England and Wales Cricket Board statement issued Tuesday.
Maxwell ready for verbal barbs LONDON: Australia’s Glenn Maxwell is preparing himself for plenty of banter in the forthcoming limited overs internationals against England. Following England’s 3-0 Ashes series win completed with Sunday’s drawn fifth Test at The Oval, the archrivals face each other in international cricket’s shorter formats, starting with the first of two T20 fixtures in Southampton on Thursday. Australia’s Michael Clarke and England’s Kevin Pietersen exchanged a few heated words at The Oval while, during the course of the fifth Test, Australia coach Darren Lehmann called Stuart Broad a cheat during a radio interview. Lehmann was fined 20 precent of his match fee by the ICC but later apologised to Broad, with England’s T20 captain then declaring the matter closed. However, with both sides set to field much-changed teams at the Rose Bowl on Thursday, Maxwell does not anticipate any lingering feuds come the start of the whiteball series. AFP
PAKISTAN IN ZIMBABWE
Zim end winless streak
HARARE: A sturdy 85 from Hamilton Masakadza and a crucial late cameo from Sean Williams saw Zimbabwe record their first one-day win over Pakistan since 1998. Chasing 245 in the first oneday international of a threematch series on Tuesday, Masakadza laid the platform before Williams finished the job with an unbeaten 39 from 23 deliveries as Zimbabwe won by seven wickets with 10 balls to spare. Although Misbah-ul-Haq held the Pakistan innings together in his 50th consecutive ODI as Pakistan captain, he was left to lament his decision to bat first at a venue where the pitch generally improves as the day goes on. “We misread the pitch - it was looking like it was going to be slow in the second innings, but I think it was slow in the first innings and played better in the second,” said Misbah. “Still I think Zimbabwe really deserved it - they played really well and played better than us. There was no panic in their bat-
Zimbabwe players celebrate a wicket during the first game of the three match ODI cricket series against Pakistan at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday. AFP/JEKESAI NJIKIZANA
ting line-up and they did it comfortably.” Misbah finished unbeaten on 83 and shared in a 99-run stand for the third wicket with Mohammad Hafeez, who made 70, but with Pakistan’s middle and lower order failing to fire they
could only manage 244 for seven. It could have been far worse for the tourists had Zimbabwe held their catches - both Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad were put down during an opening partnership of 56, while Hafeez was let off on 10 and 55. AFP
MEADOW
MAGIC
31
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
Federer, Djokovic roll at Open JIM SLATER Agence France-Presse NEW YORK: Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer advanced with ease Tuesday at the US Open but 2011 winner Samantha Stosur was ousted by US teen qualifier Victoria Duval. Six-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic who captured his fourth Australian Open crown in January, launched his quest for a fourth consecutive US Open final by beating Lithuanian 112th-ranked Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. “I managed to make a lot of breaks in the beginning of the match and take over control,” Djokovic said. “That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to play every point like it’s match point and I’m happy with the performance overall.” Djokovic fired 10 aces and 28 winners and needed only 82
minutes to put himself into a last-64 matchup against Germany’s Benjamin Becker. Djokovic, the 2011 US Open winner who lost to Andy Murray in last year’s final and last month’s Wimbledon final, improved to 12-1 in Arthur Ashe Stadium night matches, what he called “the most special night matches of any tournament anywhere in the world.” Duval, a daughter of Haitian parents ranked 296th in the world, pulled the day’s shocker with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Australian 11th seed Stosur in a tense struggle that lasted for two hours and 39 minutes. “A lot of different emotions. Mostly happiness,” the 17-year-old with the highpitched voice said. “I played amazing today. The whole match was just really an
incredible match and happy I pulled through.” It was only the second Slam match for Duval, who lost to Kim Clijsters last year at New York, and her first meeti n g
I’m
Novak Djokovic of Serbia stretches to play a forehand during his men’s singles first round match against Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania at US Open on Tuesday. AFP/ELSA
with a top-20 rival. Stosur made 56 unforced errors, 21 more than Duval, on her way to a her 15th firstround Slam exit, the first since last year’s Australian Open. “Just let every single opportunity slip away and made too many errors and it really cost me,” Stosur said. “I needed to step up more and do more. I’m not
going to be a sore loser and say she didn’t do anything but I certainly helped her out there, that’s for sure.” Stosur split with long-time coach David Taylor just ahead of the US Open, but said she could not say if that was a fac-
From quake, gun horror to GS NEW YORK: Victoria Duval (in pic) is just 17 but has already experienced the terror of being held hostage by gunmen and almost losing her father in the 2010 Haiti earthquake. So, on Tuesday, defeating former champion Samantha Stosur in the US Open first felt tame by comparison, the tension of squandering three match points understandably trivial in the great drama of her young life. The world number 296 claimed a 57, 6-4, 6-4 win over the 11th-seeded Australian, her first victory at a Grand Slam. But it was the back-story, relayed by Duval with the giggly pitch and enthusiasm of a girl much younger and who has yet to abandon her affection for SpongeBob SquarePants. The Duval family decamped from the violence-racked Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to the US after Victoria,
who had been born in Miami, had a pistol shoved in her face when she was seven and held hostage by a kidnap gang. But her father, JeanMaurice, stayed behind to run his medical practice while mother Nadine built a new life in Atlanta with Victoria and her two brothers. Jean-Maurice was in the Haitian capital when the 2010 earthquake struck, killing around 250,000 people. The family home collapsed on him, leaving him with a shattered vertebrae, broken legs, arms and ribs as well as a punctured lung as he was pinned beneath the rubble. He was so convinced he was going to die that he grabbed his mobile phone and managed to call his wife to tell her he loved her and his children. But against all the odds, he clawed his way to safety. AFP
tor in the loss. “I don’t know. Who knows?” she said. “It is what it is. I can’t change it. I made the decision I made at the time and I stick by it.” Federer made a solid start to his bid for a sixth US Open title by defeating Slovenia’s Grega Zemlja 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 in a match delayed a day by rain. “There wasn’t much rhythm out there, but I was happy the way I played,” said Federer. “Overall I’m pleased to be in the next round.” The 32-year-old Swiss star, who as the seventh seed is at his lowest spot in the US Open since 2002, will face Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq in round two. Federer has only one title in his past 14 Slam starts, that coming last year at Wimbledon.
Fibak helps guide world no. 1 NEW YORK: A new member of the coaching squad for world number one Novak Djokovic, former top-10 player Wojtek Fibak, is quickly paying dividends for the six-time Grand Slam champion from Serbia. Djokovic cruised into the second round of the US Open on Tuesday, defeating Lithuania’s 112thranked Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to launch his quest for a berth in his fourth consecutive US Open final. “We worked very well last six, seven days of the preparations for the Open and tonight’s match went really well,” Djokovic said of Fibak. “He has an important role in the team. He’s consulting myself.” Djokovic, the 2011 US Open champion who lost to Britain’s Andy Murray in last year’s final, also fell to Murray in last month’s Wimbledon final and then he lost to Rafael Nadal in a Montreal semi-final and John Isner in a Cincinnati quarter-final. AFP
POWER STRUGGLE Isner happy to be shunted into spotlight
Wozniacki, Kvitova survive Asian tests
Murray starts title defence
NEW YORK: John Isner insists he is feeling no extra pressure as he spearheads American hopes at the US Open despite it being 10 years since Andy Roddick won the country’s last Grand Slam men’s title. The 28-year-old giant is America’s number one player and with Roddick, who was the champion in New York in 2003, now a year into retirement, it is the world number 17 who must shoulder the burden that his compatriot carried for so long. AFP
NEW YORK: Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and 2009 US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki withstood challenges from tenacious Asian rivals to reach the second round of the US Open on Tuesday. With world number one Novak Djokovic waiting for a night opener and 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer having his start pushed back by rain, women took center stage in the early going at Arthur Ashe Stadium. AFP
NEW YORK: Having ended Britain’s embarrassing Grand Slam hoodoo with his US Open breakthrough 12 months ago, Andy Murray starts his first major as a defending champion Wednesday against France’s Michael Llodra. The 26-year-old Murray has added the Wimbledon title since winning the US Open in 2012 and having buried all talk of Fred Perry — the country’s last men’s champion at a major in 1936 — he is confident the nerves will disappear. AFP
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013
sports
WENGER COY ON ARSENAL’S MATA INTEREST
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has expressed admiration for Juan Mata, but he was reluctant to reveal the extent of the club’s interest in the Chelsea midfielder. Mata’s father and agent, also called Juan, was reportedly in attendance at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
NO BIDDING
Gunners have it easy
Arsenal made sure of a 16th consecutive appearance in the group stage, while German outfit Schalke joined them with a dramatic win in Greece. PARIS: Arsenal made sure of a 16th consecutive appearance in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday, while German outfit Schalke joined them with a dramatic win in Greece. The Gunners had more than one foot in Thursday’s groupstage draw already after easing to a 3-0 win against Fenerbahce in Istanbul in last week’s first leg, but they finished the job in style too, and once again Aaron Ramsey was the star of the show. The Welshman netted in the first leg and scored both goals in the return at the Emirates Stadium, rolling the ball into an empty net in the 25th minute after Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott combined to set him up. Ramsey then got his second on the night in the 72nd minute with a superb first-time finish on the volley from a Kieran Gibbs assist. That saw Arsenal win 2-0 on the night and progress 5-0 on aggregate, but the loss of Podolski to injury right at the start of the second half took some of the gloss off a fine evening’s work for Arsene Wenger’s side. With Ramsey also going off before the final whistle with a groin problem pressure will mount on Wenger to buy before
the transfer window closes. “We played a heavy price on the injury front because we lost Podolski. I don’t know how bad Ramsey is. I don’t know how Wilshere responds to an ankle problem,” said Wenger. “He (Wilshere) looks all
The Gunners had more than one foot in the group-stage draw already after easing to a 3-0 win against Fenerbahce in last week’s first leg. right. But Podolski is definitely out for 21 days and Ramsey we have to check how severe his groin is tomorrow (Wednesday).” Semi-finalists in 2011, and knocked out in the last 16 last season, Schalke also returned to the group stage after getting the better of Greek club PAOK. Coached by former Schalke boss Huub Stevens, PAOK held the upper hand in this tie after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Germany, but some of their advantage was lost by the fact that the return at their own
32
Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey (L) celebrates with Yaya Sanogo after scoring his second goal during the Champions League play-off on Tuesday. AFP/ADRIAN DENNIS
Stadio Toumbia was played behind closed doors. Robbed of their passionate support, PAOK then lost their advantage in the tie when Atsuto Uchida squared for Adam Szalai to put Schalke ahead just before the interval. The hosts turned up the pressure in the second half and got their reward when Stefanos Athanasiadis fired hom-
e, and Schalke were then reduced to 10 men when Jermaine Jones was shown a second yellow card just after the hour. However, Julian Draxler put the Bundesliga club back in front, leaving PAOK - who were late replacements for banned Ukrainian club Metalist Kharkiv - needing to score twice to progress. AFP
Man City deny Aussie club interest SYDNEY: English Premier League heavyweights Manchester City have denied reports they are considering a bid for Australian A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers. The Australian Financial Review reported this week that City were one of two English clubs — the other unnamed — that had made preliminary enquiries about either buying a stake in the Wanderers, or the whole club. But City denied any interest. “Contrary to media reports in Australia, Manchester City Football Club has expressed no interest whatsoever in the purchase of any stake in the Western Sydney Wanderers,” a club spokesman told Wednesday’s Sydney Daily Telegraph. “Also contrary to reports, the club has not requested, nor has it received, any 50-page information document about the sale. The matter is not under consideration.” The Sydney team were only created last year, replacing Gold Coast United in Australia’s domestic league, but they made a huge impact, attracting big crowds and making the grand final only to lose to Central Coast. AFP
BUNDESLIGA
Bayern drop first points of the season BERLIN: European champions Bayern Munich dropped their first points of the Bundesliga season in a 1-1 draw at Freiburg on Tuesday ahead of their Super Cup clash against Chelsea. Bayern were on course to maintain their perfect start to the season after three league wins until they leaked a late equaliser and also suffered an injury blow when midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger came off with an ankle problem. He is an injury concern for Friday’s Super Cup clash against Europa League winners Chelsea in Prague as well as Germany’s upcoming World Cup qualifying double-header against Austria and Faroe Islands. “He will be examined in
Munich, we hope that he will be able to play against Chelsea,” said Bayern’s media director Markus Hoerwick. Bayern still moved a point clear at the top of the table, although Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen can all leapfrog them should they win their game in hand this weekend. Bayern coach Pep Guardiola - who has introduced a new 4-14-1 system since coming in to replace Jupp Heynckes - made several changes to his line-up from the one that beat Nuremberg 2-0 on Saturday. He rested six of his firstchoice side, leaving out wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, who both netted at the weekend.
“If you only lead 1-0, then you are always vulnerable to concede an equaliser,” said Guardiola. “I don’t think I risked too much with that line-up. “I don’t know if we missed one or two players, I took the decision and those on the pitch played well.” Bayern dominated the game but, not for the first time, failed to convert a string of chances despite enjoying 75 percent possession after setting a new Bundesliga record of 81 in Saturday’s win over Nuremberg. “We only have ourselves to blame,” said captain Philipp Lahm, who was one of those rested, but came on for the secondhalf.” AFP