Postnoon E-Paper for 05 August 2012

RULE BRITANNIA! G

reat Britain won six gold medals and a silver on Saturday, capped by triumphs for poster girl Jessica Ennis and runner Mo Farah to make it their most successful day at the Games for 104 years.

PG 31

WWW.POSTNOON.COM

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AUGUST 5, 2012 HYDERABAD

WEATHER: SLIGHT CHANCE OF A THUNDERSTORM; 24°C

SRINIVAS SETTY

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ON SUNDAY

In a knee-jerk reaction to software engineer B Neelima’s death, the Cyberabad police have woken up to the credibility crisis affecting private security agencies which provide vital safety to prestigious companies in the City.

REPORT ON PG 4

SECUREWARE CHRISTIAN BALE’S CREED OF VIOLENCE

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hristian Bale is leaving Gotham and heading for Mexico.The Dark Knight star is officially rising to new challenges as he’s in talks to join the cast of director Todd Field’s crime drama, The Creed of Violence, according to Variety. The project first appeared on the radar last summer when word hit that Leonardo DiCaprio had been offered a role in the adaptation of the novel by Boston Teran.

PG 22

KEIRA’S STAGE FRIGHT ISSUES

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ctress Keira Knightley says her time away from movies helped her to train herself to cope with her crippling nerves on film sets. “I discovered that a lot of what I was suffering from on film sets was stage fright. It’s easier for me now, and even if I do freeze, I know how to deal with it,” femalefirst.co.uk quoted Knightley as saying.

PG 25

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CITY SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

FROM UP ABOVE...

New collection

N SHIVA KUMAR

Zooni unveils festive hues — a fusion of colour, drama and style! at Origins. It is a collection that is a mix of pret-aporter, primo and atelier, and is full of opulent fabrics, exquisite workmanship and flowy silhouettes.

Where: Origins, Rd No 4, Banjara Hills When: August 8 Contact: (040) 2335 9221

Embarking routes A group exhibition of various kinds of art by the final year students of MFA program 2012 is being held at Shrishti Art Gallery.

Where: Shrishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 15 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2354 0023

The lotus pond

Play competition SKITS- Keep it short, a 12 minute short play competition for college students, corporates, theatre groups will be held from August 3 to August 5.

Where: Nift Campus, Madhapur When: August 3 to August 5 Contact: (040) 2311 4537

An exhibition of paintings by artist Uday Shankar will be held . The exhibition will be on till August 15.

Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: 98499 6879

Theatre festival

Mongolian food festival Take a trip to Mongolia as you are introduced to their food and culture at Syn-Asian Bar and Grill, Taj Deccan. The food fest offers you the chance to sample a variety of Mongolian delicacies at its Mongolian food festival. It will be held from August 5 to 15, 7.30pm onwards.

Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: August 5, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6666 3939

The seventh edition of the multi-lingual theatre festival — Abhinaya National Theatre Festival will be held from August 16 to August 19.

Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad When: August 16 onwards 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245

Punjabi food festival Sample the essence of Punjab with a Punjabi Food Festival being held at Arena, Taj Deccan. This food festival will be held till August 12.

Where: Arena, Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6666 3939

Elegance Artist Snehlatha Prasad, is presenting her interpretation of the Radha and Krishna myth through her canvas at a painting exhibition. The exhibition is on from August 6.

Where: Muse Art Gallery, Tank Bund When: August 6 onwards, 11am Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Interactive workshops Oakridge International School launches Weekend Voyager. This is an exciting weekend activity for children. It includes workshops on a variety of topics such as film making, theater, photography, robotics.

Where: Oakridge International School, Gachibowli and Bachupally When: Every Sunday, 9am-12pm Contact:1800 200 8171

Eclectic reflections Alankritha Art Gallery presents Eclectic Reflections, an exhibition of paintings by eight talented artists.

The exhibition will be on from August 11.

Where: Alankritha Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, Kavuri hills When: August 11 onwards, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2311 3709

CINEMAS

Jazz concert you love Jazz then this is for you.

Internationally renowned musicians Adrian D’Souza and Sharik Hasan will perform at Bhaskara Auditorium at the Birla Centre on Tuesday, August 7.

Where: Bhaskara Auditorium, Birla Science Centre, Adarsh Nagar When: August 7, 7.30pm onwards

Monsoon mania Ramoji Film City celebrates the onset of monsoon with eight weeks of fun-filled activities and entertainment with magic of cinema starting from July 1 to August 31. Monsoon Masti is an occasion

for the entire family.

Where:Ramoji Film City, Hayathnagar When: Ongoing, 9am onwards Contact: (040) 2341 2262

Kebab fest This fest is something that will surely appeal to the kebab lovers in town. Kangan at Westinn, Madhapur is hosting a Kebab fest.

The fest is open for dinner only.

Where: Kangan, Westinn Mindspace, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm-11pm (weekdays) 7pm-12pm (weekends) Contact: (040) 6767 6838

Sounds of harmony Jaywant Naidu, creator of the “Jaywant Guitar” will be performing at the DST auditorium on August 10.

Where: DST Auditorium, Gachibowli When: August 10, 6pm onwards

Smooth operators Tease Lounge at Vivanta by Taj presents Smooth Operators Night every Friday with DJ Mohit.

Where: Tease Bar, Vivanta by Taj, Begumpet When: Every Friday, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 67252626

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

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CITY SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Pay and use RR

T

Nilekani arriving tomorrow

he Outer Ring Road (ORR) users will have to shell out money for using it from September this year.

A private firm PK Hospitality services Pvt. Ltd. has bagged the contract from the government to collect toll from the road users. The fee will be collected at 12 interchanging points between 79.46 km stretch of Pedda AmberpetPatencheru.

Spurious liquor seized

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hairman of Unique Identification Authority of India Nandan Nilekani is visiting the State on Monday. He will hold discussions with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and other officials on the status of Aadhar Card enrolments and related issues. The State has registered a total of 5.20 crore people against the total population of 8.46 crore.

our people were arrested for selling spurious liquor. As part of the crackdown on liquor shops that allegedly sold illicit liquor, the police also seized machines and bottles used for producing liquor. Liquor worth `5 lakh was seized in the raids by excise and prohibition department.

The shop owners will be facing action after the police conducts an inquiry.

Cops, NGOs share short honeymoons

Attrition rate falls in IT O

They are 'fly-by-night' people not serious in traffic control, says traffic commissioner; The cops had rather not have us, says NGOs M ANIL KUMAR

Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

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he Traffic Police of Hyderabad have had many associations with various NGOs striving for a better traffic culture in the City. Film stars and other celebrities too have backed the cause by working with the traffic police. Nevertheless, the role of voluntary organisations in helping the traffic police in Hyderabad remains negligible as compared to other cities.

It is not a rare sight to spot civilians handling and managing traffic during times of absolute chaos. While this may seem promising in taming the uncouth traffic, the zeal that drives these people fizzles out fast, say Traffic managers.

CV Anand, commissioner of traffic police, says, “We have always encouraged people to be involved with the traffic police.

In fact, we are very open to any foundation or civil society organisation that seeks to work with us in traffic management.”

But the problem, says he, is that the cause is not sustainable. “Most of the NGOs that have approached us do it for the publicity. Their drive fizzles out within a week and then there is no response from them. I call them “fly-by-night” NGO’s,” he says.

Fashionable as the cause may seem, there are currently only a handful of NGOs that continue to work. Most notable among them are the Vaada Foundation and the Right to

Walk foundation. Film director SS Rajamouli too made headlines by guiding and managing traffic on the New Year’s Eve along with the traffic police.

While their numbers might be few, the issues that need to be tackled are too high.

“Though they might have a burning desire to strive for such causes, people in these NGOs feel strained. As most of them are from IT company backgrounds, their work schedules are not exactly activist-friendly and they cannot work on a sustainable basis,” says CV Anand.

Activists feel that more manpower, especially human resources, are needed to bolster the traffic police’s efforts.

Gayatri Krishna, an activist says, “Consistent effort in large numbers will help calm the traffic situation. So unless we have really dedicated people ready to go to colleges and work from the roots, there cannot be any change in the current situation.”

But there are whispers that the traffic cops on duty do not want civilians around. Reason?

"Obvious," says a voluntary traf-

Pick

fic warden who quit the service, "they can't indulge in bribery."

Vaada Foundation had joined hands with the traffic police in their campaign against drunk driving. They had also provided insurance for home guards engaged in traffic management.

Right to Walk foundation has been active in raising awareness over the importance of footpaths and the pedestrian culture in Hyderabad. The society has been striving for pedestrian rights and pedestrian safety.

at the

nce hit by heavy attrition rate, IT, ITeS sectors have lesser job hopers now, says an Assocham study Attrition rate has drastically fallen in the IT, ITeS and the BPO sector thereby coming down to the levels of about 1520 per cent during the last six months of calendar year 2012 as against about 55-60 per cent attrition rate during the corresponding period last year, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India stated on Saturday.

Rate of attrition at all levels of the organisation has seen a fall ranging between 4550 per cent between JanuaryJune, mostly due to a fragile global economy, according to a recent industry specific survey carried out by the Assocham.

“An uncertain global economic environment together with cross-currency fluctuation has compelled the employees to adopt a wait and watch policy leading to a sharp decline in the attrition levels in the IT-BPO sector which has been grappling with talent crunch due to shortage of competent managers at middle and senior management for quite sometime,” said DS Rawat, secretary general of Assocham.

“Global economic turmoil has led to a fall in hiring activities and a high employee retention rate can been seen almost across all levels of management and it has come as a blessing in disguise considering that human resource is key to the success of this knowledge-intensive industry,” said Rawat.

“Employees are wary of switching over jobs due to continued apprehensions of the economic slowdown being likely to continue for some more time,” he added.

airport,

NSS

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CITY SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Police upbraid security firms

While the police have the details of the agencies, they are not sure about the personnel the agencies appoint.

Also, most companies which engage security from these agencies do not keep a tab on them.

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

MOHD SUBHAN

mohd.s@postnoon.com

I

n a knee-jerk reaction, the Cyberabad police, have woken to the credibility crisis affecting private security agencies which provide the vital safety needs to prestigious production and processing companies in Hyderabad.

Their role was brought under scanner after the dubious role the security personnel played in the suspicious death of a young software engineer B Neelima in the Infosys premises last week.

In a special meeting convened the other day by the Commissioner Cyberabad, Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao on security agencies, it was decided to update the information about them and upbraid the agencies for not sticking to the mandatory requirement of registering themselves with the nearest police station with details about

I have always shared a good rapport with the securities deployed at the building. There was a time when I had fractured my leg and they helped me get autos each day.

Deepti Sangani

I have stayed back in the campus till late at night many a time.

Never did I get any negative vibes from the watchmen. They take their orders very seriously and never allow us to break rules.

Nahana Barjis, Infosys

the employees.

The Commissioner will issue fresh guidelines on security, it is learnt.

AP is one of the 12 states that have implemented a special Act for security agencies: Private Security Regulation Act, 2005. The Act, among other things, lays down rules for recruitment, verification procedures, and defines the scope of liability on the security agencies and procedures to dismiss them.

The State has some 2,000 agencies, of which 60 are in Hyderabad. While police are

blaming the agencies for not adhering to rules, the AP Chapter Private Security Association blames the government for not implementing its own rule. Association secretary Viquar Ahmed Shafiq says the security units find it difficult to function properly without valid license for functioning.

Bureaucratic delay makes their work even more difficult.

“We need the trade license to work effectively and meaningfully,” he said.

The police have proposed to check the agencies’ standing and give the personnel training

in the AP Police Academy, said deputy commissioner of police T Yoganand. While the police have the details of the agencies, they are not sure about the personnel the agencies appoint. Do they verify the antecedents of the prospective candidates? Do the personnel have had a police case in the past?

However, the fact remains that most companies which engage security from agencies do not keep a tab on them.

“When a crisis hits they make a fire-fighting exercise,” said Nirad Chaube, an ex-manager HR of a processing unit.

On many occasions, we forget and leave some belongings behind at work but all these things have been returned to us. We never had a bad encounter with any of the security personnel.

Vikrant Shekhar, Accenture

Minor parties in holiday mood Two parties — TRS and MIM — took up no popular issue in the past six months while the CPI, CPM have kept up the opposition dharma of taking up general problems.

Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

Major Political Parties

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1. Indian National Congress 2. Telugu Desam Party 3. YSR Congress Party 4. Telangana Rastra Samithi: Zero protest in popular issues

hough the state of Andhra Pradesh officially has nine recognised political parties (in terms of public representation in Assembly), the political arena has been reduced to a three-party affair: The Congress party, Telugu Desam and newly emerged YSR Congress Party.

Apart from these parties, the smaller players like Telangana Rastra Samithi, All India Majlis Itehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the BJP and Loksatta have become fairweather friends, political observers say.

But the Left — the CPI and the CPM — unlike the other

Minor Political Parties 5. BJP 6. CPI 7. CPM 8. Loksatta 9. MIM: Zero protest in popular issues

small players, keep up the fighting sprits with one popular issue or other. (CPI has 4 MLAs and CPM has 1 MLA in Assembly), has been at the forefront in raising the public problems. The CPI has four and the CPM has one MLA. Thought lost much of its sheen as toilers' champions, these parties have been in the forefront leading popular agitations on issues ranging from power cut to inflation. While the TRS largely confined itself to raising the issue of separate Telangana, the BJP tried to raise the same demand to consolidate its position in Telangana region. The MIM party, being a predominantly Muslim minority supported

party, did not organise any major agitation barring the protest demanding 4.5 per cent Muslim Reservation.

The CPI senior leader and MLC PJ Chandrasekhara Rao agreed that political parties have become lazy in taking up popular issues. "Most of these parties do not have a commitment to serve the public. They think that irrespective of their stance they can get away with their traditional vote bank," he said. The MLC further added that left parties not only worked hard in highlighting public issues but also courted arrests after taking agitations. CPM Floor Leader in state Assembly Julakanti Ranga Reddy expressed similar views.

According to Reddy while major political parties like ruling congress and opposition TDP and YSR Congress parties are busy in attacking each other to gain some political brownie points, the other political parties are trying to consolidate their position by raising separatist tendencies instead playing a strong opposition role. "In any democracy playing a constructive opposition role is very important. This would help the opposition political parties in confronting the ruling party on public problems. This confrontation would lead to solution of people's problems and sufferings. Unfortunately, our political parties have forgotten this responsibility," he said.

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NATION SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Russia-India military drill

Veg prices to push inflation

2 missing after boat capsize

MOSCOW: Russia and India will begin

NEW DELHI: Poor monsoon contin-

their joint INDRA-2012 anti-terror military exercises in the Siberian republic of Buryatia Sunday, a Russian military official said. The drills will be held at the Burduny training range until August 16, the spokesman for Russia’s Eastern Military District said. Some 500 servicemen — about 250 on each side — will take part in the drills.

ues to put pressure on prices of staple vegetables, including tomato and potato, and could further push up retail inflation which is hovering above the double-digit mark. Rates of key veggies are yet to show signs of coming down compared to mid-July due to supply constraint as a result of deficient rainfall across the country.

MORIGAON: A father and son

Taxing time for babus soon NEW DELHI: The Centre is considering action against 127 IAS officers for failing to submit their Immovable Property Returns (IPRs) of last year to the government.

“The government is mulling action against the officers who have not yet given their IPRs. It can include withholding increment and appointments,” a senior official of the Department of Personnel and Training said.

Of the total 127 IAS officers who have not submitted their property details, 32 are from Madhya Pradesh cadre (including suspended IAS couple Arvind and Tinu Joshi), 16 from Uttar Pradesh, 14 from Punjab and 12 from Odisha cadre, according to the latest data of DoPT. PTI

are reported to be missing after a country-made boat capsized in the Brahmaputra river at Morigaon district of Assam, police said today.

The incident took place at around midnight near Bakolibari when a family of three were travelling in the boat from Burgaon to Mayong.

Apology after spoof on 101-yr-old marathoner

CHANDIGARH:A recently-sur-

faced TV spoof on 101-year-old Sikh marathoner Fauja Singh in which he is mocked at and eventually killed after being run over by a truck has elicited widespread condemnation, hate mails, threats and eventually an apology from the makers of the Jay Hind show.

Show host Sumeet Raghavan read out a detailed apology last week, saying that he and others in the team were getting “two death threats every minute in the last 72 hours”.

The Jay Hind show had Fauja Singh saying he was running since 1984 (the anti-Sikh riots in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s assassination) and 9/11 (when Sikhs were targeted after the attack). He was later shown being run over by a truck and killed in a pool of blood. The episode concluded with the words: “Perhaps, he could not run faster”.

The spoof, which was initially aired last year, went viral on the Internet after netizens searched for his run with the London Olympics torch July 21.

“I was contacted by his coach and others who saw the offensive video on the Internet. I saw it and felt that it was not only demeaning for Fauja Singh, who is an icon for the youth today, but poked fun on the sensitive issue of the 1984 riots and other happenings. I was nauseated to see him being shown as being mowed down by a truck and in a pool of blood,” Khushwant Singh, the official biographer of Fauja Singh, said.

Khushwant, who released Fauja Singh’s biography “Turbaned Tornado” last year in London, shot off a complaint to Union information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni against the spoof.

“I was appalled to see Fauja Singh, who is considered the new age fitness and wellness guru world-wide, being mocked at on religious and personal grounds,” Khushwant Singh wrote to the minister.

The video has attracted a lot of hate mail, particularly from the Punjabi and Sikh community abroad and in India. This forced host Sumeet Raghvan,

CELEBRATION TIME

Tribal artistes perform during the inauguration of the Saputara Monsoon Festival at Saputara. The festival, held in Gujarat’s only hill station, runs from August 4 to September 1.

AFP

director Abhigyan Jha (of Movers and Shakers fame) and comedian Rajeev Nigam (who played Fauja Singh) to apologise.

“No comedian likes to explain a joke. But when you are getting two death threats every minute for 72 hours non-stop...a comedian has to step aside and let the failed humans we all are take the stage. Here’s an unconditional apology for hurting the people’s sentiments. Fauja Singh

is one of the greatest, most spirited athletes our world has ever seen and there was no intention, hidden or overt, to insult him or the Sikh community,” Raghavan said.

“Unconditional apologies for the last scene, in which Fauja Singh is shown being run over by a truck. In hindsight, we agree that was tasteless and unnecessary. We shouldn’t have IANS done that,” the host said.

Moily to meet 8 CMs on power NEW DELHI: Eight northern states will discuss on Monday with Union Power Minister Veerappa Moily the issues they face in electricity transmission and distribution.

Moily had last week called a meeting of Chief Ministers of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Rajasthan and Delhi after the country witnessed one of the worst-ever power crises on last Tuesday that hit lives of over 60 crore people.

“Some of the states have confirmed their participation while some are yet to confirm,” a Power Ministry official said.

Northern, Eastern and North-Eastern grids had collapsed on Tuesday afternoon hitting power supply to 21 states.

The states affected included Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Manipur and Assam, besides Union Territory of Chandigarh.

The reason for grid failure is, however, yet to be ascertained. This three grids collapsed within 24 hours of the Northern Grid getting restored following a failure on Monday.

The Power Ministry has set up a three-member panel, headed by Central Electricity Authority (CEA) Chairperson AS Bakshi to look into the tripping of grids. The committee is expected to submit its report in a fortnight.

PTI

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WORLD SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

‘Ernesto’ heads to Mexico

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ropical Storm Ernesto in the Caribbean headed towards the Yucatan peninsula Saturday, likely to reach hurricane strength and drench southeastern Mexico and Central America, US forecasters said. At 2100 GMT the center of Ernesto was located some 410 kilometers (255 miles) south of Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic.

170 dead in N Korea flood

Boko Haram slams Obama

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lmost 170 people have died in recent severe floods in North Korea, with a further 400 missing and more than 84,000 made homeless across the country, according to the state media. The official Korean Central News Agency said floods and a typhoon also displaced about 212,200 people and submerged more than 65,000 hectares.

he suspected leader of Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram criticised US President Barack Obama in an online video on Saturday over Washington's decision to label him a "global terrorist". It was unclear when the video was made, but it marked the first time Abubakar Shekau publicly addressed the terrorist tag slapped on him by the US.

Assad army claims Damascus retaken, Aleppo pounded DAMASCUS: The Syrian army said on Saturday it has seized the last rebel-held district of the capital as insurgents in the strategic northern city of Aleppo came under heavy bombardment by regime forces.

The army said it had retaken the hold-out rebel district of Tadamun in Damascus, a day after the United Nations deplored the failure of diplomacy to end a conflict that has reportedly claimed more than 21,000 lives in nearly 17 months.

A brigadier general who refused to give his name told journalists visiting the neighbourhood of Tadamun, the scene of heavy fighting earlier, that it has been retaken, and that the military now controls all of the capital.

"We have cleansed all the districts of Damascus, from AlMidan to Mazzeh, from Al-Hajar Al-Aswad to Qadam... to Tadamun," the last rebel bastion in the capital, said the officer.

An anti-regime activist, Lena al-Shami, told AFP in Beirut by Skype that the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) had withdrawn from Tadaman and would focus on "hit-and-run tactics against important regime targets."

Tadamun borders the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk and is home to both Syrians and Palestinians. It is now deserted and devastated, with electricity cables hanging down between rooftops and paving badly damaged.

tle began" on July 20 but that loyalists had "not managed to advance."

A senior government security figure warned that "the battle for Aleppo has not yet begun, and what is happening now is just the appetizer... The main course will come later."

The official said more reinforcements had arrived and that at least 20,000 troops were now on the ground. "The other side are also sending reinforcements," the official added of the rebels, who claim to have seized half the city.

Because of restrictions on the free movement of journalists in Syria, none of the claims can be verified.

JULY Syrian rebel fighters stand around an anti-aircraft machinegun mounted on a truck in the northern city of Aleppo on Saturday. Syria's armed forces pounded the rebel-held Salaheddin district of Aleppo from the air and ground, with violence also raging in the Shaar and Sukkari districts, according to reporters in the area and a rebel commander.

AFP/AHMAD GHARABLI

Kidnapped Iranians in Syria released Forty-eight Iranian Shia pilgrims kidnapped near Damascus on Saturday were released, Xinhua reported.

The pilgrims were on a bus taking them from the suburb of Sayeda Zeinab, about 10 miles (16 kilometres) south of Damascus, to the airport to return home when they were kidnapped, according to the Iranian state news agency, IRNA. Syria has long welcomed Iranian pilgrims visiting the ornate gold-domed shrine of Sayeda Zeinab, the Prophet Muhammad's granddaughter; up to 700,000 pilgrims used to come every year, IRNA said, although the number has fallen precipitously since the 17-month uprising that has killed an estimated 19,000.

In Yalda next to Tadamun, an AFP reporter saw a dozen corpses thrown on a rubbish dump. Some had been burned and others mutilated.

Fighting erupted in Damascus on July 15 and raged for several days as rebels seized several districts, forcing thousands of residents to flee.

In Aleppo, Abdel Jabar Oqaida, commander of the FSA there, said the Salaheddin district had "come under the heaviest bombardment since the bat-

WAS DEADLIEST

Echoing UN chief Ban Ki-moon's remarks on Thursday that violence was intensifying, a watchdog said July was the deadliest month since the uprising against President Bashar alAssad's regime erupted in March 2011. Rami Abdel Rahman who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 4,239 people, the vast majority civilians, died last month, bringing the overall toll since March 2011 to more than 21,000. Explosions shook Aleppo as fighter jets and helicopter gunships overflew the city and rebels tried to storm the state television building before being driven back by shelling, AFP said the Observatory.

Yemen suicide bombing kills 42

Tasmania may allow gay marriage

Philippine school bans hijab

ADEN: A suicide bombing in a south Yemen town recently recaptured by the army from Al-Qaeda forces killed 42 people and wounded 37, hospital and local government sources said on Sunday.

The bomber struck on Saturday in Jaar, one of a string of towns in Abyan province that were retaken by government troops in June after being held by AlQaeda loyalists for more than a year.

"An Al-Qaeda suicide bomber detonated his explosives belt during a mourning ceremony organised by the Popular Resistance Committees," a local militia that fought alongside the army in its month-long counteroffensive, said provincial governor Jamal al-Aqal.

SYDNEY: The small island of Tasmania could become the first Australian state to allow same-sex marriage after Premier Lara Giddings said Sunday she backed legislation to permit it. Giddings said she believed that a "tipping point" had been reached where more people were in favour of allowing gay marriage than were opposed to it. "We are intending to... debate the legislation that is currently before the Tasmanian parliament, that would allow for marriage to occur between same sex couples here in Tasmania," she said. Tasmania was the last state in Australia to decriminalise homosexual sex when it did so in 1997, but Giddings said since then the lush island state had been progressive in its social reforms.

ZAMBOANGA: A Catholic-run school in the southern Philippines has caused controversy by banning Muslim students from wearing the hijab headscarf. Mehol Sadain, who heads the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, said Sunday he had written to Pilar College in the mixed MuslimChristian port city of Zamboanga to demand it reverse its policy. While the school was right to claim it could exercise academic freedom, Sadain said it should do so with "justice and fair play".

"Pilar College should realise that while educational institutions can formulate their own policies, the same should not run counter to existing laws and state policies," Sadain said.

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WORLD SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

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Even though US news organisations are widely respected, the Brits are peeling away American readers.

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The British are invading the US, not by land or by sea, but on the Internet.

British media have been making inroads in the US market by invading online space, seizing readers who might otherwise visit websites of domestic outlets like Fox News or The New York Times.

And, even though US news organizations are widely respected around the world, the Brits are peeling away American readers.

According to data from research firm comScore, the tabloid Daily Mail's Mail Online overtook The New York Times last year as the world's biggest newspaper website and held the top spot in June with 44.7 million visitors.

Separate data from Web analytics site Alexa.com showed that The Guardian and BBC websites among the top 15 news sites, holding their own among CNN, Yahoo! News and others.

“In the English-speaking world, the divider of the

Atlantic Ocean is ebbing away because of the Internet,” said Ken Doctor, a media analyst with the research firm Outsell.

The transatlantic gap had made it difficult for print editions to make it to US shores. But British media groups are eager to expand on digital platforms just as US media such as The Wall Street Journal and New York Times are growing their international audiences.

“If you talk to the major British quality publishers, about a third of their traffic has been over the years in the US, which is a surprise,” Doctor said.

The analyst said gains came in the past decade.

Shooter may Mars roving plead guilty begins anew LOS ANGELES: The man who killed

WASHINGTON: Are we alone? Or was

six people and injured 13 others, including former US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, in Tucson, Arizona, last year is expected to plead guilty, The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. Citing "knowledgeable sources," the newspaper said Jared Lee Loughner was likely to enter the guilty plea at a hearing in US District Court in Tucson. Loughner has been charged in connection with the bloodbath outside a Tucson supermarket.

there life on another planet? NASA's $2.5 billion dream machine, the Mars Science Laboratory, aims to take the first steps toward finding out when it nears Mars's surface on Monday.

NASA said it will find out if its Mars Science Laboratory and rover, Curiosity — designed to hunt for soilbased signatures of life and send back data to prepare for a future human mission — landed safely at 1:31 am Eastern time (0531 GMT) on Monday.

8

COMMENT SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Catch copycats

Show some restraint

I

A

t’s good news that the University of Pune has decided to use a software to check plagiarism. Since the information explosion on the internet, plagiarism has become rampant. People who should be putting in honest work just copy pasting matter from the net should be caught.

Ray Fernandes Vijayanagar Colony

bout the story Youth jailed for meeting girl (August 4). The girl's parents should have had some sense and spoken to his parents instead of getting the police into this.

It’s become our nature to overreact to everything.

Suraj Surana Yousufguda

CHILD SLAVE TRADE It’s a shame

WHY WE LOVE...

Bronze medals The gushing over Saina’s badminton bronze medal after her Chinese opponent pulled out of the match injured speaks volumes of how little we expect from our non-cricketing sportsmen and women. The lambasting the Australian and German Olympians are getting in their national press should make us hang our heads in shame. While we are extremely proud of our medallists, sports is all about excellence and we should expect nothing less.

Readers’ views We invite you to write to us comments, suggestions, viewpoint or just about anything to feedback@postnoon.com or #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033 or even by way of a call on 040-4067 2222.

Think before you act

I

t was sad to read that the police could jeopardise the academic career of a 20-year-old just because he went to meet a girl whose parents were against their relationship. It could have been sorted out without all this drama. Think before you act people.

Megha Mishra Banjara Hills

Research on researches

EDITORIALS

About 200,000 children a year fall into the hands of slave traders in India, many sold by their poverty-stricken parents for paltry sums, a report in the Guardian says. We come across them every day… on the streets… at traffic junctions… at shacks… mostly doing menial jobs… living in circumstances of unspeakable horror. We feel anger and disgust for those who sell their children, but what are they to do when what they earn is far from sufficient to keep themselves alive? To have finer feelings, one must feel alive. To feel alive, one must satisfy three basic needs — food, shelter and clothing. Every fine feeling that stirs in the human heart follows when these are satisfied. Papers write about issues like these, but mostly we choose to ignore it, or dismiss it with a “tut-tut”. To be honest, these are the issues we must open our eyes to and do something about. When we race ahead basking in the glory of our becoming a super power soon, this is the ugly truth we try to hide. Any such title got is nothing when this is the real state of issues. But people are more interested in reacting to and taking offence at trivial issues.

EDITORIALS

From the hip SYED SHOAIB

G

uess what?

According to a recent research, a survey has pointed out… !?$%...

Wonder whether you put your belief antennas up or actually switched off reading this column, which is based on a study.

For those of you who are continuing, here are some recent study findings I picked up from newspapers, which I think we could do without. Mostly clichéd topics that have resulted in obvious findings — despite huge grants being spent on them by credible institutions.

1. Active parents raise active kids 2. If you want to live longer, eat less 3. Going to fall ill? Twitter can tell 4. Gallantry is a thing of the past 5. It takes $5m to feel like a millionaire 6. Smiling can speed up recovery from stress 7. Women who flirt at work more likeable, less trusted 8. Eating organic food can turn you into a jerk 9. Eye care, least priority for Indians 10. Frog mating calls inspire better WiFi 11. Egg allergies can be treated with egg 12. Close contact with Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) can be harmful 13. Emotional Quotient can round off a child’s education 14. Gene-altering moisturiser can fight skin cancer 15. Texting to blame for bad grammar 16. Dating rules passé, pick-up lines in 17. Nightshifts up heart attack risk 18. Apples good for women’s hearts 19. Acidic foods form acid in the body 20. Working late into pregnancy

as bad as smoking 21. Swearing can cost you a promotion 22. Aging termites used as `suicide bombers’ 23. Drugs that cut cholesterol can help treat asthma 24. Hackers can break into digital wallets 25. Sexy catalogue images can tempt men to shop instantly 26. More TV viewing for your preschooler means weakened legs by class 2, thicker waist by class 4 27. Coffee can alleviate some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease 28. Job stress to blame for early aging 29. Name-calling, bullying of kids as bad as a kick 30. Brain injury tied to Alzheimer’s risk 31. Sit less; add 2 years to your life 32. Zebra fish may help in treating human diseases 33. For flight safety, Batman needs urgent cape redesign 34. Cutting food into small bits may help you lose weight 35. YouTube may help some vertigo patients

36. Strobe eyewear training improves visual memory 37. Superheroes can help make kids choose nutritious food 38. All you need is five friends to cope with modern life 39. Reducing salt in your food can cut cancer risk 40. Lab-made jellyfish to fix heart illness 41. Couples who travel same way for work are happier 42. Monday blues a sign of social jetlag 43. Virtual lips can keep distant lovers close 44. Under-15 kids smoke, chew gutka in India 45. In 10 years, rich to become immortal by transplanting brains into robots 46. Sport brands do not boost performance 47. Modified bug kills malaria parasite 48. Exposure to sex films makes teens promiscuous 49. Early man’s diet included cooked plants, not just meat 50. Eggs are more nutritious today than 30 years ago Most of the above findings are from Western societies; not that I would vouch for an Indian

study. For example I have never been asked till date if my aftershave itches or if pasta makes me feel constipated. Yet, I see surprising findings like every second man in India faces bowel problems, post pasta encounters or seven-year itches also in aftershave lotions. Jokes apart, the following research pointers will shock you.

1. `Come over to interview me’ tops in memorable job applications 2. Success lies in your street address 3. Population of Mumbai fell 6 per cent in past decade 4. Is marriage a fraud?

5. `Social networking’ among cows increases milk yield 6. Marilyn Monroe had lesbian ties with teen 7. All pop music the same 8. Adultery is a sign of love 9. Dolphins may be geniuses at math: use complicated calculations to capture sardines 10. Wearing mini-skirts helps get discount Still wondering what future study topics will read like. Any guesses?

The writer works for Postnoon

9

BUSINESS SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Boeing bags $3.5 bn order

U

S planemaker Boeing said on Friday that Xiamen Airlines, a unit of China Southern Airlines, had agreed to purchase 40 next-generation 737-800s — an order valued at $3.5 billion at list prices. The deal requires Chinese regulatory approval, Boeing said in a statement, adding that it would work with Xiamen Airlines to push through the deal.

AI to ramp up int’l ops

A

ir India, which was forced to scale down its international operations massively following the recent two-month strike by a section of pilots, will resume most of its international operations by the end of the month.The strike forced AI to cancel several sectors, which caused a loss of around `600 crore in unrealised sales to the carrier.

Chevron fined $19 bn

A

n Ecuadoran court has ordered US oil firm Chevron to pay some $19 billion — a billion dollars more than an original order — by Monday for environmental damage.

Attorney Juan Pablo Saenz said the plaintiffs could organise embargoes if Chevron does not comply with the order from a court in the northeastern Amazonian province of Sucumbios.

Oil deal no quick fix for Sudan crisis: Analysts Ian Timberlake

A

last-minute oil deal reached on Saturday between Sudan and South Sudan offers no quick fix for Khartoum’s economic crisis and remains tied to progress on security issues, analysts say. Both sides agreed Juba would pay Khartoum a package amounting to about $3 billion, as well as a per-barrel fee for sending its oil through the north’s infrastructure for export via Port Sudan.

Juba said the fee is $9.48 per barrel.

Khartoum has not commented on the final fee, but El Shafie Mohammed El Makki, head of political science at the University of Khartoum, said the figures are not encouraging although “something is better than nothing.” “I think that the economic crisis is very, very, very serious,” he said. “I don’t think such an amount of money can solve the problems.”

The true economic value of the deal is also difficult to assess because numbers mentioned by either side are “directed towards the domestic audience,” said Magdi El Gizouli, a fellow at the Rift Valley Institute, a non-profit research organisation.

Oil has been at the heart of tensions and economic difficulties for Sudan since the South separated in July last year with roughly 75 percent of the 470,000 barrels per day produced by the unified country before independence.

The lost oil accounted for more than 85 per cent of Khartoum’s export earnings, which reached $7.5 billion in the first half of 2011, according to the World Bank.

Without its largest source of hard currency, which is needed to pay for imports, inflation has soared and the Sudanese pound has plunged in value while the government tries to boost exports of gold and other nonpetroleum products.

The budget received a further shock when the planned-for oil transit fees from South Sudan failed to materialise as

A soldier who lost his leg during the war against Sudan passes by soldiers during the 7th anniversary of Martyrs’ Day on July 30, 2012 in Juba. the two sides could not agree on how much Juba should pay.

In January South Sudan shut its oil production — the impoverished nation’s prime revenue source — after accusing the north of theft. Khartoum’s finance minister Ali Mahmud alRasul in May placed Sudan’s losses from not reaching a fee deal at 6.5 billion pounds, $2.4 billion at the time.

The government subsequently devalued the exchange rate under austerity measures that Rasul said would save about $1.5 billion.

It also began phasing out costly fuel subsidies and said taxes on bank profits would rise, along with value-added tax, Officials cut cabinet posts, trimmed ministers’ salaries and laid off presidential advisers —

OIL ACCOUNTED FOR MORE THAN 85 PER CENT OF KHARTOUM’S EXPORT EARNINGS, WHICH REACHED $7.5 BILLION IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2011. measures which University of Khartoum economist Mohammed Eljack Ahmed said were not enough.

While the oil deal — if implemented —will increase government revenue its impact on the economic crisis will depend on whether the government can seriously cut costs, Ahmed said.

“The government up to now is not able to reduce its expenditure,” he said, and state spending is being driven even higher because of inflation, which rose 37 percent year-on-year in June.

There is also talk that an oil deal may not be implemented unless other issues “particularly security” are agreed upon, he said. “To be frank, it’s an offer on the table rather than a final deal,” said Gizouli.

“As long as there is no security arrangement talk of oil will remain provisional,” he said, adding that underlying Saturday’s announcement must have been unspoken movement

by South Sudan to address Sudanese security concerns.

Political scientist Makki agreed that Juba must have made some compromise on secu-

AFP

rity. Sudan accuses South Sudan of backing a major insurgency in South Kordofan state, a charge analysts believe despite denials by Juba.

On Thursday Sudan reiterated that any deal on oil must be subject to a “full and final agreement” on security, to avoid obstacles in the movement of people, goods and services at the border.

Analysts noted that the oil deal came just hours after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir in Juba and urged the two sides to reach an urgent compromise.

“We praise the courage of the Republic of South Sudan’s leadership in taking this decision,” Clinton said in reaction to AFP the oil deal.

10

INTERVIEW SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Hero behind the camera Known for tackling serious themes in his movies, Kabir Khan is all set with his next outing – Ek Tha Tiger – that again brings to the fore the issue of terrorism.

AMY ROSE THOMAS

amyrose.t@postnoon.com You started out as a documentary filmmaker before making commercial cinema. How was filming Beyond The Himalayas different from Ek Tha Tiger and New York?

I believe in adopting a distinctive and unique style while filming each movie. Each story needs a different narrative pattern and they cannot be compared. The style I adopted while filming New York is totally different from the way I shot Ek Tha Tiger.

Ek Tha Tiger is the most ambitious project of Yash Raj Films till date. Were you ever worried about the consequences of the film not doing well at the box office? Were you granted complete freedom to do as you please by Yash Raj Films?

I was never bogged down or worried about the future of the film.

The money was required for the story and that was the priority. The film spinning magic at the box office is definitely one of the factors that determine the success of the movie but it is not the only one. I saw the movie and I am satisfied as a director that I have worked to my full ability. Producer Aditya Chopra trusted in me and this helped me in the making of the film.

It was reported that there were creative differences between you and Salman Khan. How was it working with the star?

I was misquoted about the incident. Directors who are insecure will have trouble when actors give suggestions. However, for me, I would be offended if the lead actors don’t give their suggestions.

Not just Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Aditya Chopra and Ranvir Shorey had given their suggestions and many of them have gone into the filming of the movie. I believe that filmmaking is a collaborative effort and the actors also need to be part of the creative area to get a satisfying product.

The Pakistani Electronic Media Regulatory Authority has directed channels to refrain from airing promos of Ek Tha Tiger till it gets a nod from the censor board of Pakistan. Considering Salman Khan has a huge fan base in Pakistan, aren’t you worried that the ban of the film in Pakistan will affect the film’s business?

This is the standard procedure that all countries follow. The censor board watches the movie before giving the green signal for its release in the country. Since there is a mention of ISI and RAW, it

comes as no surprise that the censor board banned the trailer.

However, once they watch the movie, I am sure they will come to a sane conclusion. I have watched the movie; there is nothing derogatory. There are three multiplexes in Pakistan that are all set to launch with Ek Tha Tiger. I am sure the board will take into account all these factors before giving the signal to the movie.

You are the director, cinematographer and the scriptwriter of the movie. Is it a conscious decision to be part of the technical part of the movie?

I believe that cinema is completely a director’s medium and it is a conscious decision to be part of all aspects of the film. Movie is an illusion and being part of the technical field can only ensure that this illusion looks real to the audience.

Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif have had a turbulent past because of the on, off and on again relationship they shared.

How was it working with them and did you face any difficulties while shooting? How did you manage to get both the stars together?

Both the stars are thorough profes-

sionals and they shared a comfortable working relationship. Them knowing each other for the past 10 years helped me as they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses and covered each other’s mistakes. They agreed to do the movie because of the script and characters. No other actor can do justice to the role of Tiger as Salman can. There is no way that I would have even approached anyone else for the role. I had kept Katrina in mind while writing the script for the movie. Since I worked with her in New York, I was

I WOULD BE OFFENDED IF THE LEAD ACTORS DON’T GIVE THEIR SUGGESTIONS. I BELIEVE THAT FILMMAKING IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AND THE ACTORS ALSO NEED TO BE PART OF THE CREATIVE AREA TO GET A SATISFYING PRODUCT.

aware of what she brought to the table.

Unlike Salman’s other movies in which he reprised comic roles, Ek Tha Tiger will see him in a more serious avatar. Aren’t you worried if his character would be accepted by the audience?

Salman’s character in the movie is different from the ones that he played before. As a filmmaker, I wouldn’t want to play safe and repeat the character. I want to push the boundaries of the actors and make them do things that they haven’t done before. I want to make films that the audience will remember even after five years it’s been made. It was never a publicity gimmick to bring the lead actors together so that it will help the movie. I believe that film is bigger than the actors and got them together because they fitted the role perfectly.

Do you think this film will succeed in bringing Indians and Pakistanis closer? Or will the movie alienate the people?

My attempt is to make people think and make them aware of the issues. If I succeed in making people think and break the stereotypes, I will consider myself lucky.

11

GOLDEN YEARS SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

I

t is that time of your life to experience all the phenomenal things that this earth has to offer. Unlike characters Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play in the popular movie Bucket List, there is no need to wait until a health crisis strikes to start planning your ultimate bucket list.

TRAVEL

ABROAD

Are you one of those who never had the opportunity to travel abroad and felt envious when anyone recounted tales from the foreign land. Then visiting another country should be top on your list. There are many options for you to choose from since earth is filled with breathtakingly beautiful places.

The pyramids of Egypt, Berlin Wall, Great Wall of China and Statue of Liberty are some of the options for you to choose from.

ADVENTURE SPORTS

It is time to leave your bedrooms and conquer the forces of nature. Push your limits and surprise yourself with the results. You can try skydiving, bungee jumping, shark diving or water rafting.

Accomplish any one of these and you are sure to become quite popular among your grandchildren.

WRITING

A BOOK

Do your grand children listen intently every time you tell the stories of your life? Why not pen them down and let everyone know about your journey?

And who knows it might end up being the next bestseller.

LEARNING A NEW CRAFT \ TAKING A COURSE

Ever wanted to get back to classroom and learn something new? This is the time to do exactly that. Go back to your childhood complete with textbooks, notes and exams. You might be surprised at how much you will love this.

BUYING

WHAT YOU WANT

Gone are the days when you have to save for your children’s studies and their future. They are in a position to take care of themselves. Go and splurge on that special something that you always craved for. That desirable something that you could never get your hands on because a few responsibilities stood in your way. Go for it. Nothing should hold you back now.

GET

A MAKEOVER

Tired of the same look you have had for

the past gazillion years? Be adventurous and get ready to shock and surprise everyone. Go in for a makeover and see the difference.

Change your dressing style. Get a new hair cut. A little bit of change can do wonders and you may even like your new avatar and probably your grandkids and kids might just feel a tinge of jealousy seeing the new you.

REVISIT

CHILDHOOD

Well, now since you have the time.

What is there to care about? For once keep aside family obligations and take some time out for yourself. Get into the nostalgia mode. It does not mean literally moping over the past, but revisiting your past. Catch up with your old friends, giggle like schoolgirls, play a prank or maybe a trip down memory lane. Sounds like fun!

HIT

THE GYM

Who said that gyms were only for the fitness buffs and young people?

You too need to take care of yourself. This is the best time to get into shape and make those young women and men jealous. Draw up a list of your inspirations and fitness goals and get working on it. If not the gym, get into an activity which allows you maximum exercise and forget about those aching knees and back. Once you begin to have fun, the pains will vanish.

A whole new life begins post-retirement as one has the time on their hands to realise dreams, overcome fears and sometimes even do simple and silly things. So create your own bucket list and get started!

PERFORM RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS You remember the lesson you taught your kids and grandchildren when they were small — be kind to everyone. Well, it is time you put your preaching to practice. Perform some random acts of kindness, even rescuing your grandchildren from a scolding will count as one. Philanthropy is not bound by age, so try and notice people who are needy and get your Santa hat on.

GET

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or SMS „Postnoon‰ to 56161

INTO A RELATIONSHIP

This might come as a surprise to some, but it’s your life. Now that your kids and grown and settled, it’s time you looked after your life and relationships. For the single men and women, life does not end as you see it at 60. It begins anew. So why don’t you also begin life anew. Check out some dating sites. One is never too old to fall in love or even get married.

5

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12

ART AND CULTURE SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Lost masterpiece found

P

The Museum of Everything

oland's long-lost masterpiece, attributed to Raphael and feared by many to have been destroyed, has been re-discovered in a bank vault in an undisclosed location. Portrait of a Young Man, around 1513-1514, from the Czartoryski family collection in Krakow, was confiscated by the Nazis in 1939 for Hitler's Führermuseum in Linz.

New Aztec town found

T

P

he Museum of Everything, the largest travelling exhibition of outsider art, is taking its country-hopping roadshow to the streets of Russia for the first time.

Throughout August, the museum is parking its mobile exhibition unit in a different city across western Russia, where it will become something like a talent-show stage, seeking out the country’s best, undiscovered self-taught and non-professional artists.

hysical anthropologist Jorge Arturo Talavera González examined 17 skeletons — including 11 child burials — unearthed recently in Mexico City.

The remains, he said, offer evidence of a merchant neighbourhood of an Aztec people known as the Tepanec, whose glory days were some 700 years ago.

Out to create entertainment

Writer-director Rozzlin Pereira proves her talent in delivering a feel-good all-out entertainer.

House of building Bringing fine art and craft together and uniting creativity and manufacturing.

T

SUNORY DUTT

feedback@postnoon.com

“I

t was a laugh-a-minute show. Not only funny but such acute observations on the war of the sexes. Both Sharon [Prabhakar] and I had to lie down for half an hour after the show because our sides were paining due to nonstop laughter,” shares theatre personality and noted ad filmmaker Alyque Padamsee.

He is referring to He Says She Says, a play written and directed by Rozzlin Pereira. Coproduced by Rozzlin’s That’s A Rap Productions and Ash Chandler, the play premiered to a sold-out audience at The Comedy Store in Mumbai last month. It’s about “two highly opinionated, self-appointed authorities ‘He’ and ‘She’, who take you on an analytical journey of sneaky tricks, controversial advice and far out justifications in a quest to be the one ‘on top’ in a relationship”.

While such an overwhelming response is something most writers can only dream of, the young and hugely accomplished Rozzlin made it her reality.

Facing the limelight is par for the course for Rozzlin, who learnt to multi-task right from her salad days at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Between majoring in Ancient History and choreographing inter-college fashion shows, Rozzlin learnt “pretty early that it feels great to be able to balance your passions and your responsibilities”.

These responsibilities have over the years included co-hosting a youth programme on Channel V; playing the lead role in kids’ sitcom Sanya; co-anchoring Vixture, a video game reality television show for Star Sports; being the creative head of events company Fountainhead; hosting events and corporate shows and also modelling for TV commer-

ART FOR DUMMIES

I prefer to write relatable interactive pieces that have an instant connect with the audience. I always write from observation

cials like McDonalds, Maruti Suzuki, Dabur Vatika, Reliance Mobile etc.

But through it all, Rozzlin’s first love always remained writing and directing. “I have very clear ideas on what I want. But all my experiences lend to what I create as an entertainment package. I prefer to write relatable interactive pieces that have an instant connect with the audience. And I always write from observation. Like in the case of He Says She Says, a couple of my male friends were the inspiration.

Hearing some of the outlandish things they had to say gave me some new insights on how they see women and I just knew more women would love to hear it. The woman’s acts in the play were a natural progression. Incidentally,

I found it easier to write the male perspective!” she says.

There are plans to stage the play in other cities soon. “We intend to take it everywhere. It’s the kind of play that will find audiences anywhere because of the relatable nature of the content,” she says. When asked if Hyderabad is on the radar, Rozzlin confirms, “It’s my intention. Lets hope it happens sooner than later”. Well, he says, she says and we all say Amen to that!

(For more information on He Says She Says visit http://www.rozzlinpereira.com or find the He Says She Says fan page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/HE-SAYS-SHESAYS/329049570511727)

he Bauhaus was the most influential modernist art school of the 20th century, one whose approach to teaching, and understanding art’s relationship to society and technology, had a major impact both in Europe and the United States long after it closed. It was shaped by the 19th and early 20th century trends such as Arts and Crafts movement, which had sought to level the distinction between fine and applied arts, and to reunite creativity and manufacturing. This is reflected in the romantic medievalism of the school’s early years, in which it pictured itself as a kind of medieval crafts guild. But in the mid-1920s, the medievalism gave way to a stress on uniting art and industrial design, and it was this which ultimately proved to be its most original and important achievement. The school is also renowned for its faculty, which included artists Wassily Kandinsky, Josef Albers, László Moholy-Nagy, Paul Klee and Johannes Itten, architects Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and designer Marcel Breuer. The motivation behind the creation of the Bauhaus lay in the 19th century, in anxieties about the soullessness of manufacturing and its products, and in fears about art’s loss of purpose in society.

13

ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Polluted air in Hong Kong

Coal mining threat to tigers

T

oal mining for electricity generation is the biggest threat to India's tigers, a Greenpeace report has warned. The report, demands a moratorium on clearances for new mines. India is home to more than half of the world's tigers, with 1,706 living in the wild, compared to 100,000 at the turn of the last century.

he worst pollution in two years smothered Hong Kong for a second day this week, prompting warnings to the elderly and sick to stay indoors and obscuring one of the world's most famous views. Pollution readings were "very high" in business and shopping districts such as Central, Western, Causeway Bay and Mongkok, air monitoring stations showed.

C

Oaks to help study climate

W

hen the ice advanced, the oaks retreated. When the ice retreated the oaks advanced, spreading from tropical to temperate zones, up from Central America and Mexico into the Piedmont Carolinas. Researchers expect the study of live oak migrations and phylogeny will provide clues to the success of the oaks that range up into northern Ontario in Canada.

Youth for climate justice Recruiting youngsters for the fight against global warming, Indian Youth Climate Network is making waves in society.

Amy Rose Thomas

amyrose.t@postnoon.com

S

tarted as a platform to get the voices of youth on the climate change and environment issues to be heard globally, the Indian Youth Climate Network has come a long way since its inception in 2008.

Spread over 18 states, the society has included thousands of youth in colleges, schools and corporations as part of the movement.

The NGO believes in three steps towards bringing about a change: Running campaigns to educate the public about the impact of climate change and causes.

Implementing on-ground projects like waste management and rural energy projects.

Engaging the youth in the policymaking.

“Our aim is to include youth in the movement since it is us who will bear the brunt of global warming in the future. The major policies and decisions about climate change are taken at the United Nations

1 2 3

Communication on Process (UNCOP) about which most of the youngsters in the country are unaware of. IYCN works for getting the Indian youngsters’ voices heard at these conferences,” he says.

The organisation had started out to include youngsters in the fight against climate change and spreading awareness of its consequences. It was later that they included implementation of onground projects as part of their doctrine.

“While there are many youngsters who come forward to take up the cause and work towards helping the environment, many a time they are at a loss since they are unaware of how they could bring about the change. We take up projects that help in sustaining the environment like composting and community waste management, rural energy projects, lake cleanups and herbal/ medicine gardens,” national coordinator of IYCN, Chaitanya Kumar, says.

M Anil Kumar, an alumnus from Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology, who is also the regional coordinator of the

THE MAJOR POLICIES AND DECISIONS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE ARE TAKEN AT THE UNITED NATIONS COMMUNICATION ON PROCESS OF WHICH MOST OF THE YOUNGSTERS IN THE COUNTRY ARE UNAWARE OF.

NGO, is one of those working on the ground-water recharge pits in the city.

“I came across the organisation two years back and since then I have been actively participating in the movement. We had devised a method to get the carbon auditing of an organisation so that we can help reduce the footprint in the future. With the financial support of the US consulate, we completed the project.

Apart from these projects, we also take active part in campaigning and hold work-

shops in different schools and colleges to recruit more into our fight,” he says.

Like Anil Kumar who made the decision to take up the cause full time after his graduation, Chaitanya too decided to take the plunge after college.

“As one of the organisers of Vasavi college fest Euphoria, I had to research on the organisations working for the green environment in the city since we were organising the first green Euphoria that year. I contacted Hyderabad Unplug and it was through them that I came across IYCN. Since then, there has been no looking back. I have attended UN Cop conferences in Poland, Copenhagen and Mexico. There was a time when I had started to work for the NGO, that people were unaware about these conferences. However, the scenario has gone through many changes now and youngsters are updated about the impact of climate change.”

As it is the youth who will bear the brunt of the global warming in the coming years and not the aged policy makers, it is up to the youngsters to take up the cause.

14

FOOD SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Too much healthy food is bad

“W

hile fruits are nutritious, too much healthy food can lead to weight gain,” Loyola University Health System registered dietitian Schantz says. “The key is to remember to control the portion sizes of the foods.” Schantz reported that overeating healthy foods is easy to do, but the same rules apply to healthy food as junk food.

M

Benefits of miso

iso is a traditional Japanese fermented food that has been growing in popularity.

Chefs and food aficionados prize miso for its rich flavour and its ability to add an extra heartiness (umami, also known as the “fifth taste”). Health advocates love miso for its concentration of nutrients and remarkable disease-fighting properties.

Meat could be a luxury soon

R

ising food prices, growing population and environmental concerns are just a few issues that have organisations worrying about how we will feed ourselves in the future. In UK, meat prices are anticipated to have a huge impact on our diets. Some in the food industry estimate it could double in five to seven years, making meat a luxury item.

Myriad charms of the Far East Uncomplicated dining — that is what Holy Basil at Radisson Blu has to offer you, and along with it, a trip to The Orient.

SRINIVAS SETTY

RANJANI RAJENDRA

ranjani.r@postnoon.com

A

s you enter Holy Basil at Radisson Blu in Banjara Hills, you are struck by how well it is designed. Its wide clean interiors have a positive vibe, with plenty of natural light that makes for the perfect mealtime setting.

What I loved about it was that it gave me the space to enjoy my meal without the rushed and crowded feel most other eateries have. Unlike most oriental restaurants that have a heavy décor, the Holy Basil is done up in muted colours, boasts of minimalistic wooden furniture and understated Chinese lanterns apart from a few other Asian knick-knacks. Its live kitchen where the chefs dish out delicious Chinese, Thai and Japanese food gives it a welcoming feel, as you watch them stir up lip-smacking food with the freshest ingredients.

The restaurant’s a la carte menu offers you a variety of soups, sushi, sashimi, roasts, dimsums and plenty of wok fried dishes too. What really sets their food apart are their expert chefs. While their Chinese and Japanese chefs have trained under the best in the world, their Thai chef is a Thai national herself, bringing with them an authenticity that few other restaurants can offer.

We started our meal with light and silky tofu with sweet chilli sauce accompanied with some Chinese style peanuts and pickled pineapple. This was followed by some succulent chilli garlic prawns that were cooked and seasoned to perfection. The peanuts and pickled pineapple served as the perfect taste breakers. For salad, we tried the Laab Kai-Thai (Thai chicken salad) which was light and fresh with a

lemongrass flavour. But what is an Asian meal without any sushi? The chef served us a sushi platter with salmon, tuna and Californian roll. I had these with some scepticism, since I am not a sushi fan, but the Californian roll with its crab filling was a delight. Accompanied with a small serving of wasabi, the sushi made for a good appetiser.

For soup, we were served

Holy Basil Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Banjara Hills Time: 11:30 – 3 pm (daily) 6:30 pm - midnight (daily) For lunch and dinner Meal for two: `1,600 plus taxes

some steaming hot Tom yum goong, a Thai broth full of lemongrass, chilli and prawn goodness. The soup, a good mix of sour and spicy, tantalised my taste buds.

The Phad Thai veg that we were served for main course was definitely one of the best versions of the Thai noodles I’ve had in the City. Where some restaurants make it sticky, others kill it with an overdose of

peanuts or coconut. This was accompanied by some very flavourful black bean fish and babycorn mushroom broccoli.

While the fish was no doubt very good, I was disappointed by the babycorn mushroom broccoli, which proved to be slightly bland for my taste.

Considering the restaurant also serves Japanese and Thai, we simply had to sample the Japanese fried rice and chicken Thai green curry. I approached the rice with some trepidation, as I’ve never really tried Japanese cuisine before.

But this one took me by surprise. The slightly sticky rice was rather well-flavoured with some soy and sesame oil and had a generous helping of vegetables. The Thai green curry was comfort food at its best with its light coconut flavouring and went very well with the rice.

Admittedly, I was rather stuffed by this point, but I simply had to sample the restaurant’s special dessert — Chef Trilogy. Not only did it look divine, it tasted wonderful too.

The dessert comprised of some lightly flavoured honey dew sago, some vanilla ice cream and a delightful chocolate spring roll. For me, the chocolate spring roll took the cake, although the pastry could’ve been a little less chewy. It was the perfect end to a scrumptious meal.

So if you want to try some good Asian food, do try out Holy Basil. We recommend the chilli garlic prawns, Phad Thai, black bean fish and the Laab Kai-Thai.

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FOOD SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012 SRINIVAS SETTY

It’s quiet and cosy at the Oriental Bar and Kitchen in Park Hyatt. No distractions, like jarring music that ruins your mood. In the limelight it’s you and your food. Nothing else matters.

Noor’s Kitchen NOOR JAFRI Ingredients 1. Tender leg of lamb approx. - 1 kg 2. Onion - 2 to 3 medium-sized ones 3. Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp 4. Raw papaya - 3/4th tbsp 5. Garam masala - 2 tsp 6. Kebab-chinni powder - 1 tsp 7. Almonds - 8 to 10 8. Red chillies - 3 to 4 9. Thick cream curd - 1 cup 10. Saffron - 1 pinch 11. Salt to taste 12. Bay leaf - one or two

Savouring the limelight RAJESH RAVINDRAN

rajesh.r@postnoon.com

W

ith quick steps I walked into Oriental Bar & Kitchen, at Park Hyatt, dreading the frown on my friend’s and our host’s faces. I was held up elsewhere and from there I braved the rain and the traffic and reached half an hour late. But as I strode up to where they were sitting, I was greeted by smiling faces, on which I could not find a modicum of displeasure. They did not seem to mind at all that I was late, but made me welcome and bade me sit down. I did and felt at ease; perhaps that feeling is contagious here.

It ought to be: I looked around and I noticed instantly one is bound to feel cosy at one’s table, for the tables are widely spaced in the big dimly lit hall, so chances of your hearing your neighbour’s conversation or vice versa are nil. And the light above each table is set such that it illumines only those with you and your food, sort of hogging the limelight.

And the greatest relief is the absence of exasperating music rampant in most diners, chosen without taste or sensibility, killing our mood and

Raan Musallam

15. Coriander leaves and lemon wedges for garnishing

Procedure 1. Wash, clean and dry the leg of

2.

Meals for two: `1,500 including taxes (excluding cost of alcohol)

3.

Timing: 12:30-15:30, 19:00 to 24:00 from Monday to Thursday

4.

12:30 to 16:00, 19:0002:00 from Friday to Sunday

5.

from many places where when you are done, the world knows you have dined out from the hissing you do to ease your burning tongue.

The best part is you can see your dish being prepared and ask how it’s done and how you want it.

Vegans, please don’t feel left out. Executive Sous Chef Shanmuganathan Marimuthu, Shan for short, suggests for you Thai som tom, which is green papaya, mango salad with long beans and peanuts, Johar laska soup — vegetable coconut soup with fried onion — or Indonesia fried round eggplant, which comes with sambal paste... and more.

Shan is a Malaysian who has been in the trade for 21 years. Cooking since the age of 15, he knows what works, and swears by the South East Asian cuisine.

“Some of the things you ate here are street food. But don’t be mislead. Street food in South East Asian cuisine is wholesome. They are tasty and don’t make you fat in the long run.” Now we know how our neighbours in South East Asia have their ‘cake and get to eat it’, too.

6.

n

is overdone, and so you won’t feel the bite in your guts later.

Then followed the clay pot chicken, a Chinese delicacy.

The waiter opened the lid of the pot, and out came the steam, bringing along with it the flavour. We found it tender and delicious.

We had the Asian pan fried fish, too, which is fresh chilli, and mix vegetables. It’s a special from Indonesia.

There is a teeny weeny sweetness to some of the dishes, mostly made of chicken. However, you will not find it annoying.

It’s a welcome change

14. Kevda water - 1 tsp

The Oriental Bar and Kitchen, Park Hyatt

n

appetite. Here the only pleasant distractions are the faint clicking of forks on plates, the sound of sizzling from the open kitchen and the aroma that emanates from there.

Here, it’s you and your food.

Nothing comes in between.

People who are direct will like it here. There are no starters as such and anything you eat is the main course.

You feel content, not stuffed.

We were served the Singapore Ayam Bakar, spicy baked chicken with Asian herbs, and pan fried prawns. When I say spicy, be not alarmed. Nothing here

13. Ghee - 50 ml

7.

lamb and make gashes with the knife.

Apply salt, ginger garlic and raw papaya paste, leave it aside for 1 to 2 hours Make the paste of all other ingredients and apply it thoroughly, along with curd, to the leg.

Wrap it up in a cling sheet and leave it in the fridge, for 8 to 10 hours or till the next day.

Bring it to room temperature,heat ghee in a big pan, add the bay leaf and add the marinated leg, keep frying it from all the side till it gets brown.

Put half a cup of water and cook it slowly till it is tender, and wellroasted.

Sprinkle some kevda water, garnish with coriander leaves, lemon and onion slices ;and serve hot in a big platter.

Chef’s note n

Raan Musallam is the tender leg of a lamb, marinated roasted or grilled. It’s an exotic delicious recipe which is generally served as main course at the table of nobles and on special occasions, though low in fat it is rich in proteins with high calories.

Contact n Noor’s Kitchen n Mobile: 91-9441282318 n Residence: 91-40-23356947

And now like us on :

https://www.facebook.com/ Noorkitchen

18

HISTORY SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

August 6

August 12

1945 - The American B-29 bomber, known as the Enola Gay, dropped the first atomic bomb on an inhabited area. The bomb named "Little Boy" was dropped over the center of Hiroshima, Japan. An estimated 140,000 people were killed.

1990 — Sue is the nickname given to FMNH PR 2081, which is the largest, most extensive and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex specimen ever found.

August 6

August 12

1996 - Nasa announced the discovery of evidence of primitive life on Mars. The evidence came in the form of a meteorite that was found in Antarctica. The meteorite was believed to have come from Mars and contained a fossil.

1981 - IBM unveiled its first PC.

August 11

August 7

1959 - The US launched Explorer 6, which sent back a picture of the Earth.

August 9

The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The bombing came three days after the bombing of Hiroshima. About 74,000 people were killed. Japan surrendered August 14.

1941 - The Atlantic Charter was signed by US President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

August 10 August 7 1990 - Bush orders Operation Desert Shield.

August 8 1974- President Nixon resigns.

August 9

1942 - Mohandas K Gandhi was arrested in Britain. He was not released until 1944.

2003 - Ekaterina Dmitriev and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko were married.

Malenchenko was about 240 miles above the earth in the international space station. It was the first-ever marriage from space.

19

SPOTLIGHT SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012 1

2

3

4

Baby's night out 5 Sravani & Divya

1 Kritika & Shikha 2 Shruti & Priyanka

5 Actress Bruna Abdulla 6 Pavitra & Utsav

3 Namrata & Sweta

7 Shravani & Kartik

4 Shilpa, Srinija,

8 Kriti

Parag and Sangeetha celebrated the 1st birthday of their daughter Prisha at Taj Krishna. The party was organised by Pankaj and Deepa.

9 Shivani & Nidhi 10 Julica & Harish 11 San

A rocking night 6

7

8

9

10

11

PreFriend ship Day bash at Kismet turned out to be a rollicking event.

Youngsters were seen dancing the night away with their closest buddies.

Actress Bruna Abdullah was spotted at the do.

An arty affair Artist Snehalatha Prasad’s collection Elegance is on display at Muse Art Gallery. The chief guest was Raja Narasimha.

Spotted were actors Harshvardhan Rane and Katherine.

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CINEMA SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Brand Allari Naresh soars high

A

llari Naresh's upcoming film Sudigaadu has pushed the actor's market, especially in US, to a whole new level. In the past, most of his film's were sold for less than `10 lakh in US; however, the buzz surrounding Sudigaadu is so good that a leading distribution company in US has reported paid almost `40 lakh for the overseas rights of the film. Considering the fact that none of Allari Naresh’s films in the past have grossed so much in the past, this is a big leap forward for Allari Naresh's brand value too. Most of his films have been profitable ventures for the respective producers and this feat has earned him the tag as 'minimum guarantee' hero. If Sudigaadu turns out to be a huge hit, he'll join the league of actors like Rajendra Prasad and Naresh who ruled the roost in the late 80s and 90s banking mostly on comedy films. Bheemineni Srinivasa Rao has directed Sudigaadu and it stars Allari Naresh and Monal Gajjar in lead roles. The film, which is a remake of Tamizh Padam, is expected to hit the screens on August 24.

Ready for Russia S

unil, Isha Chawla starrer Radhakrishnudu has reached its final stage of principal shooting. Most part of the film has already been completed in Rajahmundry and now we hear that the film's team will head to Russia to film the songs. Devi Prasad is directing the film and RB Choudhary and NV Prasad are jointly producing this film. Radhakrishnudu is the official remake of Tanu Weds Manu and Sunil, Isha Chawla are pairing up for the second time after Poolarangadu which went on to become a big hit earlier this year.

Apart from this film, Sunil will soon be seen in the remake of Vettai where he's going to share the screen with Naga Chaitanya, Hansika and Andrea Jeremiah.

Vetagadu's song remix in Okkadine

O

ne of the most popular songs in NTR's career, Puttintollu Tarimesaru from the 1979 movie Vetagadu, is now being remixed in Nara Rohit, Nithya Menen starrer Okkadine. The song featuring NTR and Jayamalini was a rage back in the 80s and it's still rated among the best item numbers in Telugu cinema. The shooting of the remixed version was recently held in Hyderabad with Nara Rohit, Rachna Maurya and 70 other dancers. The entire film's shooting has been completed except for a song.

Srinivas Raga is directing this family entertainer and the film is expected to hit the screens later this month.

21

CINEMA SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

`100 crore is the new silver jubilee: Abhishek

Vinod Khanna, Randhir Kapoor reunite

A

V

eteran actors Vinod Khanna and Randhir Kapoor are coming together after over three decades in Prabhu Deva’s Hindi remake of his Tamil hit Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana. Their last big release together was the 1974 Prakash Mehra film Haath Ki Safaai, in which they played long-lost brothers. But then they also shared screen space in Aakhri Daaku in 1978.

Prabhu Deva says the duo were a natural choice for his film. “Since I am launching Kumar Taurani’s son (Girish Kumar) in my film, I wanted to cast a strong supporting cast. Randhir Kapoor and Vinod Khanna were my natural choices for two very important roles in the film,” he said.

Randhir was recently seen in Housefull 2 and Vinod feaIANS tured in Players.

ctor Abhishek Bachchan, whose film Bol Bachchan has entered the `100-crore club, says the figure has become new age Bollywood’s ‘silver jubilee’ landmark. The actor says there is no `100-crore “club”. “I’ve just asked my team to find the address of where the `100crore club is because I would like to have a cup of coffee there sometime. There is no such club,” said Abhishek.

“It’s just that the 100-crore mark has replaced what the silver jubilee used to be before, it’s like a milestone,” added the 36-year-old, who says its “a huge honour to be part of a film with that kind of collections”. Directed by Rohit Shetty, Bol Bachchan also features Ajay Devgn, Asin Thottumkal and Prachi Desai.

IANS

A

ctor Arif Zakaria, who plays Ranveer Singh’s mentor in Lootera, says the movie will prove to be a game changer for the Band Baaja Baaraat actor.

“Ranveer is experimenting with this role. I think (director) Vikramaditya Motwane is presenting him differently. It’s a big change from his commercial image,” said Arif. Directed and co-produced by Motwane, Lootera features Ranveer opposite Sonakshi Sinha. In Band Baaja Baaraat, Ranveer played a chilled out boy, who ends up in the business of wedding planning accidentally. In his second film Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl, he PTI played a conman.

Salman’s soft spot for

Katrina

S

alman Khan continues to have a soft spot for his former lady love Katrina Kaif — a fact quite evident during a recent appearance on dance reality show Dance India Dance L’il Masters. The two actors visited the sets of the Zee TV show to promote their upcoming film Ek Tha Tiger. Sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly, Salman ended up revealing his fondness for Katrina, albeit in a humourous way.

When asked by host Jay Bhanushali if he would consent to shaking a leg with the young mothers of all the child participants, Salman said: “Oh sure, I have abso-

Ranveer to look different in ‘Lootera': Arif Zakaria

lutely no qualms about dancing with the mommies… as long as we don’t find out later that there are daddies in the audience eager to shake a leg with Katrina!” Katrina was seen blushing hearing that, said a source. Later, when the young and talented skippers of the show — Raghav, Prince and Neerav — revealed that they had put together a dance act to express their feelings for Katrina, he gave the trio a menacing look and said: “I’ll deal with you guys later!” The episode featuring the former lovers will be aired today.

IANS

22

CINEMA SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Alexander Skarsgard for Zoolander 2

W

hat would we say to Alexander Skarsgard coming back for the Zoolander sequel?

“Orange Mocha Frappuccino!” The True Blood star is apparently in talks to reprise his Zoolander character, despite that whole explosion thing that happened in the first movie, according to StarPulse. If you remember, Skarsgard played

Christian Bale to be the bad guy?

C

hristian Bale is leaving Gotham and heading for Mexico.The Dark Knight star is officially rising to new challenges as he’s in talks to join the cast of director Todd Field’s crime drama, The Creed of Violence, according to Variety. The project first appeared on our radar last summer when word hit that Leonardo DiCaprio had been offered a role in the screen adaptation of the novel by cult author Boston Teran.

“Creed” takes place circa 1910 and follows a criminal named Rawbone who tries to transport a cache of weapons into Mexico as part of the country’s revolution. He is eventually caught and then accompanied by a government agent named John Lourdes, who shares a secret past with him. Christian Bale will get to be the bad guy in this one as he’s in talks to play Rawbone.

Meekus, one of Derek Zoolander’s (Ben Stiller) male model roommates who attempts to cheer up his dejected pal with going out for their favourite beverage. A playful round of dousing each other in gasoline at a gas station (set to Wham!’s Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go) ends in a fiery tragedy that shuffles Meekus, Brint and Rufus off this mortal coil.

Miley is intelligent and supportive, says Liam Hemsworth

L

iam Hemsworth thinks the world of his fiancee Miley Cyrus despite her rebellious image otherwise. The Australian actor, who met and started dating the Disney star on the sets of The Last Song in 2009, says Cyrus makes him feel at home in Hollywood, reported Men’s Health magazine. The couple got engaged in May this year. “She’s an extremely strong, intelligent, supportive person,” Hemsworth said. The 22-year-old actor fronts the magazine, posing in a sharp suit and black T-shirt and talking about his love of surfing and boxing.The actor is currently in Philadelphia where he is filmPTI ing his new movie Paranoia.

CINEMA SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

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CINEMA SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

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25

ENTERTAINMENT SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

DA

G N S I L L B O I O S

K

F OR

G IN

MAGE CON T

L RO

M J

M

ichael Jackson’s kids are back under their grandma’s care — as well as that of their cousin. So, what else needs discussing?

Right...There’s still Rebbie, Randy and Janet Jackson’s insistence that their late brother’s will is a fake. Barred from visiting mother Katherine Jackson’s home earlier this week, Janet, Rebbie and Randy are continuing in their crusade to have the executors of Michael’s estate, John McClain and John Branca, resign. First up, though, a little damage control. “The negative media campaign generated by the

executors and their agents has been relentless,” Janet Jackson’s attorney, Blair G Brown, said on behalf of the singer, her sister and brother. “The media has received preposterous reports — all now proven to be false — of a purported kidnapping of Katherine and of physical and verbal abuse of a child. The executors and agents also issued a notice barring Janet, Randy and Rebbie from visiting their mother and Michael’s children. The effect of that notice not only is to damage family relationships, it is also to isolate Katherine from questioning the validity of Michael’s will.”

Lindsay in Scary Movie 5? Keira’s stage fright issue

I

f you don’t know whether to scream or laugh at Lindsay Lohan, here’s your chance to do both! The star is going to be in Scary Movie 5, sources exclusively confirm to E! News.

Maybe being the next Anna Faris is just what the doctor ordered for Lohan, who will be seen first in the very under wraps TV movie Liz & Dick, which Lifetime is promoting so far only with a still of the 25-year-old actress dolled up like Elizabeth Taylor. While no offer had been made to Lohan as of early July, we hear now that she has officially signed on for Scary Movie 5. Her rep said that “as of right this moment,” she had not inked a deal, but all insiders are in agreement that she is definitely doing the movie.

A

ctress Keira Knightley says her time away from movies helped her to train herself to cope with her crippling nerves on film sets.

“I discovered that a lot of what I was suffering from on film sets was stage fright. It’s easier for me now, and even if I do freeze, I know how to deal with it,” femalefirst.co.uk quoted Knightley as saying. The actress will next be seen in a movie adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina alongside Jude Law. She admits she loved getting to grips with the complex character. “She’s a wonderful character, but strange and complex. She is needy and manipulative and then there are sides of her that are vulnerable, and I think it’s the innocence that pulls her down. I wanted to shake her and tell her to pull herIANS self together,” she said.

26

CHAI TIME SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

SUNDAY CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Title holder 6 Brightest star in Aries 11 Miss Kitty’s friend 15 Animal that hisses 20 Speeder’s undoing 21 Summon 22 Cluster 24 Not apathetic 25 Wrestler — the Giant 26 Vatican figures 27 Fluid rock 28 Battery terminal 29 Dough 31 Media star 33 Deep voice 34 Brought back a show 35 Drink in a song (2 wds.)

37 Mouse catchers 39 — Diego Chargers 41 Tenn. neighbor 42 Parka features 43 Collapsed 44 Expire, as a policy 46 Turkish official 50 Arafat’s org.

51 Catherine — -Jones 52 Garage service 53 Somber 57 Harbor sight 59 Heavy weights 60 Earth 61 Travel by water 62 Not susceptible 63 Type of wolf 64 Soy or pesto 65 Pt. of speech 66 Said with gestures 67 Allot 68 Severe 69 Grumbled 72 1300 hours 73 Corset stiffener 74 Grant’s bill 75 Toy-block brand 76 Expert musician 79 Thinks positive 80 Squirmed 84 “Famous” cookie maker 85 Sleazy tabloids 86 Marathon unit 87 “— Buttermilk Sky” 88 Fabled lumberjack 91 Oceanfront flat 92 Nasty shock 93 Illegal burning 95 This — — bust!

96 DEA agents 97 Russo of “Tin Cup” 98 Turning point 99 Retained 101 Thumb a ride 102 Calendar row 103 Exotic breed of cat 104 Genesis hunter 105 Draw on glass 106 Lesseps’ canal 107 Make a wager 108 Kassel’s river 109 Plot mathematically 111 Collies do it 112 Kauai cookouts 114 Be a landlord 117 Christina’s pop 118 June bugs 119 Hit the trail 124 Wan

126 Tony Hillerman detective 128 Footprint 130 Round object 131 Potatoes go-with 132 Fermented milk 134 Novelist — Zola 136 Basketball move 137 Nut cake 138 Tea biscuit 139 Red as — — 140 Miss a syllable 141 Asparagus tip 142 Frat-party orders 143 Do Latin homework 144 Restaurant patron DOWN 1 Muscle spasm 2 Vietnam capital 3 Supplement (hyph.)

4 Ivana’s successor 5 Moralize 6 Not square 7 Alligator pear 8 Inexpensive wheels 9 Cub Scout leader 10 — -majeste 11 Where the lion roars 12 Suitable for farming 13 Livy’s togs

14 Rolaids rival 15 Ascertains 16 Bowling alley part 17 Socrates’ hangout 18 Olympics prize 19 Ice hockey locale 23 No better than okay 30 Comic-strip Major 32 Gravy dishes 36 Recline lazily 38 Ky. neighbor 40 Mimicked 43 It may be spliced 44 Roll 45 Publishing execs 46 “I, Robot” writer 47 Sign after Taurus 48 Thor’s weapon 49 Fit of shivering 51 Territory 52 Crummy 54 Aussie pilots (abbr.)

55 Staff member 56 Wide urban st.

58 Sturm — Drang 59 Carry 60 Bumps on a frog 63 Late-night Jay 64 Things to crack 67 Rock’s “cushion” 68 It swims with crocs

69 A.D. coiner 70 Turtle-to-be 71 Want-ad letters 73 Timely blessing 74 Doubles over 75 Cheery tone 77 Scottish river 78 Ms. Thurman 79 Vibe 80 Do a clerk’s job 81 Deep-sixed 82 Hotel brat of fiction 83 Thicker, as fog 85 Glider’s place 86 Friar 88 10-speed 89 “Has 1,001 —” 90 Auto-parts store 91 Snare 92 Mild oath 93 SFO posting 94 “The — of the Ancient Mariner” 96 Finds fault 97 Marsh grass 98 Show-offs 100 Yank 101 Get wind of 102 German sausage 103 Prominent nose 106 Sun. homily 107 Warps, as lumber

110 Smellier 111 Garden chore 112 More frilly 113 Weakened 114 Keeps on going 115 Bar legally 116 Limerick starter 118 “Moll Flanders” author 119 “La —” (Valens tune)

120 Hot dog topping 121 Bacon or Costner 122 Crumble away 123 Impede 125 I could — — horse!

127 Gosh darn!

129 Enjoy, as benefits 133 Lo- — graphics 135 Monsieur’s summer PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

27

CHAI TIME SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

STAR POWER Date 6-8-2012

As per Hindu panchang

THIRUVAIKUMAR

thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9949870449

TAURUS

GEMINI

Turning point which are favourable to take place. Some are involved in making arrangements to shift to the new place as they have already received transfer instructions.

Wanderings, tension and higher expenses likely. Work burden also will rise as you are forced to help your relatives in their works. Misunderstanding between couple will disappear.

All your sincere efforts will be successful. Expectations too will get fulfilled.

Some have bright chances to go abroad. They will get their visa also without any difficulty.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

You will act very swiftly and get the works done without any delay. Those trying for a new job will get a favourable news. Efforts to buy a land, plot or house will succeed.

You will feel very much cheerful as family members will co-operate well with you. Some will shift to a new and comfortable house. Children’s health need to be taken good care of.

Your influence is set to increase. All friends and wellwishers take advise from you and follow the same with full confidence. Chances of misunderstanding with friends likely.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Ups and owns, financial constraints are likely to make you upset. But need not worry as situation is likely to change soon. Need to be careful in carrying out any financial transactions.

You will act with courage and wise and solve very important and long pending issues. Differences between couple will be resolved and they will lead a happy life. Father’s health needs attention.

You will be happy and cheerful as all the tensions existed will disappear and a clear vision is seen. Expected good news from abroad will arrive. Offspring to arrive soon for newly married.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

All your thoughts will take a shape and get implemented also as per your expectations. Unexpected turning point will make you happy. Women will get good news from their house.

Mental tension will disappear. You will take some unexpected, surprising but bold decisions which will yield the best results. Misunderstanding between blood relatives will be over.

Fortune opportunities to knock your door. Those planning to change their residence will get one as per their expectations. Be cordial with blood relatives.

TAURUS

Four of Swords - Do not try to change anything at the moment. Try to do your best to manage everything the way it is.

Death - Expect major changes both on the home and work fronts. There will be opportunities to try something new at this time. Try, but expect less.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Queen of Swords – You’re feeling lonely and want some interesting company. You have to make the effort to go out.

Five or Pentacles – Some form of loss is indicated. It may have to do with the stock markets or some money you invested in a new business.

Nine of Wands – Listen to some inspiring music and do what you feel like.

Break all the rules and work on your own motivational levels.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Judgment – Not everything may go as planned. But do not stop trying. You will have to improvise on your plans as you go along, but keep on trying.

Three of Wands – Things had come to a standstill in the last few weeks. They will start moving again.

Mercury is going retrograde, which means it’s good.

The World – There are some things you need to do in order to get ahead. Meet new people, get ideas and rid yourself of the mentality that’s of no use now.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Ace of Cups – There will be new ideas, new motivation and new jobs that will keep your creative juices flowing. This is a great time for writers and artists.

The Hanged Man – Spiritual awareness is key. You are beginning to look at everything from the point of view of how you will be benefitted. This is not good.

Six of Swords – Overseas contacts are in focus. You may need to learn a little about the work culture of the country you’re working with.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

GEMINI

Five of Swords Don’t pick a fight with anyone at any cost. It will be difficult to undo the damage and it will only frustrate you more. Lay low.

Wise ones for wizards

A

Ink pen

COMICS

SUMAA TEKUR

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ Date 6-8-2012

n engineer dies and reports to the pearly gates. St. Peter checks his dossier and says, “Ah, you’re an engineer -you’re in the wrong place.” So the engineer reports to the gates of hell and is let in. Pretty soon, the engineer gets dissatisfied with the level of comfort in hell, and starts designing and building improvements. After a while, they’ve got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators, and the engineer is a pretty popular guy. One day God calls Satan up on the telephone and says with a sneer, “So, how’s it going down there in

hell?” Satan replies, “Hey, things are going great. We’ve got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators, and there’s no telling what this engineer is going to come up with next.” God replies, “What???

You’ve got an engineer? That’s a mistake — he should never have gotten down there; send him up here.” Satan says, “No way. I like having an engineer on the staff, and I’m keeping him.” God says, “Send him back or I’ll sue.” Satan laughs and answers, “Yeah, right. And just where are YOU going to get a lawyer?”

Vol: 2, No 19 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Spirig springs to top Talek Harris

MEDAL TALLY

USA CHINA G BRITAIN S KOREA FRANCE GERMANY ITALY KAZAK’STAN N KOREA RUSSIA NET’LANDS S AFRICA N ZEALAND JAPAN CUBA HUNGARY POLAND UKRAINE AUSTRALIA ROMANIA CANADA BELARUS DENMARK CZECH BRAZIL CROATIA SLOVENIA JAMAICA ETHIOPIA GEORGIA LITHUANIA SWIT’LAND VENEZUELA MEXICO SWEDEN SPAIN COLUMBIA SLOVAKIA INDIA KENYA NORWAY SERBIA MONGOLIA INDONESIA BELGIUM EGYPT GUATEMALA THAILAND TAIPEI GREECE MOLDOVA AZERBAIJAN HO’G KONG IRAN QATAR SINGAPORE TUISIA UZBE’ISTAN

G 26 25 14 9 8 5 5 5 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

S 13 16 7 3 6 10 5 0 0 15 1 1 0 10 2 1 1 0 12 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B 15 12 8 5 8 6 3 0 1 10 4 0 4 12 1 2 1 4 7 2 6 3 2 1 4 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

T 54 53 29 17 22 21 13 5 5 28 8 4 7 24 5 5 4 6 20 7 10 6 5 4 6 2 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 4 3 3 3 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Agence France-Presse

LONDON: Switzerland’s Nicola Spirig won the closest Olympic women’s triathlon in history Saturday, pipping Sweden’s Lisa Norden for gold after a dramatic photo finish.

Spirig and Norden were neck-and-neck as they hit the finishing tape in 1hr 59min 48sec after a desperate sprint to the line following a gruelling 1.5km swim, 43km bike ride and 10km run around the picturesque Hyde Park course.

Australia’s Erin Densham, two seconds behind, took bronze. British favourite Helen Jenkins dropped off the pace in the final lap and finished fifth, with America’s Sarah Groff fourth.

Spirig, 30, a former world junior champion, is Switzerland’s second Olympic triathlon gold-medallist after Brigitte McMahon won the inaugural event at Sydney 2000.

“I’m amazed I was even with them at that point because I haven’t been able to get in my running (training),” Jenkins said afterwards.

“My team got me to the start line... I’m sorry it didn’t happen.

“I really tried my best. We

Silver medalist Sweden’s Lisa Norden (L) and gold medalist Switzerland’s Nicola Spirig (R) cross the finish line in a photo finish of the women’s Triathlon of the London 2012 Olympic Games in central London on Saturday.

AFP/BEN STANSALL did everything right for this race but I haven’t been able to get in the training in the build-up to this race — everything else was right.”

In cool, damp conditions, the British plan had swung into action on the opening leg as Lucy Hall, picked for her

strong swimming, took the lead by the first turn on Hyde Park’s Serpentine lake.

Cheered by big lakeside crowds and a packed grandstand, Hall was first onto the bikes on 18 minutes, followed

by Denmark’s Line Jensen, Japan’s Mariko Adachi and

Pamela Oliveira of Brazil.

But disaster hit Oliveira when she wiped out on a slippery left-hander near Buckingham Palace — and the same corner soon claimed half-adozen other riders, including Australia’s 2008 bronzemedallist Emma Moffatt.

India rage over ‘cheated’ fighters Nick Parkinson Agence France-Presse

LONDON: India light-welterweight Manoj Kumar claimed scoring at the Olympic boxing tournament is “cheating” boxers like himself after his points defeat to Great Britain’s Thomas Stalker.

Kumar felt the fight was closer than the 20-16 points score which left No 3 seed Stalker in a quarter-final bout with Mongolian MunkhErdene Uranchimeg.

The Indian boxing team were left angry by a decision late Friday night by the competition’s committee - the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) -

Manoj Kumar (L) of India defends against Thomas Stalker (R) of Great Britain during their Light-Welterweight (64kg) match on Saturday in London. Stalker was awarded a 20-16 points decision. AFP/JACK GUEZ to uphold an appeal and reinstate American welterweight Errol Spence at the expense of India’s Krishan Vikas.

Kumar also felt aggrieved at the scoring of the first two

rounds in favour of Stalker 74, 9-4 before the host nation’s boxer ran out a 20-16 victor in front of a raucous 10,000 crowd at the ExCeL He said: “It doesn’t look

fair because he was going in one direction and the scores 7-4 and 9-4 to him don’t justify that. “It doesn’t look like an Olympic Games but more like a district competition because if it’s Great Britain in the ring it doesn’t matter who’s against them.

“It’s like a district competition where there’s lots of cheating, cheating, cheating.”

Stalker, 28, dismissed the controversy but admits he will have to box better if he is to emulate the gold medal he won at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. He said: “I don’t deal with the scoring - I just get in there and fight.

In amateur boxing it happens all the time where you think you have won more points but it’s up to the judges.”

28-29

Britain team win gold Justin Davis

Olympic Games table tennis on Saturday saw the much-fancied sides thrashing all opposition as the tournament comes down to the business end: Women’s team Quarter-finals China bt Netherlands 3-0 South Korea bt Hong Kong 3-0 Singapore bt North Korea 3-0 Japan bt Germany 3-0

LONDON: Hosts Britain collected their fourth gold medal from five events at the Olympic velodrome Saturday after the women’s pursuit team triumphed in a new world record time of 3min 14.051sec.

The USA finished second to take the silver with Canada completing the podium in the inaugural Olympic women’s event, held over 3 km and 12 laps as opposed to 4 km and 16 for the men.

Dani King, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell had set a new world record for the 3 km event on Friday, but sliced nearly a second off that time a day later in qualifying for the gold medal match in a stunning time of 3min 14.682sec.

It sent them into the final against Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bausch and Lauren Tamayo, who came in for Jennie Reed, but despite a tight start to the race the Americans faded over the last half. After the first four laps the USA were only 0.78sec down, but the deficit soon grew and by the

China looking good

Guatemala wins medal Erick Barrondo won Guatemala’s first ever medal in Olympic history with silver in the men’s 20 kilometres walk and hoped his win would inspire youngsters back home to forego violence for sport. The 21-year-old, who finished behind China’s Chen Ding, said that if this brought a reduction in his impoverished country’s problems with gang violence it would be another victory.

Britain’s Dani King, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell compete to win the gold medal and set a new world record in the London 2012 Olympic Games women’s team pursuit final track cycling event at the Velodrome AFP PHOTO /ODD ANDERSEN in the Olympic Park in East London on Saturday. finish they were over five seconds off the pace finishing, in 3:19.727. Britain’s new time was their third consecutive world record in as many rides and gave all three riders their maiden Olympic medal.

“We did it,” said Trott,

GIANT LEAP

who is Britain’s favourite for gold in the inaugural women’s omnium. “We didn’t expect a world record in every round.”

King, who had much of the crowd in tears after an emotional trackside hug with

her family, said: “Words can’t describe how I’m feeling right now. I’m just so happy for us all. We came together tonight with such an amazing team.

We couldn’t have done it without each other. I’m just ecstatic.”

GB row to victory LONDON: Great Britain

Canada’s Rosannagh MacLennan, who won the gold, competes in the women’s trampoline final on Saturday.

Huang Shanshan and He Wenna, both from China, won the silver and bronze respectively.

AFP/THOMAS COEX

reaped a record Olympic harvest at the London 2012 rowing regatta which concluded here Saturday with the host nation claiming two of the four concluding finals.

Arguably the most successful day in British rowing history began with Alex Gregory, Pete Reed, Tom James and Andrew Triggs Hodge winning the country’s fourth successive men’s four title. The home crew led from the first stroke to deny arch rivals Australia, with the United States taking bronze.

After maintaining the host nation’s grip, Triggs Hodge said: “That was our masterpiece, it took four years to make.” James added: “When it started raining I knew this was our day. The atmosphere was epic, magic, phenomenal.” Reed chipped in: “Double Olympic champion, I can’t believe it — all the hours, the pain, it was all worth it in the end.” Next to take to the water

at Eton Dorney were Katherine Copeland and Sophie Hosking who won Britain’s first ever lightweight women’s double sculls gold.

French lose appeal

F

rance’s appeal against the result of Saturday’s lightweight men’s double sculls rowing regatta has been rejected on Saturday. The race had to be restarted after a seat in the Great Britain boat apparently broke. Once the seat was repaired and the crews sent away, Denmark emerged as winners, with the British duo second, New Zealand in bronze and France in fourth.

Irvine’s dreams in tatters Ireland’s Martyn Irvine struggled to hide his disappointment after dropping virtually out of medal contention in the six-discipline omnium event at the Olympic Velodrome on Saturday. The 27-yearold came ninth in the flying lap contest and sixth in the points race, but a poor showing in the elimination race effectively dashed his medal hopes ahead of Sunday’s final three events.

Murray-Robson through Andy Murray and Laura Robson were cheered on by a raucous crowd as they reached the Olympic mixed doubles final with a win over Germany’s Sabine Lisicki and Christopher Kas. The British pair won 6-1, 6-7, 10-7 and are now guaranteed at least silver. The pair will face either Belarusians Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi or the Americans Lisa Raymond and Mike Bryan.

Idowu happy with prep Phillips Idowu has tweeted that he is now in London and will enter the athletes’ village on Sunday “as was planned months ago”. He denied that he has been out of contact with Team GB. He wrote: “I’m in London where I have been for the last few wks, finalising my prep and receiving therapy. My coach knew about this and it has not been a secret.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

GAMES BRIEFS Braced for the big race The race to be crowned world’s fastest man takes centre stage at the Olympics on Sunday as Usain Bolt bids to defend his 100m title in what is being billed as potentially the quickest race in history.

After an electrifying “Super Saturday,” Bolt and his rivals for the blue riband event of track and field are poised to serve up more pyrotechnics as 80,000 fans pack the Olympic Stadium.

Phelps bows out as greatest ever Phelps made sure of his 18th Olympic title when he helped the US into a winning position in the relay.

Yelenya eyeing gold Russian pole vault legend Yelenya Isinbayeva will be bidding for a third Olympic gold medal.

Isinbayeva headed to London boosted by gold in the 2012 World Indoor Championships but with another failure to clear 4.70m in the Monaco Diamond League meet on July 20. But the 30-year-old world record holder, who has suffered rare defeats, sailed through qualification.

Seb Coe hails Games The London Olympics have defied predictions of doom and gloom to become a joyous event that has seen Britain embrace the Games “in a way few of us thought possible”, Sebastian Coe said. “The most pleasing part of this first week of the Games has been feedback from athletes and team officials who have said they have rarely, if ever, witnessed sport that has been so well presented, attended or so compelling,” Coe wrote.

Talek Harris

Germany to rethink

Records tumble to Ilya Ilyin

Germany finished the Olympic’s eight-day swimming programme without an Olympic medal for the first time in 80 years with changes promised ahead of Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The German team will leave London without a single swimming podium placing for the first time since 1932 as ex-champion Britta Steffen missed bronze by hundredths of a second in the 50m freestyle final.

LONDON: US great Michael Phelps (above) bowed out of Olympic competition in golden style as Jamaican heavyweights Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake took centre-stage on the athletics track.

Phelps made sure of his

Barnaby Chesterman

LONDON: Kazakhstan’s Ilya Ilyin (above) set two new world records as he stormed to Olympic under94kg men’s weightlifting

18th Olympic title — and 22nd medal overall — when he helped the United States into a winning position in the 4x100m medley relay, the climax to races in the Aquatics Centre pool.

Earlier, Sun Yang took more than three seconds off his own 1500m world record to seal China’s fifth swim-

gold at the ExCel Arena on Saturday.

The 24-year-old maintained his unbeaten record in international competition with a total of 418kg, beating the old mark of

ming gold — making it their most successful Olympics in the pool.

Dutch speedster Ranomi Kromowidjojo completed a sprint double with victory in the women’s 50m freestyle, and Missy Franklin led the United States to a 4x100m medley gold in a world record time.

412kg set by Akakios Kakhiashvili of Greece at the World Championships in Athens in 1999.

Ilyin also broke the clean and jerk record with a lift of 233kg.

Alexander Ivanov of Russia took silver with a lift of 409kg while Moldova’s Anatoli Ciricu’s total of 407kg was enough for bronze due to him being lighter than Andrey Demanov of Russia.

But the day belonged to the incomparable Ilyin who retained his Olympic title.

Iconic shuttlers brace for classic swan song Richard Eaton

LONDON: Olympic badminton is saying goodbye to four modern greats at the London Games, but two of them — Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei — look set to sign off with a classic final.

With Lin and Lee, as well as 2004 champion Taufik Hidayat and former world number one Peter Gade, eyeing retirement, it’s all-change at the top of one of Asia’s most popular sports.

And on Sunday, China’s “Super Dan” and Lee, his fiercest rival, can end the era in style.

Lin, bearded and tattooed at 28, is often labelled the greatest of all time — yet it is Lee who was number one for 199 consecutive weeks, until injury forced him to take two months off in May. The Malaysian has been a model of consistency for almost four years, but Lin has barred his way to the two trophies he most wants, the world and the Olympic titles.

LIN AT 28, IS OFTEN LABELLED THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME — YET IT IS LEE WHO WAS NUMBER ONE FOR 199 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS, UNTIL INJURY FORCED HIM TO TAKE TWO MONTHS OFF. When they met in the world final a year ago, also in Wembley Arena, it was billed as an Olympic test.

But the encounter developed such colour and drama that it became more than a warm-up, and entered the pantheon as one of the greatest matches of all time.

Lee has been aching for atonement ever since producing a performance of such beauty — and still having Lin prevent him from converting his two match points.

Lin now no longer says that he wants to beat Lee but that he “hopes that both players can achieve their level and that my opponent is also able to achieve his dreams”.

30-31

Rule Britannia!

GAMES BRIEFS

Ennis, Farah and Rutherford won gold as Saturday night belonged to Team GB. The country are now third behind China and the US. Guy Jackson

LONDON: Great Britain won six gold medals and a silver on Saturday, capped by triumphs for poster girl Jessica Ennis (right) and runner Mo Farah to make it their most successful day at a Games for 104 years.

The photogenic Ennis has been under more pressure than anyone going into the Games, carrying the hopes of a nation and appearing on a thousand magazine covers.

The heptathlete did not disappoint, building up such a lead in the heptathlon that she did not even need to win her race in the last of her seven events, the 800m.

But as the stadium rose to its feet, Ennis unleashed a sprint finish to cross the line first and threw her arms in the air as her face broke into a look caught between pain and joy.

Almost unnoticed, Britain then grabbed a gold that few had predicted as Greg Rutherford won the long

Hungary on top Results from the Olympics men’s water polo on Saturday saw Serbia continue their good form, but Australia could not match Croatia: Montenegro 12 Romania 8 Serbia 11 United States 6 Hungary 17 Great Britain 6 Italy 9 Kazakhstan 6 Greece 9 Spain 11 Croatia 11 Australia 6

US made to fight The US fought hard to beat Lithuania in the men’s basketball 99-94.

The Russians beat Spain 77-74. Tony Parker scored a game-high 22 points to lead France over winless Tunisia 73-69 and Argentina downed Nigeria 93-79, ensuring last-eight berths for both Argentina and the French. Nigeria (13), Lithuania (1-3) or Tunisia (0-4) will fill the last vacant spot on Monday.

Team GB knocked out jump with a leap of 8.31m.

By the time Mo Farah stepped onto the track for the 10,000m, the stadium was in tumult.

The affable Somali-born athlete, who moved to Britain

at the age of eight and has the London accent to prove it, managed his race perfectly, holding off the formidable challenge from Ethopia and Kenya to win in 27min 30.42sec.

His pregnant wife Tania and his daughter Rhianna greeted him on the track in an emotional clinch. “I just can’t believe it, the crowd got behind me and was getting louder,” Farah said.

Pryce holds off Jeter to win 100m

Great Britain’s dream of Olympic football gold ended when they lost a penalty shoot-out to South Korea. Brazil stayed on course for gold but only after a nervy 3-2 win over a Honduras side reduced ti nine men. Japan recorded a 3-0 win over 10-man Egypt. Mexico beat Senegal, who came from 2-0 down to launch an amazing fightback, 4-2 in extra-time.

Dutch into semis

Fraser-Pryce, the fastest woman in the world this year, exploded out of the blocks.

LONDON: Jamaica’s ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce won a thrilling women’s 100m duel to retain her Olympic crown on Saturday, holding off a lunging Carmelita Jeter to squeeze home by just 0.03sec.

Fraser-Pryce, the fastest woman in the world this year, exploded out of the blocks and opened up a gap over the world champion, crossing the line in 10.75sec, ahead of the American who clocked 10.78sec.

Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown took bronze in a time of 10.81 as the

Caribbean nation once again asserted its superiority over its fierce rival the United States in the sprint events.

“I really don’t know what happened,” said Fraser-Pryce, 25. “For me as a sprinter I thought first of course about getting out of the blocks.

“Then my coach always says I have to get my first strides correct but he always says I don’t follow his instructions. And I don’t know whether I did it here.”

She will next line up in the 200m hoping for a sprint double.

Olympic Games women’s field hockey results on Saturday: Group A Netherlands 3 South Korea 2 Japan 1 Belgium 1 China 2 Great Britain 1 Group B Australia 1 South Africa 0 United States 2 New Zealand 3 Germany 1 Argentina 3

32

SPORTS SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012

Pietersen shines like ‘Lara’

Colin Bryden

LEEDS: Kevin Pietersen hit a spectacular century to break a stranglehold by the South African bowlers and raise England’s hopes on the third day of the second Test at Headingley on Saturday.

Pietersen launched a savage assault after tea, hitting 149 not out as England reached 351 for five at the close, 68 behind South Africa’s first innings total of 419.

South Africa suffered a further blow shortly before the close when captain Graeme Smith had to be helped from the field after injuring his left knee in chasing a ball to the boundary.

Until Pietersen cut loose, South Africa had been ahead in a battle of

‘HE PLAYED SERIOUSLY WELL,’ SAID ALAN DONALD, SOUTH AFRICA’S BOWLING COACH. ‘IT REMINDS ME OF BRIAN LARA’ attrition as England struggled to 173 for four at less than three runs an over.

Alastair Cook (24), Andrew Strauss (37) and Jonathan Trott (35) all fell to disciplined bowling after lengthy but not particularly productive stays at the crease.

South Africa struck what seemed a crucial blow shortly before the tea interval when Ian Bell was caught at first slip off Jacques Kallis for 11, leav-

ing Pietersen to rebuild the innings together with new cap James Taylor, who scored his first runs in Test cricket when he drove leg-spinner Imran Tahir past mid-off for four in the final over before tea.

The match changed dramatically after the break. South Africa brought back fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel to put pressure on the diminutive Taylor but it was Pietersen who took charge, slamming 26 runs off 11 balls in a thrilling passage of play.

“He played seriously well,” said Alan Donald, South Africa’s bowling coach. “It reminds me of when I ran into Brian Lara, something in the category of a bit of a genius.”

Windies sight victory KINGSTON, JAMAICA: West Indies had victory tantalisingly in sight at the close Saturday on the third day of the second Test as they stood 71 runs short of victory with six wickets remaining against New Zealand.

With bowler Narsingh Deonarine on a hot streak, the hosts bowled out the Black Caps for just 154 leaving the West Indies requiring only 206 and by the close in Kingston they

WITH BOWLER NARSINGH DEONARINE ON A HOT STREAK, THE HOSTS BOWLED OUT THE BLACK CAPS FOR JUST 154. had made 134 for four as they looked to seal a 2-0 series win. Despite cheaply losing the wickets of

Kieran Powell — trapped lbw by Tim Southee for six — and Chris Gayle — lbw to Trent Boult for just eight — they were well on their way as Assad Fudadin and first innings centurion Martin Samuels took them to 56 for 2 before Neil Wagner bowled Fudadin for 27 with the score on 94.

Although Gayle and Powell failed to blaze, the likes of Samuels looked to have done enough.

Fish loses to Haas WASHINGTON: German veteran Tommy Haas (right) reached his first final in Washington at the ATP/WTA hardcourt event on Saturday on his seventh attempt with a 6-3, 7-5 defeat of top seed Mardy Fish.

“To finally reach the final on my seventh time here is crazy,” said Haas, who did not commit an unforced error and lost only two points in serve in the first set.

“Who would have thought to have done that at my age. It means

a lot to me, to be in this final is a great feeling.”

The 34-year-old Haas will be aiming for his 14th career ATP Tour title this Sunday. Tommy Haas is currently ranked 36th in the world after starting the season at 205th due to a string of injuries including hip and elbow surgeries in recent years.

Fourth seeded Haas, who was ranked as high as second on the ATP in 2002, will face second seed Alexandr Dolgopolov.