Postnoon E-Paper for 02 August 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012 HYDERABAD

WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 26°C

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32 PAGES

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER SRINIVAS SETTY

SHUTTLER QUITS IN DISGRACE

The tenants don’t want to move because the rents are low; the owners want to demolish and rebuild: this battle has no end in sight. But while the authorities ponder over solutions, dilapidated buildings in the City pose a grave threat — literally.

DERELICT P16&17

THE GAMES COUNTRIES PLAY

Yu Yang, one of the star Chinese badminton players disqualified from the Olympics for throwing a match has announced she is quitting the sport, saying her dreams had been “heartlessly shattered”.

P28

While the whole world seems to be clued into the Olympics and all the action, we decided to digress a little bit. Here’s a list of some of the world’s lesser-known national sports.

FLASH MAD MEN FANS, REJOICE

DEADLY REPORT ON P4

Fans of Mad Men can start popping the champagne now. The latest news is that the series’ top stars have all signed on for not one, but two, new seasons, reports Deadline. Two years of Christina! Wow.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

city events

RAKSHABANDHAN LUNCH

Celebrate the bond of love between brother and sister at the Encounters, Taj Krishna. Sisters accompanying their brothers would be dining for free. The main course offer Indian, Continental and Thai cuisines. This offer is available on August 2, 12.30pm to 3pm.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

overnight

Morning

Afternoon

25°C

22°C

25°C

28°C

A mix of cloudy with clear skies

Cloudy

New Delhi Mumbai Max 34 Max 29 Min 27 Min 26 Scattered thunderstorms

Chennai Max 34 Min 26

Scattered thunderstorms

Bangalore Max 31 Min 20

Scattered thunderstorms

A mix of cloudy with clear skies

AROUND THE CITY YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES Contact: 1800-200-8171

WORKSHOP

Soul cages A unique presentation of imagery and narrative told through Bharathanatyam is on August 4. Where: Bhaskara Auditorium, Birla Science Centre, Adarsh Nagar When: August 4, 7pm onwards Contact: (040)2324 1067

Social media workshop A workshop on buiding campaigns in social media will be held on August 4. The introductory course allows you to explore the creative process as it relates to building the digital campaigns. Where: 84ideas, Rd No 76, Jubilee Hills When: August 4, 11am onwards Contact: 98499 15056

DINING

ART 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 dancing coffee An exhibition titled Dancing Coffee by Koeli Mukherjee Ghose is being held at Truffles Cafe. The exhibition is on till August 4. Where: Trufﬂes Cafe, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2355 0105

TAG ALONG: A rickshaw puller tows another damaged three wheeler in front of the Charminar, Old City M ANIL KUMAR The lotus pond 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

SHOW 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 5 at the Nift campus. Where: Nift Campus, Madhapur When: August 16 onwards 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245

Commissioner & Spl Officer

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

198 155313

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

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

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

Jazz concert If 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. Passes for the concert are available at Goethe Zentrum and Alliance Francaise, Banjara Hills. Where: Bhaskara Auditorium, Birla Science Centre, Adarsh Nagar When: August 7, 7.30pm onwards

Contact: (040) 2323 1245

Theatre festival 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

Interactive workshops Oakridge International School launches Weekend Voyager. This is an exciting weekend activity. Where: Oakridge International School, Gachibowli and Bachupally When: Ongoing, 9am-12pm

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

155313 23307328 23313163

27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999

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

Monsoon mania Ramoji Film City celebrates the onset of monsoon with eight weeks of funfilled activities and entertainment with magic of cinema starting from July 1 to August 31. The event offers fun activities for the entire family. .Where: Ramoji Film City, Hayathnagar When: Ongoing, 9am onwards Contact: (040) 2341 2262

27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

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

Kebab fest This fest is something that will surely appeal to the kebab lovers in town. Kangan at Westin Mindspace, Madhapur is hosting a Kebab fest.This food festival is open only for dinner. Where: Kangan, Westin Mindspace, Madhapur When: Ongoing, 7pm-11pm (weekdays) 7pm-12pm (weekends) Contact: (040) 6767 6838 Punjabi food festival Sample the essence of Punjab with a Punjabi Food Festival being held at Arena, Taj Deccan. Where: Arena, Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6666 3939

Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec-bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999 UK VISA OFFICE VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7

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

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

City

NINE STUDENTS HURT IN BUS MISHAP

Nine students sustained injuries when a school bus met with an accident on the Bheemli beach road, Vishakapatnam on Tuesday morning. The bus cleaner was also injured in the accident. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital.

CRIME

Married man weds minor girl A married man duped the parents of a 13-year-old girl into getting her married to him with the lure of `40,000. His first wife has lodged a complaint but till date no action has been taken. Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

overty and ignorance are driving the rural poor to get trapped into atrocious marriages as the case in Madanpally of RR district proves. In a shocking tale, P Srinivas, a 38-year-old agriculturist and father of two, had lately become a habitual drinker and quarrelled with his wife Chandrakala almost everyday. Recently, after a quarrel he beat up his wife and drove her and the children out of the home. She had no alternative but to return to her parents’ house. After a few days, Srinivas is alleged to have put his diabolic scheme into practice. Through a marriage broker he searched for a bride for a second marriage. But he bribed the man to tell the prospective in-laws that he is unmarried. Accordingly, he located a very poor farmer couple in Vikarabad who had

four daughters. The youngest was 13 years old and was studying in Class X. Srinivas promised the parents `40,000 if they agreed to the alliance. The girl’s parents had no qualms in marrying off their teenage daughter. As they feared

The police have apparently colluded with Srinivas so he has not been arrested even now.

POWER

A question of surcharge With the HC verdict going against fuel surcharge arrears, the CPDCL is preparing to go in for another judicial battle. RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

he AP High Court’s savoury judgment over the FSA (fuel surcharge availability) spiked into consumer power bills for the financial year 2009-2010 has led to an interesting chain of events and reactions. While the judiciary has proved to be pro-consumer, the CPDCL continues to turn its back to the consumers. Improper billing mechanisms, unresponsive consumer services and incoherent officials, the CPDCL appears to be a mash of fused wires. Although the FSA accounts roughly to roughly five per cent depending on the variation in fuel prices, in reality they had

We are planning on moving the High Court with a petition to claim the surcharges. Ananatharamulu MD, CPDCL accounted for nearly 70 per cent of an entire electricity bill. The furore that ensued, led to a litigation and the consequent High Court judgment. Nearly a whopping `1,482 crore has been

stalled as surcharge payment from the consumers to the APERC due to the judgment. The ERC’s dictum of presenting surcharge for every three months within a span of 30 days to the ERC was contradictory to the FSA billing system that was in vogue till then. According to MD of CPDCL, Ananatharamulu, “As against the earlier system, we were collecting installments of the FSA per month. We are planning on moving the HC with a petition to claim the surcharges but nothing is decided as of now.” As a result, the APERC will have to devise a new strategy to slip the surcharges into consumer power bills.

uproar if marriage was conducted in public, they held a secret marriage at the girl's home with some made-up rituals. But it is said that after the ‘marriage’ the man did not keep his promise of the payment of `40,000 to the family.

Within a few days, Chandrakala came to know of the shocking incident. She approached the Vikarabad police and also the mandal revenue officer Nagaveeresham and told him about the lecherous character of her husband who trapped a minor girl, that too hiding the fact that he is already married. The revenue officer lodged a complaint of unlawful marriage under the Child Labour Act but the police apparently colluded with Srinivas thus he has not been arrested even now. When Postnoon contacted, the Vikarabad circle inspector V Lakki Ram gave a routine reply, “the investigations are going on.” Now, Chandrakala is allegedly facing threat to her life though she is the victim of a criminal conspiracy and cruelty of her husband. However, the resolute woman has vowed to expose her husband to save poor and innocent girls from falling victim to treachery.

city THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

DERELICT DANGERS

LAST YEAR... HERE Bulging and ageing cops

he average age of the Hyderabadi traffic police, as we had reported last year, was 50. With most of them flaunting bulging midriffs and just a few years away from retirement, manning chaotic traffic was definitely not on their minds. Denizens alleged that this was probably why the cops were happier slapping fines on motorists rather than actually manning traffic.

AUGUST 2, 2011

NUMEROLOGY

159

old structures in the Secunderabad Circle were issued notices by the municipal authorities as most of these pose a risk to the inhabitants.

For us the biggest challenge is to reach the masses. So we are setting up camps in villages and towns for people who are unemployed and need direction. Sridhar S, Mediskills See page 6

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

Girls are for sale. Cops will turn a blind eye. When a 38-year-old much-married farmer paid `40,000 to marry a 13year-old, the cops turned a blind eye. Despite the man’s ﬁrst wife ﬁling a complaint, it seems the law is blind after all.

Rent is low, we’ll stay. Even if it means we could die. Every second day there is news of wall collapses. Yet, tenants will continue living in treacherously dilapidated structures just because they pay a pittance.

Fare by electricity meter stays a distant dream. Power bills are being inﬂated under the guise of surcharge. Supposed to be 5 to 10 per cent of the bill, some are charged up to 70 per cent!

You can become a medical support staff in 10 weeks. For a country that lacks physician’s assistants, this new course has come as a welcome change.

Jagan rules. Whether in jail or not. The YSRC chief continues to wield power from behind bars.

Over our dead bodies Tenants don’t want to move as rents at old buildings are a pittance. Owners want to throw them out though, while civic officials are still trying to deal with this. Postnoon takes a look at decaying buildings. SRINIVAS SETTY

Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

he attitude of many tenants who stay in decayed buildings is: death is preferable to vacating the place. Unwillingness of old tenants who go for stay orders is one major reason for not pulling down dilapidated buildings. But, there also exists a civic authority’s lackadaisical attitude that keeps the issue hanging though buildings are empty for quite some time. The municipal authorities have given notices to the owners of 159 old structures in Secunderabad Circle, most of these continue to be inhabited, risking several lives. Amongst these, several were identified and issued notices almost a decade ago. Between 2003 and 2012, the officials in a series of surveys have come up with a list of buildings under ‘dilapidated state’, but there is no clear mention of ‘the date of demolition’ as yet for almost all the buildings. However, the officials in the last two months demolished 12 structures from the list, as part of this process. For most of the structures it is mentioned as referral to EE (executive engineer), but there is no mention of date of receipt of technical opinion even for the buildings that got notice in 2003. However, officials tried to clarify that this column needs to be updated. “Only a few cases have not received the technical opinion,” said Ramchander, assistant city planner, circle 18. Several structures received a second notice in 2010 as the residents did not vacate in 2004. Five section officers carried out the task of identifying dilapidated structures recently in cir-

Owners reduce the risk to life and property. Tenants too can help keeping in mind everyone’s wellbeing. E Madan Mohan businessman

cle 18 which covers most of Secunderabad (under GHMC). Despite the fact that some of the structures are lying vacant for several years, the GHMC has not initiated any tough stance in the direction. The official takes the excuse of court cases being filed by inhabitants, even though there are only three such cases pending in courts. Most of these structures are in SD Road, Sithaphalmandi, Regimental Bazar, Subash Road, Mahankali Street (mostly residential), Chilkalguda, General Bazaar, Rangrez Bazaar, Ramgopalpet (mostly residential), Ghasmandi, Monda Market and Bansilalpet. The owner of one of these old buildings (built in 1940) in Ramgopalpet, whose tenant refuses to vacate said that, as per the notice the top floor has

been vacated but the tenant was not ready to leave the building. “Despite my asking, my tenant refuses to vacate as he has an established business here. In fact, he did not even inform me about the GHMC notice for several days and is ready to take the matter to court,” says, Anil. The tenant of another building, whose owners have vacated, said that even though the structure was not that bad the officials have listed it as dilapidated. “We have asked the owners to construct a new building, but lack of coordination amongst the family members made the efforts futile,” said Kesav Lal, a businessman. “We are taking all the steps required. We consider monsoon to be the best time for demolitions,” said the assistant chief planner.

NEWS BRIEFS Public hearing on TN rail ‘Missing' girls traced, tragedy begins had gone on trip

Cops step up vigil, instal Eco-Ganesh gets cameras in OU support from GHMC

six-member team of safety expert committee of the Railway Board has begun a public hearing in Nellore regarding the recent rail tragedy. It may be recalled that the S 11 bogie of the Chennai-bound TN Express had caught ﬁre and killed at least 35 and injured many three days ago. Experts will also examine the forensic reports.

hree girls who had been missing from Amberpet since Tuesday, ﬁnally returned home. The trio had secretly gone to visit Puttaparthi to get holy water, hoping it would help them achieve remarkable success in their examinations. However, one of the girls after reaching Anantapur got scared and called her parents, which helped the police trace them.

olice have stepped up vigil at the OU campus. The police are now in the process of installing CCTV cameras across the campus, without the knowledge of the students. Only a few students are aware of the location of the cameras. According to sources, this move has been made to identify trouble makers on the campus.

he GHMC has is all set to encourage manufacturers of environment-friendly Ganesh idols. At the review meeting held with NGOs and manufacturers of these idols, MT Krishna Babu, GHMC commissioner stressed the need for making these idols accessible to all localities. Some 10 to 12 lakh Ganesh idols are required this year.

city THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

FLO MEETING

POLITICS

Woman-friendly CM talks empowerment Kiran Kumar Reddy announced 50 per cent reservation to women in the local body elections at the FLO meeting. DEEPAK DESHPANDE

INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

sheen out of the CM’s speech when she said, “Women empowerment has existed in the country since ancient times.” She cited late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as the epitome of woman empowerment in the world.

hen it comes to empowering women, Kiran Kumar Reddy is second to none, or so was the impression he gave at the interactive session on empowering women entrepreneurs organised by FICCI yesterday. “I’ve appointed a woman for the chief secretary’s post. I also made retired IAS officer Rachel Chatterjee the first woman chairperson of Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC). Apart from this, I made SHG member Lakshmi Siva Kumari an MLC. These are the best examples of woman empowerment,” said the CM. Incidentally, the topic of the

FLO PRO-ACTIVE IN POLITICS

FLO session was Women’s Role in Governance and Policy Making. At the meeting, the CM also announced that 50 per cent reservation would be provided to women in the ensuing local body elections in Gram Panchayats and Zilla Parishad elections. However, Information and Public Relations minister DK Aruna, unwittingly took a bit of

The FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) will play a more active role in politics. The session brought to fore the inclination of some women entrepreneurs towards politics. Many of these members thought that politics can help them serve the public in a more aggressive manner. “Many of our members are showing interest in politics. They want to take the plunge to serve the public in a better manner,” Harjeet Kaur, a member of FLO, said.

Jagan rules from jail YSRC chief has quit worrying and begun ruling his party from prison. N SHIVA KUMAR

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

inally, the YSR president YS Jaganmohan Reddy seems to have settled down in Chanchalguda jail and has begun governing his party from within its four walls. Sources say he has assumed a positive attitude and charts out his party duties carefully with the ‘weekly mulaqat’ when he sorts out party matters with visiting leaders. He also selects the visitor list so that issues he has in mind can be thrashed out with them. He is allowed three weekly visits, which he uses for party work. Sources point out that though his mother Vijayalakshmi is holding fort, important decisions are left to him. One important decision he has taken is to reorganise district leadership. Konda Surekha who had given a tough fight to the TRS has been promoted to

the highest decision-making body the Central Governing Council (CGC). Jagan has also decided to replace West Godavari district convener K Mohsen Raju with Balaraju from Polavaram constituency. Even the recent dharna to support weavers’ cause in Sircilla was Jagan’s decision, sources said. Party leader Bajireddy Govardhan said all crucial decisions have Jagan’s stamp. “We don’t take decisions without his approval,” he said.

city THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

MEDICAL COURSES

Crash course for patient care India is the only country in the world in which doctors often do not have a physician’s assistant. The Mediskills learning centre hopes to fill this void SUDESHNA KOKA sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

Courses offered n Pharma sales executive

fter the doctor writes the prescription, many of us are often left confused as to when the medicines should be taken and much more. The reason for the knowledge gap is the absence of physician’s assistants. India is the only country in which most doctors do not have a physician’s assistant or patient care assistants. Over the years, there has been a growth in the healthcare industry. Today, with the growth of the private sector, the health industry has also grown by leaps and bound. The infrastructure of the health industry is definitely growing but unfortunately, the resources are unable to match up to the growth. At present there is a demand for more than 6 lakh doctors in the country. We require as many as 11 lakh nurses and more than 20 lakh paramedical and vocational staff. To become a doctor or a nurse it is indeed a long procedure. However, to become a paramedic or a vocational staff member it is not very difficult. In fact, one would be surprised to know that with just eight to 10 weeks of training one can work as a pharma sales executive, healthcare coordinator, laboratory assistant, physician’s assistant, patient care

n Healthcare coordinator n Laboratory assistant n Physicians assistant n Patient’s assistant n ECG assistant n Duration: 6 to 8 weeks n Fees: `1,000 to `1,200 per week n Starting salary: `6,000 to `8,000 n Who all can apply: Class X, XII or graduates

Students attend a training session at a Mediskills learning centre.

assistant or ECG assistant. The Mediskills learning centre in Hyderabad has been providing students with vocational training. The institute is a pioneer in training students to work in the paramedical field. “We studied the gap and realised that until there is supporting staff, the health department will not develop. Hence, we came up with this school

M ANIL KUMAR

which trains students to directly work as support staff in hospitals,” said Gurumurty, director. Anyone with a minimum Class X qualification can enrol for the course. After counselling, the students are then trained for six to eight weeks by doctors and supporting staff . After this, they are placed in hospitals with a starting salary of

State still positive about Kharif crop W

CITY GETS A FACELIFT

GHMC beautification work being conducted at Rd No 3, Banjara Hills on Wednesday.

`6,000 to `7,000. In the last three months, as many as 45 students have been trained. “For us the biggest challenge is to reach out to our masses. Hence, we are setting up camps in villages and towns of AP. These are the people who are unemployed and need direction. This way we can help them and in turn they help tackle the scarcity of medical staff,” said

Sridhar S, president. Mediskills learning has tied up with AP nursing homes, private hospital associations and several other hospital chains across the country. Most students who took up the course are from rural backgrounds. To understand the success of this initiative one can take the case of Mahender who could not finish his graduation and did not know what to do. He then joined this course. Today, he works as a camp officer at a hospital. “Earlier, people would join hospitals directly as support staff where they would take a long time to learn the nuances of the job. To avoid this, we started this course to make them employment-ready,” said Dr P Srinivas, director, academics.

SRINIVAS SETTY

ith rainfall improving significantly since the second half of July, AP officials are hopeful that a drought-like situation will not prevail in the State this year and are expecting a good Kharif crop. The State had witnessed deficit rainfall in June with only 83.5 mm of rains being recorded against a normal rainfall of 108.4 mm for the month, a deviation of -23 per cent. However, the State received 202.9 mm rainfall in July against a normal rainfall of 188.0 mm. “Moderate to rather heavy rainfall recorded across the State from July 14 to 18 has regenerated farmers' hopes about Kharif prospects which were muted in

the wake of a 10-day dry spell. The great change has come about as the rainfall deficit has come down from 24 per cent to three per cent,” officials said. Only Visakhapatnam, Anantapur, Nizamabad and Nalgonda recorded deficit rainfall among the total 23 districts during the period from June to August. So far, the total area sown in the State is 48.24 lakh hectares as against the normal area of 80.29 lakh hectares and normal as on date area of 53.67 lakh hectares. The State agriculture commissioner Madhusudhan Rao expressed hope that the Kharif2012 would be good keeping the current situation in view. PTI

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city THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

FESTIVAL N SHIVA KUMAR AND SRINIVAS SETTY

SACRED THREADS

A Brahmakumari is pictured tying a rakhi to an inmate at the Chanchalguda Jail on the occassion of Raksha Bandan on Thursday, August 2.

Raksha Bandhan is being celebrated today. Since the last few weeks, numerous shops lining the streets have been doing brisk business selling rakhis in varied colours.

Focus THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

OBITUARY

The American Iconoclast Gore Vidal was one of the giants of a generation of American writers such as Norman Mailer and Truman Capote.

S novelist Gore Vidal, the iconoclastic commentator on American life and history in works such as Lincoln and Myra Breckinridge, died Tuesday at age 86, his family said. The writer’s nephew Burr Steers told the Los Angeles Times that Vidal had died at his home in the Hollywood Hills of complications from pneumonia. He was one of the giants of a generation of American writers that included Norman Mailer and Truman Capote, as well known for his flamboyant social and sexual life and trenchant political views as for his novels. He wrote 25 novels, essays, Broadway hits, screenplays and television dramas in a career that also included unsuccessful runs for political office, celebrated talk show duels, and even an appearance as himself in Fellini’s Roma. His third novel The City and the Pillar dealt with homosexuality, appalling critics when it was published in 1948 but breaking new ground in American literature. Openly bisexual and contemptuous of prudish mores, he returned to the subject of sexual identity 20 years later in his transsexual satire Myra Breckinridge. Other novels dealt with US politics and history, tracing what he saw as the rise of an American Empire in novels like Burr (1973), 1876 (1976), Lincoln (1984),

Empire (1987), Hollywood (1990), and The Golden Age (2000). His politics often sparked controversy. In a memorable televised exchange, Vidal called William F

Buckley a crypto-Nazi, prompting the conservative columnist to lash out at his onetime childhood friend. “Now listen, you queer. Stop calling me a crypto-Nazi, or I’ll sock you in the goddamn face

and you’ll stay plastered.” The son of a US army officer, Vidal was born October 3, 1925 to a politically and socially connected family. His father Eugene Vidal, an army aviator, was reportedly the love of aviator Amelia Earhart’s life. He attended a succession of elite private schools, including St Albans in Washington and the Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. After a stint in the army during WWII, Vidal found early success as a novelist, and soon counted among his friends the writers Anais Nin, Tennessee Williams and Christopher Isherwood. But athlete Jimmy Trimble, who he met at St Albans, was the only true love his life, Vidal later said. Trimble was killed at the battle of Iwo Jima. Vidal dedicated The City and the Pillar to “JT.” Vidal lived for 53 years with Howard Austen, an advertising executive. Vidal ran for Congress in 1960 from a district in New York as a Democrat, but lost. In 1982, he campaigned unsuccessfully against Governor Jerry Brown in a Democratic gubernatorial primary in California. In later years, his political views tended toward the conspiratorial, and he was specifically scathing about the ways of George W. Bush, whom he once dismissed as “the stupidest man in the United States.” AFP

VINTAGE VIDAL Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little. It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail. I never miss a chance to have sex or appear on television. Many writers who choose to be active in the world lose not virtue but time, and that stillness without which literature cannot be made. One is sorry one could not have taken both branches of the road. But we were not allotted multiple selves. Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn. The four most beautiful words in our common language: I told you so. There is no such thing as a homosexual or a heterosexual person. There are only homo- or heterosexual acts. Most people are a mixture of impulses if not practices. What other culture could have produced someone like Hemingway and not seen the joke? Writing ﬁction has become a priestly business in countries that have lost their faith. Today’s public ﬁgures can no longer write their own speeches or books, and there is some evidence that they can’t read them either. Write something, even if it’s just a suicide note. Sex is. There is nothing more to be done about it. Sex builds no roads, writes no novels and sex certainly gives no meaning to anything in life but itself. There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise. The genius of our ruling class is that it has kept a majority of the people from ever questioning the inequity of a system where most people drudge along, paying heavy taxes for which they get nothing in return. A good deed never goes unpunished. A narcissist is someone better looking than you are.

Best books The City and The Pillar Probably one of Gore Vidal’s best, The City and The Pillar (1948) remains popular today as it was the first postwar novel that dealt with male homosexuality and more importantly, for the fact that the protagonist is not killed off at the end for defying social norms. Vidal released an updated version of the text in the ‘60s, with an alternative ending.

Empire Of Vidal’s seven-book series titled Narratives of Empire, the fourth book, Empire, is a must-read. Vidal weaves historic figures and actual events with the lives of two fictional newspaper moghuls who are half-siblings. As part of the series or as a standalone, Empire continues to impress with its sharp wit and keen political observations.

Pick

Myra Breckinridge Vidal shocked readers once again in 1968, with his novel Myra Breckinridge. Written in the form of a diary, it follows the life of a young attractive film buff, Myra Breckenbridge, in Hollywood. With themes of transsexuals, orgys, sexual politics in the film world and deviant sexual practices, critics dismissed the book as porn.

at the

The Golden Age The last in Vidal’s Narratives of Empire series, The Golden Age charts America as it emerges from World War II, all the way to 2000. In this parallel history of the country, Vidal rewrites the lives of actual historic figures with the help of his fictional characters. A perfect ending to what was one of the most interesting series in American fiction.

airport,

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

Business

‘CHEVRON, TRANSOCEAN MUST STOP DRILLING’ A Brazilian court has ordered US oil giant Chevron and driller Transocean to stop their oil drilling and shipping activities within 30 days, following a spill last year, prosecutors said Wednesday.

TECHNOLOGY

VW, PORSCHE SEAL DEAL

Smart TVs gain ground Users can turn the TV on or off, activate selected apps or search for and select content in the web browser — all without touching the remote. PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

hat would it feel like to browse internet, watch videos and family photos or to play an Angry Bird game on your TV? Couch potatoes can now turn out active by using these Smart TVs for simple computing. The screen size can range for these TVs anywhere from 22 to 75 inches. These TVs are also driving app revolution on television sets. Samsung, with 1,500 apps, is eying 60 per cent market share. The company has introduced new voice control, motion control, and face recognition commands to enhance user experience. Users can turn the TV on or off, activate selected apps or search for and select content in the web browser — all without touching the remote. The Samsung 2012 Smart television series feature a built-in camera that recognises movement in the foreground, as well as microphones that recognise voice.

SOCIAL NEWS

Relaunched Digg rises from ashes SAN FRANCISCO: Digg, the once high-flying social news site, relaunched Wednesday under new ownership after a six-week rebuilding. The newly launched site for Digg is “turning it back into a startup,” the Digg team said in a blog post. Online media firm Betaworks said last month that it had acquired the core assets of San Francisco-based Digg and planned to merge them with its News.me service for sharing articles on iPads, iPhones and by email newsletters. Digg, launched in 2004, became a global sensation as an online venue for submitting news stories that climbed or sank in rankings based on votes, referred to at the website as “diggs.” AFP

Major Players Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic

Major Apps

Picasa: Turns TV in to a photo album Youtube: No need to switch on laptop for watching a film or a video

Raaga: Almost any new music released in the market is available in the bedroom Skype: One does not need a mobile or land phone to call friends. Just on Skype and make a video call. Facebook: Chat with friends on big screen

Google TV which was launched in 2010 in US was not instant hit but has evolved over time with much simpler remote enabling better interactivity. The brand had tie up with LG to bring a new range of Smart TVs and with Sony to manufacture boxes which turn out any normal TV in to a smart TV. However, Google has announced launch date in India. The sales of the smart TVs taking a reasonable share in the overall high-end TV sales. “Almost 50 per cent of the total TVs sold are smart TVs. The growth in internet speeds also pushed the sales and need of smart TVs,” said a major single brand retailer in Ameerpet. On the developer’s front, Smart TV is opening another avenue to design apps. “There will not be much scope for professional applications. However, apps like breaking news, offers in the locality, reminders about paying the electricity bill and games will have more takers,” said Vishwanath Alluri, chairman, IMImobile.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

HP claims win in Oracle legal battle SAN FRANCISCO, HewlettPackard declared victory Wednesday in a legal dispute in which it accused business software titan Oracle of reneging on a contract to use HP servers. HP said a California state court ruled that Oracle is bound to a contract to link its software products to HP’s Itanium-based servers. HP said the 2010 contract requires Oracle to continue to offer its product suite on HP’s Itanium-

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Europe’s biggest automaker Volkswagen wrapped up its takeover of German luxury sports car group Porsche two years earlier than planned Wednesday in a move they said would strengthen both ﬁrms. In a deal announced last month, the two companies — which had been seeking to merge since 2009 — agreed to move up the integration of their businesses to to create economies of scale in an increasingly tough global market. Under the agreement, which they said would unlock 320 million euros ($400 million) in net synergies, VW paid Porsche’s current holding company Porsche SE 4.5 billion euros plus one VW share for the 50.1 per cent it did not already own in the sports car maker.

NUMEROLOGY

780,000 Toyota vehicles in the United States will be recalled to fix a defect that could allow rust to form in the suspension to the point where parts break off.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

nation

THREE MORE TIGERS FOR SARISKA The Sariska National Park was once home to 15 tigers. Poaching reduced the number to zero till re-population began with introduction of five tigers. Now, three more of the majestic cats are to be added to the Park.

SECURITY BEEFED UP

PUNE BLASTS

Another speech follows After 15 hours, Centre ‘discovers’ that the blasts were co-ordinated! PUNE: Maharashtra home minister RR Patil today said investigating agencies were probing all angles to determine whether any terror outfit was behind the low intensity serial bomb blasts that rocked the city last night. “Whether it was a terrorist act or not will be determined only after proper investigations are carried out by Maharashtra ATS, city crime branch and central agencies,” Patil told reporters after visiting the four blast sites on JM Road here. Asked whether there could be a “saffron terror” angle to the incident, he said, “All angles are being probed and it will not be proper to comment at this stage.” He said the person injured in one of the blasts — near Bal

POWER WOES

Another grid blackout averted LUCKNOW: Power woes could be far from over as the Northern Grid was on the verge of tripping yet again, officials here said on Thursday. According to sources in the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), the 400 kv double circuit line between Gwalior and Agra faced “dangerous overloading” Wednesday evening and could have triggered a grid collapse, but for some wise and timely intervention of powermen that saved the day. Realising that the load on this crucial line had reached 800 MW in the evening, the powermen scaled it down to 600 MW by cutting electricity in many parts fed by this line. The power situation continued to be in a “state of despair” as only about 75 percent of power was restored after Tuesday’s grid collapse that brought the state to a grinding halt. According to officials, power supply to industries had recovered and by Thursday noon power to all industrial areas of Kanpur, central Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand would be completely restored. IANS

Police and bomb detection and disposal squad examine a dustbin on Jangli PTI Maharaj road where one of the blasts took place in Pune.

Gandharva theatre — was being treated for minor injuries. The injured person — Dayanand Patil, who hails from a nearby village of Uruli Kanchan, had reportedly visited

the spot opposite the Balgandharva Theatre, where a ‘dharna’ agitation by India Against Corruption was in progress. After he left the place, the explosive, which had appar-

NEWS BRIEFS India joins US and 15 others against EU’s carbon tax WASHINGTON: India has joined the US and 15 other major countries in opposing European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) which requires carriers flying to or from Europe to offset their carbon emissions. The two-day meeting hosted by the United States to chalk out a common strategy against the EU’s emission trading scheme concluded yesterday. India, in fact, has hosted meetings against EU’s ETS in New Delhi in the past.

ently been put in his carry bag, exploded on the way, police sources said. Unconfirmed reports said ammonium nitrate could have been the substance used in the blast. Police have also issued an advisory to IAC activists to wind up the dharna pandal for security reasons. Meanwhile, The Centre today described the near simultaneous explosions in Pune as a planned and coordinated act. Union home secretary RK Singh said forensic experts were examining the two unexploded IEDs and nature of the four blasts. Singh said teams of NIA, NSG and Central Forensic Science Laboratory reached Pune early this morning and were examining the explosives. PTI

Security was on Wednesday beefed up at the venue of Team Anna’s fast at Jantar Mantar following four low-intensity explosions in Pune. While a bomb disposal team was stationed near the venue late at night, the number of police personnel stationed there was also increased marginally. Fearing forcible hospitalisation of three fasting activists, including Arvind Kejriwal, scores of Team Anna supporters kept vigil throughout the night at the Jantar Mantar protest venue. The intervening night of August one and two saw around 300 supporters camping at the protest venue, where the fast of Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai entered the ninth day today.

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Manesar plant violence: 10 Maruti union leaders arrested GURGAON: Ten Maruti Suzuki union leaders were arrested Wednesday for their alleged role in the July 18 violence at the company’s Manesar plant that led to the death of a senior executive, police said. “The accused will be produced in a court Thursday,” Haryana DGP Ranjeev Singh Dalal told reporters here. With this, all the 12 members of the car company’s labour union, accused of instigating other workers to indulge in violence, have been arrested.

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Two pilgrims killed, 12 injured in accident MUZAFFARPUR: Two Kanwaryas were killed and 12 others injured when a bus carrying them overturned in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district today, police said. The bus was on its way to Nepal from Jharkhand when the accident took place after the driver lost control over it while negotiating a sharp bend, sources said.

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nation THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

GOING GREEN

Goa to promote fish-friendly Ganesh idols for immersion Once immersed, a one-foot Ganesh idol made of papier mache can be devoured by fish within 45 minutes.

ith Ganesh Chaturthi to be celebrated next month, Goa's BJP-led coalition government is pitching for idols made of papier mache that can be devoured by fish once they are immersed and can help in reducing the massive water pollution that takes place at that time. "The purpose of introducing and pushing these (papier mache) eco-friendly idols is to create a viable option for those who would otherwise buy plaster of Paris idols," Goa environment minister Alina Saldanha told IANS. "What we are doing is to push for sale of a few hundred idols this year. For next year, we will create awareness about this new eco-friendly option and at the same time ban plaster of Paris idols," she added. According to their makers, once immersed, a one-foot-high Ganesh idol made of papier mache can be devoured by fish within 45 minutes. "These are absolutely ecofriendly Ganesh idols. We use paper as the base, tree sap as a natural binder and food-grade dyes," Prathamesh Naik, spokesperson for the Mumbaibased Shree Aniruddha Upasana Foundation that has been manu-

TOXIC MIX Plaster of Paris idols continue to have a market in Goa and other places which celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. The idols contain gypsum, sulphur, phosphorus and magnesium and disintegrate slowly, in the process poisoning the waters of lakes, ponds and rivers as well as choking the beds of water bodies.

facturing the eco-friendly idols, said. The idols, sold at `400, had been endorsed by the Maharashtra government as ecofriendly, Naik said. The foundation is targetting the distribution of 10,000 such idols in Maharashtra this year. "They are much more ecofriendly than clay idols or even the plaster of Paris idols, which

Once submerged, the idol takes around four to five hours to completely disintegrate. are cheap but really damage water bodies. We proved the ecofriendliness to the authorities in Maharashtra by slipping an idol into a fish tank at an aquarium.

CONSERVATION

Water lifeline extended Due to deficient rainfall, depleting water levels in water bodies which serve Gir have created big problems for animals

n the wake of delayed monsoon in Saurashtra region, the Gujarat government has made special arrangements to fill water at more than 400 points in Gir National Park, housing various wild animals including the Asiatic lions, to quench their thirst. Sudeep Kumar Nanda, principal secretary (forest and environment) told PTI that due to deficient rainfall this year depleting water levels in rivers, ponds, wells and kundis which serve Gir, have created big problems for animals at the Sanctuary. Normally, forest authorities

The Gir Forest is the only abode to 411 Asiatic lions besides leopards, deer, boar and thousands of bird species and reptiles. close down 400 water points at Gir by June 15 every year expecting good rainfall. However, this time the poor position on water front for lions and other animals forced the state government to keep all these points open till it rains sufficiently, Nanda said.

These water points are being filled at regular intervals through various means using manual labour, tractor-driven water tankers, solar pump sets and wind mills, he said. The water situation deteriorated when seven rivers namely Hiran, Saraswati, Datardi, Shingoda, Machhundri, Ghodavadi and Raval passing through the sanctuary started drying up. Authorities in Gir have also constructed artificial water ponds for animals, as they often stray into human habitation in search of water, said Nanda. PTI

The idol was devoured by the fish in a matter of 45 minutes," Naik said, adding that in normal circumstances, once submerged, the idol took around four to five hours to completely disintegrate. Plaster of Paris idols continue to have a market in Goa and other places which celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. The idols contain gypsum, sulphur, phosphorus and magnesium and disinte-

grate slowly, in the process poisoning the waters of lakes, ponds and rivers as well as choking the beds of water bodies. Former BJP legislator Damu Naik, who had moved a private member's bill in the Goa assembly in 2004 to ban the making of Ganesh idols in plaster of Paris, said that the papier mache Ganesh idols might take some time to win over the conservative-minded Ganesh followers. "They might take some time getting used to these new ideas like papier mache idols. But hopefully some young, environmentally-aware people might take up the idea," Naik said. Ganesh Chaturthi, considered the most important Hindu religious festival in Goa, will be held in September. IANS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

World

ASSANGE’S MOTHER MEETS ECUADOR LEADER The mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange met with Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa on Wednesday to discuss the fate of her son holed up at the country’s embassy in Britain. Assange, 41, is seeking asylum in the South American nation to avoid his extradition to Sweden.

SYRIAN CRISIS

DOC HAD WARNED OF BANE

Upbeat rebels set to snap Assad’s spy wing

A psychiatrist who treated a man accused of a mass shooting alerted others weeks before his attack because she was worried about his behavior, a news report said Wednesday. Lynne Fenton, Holmes’ psychiatrist, had concerns about his behavior almost six weeks before the massacre. Citing unnamed sources, the broadcaster reported that Fenton notiﬁed several members of the university’s “Behavioral Evaluation and Threat Assessment” team in the ﬁrst 10 days of June.

Assad said that the army was fighting for the nation’s future as UN said the regime was using fighter jets against rebels armed with tanks. NEAR ALEPPO: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Wednesday that the army was fighting for the nation’s future as UN officials said the regime was using fighter jets against rebels armed with tanks. Buoyed by capturing three Aleppo police stations on Tuesday, the rebels said they were now turning their sights on the regime’s intelligence apparatus in the battle for Syria’s commercial capital, which has raged since July 20. Assad said the campaign to crush the uprising, which is now in its 17th month, was vital to Syria’s future. Washington said his call to continue the “slaughter” which human rights monitors say has already killed more than 20,000 people was “despicable”. “The army is engaged in a crucial and heroic battle... on which the destiny of the nation and its people rests,” Assad said, in a speech carried by the official SANA news agency. “The enemy is among us today, using agents to destabilise the country, the security of its citizens... and continues to exhaust our economic and scientific resources.” Washington mocked the Syrian leader as “cowardly” for not delivering his speech to mark armed forces day in public. “We think it’s cowardly quite frankly to have a man who’s hiding out of sight be exhorting his armed forces to

NUMEROLOGY

$100

million

is the price tag on a New York penthouse, on the 72nd floor of the City Spire skyscraper on West 56th Street. It has 360 degree views and is the highest terraced apartment in the city. A rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighter flashes the V-sign for victory as he and a comrade stand next the bodies of killed policemen who the FSA allege are “Shabiha” or pro-regime militiamen, on Tuesday, as the rebels overran a police station in Aleppo. A watchdog said that rebels killed 40 officers and seized three police stations during the pivotal battle for the commercial capital. AFP PHOTO/EMIN OZMEN/SABAH PRESS AFP

‘Obama signs covert action backing Syrian rebels’ WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has signed a covert document authorizing US support for Syrian rebels locked in a battle to overthrow beleaguered President Bashar al-Assad, reports said Wednesday. The directive was contained in a “finding” — a device authorizing clandestine action by the Central Intelligence Agency, NBC and CNN said, citing unidentified sources. White House officials declined to comment on the

reports but did not speciﬁcally rule out the idea that Washington was providing more intelligence support to anti-Assad forces than had previously been made public. Washington has previously said that it is offering medical and communications assistance to Syrian rebels but declined to supply arms, warning it would be counter-productive to further “weaponize” the conﬂict fearing the group may display extremist tendencies later.

continue to slaughter the civilians of his own country,” said a US State Department spokesman, Patrick Ventrell. Syrian Defence Minister General Fahd Freij vowed that the “terrorists” would soon be defeated. “Seeing your heroic actions, I can assure the Syrian people that victory over this huge conspiracy is near,” Freij said. But his optimism was belied by the fierce fighting in Aleppo, where rebel fighters continued to put up determined resistance to an army counteroffensive launched on Saturday. AFP

NEWS BRIEFS US Congress approves new sanctions on Iran

‘5 dead as Kabul suicide Pak deputy attorney attack foiled’ general for doing ‘seva’

Philippine floods persist, toll rises to 23

WASHINGTON: The US Congress Wednesday approved punishing new sanctions targeting Iran’s energy and shipbuilding sectors, a day after President Barack Obama unveiled measures to cripple Tehran’s nuclear drive. The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly 421-6 for the measure.

KABUL: Five insurgents planning a suicide attack in Kabul have been killed in a pre-dawn gunbattle in the capital, an Afghan security ofﬁcial said Thursday. At least two others were still holed up in a house in the east of the city and the ﬁghting was continuing, National Directorate of Security spokesman Lutfullah Mahsal told AFP.

MANILA: Rescuers deployed rubber boats while doctors fanned across cramped evacuation centres in the Philippines as the death toll from five days of flooding reached 23 on Thursday, officials said. Large farming towns north of the capital Manila as well as heavily populated coastal areas remained under waist deep floods.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government has ﬁred Khurshid Khan, a deputy attorney general based in the northwestern city of Peshawar, who earned the ire of lawyers by washing dishes and polishing shoes while performing voluntary service at Hindu and Sikh shrines in India to promote interfaith harmony.

BUSH’S TAX CUTS TO STAY Defying US President Barack Obama, the Republican-held House voted Wednesday to extend tax cuts for all Americans, framing a partisan divide over an issue that will not be resolved before November’s election. House lawmakers rejected a substitute Democratic plan that would have let taxes rise for top earners, and then voted 256 to 171 to extend a package of Bush-era tax cuts for everyone for another year. The move collides with a recently approved Senate bill that would extend the tax breaks for families making under $250,000 a year.

NATO maintains a permanent presence in Afghanistan at present. We should help them. Let them keep fighting there. Vladmir Putin Russian President

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

Comment All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.

POWER CUT PASTIME

enezuela’s political future is clouded by unpredictable, interdependent variables. President Hugo Chavez’s health is not the only uncertainty. Venezuelans debate whether their president will leave office before or after the October 7 presidential elections. They ask, if he goes, who in the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) will fill Chavez’s role? They wonder whether the October vote will be held on time, if at all; whether the opposition candidate can prevail; and whether the Chavistas will respect an opposition victory. Chavez has attempted to dispel rumors of his demise, but his appearances are infrequent and few believe that his cancer is in remission. Chavez’s physical condition and the future of Venezuelan politics are of considerable concern to hemispheric neighbors and to Venezuelans. A guessing game emerges: What are the chances for the opposition party’s success? Who might succeed Chavez? The president’s cancer has undermined his aura of invincibility, spurred a power struggle among potential PSUV successors and raised the question whether the opposition party, Coalition for a Democratic Unity (MUD), can remain united, absent Chavez. MUD has rallied behind Henrique Capriles Radonski, the former governor of Miranda state who gained 64.2 percent support in the presidential primary this past February. However, Capriles’ growing popularity has not peeled off the almost 60 per cent of likely voters who favor Chavez. This is because the poor depend upon the “misiones” (welfare programs) and 8 million Venezuelans rely on state jobs or in state-owned enterprises.

220V OF CHILLI POWDER AND FORKS! BUT... SERIOUSLY

Havelock Ellis Writer, social reformer

Chavizmo minus Chavez?

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS

The ghost of Muhammed Ali Jinnah would haunt those who sacked the deputy attorney general of Pakistan because he did service at Hindu and shrines to promote inter-faith harmony. This was utterly unworthy of the nation he envisioned of which he said: “Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic state to be ruled by priests with a divine mission”.

Ajay Hotchandani

REAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS! That’s what the news app on my phone read. The breaking news was that 600 million Indians are without electrical power. My first thought was “Eat the ice cream, eat the ice cream!” If the lights go and you know it won’t be on for a while, clean out the freezer and start eating, especially the ice cream. There are other things in there that you can eat like frozen peas and potatoes. If the power is cut off during the day time most of us are either at school or at work wishing we were at home, while those stuck at home were wishing they were in pool or at the mall getting iced coffee. For some odd reason when the power gets cut during the daytime it’s just not as much fun as night. So what is it that you can do at night time when there is no power that can keep you entertained? Well I’m glad you asked. Here are some suggestions that can make a dark and dull night bright with entertainment and fun. While there are many ideas, tonight we will play kabaddi,

but not just any kabaddi, we are going to play a whole new type of kabaddi. n Chilli Powder Kabaddi – we all know the regular game of kabaddi, but in the midnight version each competitor must eat a mouthful of chili powder when crossing into their opponent’s territory. If the person stops to take another breath they lose, if the stop to eat another spoonful of chili they get an extra point. n Shoe Laces Kabaddi – this version is very simple and ideal for playing in small dark areas like the hall or garage. Everyone must wear tennis shoes with shoe laces – Velcro not allowed. Then you must tie your shoe laces with each other so you can’t run too fast or even walk without tripping. This means you have to be very careful not to trip over and hit your head. n Forks Kabaddi – this might make your mom a little mad. This can be played in a small area. You take about 15-20 forks and you place them on the ground facing up. Then everyone takes off their shoes and start playing. You lose if you stop saying ‘kabaddi’ or if you make any kind of noise when you step on a fork. If you happen to step on a fork and start bleeding, you get awarded 5 extra points. If your mom yells at you for

this, you get an additional 2 points. Cup of Water Kabaddi – everyone has a glass filled with water (you can make it hot water if you are daring enough and don’t rely on the microwave to heat your water). This one might be better suited for outdoors, medium size area. The same rules apply, however if you spill your water you lose a point, if you throw your water on your opponent you lose 2 points, and if you drink your water well you just go get some more. Mobile Phone Kabaddi – despite not having any electricity if you have a mobile phone that can take flash photography then you can play

this game. So the person crosses into their opponent’s territory but rather than saying Kabaddi, they will text the word to one of the opponents. Once the text message goes through the person who gets it will have to chase the person down and try to take a picture of their face to get a point. If you have part of their face you have ½point. If you manage to pull their pants down and get a picture of their underwear you don’t get any points you just get called a weird person. If all of this sounds too tiring you can always go back to eating ice cream and spying on the neighbors — don’t lie, I know you do it. Keep safe and have fun.

EDITORIALS We must foil plans of the enemies of the state Shinde, you are the best!

our low-intensity explosions struck the busy arterial JM road in the heart of Pune last night. As security agencies fear, could the blasts which appear coordinated be the prelude to something more dangerous? Authorities have swung into action saying that they are probing all angles to crack the case and identify the perpetrators. But that this should happen despite beeﬁng up security in Maharashtra to unprecedented levels following the tragedy of 26/11 speaks a lot about the loopholes that must yet be found and plugged. The shock of the blasts — minor though — have jolted India, which was slowly rising up from the slumber induced by the power outrage across the north. The blasts that seem ominous become an even more sinister sign, as India celebrates its 65th Independence Day in a couple of weeks. There cannot be a better occasion for enemies of the country to wreck havoc and ‘celebrate’ as we weep. Authorities must not spare any effort to foil their plans.

READERS’ VIEWS

nly politicians can say something utterly galling with a straight face. Sushil Kumar Shinde, who ended his tenure as Union Power Minister on Tuesday after collapses of three power grids for two consecutive days, claimed his performance at the ministry was “successful”. And he listed an additional power generation of 80,000MW — which he claims is a record — to back it. For a couple of days half of a country touted to be a superpower in near future was in the dark in every sense. Some feat, mate!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

tELEVISION

MAD MEN ACTOR IN DROP DEAD DIVA Ben Feldman — whose guest-starring role on Mad Men garnered an Emmy nomination last month — will reprise his role as guardian angel “Fred” in the Drop Dead Diva season 4 finale. Here’s the official logline: “Viewers get a look into what Fred’s been up to since he left Earth. Now we find him back in Heaven in his old position of processing the new arrivals."

WHAT GAME ARE YOU WATCHING?

The Olympic fever

CLASSIC TV

While there may be empty seats in the stadium in London, it has not stopped the world from following the Olympics on television and other visual media. From live updates to tweets, India is doing it all. AMY ROSE THOMAS amyrose.t@postnoon.com

ESPN and Star Sports joining DD has increased the viewership of the Olympics. He says, “The viewership of Olympics is bound to have increased since we are not stuck to watching one event. We can always switch channels and select a particular one that you like. My favourites are Hockey, Archery and the equestrian events. More than India’s performance in these events, it is about entertainment.” Vinay Aditya, 17, a student, says, “I am dedicatedly following the London Olympics this year since I have a lot of time on my hands. I don’t remember watching the last time it was held in Bejing. However, this time around, all of my friends are following it. We update each other and discuss about the events.” But Vinay is of the opinion that television coverage of the events is not up to the mark. “There are three channels telecasting these events but DD copies the ESPN and most of the time they telecast the same event. I am a tennis player and I have noticed that tennis coverage is not up to the mark on television. So, I have to turn to YouTube and the Internet for the live coverage of tennis events.” What with the grand opening ceremony, to the controversies regarding doping and match points. This mega sporting event is one that few viewers would like to miss.

he British government is painstakingly trying to fill in the empty seats at the Olympics stadium, dispatching the army to fill up seats at the London Olympics 2012, hinting on the fall of the Olympics viewership. But that said, all eyes in India are focused on TV and the Internet for the daily dose of the Olympics news in spite of the country not showing much promise at the mega sporting event. With ESPN and Star Sports’ getting the rights to telecast London Olympics 2012 along with DD, Olympics has become the most-viewed programme on television now. Sricharan M, a medical student, 25, says, “I love watching sports and I keep flipping through sports channels when I am sitting idle. I started watching Olympics when most of the sports channels started to telecast these events. It is always more exciting to watch these events on television, rather than watching them on the Internet after the results are out. The Indian hockey team’s performance was the most disappointing of them all. We were against a strong team Netherlands and we had a fair chance of winning and lost out at the last moment.” Adman Prahlad Kakkar is of same opinion and feels that

favourite olympic heroes

Michael Phelps He cruised through the anchor leg of the 4x200-meter freestyle relay to earn his record 19th career Olympic medal, becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time.

Jo Wilfried Tsonga French number one Jo Wilfried Tsonga won the longest 3-set match in Olympic Tennis history today — including a 48-game final set. The game lasted for three hours.

Hamadou Djibo Issaka Niger’s first-ever Olympic rower trained in a fishing boat has become a fans favourite at the Olympics, despite finishing way off the pace.

Kim Un Guk

Ruta Meilutyte

North Korea's Kim Un Guk broke the world record in men’s 62kg category weightlifting on the way to win gold at the London Olympics 2012.

Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte became the first 15-year-old Olympic swimming champion as she won the 100m breaststroke gold medal.

Full House Full House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle. Initially, Jesse is uncertain if his life is going in the right direction after making the life-altering decision to help raise the girls. While season one was not very successful, the show quickly became popular during season two as it was placed immediately following the established hit show Perfect Strangers.

DID YOU KNOW?

Hum Paanch

was an Indian sitcom that was first aired in 1995. It was awarded the the Amar Rishtey Award in 2010, for the best comedy serial at the Zee Rishtey Awards.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

Maybe our mistakes are what make our fate. Perhaps if we never veered off course we wouldn’t fall in love, or be who we are. People come into your life and people go. But it’s comforting to know that your loved ones are always in your heart. And if you’re very lucky, a plane ride away.

You know, Newbie, it's so interesting -I found I couldn't sleep last night, so, in order to pass the time, I started to make a list of things that annoy me more than you. Anyway, I came up with people who call Wednesdays "hump day" and, all Sandra Bullock movies.

Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

Dr Cox, Scrubs

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

spotlight

PLANS FOR THE NIGHT

Wondering where to go to get some fun tonight? Liquids has your answer. The pub at Bhaskar Plaza, Banjara Hills is hoting House and Hip Hop nights for its patrons. Watch and enjoy the music by DJs Abhishek and Ajay, as they spin their magic.

FRIENDLY TIES 2

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

MAIDEN PERFORMANCE

Bonds that last

Sanjukta Koppolu made her Kuchipudi rangapravesam at Ravindra Bharati on Wednesday. Speaker of AP State Legislative Assembly Nadendla Manohar was the chief guest at the event.

Members of Kakatiya Ladies Club turned up at ITC Kakatiya in their colourful best for an afternoon dedicated to friendship.

1 Radhika

6 Naina & Tina

2 Anvita

7 Reena

3 Beena Mehta

8 Sonia

4 Tamanna

9 Harshita

5 Ishita

10 Namita Kanodia

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

1 Rajita, Ridhi & Apoorva

3 Sanjukta Koppolu

2 Nadendla Manohar

NEW SONGS FOR THE PLAYLIST

Taking the first step

FICCI ladies made a beeline to Taj Krishna for an interactive session with Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and minister DK Aruna about womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in governance and policy making. 2

1 Khusboo 2 Swati Reddy &

Sirisha 3 Sami Alam Khan

& Ritu 4 Pallavi & Sunila 5 Pinky Reddy 6 Vani

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

The music launch of Nirantharam Nee Oohalo was organised in style at Prasad labs with stars coming down to grace the event. Seen at the launch were actors Amala Paul, Sunil, Nani, Atharva and others.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

health

CHILDHOOD OBESITY COULD ERODE FERTILITY LATER A spike in childhood obesity may damage overall health as it could disrupt the onset of puberty and the ability to reproduce, according to a study. For thousands of years of evolution, poor nutrition or starvation were a greater concern, rather than an overabundance of food.

SPINAL CARE

RANJANI RAJENDRA

ranjani.r@postnoon.com

or 22-year-old Rajat Mehra the future held a lot of promises. His budding career as an athlete was going just as he had dreamt off and things couldn’t have been better on the personal front either. However, a freak motorcycle accident left him with a spinal injury. The trauma of the injury was such that it left his spinal cord compressed, leading to paralysis. According to his doctors, if he had received treatment even an hour earlier, the prognosis could’ve been better. Spinal cord compression is a reality that many people deal with. This occurs when the spinal cord is compressed due to various reasons. “Spinal cord compression could occur due to several reasons like congenital causes, developmental abnormality, trauma, infectious diseases, osteoporosis and malignancy. Of these trauma is the most common cause of spinal cord injury in India,” says Dr KJ Reddy, senior consultant orthopaedist, Apollo Hospital. The age group of patients varies depending on the cause. For instance, congenital compression occurs in children, infectious diseases could affect young adults, trauma could be the cause for compression in anybody who leads an active life while malignancy and osteoporosis are common causes for compression in elders.

Trauma you don’t want

A compressed spinal cord can be caused due to various reasons, but keeping an eye out for early signs can help prevent permanent paralysis.

In case of an infection or malignancy a biopsy is the most conclusive evidence we can rely on.”

TREATMENT Early treatment is important. “Treatment is once again based on the cause of the compression. For instance, in case of an accident or fall, the patient must receive treatment within 8 to 12 hours of the accident. Decompressing the spine is very important here. In patients with congenital compression we generally suggest that the deformity is corrected with surgery and rods are put in to support the spine. In case of infectious diseases, the disease itself needs to be treated, followed with support by way of rods to the spine. In patients with malignancy, radiotherapy is suggested,” explains Dr Reddy. “Delay in treatment can lead to paralysis. An important thing to remember when it comes to spinal injuries is that if the nervous tissue is damaged then nothing can be done as it does not regenerate,” he says.

Prevent it Although there are various causes for spinal compression that can’t be prevented, compression due to wear and tear can. n Get regular exercise. Exercise strengthens the muscles that support your back and helps keep your spine flexible. n Maintain good posture and learn how to safely lift heavy objects. Other good body mechanics include sleeping on a firm mattress and sitting in a chair that supports the natural curves of your back.

SYMPTOMS “Some of the most common symptoms of spinal cord compression are pain in the back, pain radiating to the legs, a tingling numbness and in extreme cases a patient may find that he/she cannot control their bowel movements,” says Dr Reddy. “Diagnosis is based on the symptoms the patient presents with, an X ray and an MRI scan.

n Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, know that excess weight puts more stress on your back and can contribute to developing symptoms of spinal compression.

Source: www.hopkinsmedicine.org

HOUSECALL

DID YOU KNOW?

PIONEER

Run 5K

Coeliac disease

Abu al-Hasan

Just like a personal workout training coach, the Run 5k app will help you get into shape using the beginner runner training plan. In eight weeks, you'll be able to run 5 km (3.1 miles) without stopping or walking. This app is great for runners who have never run before or former runners who want to start again.

Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, and other similar proteins found in rye, barley and oats. These proteins damage the small finger-like projections (villi) that line the small intestine and play a significant role in digestion. When damaged and inflamed, the villi are unable to absorb food properly, which often causes diarrhoea and malnutrition.

Most mental disorders begin before age of 14

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14. Around 20 per cent of the world's children are estimated to have mental disorders. Most lowand middle-income countries have only one child psychiatrist for every 1 to 4 million people.

Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari was a Persian Muslim hakim, Islamic scholar, physician and psychologist of Zoroastrian descent, who produced one of the ﬁrst encyclopedia of medicine. He was a pioneer of paediatrics and the ﬁeld of child development. His stature, however, was eclipsed by his more famous pupil, Muhammad ibn Zakariya Razi.

health THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

VIDEO GAMES AND DEPRESSION

SPARX: New videogame to combat depression According to a team of researchers from New Zealand, a new videogame called SPARX may be the solution to treat depression in young people. STACEY LEASCA Global post

New Zealand team of researchers hopes one teenage habit may actually help combat depression: playing videogames. A game called SPARX, designed by Metia Interactive, was created with funding from the ministry of health in New Zealand to help treat depression in young people, WebProNews reported. According to AFP, the game’s final release details are still being set, but adolescent therapist Sally Merry, who led the research team, said she would like to make it available through schools, doctors and youth centers to make it an easily accessible resource for teenagers struggling with depression. Merry told reporters that 75 to 80 per cent of adolescents who suffered depression currently receive no help at all. Merry also noted that there may be opportunity to release SPARX and specialized versions of the game such as Rainbow SPARX aimed at gay youth on the Internet so it can be played on iPad and Android tablets. Merry told Australia’s News.com that the game aims to deal with mental health issues without being too serious. “You can deal with mental health problems in a way that doesn’t have to be deadly serious. The therapy doesn’t have to be depressing in and of itself. We’re aiming to make it fun.” According to News.com, SPARX has seven levels, each lasting 35-40 minutes. It is aimed at 13-17-year-olds. The game introduces players to a guide, or mentor, who helps them through the levels, each of which has a lesson embedded in it teaching skills such as anger management, conflict resolution and breathing relaxation exercises.

Causes of teen depression n Medical conditions n Substance abuse n Peer pressure n Academic pressure n Family history

Doctor’s corner Dr Divya T Sudarshan

You can deal with painful periods I am a male boss and have a couple of subordinates who seem to take an off almost every month due to painful periods. Can periods really be so bad or are they just bluffing? (contd from last week) One point to understand is, not every period will be the same, with reference to pain and bleeding. Menstrual symptometrics is a simple computer-aided method to quantify menstrual cycle disorders and can be used to estimate the severity of menstrual pains as well as correlate them with pain in other parts of the body. Patients rarely come to a doctor for pain in the early stages. They will try every home remedy possible (which do sometimes help). So most teenaged girls can definitely apply a heating pad or hot water bottle to the lower belly, below your belly button, or do a light circular massage with the fingertips around the lower belly area. Keep your legs raised while lying down, or lie on your side with your knees bent. Take warm showers and walk or exercise regularly. Drinking warm beverages and eating light but frequent meals. Have whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, but less salt, sugar, alcohol, and caffeine. If none of this helps then do see a doctor. Doctors usually have very straight forward treatment, we start of with normal pain killers, or anti spasmodics, calcium, vitamin E and B complex supplementation. If there is no response, we put the patient on hormonal medication which provides relief almost in every case. Periods are a double edged sword, when they come, you worry and if they don’t then you worry even more. But they define our womanhood. So make peace with your period! (The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician practising at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@gmail.com)

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

Entertainment

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DSP Tollywood’s hot shot music director Devi Sri Prasad is celebrating his 33rd birthday today. With Gabbar Singh, he’s back with a bang and he has his plateful for the rest of the year with Zanjeer’s remake, Sir Osthara and Yevadu .

A DAREDEVIL

ikram’s infatuation to do challenging roles doesn’t seem to end anytime soon. After playing a mentally challenged person in AL Vijay’s Nanna, he’ll be seen in a double role in the director’s upcoming action thriller Shiva Thandavam. He’s playing the role of a RAW agent and in another role he’s playing a visually challenged person who wants to take revenge. Apparently, AL Vijay was inspired from the life of an American citizen Daniel Kish, a visually challenged person who revolutionised the concept of echolocation or seeing through sounds. Vikram had to undergo special training to prepare for this role as a visually challenged person and rumour is that Vikram has done plenty of daredevilry in this role. Jagapathi Babu, Anushka and Amy Jackson have also played lead roles in this film. GV Prakash has composed the music and C Kalyan is presenting the film on Teja Cinema banner. Shiva Thandavam is expected to hit the screens in late September.

CINE BYTES

Vikram set to dazzle in Shiva Thandavam

Jenda Pai Kapiraju goes on floors

he principal shooting of Nani, Amala Paul-starrer Jenda Pai Kapiraju began recently in Hyderabad after its official launch at Annapurna Studios on August 1. Samuthirakani is directing the film and KS Srinivasan is producing the film. GV Prakash is composing the music

Sri Rama Rajyam goes to Bollywood

alakrishna, Nayanthara starrer Sri Rama Rajyam will soon be released in Hindi, as per the latest reports. Recently, the film was dubbed in Malayalam and the response in Kerala was reportedly quite encouraging. Bapu had directed the film and Yalamanchali Sai Babu produced it. Ilayaraja had composed the music for this mythological film.

Kamalinee Mukherjee is back

amalinee Mukherjee is making her comeback in Telugu cinema after a brief gap. She was last seen in Neelakanta’s Virodhi and this year, she’ll soon be seen in K Raghavendra Rao’s Shirdi Sai in which she’s playing the role of Radhakrishna Mai, who was a great devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

fashion

KARL LAGERFELD’S ACID TALK

PIPPA MIDDLETON is the latest to feel the effects of Karl Lagerfeld’s acid tongue; the designer says he doesn’t “like her face”. While the Chanel creative director has nothing but praise for the Duchess of Cambridge, he’s apparently not a fan of her younger sister - implying that the view of her rear is more attractive than that of her front.

FACTS ABOUT WOOL

In the western world, consumers spend around US$ 75 billion annually on wool apparel. Australia stands as the world’s largest producer of wool with a whooping 25% of the world’s production. India produces 2% of the world’s total wool production.

Wool is active, reacting to changes in ones body temperature to keep you warm when it’s cold but releasing heat and moisture when it’s hot.

Wool cloth has been spun and woven by the tribes of Northern Europe since the time before Christ. Roman emperors cherished British woollen cloth ‘so fine it was comparable with a spider’s web’.

In addition to clothing, wool is used for blankets, outerwear, interiors, duvets, carpets, handknitting yarns, horse rugs, saddle cloths, carpeting, felt, insulation and upholstery. Wool felt covers piano hammers, and it is used to absorb odours and noise in heavy machinery and stereo speakers. Ancient Greeks lined their helmets with felt, and Roman legionnaires used breastplates made of woollen felt.

SURABHI CHAUHAN

feedback@postnoon.com

n early 1930s, Australia wool-growers formed a body called the ‘International Wool secretariat (IWS) to promote their product (merino wool) around the world. One of the initiatives of the IWS was the formation of a Fashion Design Award to highlight the versatility and modernity of wool. In 1954, two unknown designersKarl Lagerfeld and late Yves Saint Laurent won the fashion design prizes. Lagerfeld, then 21, was the winner of the coat category. Saint Laurent who was just 18, won the award for dress design. This was the moment the credibility for the awards was set high. Karl Lagerfeld who is now one of the most well paid and talented fashion designers in the world is the head designer for luxury labels Chanel couture & ready-to-wear and Fendi womenswear. YSL left a hefty legacy himself by forming one of the most well- recognised brands and a successful French fashion house. The fashion design awards became a brand on its own when Woolmark was formed in the 1960s to protect

Karl Lagerfeld (extreme L) and Yves Saint Laurent winning the Woolmark Awards equivalent in 1954.

and serve the wool product from the synthetic fibres alternatives that were gaining popularity during World War-II. Created in 1964, by Italian graphic designer Francesco Saroglia, the Woolmark logo represents the softness, elegance and modernity of wool. Today it is still amongst the 10 most recognised and appreciated brands in the world and forms the International Woolmark Prize (IWP). The Woolmark company’s key strategy is building relationships with designers and working with them to showcase the innovative and versatile Merino wool fabrics and yarns. This year, India was

REP RE

3 4

Merino wool has a naturally high UV protection, which is much higher than most synthetics and cotton.

Dion Lee with his creation that won him the Woolmark award in Australia.

one of the five key regions from where the winner selected from a crop of new generation fashion designers will be representing the country in this international contest. Sophie Theallet from the US, Christian Wijnants from Belgium, Ban Xiao Xiu from China, Dion Lee from Australia and

Pankaj and Nidhi from India represent the line-up for the final round of the International Woolmark Prize to be held in London in February 2013. The

G N I T N E S Delhi-based designers Pankaj & Nidhi will be representing India in the International

22&23 6

FOOTWEAR FANATIC

FORGET HER own medal win, Rebecca Adlington seemed more impressed by the Duchess of Cambridge’s shoes when the royals paid a surprise visit to the Olympic Village on Tuesday. The Team GB swimmer was busy admiring Catherine’s blue wedges as the Duchess, Prince William and Prince Harry stopped by to congratulate the team on their success so far.

FACTS ABOUT WOOL

When a natural Merino wool fibre is disposed of it takes only a few years to decompose. Most synthetics on the other hand, are extremely slow to degrade.

A fabric made entirely of wool doesn’t readily catch fire, even if it does, it burns slowly and selfextinguishes when the source of the flame is removed. Chic Dress in Merino

nominees alone from each of the regions form an exclusive global network – supported by The Woolmark Company – of the world’s most talented

The winners of International Woolmark Prize - Pankaj and Nidhi with their Creation

and sought after designers. In India, these nominees included designers – Aneeth Arora, Arjun Saluja, Gaurav Gupta, Rahul Mishra, Rimzim Dadu, Ritesh Kumar, Samant Chauhan, Smita and Himanshu from 11.11, Zubair Kirmani and the winners - Pankaj and

INDIA N

honed their skills to use bright colours and embroidery together in a luxurious and elegant way. The garment created using merino wool for the IWP awards was a short knit dress in pink and blue with a wooly stole in matching colours that used handweaving techniques that other contestants refrained from. Pankaj and Nidhi are known to use various handicraft influences in a single collection therefore appealing to a wider audience easily. A strong contender for the duo would be the Australian award-winning designer Dion Lee who’s wool creations have been lauded ever since his debut collection. “Dion is the ideal designer ambassador for Australia,” explained designer and Australian judge, Richard Nichol. The simple inclusion of 10 nominees from India highlights the growing strength of the Indian fashion industry. What comes from the final round in 2013 is not as important as this year when a young designer duo got selected to represent the country and inspire other young designers who yearn to represent the country in an international forum like this in the future.

ITS KN

Woolmark Prize next year. Here is what the awards are about and why it is a big deal.

Nidhi. The local winners were selected on July 19, 2012 by a panel of judges Sunil Sethi, President of Fashion Design Council of India; Priya Tanna, Editor-inChief for the Indian version of the official media sponsors-Vogue magazine; Pradeep Hirani, CMD of Kimaya retail chain and Simon Lock, Founder of Dubai Fashion Week. Winners Pankaj and Nidhi have gained a lot of acclaim in a short time since they launched their own label in 2006. Previously the young couple worked with couturier Rohit Bal where they

Available in a myriad range of alluring textures and finishes, Merino Wool is developed with exciting colouring techniques like coating, printing and injecting and endorsed by designers all over the world.

9 10

Merino wool has a large capacity to absorb moisture vapour and sweat next to the skin making it extremely breathable.

Rest wool garments for 24 hours before wearing again. The natural resilience of Merino allows it to shed wrinkles and return to its original shape. Many woollen garments do not require ironing, but very smooth fabrics may look better if pressed. Always use steam when pressing Merino. Set your iron on the wool setting and avoid ironing fabric when it’s totally dry.

Entertainment THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.

BILL SHANKLY

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

SUDOKU How to play kakuro Kakuro is a popular game similar to sudoku in some ways. But is also suitably different. The key question: ‘How do you play kakuro?’, well here are the rules of kakuro. The answer: The kakuro grid, unlike in sudoku, can be of any size. It has rows and columns, and dark cells like in a crossword. And, just like in a crossword, some of the dark cells will contain numbers. Some cells will contain two numbers. However, in a crossword the numbers reference clues. In a kakuro, the numbers are all you get! They denote the total of the digits in the row or column referenced by the number. Within each collection of cells — called a run — any of the numbers 1 to 9 may be used but, like sudoku, each number may only be used once. Let’s have an example to explain this concept more clearly: In the image above, which shows a section of a kakuro puzzle, you will see the numbers ‘26’ and ‘14’ in the top row. Look at the 14. This means that the total of the three cells underneath must sum to 14. Therefore 9, 4, 1 could be the answer, or perhaps 7, 4, 3 and so on... So, how do you work out the actual combination? Well, this is done through elimination and cross-referencing. For instance, as you work out the answers for other kakuro clues, this will naturally limit the valid combinations, and hence the answer for this particular run. Note the second cell in row two — it contains two numbers, 30 and 11. The 30 refers to the vertical run underneath the number 30 and the 11 refers to the two cells to the right, horizontally, of the number 11.

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 Warning signal 6 Aid in forging 11 ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ container 14 A nephew of Donald Duck 15 ‘If a tree falls in the forest and...’ 16 Au naturel (with ‘in the’) 17 Feature of some women's tops 19 ___ NO HOOKS (crate label) 20 Alternative to digital 21 Charleston college (with ‘The’) 23 Evening repast 26 ‘___ we forget’ (Kipling) 27 Aid to the needy 31 ‘A clue!’ 32 Cold War aircraft 34 He released a dove in Genesis 35 A mullet covers it 37 Brink or border 41 Like all new deliveries? 44 Add decorations to 45 Watchful pair 46 Right as ___ 47 Barnyard bleat 49 Stop stalling 50 ‘Mater’ intro 51 Camembert's kin 54 Break into parts, as a monopoly 57 Stand in front of an audience 59 Acquire bicuspids 64 Words after ‘who’ or ‘where’ 65 They are ‘clothing optional’ 68 Served as CEO of 69 Highbrow musical entertainment 70 Suit that beats the other three 71 2012 Olympics host (Abbr) 72 Dog found in the pound 73 Full of soap bubbles

DOWN

1 Whence Goya's duchess came 2 A library book may be on it

3 A psychic may claim to see it 4 100 Cambodian sen 5 ‘From the desk of’ notes 6 ‘Furthermore ...’ 7 Neither fish ___ fowl 8 It may be passive 9 Weak and feeble 10 Bequeathed 11 Annoyingly proper one 12 Arid refuges 13 Took up residence 18 Big lizard 22 ‘x + y = z’ math branch 24 Developmental stage 25 Melonlike tropical fruits 27 ‘Black and Blue’ novelist Quindlen 28 Batch of laundry 29 Cousin of a hammerhead 30 ‘Rainbow’ dessert 33 League with Dartmouth and Cornell 36 Button for pilots in peril 38 100 Iranian dinars 39 Bad, as a prognosis 40 Tracy's mother in ‘Hairspray’ 42 Watson and Crick's lab material 43 Canny 48 Rather sudden 51 Brass section sound 52 Give new courage to 53 Best part of the cake, to some 55 Completely anesthetised 56 Bog fuels 58 Seth's famous son 60 Neutral color 61 Dull sound 62 Certain bottom lines 63 Spot in the distance 66 Unit in history class 67 Biscayne, for one

Chai Time THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 3-8-2012

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

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Name and fame is set to attain unexpected heights. Expected good events will take place and keep you cheerful. While driving, you need to be careful as a minor accident likely. Businessmen might face initial hurdles in signing new agreements.

Your stock is set to pile up. All work undertaken will get completed successfully. Mother's health needs attention. Help will come from unexpected sources, which lets you relax. Short journeys bring good benefits.

Businessmen will see improved profits, which will make them happy. Social status is set to increase. Before signing any new agreement, be careful and read the documents thoroughly. Bright chances for some to buy land, house or vehicle.

QUICK CROSSWORD FRED BASSET

Held up or delayed work will now get completed as expected. Blood relatives will help you in need of the hour. Financial position looks very much satisfactory. Arrival of offspring likely for newlyweds. Health needs to be taken good care of.

Health needs to be taken good care of. Avoid interfering into anybody's personal issues. Financial position will be strong. Share market deals will bring good gains. Employees need to be obedient to superiors or else problems likely.

Trying for job since a long time? Soon a favourable news is on the cards. Money will come from expected sources. Good support from father will make you happy and confident. Couple will be cordial. Unexpected fortune likely.

You will be successful in all work undertaken and attain fame. Satisfactory financial position likely. A court case might get delayed. New debts will be raised to clear old ones. Friends and wellwishers will help you in time of need.

Work undertaken might face delay in start, but will pick up speed and get completed without difficulty. Share market deals will not be beneficial; hence, avoid. New efforts will be successful. Court verdicts will go in your favour.

Debt issues will be under control. You will we be very active and take bold decisions, which will yield good results. Those who are deprived of a child since long will get good news. Unexpected fortune likely. Blood relatives will help.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Ten of Cups – In order to avoid a fight, it may be necessary to clear the air and make it certain that you were not looking to hurt anyone by your actions.

LEO:

Five of Pentacles – Don’t scrounge on following the process. By trying to be over-smart and taking shortcuts, you run the risk of having to re-do your work.

LIBRA:

STONE SOUP

The Magician – Two minds at work are better than one. If you can manage, team up with another person to get a job done. Working in isolation may not be the best.

SAGITTARIUS:

Nine of Pentacles – Someone’s thinking of you and attitude towards you is the exact opposite of what you thought it is. This upsets you a great deal.

TAURUS:

Nine of Cups – You feel special today. Someone close to you is making the effort to bring the best and exclusive to you. Show your appreciation in return.

CANCER:

Four of Pentacles – You feel frustrated that plans are not working out. You’re in the mood to rant and complain and not do much else. Take a break.

VIRGO:

King of Cups – You may find yourself at a strange crossroads where you will consider switching sides. You want to take the opposing view to the one you held earlier.

SCORPIO:

Eight of Wands – Good luck is yours today. All plans are going fantastic and you’ll find that patience has paid off. You are in the right place at the right time.

CAPRICORN:

Nine of Swords – Modify your plans and work around a bigger project that needs more attention from you. Reluctance to change will make it more difficult.

SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Judgment – You have to refresh and restart – your thinking and plans for the future. You’ll need to be more flexible in your attitude; open to new ideas.

NUMBER GAME

Wands – Determination will take you a long way. Just the sheer will to do something and making it happen will give you a high like no other.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: Nine of

INK PEN

Expected works will get completed without any difficulty and in stipulated time. Be careful while driving or undertaking travel. Blood relatives might put you in an embarrassing situation but you will manage and come out of it.

for 3-8-2012

Six of Cups – You need to get a clear picture of what’s happening around you and what people are talking about you before you make a decision about anything.

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

Expected work, though delayed, will complete as per expectations. Avoid spending savings lavishly without any useful purpose. Avoid standing guarantee for anyone. Avoid extending financial help to anyone for you may not get it back.

SUDUKO

Written of old dues get collected and surprise you. Financial position will improve. Your approach brings success in all work undertaken. Blood relatives will be more affectionate towards you. Frequent travel likely. Good news will come.

Boggle LAWYER BENCH TRIAL JUDGE JURY Vol: 2, No 16 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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

Yu quits game MEDAL TALLY

CHINA USA S KOREA FRANCE N KOREA GERMANY ITALY KAZA’STAN JAPAN RUSSIA G BRITAIN HUNGARY UKRAINE S AFRICA AUSTRALIA ROMANIA BRAZIL NETH’LANDS GEORGIA LITHUANIA SLOVENIA VEN’ZUELA COLOMBIA CUBA MEXICO CANADA INDONESIA NORWAY CZECH DENMARK EGYPT SPAIN POLAND SWEDEN THAILAND TAIPEI N ZEALAND SLOVAKIA AZERB’IJAN BELGIUM BELARUS GREECE INDIA MOLDOVA MONGOLIA QATAR SINGAPORE SERBIA UZBE’ISTAN

G 17 12 6 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 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 0 0

S 9 8 2 3 0 8 4 0 4 4 3 1 0 0 6 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

B 4 9 4 5 1 2 2 0 11 5 4 1 4 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

T 30 29 12 13 5 13 9 3 17 11 9 4 6 2 9 6 3 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 2 6 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

BY CAROL HUANG Agence France-Presse

Players can be expelled: Rogge LONDON: The IOC could take further action — including expulsion from the Olympics — against the eight badminton players disqualified for discrediting their sport by trying to lose on purpose. In an interview with The Associated Press, IOC President Jacques Rogge supported the decision by the international badminton federation to disqualify the four women’s doubles teams from South Korea, China and Indonesia but said he could still intervene “if needed.” “We are in contact with the national Olympic committees to see what action they will take, and then we will decide accordingly,” Rogge said. Asked whether the International Olympic Committee could take its own action, he said: “That is a possibility if needed.” PTI

BEIJING: One of the Chinese badminton players disqualified from the Olympics for throwing a match has announced she is quitting the sport, saying her dreams had been “heartlessly shattered”. Yu and her partner Wang Xiaoli were disqualified by the Badminton World Federation on Wednesday for “not using one’s best efforts to win a match. This is my last time competing. Goodbye Badminton World Federation, goodbye my beloved badminton,” Yu Yang said on her Weibo. “You have heartlessly shattered our dreams.” Interviewed before the latest announcement Yu and Wang, who were among China’s star players, winning the world championship in women’s pairs badminton last year, both apologised to fans and pledged to play their best in future matches.

Appeal rejected; Jwala-Ashwini out Indian doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa are out of the Olympics 2012 officially. This after an appeal by Indian duo that a JapanChinese Taipei match in their group seemed fixed was rejected on Wednesday. Eight players in the women’s doubles event were disqualified for throwing away their matches.

OUR MAN IN LONDON DEV S SUKUMAR

Players and tactics — ways to influence the results

t wasn’t a pretty day for sport – particularly badminton – on Tuesday. It was the final group A match of the women’s doubles, and the world No.1 Chinese were taking on world No.3 Korea. Both were trying to lose! This curious incident was necessitated by an upset earlier on Tuesday morning, when Denmark’s world No.6 pair Camilla Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter-Juhl upset all predictions by overwhelming the World No.2 Chinese pair of Qing Tian and Zhao Yunlei. To anybody who has followed badminton, this was a massive result. China’s women’s doubles pairs are considered unbeatable, having had an iron grip on the event ever since China became part of the international circuit in the early 1980s. In 17 World Championship events since 1983, China’s women’s doubles teams have won 16! (But let’s remember that this was just a group match; the Chinese are yet capable of

winning gold.) The loss of the world No.2 pair complicated things for the Chinese. Badminton is experimenting with a new group format. Sixteen doubles teams are divided into

The question to ask, therefore, is, were we outraged because the teams were playing to lose, or because it was so apparent? four groups, and the top two teams of each group make it to the quarterfinals. The topranked pair of one group will play the second-placed pair of another group. This meant that the world No.2 Chinese would take on the world No.1 Chinese in the quarterfinals – an awful proposition, for they would have expected to meet in the final, with a guaranteed gold and silver! But the Koreans weren’t ignorant children. They needed to come second in the

group to avoid a quarterfinal meeting with the Chinese world number ones! The match was thus reduced to a farce. Both teams served wide or into the net, while their smashes, which usually home in on the lines like guided missiles, lacked sting and direction. Meanwhile, to complicate things further, an IndonesianKorean match was also being played in the same poor spirit, for each team wanted to ‘decide’ its most favourable quarterfinal opponent. The crowd, wise to these antics, booed. People commented darkly on what a bad day it was for badminton. The tournament referee was seen walking up to the players and issuing an apparent warning. This isn’t the first time such a thing has happened in badminton. The Chinese are generally accused of ‘predeciding’ matches featuring all-China contests, but yesterday’s matches showed that, where national interest is concerned, all teams behave in the same manner. The

Indonesians were accused of much the same thing when they dominated badminton in the 1970s. And Indians aren’t blameless either. As far back as 1947, two Indians — Prakash Nath and Devinder Mohan — were drawn to meet in the quarterfinals of the All England, then the world’s premier badminton event. Having decided that it made no sense to tire each other out, they decided to toss a coin. Prakash Nath won the toss, beat his semifinal opponent, and reached the final, which he would eventually lose to a Swede. The questions to ask, therefore, are these: were we outraged because the teams were playing to lose, or because it was so apparent? Would it have been more ‘ethical’ if the two teams pretended to be competing for a win? Sport is a microcosm of life, and we must wonder how we would behave in similar, reallife instances where we have to choose national interest over ethics.

28-29

Lu, Rim claim gold LONDON: Lu Xiaojun bettered his own snatch and total world records in the men’s injury-hit -77kg class on the way to winning China’s fourth Olympic weightlifting gold at the London Games on Wednesday. Lu snatched 175kg, 1kg better than his previous mark, but missed an opportunity to go even better when he ran out of time at his third attempt, at 177kg. “A simple matter of poor communication,” he said. His best clean and jerk of 204kg left him a combined total of 379kg, also beating his previous world record by 1kg. The total left him a clear winner after closest rivals Lu Haojie of China and South Korean Sa Jaehyouk — back from an injury that saw him miss three weeks training in the run up to the Games — both withdrew with arm injuries. Lu Haojie, however, still claimed silver with a total of 360kg (170, 190), a massive 19kg adrift. Cuban Ivan Cambar Rodriguez took bronze with an even more

China’s Lu Xiaojun celebrates during the men’s 77kg group A weightlifting event during the London 2012 Olympic Games at The Excel Centre in London on Wednesday. AFP/YURI CORTEZ

distant 349kg (155, 194). “We train every day with a punishing series of weights. It’s part of the method and

technique,” Lu Xiaojun said, adding that his silver medalwinning team-mate was a relative newcomer to the squad

and they were “not big acquaintances”. “It’s a real boost to have such a young and capable man behind me. “I feel absolutely amazing. Most of the records were my own to begin with, but I’m very happy.” 2010 world and European champion Tigran Martirosyan of Armenia was also a late withdrawal as he failed to weigh in. And the two more high-profile pull-outs just added to the excitement in a drama-filled competition at the sell-out 6,000-capacity ExCel Arena. Meanwhile, North Korea’s Rim Jong-Sim relied on her superior clean and jerk to win the women’s - 69kg class on Wednesday, the reclusive nation’s third gold of the Olympic weightlifting competition. Rim, 19, recorded a combined total of 261kg after snatching 115kg and registering a best in the clean and jerk of 146kg. Romanian Roxana Cocos took the silver medal with a total of 256kg (113, 143), while Belarus’ Maryna Shkermankova claimed the bronze medal with 256kg (113, 143).

NEWS BRIEFS Ye mentor speaks up An Australian mentor of Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen has slammed claims her achievements were fuelled by drugs, saying he was “100 per cent certain” the teenager was clean. The 16-year-old’s explosive win in the 400m medley in world record time drew allegations of doping from John Leonard, executive director of the World Swimming Coaches’ Association.

US boxing hit hard The lights went out on the United States’ bright start to the boxing at the Olympics as all three fighters lost to opponents from old Cold War foes Russia and Cuba. Joseph Diaz Junior lost a terrific bantamweight second round bout to Cuban world champion Lazaro Alvaro in what is likely to be his final bow on the amateur stage before turning professional.

Ding Ning triumphs Li Xiaoxia stunned Ding Ning to win women’s table tennis gold in a stormy, allChinese women’s singles ﬁnal which ended with the world number one in tears. Li won 11-8, 14-12, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4 at the ExCeL Arena as Ding, the world champion and favourite, wept and argued when she was repeatedly cautioned by the referee over her serving.

Italy, S Korea win

Song, Lucie’s wait comes to an end LONDON: Song Dae-Nam of South Korea and France’s Lucie Decosse, ended lengthy waits for Olympic gold with their victories in the men’s under-90kg and women’s under-70kg categories respectively on Wednesday. And while both have had to pick themselves up from many blows in the past before reaching this point, they got to the top of the podium by vastly different routes. Decosse, 30, has long been the darling of the French women’s team, announcing herself on the international stage by winning the prestigious Paris Grand Slam 11 years ago when still a teenager. Three world, four European titles

Cuba’s Asley Gonzalez Montero (white) competes with Korea’s Song Dae-Nam (blue) during their men’s -90kg judo final match AFP/FRANCK FIFE of the 2012 Games on Wednesday.

and an Olympic final later she arrived here as the overwhelming gold medal

favourite, although one who had twice before suffered Games heartache. AFP

New mum Kristin defends title LONDON: Kristin Armstrong capped her return to the sport following the birth of her baby by successfully defending the women’s Olympic time trial crown on Wednesday. The American, who returned to cycling after the birth of her baby nearly two years ago in a deliberate bid to defend her crown, then announced she’d taken part in her final competitive race. Armstrong clocked a time of 37min 34sec for the 29 km race. Arndt took the silver in 37:50 while Russia’s Olga Zabelinskaya, took her second medal of the Games. Meanwhile, in the men’s event Bradley Wiggins emerged victoriuos. He became Britain’s first ever winner of the Tour de France 10 days ago, and Olympic victory. AFP

Collated Olympic Games men’s volleyball results from Wednesday’s matches: Group A Great Britain 0 Italy 3 Algeria 0 Russia 3 Dominican Republic 0 Japan 3 Group B Brazil 0 South Korea 3 USA 3 China 0 Serbia 0 Turkey 3

Russia pips GB Olympic Games women’s basketball results on Wednesday: Preliminary rounds Great Britain 61 Russia 67 Australia 67 Brazil 61 China 76 Angola 52 Canada 60 France 64 Croatia 70 Czech Republic 89 United States 89 Turkey 58

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

GAMES BRIEFS Shimizu to appeal Japan have appealed against Satoshi Shimizu's defeat by Azeri Magomed Abdulhamidov in an Olympic bantamweight second round contest on Wednesday. Not only did Shimizu greet the result with disbelief, but so too did the 10,000 strong crowd at ringside at London's Excel Arena. Abdulhamidov was knocked down ﬁve times during the bout.

Oz thrash Spain World champions Australia routed Spain 5-0 in men's Olympic ﬁeld hockey, as hosts Great Britain were held by South Africa. The Netherlands also beat Belgium 3-1. India were outplayed by New Zealand, losing 3-1. Meanwhile Pakistan beat Argentina 1-0 and Germany beat South Korea 1-0 for their second win to join Netherlands at the top of Group B.

France, Brazil shine Olympic Games women's handball results on Wednesday saw a close game between Norway and South Korea. Results: Norway 27 South Korea 27 Montenegro 30 Angola 25 France 29 Sweden 17 Great Britain 17 Brazil 30 Spain 24 Denmark 21 Russia 28 Croatia 30

Team GB through Great Britain are through to the men's football quarterﬁnals after beating Uruguay 1-0. Brazil overpowered New Zealand 3-0. Egypt also reached the last eight with a 3-1 win over Belarus. Mexico recorded a 1-0 win over Switzerland while S Korea advanced despite a goalless draw against Gabon. Spain's miserable tournament ended with a goalless draw against Morocco.

Uchimura earns gymnastics crown TOM WILLIAMS Agence France-Presse LONDON: Japan's Kohei Uchimura crowned four years of dominance in male gymnastics by romping to the Olympic individual allaround title on Wednesday. Marcel Nguyen ended Germany's 76-year wait for a men's medal in the event by finishing second, with Danell Leyva of the United States claiming bronze. Since finishing second to China's Yang Wei in Beijing, Uchimura has won an unprecedented three consecutive individual world titles and he can now be considered one of the finest gymnasts in history. "I have been aiming for this and now I have achieved it, but it still feels like a dream," he said.

Dominant USA surge to women's team gold

he United States won the Olympic women's team gymnastics final on Tuesday to claim their first gold medal in the event since the 'Magnificent Seven' triumphed at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Russia, runners-up to the US at last year's World Championships, finished second, with Romania pipping China to the bronze.

"It felt a bit like revenge after the qualification and the team final. I wasn't watching any of the other competitors. I didn't even think about how they were doing." He had disappointed in qualifying, falling twice and producing only the ninth-best score of the day, while failing to inspire Japan to gold in the team event. But he grew in strength as the individual final progressed. After calmly negotiating the pommel horse and the rings, Uchimura produced a vault worth a score of 16.266 and impressed on both the parallel bars and the high bar, before clinching his maiden Olympic title on the floor. The 23-year-old finished with a score of 92.690 points to Nguyen's 91.031, with reigning world parallel bars champion Leyva on 90.698.

All eyes on Bolt-Blake duel LUKE PHILLIPS Agence France-Presse

LONDON: The countdown towards what is being hyped as the fastest race in history begins on Friday as the Olympic athletics gets under way with all eyes on the prospect of a thrilling 100m shootout. For the first time since the advent of electronic timing, the field for the blue riband event of the Games will comprise the four fastest men in history — champion Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay. Bolt rewrote the record books at the 2008 Beijing

Games with a dazzling sprint double that turned logic on its head and forced a recalibration of what had previously been thought humanly possi-

ble. The good news for the London organisers is that the ebullient 25-year-old is back, professing himself ready to mount a successful defence of

his 100m and 200m titles from four years ago in his bid to "become a legend". "I am the Olympic champion and I have to show the world I am the best," Bolt said on the eve of the Games. The even better news is that he will have a titanic battle on his hands, the first chinks in his armour revealed when he was beaten in both the 100 and 200m in the Jamaican Olympic trials by training partner Blake. Blake, crowned world champion in Daegu last year after Bolt sensationally false started in the final, is a serious gold medal contender. "My philosophy is that the sky's the limit," Blake said.

30-31

Adrian pips Magnussen as records tumble REBECCA BRYAN Agence France-Presse L O N D O N : American Nathan Adrian edged James Magnussen by a fingertip to win the Olympic 100m freestyle swimming gold Wednesday, just one of the thrillers on a night that saw two world records fall. Adrian clocked 47.52sec, beating the Australian sprint powerhouse by one one-hundredth of a second. "I have big hands, I guess," Adrian quipped of the margin of victory over Magnussen, who was fifth at the turn — two spots behind Adrian — but poured it on in the final 50m to make a race of it. "The second 50 was nervewracking," Adrian admitted of the chase to overtake pacesetting world record-holder Cesar Cielo. "I just swam my own race."

Rebecca Soni added another world record in the semi-finals of the women's 200m breaststroke, advancing in emphatic style in her defence of the title she won in Beijing.

SCHMITT ANCHORS US TO 4X200M FREE RELAY GOLD

US swimmer Nathan Adrian celebrates after winning the men's 100m freestyle at the Olympics on Wednesday in London. AFP/ C SIMON

Allison Schmitt ran down Alicia Coutts on the final leg on Wednesday as the United States emerged victorious in a duel with Australia for Olympic gold in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay. Missy Franklin, Dana Vollmer, Shannon Vreeland and Schmitt won in an Olympic record of 7min 42.92sec.

Chinese media hits out against ‘prejudice’ BEIJING: China's most inﬂuen-

GYURTA SETS WORLD RECORD IN 200M BREASTSTROKE Hungarian Daniel Gyurta got the evening off to a rollicking start with a world record victory in the men's 200m breaststroke.

Daniel Gyurta celebrates after breaking the world record in the men's 200m breaststroke at the Olympics on Wednesday in London. AFP

tial newspaper hit back against doping suspicions levelled at gold medal winning swimmer Ye Shiwen, accusing Western media of "deeply ingrained prejudice". The People's Daily Newspaper dismissed suspicions about Ye's performance as part of a campaign to discredit China's sporting progress. "Deeply ingrained prejudices lead some Western media into blind ignorance," the paper said.

PM’s gold wish comes true, finally LONDON: Prime Minister David Cameron's wish came true on Wednesday as host nation Great Britain won a first gold medal — at last — at the London Olympics. Britain had to wait till day five to strike gold, with rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning (left) taking the women's pair title. Within hours,

cyclist Bradley Wiggins won a second British gold as he dominated the time trial just 10 days after his historic victory in the Tour de France. Cameron was visiting the Giant's Causeway, the spectacular coastal rock formation in Northern Ireland, when he heard the news of the rowers' triumph. He said he was "delighted", calling it "an

absolutely fantastic effort". One of the stones at the causeway, worn away by visitors who sit in it for good luck, is known as the wishing chair. "I was sitting in the wishing chair, I was told I could make my wish," Cameron said. "I won't say what it was, but as soon as I got back to my mobile phone I had the good news. AFP

NEWS BRIEFS Federer in cruise mode Roger Federer moved into the quarter-ﬁnals with minimum fuss, while Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray had to dig deep to avoid third round exits. Federer recorded a 75, 6-3 win over Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin. Djokovic came from behind to beat Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Andy Murray beat Cyprus's Marcos Baghdatis 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Uzbek tests positive Traces of the banned diuretic furosemide have been found in the B sample provided by banned Uzbek gymnast Luiza Galiulina, the IOC said. Galiulina was provisionally suspended by the IOC on Sunday after a urine sample she provided on July 25 revealed the presence of the banned substance. Following the analysis, Galiulina was suspended.

Gold for Venezuela Olympic Games fencing podiums on Wednesday: Women individual sabre Gold: Kim Ji-Yeon (KOR) Silver: Sofya Velikaya (RUS) Bronze: Olga Kharlan (UKR) Men individual epee Gold: Ruben Limardo (VEN) Silver: Bartosz Piasecki (NOR) Bronze: Jung Jinsun (KOR)

Paes-Vardhan out Indian duo Leander Paes and Vishnu Vardhan were knocked out of the Olympic doubles on Wednesday after a 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-3 defeat against French second seeds JoWilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra. Bhupathi and Bopanna, seeded seventh suffered a shock 6-3, 6-4 second round defeat against France's Richard Gasquet and Julien Benneteau.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

sports

STIFF COMPETITION ON FOR CHESS SUPREMACY Five players Ramakrishna, Varun, K Teja, A Naik and A Lateef lead with 3 points each after round 3 of the AP (Inter-district) Youth Chess Championship held at the LB Stadium Tennis Complex. Sahajasri, K Sai Nirupama, Sandhya and Toshali share the lead with 3 points each among women.

WASHINGTON OPEN

SERIE A

Chinese invest in Inter The investors and Serie A club will together construct a new proprietary stadium expected to be completed by 2017.

Haas advances to quarterfinals WASHINGTON: Tommy Haas continued the run of form which has taken him from outside the top 200 to world No 36 as he beat Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 7-5 on Wednesday at the ATP/ WTA event in Washington. The 34-year-old German fourth seed is playing some of the best tennis of his career after finally regaining full potential following a hip operation last year. He is playing for keeps this week in the US capital

2nd round results (x denotes seeding) Women

n Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) bt Olga Govortsova (BLR x8) 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 n Jana Cepelova (SVK) bt

Edina Gallovits-Hall (ROM) 6-3, 6-4 Men n Tobias Kamke (GER) bt Marinko Matosevic (AUS) 6-4, 6-3 n Tommy Haas (GER) bt

Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 64, 7-5

as he tries to bury the disappointment of missing the London Olympics. The German federation refused to nominate him for wild card tournament consideration. Haas lined up a quarter-final clash with compatriot Tobias Kamke, who earned a revenge win over Marinko Matosevic, 6-4, 63. The Australian had beaten Kamke last week in Los Angeles. Haas, who defeated Roger Federer to win at Halle in June, improved his 2012 record to 21-9. AFP

SOUTH AFRICA IN ENGLAND Smith aims for 1st slot

South Africa will take the number one ranking from England if they win Test 2. LEEDS: South African captain Graeme Smith on Wednesday said the current Proteas team were the best group of men he had been involved with and were determined to become the best Test team in the world. “I’m not going to try to be nice about it, we are training every day to try to be that team,” Smith said on the eve of the second Test against England at

Headingley. “We need to walk that walk and go out to the middle and win those games to prove that to people. Our mindset is that we would love to be holders of that title.” Smith, who has captained South Africa since 2003, was asked whether the current team was the best he had led. “I think so,” was his reply. AFP

ROME: Italy’s Inter Milan football club said on Wednesday that they have reached an agreement with Chinese investors who are set to become the company’s second largest shareholder and invest in a new stadium. “Internazionale Holding Srl announces that today it has reached an agreement which envisages the acquisition of a stake in FC Internazionale SpA by a group of

Chinese investors,” the club said in a statement. Inter owner and oil tycoon Massimo Moratti told SKY Sport 24 that he was “extremely pleased about this deal.” The club said the Moratti family “will retain control of the company while the group of Chinese investors will became the second largest shareholder.” It did not specify the size of the stake the investors will take.

SKY Sport 24 reported that the investors will take at least a 20 per cent stake of the company, for a minimum value of 200 million euros ($244 million). The China Railway 15th Bureau Group, controlled by the China Railway Construction Corporation, will put their engineering skills and investment into a new stadium in Milan, as well as helping spread the brand in Asia. AFP