Postnoon E-Paper for 12 July 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

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THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012 HYDERABAD

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WINTER IS COMING There are some franchises you can’t get enough of. Ice Age being a case in point. With Continental Drift set to hit screens this weekend, we take a look at our favourite characters from the Ice Age universe as well as give you a preview of what to expect from the latest instalment.

32 PAGES

BLOOD

AND

TEARS

In seven out of 10 houses in Old City, there is a woman who is a victim of domestic violence. A women’s organisation fights to change the mindset of the society and empower the silent victims. REPORT ON PG 6 M ANIL KUMAR

Jr NTR’S OFFICE ATTACKED Actor Junior NTR’s office at Film Nagar came under attack by unidentified persons last night. Glass panes were broken but no other damage was reported. However, the incident created a sensation as crowds gathered before the office in the morning demanding action against the culprits. No formal complaint was lodged with the police till noon. Banjara Hills inspector Chandrasekhar Goud told Postnoon that investigation so far revealed a bike-borne duo threw rocks at the office and sped away. This was conveyed to him by the nightwatchman of the complex. The actor is currently in Italy.

Page Two

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

COLOURFUL TRADITIONS

Cloth paper scissors An exhibition featuring mixed media paintings and sculptures is being held till July 12. Where: Iconart, Banjara Hills, Rd No10 When: Ongoing, 11.30am onwards Contact: 98499 68797

Documentary time A documentary screening will be held at Lamakaan on July 14. The two documentaries being screened are Call Cutta by Anjan Dutt and There is something in the air by Iram Ghufran. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: July 14, 7pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

Art affair An exhibition featuring artistes such as Thota Vaikuntam, Rajeshwar Rao, Anjani Reddy, D Shanti and PJ Stalin will be held on July 20. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: July 20, 6pm onwards Contact: (040) 6666 2323

Art works A painting exhibition featuring the new works of artistes Laxma Goud, Vaikuntam Thota and Ramesh Gorjala is being held. Where: Gallery Space, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6554 1836

Musical evening Boondhon ka Paigam, a yearly monsoon musical event will be held on July 12. The event being held at HICC will feature performances by Kavita Seth and Jaswinder Singh. Where: Hyderabad Marriott and convention centre, Tank Bund When: July 12, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Eagle Riders Eagle Riders, a contemporary rock band from Hyderabad who have been active since 2008. They will be performing live at Hard Rock Cafe on July 12. Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: July 12,

CINEMAS

Woman prepare the tradiitonal thotelas for Bonalu in Old City.

9pm onwards Contact: (040) 6463 6375

Parantha festival Haldi at Novotel Airport is hosting a parantha festival titled Parantha Overload. The parantha festival on till August 15, offers a variety of paranthas in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian combinations. Where: Novotel Airport, Shamshabad When: Ongoing, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6625 0000

A double life Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation presents A Double Life: An Evening with Alyque. Catch Mohammad Ali Baig in conversation with Alyque Padamsee. Where: HICC, Hitec City When: July 15, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 6616 3000

Stand-up act Head to Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre on July 18 for a fun filled evening with a live standup act by Dan Nainan.

N SHIVA KUMAR

Where: Novotel and HICC Complex, Madhapur, Hitec City When: July 18, 8.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422

Alliance Francaise. The film deals with the life of two young women. Where: Alliance Francaise, Marredpally When: July 20, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2770 0734

Art-de-konj

Living with the masters

A painting exhibition depicting artist Aiyudha Pooja Kapurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion for horses is on display at Muse Art Gallery till July 20. Where: Muse Art Gallery, Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

An exhibition of paintings by artistes such as Akbar Padamsee, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Ganesh Pyne, Jagdish Swaminathan, K G Subramanyan, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, S H Raza, Tyeb Mehta is being held at Kalakriti Art Gallery. Where: Kalakriti Art Gallery, Banjara Hills When: July 18 onwards, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466

Being eunuch Being Eunuch, a play highlighting the plight and problems of eunuchs in the country will be presented by Nishumbita on July 13. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad When: July 13, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245

French film The French film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort will be screened at

Kuchipudi performance A Kuchipudi dance performance will be presented by Dr. Kamala Reddy and Soumya Rajupet on July 31 at Ravindra Bharathi. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad When: July 18, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245

Big Cinemas, Ameerpet: 30581470; Cinemax, Banjara Hills: 44565555; Cine Planet , Kompally: 61606060; INOX, Banjara Hills: 44767777; Prasads, Tank Bund Rd: 23448888; PVR, Punjagutta: 8800900009; Talkie Town, Miyapur: 40214175; Tivoli, Secunderabad: 27844973

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Woman knifed by auto driver A mother of three is battling for life after her neighbour, who is also a father of three children, attacked her for refusing to accept his marriage proposal Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

sharath Jahan, 29, a married woman with three children who lived at Begumpet’s Indramma Nagar, has done no wrong to anyone. But now she is in hospital with multiple

THE VICTIM, ISHARATH JAHAN, USED TO HIRE SAYED GHOUSE’S AUTO TO GO TO THE MARKET SOMETIMES. SHE HAD NO OTHER LINK WITH HIM NOR DID SHE ENCOURAGE HIS ADVANCES, CLAIM THE POLICE. injuries after an autorikshaw driver in the neighbourhood who had taken a fancy to her attacked her when she turned down his marriage proposal. The attacker, Sayed Ghouse, is also a

father of three children. Narrating the incident to Postnoon, Bowenpally inspector RB Rangaiah Naidu said, “Isharath is married to Masoon Shareef who works in a private

company. She works as a maid. The couple has three children. Ghouse, an auto driver in the neighbourhood, claimed he loved her. She pointed out she is married and he too is married, so

the proposal was not possible. Besides, she said, she did not have any special feelings for him.” Isharath used to hire Ghouse’s auto to go to the market or school sometimes. She had no other link with him, nor did she encourage his advances, the inspector said. The man, despite being married with three children, had no qualms in asking her to give up her family and live with him, he added. On Sunday, Isharath had engaged Ghouse’s vehicle for some work. He took her to a military dairy farm in Bowenpally and attacked her with a knife. Screaming and bleeding, she managed to free herself from his clutches and run. Some passersby notified the police and called an ambulance. Investigations revealed that Ghouse claimed he was madly in love with Isharath but she had not reciprocated. Desperate, he wanted to kill her. However, after the attack, he is absconding.

NEWS BRIEFS Biker snatches senior citizen’s gold chain

senior citizen who stepped out of her house early on Thursday morning to discard some kitchen waste in the dustbin on the road was in for a nasty surprise when a passing biker snatched her gold chain. According to the police, Baswamma, 65, was coming out of her home at Boudealishah-ki-khidki in Dabeerpura area with a pail of waste when a biker whizzed past her, snatching her gold chain weighing 6.5 tolas. The Dabeerpura police has registered a case and investigations are on. Unfortunately, the lady failed to make a note of the license number of the miscreant’s description in the melee. The incident created an uproar in the neighbourhood.

Foetus found on Lakdikapul footpath

edestrians were horrified to find a male foetus right on the footpath at Lakdikapul on Thursday morning. The foetus, which was wrapped in cloth, was placed in the middle of the path. Passersby who discovered the bundle informed the police. The Saifabad police reached the spot and shifted the foetus to Osmania Hospital for post-mortem and disposal.

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Pillars for lake, fencing for govt land LAKES Mohd Nizamuddin feedback@postnoon.com

ith the shrinking of lakes in the City and encroachment of their banks the GHMC has resolved to construct concrete pillars and fencing around the lakes. Before adopting the resolution the Standing Committee members had inspected nallahs and tanks in various localities in City. Their protection has become a priority for the corporation. The standing committee meeting, held on Wednesday, focused mostly on this subject. The Full Tank Level (FTL) around the lakes will be protected by constructing concrete pillars, while fencing will be done for the government lands to prevent encroachment. “FTL lands consist of both government and private lands.

The GPRS and GIS Survey maps along with reports of the lakes will be provided to the corporators concerned,” GHMC com-

missioner, Krishna Babu said. “A survey will be conducted to study if effluent from industries or residential colonies are

BJP urges CM to increase medical seats in State

Dengue fever reported Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

day after Postnoon reported about the lack of entomologists in the City, the first dengue fever case of the season is reported from home minister Sabitha Indra Reddy’s Tandur Assembly constituency in which a seven-yearold student has been admitted to Niloufer

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

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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: Commissioner & Spl Officer 23262266

Hosptial on Saturday. The case came to light when the girl fell unconscious. Her parents shifted her to the nearest government hospital where the doctor on duty suspected it to be some malarial type of infection and advised the parents to shift her to a children’s hospital in Tandur. But the hospital failed to treat her properly and as her condition worsened she was taken to the Nilofer hospital. Her parents are labourers. Dr Satish Babu, physician, said she was suffering from dengue and was critical. Dengue being a dreaded disease, the news of her contracting the illness has the villagers worried.

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released into storm water drains,” he said, while responding to the complaints made by the committee members. The

haratiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday urged the State government to take an initiative to increase medical seats and improve infrastructural facilities in the existing medical colleges. A BJP delegation, led by party State president G Kishan Reddy, met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy at the Secretariat and submitted a memorandum in this regard. Speaking to the media after meeting the CM, Kishan Reddy said that the Medical Council of India (MCI) in 2011 had issued a notification to increase medical seats to 250 in each college. But due to lack of facilities as per rules, except Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and Vijayawada medical colleges, all other medical colleges have failed to increase the seats. As the MCI denied the

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 Hospitals, Musheerabad Care Hospital, Sec-bad Kamineni Hospital,

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inspection by the committee of the industrial areas took place on Tuesday. A group of Standing Committee members, inspected the industrial areas in and around Sanathnagar, Fatehnagar, Khaitan culvert, Deendayal Nagar, Ferozguda, Navjeevannagar and Subhashnagar. According to the committee members, the Gampa Basthi, Subhash Nagar, Supreme Prince Factory were directly dumping wastage in the storm water drains. One of the biggest problems pointed out by the group who visited various sites was dumping wastage by butcher shops in polythene bags by the management. The mayor Mohd Majid Hussain directed the additional commissioner (Health & Sanitation) to initiate stern action against these offenders and seize the butcher shops if they do not comply the notices of GHMC.

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

increase in seats in Osmania, Gandhi, Kakatiya, Guntur and Kakinada medical colleges, students State suffered. It was unfortunate that Gandhi and Osmania Medical Colleges, which were located in the State capital have failed to get permission for additional seats. The government should immediately release funds to these colleges to improve the infrastructure and facilities in them. The government should also bring pressure on the MCI to increase seats in these medical colleges. He has appealed to the government to take immediate steps for one new medical college in each district. Reminding that a total of 5,500 seats are available, he demanded that steps be taken by the CM to create another 2,000 seats this year. NSS

AIRLINES Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec’bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999

UK Visa Office VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7 Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum

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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

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The mystery continues POLITICS

Surendran.pk@postnoon.com

ust a week left for the D-Day, the opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh, are still holding the cards close to their chest on the presidential election. Neither the TDP, the TRS, nor the YSRC has made it clear who they will vote for — Pranab Mukherjee or PA Sangma. While this is the situation, the TRS voting for the UPA nominee on the belief of the Congress obliging its demand for Telangana soon met with an unexpected block. Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy’s stance yesterday that the T-decision may be delayed for various reasons put a question mark on the TRS vote. The chief whip GV Ramana Reddy was virtually pleading when he said yesterday he hoped the TRS will vote for Pranab. Reddy also has let the cat out on Congress-TRS unwritten understanding. His statement betrayed it as much when he said that the

PM’s plan for minorities: State sets up four panels n pursuance of the guidelines issued by the Centre for the Prime Minister’s new 15point programme for welfare of minorities, the State government has constituted four sub-committees under the chairmanship

PK Surendran

pink party chief K Chandrasekhara Rao has expressed his willingness to ‘cooperate’ with the Congress in all respects after the formation of the Telangana state. But the chief minister’s indication that Telangana decision will not be forthcoming soon after the presidential election has put cold waters on the boiling dreams of the T camp, reports say. KCR is already telling his cadres to keep quiet as a decision would be under way soon. And, this has emboldened him to upbraid the TJAC leader Prof Kodandaram not to take the JAC to the BJP camp. “If the T decision is delayed, he (KCR) is done in. He’s gambling with the Congress,” remarked a state BJP leader.

As for YSRC, it is still not clear if it wants to go with the Congress though the MIM chief Asasuddin Owaisi has had a personal tete-atete with the YSRC president Jagan Mohan Reddy in jail on this issue. What deal the two have reached is not known. Presidential election being on a secret ballot surprise could happen and the YSRC may not vote en bloc, it is surmised. Jagan’s anger at the Congress for first depriving him what he thought his rightful place (chief ministership) and then imprisoning him are too much to be forgotten. This could mean an advantage for Sangma by default. Besides, Sangma is Christian, though the church is unhappy he sided with the BJP.

Indiramma Baata to be Opposition’s ammo

THE OFFICERS DESIGNATED SHALL ATTEND THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING EVERY MONTH AND SUBMIT REPORTS TO THE SECRETARY OF MINORITIES WELFARE, WHO WILL REVIEW THE DECISIONS TAKEN AT THE STATE LEVEL MEETING. of secretary of minorities welfare department to assist the State level committee. According to a GO, it was considered necessary to constitute four sub-committees. The officers designated/the heads of departments of the organisations concerned shall attend the sub-committee meeting every

month and submit progress reports to the secretary, minorities welfare, who will review the decisions taken at the State level committee meeting, implementation and progress of such decisions. The four sub-committees are: Sub-committee on enhancing opportunities for education. It will study equitable availability of ICDS services, improving access to school education Sarvasiksha Abhiyan, Kasturba Gandhi Balika, Greater Resources for teaching Urdu, modernising Madarasa education, scholarships to meritorious students from minority communities, Pre-Matric scholarships and Post-Matric scholarships, improving education and infrastructure through the Moulana Azad Education Foundation. The sub-committee on improving living conditions of minorities will look into the matters of equitable share and Rural Housing Scheme and improvement in condition of slums inhabited by Minority communities. NSS

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he pet programme of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy Indiramma Baata scheduled to be launched on July 14 will be platform for opposition political parties to launch their protest highlighting the failures of the State government. Opposition political parties like TDP, YSRC and left parties are gearing up to raise glaring public problems like frequent and scheduled power cuts, farmers’ problems during the ongoing monsoon, the imminent drought and corner the chief minister. Speaking to Postnoon, TDP leader R Prakash Reddy said that they would use this opportunity to corner the chief minister especially on the ongoing crisis in electricity department which is wreaking havoc on people of the State. “The CM has completely failed in serving the people of the State. His statement on the power crisis is completely condemn able. We will hold protest programmes for the solution of these public problems and hold dharnas to solve people’s problems,” he said. On the other hand, YSR Congress is also planning to corner the State ministers during the Indira Baata. YSR Congress leader Jupudi Prabhakar Rao said that the party would raise problems faced by the public by submitting representations at village

5 Jupudi Prabhakar Rao and mandal levels. “We will use this opportunity. Our motto is to see that public problems are solved. In order to solve these problems we will raise these issues at village and mandal levels,” he said. Kiran Kumar Reddy has decided to launch Indira Baata with the main objective of monitoring implementation of the State government’s welfare programmes. These programmes include Arogysri, 104 and 108 services, interest free loans to farmers, SHGs, Mee-Seva scheme and NREGS programmes. Apart from the CM, the cabinet ministers will also participate. As part of the programme, the CM has directed the ministers to cover 100 Assembly constituencies in one month.

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Old City’s dangerous homes In seven out of every ten houses in Old City, there is a woman who is a victim of domestic abuse. A women’s organization fights to change the mindset of society and empower the women who suffer as silent victims Cases of domestic violence dealt with and support given

WOMEN Anubha K Singh

No of cases registered (April 2011 – March 2012)

anubha.k@postnoon.com

150

“I

was married at a young age. I didn’t know anything about marriage nor did I know who I was getting married to. But I was happy because my parents were happy. I had no idea what I was getting into and suffered terribly for it,” said Sultana, with tears in her eyes. The scars and bruises on her face tell her story. This isn’t only Sultana’s story; there are many like her in the bylanes of Old City. In seven out of every ten houses in Old City, there is a woman who is a victim of domestic violence. Hyderabad, named after Hyder Mahal and known for its beauty, is sadly turning into one of the most dangerous cities for its own women. Old City, which is known for traditional Hyderabadi culture and a treasure trove of sights, aromas and tastes. has, in recent years, earned notoriety for the increase in the number of domestic violence cases in the area. In the congested bylanes of Sultan Shahi in Old City lies Shaheen, a women’s resource and welfare centre. The organisation has been a ray of hope for many women in the area. Jameela Nishat, the driving force behind the organisation, gave up a secure Central government job to change people’s mindset and fight for the rights of women living in Old City. But the journey has not been easy for her. Running a women welfare organisation in an area where men still believe that it is their right to harm women physically and girls are treated as disposable commodities has been difficult for her. “There was and still is a lot of opposition from the in-laws and husbands of the victims. Many a time, husbands file cases against us, stating that we are misleading their wives and women in their family. There are many obstacles; people do not let our workers enter their house and counsel the women. We were attacked many times for raising questions about the dominance of men,” said Nishat, the chief functionary officer. She distinctly remembers a day when a group of 25 men came to her centre and began accusing her of liberating their women. The argument lasted for more than two hours, but in the end, she succeeded in convincing them to leave. “Our women volunteers visit the houses only when the husband or the in-laws are not present. Even if the in-laws are present, we try to talk about other subjects so that the volunteers can talk to the women or the victim and counsel her. There were days when we used to receive a lot of threatening calls. Now however, this has decreased with the help of the police. However, the mindset of the men is still the same in the locality; they come home drunk, they fight, they argue and blame us for the wrong reasons. There are innumerable times when we are accused falsely of forcing girls to do illegal work. They claim

Number of cases reconciled

74 Counselling support extended to

2 Medical support extended to

1 Linking to a lawyer/advocate

10 Shelter home linkage

2 Vocational training support or linking to some economic activity within or outside the district

545 Filing DIRs with Pos

8 No of Cases convicted under PWDV Act

1 Shaheen registers ten cases of domestic violence daily. Out of 1,000 houses visited, there were 945 cases of domestic violence. There has been a 35 per cent increase in domestic violence cases since 2005. Majority of cases are registered by girls between 20 and 25 years of age.

N SHIVA KUMAR

The volunteers of Shaheen help empower the abused women of Old City

we make money by using women and so on. Shaheen symbolises a falcon, which flies at a high altitude. The aim, therefore, is to free women from a repressive social culture and help them rise above it. No matter how hard it is, we will strive till our last breath,” Nishat added. The volunteers said that there is little or no help from the police in the area. They also complain that the judicial process is very slow, which is why most of the cases are settled through counselling. In fact, the police often ask the victims to just make adjustments and continue their old life. Shaheen has dedicated workers who visit houses to try and find out the status of women there and counsel them if needed. Most of the Shaheen volunteers are young, enterprising and bold women who were once subjected to domestic violence by their loved ones. Despite objections from society and the community residing in Old City, the organisation continues to strive hard to empower the women in the locality. Shaheen holds vocational training courses like sewing, henna application and tailoring for the women who are attacked in their homes. Educational courses and tuitions are also provided to those who discontinued their studies. For many girls and women in the Old City, Shaheen is the only place that taught them to fight back against domestic violence.

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JAC calls for bandh on July 17

he Students Joint Action Committee has appealed to educational institutions to cooperate with it in organising a bandh on July 17 on the problems faced by the education sector. Protesting against the government’s apathy to students’ problems, organisations released a wall poster. They have demanded food, books and uniforms for all. NSS

Khan vows to tame the dragon At the helm of Asia’s largest transport network (APSRTC), AK Khan has big plans for the 1.25 lakh strong staff. It all begins with a ‘zero accident week’ from Monday

TRANSPORT Md Nizamuddin feedback@postnoon.com

he erstwhile commissioner of police and now managing director of the APSRTC has a dream — to make the RTC drivers physically fit and mentally alert so that they can ferry passengers safely to their destination. Many say he is asking for the moon. But Khan who commanded the 10,000 City constabulary with aplomb is not to be dissuaded. What if the RTC has 1.25 lakh employees? He could manage them. So he has ordered a ‘zero accident week’ to be observed from July 16. The first requisite will be a strict diet regimen for all, especially drivers, followed by a medical checkup, yoga and games. An important aspect being attempted is a behavioural change — attracting passengers, stop and pickup, better conduct from staff and increasing buses by scheduling timetable on profitable routes. It’s a perennial complaint that the RTC drivers are boorish, do not bother to pick and drop passengers to their convenience thus driving a chunk of passengers to the private buses. This attitude has also contributed, besides others, to the ever increasing loss to the corporation. It has an accumulated a loss of `3,500 crore. Being a cop at heart, Khan has put safety first in his agenda, the prerequisite of which is an alert staff. Khan says that only a healthy

M ANIL KUMAR

driver can ensure safety to the passengers. All the employees of RTC will focus on strict diet regime, most importantly the drivers should also attend ‘yoga classes’. Sickly, pot-bellied drivers invite trouble. Imagine what will happen if a driver gets at the wheels after a sumptuous biryani! What to eat and how much, will be taught. Another focus area will be to improve the condition of 4,000 PHB (private-hired buses). The RTC is hoping to bring these buses on par with RTC-norms.

On safety record “This year, the RTC has made the best safety record of 0.08 per cent on the overall route of 1 lakh kilometers. This is the best safety record, amongst all the public sector undertakings,” exudes AK Khan. “Compared to private operators, we have a rigorous selection system and good training. Moreover a refresher course is conducted at regular intervals,” he adds.

Mazdoor union strike from August 14 About the looming threat of strike by the mazdoor union, AK Khan agreed that some of their demands are legitimate and ought to be met. Talks have already been initiated. Some of their demands can be partly addressed and some may not, he hinted.

On curbing losses

The RTC has recorded `585 crore in loss in losses 2011 and `3,500 crores as accumulated loss. “Each day close to `2 crore is the loss,” says AK

AN IMPORTANT ASPECT BEING ATTEMPTED IS A BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE — ATTRACTING PASSENGERS, STOP AND PICKUP, BETTER CONDUCT FROM STAFF AND INCREASING BUSES BY SCHEDULING TIMETABLE ON PROFITABLE ROUTES.

Khan. Few of the important reasons he cites are low occupancy ratio (OR) and non-compliance of fuel efficiency standards. Another reason is the private buses, which are actually contract carriages, but are running as stage carriages. To curb this trend, the

transport department has conducted raids and strategy has helped in controlling the problem. Thirty AMVIs (assistant motor vehicle inspectors) are on deputation from police department to curb the menace. By engaging them on operational routes taken by some others illegally, the RTC is reducing the loss. According to AK Khan, out of 28,000 villages in the State, 23,000 villages are of service priority and the remaining 5,000 are left out. This means that the RTC has to look into providing for the remaining villages.

New fleet Some good quality buses will be part of RTC services. Some 2,000 new buses will part of the service in the coming days. 1,220 old buses would be replaced with 780 new ones.

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SRINIVAS SETTY

Creating wonders with wood Sudeshna Koka sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

or the first time in Hyderabad, print and painting would be clubbed together in the form of wood cut paintings. Iconart Gallery is one of the unique art residencies which has participants from all over the country. At present there are 20 artists learning the craft and making the paintings. “It’s a great place to integrate print and painting. We have been making these wood paintings for the last few weeks and it’s a one of a kind experience. We get to learn a lot from seniors and our creativity is also enhanced,” says Santosh Kotagari, a University of Hyderabad student. The whole process of making a wood cut painting takes more than a week. Artists believe that the art scene in Hyderabad is highly commercialised and this initiative will bring about contemporary movement which is not present in the City.

“As an artist it’s important for us to travel and meet new people, understand new cultures and face new challenges. Unless we do not travel we won’t grow. So coming here is a great change and this definitely shows in my work. There is more depth and focus,” said Dinesh Pimple, an artist from Nagpur. To make wood art, special tools are used. A special technique is used to carve and paint. “This idea was generated as we wanted to mix style and subject. I am sure Hyderabad will accept wood art which is an old medium being reintroduced,” said Dr Avani Rao Gandra, curator of Iconart. These wood arts will be on sale by the end of this month. The prices will range from `20,000 to `50,000.

17,321.87 167.27

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Matters of saving and spending

Affordable tabs gain ground

POUND THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012 9 NUMEROLOGY

$667mn

is what Vodaphone would pay Australian telecom giant Telstra to buy its New Zealand subsidiary TelstraClear.

Prudhvi Raju K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

t is always believed quality does not come cheap but the recent and upcoming tablet launches by different companies has proved quality is affordable. The strong technical configuration of tablets is enabling faster computing without being hard on the customer’s pocket. Micromax Funbook, TabPlus Ginger and newly launched Zen Ultratab A100 are the few budget tablets that hit the market (Price: `6,000-6,500). The City based Celkon Technologies is to launch a new tablet CT-1 at around `6,000 in the market last week of this month . The company is aiming to take the pie of not only budget tablets but also premium tablets market. It did not limit itself to have good technical configuration and sleekness but also is developing applications that are free and exclusive to the tablet buyers. “We did not limit ourselves to the applications that are available on Android store. We developed applications in house by third party IT companies. My Tutor is an application that helps students to get prepared for AICET (common engineering entrance exam) and CAT. “The application designed to works offline without having internet connectivity and helps the students to take mock tests. The application will conduct fresh mock tests with out repeating the questions that were asked. It also forces students to answer the questions in specific time as in the entrance examination. “It also helps students to constantly review his performance in

`86.23

AWARD Hyderabad Management Association (HMA) has awarded T Muralidharan, founder and chairman, TMI Group as the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2012 Small Scale’ for his contribution in the field of human resource and skill management

AGREEMENT

UbiSlate 7+ (Resistive Touch Screen) different subjects of the exam. The coding is optimised in such a way that huge number of questions (app) has taken only 100MB space of the tablet. It also has other inhouse apps on entertainment, gaming and business,” said Y Guru, MD Celkon. The company is manufacturing 20,000 tablets of CT-1 and CT-2 (which is priced around `7,000 with 3G sim facility) for initial launch and based on the response, it will plan to increase its volumes. “Earlier, people had to go with brands as there was no choice and range for them. However, things are different now. For instance, we have got huge response for A95 (smart phone at `5,299) and sold out 20,000 phones in less than a month. It is a tough task even for an international brand to sell those many numbers. This proves that people are not simply brand loyal for international brands but

n n n n n n n

Device: `3,499 (Optional Internet: `98/mo. on Aircel) Cortex A8 - 800 Mhz 256MB Flash Memory: 2GB Expandable up to 32GB Battery: 3,000 mAh OS: Android 2.3 Network: WiFi and GPRS (SIM & Phone functionality)

they are also looking for quality and price. We try to give much better configuration, compared to international brand at a given price point. Some of the international brands may charge `12,000 for a similar configuration of CT-1 tablet,” he said. Talking about the standards on quality, he said, “There are only few companies in the world that manufacture different parts of a tablet. We also get parts from top

companies, where even some of the international brands are sourcing parts for their tablet manufacturing. We could offer a tablet at a lower price because of thin margins and are having control over marketing budgets and costs of the operations. However for international brands, the marketing budget is huge which has to be retuned through the sale,” he added. Datawind (manufactures of Aakash) is busy in meeting the pre booked orders and is trying to clear the backlog bookings of Ubislate 7+, which is priced at `3,499. The city-based VMC systems, which is located at Maheshwaram, (technology hardware park) is increasing its capacities to meet the demands. “Currently, we manufacture 1,000 units per day and we expect to reach 4,000 units per day by end of quarter. We have to supply close to 1 lakh tablets and we already delivered little more than 10,000 tablets.” said B Venkataramana, executive director, VMC Systems. On the quality, he added,”I personally believe this is a well designed product, with the right amount of features for this price point, and offers excellent valuefor-money.”

CELKON CT-1 Device: Around `6,000 Android 4.0.32 1.2 GHz processor 3,000mAh battery 7” screen/ 5 point multi touch screen 512 MB RAM Dual Camera 0.3Mp front/ 2 MP rear 3G dongle connectivity WIFI 802.11 b/g/n HDMI out 480p/720p/1080p 4GB Internal Memory/ 32GB expandable memory

Hotel Golkonda has signed an affiliation agreement with World Hotels AG of Germany, a hotel conglomerate with 450 unique independent hotels. With this tieup, the hotel will comply with the brand standards of World Hotels in product and services. The hotel will also benefit from access to 32 sales offices globally and from tie-ups with airlines promotions and credit card promotions.

Infy profit up 33 pc I

nfosys Technologies Ltd has reported a net profit of `2,289 crore for first quarter of this fiscal registering a 33 per cent year-on-year (YoY) growth. In a regulatory filing, the IT bellwether said its consolidated revenue for Q1 increased 29 per cent YoY to `9,616 crore. Under the International Financial Reporting Standards, the company’s net income in dollar terms, however, increased marginally 8.3 per cent YoY to $416 million and revenue by 4.8 per cent YoY to $1.75 billion. The company lowered its revenue guidance for this fiscal in dollar earnings as its YoY growth is projected to be less than it was expected in April. The company said revenue for this fiscal would grow 5 per cent (YoY) to $7.34 billion as against $7.6 billion projected at the beginning of this fiscal, with 9 per cent YoY growth as per the International Financial Reporting Standards.

India‑View

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

India unveiled

Shocking tales of child abuse Ammu Kannampilly

series of sex abuse scandals at orphanages and shelters in India has sounded alarms over the management of children’s homes, many of which operate with little or no public oversight. Criminal charges against staff at a number of homes have highlighted what activists say is a pervasive culture of violence that begins with carers abusing their wards and ends with older children assaulting younger children. In a case that attracted national media attention, a post mortem on an 11-year-old girl who died of vomiting and diarrhoea in a home in Delhi last December, showed that she had also been repeatedly sexually abused. Police opened an investigation into the running of the Arya Anathalaya home and requested the assistance of a local non-profit, the Haq Centre for Child Rights. “Our first impression was that it was a clean, big place, with well-fed kids,” said Bharti Ali, cofounder of the Haq centre. “Then we spoke to the children and many told us they got beaten up regularly by the wardens,” she told AFP. The Haq centre recommended a series of institutional changes, all of which were rejected by the management. Police have since filed rape charges against a 25-year-old security

Pooja, the mother of an 11-year-old girl who died in a New Delhi children’s home in December 2011, cries as her son Ujala looks, at her rented home in New Delhi. AFP/ SAJJAD HUSSAIN guard at the home as well as a 14year-old boy ward. Both maintain their innocence. In May this year, a team from the National Council for the Protection of Child Rights inspected another children’s shelter just outside New Delhi where they uncovered what their report described as a “reign of terror.” The report detailed allegations of sexual molestation by staff members, regular beatings and psychological abuse. The shelter was closed down and seven people subsequently arrested, including the owner and her son-in-law. No oversight India has a poor record of

investigating and sentencing those implicated in child abuse cases. The most high-profile verdict saw two British men sentenced to six years in jail in March 2011 — 10 years after charges were first filed — for abusing several young boys at a children’s shelter they ran in Mumbai. Anant Kumar Asthana, a lawyer who advises juvenile homes on legal compliance, says India is home to a huge number of institutions that operate with virtually no oversight. “The total number of institutions with children is impossible to quantify, because so many evade classification. They just run things on their own,” he told AFP.

India’s 2000 Juvenile Justice Act provides a roadmap for management to tackle abuse taking place inside institutions, but many privately-run homes resist registration. According to Asthana, the problem is compounded by the absence of well-trained and educated staff. “The counsellors, field workers who work with children, many of them haven’t even finished high school. They are easily overwhelmed when kids misbehave,” he said. “They think it’s good to instill fear or the children won’t listen to you,” he said. “When a child misbehaves, other kids are encouraged to hit him as punishment.” While many children in the homes are orphans, a sizeable number are also from families with an absent father and a mother who has to work and cannot provide adequate care. Such was the case with the 11-year-old girl who died in the Arya Anathalaya home in December. She was placed in the home four years ago by her then 24-year-old mother, Pooja who, with three other children, felt unable to cope after her husband walked out on the family. Broken system Krinna Shah, a social worker with 17 years of experience, and a former member of a child welfare committee in east Delhi said the system was broken. “There is no effort to protect children at all. And when something goes wrong, the option is usually to

displace the kid further. Instead the management should be removed,” she told AFP. She cited a case when she recommended the closure of a shelter in Delhi where children were not given adequate clothing or bathed properly, but her suggestions were ignored by senior government officials. “The state is happy giving licenses to NGOs, because then they don’t have to take care of the kids themselves,” she said. Where abuse does occur, the children are often extremely fearful and reluctant to approach anyone with complaints, and critics say current legislation does not have stringent enough provisions to tackle the problem. In the case of the Arya Anathalaya home, a courtappointed judicial committee comprising a district judge and two social workers visited the shelter. Their report, filed in May, said the home was functioning well and no further action was required. In 2009, a five-year-old girl said she was attacked at Arya Anathalaya and a medical examination established that she was sexually abused. Nitinjay Chaudhry, the general secretary of the home, insisted that the allegations were fabricated. “She was not abused. It didn’t happen,” he said, arguing that the “fantastical” charges were part of a conspiracy to destroy the institution and take over the property.

Abandoned HIV+ woman finds succour “H

azaribagh in Jharkhand.” These are the words HIV positive Roohi, 20, has been repeating since she was found writhing in labour pain at the New Delhi Railway Station two months ago. Abandoned by her in-laws, the woman went from the streets to the hospitals, ending up at a shelter for homeless and mentally ill women. Weighing just 28 kg, Roohi was heavily pregnant when found by a woman at the station on a searing May afternoon. In the days that followed, she faced the reality of being abandoned, losing her 17day-old baby and being told that she was HIV positive. “His (her husband’s) name is Horam. He is a farmer,” the petite girl told the IANS correspondent at the Sudinayala shelter in old Delhi’s Kabir Basti. Resting her bony arms on a table and settling her tiny frame on a large wooden chair, she said, “My brother-in-law had asked me to wait at the railway station; he

never returned” — and lapsed into silence. Her hair tied neatly, clad in a hazy pink kurta and white slacks, Roohi listens closely to the conversations around her, constantly fidgeting with her fingers. There is hope writ large on her face for any bit of information that will take her back to the life she lived before undertaking the journey to Delhi. Voluntary organisations involved in her medical treatment and rehabilitation have little to share, other than her treatment in the national capital. “The woman who found her at the railway station took her home in Jahangirpuri. But when she came to know about her HIV status from various medical tests done during pregnancy, she refused to take Roohi back,” said a member of NGO Child Survival India. The agony had just started for Roohi, who now shares a roof and her fate with others of her kind. The dilapidated structure is home to over 25 mentally ill and desti-

tute women who have found their way from dump yards and streets to the shelter. Severely malnourished, the young woman delivered a baby boy at Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital

from where the child was referred to the Lok Nayak Hospital. “The doctors had found out she was HIV positive because of which the baby was in a critical condition at birth. She was referred to Lok

Nayak Hospital where the baby died after 17 days,” the NGO member added. In the weeks that unfolded she underwent a series of medical tests at the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital and the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital detailing the extent of HIV infection, her medical records show. A few sheets of medical prescriptions stacked in a file piece together the Class 3 drop-out’s recent past, even as caretakers say “no major mental illness” has been found till now. According to Sudinalaya volunteers, over the last three weeks, Roohi has been actively involved in daily chores and talks with other women at the shelter, but occasionally relates her antecedents. After much contemplation, Roohi speaks. “I was married in a temple in Hazaribagh,” she says. “I wore a red sari and beautiful glass bangles that day...,” she said with a smile, giving way to faint hope. IANS

India‑View

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

India unveiled

Champion loses final fight H e wrestled his way from the ring to the big screen and the small one to enormous success. Dara Singh went from muscle man to hero and then uncle, father and friend in numerous character roles that endeared him to generations of fans. Few people would have made the transition from the akhara to the showbiz stage with the success of Dara Singh, who passed away at his home in Mumbai on Thursday morning at the age of 84 after a brief illness. A wrestling hero to some and a loved cine artist to others, it was a long and eventful life that triumphed many odds. In his over five-decade long acting journey, he featured in over 140 films, including classics such as Anand and Mera Naam Joker. There was Dara Singh the wrestler, Dara Singh, the hero of ‘B’ category action films such as Tarzan Comes to Delhi and Samson in the 1950s and 1960s, Dara Singh, the friendly pehelwan in Anand, and then Dara Singh who played Hanuman with great effect in the TV blockbusters Ramayan and Mahabharat. He was last seen in the Kareena Kapoor-Shahid Kapoor starrer Jab We Met as the stern, lovable ‘Daarji’ who ruled over a noisy, close-knit Sikh family. Quite like the real life man, who intimidated people with his 6’ 2” frame but soon won them over with outgoing nature and

B’wood mourns Dara Singh’s death Amitabh Bachchan: Dara Singhji passed away this morning. A great Indian and one of the finest humans. An entire era of his celebrated presence gone. Mahesh Bhatt: Dara Singh passes away. Memories of this warm ‘pehlwan’-turned-actor flicker in my memory. When childhood heroes die the world looks desolate. Anupam Kher: Dara Singhji was larger than life but never made anyone feel dwarfed with his presence. The strongest and the humblest. A hero all the way. Shah Rukh Khan: Wrestlers are made of sweat, determination and a hard to find alloy called guts. Most apt for Dara Singhji our very own superman. Will miss you sir.

Manoj Bajpayee: The symbol of physical strength, Dara Singhji is no more with us now. May god bless his soul with peace. Madhur Bhandarkar: RIP Rustam-e-Hind. The strong man of India will be missed dearly. Shekhar Kapur: RIP DaraSingh. At grand old age he used to stride down Juhu beach, body erect, smile on his face at a pace faster than 20year-olds. Sujoy Ghosh: My dad made me watch most of Dara Singh’s black and white films. I believed everything Dara Singh did he could. Sophie Choudry: RIP Dara Singhji. Original macho man, asli Punjabi and a hero to many

warmth. Born to Balwant Kaur and Surat Singh Randhawa Nov 19, 1928 in a village in Amritsar, Punjab, Dara Singh was encouraged to take up wrestling due to his imposing physique and trained in ‘pehelwani’, an Indian style of wrestling. He became a star wrestler — and not just on Indian turf. Dara Singh took on international wrestlers like Lou Thesz and Stanislaus Zbyszko, and had over 500 professional fights to his credit — all undefeated. He won the Professional Indian Wrestling Championship in 1953, and took away the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship trophy in 1959 by defeating Canadian champion George Godianko. A recipient of titles like Rustam-E-Punjab (1966) and Rustam-E-Hind (1978), Dara Singh retired from active wrestling in 1983. In 1989, he published his autobiography Meri Atmakatha in Punjabi, and seven years later was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. And while he was wrestling, he was making a name in cinema — both Hindi and Punjabi. He also became a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha. Dara Singh also took on the role of a writer, director and producer. Dara Singh, who was widowed and got married for the second time, leaves behind his wife and six children. IANS

Pak willing to resolve Ex-soldier arrested for PIOs murder bilateral disputes PHNOM PENH: Pakistan today said it is willing to go by the agreement that it had in the past with India to resolve some of the disputes like Sir Creek. “If you look at some of the disputes that we have. We have Sir Creek, we have Siachen... Pakistan has already made it clear that we are willing to go by the agreement that we had in the past,” foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar said. She said the two countries must move forward in the relationship and “moving forward would require that we all are able to sometimes show flexibility some times we don’t need to show flexibility.” Khar is in the Cambodian ca pital to attend the ASEAN Ministerial meeting. When asked whether Pakistan was disappointed that Indian PM Manmohan Singh has not yet

decided to visit Pakistan despite invitation, Khar said “I do not believe in the business of being disappointed. I believe in optimism and I believe that we still would like to host him. “We welcome him to Pakistan and we hope that within his tenure he is able to visit. As I said, for me I look at it as a lost opportunity. We hope that more opportunities will not be lost.” she said. PTI

WASHINGTON: A US Army veteran has been charged in the sexual assault and murder of a 62-year-old Indian American woman at a motel in California run by her family. Stephen Carreiro, 25, was arraigned on Tuesday in San Joaquin Superior Court on charges that he raped and murdered Lalita Patel Saturday night at the Hacienda Inn, in Tracy city, California, San Jose Mercury News reported. Carreiro was naked when he was arrested around 7.15pm on Saturday after fighting with witnesses and police at the motel, it said. In addition to charges of murder, elder abuse, and resisting arrest, prosecutors filed five special-circumstances counts of murder during the commission of a burglary, rape, rape with a foreign

object, sodomy and mayhem, Mercury News said. Police said that Carreiro had also attacked the victim’s 82-year-old mother. She is expected to recover from her injuries. But it would not describe the nature of Carreiro’s attack on Patel or reveal whether a weapon was used. Carreiro had recently been discharged from the Army, Mercury News said citing Tracy police Capt John Espinoza. Patel was found near the office of the motel, where she was working, Espinoza said. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Espinoza confirmed that there was a live-in unit next to the motel office for employees, but would not say if that room was where Patel was found. IANS

NATION AT A GLANCE Trinamool to attend UPA meeting on July 14 NEW DELHI: Days before the crucial presidential polls which have till now generated much bad blood between alliance partners Congress and the Trinamool Congress, the latter would attend a meeting of the centre’s ruling UPA in New Delhi on July 14. Railway minister Mukul Roy will be representing the Trinamool Congress at the meeting, said a party Rajya Sabha member.

2G probe: ED questions Raja for first time NEW DELHI: The enforcement directorate has questioned former telecom minister A Raja in connection with its money laundering probe in the 2G spectrum case. This is the first time that the ED has questioned Raja. During questioning, ED investigators grilled Raja on various issues related to spectrum allocation.

PM Manmohan Singh and Singapore’s PM Lee Hsien Loong during an agreement signing ceremony at Hyderabad House. PTI

Lightning kills 14 in Bihar villages PATNA: At least 14 people, including four women, have been killed after being struck by lightning across Bihar, officials said on Thursday. The deaths took place in Bhagalpur, Jamui, Munger, Katihar, Patna and Purnia districts. Five others were hospitalised, he said. Torrential rains accompanied by strong winds uprooted trees, damaged houses and brought down cables.

Munda constitutes 5-member committee RANCHI: In an effort to end the Nagari land dispute, Jharkhand’s CM Arjun Munda constituted a five-member committee headed by land revenue minister Mathura Prasad Mahto. The decision to form the committee comes a day after the High Court directed the State government to address the problems of farmers belonging to Nagari village and compensate them.

Farmers Hansaben (L), Geetaben (R) and Jesingbhai (C) plough a field in Nani Kisol village, Ahmedabad on July 11. PTI

Around the World

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Beyond Borders

Heaviest woman fights her weight through sexercise

HOWDY

Nova Nights radio announcer Dean ‘Deano’ Thomas (L) rides a camel affectionately referred to as ‘The People’s Camel’ being handled by Geoff Brown (R) as part of a promotion on National Hump day in central Sydney on Wednesday. The camel part of a syndicate created by Tourism Northern Territory will be ridden by Thomas in the Alice Springs Camel Cup on July 14. AFP

auline Potter, the world’s heaviest living woman last year, is on a mission. She — who weighed 643 pounds that won her the Guinness honour — has decided that she must cut weight and get it to 532 pounds. And she has already succeeded in shedding 98 pounds. Her secret? Marathon sex sessions. In an interview with a magazine, Potter explained how her rekindled sex life with her exhusband has helped her. “I can’t move much in bed, but I burn 500 calories a session –- it’s great exercise just jiggling around,” Potter said. Potter, who had been consuming 10,000 calories a day, and Alex have sex up to seven times every day. “We love foreplay and massages and, as well as full sex, I pleasure Alex, too,” she revealed. “My bed is strengthened and, although I can’t buy sexy lingerie, I drape a nice sheet over me.” It’s a bit strange that Alex is involved in Potter’s mission. It was the depression that set in after the couple got divorced that made Potter go on a binge and get that gargantuan appetite. The situation never got better, as Potter’s calorie intake shot up and her self-esteem dipped day after day. When she ran out of ideas to get her to cut weight, she got in touch with the Guinness Book of World Records hoping that if she wins the title of “World’s Heaviest Woman”, that would shame her into losing weight. When Potter started getting popular, Alex visited her and their old romance was rekindled. “Within the first day of being

back together we had sex six times in 24 hours,” Alex told the Sun last November. He says a leg of Potter’s weighs more than him, but “we’re able to position her body to make sex enjoyable for both of us”. Alex, who weighs just 140 pounds, does most of the work in the bedroom. He says despite all the fun, “It’s really dangerous for us to have sex because at any moment the bed could collapse and one or both of us could be seriously injured or even killed from the impact.” he told the Sun. Potter does not stop at sexercise to blast the flab; she has reined in her intake, too, though she has an occasional Big Mac.

Sexercise is good

ex as a means to lose weight is not unheard of. In an article for Fox news, Dr. Yvonne Kristin Fulbright, a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc., wrote, “Shagging can make you slimmer, if you do enough of it.” “It can also help the two of you fall for each other all over again. Requiring no monthly fee — dress code optional – you can ‘sexercise’ yourself into shape. This is one gym membership you’ll never want to drop.” Apart from that, Dr Fulbright, further extolled on the virtues of sex: A good “sexercise” routine can not only lead to weight loss, but also to improved blood flow, strengthening of the heart, better cholesterol, and better sleep.

1st same-sex Buddhist wedding TAIPEI: Two women plan to tie the knot next month in Taiwan’s first same-sex Buddhist wedding, as gay and lesbian groups push to make the island the first society in Asia to legalise gay marriage Fish Huang and her partner You Ya-ting, both 30, will receive their blessings from Master Shih Chao-hui at a Buddhist monastery in north Taiwan’s Taoyuan county on August 11. “We decided to get married last year,” Huang told AFP Wednesday. “After being together for six years, we feel we need to make a life-long commitment to each other.” As a group of Buddhist monks and nuns chant sutras, the couple, both wearing white gowns, will declare their love for each other in a ceremony expected to be witnessed by dozens of close friends. Huang, a social worker at a Buddhist cultural foundation, said her mother had promised to attend the event but her father remained undecided. “My father likes Ya-ting, and he says the marriage will make him feel like he has one more daughter,” Huang said. “Still, time and again, he has voiced his hope

that I marry a man... In fact, my decision to marry Ya-ting is also meant to make him drop the thought.” You’s parents are still reluctant to agree to the planned marriage even though it will have no legal force, Huang said.

Week-old giant panda baby dies TOKYO: A baby giant panda born last week at a Tokyo zoo died of pneumonia on Wednesday, according to park officials who had initially hailed the birth as rare success for Japan’s captive breeding programme. The unnamed infant, Ueno zoo’s first baby panda born in 24 years and its only one conceived from natural sexual intercourse, succumbed to the illness just a week after its birth sparked excitement across Japan. The zoo said keepers found the baby lying on its back against its mother Shin Shin’s stomach.

“They administered a cardiac massage and other treatment, but unfortunately they confirmed its death at 8:30 am,” it said. Shin Shin and her mate Ri Ri were leased from China last year to the zoo operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan government at an annual cost of about one million dollars. The baby was hailed in China, which has sometimes hostile relations with neighbouring Japan. “The giant pandas are messengers of friendship,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said in response to news of the birth last week.

Around the World

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Beyond Borders

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Three dead and 50,000 flee as rain pounds Japan

HALF OF A YELLOW SUN

TOKYO: At least three people have died and 50,000 have been ordered to evacuate their homes as unprecedented rains pound the southwestern Japanese island of Kyushu, officials and media said Thursday. Emergency workers in Kumamoto prefecture are responding to multiple reports of mudslides swallowing houses and people trapped, with access roads blocked by mud or gushing water, officials said.

Taliban denies role in public execution KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgents have denied involvement in the recent public execution of a woman captured in a horrific video that caused international outrage. Authorities blamed the Taliban Islamists for killing the 22-year-old woman for adultery, as was common during their rule between 1996 and 2001.

The sun sets as seen from 42nd street in New York City on Thursday as Manhattanhenge, sometimes also referred to as Manhattan Solstice, the biannual natural event, when it is perfectly aligned with Manhattan’s numbered streets. AFP/TIMOTHY A CLARY

Syria envoy to Iraq defects BAGHDAD: Syria’s ambassador to Iraq Nawaf Fares has defected to the opposition and urged the army to turn its guns on the regime, becoming the most senior diplomat to abandon President Bashar al-Assad. “I announce my defection from my post as representative of the Arab Syrian Republic in Iraq and my withdrawal from the ranks of the (ruling) Baath party,” Fares said in a message aired on Al Jazeera TV Wednesday and confirming earlier reports of his defection. “I call on all free and worthy

Fares calls for others to follow suit people in Syria, particularly in the military, to immediately rejoin the ranks of the revolution,” he said, adding: “turn your cannons and your tanks towards the criminals in the regime who are killing the people. He also called on fellow Baath party members to reject the regime which he accused of using the party as “a tool to repress the people and their

aspiration of freedom and dignity.” The disaffected diplomat submitted a letter to the Iraqi foreign ministry and will meet with Iraqi officials on Thursday, a diplomat said. “They are going to discuss sending him to another country,” the diplomat added. In Washington, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters: “There have been a number of high-level defections in recent days and weeks, and they are simply the tip of the iceberg.”

8 cops shot dead in Pak

US tycoon bought Scream

LAHORE: Pakistan, July 12,

billionaire Leon Black is the mystery buyer who paid a record-breaking $119.9 million for Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” at an auction in May, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The painting, one of the most recognisable in history and the only privately-held version of Munch’s famous scene, was sold at Sotheby’s in New York in a dramatic 12-minute sale — but the buyer remained anonymous. The Wall Street Journal said it learned from “several people close” to Black that the well-known art collector had bought the painting. The $119.9 million price tag was the highest ever for a work of art at a public auction.

2012 (AFP) - Gunmen on Thursday shot dead eight Pakistani police and prison staff, and wounded nine others after storming a building in the eastern city of Lahore where they were sleeping, police said. It was the second attack in three days on security personnel in the province of Punjab, raising fears of a fresh wave of violence in the political heartland of Pakistan away from the northwest where a Taliban insurgency is based. The attackers arrived on motorbikes and targeted a building in the densely populated area of Ichra,

NEW YORK: US investment

Russian cops film and upload sex act in clink MOSCOW: Police officers in western Russia’s Sverdlovsk region are suspected of filming a detainee sodomising a fellow inmate instead of stopping the violence, officials said. The officers - Vitaly Pelevin and Alexei Reshetov - also uploaded the video online, the investigative committee said. Police said they were sacked and 12 of their seniors will face action.

China on piranha hunt after two hurt in attack BEIJING:Chinese authorities have launched a massive hunt for piranhas, the flesh-eating fish, which attacked at least two people recently in a river. Authorities are offering 1,000 yuan ($157) to local residents for every confirmed piranha kill in the Liujiang river in the Guangxi Zhuang region, Xinhua reported on Wednesday.

Romney booed for vow to scrap healthcare TEXAS: Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney was booed by AfricanAmericans when he vowed to repeal the president’s health care reforms. It was a tough crowd and some cackled when the presumptive Republican nominee declared: “If you want a president who will make things better in the African-American community, you are looking at him.”

Spain announces $80bn austerity package MADRID: Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced Wednesday a 65-billion-euro ($80 billion) austerity package to avert financial collapse as protesters against mining cuts clashed with police. Rajoy, interrupted by howls from opposition members as he outlined the steps, performed a U-turn by raising value added sales tax after having promised he would not do so, and took an axe to state expenditure.

Comment

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

As time passes Hamas goes easy on tenets

THIS MAKES NO CENTS!

Erin Cunningham feedback@postnoon.com

ive years after seizing power in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas movement appears to have entirely backedoff from attempts to impose strict Islamic strictures on life in the coastal territory. Hamas’ largely bearded police force once aggressively stalked Gaza’s streets and beaches, searching for canoodling, unmarried couples and intimidating shop owners selling risqué lingerie. The government ordered female lawyers to cover their hair in court. Citing Islamic traditions, in 2010 it announced bans on women smoking nargileh — the Middle Eastern water pipe. But now, locals say, the Gaza Strip is a much more liberal place. “The government doesn’t bother me at all any more,” said 35-year-old Said Al Helou, the owner of a women’s underwear and lingerie shop in Gaza City. In Gaza City, the comparatively liberal, seaside capital of the Gaza Strip, women meet more easily with men at upscale cafes, smoking water pipes and wearing t-shirts, skinny jeans and trendy high-wedge heels. “At first, a few years ago, the [Hamas] police told me to never display a photograph or mannequin that reveals a woman’s body in the window,” Al Helou said. His window display now features a mannequin clad in a white lace negligee. “But now, they’re not concerned.” Hamas — an Arabic acronym for the “Islamic Resistance Movement” — calls for the establishment of an Islamic state in what is now both Israel and the Palestinian Territories. But it is apparently abandoning a formal policy of imposing Islamic law, suggesting that the movement is growing increasingly tolerant, and adapting to its role and responsibilities as a government, some here say. "It's because Hamas, they realized that they [themselves] are people just like everybody else," said Khalil Abu Shammala, director of the Gazabased Al Dameer Association for Human Rights. GLOBAL POST

But... Seriously Ajay Hotchandani

t was Sunday night and I was rummaging through my room cleaning and clearing stuff out. In midst of all this chaos I decided to take a small break to get something to eat. Two hours later I found myself watching a show called Duck Dynasty – really funny and entertaining show. Picking up where I left off, I came across some old documents and mail that my dad gave me couple of years ago. In one of the packages were some stocks for two different companies, both based in England. My curiosity got the better of me and I ended up watching another two hours of Duck Dynasty. After four hours of Duck Dynasty, I decided to get to the bottom of things and immersed myself researching these stocks (basically I just googled everything). After a couple of minutes I found the stock and information about the company. It took me couple of seconds before the price of each stock registers. I double checked by looking it up on another website to make sure it was correct. Each stock was worth £340. Total value of that one company stock was Rs25,787,000 ($465,000 US). I quickly did a search for the other stock and its value. The added up value of both the stocks was $520,000. I was speechless! For the next couple of minutes I checked again and again to confirm it, and they all had the same thing listed. At this point was almost 10pm in Belize and about 4am in England. I called the number listed on one of the websites to get further confirmation, however no one answered. I knew it was 4am but that’s no excuse to be sleeping. I did not think it’s too much to ask. This was agonising. I paced up and down trying to figure out a way to get an answer. I calculated that in couple of hours the London Stock Exchange market will be open and I could call the company to get more information. Then I thought that since there was nothing else that could be done so might as well get some sleep. I tried falling asleep with the questioning lingering— am I a millionaire or not?

Editorials

I CALL BACK THE COMPANY’S INVESTOR RELATION MANAGER TO GET A FINAL ANSWER. SHE TOLD ME SOMETHING THAT ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED ME. THE PRICE INDEED WAS 345, BUT IT IS THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE PENCE, OR £3.45! WHAT THE UNDERARM SWEAT! WHOSE BRILLIANT IDEA WAS IT TO LIST THEIR STOCKS IN CENTS/PENCE/PAISA? IMAGINE CHECKING YOUR STOCK AND IT SAYS THE WORTH IS 44563 PAISA RATHER THAN RS445.63. At 4.30am I manage to wake up, crawl my way to the computer and start working on it again. I manage to get through to a girl name Jo. She directed me to another company. Several minutes later I succeeded in getting

hold of another lady who verifies: “Yes, we do own stocks in those companies”, but she cannot tell me the value. Oh! The excitement was building up yet I could not figure out the actual price. I call back the company’s investor relation manager to get a final answer. She told me something that absolutely shocked me. The price indeed was 345, but it is three hundred and forty five pence, or £3.45! WHAT THE UNDERARM SWEAT! Whose brilliant idea was it to list their stocks in cents/pence/paisa? Imagine checking your stock and it says the worth is 44563 paisa rather than Rs445.63? It just doesn’t make sense. The entire world’s stock exchange lists it in their dollar value, and just my luck the exception was the London Stock Exchange. You could imagine my disappointment. So close, yet so far. To sum up, I didn’t become a millionaire, but I can say that for one night I went to bed as a one.

LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE before making grand plans

rouble brewing in Pedda Kovvada in Srikakulam district against the proposed Indo-US nuclear power plant once again underscores the need for the government to do its homework well and take the local people into confidence before announcing a high-risk project like a thermal power plant. It seems that the government has not learnt anything from Singur which finally pushed Mamata bandwagon in to Writers' Building. Proper survey of people's needs and convincing them of safety measures assume paramount importance. This is especially because of the recent Japan instance and many other disasters. Although Kovvada plant project director GV Ramesh claims that 90 per cent of the people are in favour of the project former Sarpanch, Mylapalli Polisu, contradicts it saying majority of the people were opposed to the project. “The problem will not end with announcement of the compensation package,” he warns.

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS Reach out

ometimes quirky ideas work. Jeff Ragsdale was going through a hard time following a break-up and was feeling isolated and lonely in New York City. One day he put a message along with his phone number on a flier: "If anyone wants to talk about anything, call me." He pasted copies all across the city and waited. His wait bore fruit. If you are lonely, all you need to is reach out.

Telly Tales Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com

nspector Morse, one of the most popular detectives, is back, albeit 20 years younger. Unlike the original TV series, where Morse has a penchant for a red jaguar, real ale, opera, arts, literature and crossword puzzles, we are shown how it all began. Endeavour doesn’t carry the baggage of its original series, but it pays homage to everything Inspector Morse stood for. It’s like revealing a character layer by layer to understand the genesis of some of his quirks which would become his traits in later years. The pilot episode begins with Morse (Shaun Evas) typing his resignation letter which he intends to tender immediately. His stream of consciousness is interrupted when his colleague informs him that they have been asked to go to Oxfordshire to investigate the disappearance of a school girl. All of a sudden, Morse’s past begins to haunt him. He had dropped out of Oxford after a failed relationship and soon he joined the Royal Corps of Signals which eventually led him to joining the police department as a detective constable. His struggle to find his place in the system is visible and surprisingly, he prefers working alone. He investigates everything on his own, which eventually lands him in trouble. One of his superiors, Detective Inspector Fred Thursday (Roger Allam) understands Morse’s potential and takes him under his wing. Somewhere during this journey, we are shown how Morse fell in love with the Jaguar

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

^å=båÇÉ~êáåÖ=

RIDE

Endeavour, a prelude to Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse, pays homage to the iconic TV series and if the finesse in the pilot episode is anything to go by, it deserves a full series

and real ale, thanks to Fred who introduced him to both of them. Fred owns a Jaguar and every time Morse drives it, he feels a special connection with it. Later, he spots a red jaguar at a garage and falls in love with it. Another time, Morse faints while looking at a corpse. When Fred offers him a drink, he protests, “‘But I don’t drink, sir.’ Yet, he drinks a pint of ale which becomes a habit. This is a man who’s grappling with loneliness and miffed with bureaucracy in the system. The series is set in 1965 and it’s only natural that nostalgia, about a different era where life and time didn’t fly, kicks in. Morse is no Sherlock, yet his flaws bring him closer to what we are in our lives.

NOW

THEN

NOW

THEN

Everybody Loves Raymond

NOW

THEN

Where are they now?

Small screen, big idea

Ray Romano played Ray Barone

Patricia Heaton played Debra Barone

Brad Garrett played Robert Barone

arie Barone is Raymond’s mother, the wife of Frank, and the matriarch of the Barone family. Intrusive, controlling, manipulative and over-nurturing (at least with Raymond), she is a housewife who excels in cooking, cleaning, and keeping a good home and family. Marie and Frank live across the street from Raymond’s and Debra’s house which often irritates the latter. Doris can be seen in ABC’s Counter Culture.

obert Barone is Raymond’s older brother. Standing at 6’ 8” 1/2, he is the tallest Barone, and has several quirks, the main being a nervous habit of touching food to his chin before eating it. Robert is jealous of the attention Raymond gets from their mom. Last heard of Garrett was that he was eying a lead role in ABC’s How to Live With Your Parents For the Rest of Your Life.

Peter Boyle played Frank Barone

THEN

ebra Barone is Raymond’s wife. As a housewife, Debra claims she is frequently overworked, under-appreciated and stressed out; major reasons for this are not only because she has to deal with all the housework and her three rambunctious children with almost no assistance or support from Raymond. Heaton was last seen on the television series The Middle Season 1.

NOW

Doris Roberts played Marie Barone

THEN

aymond “Ray” Barone (Ray Romano) is a sportswriter for Newsday. He lives in Lynbrook, Long Island with his wife, Debra, and their three children Alexandra Geoffrey, and Michael. Ray is emotionally unable to take any sort of stand on anything. Romano will be soon seen in a photographer’s role in Parenthood season 4.

rancis “Frank” Barone is Raymond’s father and Marie’s husband, a retired bookkeeper, and registered real estate agent, with a stubborn masculine personality. A war veteran, Frank served in the Korean War, which he frequently brings up, to the annoyance of everyone, especially his sons. Stingy and stubborn and not afraid to say aloud what everyone is thinking, he fancies himself to be handy around the house. He’s not. Boyle died at age 71, succumbing to multiple myeloma.

Classic TV Series: Blackadder goes forth

British wit at its best

lackadder: I’ve always been a soldier, married to the army. Book of King’s Regulations is my mistress... possibly with a Harrods’ lingerie catalogue tucked discreetly between the pages. Nurse Mary: And no casual girlfriends? Blackadder: Skirt? If only. When I joined up, we were still fighting colonial wars. If you saw someone in a skirt, you shot him and nicked his country! Rowan Atkinson? Mr Bean, of course! This is how most of us recognise the man. But much before he became a household name with his performance as the incredible dunce, Atkinson had made the whole of Britain roll on its tummy playing an incredibly selfish, shrewd, cynical and cowardly man in a BBC sitcom series called Blackadder. It’s second on the list of the best British sitcoms ever — bested only by Only fools and horses. The period piece comprises four series and several oneoff installments, but the most liked is the fourth, Blackadder goes forth, set in 1917 on the Western front in the trenches of the First World War. The aforementioned transcript is from Blackadder goes forth. Captain Edmund Blackadder is doing all he can to save his skin by getting away from the trenches while his senile superiors plan the “big push” and his schemes fail and he ends up back in the trenches. Though the series drips of humour aided by superb wordplay, the last episode is rather poignant; it ends with Blackadder, his batman Baldrick, Blackadder’s nemesis Captain Darling, and Lieutenant George preparing for the big push and… death. You can find most of the whole crop of Britain’s best comic talent which started out in the 1980s: Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Tim McInnerny and Tony Robinson. By 2000 when the fourth of the series was out, these artistes had peaked attaining international fame. Blackadder goes forth is British wit at its best.

H‑Factor

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

A SILENT KILLER Without any sign or prolonged ailment millions of babies the world over die due to an unknown reason referred to as sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS as it is known Anishaa Kumar anishaa.k@postnoon.com

or Mrinal, her newborn was everything she had ever dreamt of. She had put her daughter to sleep, placed her in the crib and stepped into the washroom to freshen up. Mrinal had never imagined what would follow. A few hours passed and her baby was not waking. She panicked and rushed her to the doctor. The baby was pronounced dead — reason unknown. All the doctors could say is that it was a case of SIDS. Dr Rajiv Aggarwal, paediatrician, Narayana Hrudalaya Children’s Hospital, Bangalore explains, “SIDS is a situation in which the mother puts the child to sleep and later finds that the child has died. This is common in premature children.” Dr Satish Ghanta, neonatologist, developmental paediatrician, paediatric intensivist and director for intensive care services, Little Stars Hospitals explains, “SIDS refers to sud-

den infant death syndrome. It is any unexpected death of an otherwise healthy baby of 12 months and below. The baby shows no other symptoms of a serious ailment. One third of the cases see babies killed due to SIDS in the first week of their lives.” SIDS deaths are sudden and in most cases when the baby is asleep.

Causes SIDS unlike other ailments usually does not have any particular reason. “The possible causes for SIDS could be improper position of sleep and inexperience of the mother while putting the child to sleep. This improper sleeping position can cause suffocation and death. The head and neck position is also important. Problems may occur when the child is made to sleep on the stomach. As the child cannot lift his or her head it may get stuck in a certain position while sleeping that may cause death,” says Dr Satish. As the causes cannot be clearly defined, certain risk factors are considered. These risk factors include sleeping on the side and on the stom-

ach, sleeping on a soft and unsteady surface, making the baby sleep on the same bed as the parents, keeping soft or loose objects such as pillow covers, sheets on the bed and over bundling infants with thick sheets and clothes while sleeping etc. Dr Rajiv explains that the other cause could be that if the child is premature, the breathing centre in the brain may not have developed so if the child sleeps, the centre will also sleep thus stopping the breathing. Reflux after feeding could also be a reason. Some of the uncommon reasons for SIDS could also include neurological causes in which the brain gets affected and the child stops breathing all of a sudden or multiple congenital problems, mentions Dr Satish. “In a controlled environment such as the ICU in the hospital they make the baby sleep on their stomach but nurses keep a constant watch on them so there is usually no problem,” he adds.

Incidence American statistics have

revealed that a baby dies nearly every hour due to SIDS. “The exact incidence rate in India is not clear as there is not much data available. In US on the other hand it is common,” says Dr Satish. Cases of SIDS are more common among boys than girls. Dr Rajiv differs, “SIDS is not that common in India because children here suffer from many other problems after birth. Once it is made sure that these problems do not exist then perhaps it can be looked at as a case of SIDS.

Awareness “There is no information available for new mothers about SIDS and how to prevent it in India. In the West, information is provided to create awareness,” says Dr Satish. Awareness goes a long way in providing protection against SIDS. Unfortunately such campaigns are rare in our country. Apart from raising awareness about the problem, western countries offer support groups and counselling for mothers and families who have lost a baby due to SIDS so that they overcome the grief and understand that they are not responsible for the baby’s death. Dr Rajiv mentions that doctors do advise parents about the important points that they need to consider. Some of the important points that new mothers need to keep in mind are: n The child’s head should be elevated at an angle of 25-30 degrees n The baby’s eyes should face the roof n There should be a one finger gap between the chin and the neck n If the child is not used to tummy sleeping it should be avoided.

Osteoarthritis could be hereditary

Dr Divya T Sudarshan

My mother was recently diagnosed with osteoarthritis. She has been on the heavier side and so have I. She worries I might mirror her health ailments and keeps asking me to drink milk, take calcium supplements and lose weight. Does it really work that way? I am 26. I am sure you will be surprised to know there are over a 100 different types of arthritis conditions! But osteoarthritis is the most common. Before age 45, osteoarthritis occurs commonly in males. After 55, it occurs in females. Osteoarthritis commonly affects the hands, feet, spine, and large weight-bearing joints, such as the hips and knees,. Primary osteoarthritis, mostly is a joint inflammation that results from cartilage degeneration, a result of natural aging of the join. Repetitive use of the worn joints over the years can irritate and inflame the cartilage, causing joint pain and swelling. Loss of the cartilage cushion causes friction between the bones, leading to pain and limitation of joint mobility. Secondary osteoarthritis is caused by obesity, repeated trauma or surgery to the joint structures, abnormal joints at birth (congenital abnormalities), diabetes, gout and other hormone disorders. Weight lifters develop arthritis early in life due to their high body weight, soccer players and army military personnel, due to repeated trauma, but long-distance runners don’t seem at risk! Obesity causes osteoarthritis by increasing the mechanical stress on the joint and therefore on the cartilage. In fact, next to aging, obesity is the most significant risk factor for osteoarthritis of the knees. That is why your being on the heavier side is cause for concern. Osteoarthritis tends to run in families, indicating a hereditary factor. A number of studies have shown that there is a greater prevalence of the disease among siblings and especially identical twins, indicating a hereditary basis. Up to 60 per cent of osteoarthritis cases are thought to result from genetic factors. (The article will be continued next week. The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician practising at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@gmail.com)

H‑Factor

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Facebook and depression may not be linked: Study

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Sitting three hours a day can reduce lifespan Stacey Leasca

WASHINGTON: New evidence thrown up by researchers debunks the finding that spending time on Facebook and other social sites causes depression. The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health study suggests that it may be unnecessarily alarming to advise patients and parents on the risk of “Facebook Depression” based solely on the amount of internet use. Last year, the American Academy of Paediatrics released a report on the effects of social media on children and adolescents, which suggested that exposure to Facebook could lead to depression, The Journal of Adolescent Health reports. Researchers led by Lauren Jelenchick and Megan Moreno from Wisconsin surveyed the 190 students aged between 18 and 23 using a real-time assessment of internet activity and a validated, clinical screening method for depression, according to a Wisconsin statement.

The students were surveyed with 43 text message questionnaires at random intervals over a seven day period between February and December of 2011. The students were asked if they were currently online, how many minutes they had been online and what they were doing on the internet. The study found that the participants were on Facebook for over half of the total time online. When Jelenchick and Moreno evaluated the data including the depression screening results, they found no significant associations between social media use and the probability of depression. “Our study is the first to present scientific evidence on the suggested link between social media use and risk of depression,” said Jelenchick, who just received a master’s degree in public health from Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Moreno, a paediatrician, advises parents to look at their children’s social media use in the context of their entire lives. She says parents do not have to be overly concerned if their child’s behaviour and mood have not changed, they have friends and their school work is consistent. IANS

he article published online Monday in BMJ Open found that if people cut the time they spent sitting to less than two hours a day, it would add about 1.4 years to their life. Peter Katzmarzyk, a researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge and lead author of the study, told USA Today, “Sitting is a dangerous risk factor for early death, on par with smoking and being obese.” To reach these findings the group analysed several studies that evaluated sitting and all causes of death along with government data that showed almost half of people report sitting more than six hours a day. The researchers found that if people sat for less than three hours a day, the average life expectancy in this country would be 80.5 years instead of the current 78.5 years, USA Today reported. In 2010, an Australian research group found that people who said they watched TV for more than four hours a day were 46 percent more likely to die of any cause than people who said they spent less than two hours a day watching TV, the Wall Street Journal reported. Those who sat and watched TV for more than four hours a day were 80 per cent more likely to die of cardiovascular disease. To offset the negative affects Natasha Stewart, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said that people should swap out their TV habits for heart healthy ones like walking.GLOBAL POST

F‑Folio

THE

Moschino

oschino has been known as a traditional Italian brand with quirky touches. Unexpected detailing of plastic fruits, dangling oversized charms, bejeweled belts and head gear are some adornments associated with Moschino shows. This collection had fun prints like the graffiti wall and a red brick wall print on the garments. Girlish dresses and coats were hard to miss paired with urban chunky gold costume jewellery.

Stella McCartney

ritish designer Stella McCartney knows what modern women want. Her background of learning tailoring at Saville Row combined with her personal self of a role-model woman translates into a brand that is cool and easy to wear. No wonder her high profiled friends like Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Liv Tyler time and again opt to wear her garments at public appearances. This Pre Fall collection by McCartney gave plenty options for the conscious shopper to wear in the chilling seasons of Europe or even Asia.

PRE

FALL

Alexander McQueen

SEASON

lexander McQueen was a British designer who often referenced the Victorian wear. His successor Sarah Burton who used to work under him during his rein, is not much different with the influences. The depiction of both designers is different and Sarah’s collection though seem to be inspired by the archival collection, had a place of its own in today’s time. Burton, who also designed the most talked about wedding gown of the decade worn by duchess Kate Middleton, has a penchant to design romantic gowns and dresses like no one else. This collection was filled with royalty worthy drama of cocktail dresses, peplum full skirts and elegant gowns.

The writer is a fashion blogger (www.lovestruckcow.blogspot.com) who attempts to bridge the gap between creator and consumer. As a fashion writer, she hopes to promote Indian fashion among Indians and on a global level too.

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012 In fashion, the ready-towear or the French ‘pret-aporter’ collections are predominantly divided into two seasons – ‘Spring-Summer’ that spans roughly January to June and the ‘Fall-Winter’ from July to December. These two yearly collections are shown on the runway at fashion weeks around the world. There are two more collections preceding these seasonal ones that most European and American labels showcase for their customers

Oscar de la Renta

n American couturier, Oscar de la Renta is a must have label for the elite crowd of New York and perhaps America in general. Rightly so, the designer has a flair of designing the most elegant dresses that appeal to a wide age group of women equally. The pre-fall collection translated the same ability into separates — skirt, shirt and jacket, and trousers, jacket and blouse. Wool and Silk dresses in prints and block colours stood out because of their impeccable tailoring.

Surabhi Chauhan

he ‘Resort’ and ‘PreFall’ presentations are much more relaxed and lower budgeted than the main Spring-Summer and Fall-Winter shows. The Resort is a step in for the summer season where garments you would want to take to a holiday during the months of January-February. Pre-Fall is now, when the summer is over but winter has not started either. These in-between seasons not only fulfill the growing needs of a high-end travelling customer base, but also give a sneak- peek into the designer’s vision for the main collections of the seasons. Indian designers are yet to catch on to this trend of having defined collections for the in-between seasons. However, here most designers cater to the need of ‘wedding/festive’ collection during the months of AugustOctober replacing a more relaxed wear western need of Prefall fashion. Here is a look at a few Pre-Fall 2012 collections by some popular fashion labels:

Louis Vuitton

he ultra luxurious French label had an equally rich pre-fall collection. Fur, leather, precious stones were used without hesitation on gloves, sleeves, hems and even shoes. These garments were befitting for the rich ladies who probably are the ones who demand a separate collection to buy before the heavy winters arrive. Matching skirts and top in checks and velvet, coats in leather, fur and patterned wool. What was adorable was a canary yellow belted mini dress, which I would imagine any young girl desire to wear. Of course, the girl better be a little millionaire as the dress comes with a white fur collar and matching cuffs.

feedback@postnoon.com

The Row

inner of 2012 CFDA (council of fashion designers of America) womenswear designer of the year award, The Row was established by actresses and twin sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in 2006. The Row reflects a sense of relaxed and timeless elegance, focusing on fine fabrics and the perfect fit. For the Pre-fall collection, the duo focused on their forte for designing high-end basics like slim trousers, knits and wool dresses with addition of more luxe pieces like fur jackets and leather tops. A classic colour palette of navy blue, deep red, white and black, this collection would cost heavy on your pockets but will last you many pre-fall seasons to come.

20&21

Spotlight 1

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012 3

The Monsoon Ragas

The rains have always inspired poets and songwriters. It seems even the Kakatiya Ladies Club were not untouched by the season’s magic. On Wednesday afternoon, the Club held a saawan-themed Antakshari at Hyder Mahal,ITC Kakatiya.

Karishma 2

Sonal

Neelu

Aakansha

Varthika & Tamanna

9 10 11

Tina

Shalini 3

Vibha Sujatha

Manisha Gupta

Manjula Narsa & Beena Gupta

Reena, Riya, Seema, Preeti, Komal

In full bloom

2012 is being celebrated as the 15th year of the inception of the Ikebana International Hyderabad chapter. On this occasion an Ikebana flower exhibition was held at Hotel Jubilee Ridge. 1 Masanori Nakano (C), his wife (L) and Parvati Reddy 2 Toshino, Natsuko, Kayoko 3 Seetha Reddy, Prathiba, Reena 4 Lakshmi Roa

To Disneyland Disney Channel India and Jet Airways unveiled a Disney-themed aircraft featuring Disney’s favourite characters at the Mumbai International Airport recently. This was part of their ‘Jet Set Go’ campaign. The flight will take its passengers to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. Ankita Modak, who is from Hyderabad, is one of the few selected to go on Jet Set Go’s maiden flight.

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Julaayi to release on August 9

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@Actor_Siddharth Very tough day at the office. Theories I have confirmed. 1 Dancing makes me sad. 2 Nandini Reddy is insane. 3 I can pull off pink. Stop.

@taapsee How sweet of u all :) U all always manage to make me smile. Thanq so much :) love u all!

@Charmmeofficial Trying 2 understand n learn about dis twitter world, thanks 4 a warm welcome. Let’s c, CHARM ME.

fter much deliberation over the release date of Allu Arjun, Ileana starrer Julaayi, producer N Radhakrishna has announced that the film will hit the screens on August 9. Trivikram Srinivas has directed the film. The film was supposed to release on July 13; however, the makers were keen on releasing the film in a big way throughout South India which led to the delay in its release. Owing to Allu Arjun’s immense popularity in Kerala, the film has been dubbed in Malayalam as Gaja Pokkiri. We hear that the promotional song which was shot on Allu Arjun and Devi Sri Prasad will be unveiled soon and Allu Arjun will also interact with his fans in Karnataka and Kerala in the next few days. The film’s trailer has already become a big hit with the audience and now that the producers have few more weeks to promote the film, the film is expected to hit all the right notes upon its release.

Tuneega Tuneega gets lucky

S Raju and Dil Raju definitely know how to lap up an opportunity. Earlier this month, there was at least one big film lined up for release every Friday of the month; however, the sudden decision to postpone Julaayi has come as a big boon for MS Raju. His upcoming directorial venture Tuneega Tuneega is all set to release on July 20. He’s introducing his son Sumanth Ashwin as a hero in this film and Rhea Chakraborthy, Manisha Yadav are also playing the lead roles. The film is in the last stage of post production and buzz is that it’ll go for the censor formalities on July 16. Maganti Ramji has produced the film. Karthik Raja has composed the music and S Gopal Reddy is the cinematographer. The film is being touted as a romantic entertainer with a twist.

Baadshah is not a remake

ona Venkat and Gopi Mohan, who wrote the script of Baadshah, have categorically denied reports that the film is loosely based on Akshay Kumar’s Singh is King. “BAADSHAH is a fresh brand new story being written by me & Gopi Mohan. It has no resemblances to any other film. It’s not even inspired from any film of any language. Any news or gossip regarding the story is a mere speculation (sic),” Kona Venkat posted on Twitter. Gopi Mohan has stated that Raju Sundaram is already working on the remake of Singh is King, for which both he and Kona Venkat might team up to make a few corrections for the Telugu version. “After the success of Ready in Hindi, we are getting good offers from Bollywood. So we are trying our best to write Baadshah’s story so that we can sell it in Hindi too. There are no shades at all,” says Gopi Mohan. Both of them will join Sreenu Vaitla and NTR on the sets of Baadshah in Italy on July 18. NTR and Kajal are playing the lead roles. Thaman has composed the music.

@actressanjjanaa My director’s got paranoid abt me hurting myself, he got a pujari to remove my drusti as he believes in it.

@sundeepkishan Watching #Eega at cinemax Mumbai... Housefull with true blue Hindi speaking Mumbai crowd... @ssrajamouli sir you make us proud :)

@ramsayz Yes! I’m selfish!! I only do things that give ME Satisfaction... Charity, Sacrifices and Entertaining ppl r also a part of it!

@ssrajamouli Unexpected call from Jayaprakash Narayan garu.. Congratulated me on the success and the qualities as a professional What more can I ask for

@shrutihaasan In the rain in auto with my college bestie what fun what nostalgia!!! Ore jolly :D

Chai Time

KAKURO

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.

SCRIBBLING PAD

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Gridder's protection 4 New Zealand aborigine 9 Draft status? 14 Words that will definitely get you a kiss 15 ‘The Courtship of Miles Standish’ character 16 Little men in the front row 17 Leaders of hives 19 Business outfits 20 ‘Conservative’ starter 21 Apply spin 23 Agitated condition 24 Law school class 26 One of Moses' spies 28 Dispel differences 32 ‘A mouse!’ 35 Carve in marble 36 Book filled with legends 38 Chi-town paper (with ‘The’) 40 Penned up, like pigs 43 Or ___ (bully's words) 44 Year, to the French 46 Planet fourth nearest to the sun 48 Seashell seller, in a tongue twister 49 Form into one cluster 53 Not-too-big a band 54 Deposit on teeth 58 The Rolling Stones' ‘Time ___ My Side’ 60 Tart role for Shirley MacLaine 63 Rimshot instrument 64 ‘Charleston Rag’ composer Blake 66 Some linens 68 Aired an old show 69 Many a film festival film 70 Depart from the truth 71 Backspace, on a computer 72 Checks for fingerprints 73 Attach, as a patch DOWN 1 Arouse, as interest 2 Former juvenile

3 Performs, to the Bard 4 Hand shackle 5 Church garment 6 Some poetic efforts 7 Be a real stinker 8 Aardwolf prey 9 Co-___ (some apartments) 10 Make queasy 11 Doubleheaders 12 ‘Climactic’ intro 13 ‘Hey you, c'mere!’ 18 Musician Clapton 22 Trumpet's sound 25 Adjusts, as a clock 27 Place for a shepherd 29 Perform on a TV show 30 Nursery favorite 31 Skin condition 32 Zeta's follower 33 Berger of the opera 34 Large venomous snake

37 Wait partner 39 Showy blooms 41 ‘... silk purse out of a sow's ___’ 42 ‘Blast the luck!’ 45 Tree with ‘helicopter’ seeds 47 Secret deposits 50 ___-Wan Kenobi (‘Star Wars’ character) 51 Grisly 52 Bald eagle's relative 55 Asian weight units 56 Swinging Shaw 57 Darn it all again? 58 ‘Able was

SUDOKU

___...’ (part of a palindrome) 59 ‘Judge Judy’ figure 61 Beanery handout 62 Affixes 65 Toronto-Ottawa dir 67 ‘Down in front!’ PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup. – HL Mencken

Chai Time STAR POWER

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 13-7-2012

thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in 040-27177230 / 9177596118

TAURUS

GEMINI

You will feel depressed as all the works are taking longer time to get completed. Control your anger and keep calm. No one will understand or cope with your speed.

You will come to know the real charac‑ ters of the persons around you. You will also be under depression as no one understands you. Avoid taking big decisions believing others.

Some will provoke you and get scold‑ ings as a result, though you have decided not to be harsh with anyone. Employees will have an increased workload.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

You will think in different angles and ﬁnd solution to the long pending prob‑ lems with which you will feel relaxed. Visa will be received easily without any hurdles.

You will take important and correct decisions boldly which will yield desired result. You will be able to get important works done with the help of powerful government ofﬁcials.

You will feel disinterested and wor‑ ried as the works undertaken will be delayed. Your words will carry more weight with the family members. Some might go abroad.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Avoid extravagant expenses. Avoid taking more lineance with anyone and involving into otherʼs issues and dis‑ putes. Avoid irregular food habits and take good care of health.

Real estate deals will be beneﬁcial. Your administarative capacity will increase. A major portion of the debts will get cleared which will keep you relaxed.

You will be courageous enough to face the challenges that you face. Some will purchase a new house by selling the ancestral property. Some will start construction of a new house.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Financial inflow will be good which makes you strong financially. But expenses too will haunt you. With the help of VIP friends you will finish some long pending, incomplete works.

Donʼt underestimate your own capabil‑ ities, believe that you are a performer so that you will achieve many things. Self conﬁdence is more important and you need to keep marching ahead.

Come whatever may, you have the determination to face them and win over the hurdles.Avoid getting emo‑ tional and take clear cut decisions which will give desired result.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 13-7-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Eight of Swords – When making lists of goal to achieve or things to do, donʼt be too harsh on yourself. Give your‑ self a little more time.

Page of Wands – You may face some computer or technol‑ ogy trouble today. It will be frustrating because you have jobs to ﬁnish. Worry not, and wait.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Ten of Pentacles – Some miscommuni‑ cation likely today. It will be like Chinese whispers: one person tells you one thing and you hear something else.

Nine of Swords – You are over the edge when it comes to emotions. The only way to rein them in is to medi‑ tate or do something that centres you.

Eight of Wands – Youʼre in the mood to help a close friend get out of a ﬁx. Itʼs good youʼre there for your friend but donʼt get emo‑ tionally too involved.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Nine of Pentacles – Youʼve been playing a situation over and over in your mind so many times that you are losing track of whatʼs real and whatʼs ﬁction.

Six of Wands – You are in the search of a ﬁtting link to com‑ plete the jigsaw thatʼs been troubling you. Try hard enough and you can work it out.

Queen of Wands – Youʼve set some very high goals for your‑ self and are wonder‑ ing where to begin. There will be times when you get carried away.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Seven of Wands – You will be unwill‑ ingly included in a circle that knows some powerful secrets. You wish you were not privy to such information.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

The Devil – You are tempted to take the easy route out. But there is no shortcut to success. You will have to continue working hard, which youʼre damn good at.

Eight of Pentacles – Before you make an investment, run a thorough back‑ ground check. Make sure all your needs are covered and this is what you wanted.

Ten of Wands – You have been sending silent calls of dis‑ tress to a close friend. You may need to spell out your need for help more clearly.

SOLUTIONS

Boggle LATION POLISH ARABIC ENGLISH ITALIAN

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No 360 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

2012 LONDON OLYMPICS

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DID YOU KNOW...? n The 20 kilometre race walk is an Olympic athletics event that is competed by both men and women unlike the 50 kilometre race walk which is only for men. n The men’s world record for the 20 km race walk is held by Vladimir Kanaykin, through his race of 1:17:16 in Saransk in 2007.

LEGENDS OF THE SPORT Jefferson Pérez (born July 1, 1974) is a retired Ecuadorian race walker. He specializes in the 20 km event, in which he has won the only two medals his country has ever achieved in the Olympic Games. He won the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics, becoming the youngest-ever gold medal winner in the 20 km walk event. He later went on to win the silver medal at the 2008 Games.

20KM WALK, 50 KM WALK ( M E N ) :

52 n The women’s world record for 20km race walking of 1:25:08 was set by Vera Sokolova, a Russian athlete, in Sochi in 2011.

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n There are two rules that govern racewalking. The first dictates that the athlete’s back toe cannot leave the ground until the heel of the front foot has touched. The second rule of race walking requires that the supporting leg of the athlete must straighten from the point of contact with the ground and remain straightened until the body passes directly over it.

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TALLY 2008

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Olimpiada Ivanova (born August 26, 1970) is a Russian race walker. She has 4 medals from the major events. Her first gold medal was won in the 2001 Edmonton World Championships. In 2002, she won another gold medal at the European Championship in Munich. The next major sporting event she took part in was the 2004 Athens Olympics where she finished second.

WALK TO THE TOP

DAYS TO GO

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

USA 7 RUSSIA 6 JAMAICA 6

9 5 3

7 7 2

The medals are for all the athletic events at the 2008 Games

MEDAL EVENTS August 4 Men’s 20km August 11 Men’s 50km Women’s 20km

Racewalking, or race walking, is a long-distance athletic event. Although it is a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Stride length is reduced, so to achieve competitive speeds, racewalkers must attain cadence rates comparable to those achieved by Olympic 400-metre runners— and they must do so for hours at a time since the Olympic events are the 20 kilometre race walk and 50-kilometre (31 mi) race walk.

Basics In Race Walk events, an athlete must (to the human eye)

THE LINGO Jump the gun To commit a false start by beginning to run before the starter’s pistol is fired Lifting A violation in the walk for lifting a foot before the leg has bent for a moment. Long distance Type of race which is at least 10,000 metres in length. Road race A race run on established roads or footpaths, not on grass or other soft ground.

be in contact with the ground at all times, unlike in running events, where both feet are momentarily off the ground. The leading leg must be straight from the moment it is first in contact with the ground, and the technique looks very different to ordinary walking. Athletes must be incredibly disciplined to fight the urge to break into a run for extra speed. The Race Walk events start and finish at The Mall. Athletes race over a 2km loop, taking them up The Mall towards Buckingham Palace, around the Victoria

Memorial and up Constitution Hill towards Hyde Park Corner before returning to complete the loop.

Competition format The Race Walk events are all straight finals – the first athlete to cross the finish line is the winner.

Keys to success Athletes need incredible amounts of stamina, endurance and mental strength. The pace is punishing and winning athletes must combine their speed and disci-

pline right to the finish.

Breaking the rules For the race walking event, judges are stationed at points along the course and will be looking closely at the athletes’ technique. If a judge is unhappy about any aspect, they will show a yellow paddle to the athlete as a warning. If an athlete is clearly not complying with the rules, then the judge will show a red paddle. If an athlete is shown three red paddles by three different judges then he or she is disqualified.

BIRTH OF RACEWALKING

acewalking developed as one of the original track and field events of the first meeting of the English Amateur Athletics Association in 1880. The first racewalking codes came from an attempt to regularize rules for popular 19th century long di-

stance competitive walking events, called Pedestrianism. Pedestrianism had developed, like foot-races and horse racing, as a popular working class British and American pastime, and a venue for wagering. Walkers organised the first English amateur walking

championship in 1866, which was won by John Chambers, and judged by the “fair heel and toe” rule. This rather vague code was the basis for the rules codified at the first Championships Meeting in 1880 of the Amateur Athletics Association in England, the

birth of modern Athletics. With soccer, cricket, and other sports codified in the 19th century, the transition from professional Pedestrianism to amateur racewalking was part of a process of regularisation occurring in most modern sports at this time.

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

29 1

DAYS TO GO

AT PEACE WITH HERSELF Emmanuel Barranguet

ROME: Reigning Olympic champion Federica Pellegrini says she is comfortable with her “sexy” image as she bids for double Games gold in London. The precocious and often temperamental talent is a huge star in her homeland and her face, and figure, are a staple diet for advertisers in print and on screen. Champion in both the 200m and 400m freestyle at the last two World Championships, Pellegrini will be looking to achieve a similar double during the Olympics, in which she is reigning champion in the 200m. A household name and an instantly recognisable face, Pellegrini insists her fame is no distraction to her primary aims. From appearing nude in print to dating a string of her male team-mates, Pellegrini is an advertiser’s dream. Pretty and feminine despite the big shoulders needed to be a champion swimmer, she says she wasn’t always such a knockout, though. “I would never have imagined I’d be a sexy icon, when I was young I was a Tom-boy,” she told women’s magazine Grazia. “Now, however, I consider femininity to be a priority: I see myself as a woman and not just an athlete. “But of course sensuality

should never descend into vulgarity.” The 23-year-old has certainly pushed those limits as far as she can, posing nude for Vanity Fare while also becoming the body of underwear maker Yamamay. But that’s something she is more than comfortable with. “Am I allowed to say that I’m a free woman,” she added. “I’ve made my peace with my body, I accept myself as I am.” Pellegrini has always been destined for stardom since winning Olympic silver in Athens as a 16-year-old. That talent in the pool coupled with her looks and her choice of partners has ensured she has never since been far from the limelight.

Am I allowed to say that I’m a free woman? I’ve made my peace with my body, I accept myself as I am. Federica Pellegrini, Reigning champion

Her sporting rivalry with France’s Laure Manaudou, herself a marquee name in her homeland, spilled out of the pool and into the dressing room. Pellegrini dated Manaudou’s ex Luca Marin, an Italian swimmer, before ditching him for another team-mate in Filippo

Magnini, a twice former world champion who is now past his best at 30. Pellegrini didn’t stop at pinching Manaudou’s ex boyfriend as she also employed the Frenchwoman’s former coach Philippe Lucas, although that partnership lasted only 18 months. It is her appetite for male swimmers that has ensured she is as popular with gossip mag journalists as the sporting ones, although she denies she has done anything out of the ordinary. “I’m not a man-eater, I’m just a young 23-year-old girl who can change her mind,” she says in her defence. Defending herself is something she’s had to do a lot of recently.

Gen next to carry Ethiopian torch Jenny Vaughan

ADDIS ABABA: Beneath the colourfully painted Olympic rings at Ethiopia’s national stadium, running hopefuls circle the track, sweating and breathless, as coaches shout out “good job!” and “beautiful!” For many of these runners, the London 2012 games will be their first time competing in the Olympics, as running veterans — including legend Haile Gebrselassie — pass the baton to Ethiopia’s next

generation of young, promising stars. At the forefront of Ethiopia’s rising stars are 800m runners, Fantu Magiso Manedo, 20, and 18-year-old Mohammed Aman, a much-anticipated Olympic favourite. Mohammed set the 800m men’s record for Ethiopia last year when he came in first place in Rieti, Italy with a time of 1:43. He said the fleet of young athletes heading to London are a promising bunch, not only because they train hard but because they have support.

Birthday boy Liu plans to send warning

2 3

LONDON: China’s Liu Xiang plans to celebrate his birthday by sending a warning to his Olympic 110m hurdles rivals on his first appearance at the London Grand Prix on Friday. Liu, a former Olympic champion, is among the leading contenders to win gold at London and he has the perfect opportunity to underline his credentials in the Diamond League meeting at Crystal Palace. The Chinese star, who leads the world rankings this year with 12.97s, won the Olympic title in Athens in 2004, but left fans devastated when he pulled out of the Beijing Games because of an Achilles injury. Liu, who turns 29 on Friday, has continued to struggle with injury since Beijing, but he believes he is back to his best after opting for a new stride pattern. Now, just two weeks before the Games begin, Liu, who also won gold at the 2007 World Championships, hopes to fine-tune his Olympic preparations with victory over outdoor world champion Jason Richardson and world indoor 60m hurdles champion Aries Merritt.

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15v 16 17 18 19

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Martial arts for peace in Afghanistan KABUL: The taekwondo star who became Afghanistan’s first ever Olympic medallist at the Beijing Games in 2008 wants to repeat the feat in London — in the hope of bringing peace to his troubled homeland. Rohullah Nikpa’s story is something of a fairytale in a war-ravaged country with few happy endings. As a 10-year-old obsessed with Bruce Lee, he followed his brother to the taekwondo club while civil war raged in his hometown.

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Playing Field Russia consider legal action against Advocaat MOSCOW: Russian football Union (RFU) chiefs are considering taking legal action against former national manager Dick Advocaat for breach of contract, the body's deputy president Nikita Simonyan said on Wednesday. "The RFU's contract with Advocaat expires on July 15," Simonyan said. "Advocaat meanwhile left our team on June 16 right after a defeat at the hands of Greece at Euro 2012 and has already signed a contract with PSV Eindhoven on July 1. This action violates his effective contract with the RFU." Simonyan added that Advocaat's demands for payment of the final month of his contract - which is estimated to be a sum around 300,000 euros - were baseless. "We have invited Advocaat to attend an RFU meeting to listen to his report about his work with our team," Simonyan said. "But I'm afraid we will never see him again. And it seems to be the real violation of contract. "The breach of professional ethics by Advocaat upsets me much more than the contradictions in the legal technicalities of his contract." Advocaat announced he was stepping down even before the kickoff of Euro 2012 and then guided the team to a disastrous first round exit. He is now working at PSV Eindhoven. AFP

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

The games people play

Give me some credit for Chelsea glory: Villas-Boas LONDON: Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas insists he deserves some of the credit for Chelsea's success in the aftermath of his sacking last season. When Villas-Boas was dismissed after just eight months at Chelsea, the west London club were languishing outside the top four in the Premier League and faced a 3-1 deficit from the first leg of their Champions League tie against Napoli. The poor results been caused in large part by VillasBoas's poor relationship with

several Chelsea stars, but, under the guidance of interim coach Roberto di Matteo, the

Blues went on to win the FA Cup and then the Champions League.

However, Villas-Boas insists there were some positives from his short spell at Chelsea and he should be credited for putting the foundations of their success into place. "For Chelsea to have won the FA Cup and the Champions League, it means we were still present in those competitions at that time I was sacked," Villas-Boas said on Wednesday. "The squad was being put in place towards the future and the owner took the decision, which I have to respect, but I never accept it. AFP

Havelange took bribes from ISL: Swiss court PARIS: Former world football chief Joao Havelange received enormous bribes from FIFA's discredited former marketing company, court documents released in Switzerland reveal. The 96-year-old Brazilian, FIFA president for 24 years before Sepp Blatter stepped into the hotseat in 1998, pocketed at least 1.5m Swiss francs (ÂŁ986,000) and FIFA executive committee member Ricardo Teixeira at least 12.74m. The bribes, made by International Sport and Leisure (ISL), were detailed in documents made public by Switzerland's supreme court and published by the BBC on Wednesday. FIFA's discredited Swissbased marketing partner collapsed in 2001 with debts of around $300 million. FIFA published the Swiss court's report on its website and in a statement world football's governing body emphasised that while Havelange and Teixeira were identified Blatter was not. "The decision of the Swiss Federal Court also confirms that only two foreign officials will be named as part of the process and that.....the FIFA president is not involved in the case," the statement stressed. The court documents howev-

er did reveal that FIFA chiefs had knowledge that Havelange and Teixeira had been paid bribes by ISL. It also disclosed that FIFA had agreed to pay 2.5million Swiss francs (ÂŁ1.64m) in compensation - but only on the condition that criminal proceedings against Havelange and Teixeira were dropped. Havelange, who remains FIFA's honorary president, stepped down after a 48-yearspell as a member of the International Olympic Committee last December just days before an ethics hearing into his links with ISL. Havelange was accused by a BBC documentary in 2010 of kickbacks totalling $1 million from ISL for granting lucrative World Cup contracts. Havelange, who became an IOC member in 1963, was FIFA president between 1974-98 before he was replaced by Blatter, his long time FIFA secretary general. In May he was discharged after two months in hospital in Rio de Janeiro where he was being treated for an ankle infection and cardiac and

pulmonary problems. He is the former father-inlaw of Teixeira, who recently resigned as head of Brazilian football and as chief of Brazil's organizing committee for the 2014 World Cup following a spate of corruption allegations. Havelange was instrumental in bringing the Olympics to Rio de Janeiro and to South America for the first time when in 2009 the IOC elected the city as the

2016 host. At the vote in Copenhagen he famously invited IOC members to his 100th birthday party on Copacabana beach in 2016 should they award the Games to Rio.AFP

Playing Field

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

The games people play

Serena packs off US teen Scott Williams

French connection helped end champ’s slump

STANFORD: Serena Williams encountered late resistance from a teen champion Wednesday before the Wimbledon winner polished off Nicole Gibbs 6-2, 6-1 in her first match at the WTA Stanford Classic. World number four Williams was fighting off jet lag as well as reigning US college champion Gibbs, an American ranked 403rd in the world and a junior at Stanford University, host of the $740,000 hardcourt event. It took defending champion Williams, who enjoyed a firstround bye, only 62 minutes to advance. “I couldn’t quite believe I was playing today, but I’m healthy, I have a heartbeat, so there was no reason not to,” Williams said. “I’m sure I’ll feel better after a day off. I’ve been waking up at 2 a.m. I was sluggish today, but it was fine to get that win over with. “The (hot) weather is definitely different than London with all that gloom and clouds. My body is used to the conditions here.” Williams, winner of 14 career Grand Slam singles titles, will next play a Friday quarter-final against South African sixth seed Chanelle Scheepers, who beat Portugal’s Michelle Larcher de Brito 6-3, 6-4. Belgian fifth seed Yanina Wickmayer ended the British challenge for the week with her defeat of Heather Watson 5-7, 6-1, 6-4. Williams returned to California on Monday, arriving 48 hours after winning her fifth Wimbledon title. She will return to Europe late next week to train in

Snooker World Cup selection results in City Lucky Vatnani bt Mannan Chandra 3-2 Rafat Habib bt Siddharta Parikh 3-2 Vidya Pilli bt Arantxa Sanchis 2-0 Chitra bt Suniti Damani 2-0 Neena bt Keerat Bhandal 2-0 Shahbaz bt Neeraj Kumar 3-1 Manudev bt Siddharth Parikh 3-0 Rafath Habib bt Himanshu Jain 3-2 Arantxa bt Chitra 2-1 Vidya Pillai bt Neena Praveen 2-0 Keerat Bhandal bt Sunithi 2-1 Brijesh bt Neeraj 3-0 Lucky bt Himanshu 3-1 Kamal Chawla bt Rafath Habib 3-2 Arantxa bt Neena 2-1 Shahbaz bt Kamal 3-2

Paris before traveling to the London Olympics, which begin on July 27. The 30-year-old American, saying she is in the best shape of her career, was pleased to get her job done against Gibbs. The teen saved three match

points over two games before finally going down to defeat as she played her first week in a WTA main draw. “She played really well. She moves well and doesn’t quit,” Williams said of Gibbs. “That’s the best quality you

can have as a tennis player. “It’s good to see such Americans coming up. She played a good game and was focused all the time. I was surprised that she didn’t have many nerves. “It was not a beat-down for me. She really held her own.”

erena Williams has developed a French connection besides her Paris flat, the five-time Wimbledon winner quietly building a coaching consultation relationship with Patrick Mouratoglou. Williams spent time at his academy near Paris after one of the worst losses of her career in May when she exited in the opening round of Roland Garros, only to come back and win another Wimbledon crowd a month later. The 30-year-old American, top seed this week on hardcourt at the Stanford Classic in California, is reluctant to delve too deeply into the apparently continuing role for the Frenchman, but has revealed: “I love Paris and I spend a lot of time there. I have a place there. I’ve been kind of almost living there a lot. I found a great facility and I know Patrick and he’s a great guy. I loved working with him while I was in Paris.” The American said that the Paris loss affected her deeply. “It puts doubts in your mind, but that is normal,” she said. “It affected me more than any other in my career. You have to climb back if you can.” Helping her do that was Mouratoglou, a coach. AFP

Donald to defend Scottish Open crown James Mack

CASTLE

STUART:

World No 1 Luke Donald will be hoping for Scottish Open recognition this week after going unnoticed by Australian pop singer, Kylie Minogue at Wimbledon. Donald is defending his Scottish Open title after winning the rainreduced event by four strokes last year at Castle Stuart near Inverness in

northern Scotland. Last week Donald was invited to Wimble-

don and the Royal Box for the Men’s semi-finals where the Chicago-based

Brit sat beside Minogue. However, the 44-year chart top singer was oblivious Donald was a professional golfer. “She actually wasn’t aware that I was a golfer,” said Donald. “So I had to mention that to her, but her boyfriend is a keen golfer and she turned that around, and said he’s a professional golfer. And he turned around and goes, yes, I know.

“But it was the first time I had been to the Royal Box and Kylie was a sweet girl, actually. A really genuine nice girl, down to earth, and I enjoyed chatting to her. “I got to watch two great matches, and it was fun day out.” Donald is this week celebrating his 52nd week as World No 1 and looking also to capture his second European Tour title. AFP

Playing Field

USADA gives Armstrong 30day extension COLORADO SPRINGS: The US AntiDoping Agency (USADA) has given Lance Armstrong a 30-day extension to contest the doping conspiracy charges against him while he pursues a lawsuit against USADA. Armstrong has filed a lawsuit in US District Court in his hometown of Austin, Texas, asking a federal judge to issue an injunction against USADA from pushing forward with its charges or imposing any sanction upon the US cyclist. The seven-time Tour de France champion could be stripped of his titles and given a lifetime ban from the sport if found guilty of being part of a doping conspiracy from 1999 through 2005, the years he won the Tour de France. “USADA has granted Mr. Armstrong a brief extension of up to 30 days to contest the doping charges until the court dismisses the lawsuit or rules on any preliminary injunction,” USADA chief execuitve Travis Tygart said. AFP

LAS VEGAS: Britain’s Amir Khan will walk into the ring as a world champion on Saturday after the World Boxing Association told him on Wednesday that he has been reinstated to the light-welterweight throne. Khan will meet unbeaten American Danny Garcia, the reigning World Boxing Council champion, on Saturday to unify

Evans, Levi set for US Pro DENVER: Reigning Tour de France champion Cadel Evans and defending event champion Levi Leipheimer will lead a world-class field into next month’s USA Pro Challenge seven-day cycling event. Organizers announced on Wednesday that the race over the Rocky Mountains would be staged August 20-26 with 16 teams, including six top-level UCI Pro teams, on a 683-mile course that ends with a time trial at Denver. The elite squads include BMC Racing, which is trying to lead Australia’s Evans to another Tour de France crown this month, Leipheimer’s Omega Quickstep, GarminSharp, Astana, Liquigas-Cannondale and RadioShack-Nissan-Trek. “Seeing the huge crowds that were along the route supporting us at the USA Pro Challenge was remarkable and really motivated us to do our best,” Evans said. “The course and the mountains were beautiful, but incredibly challenging, and I can’t wait to take them on again.” American George Hincapie, a BMC teammate of Evans who finished fifth in the Challenge last year and is now riding in

Khan gets back WBA crown ahead of fight the crowns in a showdown that was booked after a planned Khan rematch against Lamont Peterson was called off. Peterson defeated Khan last December in a controversial split decision where the Englishman had two points deducted by referee Joe Cooper for shoving, lost points that cost Khan the decision and two world titles. A rematch was planned but scuttled when Peterson tested positive for high levels of testosterone and later admitted he had been taking testosterone treatments. Khan pushed to have the result stricken and his titles reinstated. The first move in that direction came on Wednesday when the WBA returned its title to Khan, although the International Boxing Federation has not followed suit and the result has not been changed to no contest. Khan, 26-2 with 18 knockouts, confirmed the WBA title reinstatement in a Twitter posting. AFP

Howard stays put with Magic team ORLANDO: Dwight Howard will not be leaving the Orlando Magic for the Brooklyn Nets but Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis joined the NBA champion Miami Heat on Wednesday as a signing moratorium ended. After days of reports and rumors, clubs could finally make official moves and many of them did, but the biggest talent on the potential dealing block, AllStar center Howard, stayed with the Magic. Talks of a four-team

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2012

The games people play

trade deal collapsed when Magic general manager Rob Hennigan ruled out a transfer to the Nets, Howard’s preferred destination. “Anything is possible, but with the talks that we have had up to this point there is probably not a whole lot there,” Hennigan said of reviving a Nets deal. Hennigan said such a trade would not be in the Magic’s best interest, even though Howard could play out a final season. AFP

his 17th Tour de France, will make the USA Pro Challenge the final event of his career. US Olympian Tim Duggan of LiquigasCannondale, RadioShack-Nissan-Trek’s

Frank Schleck, third in last year’s Tour de France, 2011 Tour of California winner Chris Horner and Germany’s Jens Voigt are among those set to compete. AFP