Postnoon E-Paper for 13 June 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012 HYDERABAD

A fire ravaged the Kukatpally Exhibition Grounds in the early hours of Wednesday. No injuries have been reported so far.

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N SHIVA KUMAR

Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park ushered in a new era of filmmaking with its ground-breaking special effects back in 1993. On the 19th anniversary of its release, we go behind the scenes of this iconic film.

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TRUTH BY SERUM TRAMPLES BASIC RIGHTS: EXPERTS The CBI’s request to the CBI court to conduct a narco analysis (truth serum) test on YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has surprised many in the legal and medical circles, as it has been declared unconstitutional, and its reliability controversial. Jagan is objecting to any such test and has threatened to go on a hunger strike in prison if he is forced to undergo P3 the test.

mçä~åÇ=ÜçäÇ=çå=íç ÜçéÉ=áå=bìêç=OMNO Euro 2012 co-hosts Poland kept their chances of a quarterfinals berth alive on Tuesday night after drawing 1-1 with Russia, putting on ice their opponents’ hopes of clinching the first slot in the P31 knock-out phase.

Page Two

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

Hyderabad Library services

IN THE LOOP SRINIVAS SETTY

Library and librarian services offered to members and groups (institutions) at `3,650 per year (per member). It covers study, career, competition, business of research. Welcome to APSET enrolled. Where: Hyderabad library services, Sagar View Complex When: June 9 to July 8, Contact: (040) 2322 2247, 94412 37751

Lower Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11.30am onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Friends with Bird Friends with bird, a patining exhibition by artist Pallavi Wallunj is being held at Colours Art Gallery. The exhibition is on till June 23. Where: Colours Art Gallery, Chikoti Gardens, Begumpet When: Ongoing, 10am-7pm Contact: 93470 01275

Abstract landscapes

Music and dreams This is the story of Ashley, a hip hop performer at the Rhapsody School of Dance who takes the biggest decision of her life because of a prestigious dance competition titled - Of Music And Dreams. Where: Shilpa Kala Vedika, Madhapur When: June 16, 8pm onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

A painting exhibition by artist Bhaskar Rao B titled A leaflet and a drop will be on display at Iconart Gallery. The exhibition will be on display till June 20. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: 98499 68797

Serenity

An exhibition and sale of original lithographic prints by artists like Rabindranath Tagore, Eshwar Das Gupta, Somnat Hore, KG Subramanyam and K Laxma Goud called The Master of Arts is on. Where: Arts Heaven Art Gallery, Lakdikapul When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: 99495 71031

The master of arts

Serenity- an exhibition of painting is being held at Kalakrithi art Gallery. The paintings are by artist Aninda Varma. The exhibition is on till June 23. Where: Kalakrithi Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 11am-7pm Contact: (040) 66564 466

Theatre workshop Samahaara is hosting special four week summer acting workshops. The workshops will be held for a duration of four weeks. Where: Vidyaranya School, The Terrace, The Actorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Studio When: Ongoing Contact: 83411 20303

Madhubani workshop The YMCA Secunderabad is hosting a madhubani painting workshop. The workshop is being felicitated by an artist from Madhubani. A part of the fees earned will be used to train underprivileged women. Where: YMCA Secunderabad, West Marredpally When: June 18-June 29 Contact: 98490 07736, 99595 57183

DJ time Head for one of the most musical and fun filled evening. We have DJ Shikar, DJ Sam and DJ Zeesh on the opening sets and DJ Zain Sabri & DJ Veer spinning hip hop and commercial music. Where: Cuba Libre, Banjara Hills, When: June 16, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6776 7114

Akriti elite An exhibition cum sale of top designers will be held at Taj Deccan on June 12 and June 13. The exhi-

CINEMAS

Buy art bition will feature designer wear, home decor and accessories. Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: June 13 and June 14, 11.30am onwards Contact: (040) 6666 3939

Weekday Italian buffet A mid-week Italian craving? Head to Via Milano for their weekly buffets which includes a variety of dishes from appetizers to a lipsmacking main course. Where: Via Milano, Jubilee Hills, Rd No 36 When: Ongoing,

12pm-3.30pm Contact: (040) 64556677

Sunday brunch Spend the perfect Sunday afternoon with Aquaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special brunch. Where: Aqua, The Park, When: Every Sunday, 12pm to 4 pm Contact: (040) 2345 6789

Vision of blue gold Vision of blue gold, an exhibition of paintings by Pranay will be on display at Muse Art Gallery.The exhibition is on from June 9. Where: Muse Art Gallery,

Iconart Art Gallery as a part of its Buy Art initiative is hosting an exhibition featuring abstract art, sculptures and paintings. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing, 11.30am onwards Contact: 98499 68797

Musical evening A musical event by Srinivas Srikanth will be held on June 16. Where: TTD Bhavan, Himayat Nagar When: June 16, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 23220852

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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Truth by serum is unconstitutional LEGAL Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

he CBI request to the CBI court to conduct a narco analysis (truth serum) test on YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has surprised many in the legal and medical circles. As it has been declared unconstitutional and its reliability is controversial. The CBI had, while demanding extension of custody of Jagan submitted that the agency was planning to do a truth serum test on him. Jagan, in turn, while objecting to any such test had threatened to go on a hunger strike in prison if he was forced. The Supreme Court in May 2010 held tests such as narco analysis, brain-mapping and polygraph tests on accused, suspects and witnesses without their consent as unconstitutional and violation of the ‘right of privacy’. The apex court observed,

“The compulsory administration of the impugned techniques violates the right against self-incrimination. The test results cannot be admitted in evidence if they have been obtained through the use of compulsion. Article 20 (3) of the Constitution (No person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself ) protects an individual’s choice between speaking and remaining silent, irrespective of whether the subsequent testimony proves to inculpatory or exculpatory.” “The law is very clear,” said senior lawyer Ramachandra Rao. “It is not done. It was not even allowed to be conducted on terrorist Ajmal Kasab. Use of narco analysis drug is known to complicate body functions. Much like anaesthesia, if the serum is not used with utmost care the person subjected to it may fall into a coma forever. The test is now allowed only with the consent of the accused.” Another lawyer, Arcot Chandrasekhar told Postnoon, “The consent of the accused has to be obtained before a magistrate. Police

or investigating agency can’t claim it has got the consent, the judiciary has to be in the picture.” Lawyers are surprised as to how Jagan’s high-profile lawyers have not pointed this out when the CBI demanded such a test. City doctors whom Postnoon contacted said the serum test is not foolproof and is fraught with health hazards, if not done under care. “It needs a full team of doctors including forensic doctor and needs monitoring,” Dr Abhijeet Subedar, professor, forensic department of Osmania Medical college.

What’s truth serum test Narco analysis technique involves the intravenous administration of sodium pentothal, a drug which lowers inhibitions on part of the subject and induces the person to talk freely. The other techniques measure changes in aspects such as respiration, blood pressure, blood flow, pulse and galvanic skin resistance. The truthfulness or falsity on part of the subject is assessed by relying on the records of the physiological responses.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

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Serenity in the midst of chaos The GHMC park in Srinagar Colony is popular among residents of the colony and visitors alike. The verdant landscape proves to be a perfect meeting place for all age groups DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

“W

hat I really like about this park is that not only is it well maintained, but it has different sections for people who want to walk, those who want to relax on the benches, those want to lie down on the lawn, or children who like playing by the swings,” said Rachna Singh, a resident of Srinagar Colony. She was referring to the GHMC Park in Srinagar Colony, one of the parks that are well-maintained in the area. Nestled between high residential apartments, the Srinagar Colony Park is located in between Srinagar Colony main road and Road No 2, Banjara Hills. It is mostly frequented by the local residents, who come early

different varieties of plants that form an intricate design. “A lot of people who visited the park liked the 'centre piece'. It has become its USP of sorts. I think a lot of planning went behind designing this park and it shows. The park has been maintained well too. The residents are conscious enough not to litter it as well,” said Shivee J, an IT employee who resides in the apartments that overlook the park. “I like the expansive lawns of the park. Unlike other parks, the grass isn't carpet grass and is natural. That is why it doesn't hurt the feet when you walk on it bare-

in the morning and in the evening, and sometimes even in the afternoon. The park has been designed in such a way that there are trees and shrubs all around. The park is divided into sections such as a play area for children. “Evenings are very pleasant here. I come every day as it gives me a sense of serenity, despite being located in the heart of the City. A lot of families come here too. It is as if we have our own community. Having said that, everyone is welcome here,” said Addiserla Swapna, a homemaker. But the real highlight of the park is literally in the centre. A raised circular dais is filled with

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foot. I especially like lying down on the lawns. Almost throughout the year, the park is green,” said Raji Reddy, a resident. A variety of plants and trees adorn the park. There are about 20 trees in the vicinity as well as 15 varieties of plants. A peek into the park and one will see concrete benches around the park. This makes it a perfect place to read a book, or simply look at the people who come here, and time just flies by. “The first time I came here, I almost immediately knew that it is the park I was looking for,” added Shivee. Perhaps that is why it is so popular.

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

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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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Will govt fall after bypolls? POLITICS Md Inkeshaf Ahmed ahmed.m@postnoon.com

peculation is already rife in the State’s political circle on the kind of impact the bypoll results will have on the Kiran Kumar Reddy’s government. The big question on everybody’s mind at the moment is whether the results will lead to a change of guard in the State. While the Congress leaders deny reports of change of guard if the party faces a severe drubbing at the hands of YSRC, the TDP is cautious in its approach. The leaders of these parties are concerned that there will be a lot of problems in store for them if the YSR Congress sweep the by-elections. The most important worry among these parties is a likely defection of

party MLAs and senior leaders to the YSRC. To counter this effect, the parties are busy strategising. The Congress top brass is busy keeping its flock together to ensure that there is no threat to the State government. “There will no impact on Kiran Kumar’s government after the poll results are announced. The government will not fall. In

fact, we are confident of winning 3-5 seats in the bypolls,” APCC spokesperson Tulasi Reddy told Postnoon. On the other hand, TDP wants to remain a silent spectator instead of moving a no confidence motion. “Why should we move a no-confidence motion? The government will automatically fall if Congress

MLAs leave their party. The magic figure is 147. If the number of MLAs comes down below this figure, the Congress will lose ground to continue in power,” TDP senior leader and MLA K Dayakar Reddy told Postnoon. The statement of the TDP leader is a clear indication that the party is in no position to go for mid-term polls as it would benefit the YSR Congress. On the other hand, political analyst Telakapally Ravi opined that the election results will have strong impact in State politics. “The increase in poll percentage is a clear indication that the people of these constituencies wanted to send out a strong message to the political parties,” he said. The people have voted for the party they loved and rejected political parties they hate the most. The increase in poll percentage is an indication of this feeling of the public.

‘Lotus has tie up with ceiling fan’ POLITICS Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

ow, it is the turn of the BJP to get blamed. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party had secret ties with the YSR Congress party in the by-elections. The TRS MLA K Tarakarama Rao questioned the BJP’s silence over the arrest of Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy. He said that BJP leader Sushma Swaraj in her by-elections campaign in Parakal con-

stituency did not speak a word either about Jagan’s arrest or YSRC’s Parkal candidate Konda Surekha although she criticised all other political parties.

He said Sushma Swaraj’s speeches clearly indicate that the BJP was having some secret understanding with the YSRC. Tarakarama Rao also alleged that the BJP has fielded its candidate from Parkal constituency only to split the pro-Telangana votes which otherwise would have come in favour of TRS. He said this was done to ensure Konda Surekha’s victory in the by-elections. The Sircilla MLA said that although the BJP was contesting from 12 constituencies in the by-elections, all its national leaders have participated in campaign only in the Parkal constituency. He said that the BJP’s State President G Kishan Reddy had

Annul all controversial land allotment: Lok Satta LEGAL Postnoon News feedback@postnoon.com

he Lok Satta Party, while welcoming the directive to AP Mining Development Corporation to cancel the lease agreement with Rakashana Steels on iron ore mines

spread over 1.41 lakh acres in Khammam and Warangal districts, demanded annulling of all controversial land allotment in the State. Lok Satta Party leaders DVVS Varma and P Bhaskara Rao said in a media statement said the agreement was flawed on many counts including lease of areas in Scheduled

areas to ineligible entities. The Lok Satta leaders said that those in the Government and its undertakings over the years have arbitrarily allocated precious natural resources like land, minerals and sand to their relatives and cronies. The resources should be allocated judiciously considering the interests of future generations.

also campaigned in Parkal for 10-days while ignoring all other seats. He alleged that BJP was favouring YSRC on the directions of former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy. The TRS leader also ridiculed the BJP leaders’ remarks on the political strength of Telangana Rashtra Samithi by referring to it as a two-MP party. He said TRS lone MP, K Chandrasekhar Rao, forced the Centre to make an announcement in favour of Telangana on December 9, 2009. Therefore, he said the TRS was capable of achieving it’s demand for a seperate Telangana.

NEWS BRIEFS SC refuses to stay sub-quota order

he Supreme Court refused to stay Andhra Pradesh HC’s order quashing 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities in central educational institutions. The SC issues notices and also seeks responses from petitioners who had challenged the 4.5 per cent sub-quota to minorities.

Snatcher arrested, 36 tolas gold recovered

notorious robber Shaik Faiyaz Ahmed was arrested by the Golconda police who recovered 36 tolas of stolen jewellery from him. The 28-year-old resident of Langerhouze was involved in many cases and was earlier arrested by the Humayunnagar police, Langerhouze police, Asifnagar police and crime control station.

TDP accuses CEO of favouring YSRC

he TDP has lodged a complaint with the election commission that the CEO of AP, Banwarlal, has favoured the YSRC several times. According to TDP leader Varla Ramaiah, despite several protests lodged with the CEO of YSRC media violating poll codes, the electoral officer ignored them.

Jobless youth kills himself by hanging

28-year-old youth Rajshekhar is believed to have committed suicide by hanging himself at his home in Maheshnagar Kapra under Kushaiguda police station limits. Rajshekhar was said to have been jobless and consequently faced financial problems.

Cops arrest 2, seize goods worth `6 lakh

he Afzalgunj police have arrested two thieves and recovered cosmetic and general items worth `6 lakh. On May 31, the police received a complaint from Kishore Jain, cosmetic and general goods businessman of Shahinayathgunj, stating that some unknown people had stolen goods from his godown.

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N SHIVA KUMAR

They came to the City over 40 years ago in a bid to earn a living carving cricket bats, shoe racks, cots etc. But with stiff competition from the plastic industry, they find survival is a challenge

40 not out: A generation of batsmen Sudeshna Koka sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

here may be many religions in India, but it is said that cricket unites Indians better than any religion can ever do. For most people in Secunderabad the best place to learn, practice and play cricket is the Parade ground. Denizens from all walks of life throng this ground to

play cricket. But what is unknown to most of us, is the small community that lives behind the grounds doing what they do best — making cricket bats and cricket kits. The Thoris belong to a landless community, and are economically marginalized. A few of these nomadic families landed in Hyderabad 40 years ago to make a living using their skill in car-

pentry. However, today only six such families remain in the City and continue to carve that willow. When the Thoris first came to the City, they earned a living by making cricket sets, cots, shoe stands, study tables and kitchen utensils. But with plastic taking over in most spheres, many of them left the City. “We had a huge community here but today with so much competition our people had no choice but to go back to our village. We are somehow managing but our next generation won’t be in this City or in this profession,” says Suresh Thori. Carpentry runs in their blood and marketing is a skill that they have developed after coming to the City. “We have been doing this since childhood; we were had an option. After living in the City we have seen what development is and how education can change lives. Hence, we left our children at home, to study. We want them to choose a respectable profession for themselves,” says Rajesh T. As far as their business is concerned, they insist that it is a selftaught art. “No one taught us anything; we

learnt it on our own. Our children come to the City for two months every year. That’s when they see us and gain knowledge. That should be enough,” says Arvind T. However, the women folk beg to differ and chip in saying, “Customers see the outcome but nobody knows the hard work that goes into making a product. We have been living on the roads but what’s the guarantee that our children will be in a position to work this hard? Hence, when we came to know that the Gujarat government is providing free education to children we have enrolled them in schools,” says Ramala A. Of the 7,000 families, the remaining few are fighting the last leg of their battle by only making bats and cricket sets. On an average they make more than 3,000 bats each month. A few are sold outside their house, which is the Paradise main road, while a few others are sent to parts of the State like Medak, Nagole and Medchal. Sports shops from various parts of the

City also place bulk orders with them. The biggest problem that these nomadic artists face is buying wood. They use mahaneem wood and this is not easily available. “Once a week, one of us tours the City to somehow arrange for wood. Now we also have brokers who arrange for the wood during the monsoon. With competition from plastic industry and shortage of wood, survival is a challenge,” says Sanjay R. Avid cricket fans themselves, strongly believe that cricket is a game for everyone. “Most of our clients are middle class. We make products for those who cannot go to a mall and buy branded cricket sets,” says Gopal, the self-appointed marketing executive for the whole team, who believes that their USP is selling a good product for an affordable price. However, despite living in the City for more than four decades, the Thori community doesn’t feel at home and they are all set to give up their age old tradition of carpentry.

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City not tourist-friendly? M ANIL KUMAR

CIVIC Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

yderabad is a tourist-friendly City, say residents. But is it? While people from all across the country drive down to catch a glimpse of the historical city of the Nizams, a non-Andhra Pradesh number plate on the vehicle means that one has to shell out money when the traffic police stop to check the documents— this, even when you have all the required documents. Mostly prevalent in Old City, three spots here are notoriously famous for fining the drivers who come from outside the State. The first spot in near the Madina Building crossroads, the second spot is Afzalgunj bus stand, and the third spot is at the corner of Unani Hospital beside Charminar. However, these are not the only spots in the City. This activity is networked around all the routes to enter the City. The traffic police allegedly specifically stop the non-AP registered vehicles, ask the driver for their license, registration and pollution check. And even if the drivers shows the cop all the documents, they are not hesitant to the ask for a bribe directly. The rates can be between `50 to `300. “Last week, I drove down to the City from Bangalore. Although I did not face any problem entering the City, when I decided to explore the older areas, I was

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stopped by a traffic policeman and was asked to show all the documents. All my documents were valid and up-to-date. Even then, I was asked to pay `100 and the reason I was given was that I did not have an NOC (No Objection Certificate). I don’t need an NOC unless I live here,” said SM Mohan, a businessman from Bangalore. For Shameem Ahmed, a resident of Gulbarga, Hyderabad is like a second home. He prefers driving down instead of taking the conventional methods of coming here. Yet many a times, he had to pay the price of having a car registered in Karnataka. “I come to Hyderabad every fortnight to visit my parents. The traffic police

almost always stop me and ask for the documents. Until here, it is alright as they are doing their duty. But even if I have all the documents, they smile and ask me for a bribe. To avoid a scuffle, I end up giving them at least `100 every time,” he alleges. On the other hand, the traffic police has rubbished the claims. “Nobody takes a bribe from such drivers. It is a wrong allegation. In fact, the traffic constable helps when they approach them — from directions to just about anything. A lot of people drive down to the City from the Maharashtra and Karnataka, and they don’t face any such problems,” defended Jyoti Prakash, assistant commissioner of police (traffic- IV).

Pollution checks lack authenticity

HEALTH

REAL ESTATE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

SRIKAKULAM: Two persons were killed on Tuesday in a clash when two groups attacked each other with country bombs, in Lakshmipuram village under Vangara mandal. The deceased were Sundar Rao and Venkata Rao. NSS

oyriding, emitting thick clouds of smoke, much to the discomfort of other commuters, is a common sight on Hyderabad roads. The rapid growth in the number of automobiles and the continuing rise in pollution levels is making living in the City worse. But the question here is, who should be blamed — the Road Transport Authority (RTA) which provides the PUC certificates to vehicle owners, or the Hyderabad Traffic Police (HTP) who keep a check on them? The present situation of the PUC (pollution under control) vans and the so-called stringent traffic checks, reveals how easy it is to get a PUC certificate. Even if your certificate has expired, you really don’t need to worry about it. It is no wonder then that the City is getting more polluted. Many road users blame the RTA, the authorised pollution checking vehicle staff, for not checking the vehicles emitting smoke properly. Many road users also blame the traffic police, who are not strict when it comes to checking the pollution certificate provided by the RTA. They give importance only to the documents related to license or registration.

“Most of the time, during regular checks, the traffic police concentrate only documents related to license or vehicle registration papers. They rarely check the pollution papers. My pollution certificate expired in the month of January and because of my busy schedule, I couldn’t renew it. But the traffic police too didn’t bother to check the papers. I renewed my certificate only in May,” said Nitin Kumar, a software developer. Rohit P, an IT professional says, “Many of my friends have got their PUC certificate without any proper checks. The pollution control vehicles are there just for name-sake. They don’t even have proper equipment. Many a times, one

can avail a PUC by just paying some amount,” he said. “These are all false claims, whenever a commuter is caught for jumping the signal or breaking traffic rules the traffic cops check the PUC certificates too. In regular checks also the cops make sure to check the PUC certificates and if the certificate has expired they are fined. May be in a hurry or to avoid traffic jams sometimes the police may ignore checking PUC certificates but not always,” said PVS Ramakrishna, DCP traffic. As per the traffic rules if any visible smoke comes from the vehicle and they still have a valid PUC certificate with them, nobody can book a case.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

N SHIVA KUMAR

Fairground destruction Four trucks, 75 stalls go up in smoke as a major fire broke out at the exhibition grounds in Kukatpally Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

he Kukatpally Exhibition in front of Metro shopping mall caught fire in the early hours of the morning. The fire’s sparking point was located at the rear end of the exhibition and westerly winds fanned it as it engulfed the whole venue, burning down four trucks and a number of stalls. No one was injured. Workers and owners of the stalls had a lucky escape but the exhibition organiser, by name Bujji, is said to have suffered a heart-stroke and was immediately hospitalised. Savithri who worked at the booking counter said, “We saw the fire at 7:30 in the morning. Within minutes, the entire venue was ablaze and we had a lucky escape. All our money and possessions have been burnt and we are still too shocked by

the entire episode to think rationally.” Vasu, another worker at the venue says, “As of now, even we are not aware of how this happened. Some believe that it was a

huge garbage pile that was set to fire by the sweepers but it is still not proven.” Syed Ahmed, a stall owner at the exhibition said, “We did not know of the fire until friends

called us up and informed us of this. I have been a stall owner at various fairs and exhibitions even the Numaish at Nampally and I have never been so affected by a disaster such as this. All our

money, our business is gone. We do not know what to do now.” Four fire trucks were pressed into service, to douse the raging flames. The fire consumed most of the exhibition and caused extensive damage. On hearing the news, the owner and incharge of the entire exhibition, Bujji was shell shocked and suffered a cardiac arrest. He was taken away to a nearby hospital. ACP Malla Reddy reached the spot at 9:30am and immediately issued orders for cleaning and clearing the venue of bystanders and onlookers. Despite the catastrophe, the venue had not been cleared of a huge array of gas cylinders that were left unguarded. A precautionary ambulance was not seen at the venue. The disaster stalled traffic movement because of the huge presence of onlookers and vehicles that clogged the traffic.

16,861.35 0.28

5,116.10 0.20

BSE

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Business

10g= `30,300

GOLD

1kg= `55,500

Matters of saving and spending

Leadership award for Mahindra

SILVER

`55.87

DOLLAR

POUND WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012 9

TiE up to excel Prudhvi Raju K prudhvi.k@postnnoon.com

WASHINGTON: Anand Mahindra, vice chairman & managing director of Mahindra Group, and Alan Mulally, president & CEO, Ford Motor Company, have been honoured with Global Leadership Awards for their outstanding contributions to the US-India growth story. The Indian and US business leaders were given the awards at the 37th anniversary leadership summit of the US-India Business Council comprising about 350 top US and Indian companies. Since starting Mahindra USA in 1994, the company has grown 20 times over and sold over 10,000 tractors. More than 90 percent of their employees in this enterprise are American, USIBC said. Ford has recently laid the foundation stone for its new $906 million manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat. The plant, to be operational in 2014, will produce 240,000 Ford automobiles and 270,000 engines a year. IANS

re you an entrepreneur with great business idea? Is your business gaining traction? Do you want mentorship, financial support, networking to grow your business? TiE, a non-profit global organisation, is helping entrepreneurs and professionals to network which fosters entrepreneurship and nurture entrepreneurs. Talking about the facilities provide by TiE for budding entrepreneurs, Murali Bukkapatnam, president, TiE Hyderabad, said, “The support and mentorship is given to the entrepreneurs who had taken their idea to next level. Starting an enterprise and gaining traction shows the seriousness and commitment of the entrepreneur towards his aim. “If the entrepreneur becomes an associate member with TiE, he can get valuable guidance from the mentorship committee which consists of charter members (successful veteran entrepreneurs, corporate executives and senior professionals). There are around 35 charter members from different industries who are willing to mentor the budding entrepreneurs. “One of the bottlenecks for budding entrepreneurs is guidance and mentorship. As these chartered members have already expertise in the field, they help the budding entrepreneurs to move in the right direction. They know the odds and difficulties which are going be faced by these budding entrepreneurs. TiE is also playing active role in making students

Allaying doubts about India’s success story, external affairs minister SM Krishna has assured American business that India will restore investor confidence and regain economic momentum and growth. “In an era of global interdependence, not everything is within the powers of national governments,” he said in a keynote address Tuesday at an event here . “But we are confident that we will restore investor confidence and regain economic momentum and growth,” Krishna said at the event on the eve of the third India-US strategic dialogue that he co-chairs with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“Questions have been raised about economic policy and commitment to implement reforms. Doubts have been expressed whether the story of Incredible India will remain credible!” he said. India’s confidence, Krishna said, “stems not just from the strong fundamentals of our econ-

NUMEROLOGY

6.9

per cent

is the expected growth rate of Indian economy for the financial year 2012-13, according to the World Bank

THUS SPAKE

realise entrepreneurship as a career option. We want to kindle the spirit and build confidence among the students.” Talking about hurdles in entrepreneurship, he says, “Some entrepreneurs don’t want to spend money on legal procedures such as agreement between the partners. This will put them in huge legal and financial trouble in the future. Many start-ups venture without proper research and not checking viability of the revenue model, and not proper execution.” TiE is also working as a networking platform. “We conduct an event every month where in famous industrialists or charter members share their expertise to the associate and student members. This will also foster networking among the charter members and others. Surprisingly many charter mem-

bers invested in the companies of the associate members which not only help the associate members to get valuable guidance and also financial support. Some of the members at TiE have started Hyderabad Angles which invests in viable business models,” he says. The annual event of TiE ISB connect also attracts venture capitalists and angel funding for the prospective successful entrepreneurs. TiE acts as a bridge and does matching between the entrepreneurs and investors in accordance with the level of investments needed by the enterprises. TiE Hyderabad is going to start incubation centre next month which helps budding entrepreneurs with office space and also to make financial support from charter members formal.

We will restore investor confidence: Krishna WASHINGTON:

`86.89

omy, but, also from the fact that virtually every political party in India has been at some point part of the reform process.” While expressing “great confidence in the future of India-US economic partnership” the minister outlined various pressing issues faced by Indian businesses in America. These included “the worsening environment for mobility of professionals, the protectionist sentiments against the global supply chain in services industry and the refusal to even consider a Social Security Agreement affecting 300,000 non-immigrant Indian professionals in the US. Krishna also expressed concerns over “the unresolved mar-

ket access issues, or, the persisting presence of India in the Super 301 priority watch list and the US Department of Labour’s list” identifying trade barriers to US companies and products. However, the progress the two countries have made gives them the confidence to deal with the challenges in their relationship, Krishna said noting that India-US trade in goods and services has reached a milestone by crossing $100 billion last year. India’s planned investment of more than a trillion dollars in infrastructure development over the next five years also offered enormous opportunities for expanding the India-US economic partnership, he said. IANS

“I feel even a small reform like FDI in multi-brand retail will be a mood uplifter, as it will benefit our farmers in a big way and even small producers will be able to export to global chain suppliers,” Kaushik Basu, chief economic advisor, finance ministry

DOWNGRADED Moody’s downgraded two Cyprus banks on Tuesday citing their large exposure to a possible Greek exit from the eurozone. As Cyprus was being increasingly seen as the next eurozone candidate for a bailout after Spain, Moody’s chopped its rating for Bank of Cyprus by one notch to B2 from B1, while Hellenic Bank’s rating dropped to B1 from Ba3. Moody’s said the three banks have large exposures to borrowers in Greece, which goes to the polls Sunday in a vote that could lead to the country’s exit from the eurozone, which would likely spark deep financial turmoil.

OPTIMISM JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon said Tuesday that the giant bank should report strong earnings in the second quarter despite $2 billion or more in shock losses on derivatives trading. All of our lines of business remain profitable and continue to serve consumers and businesses,” Dimon said in prepared testimony for a Senate committee hearing Wednesday, released early by the bank. “While there are still two weeks left in our second quarter, we expect our quarter to be solidly profitable,” he added.

India‑View

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

India unveiled

Idlis in space? More proof India will open a dhaba anywhere

Mistri cracks Bollywood mystery in Spain Debaprio D Choudhury

NEW DELHI: Enchanted with

Meet the man behind India’s space food program. And all NASA ever gave us was Tang. Jason Overdorf

he Indian Space R e s e a r c h Organization (ISRO) two years ago unveiled plans for a manned mission to outer space in 2016, for the bargain-basement cost of around $2.5 billion. But according to this week’s Open magazine, there’s one area where, predictably, nobody is cutting any corners: the khanna (grub). If you’re planning one of those space tourism ventures, now’s the time to pay attention. Richard Branson, I’m talking to you. Dr K Radhakrishna, additional director of the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in Mysore, has already come up with space idlis, sambhar powder, coconut chutney (hey, the guy’s South Indian). He’s mastered space yoghurt. And he’s hard at work on space rasgullas, according to the magazine. Can you say spinoff? As Open puts it, Radhakrishna’s tiny space idlis (steamed cakes made from rice flour) “are the size

of Rs 2 coins, accompanied by flaming orange sambhar powder and creamy coconut chutney dust. The idlis are cooked and dried using infrared radiation at a temperature of 700º C, and then further dried by microwaving. The moisture is zapped out of them, but not the taste, smell or nutrients.” The idlis and sambhar are to be eaten after adding hot water; the coconut chutney needs only cold water. Each idli is 12 gm and swells to 25 gm when soaked in water. The desiccation makes it impossible for micro organisms like bacteria to grow and increases the idlis’ shelf life to more than a

year. The removal of moisture also reduces the weight of food sharply, something crucial to the needs of both Isro and the armed forces. The sambhar and chutney are also dried completely with infrared radiation, a technology that has been used in the preparation of food over the past six years or so. The rasgullas (cheese balls soaked in sugar syrup_ “look like white naphthalene balls (aka mothballs) and are freeze-dried from cottage cheese. Freeze drying involves chilling foods to temperatures from –20º to –

Bollywood dance and inspired by actress Madhuri and Helen, she moved to Spain in 2005 to test whether the virgin market of this European country had any taste for the typically Indian genre of dance. Seven years later this Briton of Indian-origin has found a steady flow of students willing to dabble in the fusion art of Bollywood dance. Meet Sneha Mistri, who has taken it upon herself to import the magic of Bollywood dance and music to Spain. Given that Bollywood is relatively new to Spain, this dancerchoreographer says she did not find it too difficult to introduce the genre among the Spaniards. Having moved to Spain permanently, Mistri started teaching dance in schools across Madrid and other cities there and says she got overwhelming response and Bollywood started making

40º C. It lets the moisture evaporate, but not the flavours. The rasgullas are then vacuum packed. The syrup comes separately as a powder that can be dissolved in water. “Rasgullas are ideal for space,” says Radhakrishna. “They have a beautiful texture that doesn’t disintegrate easily like other sweets. It is compact. In space, it won’t do to have bits of food flying around. Remember, it is zero gravity.” I can tell you right now: Even if ISRO is exaggerating a wee bit, this stuff has gotta beat the hell out of Tang.

PILGRIM’S PATH

Workers clearing the snow from Amarnath yatra track in Chandanwadi Near Pahalgam City on Tuesday.

PTI

waves across Spain. “When I arrived in Sapin seven years ago there was very little Bollywood. I started teaching in various schools and saw there was an opportunity and a market for this form of dance. Those who initially approached me were students of belly dance but now I am seeing people from all background of dance. When Slumdog Millionaire came out, although we knew it was not a typical Bollywood movie, it opened the eyes of the general pubic and Bollywood became a big boom in Spain,” Mistri told PTI from Madrid her present home. An avid fan of Madhuri Dixit, Mistri says “There is a massive interest in the Indian culture, the clothes, the food... and of course the dance. There wasn’t difficulties, it was a growth bit by bit over the years. I find the people here to be very open and interested in what I had to offer as a dancer and choreographer.” PTI

India‑View

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

India unveiled

US bets big on India’s rise WASHINGTON: Noting that US President Barack Obama views India as one of his top foreign policy priorities, a senior White House official has said that the US has enormous stake in New Delhi’s emergence as a global power. “President Obama is committed to forging a long term truly global partnership with India, recognizing India’s increasing role as a 21st century power. Obama views India as one of his top foreign policy priorities and one of the important bilateral relationships,” Michael Froman, deputy national security advisor on international

economic affairs, said. “We have enormous stake in India’s emergence as a global power. India is of course world’s largest democracy and soon to be perhaps the most populous country. It’s economy is growing at a rate that envies the industrialised nations and has the potential to be a significant driver of global economic growth,” Froman said. India’s participation, he said, is important for meeting increasing challenges, be it the challenges facing now in the global economy, future of trade and climate, infrastructure or fighting the war against terror.

National development goals top priority: India WASHINGTON: India is seeking to shape its external environment for national development goals, external affairs minister SM Krishna told American business community in an effort to convince them to have confidence and faith in Indian business environment. “We are purposefully seeking to shape our external environment in support our national development goals. There are stirrings of change in our neighbourhood,” Krishna said . “We are working with Pakistan to define a new paradigm of trade relations. We are supporting Afghanistan with investment, development partnership and regional integration. With Myanmar, India is not only rediscovering its natural economic partner-

Iran asked to cooperate with IAEA UNITED NATIONS: India has asked Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency to restore confidence of the international community that its nuclear programme is peaceful in nature. India’s acting Permanent Representative to the UN Manjeev Singh Puri said New Delhi has consistently supported the right of

all nations to peaceful uses of nuclear energy in accordance with relevant international treaties to which they are a party. Puri expressed hope that the outstanding technical issues concerning the Iranian nuclear programme would be resolved peacefully through Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA. PTI

ship, but also building a bridge to Southeast Asia, with which New Delhi has a robust and matured economic engagement. “We are building strong economic ties and seeking improved market access with China. Our exports to West Asia have expanded at a faster rate than our imports from there,” he said. “The vision of bringing Central Asia’s gas to South Asia is turning into a reality, but our connection with the region will go beyond hydrocarbons,” Krishna said. Notably the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is pushing for economic integration of South and Central Asia through her concept of New Silk Route, which she announced for the first time in her Chennai address last year. IANS

Horse-trading: CBI raids Jharkhand MLAs

CELEBRATION TIME

First batch of women commandos of Punjab Police posing for a group photograph as they jubilate PTI after their passing out ceremony at Bhadurgarh in Patiala on Tuesday.

RANCHI: The CBI today conducted raids on the premises of two independent MLAs and the relatives of several other legislators in connection with allegations of horse-trading that had led to countermanding of the March 30 Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand. “Raids are continuing in the houses of Independent MLAs Bandhu Tirkey and Chamra Linda. We have also launched raids in the house of Pawan Kumar Dhoot in Delhi and Gurgaon,” a senior CBI official said. PTI

8 Chinese held in Himachal village Eight Chinese SHIMLA: nationals have been arrested on charges of visa violation after police raided a fortified housecum-monastery in Mandi district. The raiding police teams last night also recovered Indian currency worth `30 lakh, $ 3,000 and some other foreign currencies in cash and mobile phones suspected to have Chinese SIM

cards and international ATM cards from them. The raids, which were carried out following intelligence inputs by Central intelligence agencies, continued till past mid-night. Additional DGP SR Mardi said it was too early to conclude that those arrested were Chinese spies. The arrested persons were

being interrogated by the police and intelligence agencies and nothing could be said till their interrogation was completed, he said. The arrest of Chinese nationals comes in the backdrop of reports of renewed threat to the life of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and another Tibetan guru, Karmapa Oxygen Trinley Dorje.

The arrested Chinese nationals have been living in the house, protected by a 15foot high wall, for quite some time and some of them were reportedly working as masons. The police was investigating as to how these Chinese nationals managed to come together in a remote village like Chauntra. PTI

NATION AT A GLANCE Three youths crushed to death by speeding truck GORAKHPUR (UP): Three youths were crushed to death by a speeding truck in Majhgawan area here, police said here today. Tarkeswar (27), Balram (22) and Jitendra (24) were changing the punctured wheel of their tractor on the roadside when a truck coming from Barhalganj crushed them to death yesterday. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem.

Two more succumb to encephalitis: Toll 101 GORAKHPUR (UP): Two children succumbed to encephalitis here, taking the toll in the viral disease to 101 this year. The two children died yesterday at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital, health officials said today. They said a total of 421 patients showing symptoms of encephalitis have been admitted to the hospital and adjoining hospitals.

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire that broke out in a paper mill on the outskirts of Amritsar on Tuesday. PTI

Cap on US H1B visa reached WASHINGTON: The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that it has reached the cap on Congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B work visas, the most sought after by Indian professionals. This is for the first time in several years that the cap on H-1B visas, for technology professionals, has been reached mid-year.

Goa to increase entry fees to zoo PANAJI: Goa has decided to rationalise the entry fee in all its wildlife sanctuaries and the only zoo, which are visited by approximately 1.5 lakh tourists annually. Even though a formal notification in this regard is still awaited, forest officials claim that after the fee rationalisation, there would be an addition of `40 lakh in the existing revenue collection.

A widow receives President’s Police Medal on behalf of her late husband from Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. AFP

Around the World

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Beyond Borders

Google vs China’s censorship Critics say that Google’s new search warnings don’t amount to much more than a self-congratulatory pat on the back HONG KONG: Google’s biggest move against Chinese censorship in two years has won plenty of applause in the West, but skeptics say it does nothing to help Chinese web users themselves. Last week, the internet giant rolled out a new feature on its Hong Kong-based search site that warns users when a term they are searching for will be blocked, resulting in being shut out from Google for a minute and a half. Because Google does not comply with Chinese censors — as China’s largest search engine, Baidu, does — the government automatically blocks a wide range of words, including some apparently benign and nonpolitical terms. “Yangtze River,” for example, lands users in the penalty box because of its similarity in Chinese to the name for former president Jiang Zemin. Google rolled out the feature to plenty of fanfare, with an official blog post and video demonstrating how it works. It is the company’s most confrontational public move against China’s censors since it left the mainland in 2010 after it was hacked by Chinese attackers. But will it actually make a difference for China’s internet users at large?

Some experts say that Google’s policy is a lot less productive than other ways of bringing better information to Chinese users. Tricia Wang, a sociologist researching the digital habits of Chinese people, sees this as a sign that Google is trying to be nothing more than a “niche search engine in China.” “I don’t see how this actually reaches their goal,” she says. “First it only antagonizes the government more, and thereby could make it even harder for the existing user base to access Google. So it could be counterproductive. Second, it’s targeting people who are already their

Swearing costs $20

he town of Middleborough in Massachusetts is considering introducing a $20 fine for swearing in public. A town meeting will vote on the proposal which has been put forward by the town’s police chief, Bruce Gates. It explains that supporters say the proposal is intended to crack down on loud profanity heard in downtown areas and public parks. “The cursing has gotten very, very bad. I find it appalling and I won’t tolerate it,” Mimi Duphily, a civic leader told the Wall Street Journal. “No person should be allowed to talk in that manner.”

Gates says his proposal is not aimed at “ordinary swears,” but more at offenses like “profane language at some attractive female walking through town.” Cursing, like drinking in public and throwing rubbish, is another “quality of life” issue, he argues. Middleborough has had a bylaw against public profanity since 1968, the Boston Globe explains, but it is not enforced, namely because it makes swearing a crime. Gates’ proposal would decriminalize profanity, allowing police to write tickets as they would for traffic violations. GLOBALPOST

existing users, so they’re preaching to the preachers. Ordinary Chinese users are aware of censorship, she says, but what matters most to them is getting useful results. Google’s new policy does not make that any easier. The only difference is that now, people searching for the Yangtze River on Google will get a warning to change their language or be blocked. On Baidu, people can search directly for the Yangtze because the politically sensitive results have already been weeded out. Beyond search results, Wang says that Google simply lacks many features that Chinese users want. In Baidu, users can

look up train schedules or play Angry Birds within the browser, while Google offers none of that. “I just don’t think that they understand the Chinese market at all,” she says. “They don’t have any features that makes it overwhelmingly useful for China. ... This feature that they implemented, it’s a very self congratulatory, pat on the shoulders, ‘hey, we did it’ — and does not actually do anything to widen their user base.” Dave Lyons, a Beijing-based information science researcher, notes on his blog that most Chinese users who really want to find banned information already know how to use VPNs and other tools to circumvent censorship. “If Google were serious about this, they would develop their own built-in circumvention tools,” says Lyons, “but they won’t — because that’s a bridge too far — and so I can’t help but think that the real audience for Google’s move isn’t in China but …global users who, they hope, will start having warm, fuzzy feelings about Google as a fearless advocate for free speech.” Though the feature may not matter to the vast majority of China’s netizens, it comes as part of a broader Google campaign against state attacks on internet freedom. GLOBALPOST

Irony of life Hitchhiker writing ‘Kindness’ memoir shot by motorist

eople always warn about the dangers of hitchhiking, but one hitchhiker was unlucky enough to get caught in a random drive-by shooting while in Montana. According to the Associated Press, Ray Dolin, the unfortunate hitchhiker, was planning to travel cross-country while writing a memoir titled The Kindness of America. Suffice to say, his welcome in northeastern Montana was less than kind when a man in a pickup truck shot him in the arm. Dolin, 39, approached the pickup truck thinking that the driver was offering him a ride, said Valley County Sheriff Glen Meier. “He was preparing to eat his meal when the truck pulled in and he thought ‘Hey, here’s a ride’ and jumped up to walk over to the driver,” Meier told MSNBC. “When he got closer he saw the gun and as he was starting to walk back, the guy pulled the trigger.” Dolin, a West Virginia native, was struck in the upper arm, and was taken to a hospital in Glasgow for treatment of his non-life-threatening injury, MSNBC reported. The AP and the Billings Gazette named the suspect who was arrested as Lloyd Christopher Danielson III. GLOBALPOST

STRENGTH OF EDUCATION?

A protester attacks a commerical unit during a protest in downtown Montreal. Police in Montreal arrested dozens of protesters before Sunday’s Grand Prix, as students rallying for months over AFP tuition hikes used the Formula One event to highlight their plight.

Around the World

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Beyond Borders

IT’S OFFICIAL, CIVIL WAR DAMASCUS: Syria is now in a full-scale civil war, UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said, as the United States voiced fears the UN mission in the country may not survive once its mandate expires in July. World powers are groping to find a way to end the bloodshed in Syria with the toll growing daily despite a ceasefire that should have gone into effect from April 12, and amid reports of children being used as human shields. Asked whether he believed Syria is in a civil war, Ladsous told reporters “Yes I think we can say that. Clearly what is happening is that the government of Syria lost some large chunks of territory, several cities to the opposition, and wants to retake control. “I think there is a massive increase in the level of violence, so massive indeed that in a way it indicates some change of nature,” Ladsous added. The under secretary general for peacekeeping operations is the most senior UN official to indicate he believes there is a civil war. UN leader Ban Kimoon said last week that he believed it was “imminent”. Given the prolonged violence in the 15-month conflict, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton openly questioned whether the UN mission in Syria could survive once its 90-day

A resident showing a shell to a United Nations observer in the Talbisah area in Homs city on Monday. AFP/ DAVID MANYUA

Nato chief blasts Syria intervention SYDNEY: Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Wednesday that foreign military intervention was “not the right path” in Syria despite the UN’s peacekeeping chief declaring the country in civil war. Rasmussen said there were “no plans at this stage” for a Nato operation, as he condemned the UN Security Council failure to mandate expires on July 20. “If there is no discernible movement by then it would be very difficult to extend a mission

reach agreement as a “big mistake”, saying Russia could have an “instrumental role” in brokering peace. “A foreign military intervention is not the right path in Syria,” the Nato chief said in a speech to Australian journalists, calling instead for a political solution as envisaged by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan. that is increasingly dangerous for the observers on the ground,” Clinton told a forum in Washington.

She also accused Russia, a longstanding ally of Syria, of helping to escalate the violence by sending attack helicopters to the military forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “They have from time to time said that we shouldn’t worry, that everything they’re shipping is unrelated to their actions internally. That’s patently untrue,” the top US diplomat insisted. UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan has been trying to implement on the ground his six-point peace plan, which calls for both sides to lay down their arms immediately and participate in a Syrian-led political transition. But there has been increasing violence as Assad has refused to step aside and instead unleashed his heavily armed forces against the opposition. Activists say some 14,100 people have now been killed in the uprising against the Assad family, which has ruled Syria for some four decades. In a report on Tuesday, the United Nations accused Syrian troops of using children as “human shields,” saying children as young as nine had been victims of killing and maiming, arbitrary arrest, detention and torture. With the Annan peace plan not yet in effect, the United Nations and the UN Security Council are studying “various options” on its future, Ladsous said. AFP

Nasa to launch black hole hunter

WASHINGTON: Nasa is poised to launch on Wednesday a sophisticated orbiting telescope that uses high-energy Xray vision to hunt for black holes in the universe. The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) will first be carried into the skies by a jet which will deploy a rocket

that sends the satellite into space, NASA said. “Why launch from the air? Plane-assisted launches are less expensive than those that take place from the ground. Less fuel is needed to boost cargo away from the pull of Earth’s gravity,” the US space agency said in a statement.

The project aims to study energetic phenomena such as black holes and the explosions of massive stars. Orbital Sciences Corporation designed and manufactured the telescope and will send it into orbit from its own Pegasus air-launched rocket, which is attached to the underside of the company’s L1011 Stargazer aircraft. The jet will take off from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands about an hour before the launch itself at 11.30am Eastern (1530 GMT). Orbital said it would be the 41st Pegasus mission since its introduction in 1990. “NuSTAR will open a whole new window on the universe,” said Fiona Harrison, principal investigator on NuSTAR. It will be the “first telescope to focus high energy X-rays. As such it will make images that are 10 times crisper and 100 times more sensitive than any telescope that has operated in this region of the spectrum.” The observatory is designed

to launch on a rocket from underneath the belly of an aircraft. Both the Pegasus XL rocket and the L-1011 Stargazer aircraft are made by Orbital Sciences Corporation. The mission aims to work in concert with other telescopes in space, including NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, which observes lower-energy Xrays, Nasa said. NuSTAR is more potent than its predecessors because of the way it focuses high-energy X-ray light by using nested shells of mirrors to prevent the light from reflecting off. With 133 nested mirrors in each of two optical units, the telescope also uses state-ofthe-art detectors and a long mast that connects the optical units to the detectors and allows enough distance for a sharp focus. The 33-foot (10-meter) mast will launch in a folded-up position but will extend about a week after launch, bringing it to about the length of a school bus. AFP

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Suu Kyi leaves for historic Europe trip YANGON: Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi left Myanmar today on her first trip to Europe since 1988 to formally accept the Nobel Peace Prize that thrust her into the global limelight two decades ago. Her visit marks a new milestone in the political changes that have swept through the country since decades of outright military rule ended last year, bringing to power a new quasi-civilian government.

Firefighters battle huge blazes in US DENVER: Hundreds more firefighters were ordered in on Tuesday to fight the biggest wildfire in a decade in Colorado, as federal agencies scrambled to help tackle blazes in several western US states. More than 500 firefighters were attacking the blaze and plans were to have as many as 700 to 800 by Wednesday, said officials.

Chinese police prepare to destroy the various guns seized in recent raids in Beijing on Tuesday. AFP

Five struck by lightning in Moscow MOSCOW: A stroll in the park ended in hospital for five Uzbek college students in Moscow after a lightning bolt hit the ground next to them, giving them an electric shock, police said. The students were hospitalized, but their injuries were not life-threatening, police said. Medics allowed them to return to their dormitory after performing electrocardiography.

UN proposes $200 mn aid for North Korea WASHINGTON: The UN proposes to collect $200 million in aid for North Korea this year. The reclusive communist state has suffered from a chronic shortage of food and energy due to years of isolation over its nuclear programme, mismanagement and natural disasters. North Korea has relied on international handouts since 1995 to help feed its over 20 million people.

Spanish coal miners demonstrate in Leon, Spain, against subsidy reductions from 300 million euros to 110 million euros. AFP

Comment

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Talk back All work and no play... It’s true that many schools run without a playground. I know of at least two or three that do in my locality. I see sometimes children being taken from their schools to nearby parks and allowed to play there after a brief calisthenics session. But I don’t see them being trained in any specific sport. Sports is very important to the mental and physical development of a child and I feel sorry for these kids who study in buildings like coops with no space even to run about. It is the government which is at fault by giving permits to managements of these schools to operate without proper playgrounds. The state must pull up such schools and ensure no new school comes up without basic facilities like a playground.

Syed Ali Marredpally

Rafa rules What a feat Rafael Nadal has achieved! Seven times champion at Roland Garros! Surpassing Bjorn Borg’s record! That too at 26 years of age! There is an interesting story about the Spaniard and his passion for tennis that Harry Potter author JK Rowling shared in an interview. Once she was in Spain and she was passing by a tennis academy where she saw an 11-year-old boy practising tennis. Despite being little, he could lob back higher any ball flung at him by his opponent consistently, slowing the down the game and covering the court effortlessly. The higher the ball goes and longer the ball stays in the air, the better it is. The technique is called moonballing and Rowling says that was her inspiration for Quidditch. And that eleven-year-old boy was Nadal.

Ranadheep Singh King Koti

Wastage of electricity It’s good that the AP electricity board has deigned to admit that pilferage and wastage of electricity occur in the city. But what are they doing to stop it? It’s a common sight that streets lights are on way through the day till noon. And there’s no one to keep check and turn it off. It’s funny, because at times, the same streets are drowned in darkness on other days because the lights are not turned on. Ways must be devised to stop this sort of wastage and strict punishment must be meted out to those who steal electricity.

Ananya Gupta Banjara Hills

The last thing we want in Goa is Ram Sene Fusillade Arun Koshy Philip

ristine beaches, sunshine, picturesque locales and great parties; these are pictures that come to the mind of an average Indian when one thinks about Goa. Unfortunately, it looks like all good things will be forced to end – thanks to limelight-hungry Pramod Muthalik and his saffron moral police outfit, the Sri Ram Sene. Like many other vermin, Muthalik began his political career in mid-seventies as a swayamsevak and soon his potent venom was appreciated by ultra-right saffron outfits such as VHP and Bajrang Dal, who put him in charge of key organisational affairs. His antiMuslim diatribe was music to the ears of the BJP that was rapidly expanding its presence across Karnataka. His vitriolic hate speeches against Muslims helped BJP to strengthen itself in North Karnataka. If it was BS Yeddyurappa who can be credited with steering the ship till it docked at the port of power, Muthalik was one among the several cannons that regularly pounded anything non-saffron and secular that appeared in their sights. The local Hindutva chieftain, who was hitherto unheard of in the rest of the country, literally stole the limelight with an attack on a Mangalore pub in 2009. Muthalik and his goons stormed a pub to enforce their diktat of routing ‘Western moral corruption’ and attacked the patrons, including women. The move was leaked to selective media groups and they were present, cameras on, when the moral police beat up, groped and molested women in the melee, as one would put it, in full media glare. Considering that Muthalik is close to scoring a half-century in the number of criminal cases against him, his freedom and unabated activities are tributes to an impotent system that spares offenders and targets victims. Goa is famous for its pluralistic culture where people from all religions have been living in harmony and happiness in the Goan way of life. Life in this tiny state allows you to be what you are and enjoy it to the fullest, as

Editorials

GOA IS FAMOUS FOR ITS PLURALISTIC CULTURE WHERE PEOPLE FROM ALL RELIGIONS HAVE BEEN LIVING IN HARMONY AND HAPPINESS IN THE GOAN WAY OF LIFE. IF MUTHALIK HAS HIS WAY AND HIS OUTFIT OPENS SHOP IN GOA, ALL THAT WE KNOW AS GOA AND ITS WAY OF LIFE ARE UNDER THREAT. long as you are not a nuisance to others. And this is the reason people from all over the world flock to this tiny sun-kissed state to savour all things good in life. The beach parties are nothing short of legendary and the environment is one of the safest in the country for tourists, especially for women. However, this may no longer be the case when bloodhounds of moral police patrol the area looking for fresh meat. If Muthalik has his way and his outfit opens shop in Goa, all that we know as Goa and its way of life are under threat. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has ‘warned’ the outfit that it won’t be allowed to

take law into its hands and has talked about ‘dire consequences’ if there is violence. Bravo CM, but sorry no one is fooled here. Parrikar should know, as anyone with average intelligence would, that outfits like the one headed by Muthalik survive on extreme action and use of force. If Muthalik and his cronies are so concerned about women, they should be out on the streets protecting the fairer sex from eveteasers, molesters and rapists. Of course, that’s not possible as the moral police believes that women are to blame for attacks on them. Every region in the country is unique in its culture, traditions and way of life. No one should be allowed to force their version of ‘acceptable behaviour’ on others. We don’t need these saffron Taliban here. They are dinosaurs, belonging to the era when widows were thrown into their husbands’ pyres. Media should ignore them and deny them the limelight that is the lifeblood for such outfits; and the government should crush them without mercy. Self-appointed defenders of moral fabric, you are alone in your journey to the Dark Ages. The writer works for Postnoon

WHY DO WE NEED A ROW to get things done in this country?

ometimes one wonders if goof ups of authorities in India are intentional or deliberate. The latest is the confusion over renowned discus throw coach Shive Gowda’s name missing from the list of Athletics Federation of India for accreditation of trainers. Gowda is the father and trainer of Vikas Gowda, who on Saturday became the first Indian to win a medal at the IAAF Diamond League. He is one of our medal prospects at the London Games. He says he is worried his father may not make it to London with him and that is affecting his training. Shive Gowda says the same thing happened at the Commonwealth Games too and he had to buy a ticket to see his son win the silver medal. One is reminded of the incident in which ace shuttler Saina Nehwal was initially told that her passport won’t be renewed on an urgent basis which would have cost her participation in a major badminton competition. Only after the issue ballooned into a row, Saina got her passport renewed. These sort of incidents are a shame to the whole nation to say the least.

WHY WE LOVE Madonna

here’s no knowing what’s going on in Madonna’s head. Word is that she flashed her nipple while performing at a concert in Istanbul. Madonna has always been on the edge of what’s socially acceptable right from the start of her career. Perhaps that’s the secret of her charm.

Cinema Paradiso

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Ray

The Pianist

amie Foxx stunned the audience with his performance in Taylor Hackford’s Ray, a biography of rhythm and blues singer Ray Charles. After losing his vision at the age of seven, Ray finds his calling behind a piano and he becomes a rage among music lovers later on. It’s an inspiring saga of a man who fought against all obstacles in his life. No wonder, Foxx won the Oscar. A fitting tribute to a music legend.

oman Polanski adapted the autobiography of Jewish-Polish musician Władysław Szpilman in this war film starring Adrien Brody. The film follows the life of the Władysław following the outbreak of World War II. After narrowly escaping death, he’s sent to the Warsaw Ghetto. One fine day, he impresses a German officer with his piano rendition. It’s a moving tale of hope which will reduce you to tears in the end.

Amadeus

La Vie En Rose

ilos Forman’s Amadeus, an adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s play of the same name, is about the rivalry between Mozart and Antonio Salieri in the 18th century. Till date, it’s one of the finest films ever made on the life of Mozart and dabbles with themes like jealousy, morality and religion. The film was a major commercial and critical success and it went on to win eight out of the eleven Oscars it was nominated for.

arion Cotillard stepped into the shoes of French singer and cultural icon Edith Piaf in this biographical film directed by Olivier Dahan. The film narrates the rags to riches and how fate plays an evil game with Edith towards the later part of her life. Marion Cotillard shot to fame following the success of this film and she won an Oscar as well for her performance. Nolan and Woody Allen would vouch for her!

priq^kp=lc=jrpf`= Hemanth Kumar

Hemanth.k@postnoon.com

Walk the line J

ohnny Cash, one of the most influential musicians of 20th century, would have been proud of this film. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon reprised the roles of Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter with such finesse that their chemistry set the screens on fire. Directed by James Mangold, the film required both the lead actors to learn singing. The preparation paid off and how. Reese Witherspoon got rave reviews from all quarters and went home with an Oscar and other awards.

The Doors

La Bamba

liver Stone did more than just making a film on the life of Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the rock band The Doors. The emphasis on Jim’s dark side including drugs, alcoholism and his obsession with death irked close friends of Jim. However, it did give the film’s lead actor Val Kilmer something to brag about for the rest of his life. That he played Jim Morrison’s role!

he life and the tragic death of rock and roll icon Ritchie Valens became the subject of LuisValdez’s La Bamba. Although his career lasted just eight months, he was hailed as a pioneer of rock and roll movement back in the 1950s. Lou Diamond Phillips, who played the lead role, was praised for his performance. Released in 1987, the film grossed more than $54 million.

Yellow Submarine

That Thing You Do

n animated musical fantasy film based on the music of Beatles is the last thing the iconic band would have expected when George Dunning came up with the idea. The band reluctantly agreed and made a cameo appearance towards the end the film. The plot didn’t matter since it was more about the music. Yellow Submarine was a critical and commercial success

hat Thing You Do is an odd one out in this list since it narrates the story of a fictional band named The Wonders. However, it still is one of the best musical films ever made. A strong cast did justice to the film which was written and directed by Tom Hanks. The original soundtrack That Thing You Do, which was created for the film, became a smash hit.

H‑Factor

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

LAST DROPS OF LIFE On the eve of World Blood Donors Day, the City needs 2 lakh units of blood every year, but we’re always falling short of the requirement thanks to lack of volunteers Ranjani Rajendra ranjani.r@postnoon.com

t’s a typical day in life. You settle yourself down and log into your favourite social networking site and the first thing that pops up on your newsfeed is a frantic request for blood for someone in dire need. It catches your interest, you take the time to read the entire message and then scroll down the page to read the next newsfeed. Or at least this is what most of us seem to do. Rarely do we jump up to offer our blood to someone in need. Even routine blood camps are given a miss, simply because we either don’t have time or the guts to have a needle stuck up our arms to draw that one precious unit of blood. In most other cases, we donate blood as a one off act of bravado or charity and then forget all about it for the next several months. It’s probably this apathy that is leading to the paucity of blood in the City. “On an average the City needs 2 lakh units of blood per year, but almost always we have a deficit across blood banks in the twin cities. According to our data nearly

60 per cent of the population in the City is eligible to donate blood regularly and to meet the City’s annual requirement we just need one or two per cent of the population to donate blood regularly. However, even this seems to be an impossible task,” says Dr Manjari, deputy director, blood bank at Institute of Preventive Medicine. According to statistics, less than 0.5 per cent of the City’s population proactively donates blood on a regular basis – hence the deficit. The problem really hits home when someone with a negative blood group is in need of blood. Not only are these

Some blood banks Red Cross Blood Bank, D No 19-310, Vidya Nagar. Contact: (040)-27633087 Kamineni Blood Bank, LB Nagar. Contact: (040)-39879999 Lions Club, Tarnaka. Contact: (040)-27814612 Institute Of Preventive Medicine & Health Labs, Narayanguda. Contact: (040)-27567892 Chiranjeevi Eye & Blood Bank, Jubilee Hills. Contact: (040)-23554849

groups rare, the lack of donors also hampers medical aid at times. “We encourage regular voluntary blood donation, because it is safer to use blood from a known person who leads a healthy lifestyle. This way the chances of infection is also rare,” says Dr C Umamaheswara Rao, general secretary, Indian Red Cross Society, AP. “Often another problem we face is even if the quantum of blood available is sufficient, we don’t find the right match. Which is why it is important to have a common data base across blood banks so we can look up availability as and when required. Currently the government is working on creating one such platform with Red Cross and hopefully private banks will also join us in the future,” says Dr Rao. However, concerns also arise when people try to procure blood from just about any blood bank. “It is important to check that a blood bank holds a valid license before procuring blood from there. This is because licensed banks will ensure that every single unit of blood is thoroughly screened for various factors like HIV, infections etc before it is used,” explains Dr Manjari.

You can’t donate blood if... n You test positive for HIV. n You have had cancer or

stroke. n You have had a blood n

n n

n n n n

n n n

transfusion within the last 12 months. You have ever had myocardial infraction, coronary artery bypass surgery. You have had hepatitis any time after your eleventh birthday. You have had Tuberculosis, you may not give until two years after the completion of treatment. You have a cold. You have used narcotic drugs even once. You are pregnant, you can’t donate until six weeks after delivery. You have taken antibiotics, you can’t give blood until two days after a treatment is over. You are a woman who is menstruating then donate a week after. You are anaemic. You have already donated whole blood within the last 8 weeks.

Changes in walking speed could signal dementia WASHINGTON: Changes in walking speed in late life could indicate early stages of dementia known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), says a new study. “In our study, we used a new technique that included installing infrared sensors in the ceilings of homes, a system designed to detect walking movement in hallways,” said study author Hiroko Dodge from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. “By using this new monitoring method, we were able to get a better idea of how even subtle changes in walking speed may correlate with the development of MCI,” said Dodge, the journal Neurology reports. The study involved 93 people aged 70 or older who lived alone. Of those, 54 participants had no cognitive impairment, 31 had non-memory related MCI and eight had memory-related MCI, according to an Oregon Health statement. Participants were given memory and thinking tests and had their walking speed monitored at their homes unobtrusively over a threeyear period. Participants were placed in groups of slow, moderate or fast based on their average weekly walking speed and how much their walking speed fluctuated at home. The study found that people with non-memory related MCI were nine times more likely to be slow walkers than moderate or fast walkers and the amount of the fluctuation in walking speed was also associated with MCI. “Further studies need to be done using larger groups of participants to determine whether walking speed and its fluctuations could be a predictor of future memory and thinking problems in the elderly,” said Dodge.

H‑Factor

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Insomnia may be caused by fear of darkness Insomnia may be caused by a fear of darkness, according to a new study by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies

ew research by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies suggests insomniacs may be afraid of the dark. The small research study found that 50 per cent of adults who reported sleep problems also admitted to being scared of the dark, according to MSNBC. “People often think it’s a juvenile fear, and adults don’t usually want to admit that they’re even afraid of the dark,” Colleen Carney, an associate professor at Ryerson University in Toronto and lead author of the study, told MSNBC. According to ABC, the

research group studied nearly 100 college students who were either good sleepers or poor sleepers. They monitored small twitches in eye muscles during sleep while exposing the subjects to

HOUSECALL aker’s Cyst is an accumulation of fluid behind the knee and is named after the British surgeon William Morrant Baker. It’s also known as a popliteal cyst. The knee needs lubrication to function properly. It is a jelly-like substance called synovial fluid. When the knee gets damaged, more synovial fluid is produced. Under pressure, this fluid stretches the lining of the joint out into the back of the knee. This inturn causes a bulge which is known as a Baker’s cyst. According to estimates, up to one in three people with an existing knee problem are likely to develop Baker's cyst. The cyst comes to be diagnosed when a person with the cyst notices a bulge behind one knee. This bulge will be present only behind one knee. Treatment for baker’s cyst include surgery to remove the cyst as well as treatments based on the symptoms.

anxious as the night progressed. On the other hand, the good sleepers seemingly became accustomed to the noises and eventually stopped reacting to it. Insomnia affects about 30 percent of adults within a given year, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Up to 15 percent say they have chronic insomnia. Carney said the good news coming from the study is that the fear of darkness is very easy to treat with the use of exposure therapy. “We can get people accustomed to the dark so they won’t have that added anxiety that contributes to their insomnia,” Carney said. GLOBAL POST

APP-LY YOURSELF

Baker’s Cyst

unexpected bursts of sound both with the lights on and off. The poor sleepers were more easily startled by the burst of noise, and their reactions were exaggerated by darkness, with participants becoming more

aving guests with an allergy at home for a meal can be a problem. It covers all kinds of allergies and people with food requirements that are glutton-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, vegetarian, vegan or for children. The app contains 124 recipes, allergy-free, personalised options with alternative ingredients. The app helps you convert your shopping list so that you can find the right alternative ingredients. The application is a one time download, free-of-cost and is available on iTunes for download.

‘Higher chance of death on birthday’

ore people are dying on the day they were born, according to research published in the Annals of Epidemiology. The “Death has a preference for birthdays — an analysis of death time series” report, published June 4, tracked the death trajectories over more than two million people over a 40-year span, reported The Telegraph. Overall, the research revealed a 13.8% greater probability people will die on the day they were born, said the report. “Birthdays end lethally more frequently than might be expected,” study author Dr Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross of the University of Zurich told The Telegraph. Findings reportedly revealed a significant increase in heart attacks, strokes, falls and suicides on that day. There are two main theories as to why this might be the case. One is that ill people can fixate on their birthdays, thus readying themselves for a possible major life event on that day — this is called postponement theory, said The Independent. But the new report backs an alternate explanation, the anniversary hypothesis, which holds that the phenomena is caused, at least in part, by the day itself, reported The Independent. Birthdays can be stressful, emotional, prompting the so-called birthday blues. Research from hospitals also shows a higher admissions for cardiovascular conditions on birthdays. GLOBAL POST

DID YOU KNOW?

Allergy-free entertaining

Watermelon has benefits

atermelons are not only a great source of water and a simple and easy fruit to keep yourself cool in the summers too. It is said to also be an excellent source of several vitamins such a s vitamin A, which helps maintain eye health; vitamin C, which helps strengthen immunity, heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy teeth and gums; and vitamin B6, which helps brain function and helps convert protein to energy. Watermelon, also has the highest concentrations of lycopene of any fresh fruit or vegetable although many people consider tomatoes to have the highest level.

Spotlight

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Prelude to happiness 1

Vasant and Rishitha’s Sangeet at N Convention on Tuesday saw the city’s who’s who come ssto partake in the celebrations.

DEEPAK DESHPANDE

2 6

Pretty Women 3

Ladies night at Cuba Libre was choc-a-bloc with pretty women of the city dancing the night away. 3

1. Sonali 2. Prabhu 3. Kaushik & Nidhi 4. Dinaz 5. Sonali

6. Vasant & Rishitha 7. Madhavi 8. Preeti & Sridevi 9. Kavya Reddy & Sona 10. Shakti & Smiriti 11. R P Patnak

1. Vaishya 2. Alina 3. Eena

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

That girl in the white dress

he hasn’t acted in any Telugu film so far, but already several producers have enquired about her. Meet Parul Yadav, who is one of the rising stars in the Kannada film industry. Born and brought up in Mumbai, she was spotted at a fashion show few years ago and since then she began dabbling with ads and later films. She’s the face of Kalamandir in Karnataka and earlier this year, she shot to fame with a Kannada film titled Govindaya Namaha. one of the songs in the film Pyarge Aagbittaite was a rage on the internet. Even before the film was released, she was chosen as the brand ambassador for Telugu Warriors in Celebrity Cricket League. “I couldn’t say no when I was asked to be the brand ambassador of Telugu Warriors. People still remember me as the girl in the white dress and white hat, which I had worn during CCL II matches earlier this year,” Parul Yadav laughs. She has already been approached for a Ram Charan’s film and another film starring Ravi Teja. “I can’t reveal anything right now, but you’ll seen me soon in Telugu and Tamil films,” she says, adding, “I have recently signed Sudeep starrer Bachchan in Kannada.”These days, she’s rehearsing for her upcoming performance at SIIMA, Dubai in which she’ll be walking the ramp and dancing for Jhum Jhum Maya from Ravi Teja starrer Vikramarkudu, apart from three other songs. So will she be acting opposite Ravi Teja? “Keep guessing,” she smiles.

Brahmanandam strikes back as Jaffa

rahmanandam will soon be seen in a comic caper titled Jaffa. Few months ago, there was a buzz that Brahmanandam is going to direct the film; however, the reins were later handed over to ace comedian Vennela Kishore. Most of the shooting has already been completed and it’s going to hit the screens quite soon. After a long time, Brahmanandam is playing the lead role and since the film’s title pays homage to one of Brahmanandam’s most popular words it has created a lot of buzz among the audience. The first look of the film showcases Brahmanandam as a prisoner on the run and the cinematography by Shamdat is already receiving good reviews. More details about the film will be announced soon.

DCM’s audio to be launched on June 22

he audio of Ravi Teja,Ileana starrer Devudu Chesina Manushulu will be launched on June 22 at Shilpakala Vedika, Hyderabad. Directed by Puri Jagannadh, the film has been produced by BVSN Prasad and the Reliance Entertainments banner.It’s the biggest project which Raghu Kunche, the music director of the film, has worked on so far and his excitement about the project is evident on both Facebook and Twitter. The film is said to be a thorough entertainer with a subtext of satire on God. The film will hit the screens in the latter half of July.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@Actor_Siddharth We need to talk about Kevin. Fantastic Mr Fox. Food Inc, Man on wire. Films that made me go ‘wow’! Do watch :)

@tashu_02 Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do !! Attitude determines how well you do it... !!

@sundeepkishan Love the #Vaalu teaser... in awe of the bg score in it & Simbhu @STRhere s body language... sooooperrr... pls check it out folks.

@ramsayz Here’s wishing the super @gvprakash a very happy b'day! "CHILL OUT" 2day and "FREAK OUT" for d rest of d year buddy... ;)

@me_sushanth @ThisIsDSP does it again! ‘Oh Madhu’ is very romantic and fun... instant chartbuster!

@lakshmiManchu So much work in post production. My head is spinning.

@ssrajamouli The tests are not done in India. But there are few labs which collect the sample and send it abroad. Thanks for the info and leads.

@amala_ams Whatte a fabulous evening today I had in Chennai :) nw heading towards the birthday party of Brinda mam.

Magic Screen

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Neha Dhupia

B-TOWN TWEETIES

signs Karan Johar's film

@deespeak Good morning sun shine :) will I get to see much of you today? Or do you plan on being covered by clouds?

ctress Neha Dhupia is all set to share screen space with Emraan Hashmi in Karan Johar's next home production to be directed by Rensil D'Silva . “Yes, I have been signed for this film. I can't talk much about it. There are other two films of mine that are coming out— Maximum and Rush,” Dhupia said. The film will also star Sanjay Dutt, Kangana Ranaut, Randeep Hooda and is likely to roll out later this year. Earlier, Karan had said, “The film has a strong ensemble cast, like Emraan, lots of people are there in it like Kangana, Randeep Hooda and host of young brilliant actors. We will announce the film with title and cast very soon. It is about individual paths, there is no predominant love story. It is too early to talk about it.” Recently, Dhupia attended Karan Johar's 40th birthday bash. PTI

@bipsluvurself Happy 2 b in London n meeting Roland n Josh bt m sad also as m missing @Alwayscharan n Upsi’s wedding! Wish them happiness 4ever!

@kjohar25 On my way back home after a short and sweet trip to London!!! Back to movie madness and dharma drama!!!!

@sonusood18 With very talented “RAGA BOYZ” from Pakistan who gave Maximum a great song “MANKUNTO MAULA”. Sure shot #chartbuster .

@kunalkohli Back home from Melbourne. Got events lined up all across India now :-)

Darsheel woos Madhuri, Priyanka Salman to shoot 'SoS' song by July end

ctor Salman Khan, who has agreed to groove to an item song for his friend Ajay Devgn's Son Of Sardar, will shoot for the number by July-end. “We shot for one scene with Salman recently. But he will be doing the song by the end of July,” the film's director Ashwini Dheer said. He didn't reveal much about the song, but of the film shooting he said: “Presently we are shooting in Mumbai and we have almost finished some portion of the shooting in Patiala.” Son Of Sardar features Ajay with Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt, Juhi Chawla, Mukul Dev and Vindu Dara Singh. IANS

arsheel Safary is already learning the nuances of wooing Bollywood ladies. Recently, the child star serenaded Priyanka Chopra and Madhuri Dixit on the sets of reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. The 16-year-old, who is among the 12 contestants on the forthcoming show this year, danced to the romantic number Chaudhvi

ka chaand with Madhuri, who is one of the judges on the show. He also grooved to the evergreen song with Priyanka, who came in as a special guest. Suited, booted Darsheel kissed the ladies' hands, making them blush, said a source from the sets. The fifth season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, will go on air on Colors June 16.

@GulPanag There’s nothing wrong with me that a good cup of tea won’t fix. At least I am hoping.

@SunidhiChauhan5 So tell me... who have you liked the most on Indian Idol so far?? Let’s see if my choice matches with yours ;)

@AnupamPkher Was privilege for all of us @actorprepares to have @nickadvani (Nikhil) take a master class. Students were thrilled. :)

Magic Screen

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Magic Screen

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Tom Cruise’s make-up scared Suri

Magic Screen

uyliner, on the right guy, can do wonders for said gentleman’s appearance. Just ask Adam Lambert, Johnny Depp or Jared Leto. But as newly guylinered Tom Cruise said, wearing the makeup doesn’t always have a happy ending. In Cruise’s new flick Rock of Ages, an adaptation of the Rock of Ages musical, the actor plays Stacee Jaxx, an inked-up and heavily accessorized rocker. For the role, Cruise had to slip into some heavy-handed guyliner and enameled nails — and his made-up appearance frightened one important potential fan: his six-yearold daughter Suri. As People reports: “When I had the eyeliner and the painted nails, [Suri] was a little taken aback by it,” Cruise said. “She was like, ‘What’s happening to my dad?’ “

Carrie Underwood

supports gay marriages

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

ay Pride was in full swing on the streets of LA this weekend as Hollywood’s hottest came out to support equal rights. And now, even some traditionally conservative celebs are speaking out in support of same-sex unions—starting with Carrie Underwood, who opened up and spoke strongly in favour of the controversial matter this weekend. Turns out, this stunning country crooner is a fan of equality for all. “As a married person myself, I don’t know what it’s like to be told I can’t marry somebody I love, and want to marry,” she told The Independent. “I can’t imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love.”

Hemsworth to battle a whale in new film

hris Hemsworth is ready to do battle with Mother Nature. The Aussie actor, who’s coming off a blockbuster summer with his starring roles in both The Avengers and Snow White and the Huntsman, has signed on for a lead role in In the Heart of the Sea, which will dramatize the real-life adventure tale that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. In the Heart of the Sea is based on the 2000 book of the same name by Nathaniel Philbrick, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. It tells the story of the Whaleship Essex, a Nantucket-based craft that was stalked and finally destroyed by a sperm whale while on an 1820 expedition. Following the calamity, the surviving crew members, must struggle to survive and are ultimately forced to resort to cannibalism. Hemsworth will star as a first mate who heroically leads the crew to safety following the whale attack.

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

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Port of Israel 6 "No ___ traffic" 10 Woeful word 14 "... sailed the ___ blue" 15 Accustom to solid food 16 Star of changing brightness 17 They may be next to correct answers 19 Genesis shepherd 20 It may whistle in the kitchen 21 Bug catcher? 23 Closure for clothing 25 '14 grad in '12, e.g. 26 "Be quiet!" 29 Move through muck 31 Jigsaw puzzle parts 35 Battery designation 36 Contents of Pandora's box 38 "Mona Lisa" feature 39 Bad rap 43 "___ Is Born" 44 Damaged by drought 45 ___ shot (drummer's quickie) 46 Doctoral work 48 Bang-up impression? 50 "Walk-___ welcome" 51 Big boozers 53 Ordinal suffixes 55 Feeding tubes? 59 Dorm mate, affectionately 63 "30 Rock" co-star Baldwin 64 Obviously ready to make a purchase 66 Internet browser? 67 1,000 grams 68 Eat gluttonously 69 Be the also-ran 70 Seattle ___ (legendary racehorse) 71 "Skittle Players" artist Jan DOWN 1 Bookworm's counterpart 2 After-shoveling feeling, sometimes 3 Centipede's multitude

4 Almanac tidbits 5 Joints often twisted 6 "Up, up and away" defunct flier 7 Basil or rosemary 8 Deals with the fall fall 9 Use a plunger 10 Greatly detested thing 11 Brain portion 12 Ancient Roman greetings 13 It's sprinkled on icy roads 18 African corn 22 Prone to imitation 24 Casting choices? 26 ___ the feet of (received training from) 27 Far from gentle 28 Terre ___, Ind. 30 Bonded, in a way 32 High-altitude clouds

33 Basketball legend Baylor 34 "It ___ to me that ..." 37 Shopping frenzy 40 Infamous Valentine's Day event 41 Abbey biggie 42 Prefix with "fuge" 47 Brokers' buys 49 Risque beachwear 52 Slow-moving mollusk 54 Not ___ (barely okay) 55 Sledgehammer's cousin 56 "I almost forgot ..." 57 Average grades 58 ___ of Capri

SUDOKU

60 Adult filly 61 "Bus Stop" writer William 62 Where forbidden fruit was eaten 65 "___ dare you!"

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom. – Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Chai Time STAR POWER

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 14-6-2012

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

Don't negelect minor health problems and take necessary treatment.Spouse and children will be very affectionate towards you. As ﬁnancial situation looks strong you will be cheerful.

You are struggling too hard to get recognition. Don't worry. The situation will change soon. Children will bring you happy. Marriage talks will be held with positive approach.

Students will be happy as they have scored higher marks in the recent exams. Avoid misunderstanding with mother. You will spend more to deco‑ rate the house.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Do your duty without expecting the result and things will go smooth on their own. Don't give up because you faced tensions. Avoid expressing your opinions.

Never hurt anyone by your harsh talks. Students will receive good news in line. Never bring ofﬁce tensions home and don't go to ofﬁce with keeping house problems in mind.

Your skills will be exposed and will earn a good name for you. Family will prevail in a very happy atmosphere. If you plan your activities you will be successful.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Tensions and hurdles in the way of getting passport or visa will be over. Avoid extending ﬁnancial help to any one as your savings might erode and you will have to spend sleepless nights.

Inﬂux of visitors will increase the expense heavily. Though you try to control the expenses, it will be impos‑ sible. Children will make you proud.

Some will have to stay away from the family for sometime on deputation. Father will get unexpected beneﬁt from a source which he never expect‑ ed.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Never give importance to minor ten‑ sions at home.They will get solved automatically and hence need not be panic. Be prepared to go abroad soon. Health needs to be taken care of.

All the works you have undertaken will get completed successfully. Though there will be misunderstand‑ ing between you and your spouse, maintain a limit.

Persons of high esteem will become friends to you and they will extend their best possible help. Your attrac‑ tive approach will be welcomed by all and everyone will co‑operate.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 14-6-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

The Emperor – The focus will be on the household. There will be many house‑ keeping items on your checklist that will need immediate attention.

The Hierophant – Be aware of someone who is giving you a sob story. Donʼt get taken in by what they say, unless they have proof to back up their story.

Ace of Swords – Your social group is expanding. With new entrants to the group, new kinds of politics are being played. You get caught in the middle.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Ten of Wands – Laughter is the best medicine. Donʼt forget to get your ﬁll of joke for the day, or do what it takes to loosen up and relax yourself from within.

Knight of Wands – You are getting the hang of something new and need to absorb all the details. Remember human relationships are the most valuable.

Seven of Swords – Circumstances make you a student all over again. You learn new things. You are in the right frame of mind for learning, too.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Seven of Wands – Youʼre bored that you need to repeat a job over and over again as if creativity is lost. But the cre‑ ativity lies in the repetition.

Eight of Swords – There are a dozen jobs to be ﬁnished and little time. Make a to‑do list and stick to it. You gain better control of your life by doing that.

Four of Swords – Do not, under any cir‑ cumstances, get on the offensive and do anything that will harm your own chances. Try to think practically.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

The Sun – You are in a great ﬂow as far as work and personal relationships go. You are beneﬁtting a great deal and make the most of all thatʼs in your kitty.

King of Wands – These are taxing times, especially because situations have changed. You need to give yourself more time to settle into the new routine.

The Star – New per‑ spectives can be gleaned from pre‑ sent circumstances. You get philosophi‑ cal and look at everything from the metaphysical plane.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

SOLUTIONS

Boggle CELLO BANJO PIANO VIOLA FLUTE

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No. 332 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 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211

2012 LONDON OLYMPICS

60 59 58

DID YOU KNOW...? n In the 19th century, gymnasts practiced moves into water – known as ‘fancy diving’. This led to the development of modern-day diving.

LEGENDS OF THE SPORT

LEAP OF FAITH

Gregory Louganis (born January 29, 1960) Regarded as one of the greatest divers of all time, Gregory Louganis’ Olympic medals sit alongside 47 national championships and six world championships. He made his debut on the at just 16 yrs and won the 10m Platform in 1976. In the 1984 Games he was victorious in the 10m Platform and 3m Springboard, then won the same two events in 1988.

Fu Mingxia (born August 16, 1978) competed in 1992 and became the youngest ever (13) medal winner when she executed a stunning display of acrobatics in the women’s 10m Platform. In 1996 she once again delivered in the women’s 10m Platform and 3m Springboard events. In doing so, she became the first woman to win these two events in the same Games in 36 years.

DAYS TO GO

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

n At Seoul 1988, America’s Greg Louganis hit his head on the 3m springboard while executing one of his dives in the preliminary phase. Amazingly, he scraped through to the semi-final and recovered to win the gold medal in the final.

50 49

TALLY 2008

48 47 46 45

CHINA AUS RUSSIA

MEDAL EVENTS

43 42 41 40 39

7 1 0

1 1 3

3 0 2

July 29 Women’s Synchronised 3m Springboard July 30 Men’s Synchronised 10m Platform July 31 Women’s Synchronised 10m Platform August 1 Men’s Synchronised 3m Springboard August 5 Women’s 3m Springboard August 7 Men’s 3m Springboard August 9 Women’s 10m Platform August 11 Men’s 10m Platform

DIVING: Diving requires acrobatic excellence and supreme coordination skills, as athletes dive from heights of up to 10m into the waters below. Competitive Diving developed from gymnastics in the 18th century, when gymnasts in Sweden and Germany began to perform tumbling routines into water.

Field of play

TRIVIA

38 37

The diving pool is 25m long and 5m deep. The events feature either a springboard, 3m above the pool, or a fixed platform, set at 10m. Springboards must be at least 4.8m long and 50cm wide, while platforms should be at least 6m long and 3m wide.

36 35 34 33 32 31

qeb=sbkrb

Synchronized diving Synchronized diving was adopted as an Olympic sport in 2000. Two divers perform dives simultaneously. The dives are usually identical; however, sometimes the dives may be opposites, in what is called a pinwheel. For example, one diver may perform a forward dive and the other an inward dive in the same position; or one may do a reverse and the other a back movement. In these events, the diving is judged both on the quality of execution and the synchronicity.

esigned by internationally acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid, the breathtaking Aquatics Centre is one of the permanent venues specially constructed for London 2012. It forms part of the gateway to the Olympic

THE LINGO Armstand: a platform dive that begins from the hands. Platform: a fixed diving board, at least 6m long and 3m wide. In Olympic competition, it’s 10m above the water. Pike: a diving position for which the diver bends the body at the hips, keeping the legs straight. Springboard: a flexible diving board, at least 4.8m long and 50cm wide.

Diving at Games Diving made its Olympic debut in 1904, where medals were awarded for men in the Platform and the Plunge for

Distance. Women’s Diving was introduced in 1912 and Synchronised Diving made its first Olympic appearance at Sydney in 2000.

The basics Divers submit in advance the dives which they will perform. The more difficult a dive, the higher the potential score if it is executed correctly: judges award a score out of 10 for each dive, which is multiplied by the dive’s degree of difficulty. In the Synchronised Diving events, pairs of athletes dive in tandem and are assessed for their execution and synchronisation by separate groups of judges – a judge never assesses both execution and synchronisation. The higher the judges’ score, the higher the diver/team is placed.

Keys to success Dives are divided into four stages – the starting position, the take-off, the dive itself and the entry into the water. Each of these is judged against a strict set of criteria. Divers aim to enter the water vertically with as little splash as possible. If you see a diver make no splash at all, you can expect very high marks. In the Synchronised events, the two divers must dive in perfect harmony with each other.

Officials Judges (seven for the individual events and 11 for the Synchronised) assess all phases of the dive, including the level of synchronisation. Each judge awards a score out of 10.

AQUATICS CENTRE Park – more than twothirds of spectators will enter the Park at the south-east corner via a bridge that forms part of the venue’s roof. With a capacity of 17,500, the Aquatics Centre’s spectacular wavelike roof is 160m long and

up to 80m wide – giving it a longer single span than Heathrow Terminal 5.

The venue features a 50m competition pool, a 25m competition diving pool, a 50m warm-up pool and a ‘dry’ warm-up area for divers. The Water Polo competition is being hosted next door in the temporary Water Polo Arena.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

DAYS TO GO

CHIEF: DANIEL ASKED CASH SYDNEY: Australian weightlifting was rocked on Wednesday by allegations that an athlete held his team’s Olympic hopes to ransom by demanding Aus$5,000 (about US$5000) cash before competing at a qualifying event. Australian Weightlifting Federation chief Michael Keelan claimed Daniel Koum, 26, asked for the money at the Oceania Weightlifting Championships in Samoa last week. “We were absolutely shocked and stunned. It was just unbelievable,” Keelan told AFP, adding that this was the first time it had happened to him in more than 40 years in the sport. “He said if he didn’t get that amount of money he said he would not participate in the championships.” Had any Australian male athlete failed to compete in Samoa it would have made it impossible for the team to finish among the top five nations, meaning Australia would have been unable to send a male lifter to the London Olympics. “The situation which occurred in Samoa was he (Koum) felt like he was in the position whereby he could bargain and he asked for some money,” Keelan charged. “And the thing is he

‘Idyllic’ opening ceremony revealed LONDON:

asked for a considerable amount of money which is $5,000.” Koum, who competed at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010, has reportedly denied the allegations, telling The Sydney Morning Herald when asked about the claims: “I deny that.” The Melbourne-based Koum, who is originally from Cameroon, competed in Samoa, helping Australia gain a berth for London and was expected to take part in the final selection event in Brisbane this weekend. He could, however, face sanctions for bringing the sport into disrepute if the

He said if he didn’t get that amount of money he said he would not participate in the championships. Michael Keelan Australian Weightlifting Federation chief allegations are proven. Koum is only an outside chance to go to London, with Damon Kelly, the sole Australian male weightlifter at the 2008 Olympic Games,

the favourite to win the spot. Keelan, who said he was one of several coaches and officials who pooled together to pay the $5,000, said it was hard for the sport to financially support athletes for the Olympics, where Australia is unlikely to win a medal. But he added: “You can’t have one person’s actions destroying the aspirations of another.” He stood by the decision to hand over the cash. “I am still reeling from it. But the fact is we had to make a quick decision. I still think we’ve done the right thing.”

Long march of an Israel champion CHARLY WEGMAN OMER, ISRAEL: To some, Israeli race walker Shaul Ladany is the ultimate survivor — a sporting champion who escaped a Nazi concentration camp and survived the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, 40 years ago this year. Today, Ladany lives in Omer, a quiet suburb of the southern desert town of Beersheva, where his house is marked by a wire sculpture of a man in mid-stride that is affixed to the outside of his home.

This year, Ladany turned 76, but he has hardly slowed down. He celebrated the same way he does every birthday — by walking his new age in kilometres. Ladany’s athletic history would be impressive under any circumstances. He began his Olympic career in Mexico in 1968, and still holds the world record in the 50-mile (80kilometre) category which he won in 1972, completing the distance in seven hours, 23 minutes and 50 seconds. Six years ago, he won the world record in the 100-mile category for over-70s.

London’s Olympic Stadium will be transformed into a rural British idyll for the Games opening ceremony on July 27, organisers said on Tuesday. The ceremony’s artistic director Danny Boyle — whose film “Slumdog Millionaire” won eight Oscars — said the £27 million ($42 million, 33 million euro) ceremony would give Britons “a picture of ourselves as a nation.” “On entry to the Olympic Stadium in East London the audience will see a scene that represents a traditional and idyllic view of the British countryside,” Games organisers LOCOG said in a statement. “The set will be complete with meadows, fields and rivers, and featuring families taking picnics, sport being played on the village green and farmers tilling the soil whilst real farmyard animals graze.” “I’ve been astounded by the selfless dedication of the volunteers,” he said about people helping him. “They are the pure embodiment of the Olympic spirit and represent the best of who we are as a nation.” Real farmyard animals will be grazing in the country scene including 70 sheep, 12 horses, three cows, two goats and 10 chicken, plus three sheepdogs. Fresh from headlining last week’s spectacular concert at Buckingham Palace marking Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee, exBeatle Paul McCartney is to close the ceremony, which will be attended by the monarch.

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A billion people worldwide are expected to watch the extravaganza on television, organisers said.

No sex during Olympics, says Magnini

ROME: Italian swimmer Filippo Magnini, boyfriend of Olympic champion Federica Pellegrini, has revealed he will be refraining from sex during the London Games. “There are athletes who even have sex the evening before (a race), but I’m more prudent,” double 100m freestyle world champion Magnini told Wednesday’s edition of ‘A’ magazine. “During the events I try to keep calm,” added Magnini.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

BEAUTY

It’s in my head says Rosicky on singing the anthem

THE BEST

Belgian fans make light of the Netherlands’ loss

Czech skipper Tomas Rosicky says he doesn’t actually sing the national anthem. “I haven’t sung it for some time. I hum it in my head,” the Arsenal said. “But I am superstitious — I sang it when I was young and we always lost. It’s not that I don’t know the words or don’t want to sing,” he insisted. The anthem, Kde domov muj? translates as, where is my country?

Belgian fans have taken in their stride neighbouring Netherlands’ loss to Denmark in their Euro 12 match. Some Belgians have been still backing the ‘Oranje’ but the media made fun of the defeat, which sparked claims some of the Dutch have outsized egos. Broadcaster Sporza came up with the wheeze Legoland 1 Egoland 0 for their headline.

Loew says Germany is battle-ready and eager KHARKIV, UKRAINE: Germany coach Joachim Loew has said he expects a ‘battle’ against the Netherlands in Wednesday’s crunch Euro 2012 clash, but quickly rejected any notion that it will be a ‘war’ in Kharkiv.

The Netherlands face Germany in the eastern Ukrainian city on Wednesday needing a win to give themselves a realistic chance of reaching the knock-out stages having lost their opening Group B match to Denmark last weekend.

GER vs NED 12.15am (Thursday) Neo Prime

Having already beaten Portugal, Germany can book their place in the quarter-finals with another win, but given the history between the two rival nations, Loew quickly rejected a “war” cliche suggested by a Dutch journalist. The Germans are eager to avoid stirring up any more World War II-related controversy after assistant coach Hansi Flick had to apologise for using a ‘steel helmets’ metaphor last Friday before the 1-0 win over Portugal. “We are miles away from comments like that, we wouldn’t even say it,” said the 52-year-old Loew when asked if he expected a “war” with the Dutch. “Logically, there is a big rivalry between the two countries and these are always legendary games, some of the most interesting in Europe over the last 20 to 30 years. “From that point of view, there is a huge rivalry, it will be intense, but there is no place for words like ‘war’. “Ok, maybe it will be a ‘battle’ on the pitch, but it’s not more than a rivalry.” Having lost their second game at both Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Germany vice-captain B Schweinsteiger has urged his team to take their chance to secure an early passage into the quarter-finals. “We want to take the next step. We know the Netherlands are under a lot of pressure, but we will concentrate on ourselves,” said Schweinsteiger. AFP

Portuguese to do or die against Danes LVIV, UKRAINE: Danish coach Morten Olsen said on Tuesday Portugal must be the favourites going into the pair’s Euro 2012 Group B match in Lviv as he played the same underdog tactic he deployed before the surprise opening 1-0 win over the Netherlands. The Danes, shock champions in 1992, “can’t be favourites against a team such as them,” Olsen maintained even though his side are making the early running after beating the Dutch while the Portuguese came unstuck against Germany. Wednesday’s game in Lviv, Ukraine, will be a crucial test for both as they target a quarter-final berth and Olsen says everything is to play for. The two countries know each other well having won their respective home games in the same qualifying group, which the Danes topped,

while Portugal had to come through the playoffs. “The match we lost 3-1 (in October 2010 in Oporto) we had a lot of players out through injury. I am not saying that is why we lost but it

POR vs DEN 9.30pm (Wed) Neo Prime could have been a factor. “The Portuguese have been together longer than we have — we had a new beginning a year ago and we have a bright future, but the future is tomorrow,” said Olsen. “We know Portugal have a lot of individual flair and players who can drive them forward and so we will have to be more on form than we were against the Netherlands,” Olsen insisted. AFP

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012

Kuba scores leveller to keep Poland in hunt Jonathan Fowler

WARSAW: Euro 2012 co-hosts Poland kept their chances of a quarterfinals berth alive on Tuesday after drawing 1-1 with Russia, putting on ice their opponents’ hopes of clinching the first slot in the knock-out phase. The Poles, needing to take at least a point from the Group A match in the wake of their 1-1 tournament opener against Greece on Friday, were keenly aware of Russia’s high-octane 4-1 performance against the Czech Republic the same night. A goal by Alan Dzagoev in the firsthalf — his third of the tournament — was cancelled out in spectacular fashion in the second-half by Polish captain Kuba Blaszczykowski. Dutch coach Dick Advocaat praised Poland for their performance but added he was happy with the point. “Poland played very well tonight being under the risk of losing the chance to win a place in the last eight if they lost,” he said. “Meanwhile, we allowed them to create too many chances in attack. “That means we still need to strengthen our defence. We also played well and scored before the break and had many chances in the second but we missed them all. In general, I’d say the draw is a good result for us,” said the 64-year-old Dutchman.

Russian captain Andrei Arshavin said that while the point was welcome they only had themselves to blame for allowing the Poles back into the game. “We started well and took the lead but after the break we played too loosely allowing Poland to reply on dangerous counter-attacks,” he said. In what may be the most politically-charged fixture of the tournament, Poland looked the hungrier team in the first half, launching a series of convincing attacks on the Russian goal. Hard work appeared to have paid off when Eugen Polanski moved onto a through ball from lone striker Robert Lewandowski and fired past Vyacheslav Malafeev. But fans and the Polish bench swung from ecstasy to misery when his 18th-minute shot was ruled offside. A resurgent Russia picked up the pace, with Arshavin crossing in the 25th minute to Aleksandr Kerzhakov, only for him to miss the target. Polish keeper Przeymslaw Tyton — whose penalty-saving heroics after he came on as a substitute for red-carded first choice Wojciech Szczesny helped avoid a Polish defeat to Greece — saved a free kick from Arshavin a minute later. Russia’s efforts bore fruit in the 37th minute when rising star Dzagoev, who notched a double against the Czechs, latched onto an inswinging Arshavin free kick to open the scoring.

Slow start caused loss: Santos WROCLAW, POLAND: Greece coach Fernando Santos said that another poor start had cost his side dearly as two goals in the first six minutes saw the Greeks lose 2-1 to Czech Republic in their Euro 2012 Group A clash here on Tuesday. The 57-year-old Portuguese, who replaced veteran German Otto Rehhagel after the 2010 World Cup finals first round exit, added that he had not given up on securing a last eight spot — though they will have to beat group leaders Russia to do so.

The Greeks, who beat the Czechs in the Euro 2004 semifinals on their way to lifting the trophy, have just a point while the second-placed Czechs have three points. Co-hosts Poland are on two points having fought out a 1-1 draw with Russia, who are on four points. Santos, whose 45 per cent pay rise raised eyebrows in a country where the majority of people are struggling to pay for basic goods because of the financial hardships brought

about by the euro crisis, said that he had feared the Czechs would bolt out of the blocks. “We knew it could happen. In their first match (a 4-1 loss to Russia), the Czechs were very attack-minded from the moment they went on to the pitch,” said Santos, whose side also made a slow start against the Poles. “Despite being forewarned we were not able to respond.” Santos, a former league and Cup winning coach with Porto, praised his side for the secondhalf performance. AFP

Police tear gas, detain brawlers WARSAW: Police used tear gas and water cannon and detained dozens of brawling football fans ahead of a key duel between old foes Poland and Russia in the Euro 2012 football championship. Police said they had detained more than a 100 unruly fans on both sides while about 10 were treated for minor injuries ahead of a match that the authorities say is posing the city’s “greatest ever” security challenge. Tensions have been stoked by centuries of bad blood and suspicion between the two countries.

Euro 2012 Standings Group A Russia Czech Poland Greece

P 2 2 2 2

W 1 1 0 0

D 1 0 2 1

L 0 1 0 1

F 5 3 2 2

A 2 5 2 3

Pt 4 3 2 1

(played, won, drawn, lost, for, against, points)

TOP GOAL SCORERS 3 goals: A Dzagoev (RUS) (in pic),

2 goals: Mandzukic (CRO), Pilar (CZE), Shevchenko (UKR)

Injury to Rosicky will hurt Czechs badly DONETSK, UKRAINE: France’s players admitted frustration after failing to turn their dominance into victory against England in their opener but took heart from their reaction to falling behind. Laurent Blanc’s side enjoyed 60 per cent of possession and registered 15 shots on target to England’s one at Donbass Arena on Monday but had to settle for only a point after Samir Nasri cancelled out Joleon Lescott’s opener. Pre-match predictions had centred around the likelihood of England being made to defend for long periods. AFP

Playing Field

The games people play

Thunder recover to lead Heat in NBA finals

Miami Heat’s LeBron James battles past Oklahoma City Thunders Kevin Durant (L) and Russell Westbrook (R) in the match. AFP/ ROBYN BECK Greg Heakes

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 41 points in the second half and the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied to beat Miami 105-94 in game one of the NBA finals on Tuesday. Durant scored 23 of his game-high 36 points in the second half and Westbrook had 12 third-quarter points for the Thunder, who kept their home record perfect in the playoffs with their ninth win in a row at Chesapeake Energy Arena. “I am just playing off my teammates and not trying to force anything,” Durant said. “Everybody came to play and we stuck together.” Westbrook finished with 27 points and 11 assists while Serge Ibaka had 10 points and six rebounds for the Thunder, who are making their first NBA Finals appearance

since 1996 when they were based in Seattle as the SuperSonics. Game two of the best-of-seven series is set for Thursday in Oklahoma City. “We showed a lot of toughness in the second half,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “Really battling and fighting for every possession. I give our guys a lot of credit. They did a great job of competing in the second half.” LeBron James had a team-high 30 points and Dwyane Wade finished with 19 points and eight assists for the Heat, who lost to the Dallas Mavericks in last year’s finals. The Heat are chasing Miami’s first NBA title since 2006. Oklahoma City’s 8-0 home mark over the first three rounds saw the Thunder storm through the Western Conference by sweeping the Mavericks, ousting the Los Angeles Lakers in five games and polishing off the San Antonio Spurs in six.

Karlovic sends Hewitt packing Scott Williams

LONDON: Four-time champion Lleyton Hewitt fell victim to 22 service aces from towering Croatian Ivo Karlovic (in pic) in a 6-3, 6-2 first-round loss for the veteran wild card Tuesday at the Queen’s club. “It was frustrating, to say the least,” said 2002 Wimbledon champion Hewitt. “I felt like I was actually seeing the ball not bad out there, especially the returns that I could get my racquet on. “The pressure just builds on your service games, and he’s just lashing at shots left, right, and centre. I didn’t serve my best, him serving like that puts a lot more pressure on you.” Hewitt, who is playing in the wake of undergoing foot surgery in February, won the last of his four titles on the grass of Queen’s six years ago. The 31-year-old Australian, ranked 205, saved a pair of match points in the penultimate game before Karlovic secured

victory with an ace in 64 minutes. Karlovic lost the 2005 Queen’s final seven years ago and is playing the preWimbledon event for the ninth time, now standing 17-8 in west London. Earlier South African ninth seed Kevin Anderson unleashed his emotions to secure a place in the second round with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Britain’s James Ward.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012