Postnoon E-Paper for 17 July 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

EMIRATES FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING

Tragedy struck a family from Dubai whose teenage son suddenly developed chest pain in flight. The aircraft made an emergency landing in Hyderabad but the patient died before medical aid reached him. PG 3

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TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012 HYDERABAD

WEATHER: A MIX OF CLOUDY AND CLEAR SKIES; 27°C

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NO ROOF FOR DAUGHTERS As a grim reminder of the ignorance about biological facts, comes a chilling story of cruelty meted out to a young mother whose only crime was delivering three daughters.

REPORT ON PG 3

FLASH

IN PURSUIT OF GOLD Hyderabad’s badminton champion Jwala Gutta has certainly made the country proud on numerous occasions. She now gears up to represent the nation at the upcoming Olympics. P16&17

COURT NOD FOR JAGAN TO VOTE The CBI court has allowed YRSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to vote in the presidential poll on Thursday. The party has so far not declared its stance, but sources say it will vote for the UPA candidate.

Page Two

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS

Burger festival

M ANIL KUMAR

HRC is hosting the Legendary Burger Festival. Sample a variety of burgers from around the world. The fest is on till July 29. Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 6463 6375

Middle Eastern food fest Take a trip to the Middle East with the Middle Eastern Food Festival being held at Arena till July 21. Where: Arena, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6666 3939

Park drama A Hindi play dealing with three men trying to find peace of mind in a park is being presented by Sifar. The play is written by Manav Kaul and directed by Feroz. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: July 22, 5pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

Sizzler festival Love sizzlers? Head to Aditya Park Inn for the Sizzler festival. Sample a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian sizzlers. The festival is on till July 22. Where: The Promenade, Aditya Park Inn, Ameerpet When: Ongoing 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 6678 8888

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

Pochampally mela Head to the Pochampally mela for handmade bed and home linen, dress materials, silk and cotton sarees. Where: Sathya Sai Nigamagamam, Srinagar Colony When: Ongoing, 10am onwards Contact: (040) 2374 1450

CINEMAS

Kanchi collection A saree exhibition by Kanchi weavers will be held on July 19 and July 20. Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: July 19 and 20, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6666 3939

Theatre festival The seventh edition of the multitlingual theatre festival - Abhinaya National Theatre Festival will be held from August 16 to August 19. Where: Ravindra Bharati, Saifabad When: August 16 onwards 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245

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

Parantha festival Haldi at Novotel Airport is hosting a parantha festival titled Parantha

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

Stand-up act Head to Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre on July 18 for a fun filled evening with a live standup act by Dan Nainan. Where: Novotel and HICC Complex, Madhapur, Hitec City When: July 18, 8.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6682 4422

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

French film The French film Les Demoiselles de Rochefort will be screened at Alliance Francaise. The film revolves around the life of two young women.

Where: Alliance Francaise, Marredpally When: July 20, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2770 0734

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

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

Scaffold to infinity An exhibition of constructivist wooden sculptures by senior sculptor and artist Aekka Yadagiri Rao are being displayed as a part of Scaffold to Infinity. Where: Iconart Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: Ongoing 11.30am onwards Contact: (040) 98499 68797

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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NEWS BRIEFS

Mum turned out from home

Wine shop burgled early this morning

A grim reminder of crass illiteracy about biological facts, here comes the chilling story of cruelty meted out to a young mother whose crime was delivering three daughters

Mohd Subhan and Srinivas Setty mohd.s@postnoon.com

lame it on her. A young mother of three daughters in Mominpet of RR district was locked out of her home by her husband and in-laws. Her crime? She delivered three daughters, and no sons. More shocking is the fact that her father-n-law who joined in attacking her is a mandal leader of the TDP. Left forlorn and helpless, Padma and two of her three daughters sat in dharna before husband Anantaiah’s house demanding justice. On the sixth day, the Mominpet police which had not only not helped her but threatened her came and removed the pandal and threw her out. Later, the RDO intervened and assured her justice. However, Vikarabad police

inspector M Durgaaiah told Postnoon that the pandal was not pulled down but was folded up with the consent of the Women activists and officials. “It has been decided to hold a meeting of all concerned,

including the husband on July 20 to sort out the issue.” B Padma, 35, has suffered everything — from plain insult to physical torture in her 20-year marriage. It was not just the insult showered on her for ‘deliv-

ering only daughters’ but she found to her horror that her husband had, in 2008, secretly married a young woman by name Laxmi, allegedly withholding the information on his marital status. Padma lodged a complaint against her husband with the Mominpet police and the matter is still in court. Meanwhile, Laxmi, devastated by the news of his marital status later allegedly committed suicide. After the death of Laxmi, Anataiah again got ‘married’ to one Navneeta. Despite all this, her in-laws supported him and continue to torture Padma. “My children are mute witness to the insult and torture,” she told Postnoon, her words choking with emotion. “What crime did these poor kids do?” she asked in Telugu. Meanwhile, Anantaiah’s family has locked the house and gone away.

Emirates flight makes emergency landing Tragedy struck a family from Dubai whose teenage son suddenly developed chest pain on flight. The aircraft made an emergency landing but the patient died before medical aid reached him Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

n Emirates flight from Dubai to Bangkok made an emergency landing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport today following a medical crisis. One of its passengers, Ali Ibrahim, a 19 year old from Dubai, who was travelling to Bangkok with his family complained of chest pain. The pilot messaged SOS to Hyderabad airport and made the landing at

5.04am. But tragedy struck as doctors from the airport, on rushing on board, found the youth dead. Ali’s family deplaned and his body was shifted to Apollo Health Centre at the airport. The Boeing 777, flight number EK374 resumed its course to Bangkok at 6.21am. The Shamshabad police said that the initial medical reports received from the doctor at the airport suggested that he died due to cardiac arrest. N Jayaram,

sub-inspector of Shamshabad division said, “He was overweight and weighed nearly 170 kg. Right now, the doctor suggests that it is heart failure that led to his death. We have handed over the body to his family who were travelling with him. The flight was allowed to return on its course.” Ibrahim Ali’s body is currently at the Apollo Health Centre in the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.

Pick

wine shop was robbed in Neredmet early this morning. According to the police nearly alcohol worth `1.25 lakh and `2 lakh of cash were found missing from the store following the burglary. It was the owner of the wine store who discovered that his shop had been broken into. The police are trying to trace the perpetrators behind this latest robbery.

Dismembered body found in Vizag

ismembered body parts were found packed in gunny bags and dumped at the Vizag railway station on Monday. Passengers found three abandoned bags on platform number 6 and were shocked to find body parts in them. Based on their complaint, the police sent the body parts for postmortem. They suspect that someone might have committed the murder elsewhere and dumped the body parts on the platform. The police said they would be able to come to a conclusion as to how many people were murdered only after they get the postmortem report.

Four students die in road accident

F Another firm shuts shop, dupes aspirants

nother marketing company has duped unemployed youth in the name of online-jobs, collected lakhs of rupees from the aspirants and then promptly shut shop. The said company, City Facility Management Services, was operating at Surabhi Apartment near Golconda Cross Road. Several members have joined it, as it promised that they would be paid more than what they invested by working online for a few hours. The management has collected amounts ranging from `5,000 to `10 lakh from each member. When they went to the office to get their money, they found the company locked. They tried to contact the management, but there was no response to their phone calls. Following this, the victims lodged a police complaint. NSS

at the

our students were killed in a road accident at Kodikonda involving a school bus on Monday. Ten more were injured and were rushed toHindupur for treatment. According to information, the bus, that belonged to Sri Sai Niketan School, was hit head on by a lorry coming from Bangalore at a high speed. It is learnt that apart from over the lorry speeding, over-loading of the school bus was also responsible for the accident. Irate passers-by set fire to the lorry. The truck driver however fled from the scene.

2 bodies fished out from Gandipet

he police have fished out the bodies of the two MTech students, who drowned in the Gandipet lake on Monday morning. Mahmod Abdul, 24, Hakeem and Mahmod Alimuddin, who were pursuing MTech at Shadan College, went to fish at the lake on Sunday when they accidentally fell into the lake. Locals heard their cries for help and managed to rescue Hakeem. The police launched a search operation by deploying swimmers and fished out the bodies of the other two.

airport,

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Men at work, so get down and walk! Or so should have read the notice put up on the Punjagutta-Jubilee Hills stretch where workers have left behind telltale signs of their handiwork DEEPAK DESHPANDE

HC stay on release of water from N-Sagar Dam to Krishna Delta

CIVIC Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

n an effort to clean up the clogged sewage lines in Banjara Hills, the GHMC undertook repair works on Road Number 2, Banjara Hills, over a week ago. This was done as part of the City beautification works for the global biodiversity meet. However, the work remained unfinished and concrete, gravel and sand have been left strewn on the roads, posing a great risk to com-

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

198 155313

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

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muters, especially for the fastmoving traffic heading to Punjagutta from Jubilee Hills. Many two-wheelers have skidded and suffered injuries but as they have no recourse to redress, they suffer in silence. One such victim of civic irresponsibility, Amit Varma, told Postnoon, “Since the road is sloppy and there are no dividers to obstruct the lights from the oncoming traffic, I could not see the rough patch. The sand and the gravel make it really hard for drivers to slow down at such short notice. Street lights are usually not working on this patch.”

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

THE ROADWORK WAS CARRIED OUT AS PART OF THE CITY BEAUTIFICATION PLAN FOR THE GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY MEET. HOWEVER, THE WORK REMAINED UNFINISHED AND CONCRETE, GRAVEL AND SAND HAVE BEEN LEFT STREWN ON THE ROADS.

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

The pipelines work comes in the wake of a series of incidents involving drain water flooding on Road Number 2. The havoc caused by the rains this month was a major issue for commuters and pedestrians. The newly laid pipelines are yet to be tested against the City’s monsoon. Deputy municipal commissioner of the Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills division TS Reddy said, “We had finished the work over a week back. I had instructed the workers to repair and recarpet the road. I shall instruct the assistant engineer to look into this matter and make sure the work is finished properly.”

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

bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court has ordered a stay on the release of water from Nagarjuna Sagar Dam to the Krishna Delta. It has asked the government to file a detailed report within two weeks to enable it to decide whether it is legal to release the waters if the water level falls below the MDDL (Minimum Draw Down Level), which is 525 feet. The bench, comprising Chief Justice PC Ghose and Justice Vilas ordered that the government should not release water if the water level falls below 510 feet and posted the matter for two weeks later. The court issued the order on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by retired chief engineer Vedire Venkata Reddy and 10 others, urging the High Court to direct the State government not to release waters from Nagarjuna Sagar project to the Krishna Delta as the level of water in the dam was below the MDDL of 525 feet. The counsel for the petitioners, Prakash Reddy, argued that drinking water cannot be provided to fluoride-affected areas of Nalgo ndaand and the city of Hyderabad if the water level at Nagarjuna Sagar fell below the MDDL of 525 feet. The counsel for the government stated that the MDDL at Nagarjuna Sagar is 510 feet and hence, the government would not release water to the downstream once the level falls below 510 feet. NSS

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

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

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

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

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Blame game continues in State The TDP is seen to be trying to divert mass attention from the electoral defeat to power crisis where it squarely blames the CM for the power crisis. The fact is that the political cauldron is in a confused flux failed to get adequate gas for the power stations as AP is not overly dependent on hydro power and failure of monsoon is not the real big reason.

ANALYSIS PK Surendran surendran.pk@postnoon.com

e are used to political subterfuge so much so that we can’t stomach plain talk. The Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s admission the day before that the power crisis is no monopoly of Andhra Pradesh but a national issue has pulverised the political terra firma. “Power shortage is a national issue, not just of Andhra Pradesh. Other states too are facing the problem. Why blame the government?” was the reasoning he expressed at the venue of Indiramma Baata mass contact programme in Kakinada on Monday. That said, it remains a question as to why his government

THE CM’S ADMISSION THAT THE POWER CRISIS IS NO MONOPOLY OF ANDHRA PRADESH BUT A NATIONAL ISSUE HAS PULVERISED THE POLITICAL TERRA FIRMA.

Kiran admitted, “If gas was available we will be able to produce another 1,100 to 12,000 MW power. The State can generate 2,700 MW from gas provided 75 per cent plant load factor was maintained. But due to shortage, PLF has fallen down to 34 per cent.” He put the blame on the Centre.

Officials confident of ‘e-bidding’ website HMDA Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

ontrary to rumours about the many predicaments that the HMDA has been coming across, the latest being the failure of the much awaited ‘e-bidding’ website, officials at the department are confident of completing the sale of the 42 layouts. Neerabh Kumar Prasad’s optimism has driven the department to put up a good show. This was indicated by the response received. Downplaying the rumours about website failure on the first day of the auction, P Krishna Mohan Reddy, member and coordinator of the online auction said, “The website was opened at 11am on July 14 and functioned perfectly. Some people must have tried it

before the scheduled time. Considering the two day holidays, we have had, Monday was our first day of auction.” And the response has been swift, say officials. “Within the first two hours, we had received over 10 sealed tenders for the many layouts set up for auction. “The website has been visited by over 9,000 visitors across the globe. There seems to be a healthy competition at the ongoing auction for the 42 plots, with bids being placed above their upset price,” says Krishna Mohan Reddy. The department has predicted a total turnover of `130 crore from the auction, while the actual sale value is `124 crores. “Gopanpally and Miyapur layouts have attracted the most attention so far, while the Nandagiri Hill layouts have caught the eye of major corporations. In fact, there have been site visits by two private parties at Nandagiri Hills when the auction was first announced.” The auction began at 11am on July 14 and will end on August 8 at 3pm. In a press conference, prior to the commencement of the online auction, HMDA municipal commissioner Neerabh Kumar promised that all the funds raised from the auction will be directed towards finishing the pending projects especially the Kukatpally rail overbridge and the PVNR express flyover. Whether this auction will fill the department’s fast drying up coffers, only time will tell.

“Well, which other CM will do such plain talk?” asked Congress leader Abdul Rasool Khan. He found fault with the TDP which says during its term such outage was not an order of the day. The TDP leaders say the admission of power crisis and helplessness of the government is a miserable confession of the government’s failure. The Warangal TDP leader Kadam Srihari, while launching a hunger strike in Warangal against power crisis said, said the government was lacking vision and as a result, of the total 1259 MW power supposed to be generated only 5,585 MW was being generated at present. The farmers were largely affected due to power cuts and the agriculture was in doldrums. “Why does he not quit and go?” ask opposition leaders. But which chief minister has ever quit for a power crisis? The Kiran camp defenders wanted to know.

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Will MJ market stand the test of time? The once iconic market that boasted of over a 100 shops and stalls, now lies in a dilapidated condition: A testimony to the ravages of time and neglect by civic authorities

M ANIL KUMAR

Md Nizamuddin feedback@postnoon.com

“W

ill our Mozamjahi market also get a facelift?” asks a curious shopkeeper, after learning that heritage structures in the City will be getting a facelift, as part of the beautification drive ahead of the International conference on biodiversity. However, people in the area are sceptical about any marked difference. For years there have been several articles published about the market, but not much seems to be done. “Even if the media highlights the issue, the GHMC men might appear the very next day, but there will not be any marked difference in their attitude after the initial knee-jerk reaction,” says, Saleem, a butcher in the area. With market in such a dilapidated condition, many businessmen have relocated to earn a better living. According to many Mozamjahi market in JN Road, Abids is like a sinking ship. But there are still others who still stick to their guns despite the corporate onslaught, as they believe their forefathers worked their whole lives here. Twenty five years ago, the entire market would be washed and cleaned twice a week. But these days the market is cleaned only once in several months. “Often we end up requesting and greasing palms of the municipal employees to clear the waste generated everyday,” says Subhash, another butcher in the area. For old timers like Narayanlal Yadav, whose family has been running a dairy business for almost 80 years, the leaky roof is the biggest problem. Whenever it rains the water seeps in from gaps on the roof at almost every place. According to businessmen, business is dismal during the

monsoons. “Earlier the rent for each shop was a meagre 50 paise, but the provisions for the shopkeepers and customers were good. These days the rent has been hiked, but you rarely see a newcomer visiting this market,” says Narayan Yadav. It may be recalled that the iconic market was constructed in 1937, as part of the efforts of the City Improvement Board. Several representations were made by

SPOTLIGHT ON ABIDS the MJ Market Association to the GHMC in recent years to improve the situation. Even former mayor Banda Karthika Reddy paid a visit to the market more than a year ago. “We came to know that `2 crore was sanctioned for improving the market. But I don’t think the amount was used in anyway,”

says KB Iqbal, treasurer and acting president of the Association. According to Iqbal, monthly meetings are held and issues are sorted there itself. “Most of us are poor businessmen, but there is a sense of brotherhood amongst us. For more than 80 years, the same feeling has made Hindus and Muslims share everything like a family,” says Iqbal. Meanwhile M Madhu, Gunfoundary corporator insists

that there is no need for repairs. “The structure is in a good condition, I do not think it needs any repair. There is no proposal yet for beautification,” he said. The market has some 100 shops some of which are now abandoned. People believe that this ‘Super Market’ of the past may not survive as people’s priorities have changed. The ticks have stopped at the clock tower as a reminder of changing times.

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Bringing smiles to the City EVENT Indira Atluri indira.a@postnoon.com

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Give legal aid to ministers: Jeevan

tating that the State government extending legal aid to the tainted ministers doesn’t mean economic help, former minister T Jeevan Reddy said that they deserved to seek the legal aid from the government because the cases facing them were not individual. Speaking on Monday, Jeevan Reddy said that the ministers were being tainted only because of issuance of 26 controversial GOs. The decisions with regard to 26 GOs were taken by the Cabinet, and not by the ministers, and hence they deserved legal aid. He said that the government also has to respond in the same manner in case of Mopidevi and extend the same legal aid to him also. NSS

orn to an Indian father and a Japanese mother in America, Dan Nainan is everything but an ordinary comedian. He doesn’t watch television, dislikes smoking, and definitely says no to alcohol. This ‘weird’ comedian would rather derive inspiration from reading newspapers, conversing with friends, and yes, thinking about funny things. Dan Nainan has had none lesser than the likes of Barrack Obama, Donald Trump, Jerry Seinfeld, Yoko Ono and Alanis Morisette being audience to his crackles. And he is all set to tickle Hyderabad pink. Sharing his thoughts with us, Nainan speaks about how travelling builds the comedian in him, “I see a significant advantage when I travel to other countries. That is because my comedy is not centered around American pop culture. I think the average American comedian who watches a lot of television would have a disadvantage in other countries.” What is it about India that makes it a great comical prospect we ask. Says Nainan, “India is an incredible confluence of various factors that makes it fantastic for comedy. With an educated, English-speaking

population that is intelligent and humorous, and an untapped market, especially when it comes to standup comedy in English, India is definitely where the comic action is.” Nainan’s talents are far from restricted to comedy. He has had his

share of limelight acting in The Hoax, as a cello player, and in M Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender as a fire warrior, apart from appearances in TV commercials. He is also a trained pianist who also plays the bass guitar, drums, the

cello and the violin. Nainan cherishes every complement he has received, but highlights his ‘encounter’ with Obama as one of the best in his career. He tells us, “Performing for President Obama was certainly unforgettable, and that just took place a couple of months ago. The best part is when he talked about me on camera afterwards, which you can see on YouTube. Of course, working with Russell Peters helped my career — I wouldn’t be where I am without him. And Jerry Seinfeld told me very early in my career that I should stick with clean comedy, and that really helped me. On how much of an Indian is ingrained in him, Dan tells us, “Even though my mother is Japanese, everything we did was centered around my father’s group of friends from Kerala, so essentially, I have had more of an Indian upbringing than any other. We went to a Malayalee church, and we went to all of the Kerala cultural events. Even my mother has gotten addicted to mango pickles!” He loves intelligent audiences and those who love to laugh at themselves — perhaps the reason why he chose to come to Hyderabad. And yes, not to forget, his quest for the famed Hyderabadi Biryani!

Watch him perform live On: July 18 Where: Novotel Hyderabad Time: 9pm onwards Duration: 90 minutes

Season of haleem and dates is here COMMUNITY Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com

ye Bonalu, welcome Ramzan. The City of Hyderabad is getting ready for the next big event, Ramzan. Vibrant and colourful, dabbled in piety, Ramzan generates a lot of social interests and business. The Old City, the hub of Ramzan related activities, has numerous shop keepers who await Ramzan with eagerness. It provides households a chance to shop for anything and everything — from utility items to exotic sweets, especially dates. However, many in Old City are yet to set up their haleem counters and are going to start only after the holy month of Ramzan begins. Veterans say haleem available in many parts of the City are not authentic. “For the last 20 years we start our counter from day one of Ramzan. These days you can see plenty of haleem counters in every nook and

corner of the City, but not many of them serve you the authentic haleem. If you want to get the real and authentic taste of haleem the best time is only once the festival kicks off,” said Abdul Rafaaq, owner of Madina Cafe. Even the big players in the market like Pista House and Shadab will start serving the delectable dish from the first day of the holy month. Step into Old City and you can witness a festive spirit. The commercial activities have already picked up

in the Charminar area. For many shopkeepers in the area, it’s difficult to manage the crowd that normally collects in the busy square. The roads are chock-a-block with people and many parts of the Old City remain in business even after midnight. Sherwanis, rumi topis and joothis that are the hottest selling products and more in demand in cloth stores. “Many, who want to avoid the last minute rush buy clothes earlier. Women of the community also believe in shopping in advance. They

prefer buying beforehand as they can get the clothes stitched in advance to avoid the heavy rush at tailoring shops. Many others buy things ahead believing that the prices may go high once the festival starts,” said Md Ali, from Yousufian Market, Nampally. Apart from the haleem and clothes there is a lot of demand for dates. “There is a special demand for dates from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran and Algeria. Dates from these countries are in demand because of the taste and quality. Dates from Algeria are not very sweet as compared to other dates and are mostly preferred by the diabetic people. The price of these dates ranges from `60 to `400 per kilogram depending upon the brand. Shayani, Mariyam, Ajwa and Hozafati dates are commonly preferred by Hyderabadis,” said Khalid Khan, owner of Kashmiri Dry Fruits, Pathergatti. Once the festival kicks off, a lot of people from nearby districts also come to Hyderabad for shopping and offer special prayers. Keeping that in mind arrangements have already been made for the Shabe-e-Barat in the Old City.

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TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

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The many faces of Bonalu The major cultural fest of Telangana came to an end in grand style on Monday, with thousands watching and participating in the traditional Rangam procession

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Colourful route to success Prudhvi Raju K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

olor D Earth was born out of a passion for creating eco-friendly jewellery and to better the artisans’ economic conditions. Hema S Subramanyam, started off the enterprise in Bangalore in June 2003 with an investment of `10,000 and today the business has become part of livelihood for around 120 artisans from different parts of the country. Talking about the career, Hema says, “I graduated from Koti Womens College in Psychology and worked as management consultant at Ma Foi (Randstad). I got married and left for Bangalore after a year of work. But, I always have passion to do something fruitful and productive. After few years, I went to hobby class with my children to learn clay work and slowly created an interest towards the art. I also further did a course on terracotta jewellery from them. This jewellery is made from river bed clay. “With the interest towards this art, I started an enterprise Alankriti by employing two people. The business started well and had supplied to almost 5-6 boutiques. But, I need to leave for Mumbai in 2007. It was really tough to establish this business in Mumbai without any contacts. Many times, I could not even break-even my monthly costs. I never lost hope but went back to work to build confidence levels

whilst continuing the business. After a year, I left work and got selected at Goldmans Sachs 10000 Women entrepreneurs programme. The programme at ISB helped me to do a business plan also gave many inputs to scale up the business,” After up and downs financially, Hema has to revive the business in 2010 in the City. “I started off a kiosk at GVK One mall in June 2010 and renamed my business and formed a social organisation as Color D Earth. The idea

Google search yields new chief for Yahoo!

SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo! raided its archrival in its latest quest for resurrection, hiring key Google executive Marissa Mayer to start Tuesday as the struggling Internet pioneer’s new chief.

Mayer — one of Google’s first employees — is now arguably the most prominent woman in Silicon Valley and a rare female CEO at one of America’s largest firms. “I’m incredibly excited to start my new role at Yahoo! tomorrow,” Mayer tweeted. “I am honored and delighted to lead Yahoo!, one of the Internet’s premier destinations for more than 700 million users.” In the past year, Yahoo! has racked up five bosses, two of them interim chiefs who filled in after dismal ends to stints by Scott Thompson and Carol Bartz. The hire of Mayer came as a surprise after many reports said interim chief Ross Levinsohn had a lock on the top job. AFP

is to link the artisan groups who are struggling like me and make a big team together to share a common goal. I started off by sourcing products from different artisans groups not only for my profits but equally for their financial upliftment,” she says. “Most of the retailers (95 per cent) work on consignment model, where in the artisan gets paid only after a month of showcasing their jewellery in the retailors shop. This was the challenge that I faced in the initial days

when I sourced products to boutiques. For any small scale organisation, flow of revenues is crucial and at times they get stuck to start the work only after they get the money for delivered products. I did not want this to happen to any of the artisans who work for me. I pay money upfront, if they don’t have anything to start off the work and also pay in full, the moment they deliver the product for me,” Hema says. The business started getting monthly breakeven and making profits ever since it started off a Kiosk in the City. Hema says, “Hyderabadi customers are highly receptive to art and they are also looking for eco-friendly and green living products. Especially, educated young people looking for products which has deeper meaning.” Color D Earth has seen 100 per cent growth in revenues last fiscal, compared to previous fiscal. The business has steady revenues with 40 per cent margins. Not only it is making profits, it is also working with 12 artisans groups in the country and making them financially independent. The enterprise wants to bring in 100 artisans groups under its umbrella in next two years and also spread its kiosks in other cities. Talking about her inspiration, she says, “My children have been supportive in my professional life and they are undemanding of me. It is their support and love keeps me going.”

MS Office adds ‘cloud’ links SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft on Monday unveiled nextgeneration Office software overhauled to stay popular with people using tablets or smartphones to access programs in the Internet “cloud.” Chief executive Steve Ballmer pulled back the curtain on the new software at a press event in San Francisco. The popular suite includes Word for documents, as well as programs for spreadsheets

and other functions, and the latest version is adapted for devices with touch, stylus and mouse interfaces and links to the cloud to allow access to documents. Office was designed “from the ground up” to work in harmony with the Windows 8 OS to be released by Microsoft in October and work intuitively across the range of devices supported by Windows 8, Ballmer said. AFP

Facebook buys Spool SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook added more mobile technology to its arsenal with the acquisition of Spool, a startup specializing in bookmarking and sharing content on smartphones or tablets. Financial terms of the

acquisition were not disclosed. Spool let people organise online content using bookmarks so they could access digital stories, videos or other material at their leisure or on different Web-linked gadgets.

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$1.48 bn was released by the IMF to Portugal after Lisbon passed a performance review under its bailout loan program.

THUS SPAKE In a hard-hitting report, US lawmakers accused the global bank HSBC on Monday of opening the doors of the financial system to terrorists, drug dealers and money launderers. Senators found the London-based lender allowed affiliates in countries such as Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh to move billions of dollars in suspect funds into the US. HSBC moved quickly to apologise and promised to improve its procedures.

ADMISSION A top Barclays executive who quit over the bank’s rigging scandal told British lawmakers on Monday that he was instructed by his former boss Bob Diamond to manipulate key inter-bank lending rates. Jerry del Missier rejected a earlier suggestion by Diamond that he had misinterpreted a phone conversation between Diamond and Bank of England (BoE) deputy governor Paul Tucker in October 2008.

SIB PROFIT RISES The South Indian Bank’s net profit increased to `123.04 crore in the first quarter of this fiscal from `82.49 crore in the corresponding period of previous year which is a growth of 49.17 per cent. SIB’s business increased by 19.95 per cent to `64,502 crore from `53,733 crore in the first quarter of the previous fiscal.

IRDA DRAFT The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) has released a draft on National Strategy for Financial Education on its website for comments and feedback. This envisages ways towards creating awareness and educating consumers on access to financial services and availability of various types of products and their features. It also makes consumers aware of their rights and obligations.

India‑View

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

India unveiled

Astronomy satellite to study universe at multi-wavelengths MYSORE: Astrosat, the $50 million astronomy satellite India will put in polar circular orbit in 2013, will study the universe at multiwavelengths for the first time, a senior space agency official said. “The Astrosat mission will study for the first time the cosmic sources of the vast universe at optical, ultraviolet and X-ray wavebands simultaneously,” Isro scientific secretary V Koteshwar Rao said. The 1.6-tonne satellite will be launched from the Sriharikota, onboard a 300-tonne rocket with five scientific instruments to study at multiple wavelengths. The instruments include a soft X-ray telescope, an ultraviolet imaging telescope, an imager and a sky scanning monitor. “Astrosat will study visible to high-energy X-ray emissions from celestial objects on a single platform, take the highest angular resolution imaging in ultraviolet and measure short-term variation of X-ray emissions,” Rao said. A five-year delay has escalated the mission cost to `270 crore, including the satellite to `180 crore and the rocket `90 crore.

A wavelength is a unit of measurement indicating the distance between the peak of one wave and the next. As forms of electromagnetic radiation, they make unique patterns in shapes and lengths as they travel through space. “Most astronomical objects emit radiation spanning the elec-

tromagnetic spectrum from long wavelength radio waves to very short wavelength gamma rays. Simultaneous observation of the multi-wavelengths will enable us to understand the physical processes behind the phenomenon,” Rao pointed out. Orbiting at 650 km from the earth with a five-year lifespan, the

satellite will conduct major investigations across visible, UV, soft and hard X-ray bands to find out the source of radiation, study magnetic fields on neutron stars, search for sources of black holes and scan the universe. The spacecraft has already been designed and built to integrate the instruments (payload) at ISRO’s satellite centre in Bangalore. The space agency has roped in other state-run and private organisations such as the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Raman Research Institute, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and its Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad. The Canadian Space Agency and Britain’s University of Leicester are also collaborating with the astro project. The space agency’s telemetry tracking and command network in Bangalore will provide the ground support for all the phases of the astro mission, while its deep space network at Byalalu, about 40 km from Bangalore, will collect the voluminous data from the instruments. IANS

Assaulted Dalit woman dies at hospital CUTTACK: A Dalit woman, who was allegedly assaulted and paraded naked by a mob at her native Kujang village in Cuttack district last month, died in a hospital here today. Sasmita Mallick, who was undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital, died of renal failure and septicaemia, the Hospital's Emergency Officer B N Moharana said. "Sasmita was undergoing treatment in the central ICU of the Hospital and was on life support system for the past two days. The cause of her death is acute renal failure and septicaemia," Moharana said. Sasmita was attacked on June 14 at her native village by a group of neighbourers over a trivial issue. She was allegedly paraded naked by the accused and thrashed, leading to serious head injuries and multiple fractures. Sasmita was taken to SCB Medical College and Hospital and later to a private hospital for a brief period from where she was released. In July, she was re-admitted to the S C B Hospital and put in the ICU under ventilation. Four of the five accused, named in the FIR by the victim’s husband, have been netted. PTI

India helps to save 131 Cambodian trees NEW DELHI: Indian scientists have been successful in conserving 131 trees at the 800-year-old Ta Prohm temple in Cambodia, better known as ‘Temple Tree’. Experts from the Dehradunbased Forest Research Institute along with the Archaeological Survey of India have been working on the Conservation and Restoration of Ta Prohm Temple (Cambodia) Project under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) of the external affairs ministry. The team, which has been working there since 2007, has started seeing some good results with improvement in the health of trees which were in a bad shape, threatening the monument built in the late 12th century by

THE TREES WERE FOUND UNDER STRESS AT THE SITE DUE TO HEAVY TOURIST PRESSURE, SOIL COMPACTION, INJURIES TO EXPOSED ROOTS AND STEMS, CAVITIES IN TREES AND EXPOSED BUTTRESSES AND BASAL ROTTING.

Jayavarman VII of the Khmer empire in memory of his mother. The temple is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Several movies, including the Hollywood blockbuster Tomb Raider, were shot there. Different species of matured and young trees, some standing on the ground and some on the walls

and roofs of various structures, are seen in the temple premises. The most common tree species is Tetrameles nudiflora, locally known as ‘Speung’. NSK Harsh, head of forest pathology at the FRI, said that before starting the project, they conducted a survey and found that of the 131 trees in the premises, 36

needed immediate attention. “The trees were found under stress at the site due to heavy tourist pressure, soil compaction, injuries to exposed roots and stems, cavities in trees and exposed buttresses and basal rotting. Besides, a few trees were dangerously leaning and causing the walls and other structures to collapse under their

weight,” Harsh said. The tree height here ranges from 40 to 80 metres with huge trunks while the girth exceeds more than three metres in some cases and buttresses span up to 13 metres at the base. The institute’s team carried out periodic treatment of the decayed portion of trunks, stems and roots of the trees by using eco-friendly material (an oleoresin tapped from a tree) followed by cavity filling with polyurethane foam and wax. The exposed roots of trees were covered with soil in different sections. Periodic surface treatment with anti-fungal material on etched surfaces was prescribed. A prop was provided to support a dangerously leaning tree and was designed to withstand its swaying and weight. A metallic support was designed and erected below a wall collapsing under the weight of the tree. “I would say timely intervention by FRI has halted further deterioration of tree health. The trees are now in a better health and their life span has increased,” Harsh said. FRI has also carried out training classes for capacity building of local stakeholders so that they can continue the conservation work on. IANS

India‑View

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

India unveiled

NATION AT A GLANCE Militant killed in Handwara encounter

AGAINST THE TIDE

SRINAGAR: A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Handwara area in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. The gunbattle broke out between security forces and militants at Budh Shungani in Handwara area, official sources said. Troops of 6 Rashtriya Rifles and police had launched an anti-militancy operation last night following information about movement of militants in the area.

Health minister visits pilgrim health camps SRINAGAR:Concerned over rising

Residents wade through flood waters at Milanmore village on the outskirts of Siliguri on Monday. Continuous rainfall in the past 48 hours has caused flooding and the collapse of an under-construction dyke on the river Mahananda, with several landslides in the nearby hills of Siliguri and adjoining areas of North Bengal. At least 15,000 villagers have been affected. AFP

Uddhav Thackeray ignored pain for four days MUMBAI: Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray had been suffering from chest pain since Friday before he was rushed to Bandra’s Lilavati Hospital on Monday, party mouthpiece Saamna said. Shortly after he was admitted, a team of senior cardiologists subjected Uddhav to a variety of tests, including stress test and 2D Echo test. Later, he was advised an angiography by cardiologist Samuel Mathew of the hospital. However, it is not known whether Uddhav had been on medication prior to his day-long sojourn in the hospital. His health condition had apparently been kept under wraps since top leaders of the party, were taken completely by surprise and dropped everything to rush to the hospital. After the angiography, cardiac team member Jalil Parkar gave the green signal, saying Uddhav was fine and there was no worry. Besides Mathew and Parkar, the team attending on him comprised Ajit Menon, Omprakash Jaiswal, Prakash Jindani and Samad Ansari. A ray of hope came in the form of MNS chief Raj Thackeray later in the morning. The ailing Uddhav greeted his estranged cousin warmly by shaking hands with him when the latter rushed to meet him. Raj remained with Uddhav throughout the morning and was present during the angiography. Later, he returned to the hospital and had detailed discussions on Uddhav’s condition. IANS

number of deaths of devotees en route the cave shrine of Amarnath this year, a team led by Jammu and Kashmir health minister Sham Lal Sharma visited pilgrim camps to review medical facilities provided to them Sharma, accompanied by his deputy and the CEO of SASB.

Now US warship kills Indian fisherman DUBAI/RAMESWARAM: An Indian fisherman was killed and three others were seriously wounded today when a US Navy supply ship opened fire at their small boat off the coast of Dubai, a UAE official said. “An Indian fisherman was killed and three others, also Indians, were seriously injured,” UAE’s state-run news agency WAM quoted foreign ministry official Tariq Ahmed Al Haidan as saying. “The UAE concerned authorities are investigating the shooting incident,” he added, adding that the incident took place in Jabel Ali, a frequent docking point for American naval vessels. In Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, Karaiyur Fishermen Association president Malairajan said the dead fisherman has been identified as Sekar of Periyapattinam in

he United Arab Emirates (UAE) is probing a shooting incident by a US ship that left an Indian fisherman dead and three Indians seriously injured, an official said. Tariq Ahmed Al Haidan, assistant to UAE foreign minister for political affairs, said an Indian fisherman was killed and three Indians were seriously injured. “The UAE concerned authorities are investigating the shooting incident,” he added. Ramanathapuram district. The injured are Muniraj, Panpuvan and Murugan who also hail from Ramanathapuram, he said, adding Munira had been admitted with bullet injuries. Malairajan said the fishermen from Ramanathapuram district were working for

Dubai fishing companies on daily wage basis. Lt Gred Raelson, a spokesman for US Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said a security team aborad the USNS Rappahannock fired from a .50-calibre machinegun on the boat after it disregarded warnings and raced towards the ship. “The incident is under investigation,” he said. Dozens of police and other Emirati officials crowded around the white-hulled motorized boat. The boat appeared to be a civilian vessel about 30 feet (9 meters) long and powered by three outboard motors. Similar boats are used for fishing in the region. Rescue workers were seen carrying one person in a body bag off the boat and placing it in an ambulance as fishermen looked on. IANS

Italy moves SC in marine case NEW DELHI: The Italian government has moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings against its two marines charged with the murder of two Indian fishermen off Kerala coast this February. The petition filed by the Italian government and its two marines has challenged

the May 29 order of the Kerala High Court, which had held that the duo were liable to be tried under the jurisdiction of the Indian courts. The petitioners have also sought a stay on all further criminal proceedings in the case pending before a Kollam court contending that Kerala Police had no

authority to conduct the probe and courts in India have no jurisdiction as the incident occurred outside the Indian territorial waters. The Italian government is being represented by Titus & Co, Advocates and senior advocate Harish Salve, will argue the matter in the apex court. PTI

Police detain activists of All India MSS during their agitation against Gurap home incident, in Kolkata on Monday. PTI

4-year-old kidnapped from Delhi hospital NEW DELHI: A four-year-old boy has been kidnapped from the premises of Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, police said. According to police, Faizan had come to hospital with his parents July 13 for the treatment of his uncle. Faizan’s father Sadiq and mother Javina said that the child was with him till they went for sleeping last night.

Three bus passengers burnt alive in Rajasthan JAIPUR: Three men were burnt alive while at least three others sustained burns when the bus in which they were travelling caught fire in Rajasthan’s Alwar district, police said. According to police, the incident took place near Rajgarh town. The group of about 15 people from Jodhpur were on their way to Rajagarh to participate in a religious function.

NDA presidential candidate PA Sangma shows a booklet to the media during his election campaign in Dehradun on Monday. PTI

Around the World ROBBEN

ISLAND: Nelson Mandela’s handwritten memoirs were smuggled off South Africa’s Robben Island to become an international bestseller after his release from 27 years in apartheid jail. The manuscript’s risky passage is just one of the extraordinary journeys of the island’s books and the lengths taken to obtain, protect and share them in cells where learning and reading were celebrated. “We weren’t allowed any reading material and I applied for permission to go to the library. They refused and eventually they agreed for me to have one book,” recalled Sonny Venkatrathnam who was jailed in the 1970s. “It’s a problem to have one book and the only thing I could think of that would keep me going was Shakespeare, Complete Works so I got that.” The book was confiscated within weeks. But a quick-thinking Venkatrathnam managed to get it back after convincing a warder it was the Bible by William Shakespeare and needed for church before disguising it as a religious text with pictures of gods from Diwali cards. “My parents sent me greeting cards with Indian religious pictures on them so we cut them up and pasted (them) on the spine and on the outside. So that’s how it survived. I still have it like that,” the 78-year-old told AFP. The Shakespeare book will go on display at the British Museum on July 19, decades after it was

The Bard on Robben Island For those banished here, learning was always seen as an important aspect of freedom Nobody left Robben Island illiterate

Former Robben Island prisoners (from L-R) Monde Mkunqwana, Saths Cooper, Sedick Isaacs, and Mzwandile Mdingi sign copies of the book Reading Revolution, Shakespeare on Robben Isand by Ashwin Desai, on the day of its launch, on June 25, 2012, at Robben Island, off Cape Town, where the former prison was turned into a museum. passed from cell to cell with signatures dotting the texts that resonated most, such as Mandela’s sign-off next to Julius Caesar. Reading was a lifeline inside the four walls and the thirst for

Nigeria weds 500 to offset divorce rates N igeria has wed 500 people – half of them divorcees, widows, or young unmarried girls – in a bid to combat skyrocketing divorce rates there, reported Al Jazeera today. The mega wedding in the district of Kano was not limited to mere matchmaking, however. The Nigerian government went all out, nanny-state-style, stocking newlyweds’ cupboards with provisions of food, loading them up with furniture, and even giving them some financial assistance to make sure their martial lives would start off right, said Al Jazeera. But if things don’t go right, too bad. And if they decide they’re not meant to be together forever, even more too bad. Getting hitched on the government’s dime comes with a hitch of its own, according to Al Jazeera: no divorce without government permission. These couples are in it until the state do them part. The authorities are not the only ones concerned. The Nigerian Tribune today published a long analysis of the issue entitled “M-A-R-R-I-A-G-E: A failing institution?” in which the author

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

Beyond Borders

argued that the growing influence of Western values has made divorce “the in-thing” in northern Nigeria, where one in three marriages fail. Divorce rates there are among the highest in all of West Africa, and it’s clear that couples there struggle for a variety of reasons. Many decide to marry in response to cultural or economic pressures rather than compatibility, a group of concerned lawyers said last month. AFP

books saw authors like Emile Zola and Jack London devoured alongside textbooks as libraries and teaching systems were set up among the political prisoners. Apartheid’s idiosyncrasies

meant that a version of Karl Marx’s Das Kapital made it past authorities, while a popular Indian cook book and the 19th century children’s classic “Black Beauty” were banned.

“They had a number of books that came in because the warders didn’t know who they were so everybody took advantage of it but we were also studying,” said Ahmed Kathrada, 82, who was the librarian in a section with Mandela. “We were having people who were completely illiterate and they had to be taught ABC upwards, and eventually we could boast that nobody left Robben Island illiterate. They learned from one another.” Sedick Isaacs was the librarian in his section when Capital, the English version of Das Kapital, arrived in a donation of old books. The classic Marxism text made it through inspection — at a time when the apartheid regime had banned the local communist party -- but an anatomy textbook was barred. “It was a huge amount of amusement for me,” said Isaacs of being told: “Capital, oh its about money, you can have it.” Isaacs, who went on to be head of biomedical informatics at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, wrote his first textbook on toilet paper in solitary confinement.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

This undated picture, released from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on Monday shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (L) as he waves to soldiers of the Korean People’s Internal 0000 Security Forces (KPISF) at a photo session in Pyongyang.

Around the World

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

Beyond Borders

UNSC braces for Syria showdown Wells, queen of country music, dies WASHINGTON: Kitty Wells, the “Queen of Country Music” who broke down barriers in the 1950s to women in the genre, died Monday at her home in Nashville, Tennessee, a source close to the family said. She was 92. “She died in the loving arms of her family,” said Jay McDonald, an associate at Junction Recording Studio, owned by Wells’ grandson, told AFP by telephone, citing “complications from a stroke” as the cause of death. Wells, born Ellen Muriel Deason, became the first female country artist with a number-one hit when she recorded It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels in 1952.

UNITED NATIONS: UN Security Council powers headed for a showdown over a western-backed resolution that threatens sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad that Russia has vowed to veto when it comes to a vote on Wednesday. Britain, France, the United States, Germany and Portugal say it is time to step up the pressure on Assad. Russia has branded as “blackmail” a bid to make renewal of the UN mission in Syria conditional on sanctions. “I made it very clear we are going to vote against this resolution,” Russia’s UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters after the latest tense talks between council ambassadors. A ‘no’ vote by Russia, one of the five permanent members of the 15-nation council and a key ally of Assad, would be a

BRITAIN, FRANCE, THE UNITED STATES, GERMANY AND PORTUGAL SAY IT IS TIME TO STEP UP THE PRESSURE ON ASSAD. RUSSIA HAS BRANDED AS “BLACKMAIL” A BID TO MAKE RENEWAL OF THE UN MISSION IN SYRIA CONDITIONAL ON SANCTIONS.

veto. Russia and China, another permanent member, have twice vetoed resolutions which hinted of sanctions against Assad over the 16-month old conflict in his country. A rival Russian resolution just proposing to renew the UN mission would fail to get enough votes to pass, US envoy

Susan Rice told reporters. As the 90-day mandate of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) ends on Friday, if no resolution is passed by then, it would have to shut down this weekend, diplomats said. Rice said it would be “immoral” to leave the nearly 300 unarmed observers in Syria if the council was not going to pressure Assad to carry out the peace plan of UNArab League envoy Kofi Annan. Britain, France, the United States, Germany and Portugal have called for a vote on their resolution — proposing sanctions under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter — on Wednesday. Under the resolution, Syria would face sanctions if it does not stop using heavy weapons and withdraw its troops from towns within 10 days of the resolution.

GLOBE AT A GLANCE One dead, many injured in shooting in Canada OTTAWA: At least one person was killed and several were injured in a shooting in Canada’s largest metropolis Toronto late Monday, police said. Canadian media said the shooting occurred on Danzig Avenue, near Morningside Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East in the city’s east side after a fight at a crowded barbecue. A 12-year-old girl is reportedly among the victims.

N Korea names new army vice marshal SEOUL: North Korea has named a new army vice marshal, as part of a reshuffle apparently aimed at tightening young leader Kim Jong-Un’s grip on the communist state’s powerful military. Hyon YongChol was awarded “the title of vice marshal of the Korean People’s Army”, one of four people in the North to hold the rank.

US going through worst drought in 56 yrs WASHINGTON: The United States is experiencing its widest-spread drought in 56 years, according to a release by the nation’s meteorological agency Monday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that some 55 per cent of the contiguous United States, particularly in the Midwest, suffered from drought last month, according to the Palmer Drought Index.

28 Kiwi miners trapped underground rescued

ACTION REPLAY: US President Barack Obama (left) kisses his wife Michelle Obama as daughter Malia (2nd-R) and US Vice President Joe Biden (R) smile watching them on the kiss cam during a basketball match between USA and Brazil at the Verizon Centre in Washington. JIM WATSON

Tycoon to make Titanic-II safer SYDNEY: Australian billionaire Clive Palmer on Tuesday said his modern-day version of the Titanic will retain the first, second and third-class divisions of the original and include a new “safety” deck. Releasing the preliminary plans and drawings for the Titanic II, which is to be built in China, mining tycoon Palmer said the massive vessel would have nine decks. “The preliminary general arrangement plans depict the original separation between first, second and thirdclass, which will be kept in the ship’s final design,” Palmer said. “To ensure Titanic II is com-

Clive Palmer pliant with all current safety and construction regulations, a new ‘safety deck’ has been inserted between D and C decks and will feature proper lifeboats, safety chutes or slides

as well as new common public rooms.” Palmer said the upper decks would retain the public rooms, passenger stairs, cabins and other features in similar loca-

tions as in the original ship which sank on April 15, 1912 en route to New York after hitting an iceberg. But the plans by Finnishbased ship design and engineering company Deltamarin also feature new escape stairs and service elevators, while one deck has been re-designed to provide crew accommodation, laundry and machinery. The flamboyant billionaire said Titanic II’s first voyage remained set for late 2016, with the boat due to sail from China to England ahead of her maiden passenger journey to North America.

WELLINGTON: Rescuers in New Zealand successfully evacuated 28 miners who had been trapped underground after a fire in a gold mine on Tuesday, gold producer Newmont said. The company said the miners were forced to take shelter in three underground refuge chambers after a truck engine caught fire at about at the Waihi mine on the North Island.

Nasa’s Curiosity to find if Mars had microbial life WASHINGTON: NASA’s Curiosity rover is on target to arrive on Mars on August 6 for a two-year mission to find out whether microbial life once existed on the Red Planet. Landing the car-sized rover is of course no easy task, NASA scientists say. “The Curiosity landing is the hardest NASA mission ever attempted in the history of robotic planetary exploration.”

8 killed as bus falls into ravine in Pakistan ISLAMABAD: At least eight people were killed and dozens injured when a bus with some 70 passengers on board fell into a ravine near Pakistan’s capital Islamabad Tuesday morning, a media report said. The Xinhua citing a TV channel said there were people still trapped inside the bus as rescue teams were on the job. IANS

Comment

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Gamer girl wins in more than one way Jeb Boone

he number of top Starcraft 2 professional gamers Sasha "Scarlett" Hostyn has defeated continues to grow, adding fan favorites like HuK, Drewbie and Ostojiy to the list. Last April, at the IGN Pro League season four, Scarlett also managed to beat several top Korean players, asserting her dominance even further. But in an industry typically characterized as sexist or hypermasculine, Scarlett has had to overcome more than just top Koreans to assert herself as a legitimate professional gamer. After a breakout performance at the IGN Pro League Season 4 Starcraft 2 championship last year, the 18-year-old transgender from Ontario continued to dominate in Blizzard’s Starcraft 2 World Championship in Toronto on Sunday, becoming Canada’s national champion and earning $15,000. Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn often shies away from the spotlight. Clutching a Canadian flag onstage in front of hundreds of people just after winning the Canadian national championship, she was asked if there was anything she’s like to say to Canada. “Not really,” she replied, visibly shaken by the amount of attention. While Scarlett has acknowledged that she is transgender, she hopes esports fans will focus on her play rather than her gender. “Okay, to stop all this speculation — it is true I am MtF transgender, and I kind of expected this reaction. I have never tried to bring attention to myself for anything other than my play, so I don't feel like this should be a big deal,” she said last April. Initial reactions were negative. Name calling and derogatory comments quickly populated the Starcraft 2 stream chat. But now, Scarlett has asserted herself as a dominant force in the game. A member of Team Acer, she is now also a champion. These days, the trolls are silent as she establishes herself as a permanent fixture in esports and a true threat to the top players in the world, Korea and elsewhere. GLOBALPOST

Confessions of a very dangerous mind From the Heart of Syria Hugh Macleod and Annasofie Flamand

s Syria descends into civil war, Abu Jaafar said he is ready to kill women and children to defend his friends, family and president. “Sunni women are giving birth to babies who will fight us in years to come, so we have the right to fight anyone who can hurt us in the future,” said the Allawite militiaman, a member of the ancient offshoot of Shiite Islam to which Syrian President Bashar alAssad and the powerbase of his regime belong. With his massive, tattooed muscles, shaved head, bushy black beard and trademark white trainers, Abu Jaafar, 38, looks every bit the figure of terror that is now imprinted on the international conscience. It is militiamen like Jaafar that are believed responsible for recent massacres in Houla and Qbeir, in which nearly 200 Sunni civilians were killed, many of them women and children who were stabbed to death. Though he has a wife and children at home, after a day lifting weights at the gym and having drunk some local Arak to get in the mood, Jaafar spends most evenings in the nightclubs of Lattakia, the port city on Syria’s Mediterranean coast where regime forces this week attacked a rebellious village. As a member of the mafia militia who grew up smuggling commodities, appliances, drugs and guns between Syria and Lebanon at the behest of Assad’s extended family, Abu Jaafar has no problem getting past the nightclub bouncers. Except when the “mualem,” his master, calls. “If I get a call from my boss then my whole day is changed,” he said. “When I leave the house, I don’t know when I will be back.” Packing up the Kalashnikovs, pistols, machine guns and grenades he said were given to him “by the government,” Jaafar joins his gang of 100 shabiha — the Allawite militia named either after the Arabic word for ghosts or the old Mercedes shahab popular for its smuggling-sized trunk — and sets off to crush

Editorials

AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF SYRIA’S FEARED SHABIHA MILITIA SAYS HE IS IN A “WIN OR DIE” FIGHT FOR HIS PRESIDENT (AND A LITTLE BIT OF CASH). the Sunni Muslim protesters who dared rise up against his president. In an interview with a GlobalPost reporter in Lattakia, Jaafar gave a frank and unique insight into the violent, disturbed world of the shabiha, a group that suffers from a dangerous cocktail of religious indoctrination, minority paranoia and mafia roots. The massacres in northern Syria, which UN officials, eyewitnesses and Human Rights Watch all concluded were perpetrated mainly by shabiha from neighbouring villages, triggered a wave of international revulsion. US officials raised the prospect of military action even as analysts described the marauding shabiha as a “Frankenstein” now beyond the control of the president. The regime blamed both massacres on foreign terrorists. Like many of Syria’s estimated 2.5 million Allawites, a small mystic off-shoot of Shiite Islam which forms just 12 per cent of the country’s population, compared with Sunni

Muslims who represent 75 per cent, Jaafar said he grew up struggling with poverty. “My story is similar to all shabiha: I was born in a small village and didn’t finish school. Instead I went to work with my father in our lemon farm,” he said. It was during his military service that Jaafar first got recruited into the murky world of Syria’s security services, where uniformed officers worked with plain-clothed thugs in regime-sanctioned smuggling. “I was bigger than the others so I got picked to be the bodyguard of a senior officer,” he said. “After military service he asked me to be his man in dealing with some Allawite smugglers.” Through the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jaafar lived the gangster high life, plying his trade in well-organized smuggling networks, anchored on its control of Lattakia’s port. Jaafar’s pay of about $20 for a day’s thuggery had risen to a steady monthly salary of about six times the average state wage. Jaafar defends the government’s crackdown by repeating the regime’s long-held claims — which are now increasingly becoming true — that the armed opposition is receiving support from religiously conservative Sunni Muslim states like Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

GOOD SHOW, Khan saab

ny effort to rein in the wayward ways of the state transport buses is welcome to the citizens of Hyderabad. People have borne the brunt of the indisciplined SRT buses for long. Police crime records states that involvement of state buses in road accident is pretty high. Now the refreshing change is wrought by the new APSRTC chief, AK Khan. The state run AP Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) will launch its revolutionary Accident Free Week programme from July 23. As part of the programme the corporation will undertake a series of activities to create awareness among the drivers of the corporations about the importance of safe driving besides providing them with necessary training through orientation programmes. The programme will be held in 210 depots and regional offices of the corporation across the state. Khan is a good task master and he has a proven track record as an honest cop. People have high hopes of his ability to bring sanity on roads. And the programme aims at making the drivers physically fit and mentally agile with medical checkup, yoga and games. Good Show!

ROMNEY REPLY IS very lame

itt Romney instead of clarifying on charges levelled by the Obama camp on his role with Bain Capital between 1999 and 2002 when it was laying off US workers and shipping jobs overseas has tried to divert attention by accusing Obama of cronyism. Brace yourself for more boo’s, Mitt.

At the workplace

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

NOT ALL

SONG AN D TALK RJing and singing are two varied professions, just like chalk and cheese and that’s exactly what Revathi Pogadadanda is telling us about

few months ago, a girl probably fresh out of college knocks on my cabin door. I signalled her to come in and taking a cue from my smile she starts off – “Ma’am, I have completed my graduation and I love to talk a lot”. Without a pause, she continues, “I sing a lot, am getting trained in classical music too. My friends say that I am an awesome singer. I got a lot of prizes for the same since school.” Very tired of the same old thing, I started the gyaan session, “But the point is, I am not looking for singers, I want an RJ.” And what follows ranges from a sample song to the person bursting out of my cabin teary-eyed and ‘you-aresoooo-mean’ look. Probably she is right! She must be a fantabulous singer and I may be a very mean person. But, RJing and singing are two different professions, almost like chalk and cheese. The best of RJs for some very weird reasons don’t have the most soothing voices. What they have is spontaneity, knowledge, sense of humour and an attitude that connects them to

lakhs of listeners out there! Being an RJ is not all song and talk. They have got to learn about things like rupee depreciation to the new pothole near the third pillar of the Pantagruel flyover. Again, we are not talking about announcers here; they have to experience, understand and explain all that at the rate of five minutes/per hour! The last part is the most difficult, not until one takes a look at the radio console and the studio set-up. I remember a now popular RJ losing sleep for days because she felt the radio console looked akin to the controls of an aircraft. And it doesn’t stop at that. The toughest part comes in the form of the software on which we operate. The calculation that goes in the scheduling of the songs probably would be more complicated than a calculus problem! Many RJs say that the amount of time they spend learning

new things would have made their parents really proud. But frankly, their parents must be proud even now. Once, a kid was super enthusiastic about knowing how cool it is to be an RJ. His father, chief engineer (marine), who probably toured half the world, asks, “So you are encouraging him to become an RJ?” A casual ‘why not’ resulted in him puffing and fuming saying, “I want my son to do something useful. I want him to study and become something in life?” Not too surprised, I told him that one of my RJs is a gold medalist in bio-technology and the most popular RJ of Hyderabad RJ Prateeka cleared her civil services prelims. And if money is everything, I explained to him how many RJs take paycheques bigger than his. He has never looked me in the eye again. The knowledge these RJs have and the power to emote

I REMEMBER A NOW POPULAR RJ LOSING SLEEP FOR DAYS BECAUSE SHE FELT THE RADIO CONSOLE LOOKED AKIN TO THE CONTROLS OF AN AIRCRAFT. AND IT DOESN’T STOP AT THAT. THE TOUGHEST PART COMES IN THE FORM OF THE SOFTWARE ON WHICH WE OPERATE. with just their voices and the best of all, to be capable of communicating with about 15 lash listeners is truly amazing. The knack of holding a conversation with a rickshawpuller, to a star, to an intellectual, with equal ease and making it sound fun, is a task in itself! After one really tiresome day, I get a call from the reception saying someone is here to

meet me. Through the glass doors, I see a lanky, young lad trotting in. “Hi, am so and so, I am here to be an RJ”. And my routine starts, “Wow, nice! Please sit and explain the reason why you want to be an RJ?” He said excitedly, “I have over a period observed that many RJs have either got some good roles in movies or at least have become successful TV anchors.” A pause and my always stable eyebrows hit the roof, “So?” With heightened confidence he said, “Basically, I want to be an actor, but nobody will give me a chance. So, if you make me an RJ, I can fulfill my dream.” With strict instructions to the security to not let that guy into the officer ever again, I stepped out, not before checking if there is a ‘your dreams will be fulfilled here’ board hanging on my door. The author is a regional programming head at Red FM

H‑Factor

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Stress can upset things Troubled by symptoms such as cramping, abdominal pain, bloating gas, diarrhoea and constipation? It could be because of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Anishaa Kumar anishaa.k@postnoon.com

anya had been complaining of a feeling of being bloated, stomach cramps and diarrhoea. Initially she assumed that it was a classic case of overeating but when the symptoms didn’t reduce in two days she decided to pay a visit to the doctor. The doctors diagnosed it as IBS. According to Dr Sukanya, consultant gastroenterologist, Apollo Hospital, “Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disorder.” Dr Poorna Chandra, a Bangalore-based gastroenterologist says, “IBS refers to abdominal pain or discomfort that is usually relieved after passing stools. It is diagnosed only after all other ailments are ruled out.”

Incidence According to a study con-

ducted in USA, irritable bowel syndrome is said to affect around 20 per cent of the American population at some point of time. Talking about the incidence, Dr Sukanya says, “Irritable bowel syndrome is more common in women. It may also affect others.” Dr Poorna adds that it is more common in women in the age group of 20-30 and in people who are anxious.

Symptoms The common symptoms of IBS could include a feeling of being bloated, stomach cramp, vomiting, fever, weight loss, stomach pain and diarrhoea. Dr Sukanya says, “The symptoms of IBS depend on the types. They could be pain predominant, constipation predominant, diarrhoea predominant and for certain people it is mixed. This implies a situation in which a person is showing a combination of all three symptoms or in a varying combination of

pain, constipation and diarrhoea.” Dr Poorna says, “In terms of symptoms one must remember that it never happens suddenly, no blood in the stool, no anaemia. In simple terms there is no extreme symptom.”

Diagnosis Talking about the diagnosis of IBS, Dr Sukanya says, “Doctors know when this is not any other case of diarrhoea or constipation or pain with the help of certain guidelines. In case a person is suffering for excess of dehydration than it usually isn’t IBS, then doctors may conduct certain other tests to find out what the reason could be.” Diagnosis of IBS may be done through various tests and in some cases a colonoscopy may be advised.

Treatment Dr Sukanya says, “The treatments for IBS include certain medications and lifestyle modifications. Counselling

may also be provided for patients who are too anxious and stressed as these can be triggers for IBS. Counselling helps patients avoid stressful situations.” Dr Poorna says, “Treatment for IBS depends on its possible cause. it could be because of a peripheral neuro sensitivity in which a certain infection may trigger the problem. Medication is available to reduce neuro sensitivity. It could also be due to centra high sensitivity, this is that the person is stressed. This too can be treated.” Irritable bowel syndrome as such does not cause any major problems. Dr Poorna explains that it is a functional disease in which the main problem that it causes is discomfort, it doesn’t cause any major bodily damage. He adds that if one was to look at the actual number there will be very few people who actually suffer from the ailment in particular.

Don’t skip meals to shed weight WASHINGTON: Maintaining a food diary and not skipping meals could be one of the safest and surest ways of shedding weight, especially for obese postmenopausal women. The study by Anne McTiernan from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre, US, and colleagues, is the first to look at the impact of a wide range of self-monitoring and diet-related behaviours and meal patterns on the weight of such women. “When it comes to weight loss, evidence from randomised, controlled trials comparing different diets finds that restricting total calories is more important than diet composition such as low-fat versus low-carbohydrate,” said McTiernan. “Therefore, the specific aim of our study was to identify behaviours that supported the global goal of calorie reduction,” McTiernan added, the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reports. Women who kept food journals consistently lost about six pounds more than those who did not; while women who reported skipping meals lost almost eight fewer pounds than women who did not, according to a Fred Hutchinson statement. Women who ate out for lunch at least weekly lost on average five fewer pounds than those who ate out less frequently (eating out often at all meal times was associated with less weight loss, but the strongest was observed with lunch) “For individuals who are trying to lose weight, the first advice based on these study results would be to keep a food journal to help meet daily calorie goals,” said McTiernan, director of the Hutchinson Centre’s prevention centre. Some of the tips for keeping a food journal are: Be honest; be accurate; be complete ; be consistent . The analysis was based on data from 123 overweight-to-obese, sedentary women, aged 50 to 75 years, who were randomly assigned to two arms of a controlled, randomised year-long dietary weightloss intervention study. IANS

H‑Factor

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Obesity does not impact exam results

According to research conducted by Division of Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, The presence of phthalates in make up products and perfume may elevate diabetes risk in women

CHEMICALS IN COSMETICS may spike diabetes risk WASHINGTON: The presence of phthalates in moisturizers, nail polishes, soaps, hair sprays and perfumes may elevate diabetes risk in women. Researchers led by Tamarra James-Todd, from Division of Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, analyzed urinary concentrations of phthalates in 2,350 women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Phthalates interfere with endocrine in animals, including humans. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumours, birth defects, and other developmental disorders, the journal Environmental Health Perspectives reported. Specifically, phthalates are known to cause learning disabilities, severe attention deficit disorder, cognitive and brain development problems, deformations of the body

(including limbs); sexual development problems, feminising of males or masculine effects on females, said a statement. Researchers found that women with higher levels of phthalates in their urine were more likely to have diabetes. Women with the highest levels of the specific phthalates had almost twice the risk of diabetes, compared to women with the lowest levels of those chemicals.

“This is an important first step in exploring the connection between phthalates and diabetes,” said James-Todd. “We know that in addition to being present in personal care products, phthalates also exist in certain types of medical devices and medication that is used to treat diabetes and this could also explain the higher level of phthalates in diabetic women,” he added. IANS

LONDON: In what could be relief to parents of fat kids, being overweight has nothing to do with academic brightness, asserts a new study, saying that obesity is not a major factor affecting children’s educational performances. However, previous studies have shown that children who are obese are less likely to do well at school. However, Stephanievon Hinke Kessler Scholder from University of York argues it’s vital to understand what drives this association. “We sought to test whether obesity ‘directly’ hinders performance due to bullying or health problems, or whether kids who are obese do less well because of other factors that are associated with both obesity and lower exam results, such as coming from a disadvantaged family,” Scholder explains. Researchers examined data on almost 4,000 members of the ‘Children of the 90s Birth Cohort Study’. These data include the children’s DNA. It is well known that genes are randomly allocated within a population, irrespective of factors such as socio-economic position, according to a York statement. “Based on a simple correlation between children’s obesity as measured by their fat mass and their exam results, we found that heavier children did do slightly worse in school,” Scholder points out. “But, when we used children’s genetic markers to account for potentially other factors, we found no evidence that obesity causally affects exam results. So, we conclude that obesity is not a major factor affecting children’s educational outcomes,” Scholder said. This finding, the researchers suggest is a positive thing. “Clearly there are reasons why there are differences in educational outcomes, but research shows that obesity is not one of them,” Scholder argues. IANS

HOUSECALL

APP-LY YOURSELF

DID YOU KNOW?

Cholera

Fooducate

Ovum is the largest cell

holera is an infectious disease caused by Vibrio cholerae. This bacteria usually lives in water. It is more common in water with lots of algae. Cholera is an acute intestinal illness. It causes stomach aches, very watery and continuous diarrhoea and vomiting. The diarrhoea and vomiting, in turn, can cause dehydration, leading to death if left untreated. Cholera is usually contracted by eating foods or drinking contaminated water. For instance, fish that hasn’t been properly cooked, eating street food or drinking contaminated or water that hasn’t been boiled and filtered can cause cholera. The most common symptoms are dehydration and fever.

ver picked up a pack of baked chips and wondered how good it was for you? You could now turn to Fooducate to put your doubts at rest. This app has been rated as one of the top apps for several reasons. It allows you to scan a product barcode to see product highlights, both good and bad. Fooducate analyses whether a product has excessive sugar, trans fat, additives and preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, food colourings, and confusing serving sizes. Better yet, the app was developed by dietitians and has no influence from food manufacturers, supplement companies, specific diets, or any other agency. So go ahead and get fooducated.

n terms of volume, the largest and smallest cells in the human body are the gametes, or the sex cells. The female gamete, the oocyte (also known as the egg or the ovum), is about 1,000 micrometers, or one millimeter, in diameter, which is just visible to the naked eye without the aid of a microscope or other magnification device. It needs this size as nourishment before it implants itself in the uterus. The male gamete, the spermatozoan (also known as the sperm cell), is only about 60 micrometers long, and therefore is the smallest cell of the human body. It is only about one tenth the diameter of the human hair.

Spotlight

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

SRINIVAS SETTY

CELEBRATING WITH THE MASTERS

The Kalakriti Art Gallery on Monday celebrated the completion of a decade of their existence and contribution to promoting art and culture in the city. On this occasion Kalakriti opened with a show titled ‘Living with Great Masters: Kalakriti at Ten’. The exhibition presents the work of artists from across the twentieth century. 6

1 2

Setting new trends in style SRINIVAS SETTY 1 2 3 4

Tejdeep Kaur Menon Neetu Mohit Souna & Ravneet Harleen

Asmita Marwa Ashish Malpani & Swetha Malpani Aparajita, Chandana Chekraborthy & Shankar Melkote Rekha Lahoti

Additional General of Police Tejdeep Kaur Menon was the chief guest at the grand launch of Minttu Sarnna’s studio MS Decor and design jewels on Monday. The store is at Rd no 1, Banjara Hills.

5 6 7

8 9 10

Dr Karen Bhatia Rekha Reddy Manjula Narsa with friends Parwathi Reddy Sherry Zaveri & Zia Pooja

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

Maithri’s shooting is almost complete

he principal shooting of Navdeep, Sada starrer Maithri is almost complete, except for three songs. Surya Raju is directing the film and Rajesh Kumar is producing it. The film unit will soon head to Hampi to can a couple of songs and the last song will be shot in Chennai by the end of the month. Vikas is composing the music for this female-oriented film. Meanwhile, Navdeep is back in town after a small break during which he visited the sets of Rana, Nayanthara starrer Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum in Palakkad. Apart from Maithri, Navdeep will also be seen in Shankar Marthand’s Poga.

Nikhil’s Swamy Ra..Raa goes on floors N

ikhil and Swati are teaming up for a film titled Swamy Ra..Raa. Sudheer Varma is making his debut as a director with this film. The principal shooting of the film began a couple of days ago near Hyderabad. “Just canned the 1st shot...we all whistled nd clapped until our dir sudheer blushed lol.. Lots a well wishers or set whi hav come to wish us. (sic),” Nikhil posted on Twitter. Chakri Chigurupati is producing the film under the Lakshmi Narasimha Entertainments banner. Sunny is composing the music and Richard Prasad is the cinematographer. The film is being touted as a crime comedy on the lines of Delhi Belly.

Rana, Teja set to team up soon

eja will soon direct a film with Rana Daggubati in the lead role, if the latest buzz is to be believed. A couple of years ago, Teja was supposed to direct a film with Venkatesh and Trisha in lead roles; however, that film was shelved. We hear that Teja has already narrated the story to Rana and if all goes well, the film is likely to be launched by mid August. Teja’s recent film Neeku Naaku Dash Dash failed to click at the box office but that doesn’t seem to have dampened his spirits. Currently, Rana is shooting for Krish’s Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum in Pollachi. More details about this film will be revealed soon.

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@tashu_02 Sorry guys... was busy full day n now dead tired so shall reply u all soon...gotto take rest n b prepared for tmrw’s shoot... So gn for nw :-)

@actor_Nikhil Thanks to everyone who have wished me today... Swamy Ra Raa Is my 9th Movie... Hoping the number proves lucky :-)

@shraddhadas43 After running around for last 1 month, I finally got my passport work done today! Fly to US finallllllly end of this month... :-)

@taapsee “@taran_adarsh: Super quote: “A lot of problems in the world would disappear if we talk to each other, instead of about each other.”“

@snehaullalheart I have a secret animal language... its pretty insane and the animals understand it too.

@RanaDaggubati “@Notebook: Everything is okay in the end, if it’s not ok, then it’s not the end.”

@shriyasmiling Behind me is a huge library. Wish I could read all those books.

@actressanjjanaa Enroute Mangalore, a journalist called me n asked me today how come sanjjanaa has sobered down so much, no controversies/gossips!!

Magic Screen

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Vivek Agnihotri plans part two of ‘Hate Story’

ilmmaker Vivek Agnihotri is planning to make part two of his last directorial venture Hate Story, which did average business at the box office.”Yes, talks are on. The mystery is on for part two but it is in a very initial stage,” Agnihotri said. Produced by Vikram Bhatt Hate Story, the erotic thriller starring Gulshan Devaiya, Paoli Dam and Nikhil Dwivedi was released with an A-certificate. The film didn’t have any established stars and Agnihotri claims that “this is a kind of a genre where you have to get newcomers.” “We will not be repeating our cast for part two. It will be a fresh cast. I want to experiment with the fresh cast,” said Agnihotri. IANS

SHRUTI NOT FINALISED YET FOR TAURANI’S NEXT

roducer Kumar Taurani is all set to launch his son, Girish, as an actor. He says that Prabhu Deva will direct the movie, but clarifies that Shruti Haasan has not been finalised as the leading lady. “We have not yet finalised her. Wait for some time. Next week we will finalise,” Taurani said.

When asked if he has approached Shruti, he said: “I can’t comment on that.” The film is said to be a musical, but Taurani didn’t disclose whether it’s a remake or a fresh subject. “All I can say is that the film will go on floors in August,” he informed. IANS

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@bipsluvurself Nothing better than to jumpstart ur day with a workout session :) Happy! Have a great day everyone!

@NeilNMukesh Horror movies. How can I ever get bored of this genre? NEVER!!!! Watching a movie called PULSE.

@RahulBose1 just finished ray's Porosh pathor. delightful, delightful. like the stone, Tulsi Chakrabarti's performance is a rare thing.

@GulPanag #notetoself : must NOT get into discussions/arguments with people who know nothing about the subject at hand (& you do) .

Zarina Wahab to play mum’s role A

ctor Zarina Wahab has been roped in to play the role of Ajay Devgn’s mother in the remake of Jeetendra-starrer Himmatwala. The 52-year-old, who was seen playing Hrithik Roshan’s mother in Agneepath, has been in the industry for more than three decades and is a well-known face on the small screen. “I am playing the role of a mother in Sajid Khan’s Himmatwala remake. I don’t want to work in too many films and serials. I like acting, its my hobby and so I keep juggling between TV and films. This also keeps me busy,” Wahab said. PTI

@deespeak Nothing is more important than being inspired :) Inspire yourself. Be inspired!

@sonamakapoor Listening to Coldplay always puts me in a good mood. Thank god for music.

@SrBachchan T 807 - Neymar for Barcelona !!! Chelsea must get the HULK !!! Sorry TwFmXt .. that’s football talk !! Which some disapprove !!

@iamsrk Orderliness of the house, stinks of no children. Need to throw a few clothes around, chips & biscuit crumbs on bed & the inside of a toy.

Magic Screen

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

Magic Screen

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

Magic Screen

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Madonna hit with Swastika Iron Man and Superman’s lawsuit in France NEW SUITS REVEALED

t is 2012 and Madonna has managed to enact a variety of headline-worthy goings-on essentially every week since her Super Bowl halftime show. The latest is this: Madge arrived in Paris on Saturday and did something she’d been doing for weeks and weeks on her MDNA tour, which was to play a video montage featuring French right-winger Marine Le Pen receiving a swastika on her forehead for a millisecond. And just as Le Pen and the National Front party threatened to do if the swastika-superimposing were to find its way into

ust because they have super powers doesn’t mean superheroes are exempt from the eyes of fashion police. Both Superman and Iron Man have revealed their latest suits, and so far, reactions seem to vary from the people that matter the most—the fans. Henry Cavill’s Superman ensemble from Man of Steel was put on display in Las Vegas recently, and then made another appearance at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego where fans were treated to the debut of Robert Downey Jr.’s armour from Iron Man 3. People seemed to enjoy the new Superman look, and what’s not to like?

France, they are suing. Other well-knows featured in the nightly JumboTron interlude set

to 2003’s Nobody Knows Me: Pope Benedict XVI, Sarah Palin, and Adolf Hitler.

Beyonce records video for M

Michelle Obama

ichelle Obama has spoken of her deep admiration for Beyoncé. And the pop star’s feelings are more than mutual. After thanking the First Lady in a letter of appreciation, posted online in April, Beyoncé, 30, has now recorded a video of

her words – calling Mrs Obama “the ultimate example of a truly strong African American woman.” “She is a caring mother, she’s a loving wife, while at the same time, she is the First Lady,” Beyoncé says. “No matter the pressure, and the stress of being under the microscope, she’s humble, loving, and sincere.” She adds: “Michelle, thank you so much for every single thing that you do for us. I am proud to have my daughter grow up in a world where she has people like you to look up to.” Mrs Obama, 48, who has made no secret about being a fan of Beyoncé – both the woman and her music – responded on Twitter to the letter in April. “Thank you for the beautiful letter and for being a role model who kids everywhere can look up to,” she wrote. The following month, she took her daughters Sasha, 11, and Malia, 14, to a Beyoncé concert, and said that if she could be anyone else, she would be the pop star. “If I had some gift, I’d be Beyoncé,” she said. “I’d be some great singer.”

All the, um, wonderful attributes of his super-muscly body are still there without the bod. But when it came to Iron Man’s new suit, fans were a little mixed with the new, blinged-out look. Iron Man 3 director Shane Black said during the convention that, “There were actually fans today that had anger that the suit was gold.”

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

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Male admirer 5 River to the Caspian Sea 9 Sheer brilliance 14 Norse god of war 15 Mane area 16 ‘Jurassic Park’ dinosaur, eg 17 Dog's high-pitched cry 18 Well for the French 19 ‘Philadelphia’ Oscar winner 20 Reservation opening 23 Former Vice President Al 24 Briefest acceptance speech? 25 Happy folks on election night 28 Disrobe 31 ‘Simpsons’ grandpa 34 Dusty memento 36 Wedder of Lennon 37 Door-to-door cosmetics company 38 ‘And now?’ 42 Pupil's colourful place 43 First of a vowel fivesome? 44 More maneuverable at sea 45 She may have quite a habit 46 Part of an Egyptian pound (Var) 49 Make an effort 50 Victorian or Edwardian, eg 51 Line about which the earth turns 53 Frustrated crossword solver's cry? 61 Unspoken, as an understanding 62 Tiniest of margins 63 Fully engrossed 64 Bail out from a jet 65 Bear in the night sky 66 Window picture 67 ___-eyed (close to tears) 68 Exercise establishments 69 Talking bird DOWN 1 Laddie, in Australia 2 Place of a very tricky serpent 3 Is green around the gills

4 Unfasten, in a way 5 Still enjoying womb service? 6 Came down in buckets 7 Did an impression of 8 Advanced, as cash 9 Alpine sounds 10 ‘Santa ___ Is Coming to Town’ 11 Suit size designation 12 Ancient emblem of life 13 Midterm or final 21 Shrink's furniture 22 A caddy may hold it 25 Steve the late Crocodile Hunter 26 India's first prime minister 27 Rubbed out, as a dragon 29 Boxing ring borders 30 Dir. from Memphis to Nashville 31 Prevent, as danger 32 Stocky dog breed

33 Ledger line 35 Nitpicky word for grammarians 37 California's Santa ___ winds 39 Like some kites 40 Vegetable in a pod 41 Damascus is its capital 46 Like a woman in a Roy Orbison classic 47 Beijing belief 48 In-crowd actors? 50 Vote off, a la ‘Big Brother’ 52 Theatrical backdrop 53 Couple on a gossip page 54 Visitor to Mecca 55 Hotshot pilots

SUDOKU

56 Mob hoodlum 57 ‘Diff'rent Strokes’ actor Coleman 58 Frilly 59 ‘Once ___ a midnight dreary ...’ 60 Italian volcano PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skindeep. That's deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas? – Jean Kerr

Chai Time STAR POWER

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 18-7-2012

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

A very comfortable or strong ﬁnancial position likely. Professionals will see a boom time. Businessmen will have brisk business activity and proﬁt is likely to soar beyond expectation.

Inﬂux of important visitors makes you and the family cheerful. You need to change your attitude to achieve goals smoothly and successfully. Be in good harmony with friends and relatives.

Businessmen advised to avoid fresh in‑ vestments before they get to know the details of the venture completely. Heal‑ th needs to be taken care of. Practice of yoga and meditation will help.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

You will look cheerful as all work you planned to do will get completed suc‑ cessfully. Financial position will be mo‑ re than satisfactory. Investments in land will appreciate better brings joy.

You might be upset as undertaken work gets delayed. Ups and downs likely but donʼt worry as situation will change and get stable soon. Expanses likely to go up, especially due to health problems.

A cheerful day indeed as all wishes get fulﬁlled. Some have bright chances to buy property. Employees will see a favourable atmosphere at workplace. Avoid emotional talk and stay cool.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Tensions and minor problems likely. Change you approach to achieve your goals without fail. Those suffering from a major ailment need to change line of treatment for better results.

Professionals are advised to postpone making important moves today. Post‑ pone important meetings also for a couple of days. You might face proper‑ ty issues; deal with them with caution.

Enemies will be very active and try to scuttle your plans. Be stubborn and take calculated efforts to win over them. Try to attend important work on your own only without trusting others.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Your courage and self‑conﬁdence levels will increase, which make you face chal‑ lenges in your way with ease. Your soci‑ al status is set to climb up. Employees perform well and get recognition too.

Drastic changes ahead, but you should be prepared to accept them and go ahe‑ ad. Never believe in promises of new friends. Be careful on commitments, you may not be able to honour them.

A strong ﬁnancial position likely. Busi‑ nessmen need to be careful about their partners as they might embar‑ rass you at times. Avoid taking emo‑ tional decisions without assessment.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 18-7-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Ace of Wands – Exp‑ ect sweeping chang‑ es on the home front. You will be in a posi‑ tion to execute your ideas and those aro‑ und you will under‑ stand your logic.

The Sun – Not everything goes to plan. But you shouldnʼt be scared to shelve ideas that donʼt work and make up new plans to start from scratch.

Judgment – There is too much going on around you and yo‑ uʼre unable to grasp the seriousness of it all. You are also not sure what to give more attention to.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

The Star – Being conservative may not be working in your current situa‑ tion. You need to open up and think of ways to make your‑ self more productive.

Three of Cups – In a relationship, a third person may be caus‑ ing some confusion. It may be a mother or mother‑in‑law. Tell that person politely to back off.

The High Priestess – Youʼre in a volatile situation where your one move could have a signiﬁcant ripple effect, which may become difﬁcult to control.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

King of Pentacles – There are some hid‑ den enemies, who are conspiring. It comes as a shock to you but for the moment donʼt let your guard down.

Two of Pentacles – Finances are in focus. You find new ways to make money. This may be a freelance gig youʼve always want‑ ed to try out.

Five of Wands – You get nostalgic and crave the good old days when every‑ thing was simpler and you didnʼt have to constantly worry about money.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

The Fool – Youʼre getting into a new territory in career. It will take you to new places. You meet new people. Travel is strongly indicated.

The Hermit – Youʼre feeling a bit lonely. You wish there was someone to talk to and you could share your problems face to face rather than on the phone.

Five of Cups – Avoid conﬂict at all costs. Your ego may come in the way of what could be a peri‑ od of smooth sail. Donʼt pick ﬁghts with people.

SOLUTIONS

Boggle DUCK SWAN GOOSE PENGUIN PELICAN

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No 365 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

2012 LONDON OLYMPICS

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TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

DAYS TO GO

DID YOU KNOW...? n The women’s competition was added to the Olympic program in the 1928 games, although they had been competing at some national and regional levels previously. n The typical discus has sides made of plastic, wood, fiberglass, carbon fiber or metal with a metal rim and a metal core to attain the weight. The rim must be smooth, with no roughness or finger holds. A discus with more weight in the rim produces greater angular momentum for any given spin rate, and thus more stability, although it is more difficult to throw.

LEGENDS OF THE SPORT Mac Wilkins (born November 15, 1950) is an American athlete. Wilkins competed for the US in the 1976 Games in Montreal, Canada in the discus throw, where he won the gold medal with a distance of 221’ 5” to defeat Wolfgang Schmidt. Wilkins also won a silver medal with the discus at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, after missing the 1980 games due to the American boycott.

Faina Melnik (born July 9, 1945) was a Ukrainian-born Soviet discus thrower. Melnik, who is considered to be one of the most dominant track and field athletes of the 1970s, set the world record twice and held the # 1 ranking in women’s discus from 1971–77, the third longest world’s # 1 ranking streak in women’s track and field history. She won the gold in 1972 Olympics in Munich.

BALANCING THE DISK

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n There are six keys movements of the discus throw event: wind up, move in rhythm, balance, right leg engine, orbit, and delivery. The wind up is one of the most important aspects of the throw because it sets the tone for the entire throw. The wind up is both mental and technical.

D I S C U S THROW: In the

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TALLY 2008

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USA 7 RUSSIA 6 JAMAICA 6

9 5 3

7 7 2

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

MEDAL EVENTS August 4 Women’s Discus Throw August 7 Men’s Discus Throw

Discus throw event, athletes must throw the discus as far as possible. The circular discus weighs one kilogram for women and two kilograms for men. Athletes start in a throwing circle, which they must not leave unless and until the discus has touched the ground. Athletes may hold and throw the discus in any manner they wish to do so. The distance the discus travels is measured from the front of the throwing circle to the point where the discus first touches the ground and this must be within the lines of the throwing sector. All discus throws are taken from within a throwing cage. This is done in order to protect officials, spec-

THE DISCUS The discus, the object to be thrown, is a heavy lenticular disc with a weight of 2 kilograms and diameter of 219– 221 millimetres for the men’s event, and a weight of 1 kilogram and diameter of 180–182 millimetres for the women’s event. Under IAAF (international) rules, Youth boys (16–17 years) throw the 1.5 kg discus, the Junior men (18–19 years) throw the 1.75 kg one and the girls/women of those ages throw the 1 kg discus. tators as well as the athletes from getting injured.

Field of play In all the throwing events,

the athletes begin the competition with a qualifying round. Throwing in turn, each athlete gets three attempts to achieve a qualifying distance and this distance is decided by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Technical Delegates. Once all the throws have been completed, all athletes who have achieved the qualifying distance go through to the final. If fewer than 12 athletes happen to achieve the qualifying standard, the best 12 athletes then go through to the final. In the final, athletes are allowed to have three initial throws, with the top eight after the first three rounds then having a further three throws. The athlete who performs the best by

throwing the longest throw is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, athletes’ second-best throws are compared, followed by their third, and so on.

Keys to success Throwing events are not just about brute strength, but also about technique. Each throw has several aspects to it, such as the hold, the runup or the turn, as well as the throwing action itself.

Breaking the rules Throws can be invalid if, for instance, the point of the javelin doesn’t touch the ground first. Athletes could also be penalised for infringements such as stepping out of the front of the runway or throwing circle.

HISTORY OF THE DISCUS THROW

he discus throw is an ancient track and field event in which competitors throw a heavy metal disc for distance. Discus history can be traced back to at least the 8th Century BC and is attested to in Greek art work and Homeric poetry. The iconic

sport has been part of the modern Olympiad since its inception in 1896 and a female competition was added in 1928. Along with long jump, wrestling, javelin and either boxing or a short foot race called the stadion, discus was one of the competitions of the

original pentathlon. Like those other sports, it was based on skills considered essential to military service. The original discus was made of unwrought bronze and iron and is thought to have been heavier than today’s disc. Unlike modern athletics, the discus was

never an individual completion in the ancient Games but only seen in the pentathlon. When the modern Games was born in 1896, it included a discus competition. The event was won by Robert Garrett, the captain of the Princeton track and field team.

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

29 1

DAYS TO GO

MAVZUNA PUNCHES HER WAY DUSHANBE: Tajikistan is for the first time sending a female boxer to the London Olympics who is on a mission not only to win but to smash gender stereotypes in the religiously conservative ex-Soviet state. Mavzuna Choriyeva, 19, won her ticket to the Games at a qualifying competition in Beijing earlier this year and will be the only competitor from ex-Soviet Central Asia in the boxing competition. Choriyeva, who fights in the 60 kilogrammes category, is already Asian champion but her qualification spot so delighted the nation that President Emomali Rakhmon awarded her a car as a gift. “My dream is to win a medal at the London Olympics,” she said before flying out to the British capital. “I know this is not going to be easy — the strongest sportswomen are going to be there with victories and experience behind them. There is nothing to fear — you just need to move forwards to new victories.” “The competition will show your level, your readiness and will reveal your strengths and weaknesses,” said Choriyeva, who celebrated her Asian championships victory by wearing a national costume on the podium. Like many Tajiks of her generation, Choriyeva spent much of her early life in Moscow where her father was working as a migrant labourer in the hope of finding bet-

Bindra, archers and lifters enter Olympic Village

2 3

LONDON: Abhinav

ter wages than in their impoverished home country. Her father had dreamed of teaching a son to box but in the end it was his daughter Mavzuna who put on the gloves and rapidly showed her talent. When her father died, she moved back to Tajikistan to work under trainer Mirzo Shamsiyev. “Marvzuna is a selfstarter and very capable. She does it all herself,” said Shamsiyev. “She aims at the set task and takes the boxing training very seriously.”

Women’s boxing should be banned

Her breakthrough to the higher levels of her sport is all the more remarkable in an overwhelmingly Muslim country where in some conservative circles any

My dream is to win a medal at the London Olympics. I know this is not going to be easy; the strongest sportswomen are going to be there. Mavzuna Choriyeva, Tajikistan boxer women’s sport is frowned upon, let alone boxing. “When a woman boxes, she stops being tender and calm. It is not for women and I think women’s boxing should be banned,” said

Malokhat, 36, a mother of three children in a comment that is hardly unrepresentative. However Choriyeva now boasts that three other girls have set out on the same path as her and have started training. “It’s wonderful that women’s boxing is now developing in our country.” Yet it is still an uphill struggle for the women who have to share the boxing rings with their male counterparts because there are no special facilities for women. Few parents are willing to let their daughters take part in a full-on combat sport like boxing although women are now taking up the martial art and Olympic sport of Taekwondo. AFP

Cancel Kalmadi’s accreditation: CSI NEW DELHI: Continuing its protest over the possibility of Suresh Kalmadi’s presence in the London Games, Clean Sports India, a movement for corruption-free sports in the country, today wrote a letter to IOC, requesting it to cancel the sacked CWG Organising Committee chief’s accreditation for the Games. “This move of him going to London, while his prosecution/trial is under progress, has generated huge public outrage in India. We would request you to kindly

bring it to the notice of the organising committee of London Olympics 2012 that Mr. Kalmadi visiting London to attend the Games can have serious consequences,” CSI said in the letter signed by its convenor BVP Rao and acting president Ashwini Nachappa. “It is in London that the CWG 2010 scam broke on Mr. Kalmadi’s misuse of funds allocated to the ope-ning ceremony of Queen’s Baton Relay,” CSI wrote. CSI had earlier expressed disappointment at a Delhi court’s decision to allow Kalmadi to go to the Games. PTI

Bindra was the first Indian shooter to enter the Olympic Games Village along with the 10-member archery squad and a four-member weight lifting squad. “They have settled down and are looking forward to carry out their workouts at the training venues,” Brigadier P K Muralidharan Raja, Deputy Chef de Mission of the Indian Contingent, said. The sprawling Games Village consists of 2,818 townhouses and apartments which can accommodate 15,000 residents. The Indian Contingent of 81 athletes and 51 officials have been provided accommodation in the Seaside Building S1, named as Titan. The organisers have arranged for volunteers for each contingent. The Indian Contingent has got seven volunteers, who are all Indian by origin but working in UK. The official welcome for India is scheduled to be held at Village on Sunday. The Indian delegation had requested the organisers to consider a change of date to July 22 but the ceremony could not be re-scheduled as no time slot was available. PTI

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Obama backs 1992 USA team in Games debate WASHINGTON: American President Barack Obama waded into the USA Olympic basketball debate, saying the 1992 Dream Team with Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley would have beaten the 2012 team. Obama said he remembers a 1992 gold-medal winning USA team that looked unstoppable from the very first game. “I got to go with the original Dream Team,” said Obama during a halftime of the USA against Brazil exhibition game.

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Playing Field

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

The games people play

Narine sees WI through BASSETERRE: A superb bowling performance by Sunil Narine saw hosts West Indies to a 20 run win over New Zealand here on Monday in their fifth and final one day international. The 24-year-old took 5-28 as the Kiwis were bowled out for 221 in reply to the West Indies 241 all out and gave the hosts a 4-1 win in the series. The New Zealanders — who left out experienced all rounder Jacob Oram from the match and were already without several experienced players who have been struck down with injury — saw several of their top order make a decent start before failing to move beyond 40. The only one to do so was Kane Williamson as the 21-year-old threatened to take them to victory with an impressive 69 and it took a superb catch by Gayle at mid wicket, off the bowling off Narine, to dismiss him. The West Indies had been tee-

tering on 37-3 before a 60 run partnership between Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo steadied the ship. Samuels fell when on 43, caught by Martin Guptill off Tim Southee, but Bravo played an unaccustomed patient innings to make his slowest ever half century before he fell for 53, caught by Brendon McCullum off Andrew Ellis. The hosts faltered again only for Andre Russell to come to their rescue batting at nine as he rattled off a stunning 59 not out to at least give his side a reasonable target to defend. Veteran New Zealand bowler Kyle Mills had something to celebrate as having become New Zealand’s joint second highest wicket taker in this form of cricket (One-Day Internationsals) when he had Chris Gayle caught for just five, he moved into second on his own with a further two in the innings. AFP

Serena shifts focus to Olympics CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA: While Stanford champ Serena Williams shifts her focus to the London Olympics, runner-up Coco Vandeweghe is poised to continue her breakthrough season at this week’s WTA Carlsbad event. Williams, who earlier this month won her fifth Wimbledon crown, beat the 20-year-old Vandeweghe 7-5, 6-3 Sunday for her second straight WTA Tour title at the Stanford tournament. The world number four is not in competition this week after winning Stanford and will soon head to Britain for the Summer Games, which open a week from Friday. “(A gold medal) would mean a lot to me, but I can’t put all my hopes and dreams on just that,” said the 30-yearold Williams, who has twice lifted Olympic doubles gold with her elder sister Venus. “But it would mean a lot and I’d like to try to get one,” said the winner of 28 of her last 29 matches and holder of four 2012 titles. Vandeweghe, who rebounded from a lucky loser start at Stanford to make the first title bid of her career, opens this week in the first round at the La Costa resort in Carlsbad against South African sixth seed Chanelle Scheepers. The blonde right-handed Californian rose from a ranking of

120th to 69th as a result of her hardcourt run. She credits a serve improved under the tutelage of former ATP player Jan-Michael Gambill with lifting her game. “It has been coming in clutch,” she said of her new, improved delivery. “I’ve worked hard on my serve, it’s a big weapon for me. I’ve been making a lot of first serves and I can put pressure on an opponent by serving consistently well. I’m hitting my spots and doing very well.” The Carlsbad field is headed

by France’s Marion Bartoli, with Slovak Dominika Cibulkova the second seed and former world number one Jelena Jankovic seeded third. Russian Nadia Petrova is seeded fourth. US Olympian Christina McHale is also in Carlsbad, tuning up for London by playing one final event. In opening-day results Monday, Poland’s Urszula Radwanska knocked out sixth seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 7-5. AFP

Taekwondo’s WTF pledges fair fight SEOUL: Taekwondo’s world body called Monday for a fair and enjoyable competition at the London Games to help the Korean martial art stay in the Olympics following judging controversies which have hit the sport. “For taekwondo to remain an Olympic sport, competition in London must be fair and enjoyable,” Choue Chung-Won, head of the Seoulbased World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), told reporters. He said the WTF had adopted electronic scoring vests and instant video replays to ensure transparency in judging. In London, six cameras will be installed including one in the ceiling. The WTF has also reduced the size of the court. At the 2008 Beijing Games, fighters earned one point for an attack to the body and two for a kick to the head. In London, they will get one point for the body, two points for a turning kick to the trunk, three points for a valid kick to the head and four points for a turning kick to the head. Taekwondo became an Olympic sport in 2000 and will remain so at least until 2016. But WTF officials are uncertain about the fate of the martial art as the International Olympic Committee plans to reduce the number of core sports from 26 to 25 at its general meeting next year. AFP

Giggs wants Team to go beyond Games LONDON: Ryan Giggs wants the Great Britain football team to continue beyond the London 2012 Olympic Games. This Olympics sees a British team competing at a Games for the first time since 1960 but only after officials from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland objected on the grounds that their status as independent football nations would be compromised by such a side. Manchester United great Giggs was named captain of the team by manager Stuart Pearce, the former England defender. Welshman Giggs will be competing at the first major international tournament of a medalladen career — Wales’s last appearance at a leading global football event was the 1958 World Cup. Giggs, one of only five Welshmen, including Liverpool forward Craig Bellamy in an 18-strong squad featuring 13 Englishmen, said Monday: “I hope it is not a one off, based on what I have experienced and how much I have enjoyed it this week, I hope in future Olympics there will be more Great Britain teams. “Both Craig and I are Welsh and proud of it, but for me it was a chance I could not turn down, of playing in the biggest sporting event in the world,” the 38-year-old Giggs added. “I am glad I have done because so far everything has gone great and hopefully that will continue.” AFP

Playing Field

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

The games people play

Hammam suspended over ethics Dan Martin

KUALA LUMPUR: The Asian Football Confederation said it had suspended for 30 days its chief Mohamed bin Hammam over possible ethical violations in a new blow to the under-fire Qatari’s efforts to clear his name. Bin Hammam, 63, has been

fighting charges he tried to buy FIFA delegate votes in campaigning to unseat the world body’s long-standing president Sepp Blatter in a leadership election last year. The scandal earned him a FIFA life ban from football and he has been provisionally replaced by the AFC pending

appeals. But the AFC said in a statement posted on its website late Monday that it had handed bin Hammam a 30-day suspension the day before following an external audit of the confederation’s financial accounts. The audit deals with “events surrounding the negotiation and execution of certain contracts

Premier League gets adoration in Asia Peter Stebbings

HONG KONG: A glut of Premier League sides including Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United are touring Asia this month hoping to cash in on the region’s unquenchable thirst for English football. QPR and Sunderland are also heading East, meaning a quarter of the Premier League will build up to the new season by jetting off to countries on the other side of the globe and where the searing heat can be punishing. The clubs will not admit it, but the trips to China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea are less about football and more about the “brand”, in a part of the world where disposable income is rising fast. It is all a far cry from the pre-seasons of yesteryear, when teams would warm up for a new campaign by spending a few days at an English seaside resort. United, dethroned by rivals City as Premier League

JOHANNESBURG: Manchester United fever is sweeping South Africa with tickets selling fast for a twomatch tour despite the absence of England star Wayne Rooney and many other first choices.

and with the financial transactions made in and out of AFC bank accounts and his personal account during the tenure of Mr. Bin Hammam’s presidency,” it said. Bin Hammam is suspended “from taking part in any kind of football activity in the area of jurisdiction of the AFC until the AFC Disciplinary Committee reaches a decision on the merits in the present matter,” it added.

FOOTBALL SNIPPETS Guzan signs new Villa deal LONDON: American goalkeeper Brad Guzan has re-signed for Aston Villa after agreeing a new three-year contract with the Premier League club it was announced Monday. The 27-year-old had appeared to have parted company with Villa at the end of last season after failing to agree a new deal. But he will join up with Villa on their threematch tour of the United States after being named in manager Paul Lambert’s 25-man squad.

“

When we won the World Cup, our seats were changed to business class for our return flight. I hope we can produce a good result again. Japan’s World Cup heroine Homare Sawa

Dundee to replace Rangers

champions last season, have set the benchmark in attracting foreign fans and claim to have 325 million supporters in Asia, with officially endorsed fan clubs across the continent. Alex Ferguson’s men play

against Didier Drogba’s Shanghai Shenhua on July 25 as part of a gruelling pre-season schedule that sees them take in South Africa first, followed by China, Norway, Sweden and Germany. But if it was United that

United fever in South Africa despite missing stars David Legge

The Rio Ferdinand-skippered Red Devils were scheduled to arrive in Indian Ocean city Durban late Monday ahead of a midweek friendly with AmaZulu and another against Ajax Cape Town this weekend. Rooney, Phil Jones, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck

(England), Patrice Evra (France) and Nani (Portugal) are resting after starting their close-season breaks late because of Euro 2012 commitments. Veteran Ryan Giggs and Tom Cleverly (Great Britain) and David De Gea (Spain) are also absent.

set the trend, the signs are that the rest are catching up - no more so than their city neighbours, whose captain Vincent Kompany said the club had a long-term strategy. “It’s not like we arrive and say everyone has to become City fans right now,” the Belgian international said last month on a promotional tour to Kuala Lumpur, where the Premier League holders play a Malaysian XI on July 30. “We want to show ourselves and prove that we’re a better club and hopefully becoming the best club in the world in the next 10 years,” said the defender.

LONDON: Dundee will take the place of Rangers in the Scottish Premier League (SPL) next season it was announced Monday. And the SPL also appeared to rule out the creation of an ‘SPL2’ by saying they would work with other Scottish football authorities to “facilitate” Rangers playing in the Third Division, the fourth tier of Scottish football. Glasgow giants Rangers were expelled from the top-flight after the end of last season.

Capello is new Russian coach MOSCOW: The Russian Football Union (RFU) on Monday appointed Italian coach Fabio Capello as new national manager to revive the flagging fortunes of the team after its flop at Euro 2012. “Today we decided to appoint Capello as our national team’s new manager,” the RFU deputy president Nikita Simonyan told ITAR-TASS news agency. “We expect him to come to Moscow in the nearest future to finalise the details of his contract and sign it.”

Playing Field

TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012

The games people play

Confident Tiger ready for Royal triumph Jim Slater

LYTHAM: Tiger Woods comes to the British Open confident in his game and aware of the dangers on offer at Royal Lytham, where dense rough, 205 pot bunkers and rain will test the 14-time major champion. Woods, chasing the all-time record of 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, has won three US PGA events this season, capturing the National on July 1 after taking the Memorial in June and the Arnold Palmer Invitational last March. While he disappointed in the majors after his triumphs, sharing 40th at the Masters and 21st at the US Open, he was a 36-hole co-leader last month at the US Open and is playing as well as he has since before his infamous sex scandal. “Feel good about my game,” Woods said. “It feels good to step up and hit the drive I know I can hit when I need it.” This week’s Open is the third for Woods at Royal Lytham, where he shared 25th in 2001 behind winner David Duval and shared 22nd in 1996 as an amateur when he matched England’s Iain Pyman with the low-amateur record total of 281, aided by a second-round 66. “That gave me so much confidence,” Woods said. “It gave me confidence that I could do it at a high level. And the fact that I shot that low round, I made seven birdies in a 12hole stretch, I thought for an amateur in a major championship that was a big step.”

SPORT SNIPPETS No Claret Jug sips by Clarke on trophy’s world tour LYTHAM: Darren Clarke returned the Claret Jug to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club on Monday ahead of the 141st British Open, having taken the trophy on a global tour without taking a single drink from it. The 43-year-old Northern Irishman, who claimed the symbol of British Open supremacy last year at Royal St. George’s, never poured a drop into the famed container. “Not at any stage did I put any fluid in it at all, nothing,” Clarke said. “It just is too special a trophy. I have so much respect for the Open and I couldn’t get myself to do it. “I thought about it a few times, but I couldn’t get myself to do it.” Clarke admits the replica version, which he gets to keep, received quite a drinking workout and added, “I don’t need to have a jug to drink out of.” Clarke took the Jug to South Korea and Australia among his many stops in the year.

Golf

De Villota’s crash not caused by car — team LONDON: Maria de Villota’s Marussia car has been ruled out as the cause of the test driving accident which cost the Spaniard her right eye by the Formula One team. A fortnight ago, the 32-yearold Spaniard required two operations at Addendrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge after the accident at Duxford Airfield that saw her run into the tailgate of a stationary service vehicle. Marussia said in a statement issued on Monday: “The Marussia F1 Team conducted an initial analysis immediately after the crash. This aimed to identify the causes and contributory factors behind the accident and also served to determine if there were any car-related implications for the impending British Grand Prix. Having carefully examined all the data and supplementary information available at that time, the team were satisfied there were no car-related issues.”

Jacklin sees Open win for Westwood LYTHAM: Lee Westwood has a golden opportunity in the British Open at Royal Lytham this week to smash the jinx that has prevented him from winning a major title, according to English legend Tony Jacklin. Back at the course where he won his first major in 1969, ending an 18-year drought for British players, Jacklin said the English World No.3 was a perfect fit for the Lancashire links course where accuracy off the tee is capital. Asked to assess the chances of Westwood and England’s other top hope, World No, 1 Luke Donald, Jacklin had no doubts. “Lee, I think of the two, would be the one I would point towards,” he said.

Woods and caddie Joe LaCava toured the course early Sunday morning in sunny conditions and were shocked at how record rainfall in the area had created severely difficult rough. “I’ve never seen the rough this high or thick and dense,” Woods said. “It’s just that you can’t get out of it... in some places it’s almost unplayable.” Woods, 36, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open. He has not finished in the top 10 at the British Open since winning at Hoylake in 2006, his third British Open crown after 2000 and 2005 triumphs at St Andrews.

Retirements pile up on Tour

PAU: Six days from the finish in Paris, a further six riders pulled out of the Tour de France Monday which finished in Pau with

156 of the 1988 starters still in the field. French time trial champion Sylvain Chavanel, suffering a chest infection and struggling to

breathe despite taking antibiotics for three days, abandoned less than 50km into the 158.5km ride from Samatan.

His team sports director Brian Holm said: “He’s lost his voice and he’d been finding it hard to breathe. “This morning he was really sick. He spoke with the doctors of the team and they’ve advised him it would be best to pull out of the Tour.” Chavanel started the race but was soon left trailing as several early attacks prompted a frantic increase in pace in the peloton. Orica-GreenEdge rider Brett Lancaster followed suit, the Aussie pulling out before the halfway stage. Orica-GreenEdge, Australia’s first elite level professional team and making their race debut, are now down to eight men for the remaining five stages. AFP

Sock slips past Bogomolov at Atlanta Open ATLANTA: American wild card Jack Sock

Tennis defeated seventh seed Alex Bogomolov 62, 4-6, 6-4 in the opening round Monday of the ATP Tour’s Atlanta Open. The 19-year-old Sock converted two of his three break points while saving six of the seven chances he faced on serve in the two hour, 15 minute match. Russia’s Bogomolov has now lost five consecutive matches and falls to 9-21 on the season. Sock is no stranger to winning lower-level matches as he captured the US Open junior doubles title in 2010 and the mixed doubles crown in 2011. He is now trying to raise his game to the highest level, and in order to help him do that, he recently hired former world top 10 player Joakim Nystrom as his coach. Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller posted his 100th singles win while defeating Australian Marinko Matosevic 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.