Postnoon E-Paper for 18 July 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

THE BEST OF COMIC-CON 2012 It rained stars at the Comic-Con 2012 which was recently held in San Diego. Fans couldn’t have enough of the teasers of some of their favourite superheroes like Iron Man, and Superman and some of them were even seen shedding tears of joy. We find out what made the biggest buzz at this year’s Comic-Con. P15 Hyderabad’s first compact afternoon newspaper

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Three youngsters carried out a risky operation to rescue two cranes entangled in kite string and trapped in a tree. DEEPAK DESHPANDE

THE TASTE OF INDIA The humble masala dosa has made it to a list of the 10 dishes to try before you die. We list nine more items from different parts of India that you must have before you meet your maker. P16&17

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‘BOYCOTT ANTI-MUSLIM ISRAELI DATES’

FILM STUDIOS IN REVIVAL MODE

A number of Muslim organisations in the City and community workers have urged people to boycott Israeli dates when breaking their fast during Ramzan.

Film studios in Hyderabad are back in vogue. Three of the top studios in the State, Ramoji Film City, Annapurna Studios and Ramanaidu Studios are brimming with occupancy. P7

Page Two

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

UP IN FLAMES

Lepakshi Mela

Laugh riot Lamakaan will be showcasing Superman of Malegaon by Faizi Ahmed Khana on July 19. Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills Rd No 1 When: July 19, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

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

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

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

Burger 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

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.

CINEMAS

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 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

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

Sizzler festival

Pochampally mela

Theatre festival

French film

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

Contact: (040) 6666 3939 N SHIVA KUMAR

Lepakshi Craft Bazaar 2012 featuring artists from AP and other states is being held. The exhibitioncum-sale will be on till July 23. Where: Sri Kalyan Gardens, Miyapur Crossroads When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 2323 5028

Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: July 22, 5pm onwards Contact: 96427 31329

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

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

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

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

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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Two youngsters run over by Rajdhani express CRIME

ACCORDING TO THE POLICE, BOTH THE VICTIMS WERE FRIENDS AND HAD BOARDED THE TRAIN AT KACHEGUDA RAILWAY STATION TO GO TO SHIVRAMPALLY ON SOME WORK

Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

n an incident of a desperate measure going awry, two youngsters were killed when they tried to board a running train this morning. The accident occurred between Umdanagar and Shamshabad railway stations, said D Narasimha Reddy, sub inspector, Kacheguda railway police. One of the victims has been identified as 22-year-old Nagesh of Mahbubnagar district, who was working as a labourer. The other victim is yet to be identified. According to the police, both the victims were friends and had boarded the train at Kacheguda to go to Shivrampally on some work. However, they missed their stop and only realised it when they

had reached Shamshabad. In a hurry, they got off the train and decided to take another train back to Shivrampally. In a bid to do so, the duo tried to board a running train, but an oncoming

Rajdhani express (the train was coming from Bangalore to Hyderabad) hit the two men. In the melee, the speeding train dragged the two men for nearly 200 feet, severing their

body parts and damaging their faces to such an extent that the police found it difficult to identify them, Narasimha said. The Shamshabad station master informed the Kacheguda police about the incident. The bodies of the two victims have been moved to the Osmania Hospital mortuary for an autopsy and a case has been registered. “We have registered a case and are investigating the matter. But we can’t say much till we find out more,” Narasimha said.

NEWS BRIEFS Crackdown on private buses boosts APSRTC

he crackdown by the transport department on private bus operators who were operating buses illegally, has come as a boon for the State-owned APSRTC. In the last one-and-a-half months, the corporation has earned an additional income of `44 crore. Expressing happiness over this rise, vice-chairman and MD AK Khan said that apart from the crackdown on private operators, the increase in occupancy ratio of Palle Velugu (intra-and inter-district bus service) led to increase in income. He also announced a series of measures like reduction in expenditure, tapping of alternative sources of income in the coming days.

Teacher thrashes student till he bled

class IX student was injured when his class teacher beat him in Narkooda government school this morning. The 14-year-old student was punished by his teacher for not completing his homework. The angry teacher beat the student with a stick till he began bleeding from the ear. His outraged parents gathered ABVP activists and reached the school, where they staged a dharna demanding the immediate suspension of the teacher. A complaint has been lodged with the Shamshabad police and investigations are on.

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DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Two injured cranes rescued Gutsy youngsters carried out a risky operation to rescue two cranes that had fallen victim to kite string and were trapped in a tree. The trio had to work without any safety equipment as the fire brigade refused to help at first. The youths were stumped as to what to do about the second bird as the trunk was too slippery to climb. The volunteers decided to ask the fire brigade for help. After listening to their request, the person who answered the call said curtly, “We are for fire mishaps only. Birds are not our concern.” Disappointed, the volunteers arranged a rope and pulley system and carrying a long pole, continued the rescue mission. By this time, hundreds of curious onlookers had gathered below the tree to watch the delicate operation of rescuing the injured bird. “It took four hours of strenuous effort,” said Vishwa later. Finally, the youngsters managed to bring the bird down and rushed both birds to Dr Dog clinic in Jubilee Hills. The vet spent an hour trying to untie the thread that was cutting into their flesh. First-aid was administered and the birds were given a painkiller shot. The birds are now recovering. “Of all, the saddest part was the fire brigade’s attitude. They have the equipment, the manpower and skill, and yet they refused to help,” said Sujith. (Nihar is the founder of ARPF)

Nihar Parulekar feedback@postnoon.com

wo cranes who got caught in kite string lay struggling for life for nearly four days on a tree near Safilguda. It was by chance that a resident Irfan spotted the birds and alerted the Animal Rescue and Protection Force (ARPF) about their plight on Monday. By then, it was night and the rains had made any immediate rescue impossible. At dawn, three young volunteers from ARPF — Vishwa Vikyath, Akhilesh Aleti and Sujith Borgamkar reached the spot. The birds were trapped on a tree that stood a good 50 ft tall. One bird could be seen stuck on a branch around 40 ft above the ground. Despite having no equipment, the team decided to climb the tree and rescue the birds. Vishwa and Akhilesh started scaling the slippery tree as Sujith watched from below. At around 30 ft, they reported that another bird was stuck on a branch nearly 10 ft further up. The duo managed to get the first bird down, which was so tangled in kite string that it looked like a parcel

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

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

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

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This comes after the minorities supported the YSR Congress Party in the bypolls ahmed.m@postnoon.com

fter reports that minorities, especially Muslims, were rooting for the Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party in last month’s byelection, the ruling Congress party in the State has now turned its focus on gaining the support of minority communities in the State. The party is holding a meeting of its Minority Morcha to discuss the issue of what made the

Abid Rasool Khan Muslim minorities in the State vote for the YSR Congress party instead of the ruling Congress party in spite of implementing many welfare programmes for the community. The meet will also focus on the problems being faced by the Muslims. “We will pay attention to what made the minorities desert out party. It is the Congress party which provided four per cent reservations to Muslims and also revolutionary

SRINIVAS SETTY

fee reimbursement scheme to encourage students of minority communities to pursue higher education. Still, the party could not muster the votes of minorities,” Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee Minority Morcha President MD Sirajuddin told Postnoon on Wednesday. Apart from this, the session would look at the non-implementation of the Prime Minister’s 15 Point Programme for the development of minorities in the State. Recently, the minister for minority welfare and Wakf Board, Mohammad Ahmadullah, said the officials of the State government are not showing seriousness towards implementation of the PM’s programme. The minister also wrote to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and asked him to issue directions to all district collectors to implement the revolutionary scheme launched by the UPA government with utmost seriousness. But other Congress leaders differ with the minister’s statements. “It is very sad that the minister made such statements. This is a serious issue. If this continues in the coming days, then the party will have to pay a huge cost as Muslims would desert the party and support YSR Congress,” APCC general secretary Abid Rasool Khan told Postnoon. Khan said many Muslims still see former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy as the brain behind many of the welfare programmes for minorities.

IAS men meet CM, demand action against Venkatesh

epresentatives of IAS Officers’ Association met Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy in the Secretariat on Tuesday and complained to him against the reported statement of minor irrigation minister TG Venkatesh that non-functioning IAS officers should be shot dead. They told the CM that the minister has repeated his state-

Villagers back woman abandoned by hubby

Cong to focus on minorities Inkeshaf Ahmed

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

ment instead of expressing his regrets after they protested. They have asked the chief minister to take action against the minister. The IAS officers’ association had thought of filing a police case against the minister for inciting violence against them. IAS officers say the statement might embolden the people to attack officers in the field. NSS

Pick

Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

‘Padma has taken a bold step’

illagers of Mominpet strongly condemn the incident which happened with B Padma and her daughters. Padma’s in-laws have political and police support and along with Padma’s husband, B Anantaiah, are enjoying a lavish life. Padma has had a hard time and has taken a bold step. I have known Padma personally for 15 years and she is very polite. She has taken a great step to stage a dharna with her daughters for the past week. We haven’t seen anyone like Padma, who has a problem and decides to do something about it. Local advocates also haven’t supported Padma. They have taken `15,000 from her brother, V Anand, for fighting the case, then later managed to come to an agreement with Anantaiah and his father, Malkaiah, to lose the court case. Her husband has given two acres to his third wife, Navneeta, but he didn’t give a single paisa to Padma and her daughters.

P Narsamma, resident, Mominpet

‘No help from the police’

ominpet is good but some outsiders came and created problems, like Anantaih and his family. Nowadays, so many atrocities against women happen in this area, but the elders are afraid to intervene and solve the issues. Padma’s case is different because her father-in-law is a former MPTC member of the TDP and has political power, which is why the police didn’t take any action. Her husband had assured the elders that he was on Padma’s side, but later changed his story.

at the

When Padma finished her dharna on July 16, the same night her husband and his family members broke into the house and created a ruckus all night. The police did not take any action. Padma and her daughters managed to escape, but the circle inspector of Mominpet, M Durgaih, allegedly harassed and threatened her.

B Renuka, local anganwadi teacher

‘Only her brother is supporting her’

adma’s husband has put property worth lakhs in the name of his third wife Navneeta but he didn’t give her (Padma) and her daughters anything. Her brother, Anand, is supporting her and her daughters. But after all, he is married and has three daughters of his own. We appeal to the police and the authorities concerned to get justice for Padma and her daughters.

C Sataih, resident of Mominpet

‘We seek justice for Padma and her daughters’

adma and her daughters staged a dharna in a peaceful manner and she didn’t create andy law and order problem. When we saw her, she and her daughters were sitting in the heat and so we provided them with a tent and gave them food and water. Our demand is justice for Padma and her daughters.

V Poochaih, social worker, Indra Kranthi Patham

airport,

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M ANIL KUMAR

Lack of FOBs on busy roads is making crossing these stretches dangerous for pedestrians

Abids and Nampally FOB proposals in limbo

SPOTLIGHT ON ABIDS Md Nizamuddin feedback@postnoon.com

or a City like ours with its burgeoning and unruly traffic, there are surprisingly very few foot over bridges (FOBs) for pedestrian safety, especially in busy areas. This lack of FOBs is posing a problem for pedestrians, students and shoppers alike in areas like Abids and Nampally. The bustling road from Chermas to Big Bazaar in Abids, sees some of the heaviest vehicular movement at any given point of time. The situation turns especially chaotic during school hours. For college goers in the Nampally area, negotiating traffic is tricky, especially during the period when the Numaish exhibition is on. Scores of traffic personnel have to be engaged specifically to help pedestrians cross the busy road during the exhibition time. “I almost always need to take someone’s help to cross the road as it is full of vehicular traffic all the time. Ever since the road was turned into a one way, motorists have no qualms about speeding,” says K Subhash Singh, a resident of Tilak Road. Another important road, also known as Highway is the road connecting Nampally station to Moazzam Jahi market, often witnesses accidents thanks to speeding vehicles on the stretch. Crossing this stretch of road is especially challenging for women who have to negotiate the traffic to get to their college that lies within the exhibition ground. “In the mornings, it is almost impossible to cross this stretch of road as almost everyone is in a hurry to reach their destina-

THERE HAD BEEN A PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT AN FOB NEAR EXHIBITION GROUNDS. HOWEVER, DUE TO REASONS UNKNOWN, THIS WAS LATER CALLED OFF. tions. Some times we have to wait several minutes before we get a chance to cross the road,” says P Sulochana, a student of the college. It may be recalled that some time back there had been a proposal to construct an FOB near the exhibition grounds to ensure pedestrian safety. However, due to reasons unknown, this was called off. Had the FOB been constructed, several pedestrians would have benefitted. “The construction of the FOB was almost complete and the structure was lying on the footpath until recently. I don’t know where they have moved it now,” says Md Yakoob, a businessman. The whole problem is compounded by the lack of speed breakers in the two areas to keep a check on speeding vehicles. According to officials, there were proposals for construction of FOB on at least one of the roads, but it could not addressed because due to lack of consensus. Some of the proposals even had budgets allocated, but did not materialise. Additional commissioner, Estate and Advertisements, GD Priya Darshini said that the proposal at Nampally was backtracked owing to the importance attached with the road, as it comes under Highways Department. “Heavy vehicles pass through this route, and I believe that proposal was reconsidered by the GHMC. I don’t think there was any such proposal for Abids,” she said.

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Film studios in revival mode Studios in Hyderabad are brimming with full occupancy, thanks to an increase in the number of films and TV serials being shot at the venues

TREND Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com

F HEALTH

HOME APPLIANCES

ilm studios in Hyderabad are back in vogue. Three of the top studios in the State, Ramoji Film City, Annapurna Studios and Ramanaidu Studios are brimming with full occupancy and what’s even more interesting is that even Saradhi Studios and Padmalaya Studios, which had gone off the radar, are now bustling with activity. One of the main reasons behind this change is the advent of the TV industry which is churning out a lot more content these days. With more than two dozen TV channels in the State, the demand for floor space to shoot serials and reality shows has grown. “The demand for floor space is so high these days that we are facing a severe shortage. Most of the TV serials are shot inside the studios and they book the floors on a long term basis. This has led to a shortage of floor space for films,” producer Shobu Yarlagadda informs. In the recent months, almost every major studio in the State has added new floors to meet this increasing demand.

Anubha K Singh anubha.k@postnoon.com

BHASHYAM DEVELOPERS “FORTUNE CITY”,HMDA approved nr.JP DARGAH,Bangalore highway,Rs.2250 per sq.yard EMI available. Ct:8142398989, 9652042015, Email: ksbhashyam@gmail.com

erator power availability. “The quality of floors, especially in terms of acoustics and lighting, has improved a lot. The new floors equipped with air-conditioning are expensive, but then production

‘Boycott anti-Muslim Israeli dates’ COMMUNITY

REAL ESTATE

Earlier this year, Annapurna Studios unveiled their new `100 crore state-of-the-art facility including five new floors, luxurious makeup rooms, dance rehearsal facility, canteen and 100 per cent diesel gen-

budgets have also gone up. So, a lot more producers are able to afford them,” Shobu says. Another major factor which has increased film industry’s dependence on studios is the controlled environment which enable filmmakers to shoot without any disturbance. In recent years, every time top actors like Mahesh Babu, Pawan Kalyan, Ram Charan Tej and Jr NTR have shot in outdoor locations, hundreds of people landed up near the shooting spot to catch a glimpse of their favourite actors. Controlling the crowds and maintaining secrecy over the actors’ look and story has become a major issue for any big budget film. A case in point being Puri Jagannadh’s Cameraman Ganga Tho Ramababu starring Pawan Kalyan and Tamannaah which was recently shot in Saradhi Studios. “The political environment in the State is another major issue. In the past several film shootings were stalled when they were shot in outdoor locations. Shooting films within the precincts of a studio gives directors much more control on what they do. More than anything, the productivity increases a lot as much more work gets done,” Shobu says.

uring the month of Ramzan, the sale of dates in the City sees an increase. Muslims who observe Roza during this period, break their fast by eating dates with a glass of water. Growing dates is one of the major agricultural activities carried out by Israel. Every year, Israel exports dates worth millions of Israeli pounds across the world. But this year the special dates from Israel will be missing in the City markets. Many muslim organisations and community workers had urged people to boycott Israeli dates when breaking their fast during Ramzan. “This year we have urged Muslims in the City to not sell or buy Israeli dates. The main reason is to not promote the economy of Israel and their anti-Muslim attitude. One more reason is that Israeli dates are genetically developed dates which have side affects on your health and spoil your immunity,” says M Akthar, a social worker.

“The organisers believe that a large proportion of the income that is earned during the holy month of Ramzan is from dates and by buying these dates we will directly promote the economy of Israel, which will then be used by them to buy weapons for anti-Muslim activities,” he adds. Activists in the City say that dates are being grown illegally in Israel and although Palestinians are employed there, they toil in harsh conditions and most of them are children. Many NGOs in the City are using social networking sites to spread the message. Text messages are also being sent out. The campaign is not only directed towards the buyers or consumers but also the wholesalers and small retailers. “We are being told not to sell Israeli dates in the City because of their anti-Muslim attitude. So we have decided to scrap them, however Israeli dates are better in taste and more in demand,” said Abdul Razaaq, a wholesale dry fruit dealer from Begum bazaar. Jordan Valley, Hadiklaim, Carmel, Agrexco, Jordan Plains , King Solomon and Jordan River are some of the Israeli brand dates available in the City .

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

The dangerous pole in Kavuri Hills

Iron rods stick out of a lorry on the ORR

Cables pose a shock threat in Nallakunta

DANGEROUS LIVING T

he City administration, that is the GHMC, and police have never claimed they do a great job in making the City fit for safe living. But the least the tax payer expects from them is a reasonably safe set up. And yet, every day hundreds of people who have seen better governance elsewhere are overwhelmed by the insensitivity of the authorities towards numerous death traps that await the unwary every day. The Postnoon photo team captured some outrageous instances

that encapsulate official apathy and popular indifference to dangerous living. In the ‘hi-tech’ Madhapur area, for instance, one sees a metre-long sharp iron pole on the roadside protruding menacingly, endangering pedestrians and motorists. Only the extremely lucky would escape death on a dark night when the streetlights are out. Lorries carrying iron rods whose tips extend several metres behind is another shocking daily scene on our City streets. Nobody has thought about

Construction dangers at Jubilee Hills

what will happen when it deviates from its path. Similarly, building contractors show their devil-may-care attitude by cutting and welding iron rods on busy roads such as Jubilee Hills. APtransco claims a share of some dangerous installations on crowded streets. It’s an egg-and-chicken situation. Is the public indifference leading to official apathy or vice versa? Report and pictures by N Shiva Kumar, Srinivas Setty, PK Surendran, Ranjani Rajendra

Exposed junction box at Kondapur

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Yahoo! profit dips by four per cent SAN

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Yahoo! said Tuesday its profit in the past quarter fell modestly in results reflecting upheaval at the struggling Internet pioneer, which named a new top executive this week. The company, which appointed Marissa Mayer of Google as its new chief executive on Monday, said profit fell four percent to $226.6 million, in a report that was better than expected. Revenues excluding traffic acquisition costs, the key barometer for the Web giant, were flat at $1.08 billion, below most forecasts. Total revenues were virtually unchanged at $1.2 billion. The results underscored the turmoil at the California tech firm, which is undergoing major restructuring and forced out its top executive in May over an inflated resume. AFP

Intel Corp. downgrades outlook SAN FRANCISCO: Intel Corp. unveiled results that were better than expected Tuesday, helped by sales of chips used in smartphones and light “ultrabook” computers, but downgraded its outlook for the coming months. The world’s biggest chipmaker said its profit in the past quarter was $2.8 billion, a drop of four percent and above most analyst expectations. But revenues were slightly below expectations, rising four per cent to $13.5 billion.

POUND WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012 9

Beauty on the inside prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

Google platform for languages MEXICO CITY: Google on Tuesday unveiled an online information exchange platform to try to give some extra lasting power to more than 3,000 endangered languages. Called endangeredlanguages.com, it is out to help improve the exchange of digital source materials in languages spoken by small numbers of people, from Navajo in the United States, to Aragonese in Spain, to Koro in India and Burunge in Tanzania.

$365 mn THUS SPAKE

“The two budgets for the Olympic “The actions of traders and banks that have been disclosed are not only very troubling in themselves, but they have the effect of undermining markets,” Ben Bernanke, chairman, US Federal Reserve The costs for the services would depend on what client specifies and budget. Sometimes, the designer takes cares of everything from concept development to execution by hiring different professionals. At times, only the consultancy services are offered by just giving the inputs and design. The costs would be anywhere above `50,000 to have the services of interior designer, she said. Not only should the aesthetics, the design should solve the purpose of the residence. For instance, every room has its own function in a residence. The master bedroom has a different function from the child room. The master bedroom has to have soothing colours and everything should be designed in a pattern to make the the

couple relaxed after a hard day at work. On the other side, the child’s room is different according to the gender and also have certain theme that reflects his/her interests, said Vaishali. Interior design should reflect the time which we are living in. The horizontal space is getting lesser and the vertical extension is taking place. The designers are also looking to make the house more spacious by developing open kitchens. Usage of glass and mirror also makes it spacious. The furniture is also simple and does not have heavy carving work now as people don’t have time to maintain the furniture. The contemporary style is a current trend, where the usage of glass and steel is more and there is also preference for eco-friendly and light weight products.

Interpol unveils fake goods scanning app CALIFORNIA: Global policing body Interpol announced on Tuesday a pioneering initiative to crack down on trade in fake goods, using an app developed with the help of search giant Google. The Interpol Global Register (IGR), announced at a Google conference outside Los Angeles, aims to track illicit goods by verifying products through security features, using the scanning app. “Right now in special areas (like) pharmaceuticals, tobacco products and household goods, a consumer doesn’t know what’s fake and was real,” Interpol chief Ronald Noble told AFP.

NUMEROLOGY

$365 million is what US agrochemical giant Monsanto will invest in Argentina on a corn seed factory.

Prudhvi Raju

he market for interior designing is growing with raising income levels of the people. The working middle class youth who are becoming proud owners of the houses at a younger age are looking for these services to make their interiors of the property look more beautiful and comfortable. IT employees, builders and other corporate are also profoundly looking at these services. The growth of the industry is also enabling more students take it as a profession. Over the years, there is a constant rise in students taking the interior design course at Hamstech. Many students taking it as four year course shows the opportunities the industry is offering to the graduates. There is wide range of people from housewives to civil engineers who are taking it as a profession, said Vaishali Sen, Department head, Interior Design, Hamstech Institute of Fashion and Interior designing. The industry doesn’t limit itself offering services to just housing sector but also include shopping malls, offices, set designing in films and TV serials, theme weddings, furniture designing among others. Many feel interior designing is only for the upper class but this notion is slowly changing. Many middle class clients are looking to make their interiors look beautiful by hiring designers. There are many freelancers and there are also services offered from interior design companies.

`86.54

“We came up with this idea that will allow a consumer or a law enforcement or businesses to scan a code and determine whether or not it can be verified as authentic,” he said. “It becomes green or red. Green means verified, red means not verified.” Google designed the application for this concept for Android devices, but Interpol plans versions for other platforms including Apple, Blackberry and Microsoft. One of its first users of the new system is PharmaSecure, a leader in drug authentication technologies, currently used to security code more than one mil-

lion packets of pharmaceuticals produced every day in India alone. Noble explained: “In India what they do is they put unique numbers on packages of pharmaceutical products. The goal would be that if the product is supposed to go to country A and it’s somehow in country C, and you scan it, it will come out as non-verified. It means that the consumer should be careful. “So, the same time it’s being scanned, the country (where it was produced) knows it’s being scanned. So it will be able to map where this illicit traffic goes.” AFP

ACQUISITION EBay-owned online financial transactions titan PayPal on Tuesday announced that it has bought a San Francisco startup focused on using smartphone cameras to take credit card payments. PayPal has worked with Card.io to fold its technology into its own mobile application and decided to buy the company, according to PayPal vice president of global product Hill Ferguson.

DELL FUND The chief of US computer maker Dell on Tuesday announced the launch of a $60 million fund focused on investing in technology for storing the massive amounts of data being collected by businesses. “We really believe in this explosion of data driven a lot by smartphones and tablets,” Michael Dell, founder of the company, said.

GOLDMAN SACHS Goldman Sachs said Tuesday it is developing its private bank for wealthy clients, particularly in fast-growing countries and in Europe, where it hopes to pick up the slack from struggling local banks. “We’ve been in the wealth business for a long time,” said David Viniar, Goldman’s CFO, said.The inhouse private bank currently has a little over $100 billion in assets and about $50 billion in deposits, he said.

India‑View

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

India unveiled

Skewed sex ratio: Tribals show the way

CONTENDER

G A D C H I R O L I :

Indian woman auto driver and independent candidate, Sunita Chaudary poses for photographers prior to filing her nomination papers as candidate for Vice President in New Delhi. The Vice Presidential election takes place on August 7. AFP/ SAJJAD HUSSAIN

Tapeworm removed from man’s vocal chords BANGALORE: Doctors at city based Columbia Asia claimed to have conducted a rare surgery, removing a tapeworm from a patient’s vocal chords. "The patient his normal voice and has resumed his normal life," Dr Santosh, heading a team of doctors who removed the worm from the patient's vocal chord in a two-hour long surgery, said. Dr Santosh, Consultant ENT (Head and Neck Surgeon) at the Hospital, said the patient was suffering from intermittent hoarseness of voice for two years. "The doctors he consulted prescribed him medications but were not able to detect any problem or give satisfactory response," he said. After proper investigation, a grayish semi-transparent mass was discovered inside the voice box. It was a parasitic infestation caused by a tapeworm found in the intestines of pigs and a leading cause of multi-organ infections," he said. The patient said he was taken aback by the diagnosis and never thought his condition was a result of a tapeworm in his vocal cords. He thanked the team which performed the operation, saying he could now lead a normal life. He is now recovering steadily, the doctors said. PTI

Notwithstanding the tag of being a Naxal hotbed, tribals in this east Maharashtra district have shown the way to the rest by treating girls with dignity and not resorting to practises like female foeticide. Even as the instances of female foeticide and conducting sex determination tests are rampant in some parts of the state, Gadchiroli is by and large an exception. As is evident in the 2011 Census figures, the sex ratio of the district stood at 956 (between the age group of 0 to 6 years) in contrast to the state’s dismal average of 883. According to the district authorities, tribals usually do not indulge in practises like sex determination and female foeticide and the reasons are rooted

in their culture. “Tribals do not indulge in sex-selective abortions and go by their own natural way. Some elite class in the urban and semi-urban areas might be doing this sort of abortions which has affected the ratio over the years,” district civil surgeon Dr R S Faruqi told PTI. Echoing his views, social worker Prakash Amte said that he had not come across even a single such instance among tribals in the last four decades. However in 2001, the sex ratio in Gadchiroli was 966 against the current average of 956. On a slump in the sex ratio from its previous level in the region, Faruqui said it was not a cause to worry and would be rectified by undertaking corrective measures. PTI

‘Education City’ may change the face of Maoist hotbed I

t lies at the heart of the Maoist badlands in Chhattisgarh but is now set to acquire the tag of Education City with the creation of a 150-acre campus housing 15 schools and colleges that will cater to some 5,000 students from poor and tribal families. Even more remarkably, the campus at Dantewada will be run on solar power. “Like other innovations, Education City is also a child of a need — the need for educated, skilled, trained and dedicated

pool of citizenry which can not only understand the area’s needs but also fill the gap between supply and availability of skilled workforce,” Omprakash Choudhary, the district magistrate of Dantewada who conceived the project, said. ‘Education City’ is expected to be fully operational in 18 months. Some institutes have already opened. What then will Education City encompass? There will be an Industrial Training Institute for 100 students, a residential

school for girls with a hostel for 500, Kasturba Ashram with a hostel for 100 and Astha Gurukul with a hostel for 800. There will also be a tribal ashram and a school for 50, a residential school for boys, a model school and a security guard training institute, each with hostels for 500m a scouts and guides training Institute, a research institute for tribal children, a playground and a helipad. Money for the project is coming from various government schemes such as the Sarva

Shiksha Abhiyan and CSR (corporate social responsibility) funds of the National Mineral Development Corporation, Essar and other companies. Not for nothing is Chhattisgarh CMRaman Singh upbeat about the project. “Education City will not only cater to the educational needs of the vast tribal populace inhabiting Bastar, worst-hit by left-wing extremism, but also usher in an era of peace and prosperity,” Raman Singh said. Dantewada is one of the least literate districts (30.1 per cent) of the country. Since Dantewada is a power deficit area, each block in the Education City will be separately powered with solar photo voltaic cell. The individual break-ups have not been given but as per officials of CREDA, which sells solar power equipment, each block will have `60-lakh solar power set up. The total cost of Education City is pegged at `100 crore, to be funded under various schemes of the state government and CSR funds of NMDC and Essar. It would be spread across 150 acres and will comprise 14-15 institutes. Each institute will have a separate solar system, academic building, playground, garden, hostel and other infrastructure facilities. IANS

India‑View

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

India unveiled

Adequate warning given before firing, insists US WASHINGTON: In the midst of a probe demanded by India into the deadly US attack on a motorboat in the Persian Gulf that left an Indian fisherman dead, Washington insisted that the vessel was fired upon after it disregarded nonlethal warnings. Both Pentagon and the State department on Tuesday stuck to a statement issued by the US embassy in Delhi that the USNS Rappahannock had “escalated warning measures” before opening fire at the boat carrying Indian fishermen off the UAE coast in the Persian Gulf. The incident is under investigation, Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters on Tuesday associating “ourselves with the statement issued by the United States Embassy in Delhi.” “The USNS Rappahannock

escalated warning measures in response to a potential threat posed by this vessel,” he said. “And this is something that all US Navy ships take into account for security reasons.” “The prospect of potential threats to, especially in the wake of the USS Cole, to put this into some context, there are procedures in place,” Little said.

“Based on what we know now, a series of warning measures were issued to the oncoming vessel. Those warnings were not heeded. And the vessel was fired upon,” he said. Asked if the US was planning to apologise for the shooting, Little said, “We certainly regret the loss of life in this incident. (But) There were, in fact,

warning measures that were taken based on what we know now.” “This is under investigation. And we’ll know the full facts of this incident once that investigation is complete.” State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell too referred to the statement by US embassy in New Delhi “in which we conveyed our condolences to the families of the crew, which came under fire after the vessel disregarded nonlethal warnings and rapidly approached the US ship.” The US defence department was conducting an investigation, he said. “And we, of course, will work with our Indian counterparts and be as transparent as possible to provide them the results of our investigation once it’s finished.” IANS

OLD BUT GOLD

4 killed in wall collapse

Former president APJ Abdul Kalam felicitates 100-year-old Manohar Aich, former Mr Universe during the Sri Shanmukhananda Fine and Sangeetha Sabha diamond jubilee and golden jubilee in Mumbai PTI/SANTOSH HIRLEKAR on Tuesday.

PATNA: A pregnant woman and her three children were killed here early on Wednesday when the wall of their house collapsed after heavy rains, police said The tragedy took place when the mother and her three minor children were sleeping in their rented house in Patna’s Menhdiganj area. Heavy rains have been lashing the city for the last two days. This is the first such incident reported from the city during this monsoon season, a police official said. IANS

Debtors hack moneylender to bits AKOLA (MAHARASHTRA): A woman moneylender was murdered and her body was cut into pieces and buried in the house of a couple who had borrowed money from her in adjoining Buldhana district in Eastern Maharashtra, police said today. The incident, which took place in Bhim Jyoti Nagar in

Chikhali tehsil town, came to light yesterday. Nanda Digambar Gawai, 35, had been missing since July 8 after she went to the house of a couple Vimal and her husband Yuvraj Jadhav, who had taken money from her, police said. Gawai asked the couple to return her money with interest which allegedly led to a heated argu-

ment after which the woman was murdered by the duo, they said. Police raided Jadhav’s house yesterday and exhumed the mutilated body. The couple, who has reportedly confessed to killing the woman, has been arrested and charged with murder and destruction of evidence. PTI

NATION AT A GLANCE Hamid Ansari files papers for VP contest NEW DELHI: Hamid Ansari today filed his nomination papers for being re-elected as vice president in the presence of senior UPA leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The nominations were handed over to Lok Sabha Secretary General TK Viswanathan, who is returning officer for August 7 polls. Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was also present.

30-year-old man shot dead in Thane THANE: A 30-year-old man was shot dead by four unidentified assailants in Shahapur taluka of Thane district, police said. While Umesh Gaikar and his friend stopped their motorbike at a petrol pump in Khativali near Vashind yesterday afternoon, four persons got down from a car and shot Umesh from point blank range.

Five persons, arrested in connection with the molestation of a girl last week, being produced in a court in Guwahati. PTI

India, Pakistan talks on CBMs tomorrow ISLAMABAD:India and Pakistan will hold bilateral talks on Thursday in Islamabad to review confidence building measures (CBMs) between the two countries, said an official Tuesday. “The Joint Working Group (JWG) will discuss Confidence Building Measures to facilitate travel and trade across the (LoC),” the Pakistani foreign ministry said.

Italy seeks translation for marines’ trial ROME:Italy is complaining that the court is refusing to provide translated documentation from the trial of two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen, who they mistook for pirates. Italy’s defence ministry said the decision violated the marines’ universally-recognised right to have trial documentation translated into their native tongue.

Pakistani prisoners wave as they prepare to leave for their homeland through the Indo-Pak Wagah border on Tuesday. PTI

Around the World

Armani of Mozzarella held over crime links

SHARK-STRUCK

Visitors look at various sharks and tropical fish displayed in a fish tank in the window of Sony’s showroom in Tokyo’s Ginza fashion district on Tuesday. Some 500 colourful tropical fish, brought in from the waters around Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, are displayed in the tank through September 9. AFP/YOSHIKAZU TSUNO

New study links child abuse to bad economy A

new study has linked the bad economy with a rise in child abuse. Researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that between 2000 and 2009, the rate of child abuse needing hospital admission rose by three percent a year for every one percent increase in the 90-day mortgage-delinquency rate. The rate of traumatic brain injury likely caused by child abuse during the same period rose five percent, said HealthDay. “It’s well known that economic stress has been linked to an increase in child physical abuse, so we wanted to get to the bottom of the contrasting reports by formally studying hospital data on a larger scale,” said study lead author, Joanne Wood, assistant professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, reported NBC News. The study results contradict earlier findings that child abuse has actually gone down nationwide. Results also showed that there was no link between unemployment rates and child abuse. Researchers said that the study shows the need for more outreach efforts in communities, particularly during tough economic times. “On the community level, we need to recognize that losing a home is very stressful, and we

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Beyond Borders

need to let families know that it’s OK to ask for help,” said Wood, according to MedPage

Today.”We need to provide them links to resources where they can get help.”

ROME: Italian police on Tuesday arrested the head of the biggest buffalo mozzarella maker in the country and seized assets worth 100 million euros ($123 million) on suspicion of links to organised crime. The police said Giuseppe Mandara — who once called himself the “Armani of Mozzarella” in an interview — and his Mandara Group were controlled by the notorious Casalesi clan of the Camorra mafia based in the city of Naples. The Mandara Group is also a major global exporter of buffalo mozzarella and is sold by large chains in Europe, Japan and the United States. “Mandara and some of his staff have been arrested,” the police said in a statement. The investigation includes charges of misleading consumers after the company was found to have mixed in cow milk with more expensive buffalo milk and labelled batches of ordinary provolone as a more prestigious kind. Another charge is for trading in noxious substances after it was found that up to two tonnes of buffalo mozzarella, which has

already been taken off the market, may have been contaminated with ceramic residue from a broken machine. “We have seized the whole company,” Paolo Di Napoli, an officer from the environmental protection arm of the Carabinieri police, told AFP. Contacted by AFP, the Gruppo Alival consortium which Mandara Group belongs to declined to comment on the investigation. Gruppo Alival’s website said Mandara was a third-generation family business and the country’s top producer of buffalo mozzarella. In an interview with business website denaro.it in 2010, Mandara said he produced 78,000 cheeses a day and employed 180 people.

Teen escapes being taken by dingo in Oz A

n Australian teenager told Wednesday of her sleeping bag being torn off by a dingo as she slept at a campsite, weeks after a landmark ruling that a baby was snatched in 1980 by one of the wild dogs. Rebecca Robinson, 13, was sleeping on a mattress under a caravan awning at the Aurora Kakadu Lodge, some 250 kilometres (155 miles) from the northern city of Darwin, on Sunday when she was woken by a dragging sensation. "I could feel someone pulling me, I was not going anywhere but I could feel the sleeping bag getting

dragged," she told the Northern Territory News. "I woke up and there was a dingo there chewing at my sleeping bag." Robinson's mother said the teenager shouted at the animal and it ran off, adding that she had been told it was the fourth such event at the lodge this year — an unusual spate of incidents. It comes after a coroner ruled last month that baby Azaria Chamberlain had been taken from a tent at Uluru, or Ayers Rock, 32 years ago, exonerating her mother Lindy, who spent three years in jail convicted of her murder.

Around the World

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Beyond Borders

Russia ready to deal with Syria

GLOBE AT A GLANCE 100 questions for jurors in Manning court martial

DAMASCUS: Rebels declared the battle to “liberate” Damascus has begun as heavy fighting raged across the city on Tuesday and Russia said an agreement is possible for a UN resolution on the Syria crisis. The proclamation by the Free Syrian Army, which also claimed it had shot down a helicopter in the capital, came as peace envoy Kofi Annan said the 16-month crisis increasingly described as a civil war was at a “critical time.” The opposition Syrian National Council meanwhile said Syrians will seek new ways to confront President Bashar al-Assad if the UN Security Council fails to threat-

FORT MEADE: Potential jurors in the

UN leader Ban Ki-Moon bows before Chinese President Hu Jintao (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday. He is expected to press China to support action on Syria.

Kim Jong-un is Marshal now

en sanctions, ahead of a vote showdown Wednesday between the major powers. Heavy machinegun fire was reported in Damascus’s Sabaa Bahrat Square, where Assad’s regime has staged rallies to counter anti-regime protests that erupted in March 2011. At least 19 people were killed as tanks and helicopter gunships were deployed in Qaboon district and battles were fought in Al-Midan and AlHajar Al-Aswad. As the fighting inched closer to the regime’s nerve centre, FSA spokesman Colonel Kassem Saadeddine said “victory is nigh” and the struggle would go on until the

ALL EARS

SEOUL,: North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un has been made “Marshal” of the communist state, Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Wednesday. The title was previously held by Kim’s father and predecessor Kim Jong-Il, who was posthumously promoted to generalissimo in February this year. “A decision was made to award the title of Marshal of the DPRK (North Korea) to Kim Jong-Un, supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army,” KCNA said. The decision was jointly issued on Tuesday by several top state and party organs, it added. Jong-Un became a general in September 2010. His promotion to a marshal came days after the country sacked its army chief Ri Yong-Ho as part of a reshuffle apparently aimed at tightening the new leader’s grip on the military. Pyongyang made Hyon Yong-Chul a vice marshal earlier this week.

city was conquered. “We have transferred the battle from Damascus province to the capital. We have a clear plan to control the whole of Damascus. We only have light weapons, but it’s enough.” “Expect surprises,” Saadeddine added, before claiming later that rebels had downed a helicopter over Qaboon, although an activist in the district said there was “no foundation” to the report. Fighting in the city has raged since Sunday, with the rebels announcing a full-scale offensive dubbed “the Damascus volcano and earthquakes of Syria.”

Obama on rival’s turf

Aung San Suu Kyi to get top US honour WASHINGTON:The United States will present its highest award to Myanmar’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi in September when she makes her first US trip in more than two decades, congressional aides said Tuesday. Suu Kyi will travel to Washington in September to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.

SAN

Bolivia’s President Evo Morales (L) listens to his Argentine counterpart Cristina Fernandez upon arrival at a banquet on Tuesday in Cochabamba, central Bolivia. Fernandez is in a two-day official visit in the country. AFP

US ANTONIO: President Barack Obama jetted into the Republican bastion of Texas on Tuesday to raise funds and burnish his nationwide appeal as opponents called his American identity into question. Campaigning ahead of November’s presidential vote has become increasingly rancorous, as the Democratic incumbent and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney trade attack ads and bitter accusations of lies and cover-ups. In the latest swipe, former New Hampshire governor John Sununu sneered that he wished Obama “would learn how to be an American” — a comment that recalled previous attacks on the black president’s identity and background. Obama’s camp jumped on the remark, alleging it represented a desperate move by Romney to stir up controversy and distract attention from criticism of the Republican’s tax records and business affairs.

court martial of US Army Private Bradley Manning will have to respond to more than 100 questions in a pre-trial screening, officials said Tuesday. Manning, 24, is set to go on trial in September, but a preliminary hearing heard that members of the military panel picked to rule on his fate will face a high level of scrutiny in a bid to weed out unsuitable candidates.

Hans Kristian Rausing, an heir to Tetra Pak, has been charged with preventing decent burial of the body of his wife, Eva.

Somali pirates free Taiwanese fishing boat TAIPEL: A Taiwanese fishing boat seized by Somali pirates nearly 19 months ago was freed, and its crew members were taken to safety by a Chinese naval vessel, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said Wednesday. The “Shiuh Fu No 1” was seized with its Taiwanese captain and its crew of 13 Chinese and 12 Vietnamese nationals on December 25, 2010 off Madagascar.

100 Taliban fighters lay down their arms KABUL:One hundred Taliban fighters

Aussie wins millions in settlement

have laid down arms in Afghanistan and joined a government-backed peace process, an official said Tuesday. The militants laid down their arms Monday in Qalai Now, the capital of Badghis province, some 550 km from Kabul. Sources said that the militants were active in Qadis and Muqar districts of the province.

An Australian SYDNEY: woman born without arms and legs after her mother took thalidomide during pregnancy on Wednesday won a landmark multi-million dollar settlement in her class action against drug firms. Lynette Rowe, 50, is leading a mass lawsuit on behalf of people born in Australia and New Zealand with congenital defects between 1958-1970 whose mothers took the sedative thalidomide, made by German

The National Forces Alliance, led by Mahmoud Jibril, has won 39 out of 80 seats reserved for political parties in Libyan polls.

chemical firm Grunenthal. Rowe claims her condition was caused by her mother’s consumption of thalidomide and is suing Grunenthal, defunct British-based distributor The Distillers Company and Diageo, which took control of Distillers in 1997. Lawyers told the Supreme Court in Victoria state that Rowe had reached a confidential settlement in her case with Diageo Wednesday, describing it as a “multi-million dollar

amount”. “(It) will be sufficient to provide a very good level of care for Lyn for the rest of her life,” said Rowe’s counsel, Peter Gordon. Gordon said it was a “fair and consistent” result which showed compassion and understanding for Rowe. Diageo had also agreed to negotiate with other claimants in the case, in which Gordon’s firm said it had been contacted by “over 100 people” including two claims that were now “well advanced”.

Comment

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Open Letter to the Mayor Padmini C padmini.c@postnoon.com

ear Mr Mayor, last month, I sat two hours in your office waiting to meet you. I understand you were too busy and in hindsight I can see why. Spending 125 crores of the tax payers money on a beautification project without seeming silly can be a daunting task. But we are all totally behind you, sir. Let no one at the bio-diversity summit get fodder for a Slumdog Millionaire II from us. I read somewhere that, among other things, you intend to spend Rs 50 crores on drains, Rs 50 crores on sidewalks and some Rs 90 crores on roads, Mr Mayor. But it’s shocking that you forget to budget for the most obvious problem – men of all classes relieving themselves on the sides of roads everywhere. So even if your roads may shine like black gold, and your sidewalks may glisten like the zebras from Serengeti, sir, they will still stink. You have tried everything. Putting tiles of gods on walls. Trying to hypnotize defaulters by writing in big red letters that “You shall not urinate here.” But nothing has worked. So unless you are considering blind-folding all your delegates and putting through a dialogue in the dark experience, here’s an alternative. After considering and discarding options like hidden cameras, electric fences and fines, I hit upon the perfect solution. Have you ever played Paintball, Sir? If you haven’t you must. It is a game where each team tries to eliminate the other by shooting its opponents with a paintball gun that has capsules of contrasting colours that explode on impact. It’s just painful enough and the paint takes forever to wear off. You see where I’m going with this, Sir? Let the most conscientious of traffic cops be armed with paintball guns. And let all offenders caught in the act be shot on the back. Let their punishment be in public. Let everyone know what they did. And the shame them from ever attempting to repeat their offence. The possibilities are infinite. Or you could just build more toilets. But you don’t have the money, do you, Mr Mayor? Regards, A concerned citizen.

Cheers from stands can’t drown 26/11 screams Fusillade Arun Koshy Phillip

”If you want to be respected by others, the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

It’s been barely four years since India was hit by the most audacious terrorist assaults into its territory when the 10-man squad waltzed in through the porous coastal security and unleashed their wrath on India’s commercial capital. If it was not for the selfless sacrifice of a Maharashtra policeman, India wouldn’t have had even a Kasab to save its face. The cleansing agents may have removed the blood stains from the CST and the mammoth railway hub is bustling with activity, but justice remains a distant dream for the dear ones of those who were gunned down. Ever since the attack, India has been doing sabre-rattling, and nothing more, to make Pakistan accountable for its actions. Despite more proof emerging about Pakistan’s institutional involvement in the attack, mostly through work done by foreign intelligence and investigative agencies, Indian resolve to pursue the case has mostly remained on paper. Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Abu Jindal, who has been recently arrested with the help of Saudi Arabian authorities, has revealed the shocking extent of Pakistani agencies’ involvement in orchestrating the 26/11 attacks. Like it does after every provocative incident, India took a tough posture cutting off all engagements with Pakistan for a while — only to concede ground later. While the 26/11 dossiers India sent to Pakistan might soon be requiring a room for storage, any other country (with self-respect, which we are desperately lacking) would have put open bounties for terrorist leaders; and Hafiz Sayeed wouldn’t be roaming the streets organising rallies and protests. Even in the latest round of talks in New Delhi, India was grovelling for action on 26/11 and Pakistan kept to its regular stand of

Editorials

‘requiring credible proof and sharing of information’. Their only real interest was resumption of cricketing ties! And the shameless ‘super-power-to-be’ that we are, it was granted. The government actually left the decision to the cricket associations to take the call. If cricket and sports ties were never part of bilateral relations, this could have been considered a ‘mature’ call. However, that is not the case. And since when has the BCCI, which is not even a government body (actually run by a bunch of businessmen for their interests), been allowed to take decisions on behalf of India? Are the guys at the helm of the government such dimwits that mass entertainment is allowed to be a priority over national interests. The decision to resume cricket ties as ISI smiles smugly sends out a wrong message to Pakistan and Indian public. It is a not-so-subtle declaration that the government would rather have the game raking in crores in revenues for some private stakeholders than stay resolute in its resolve to not go soft on Pakistan and terrorism. Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar has rightly criticised the

BCCI for its decision. While Pakistan has never let up on supporting terrorist activities targeting India, we have have been going out of our way – and at times bending backwards – to woo our bête noire. We have fought four wars; have between us around 400 nuclear weapons meant for allout conflict; miniscule bilateral trade; and continuing acts of terrorism. What is the point in pretending that all the touted ‘confidencebuilding measures’ will bear fruit and we will be best friends one day. We should have the courage to declare Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’ and invest in strengthening our military and intelligence capabilities. Pakistan is nothing but a threat and never a possible friend. Cricket is great fun, millions love it, but the cheering galleries won’t take away the screams of those who were butchered in Mumbai from the nation’s conscience. We must not let BCCI to become Board of Cricket Controlling India.

ASSUMING NEW TITLES is one way dictators beat ennui

his was more or less expected when the army chief Ri Yong-Ho was sacked as part of a reshuffle apparently aimed at tightening Kim Jong-un’s grip on the North Korean military. He has now assumed the title ‘marshal’ of the communist state, a title that was formerly held by his father Kim Jong-il. There is no variance in his powers, for like his father, he has absolute control over the nation of starving proletariat in millions and the army of which he is the supreme commander. But for dictators like him the only feel good apart from wielding absolute power is titles. His father was known for the many: Dear Leader, Fate of the Nation, Shining Star of Paektu Mountain, Ever-Victorious, Iron-Willed Commander, The Great Sun of Life… the list cannot end… Even the gods cannot beat Kim Jong-il when it comes to number of titles. He was everything ‘good’, yet his people starved. Experts say the marshal was the only title left for Kim Jong-un to assume. In a little while, he too shall embark on a title-inventing spree.

The writer works for Postnoon

MARISSA MAYER What a woman!

arissa Mayer is a trailblazer. She was Google’s first woman engineer who looked over its search business. She is also perhaps the first pregnant woman to take the helm of a major company. And she reached this far at 37, a very rare feat. Mayer is truly a beacon of inspiration for the modern woman.

Cinema Paradiso

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

qÜÉ=_Éëí=çÑ Comic-Con 2012 Hemanth Kumar hemanth.k@postnoon.com

Pacific Rim is an epic

uillermo del Toro owned Comic Con this year with the footage of his upcoming sci-fi film Pacific Rim. The film depicts an epic battle between giant monsters and soldiers piloting giant robots. The reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Warner Bros have decided to release Pacific Rim on July 12, 2013.

Blomkamp impresses again

fter the success of District 9, director Neill Blomkamp is back with yet another sci-fi film Elysium starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. The film is set on a ravaged and overpopulated Earth and a space station named Elysium where the elite live. An impressive star cast and a director who blew our brains out in his last outing should make this film an interesting watch. Elysium is going to hit the screens on March 1, 2013.

The beginning of the end

obert Pattinson, Kirsten Stewart owe a lot to Comic Con for their meteoric rise to fame. The Twilight saga has almost come to an end and the film’s team had something special in store for its fans. The first seven minutes of Breaking Dawn Part 2 was premiered to a packed hall at Comic Con which left the fans gasping for more. Later, the young guns charmed the audience with their crackling sense of humour.

Tony Stark charms again

ans of Iron Man fell in love with the footage of Iron Man 3 and the superhero’s armour was unveiled much to everyone’s delight. The best part of the event was Robert Downey Jr himself made a surprise entry to interact with the fans. Marvel Studios has been playing its cards right as far as impressing its fans is concerned. The film is slated for release on May 3, 2013.

It rained stars at the Comic-Con 2012 which was recently held in San Diego. Fans couldn’t have enough of the teasers of some of their favourite superheroes like Iron Man, and Superman and some of them were even seen shedding tears of joy. We find out what made the biggest buzz at this year’s Comic-Con

Tarantino unchains Django

uentin Tarantino dazzled the audience at Comic-Con when he unveiled an eight-minute footage of his upcoming western film Django Unchained. The film starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo Di Caprio and Christopher Waltz is about a slave who becomes a bounty hunter and it has already raised quite a few eyebrows over the depiction of slaves and use of ‘N’ words. The film, which releases on December 25, 2012, is brimming with violence, swear words and a whole lot of Tarantino’s style which makes his films so much fun to watch.

Marvel is full of surprises

he success of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Avengers has given Marvel Studios the license to go on a rampage in cinemas. No wonder it has planned to expand its universe and bring alive superhero films like Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man 3, Thor 2 and Captain America : The Winter Soldier on screen over the next couple of years. We can’t wait to see all this.

Superman’s reboot is actually good!

ack Snyder and Christopher Nolan have teamed up to give Superman the ultimate and much needed makeover. The reboot titled Man of Steel is expected to be grimmer and more stylish than any Superman movie made till date. Apparently, the footage of Man of Steel aired during Comic-Con was so good that some fans of Superman cried out of sheer joy. Now, who would have expected that from a Superman’s film?

Peter Jackson is back again

eter Jackson is back in his familiar turf with his upcoming fantasy film Hobbit. After the stupendous success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, expectations on Hobbit are high and Jackson has pushed the bar higher this time by shooting the film at 48 frames per sec instead of the conventional 24 frames per sec. At Comic Con, he spoke in length about the film and also unveiled the Mondo posters of the characters in Hobbit.

Beware : Godzilla is here

areth Edwards, who took upon the reins to direct the reboot of Godzilla, made quite a huge splash at ComicCon with the first trailer of the film. Now that’s something no one anticipated from this franchise.

The Winter is Coming

he epic fantasy HBO series raised the bar even further. After two successful seasons, the producers of the hit TV series have decided to introduce 14 new characters in Season 3. George RR Martin, who wrote the books on which the series is based on, answered several questions on the story, nudity and what’s coming next in the series.

H‑Factor

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

FOGGY VISION?

Often associated with old age, cataract is a reality for several youngsters and children as well thanks to various factors Ranjani Rajendra ranjani.r@postnoon.com

t is often dismissed as an age-related ailment that can be easily dealt with when the time comes. But cataract is a reality for many youngsters as well due to various factors. In fact, cataract is said to be responsible for nearly 50 to 80 per cent of the bilaterally blind in India. Although a condition that can be reversed with surgery, putting it off or ignoring the signs could rob people of their vision. In fact, so high was the incidence of blindness due to cataract that coordinated national efforts were put in place to reduce the number. Where in the 1980s some 1.2 million cataract surgeries were conducted in the country, the number soared to a whopping 3.9 million by 2003. This could be partially responsible for the dip in blindness resulting due to cataract.

What is cataract “Cataract is the reduced opacity of the lens in the eye. This affects a person’s vision and over time can lead to decreased or loss of vision,” says Dr Juhi, a Hyderabad-based consultant ophthalmologist. Usually the lens in the human eye can change shape till the age of 45. This allows the lens to focus on objects, but with age the protein in the lens begin to break down thereby clouding the lens. However, cataract can also affect the young in certain cases. “If a youngster has been on steroid medication for a prolonged period of time or has some kind of exposure to radiation then he/she can also have a cataract. The condition can also occur in infants (congenital cataract) due to an intrauterine infection in the mother when the baby is inutero,” says Dr Juhi. “Congenital cataract, metabolic disorders, chronic smoking and alcohol use and some side effects of steroids can cause cataract in youngsters,” explains Dr Rajesh Parekh, ophthalmologist and medical director at Sanjeevani Netralaya, Bangalore.

Symptoms Symptoms of cataract include

clouding of vision, sensitivity to glare, difficulty seeing things in dim light or at night, double vision, loss of colour intensity and halos around lights. In children symptoms could include cloudiness of the pupil, the child’s inability to see, the red eye missing in photos or difference in both the eyes and an unusual rapid eye movement.

Treatment “Cataract surgery by either

extracapsular cataract surgery and manual small incision cataract surgery or by phacoemulsification is an option. Laser surgery which uses laser to make an incision and capsulorhexis and divide the nucleus of the cataract is one of the latest techniques being used. In both cases intra-ocular lenses are implanted,” says Dr Rajesh. He goes on to add, “Cost of surgery depends on the method used — manual, phacoemulsification or laser and

Daytime naps could be early sign of dementia

the intraocular lenses being used for implant. The cost could range from as less as `700 to `1 lakh.” However, there is no preventive measure. “Cataract progression does not have any proven method. However, studies have shown progression of cataracts can be slowed by avoiding UV light, not smoking, and a healthy diet. Wearing UVprotection sunglasses when exposed to sunlight can be helpful,” says Dr Rajesh.

LONDON: Napping frequently during daytime could be an early sign of dementia, or may even prompt it — so beware, say neurologists. They have linked excessive sleep and problems with thinking in the elderly. Many older people take 40 winks, and it is usually only because they need physical rest from exertion. But French researchers who looked at results from 5,000 people over 65 years found the fifth who regularly took long naps scored lower in mental ability tests, according to the Telegraph. Claudine Berr, from the Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medical (Inserm), told the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Vancouver: “These results suggest that excessive daytime sleepiness may be an early predictor of cognitive decline.” In another study, also presented in Vancouver, American researchers found that routinely sleeping more than nine hours a night, or less than five, was linked to lower mental ability. Elizabeth Devore from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, looked at 15,000 former nurses over 70. She and colleagues also found those who slept too much or too little exhibited chemical brain changes indicative of early Alzheimer’s, which is the commonest form of dementia. She said that over time, “extreme sleep durations... may contribute to cognitive decline and early Alzheimer’s”, and not simply be a passive sign of them. Marie Janson of Alzheimer’s Research in Britain said: “There is already some evidence linking sleep duration and disturbances to cardiovascular health and diabetes. So it is not surprising to see studies examining how sleep might affect cognitive ability over time.” IANS

H‑Factor

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

US approves first-ever pill for HIV prevention US regulators on Monday approved a daily pill that can be used to prevent HIV in unaffected adults who are at the chance of getting Aids. The pill can be used in combination with safe sex and testing WASHINGTON: The first-ever daily pill to help prevent against HIV was approved Monday by US regulators for use in uninfected adults who are at risk for getting the virus that causes AIDS. Truvada, made by Gilead Sciences in California, has been on the market since 2004 and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for a new use as a tool to help ward off HIV in otherwise healthy people, in combination with safe sex and regular testing. The pill as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been hailed by some AIDS experts as a potent new tool against human immunodeficiency virus, but some health care providers are concerned it could encourage risky sex behaviour. In addition, the regimen is

estimated to cost around $14,000 per year, making it out of reach of many. “Truvada alone should not be used to prevent HIV infection,” said Debra Birnkrant, director of the division of antiviral products at the FDA. “Truvada as PrEP represents another effective, evidencebased approach that can be added to other prevention methods to help reduce the spread of HIV.” The FDA said Truvada should be used as “part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy that includes other prevention methods, such as safe sex practices, risk reduction counseling, and regular HIV testing.” Truvada was previously approved as a treatment for

people infected with HIV to be used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs. The decision by the FDA followed the advice of an independent panel in May that supported Truvada for prevention in uninfected people, after clinical trials showed it could lower the risk of HIV in gay men and heterosexual couples. One study on Truvada, called the iPrEx trial, published in 2010 in the New England Journal of Medicine included 2,499 men who were sexually active with other men but were not infected with the virus that causes AIDS. Participants were selected at random to take a daily dose of

HOUSECALL

APP-LY YOURSELF

Concussions

Diet Point

oncussion refers to an injury to the brain that usually occurs following a jolt to the head. It is said that in most cases of concussions the person who suffers from one does not lose conciousness and usually doesn’t notice many symptoms till later on. Anyone can suffer a concussion. Common causes include a head injury from any kind of accident, fall, sports injury or assault. People who fall often are more prone to concussions. The symptoms for concussions include headaches, dizziness, nausea, visual disturbances, anxiety and poor memory.

ow many times have you wished for a personal weight loss trainer who would help you through the entire process of what to eat and what not to eat? Diet Point is an app which acts like a personal weight-loss trainer. The app includes diet plans, a BMI and BMR calculator, grocery list planner, access to online weight-loss forums and much more. The app is available for both apple and android users. The app costs $13.99 for a three months subscription and $44.99 for a one-year premium subscription.

Truvada — a combination of 200 milligrams of emtricitabine and 300 milligrams of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate — or a placebo. Those in the study who took the drug regularly had almost 73 percent fewer infections. Across the entire study, including those who had not been as diligent in taking Truvada, there were 44 percent fewer infections than in those who took a placebo. A second study on 4,758 heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not, showed that Truvada reduced the risk of becoming infected by 75 per cent compared with a placebo. Experts have described the results as game-changing and the first demonstration that an already-approved oral drug could decrease the likelihood of HIV infections. Common side effects were the same as experienced by people with HIV who were taking Truvada, and included diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal pain, headache, and weight loss. However, adherence rates — meaning how often people in the study actually took the drug daily — were low in the study of men who have sex with men, just 30 per cent, Birnkrant said. In the study of heterosexual partners, adherence was much higher, between 80 and 90 percent. Therefore, the drug label must include special instructions for health care providers on how to counsel potential users of the drug. The drugmaker must also include a warning that Truvada for PrEP “must only be used by individuals who are confirmed to be HIV-negative prior to prescribing the drug and at least every three months during use.” As to concerns about whether the pill might boost risky sex practices and lead people to abandon condoms as a first line of protection, Birnkrant said the studies have not shown that so far.The goal of the approval is to eventually cut back on new infections in the US. GLOBAL POST

Fillings linked to behaviour problems Researchers found that children with plastic fillings had more behaviour problems than those who did not Alexander Besant

new study is linking dental fillings with behaviour changes in children. Researchers, using data from the previous study known as The New England Children’s Amalgam Trial, found that children with plastic fillings had slightly worse behaviour problems than those without. Children with these fillings were said to have higher rates of anxiety, depression and social stress. “Some tooth-coloured fillings known as composites were associated with worse social behaviour in children age 11 to 16 at the end of the study,” say study co-author Nancy Maserejian of the New England Research Institutes, reported WebMed. “The composites that were associated with these problems include a chemical called bisGMA.” The chemical bisphenol A or BPA is used to create bisGMA, said WebMed. According to CNN, BPA is an industrial chemical used in hard plastic products like cans and certain bottles since the 1960s Many environmental groups have called for banning the chemical, which has been linked to brain and gland problems after a report in 2008. The researchers of the current study pointed out that the levels of BPA in the children had not been measured. “There is a strong suggestion that the associations may be causal, but we can’t be certain,” said Maserejian, according to HealthDay. The study is published in Pediatrics. GLOBAL POST

DID YOU KNOW? India is the diabetes capital

sians are said to be five times more prone to diabetes than people from countries. Of these Indians are the most prone hence India is commonly referred to as the diabetes capital of the world. According to statistics, there are 40 million people with diabetes in India and by 2025 this number may increase to 70 million. This increase would mean that every fifth diabetic in the world would then be an Indian. The reason for this increase is said to be the growing rate of obesity among Indians and their genetic intolerance towards insulin. According to statistics, annually 3.2 million people around the world die due to diabetes.

Spotlight

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012 DEEPAK DESHPANDE

LOVELY HITS A CENTURY

1 2

Stars came down to partake in the success meet for Lovely which took place at the Daspalla hotel on Tuesday. 5

4 5 6

8 9 10 11

Manjula Narsa with friends Sunil Jaya Adi Puri Jagannath & VV Vinayak

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The tenth annual session of installation ceremony organised by FICCI ladies was a gala function with the ladies turning up in their stylish best at the event. DEEPAK DESHPANDE 9

Nagarjuna Dasari Narayana Rao Parachuri Venkateswara Rao Jayanth Raghavendra Rao Rekha Reddy

FICCIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grand celebration

3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12

Gurleen Bagga Brijlatha, Namita, Ruti Agarwal Karthika Reddy Pallavi Mourya, Swapna Manjula, Sami Swathi Reddy Mansi Mallak Pinky Reddy Kamini Saraf Padma Reddy Manjula Reddy

Magic Screen

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

NAGARJUNA

T-TOWN TWEETIES

as Shirdi Sai

@snehaullalheart Beautiful morning in Mumbai... drops of heaven, windy and dull lighting. Romantic.

he principal shooting of Nagarjuna’s upcoming devotional film Shirdi Sai will be wrapped up on July 26 in Shirdi. Nagarjuna will be accompanied by Amala, Naga Chaitanya and Akhil, along with the entire film unit to can the last shot in the Shirdi Sai Baba temple. We hear that a special train has been booked which will leave Hyderabad on July 25 with the entire team of Shirdi Sai. K Raghavendra Rao has directed the film and A Mahesh Reddy has produced it. MM Keeravani has composed the music. Shirdi Sai’s audio will be launched on July 30 and the film is expected to hit the screens on September 6.

@taapsee Gudmrng twitpals! Can’t believe I'll have to say dis bt Leh is damn hot! Lyk less oxygen n high temperature wid all action adventure sequences.

@shrutihaasan Ok I laugh at English men doesn't mean I’m in England and if I eat Chinese food doesn’t mean I’m in China :/ twitter clarification lol.

UKUP’s release advanced M anchu Manoj, Balakrishna starrer Uu Kodathara Ulikki Padathara has a new release date. Earlier, the film was being planned for release on August 2; however, Lakshmi Manchu has confirmed on Twitter that the film’s release has been advanced to July 27. Lakshmi Manchu, Deeksha Seth, Sonu Sood and Sai Kumar have played important roles in this action entertainer. Sekhar Raja has directed the film and Lakshmi Manchu has produced it. Bobo Sashi has composed the music. Most part of the film was shot at a huge set erected in the outskirts of Hyderabad. The set, which has been named as Gandharva Mahal, alone cost around `6.5 crore.

@actressanjjanaa Wat are the best apps and also msg me the usage of the application in iPhone 4s ppl !!

@prakashraaj Hyd 2 Mysore. Gouravam. Its gonna be a supa week. It’s always been a joy with team duet movies.

@shraddhadas43 Completed around 1000 kicks and 500 punches today in my kickboxing session coupled with yoga asanas... I feel great!

Jiiva plays a superhero in

MUGAMOODI

iiva will soon be seen as a superhero in Mysskin’s upcoming bilingual film Mugamoodi. The film is about a man who fights against injustice and corruption in the society. Jiiva, Pooja Hegde and Narain have played lead roles in this superhero film. UTV Motion Pictures have produced the Tamil version. We hear that RB Chowdhary has bought the Telugu rights of this film and he’s going to launch the first look of Mugamoodi’s Telugu version in early August. Confirming the news, Dhananjayan Govind, Head of UTV South, said, “Mugamoodi — Telugu version has been bought by Megaa Super Good Films last night. The bilingual will release simultaneously on August 31. It will be released in Telugu by RB Chaudary sir of Megaa Super Good Films. Title to be announced in the 1st week of Aug with audio.”

@Actor_Siddharth India to play Pakistan again at home... hope the umpires don’t take as much time to dismiss an individual as the Indian judicial system does.

@_Hansika Addicted to the song fakte you from Joker — @TheFarahKhan. @ashishraikar @ShirishKunder

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

‘Saifeena’ wedding likely in December T he date and venue of Bollywood’s most eagerly-awaited wedding between the star couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor still remains elusive with Saif Ali Khan revealing that the marriage is postponed to the yearend and not going to happen in London contrary to the buzz. Earlier, Saif’s mother Sharmila Tagore had said that her son would tie the knot with Kareena on October 16 at Pataudi Palace in Pataudi village. However, the 41-year-old actor said that the event was not immediately round the corner as being reported. “I have not fixed a date for the wedding yet. It is going to be a year-end wedding,” Saif said. Discounting the B-town buzz that the ceremony will take place in London, Saif said, “The wedding is not happening in London for sure. Rest all details about the wedding I can’t talk as it is our private matter. It is personal”. PTI

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

B-TOWN TWEETIES

@bipsluvurself Happy Birthday @priyankachopra! Have a super birthday! May all ur wishes come true! Beautiful place to celebrate ur bday! Lucky Girl! Love!

@SrBachchan T 808 - Time spent with the little one is timeless!! Words and expressions being attempted... the best moments now!!

@NeilNMukesh Is there any actor in India who can match up to the level of action of ONG BAK? - I don’t think so. Just brilliance. Tony Jaa. The best.

@deespeak

Multi-shaded characters excite Aman Verma

ctor Aman Verma, best known for his cameos in movies like Baghban and Baabul, says that he opts for roles with many shades. The 40-year-old will be next seen in Haare Ka Sahara, a family drama based on social issues and says that his character goes through various phases. “... I am the only character who starts from being good, turns into grey, finally becomes completely black only to realise his falling and then he comes back to being white (good) again. There are a range of emotions. The change in the character appealed to me,” Aman said. Talking about the story, he says that “The film shows a story about how a family breaks up when an outsider enters it”. “It’s not a very tough role. It is the story of any family which could be based in Delhi or Mumbai. I didn’t have to do anything much,” he added. IANS

“I’ll miss kids watching my film” A

fter playing Aakhri Pasta in Sajid Khan’s Housefull, Chunky Pandey will be seen as Baba 3G in sex comedy Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum. He says he would regret losing young audiences with the film. Describing his character as a “fraud who talks to God on the mobile phone”, he added humoursly: “I think I will have to leave the country after the film releases because of my character. But it’s interesting.” Talking about the audiences, he said: “The last film I did was a mass entertainer. Kids loved that film and they asked me when I was coming back. And now I can’t tell them that I am coming back as Baba 3G in a sex comedy. I will miss the kids watching this film but I am sure that many of them will run away from homes to watch the film.” IANS

In a rush to ‘spread’ the news a very sacred code is broken time and time again — responsible reporting. #whenwillwelearn.

@kunalkohli Off to Germany. Stuttgart, for the Bollywood and Beyond Festival.

@salim_merchant After a fab concert in London we went out to Ronnie Scott’s last nt in Soho for some great jazz and now going to watch Madonna at Hyde park.

@RGVzoomin “@pranavreddy4RGV: one person is never one person... he’s a different person with every different person he meets.”

@ActorMadhavan A Huge Shout out to JEEV Milkha Singh for winning the Scottish Open... Am sooo happy and proud of you buddy. Way to go. Yipeeee.

Magic Screen

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Magic Screen

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Magic Screen

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

The glamour behind the glitz

Miley Cyrus

turns blonde M

iley Cyrus showed fans her new brighter hairdo, via Twitter. The pop star posted a photo to her Twitter account showcasing her bright blonde tresses in a pose with pursed lips. She also made a blonde joke in her post, writing “Now that I’m blonde I gotta give duck lips in every photo.”Just last week she showed off her new tattoo, a quote from President Theodore Roosevelt, which she got on the inside of her left arm. This is not the first time when this 19year-old changed her look. Before turning totally blonde, Miley had auburn hair.

Brian McFadden saves Justin Bieber B

rian McFadden saved Justin Bieber from a fan who stormed the stage during his performance on Australia’s Got Talent. Amilia Radevska bypassed increased security and approached the singer at the end of his appearance on the show. Radevska is said to have kicked and shouted “stop it Brian”, and was then restrained by McFadden while host Grant Denyer interviewed Bieber. “I was looking around and saw a crack in security and thought ‘Now or never,” 14-year-old Radevska said. “He told me he loved me and it was all okay before I was dragged.”

Mandy Moore and hubby to work together

inger Mandy Moore will be collaborating with her singer-songwriter husband Ryan Adams for her follow-up album to the 2009 release Amanda Leigh. “I’m probably going to work with my husband on this album. I’m not sure necessarily in what capacity, but we’ve been writing a little bit together. There’s a lot to say and a lot that’s happened to me in the last three or so years since the last record’s come out. So I have been writing a lot.”

Chai Time

KAKURO

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

SCRIBBLING PAD

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Attacks verbally (with ‘into’) 5 Flower near a mill? 11 ‘Up, up and away’ defunct flier 14 At the crest of 15 Beginning with ‘dynamic’ or ‘nuclear’ 16 Actor McShane of ‘Deadwood’ 17 Christmas carols may put one in this 19 Cold War aircraft 20 Civil War soldier in gray (Abbr) 21 Put together, as a model 23 Hedgehog mascot of Sega 26 January, in some dates 27 Closer to raw, as a steak 28 1986 Oliver Stone movie 30 Indiana NBA team 31 Beat one's gums 32 Card game like rummy 35 Residence visited in summer, perhaps 40 Lazy person's state 41 Flossing-endorsing org 43 Decorative necktie 46 Arrogant attitude 49 1980s Mideast envoy Philip 50 ‘... a pocket full of ___’ 52 Antique-car starter 53 Similar version 55 Spoon-bender Geller 56 ‘___ only money!’ 57 1970s fashion statement 62 ‘What'd I tell you?’ 63 Field hockey positions 64 Cantina munchie 65 Make a mistake 66 Corporate jet maker 67 ‘... bad as they ___’ DOWN 1 ‘Let's go, team!’ 2 ‘How was ___ know?’ 3 Capitol Hill figure, briefly 4 ‘Guest of honor’ at a seance 5 Attack with a dagger 6 ‘___ will be done’ 7 Furnish with new personnel

8 Having an irregularly gnawed edge 9 Andy's partner in old radio 10 In a medium tempo 11 Quality of a singing voice 12 Bob Marley backup 13 Arouses wrath in 18 Art ___ (1920s-'30s style) 22 Former Portuguese territory in China 23 ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, ___’ 24 Any of several kings of Norway 25 California wine valley 26 Broadcasting now 29 Certain chamber music group 30 ‘Fiddle-faddle!’ 33 ‘Believe it or ___!’

34 Absinthe flavor 36 Type of servant or engineer 37 Like some steroids 38 ‘The Thorn Birds,’ for one 39 First lady's residence? 42 40 days and 40 nights boat 43 ‘Longue’ chair 44 Blusterer 45 Badmouther 47 Land measurement 48 Batches of grain for the mill 50 Acropolis attractions 51 ‘For’ words 54 Trait

SUDOKU

determiner 55 Celestial bear 58 Banquet coffeepot 59 Abu Dhabi's federation (Abbr) 60 ‘Cool’ target for a yegg? 61 Rocker Petty PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. – Herm Albright

Chai Time STAR POWER

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 19-7-2012

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

All tasks undertaken will be completed successfully. Some have bright chances to buy a plot or house. Obstacles for lovers will disappear. Loan applied for son's education will get sanctioned.

Hurdles in planned work will go. Suc‑ cess will be achieved as per expecta‑ tions. Professionals, especially lawyers have a boom time. House construction will start as loan gets sanctioned.

Expenses will increase with happy ev‑ ents at home. Business‑related journey undertaken will be successful and yield expected results. Politicians feel relaxed as opposition become inactive.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Avoid standing guarantee for anyone. Businessmen can plan new invest‑ ments but if done in the name of spo‑ use, it will bring good gains. Un‑ expected good news on the cards.

You will complete work that seemed difﬁcult to you earlier and was kept on hold. Pending dues will come with which you will clear small loans. Care‑ ful during travel; you could lose money.

Health need to taken care of. Ailments related to stomach likely. A major por‑ tion of debts will get cleared. Work may get delayed as also travel, Friends, relatives will extend timely support.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

All expectations will get fulﬁlled. All new efforts initiated will be successful. Enemies will become inactive. Court verdicts will come to a turning point and verdict will go in your favour.

Marriage will be settled for those of whom it was delayed. Intercaste love also will achieve success. Father's health is a cause for concern. Busi‑ nessmen will earn bigger margins.

Ego clashes between couples will go; tension and hurdles faced will be over. Parents' health need to be taken care of well. Held‑up house construction will resume and progress well.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Fatherʼs medical expenses will go up. Eye problem likely. Misunderstanding with in‑laws will be cleared. Avoid arguments and harsh talk. Unexpected fortune through spouse likely.

Though you might delay taking deci‑ sions you will be active in implement‑ ing them once decided. Avoid getting tensed even over minor problems. Plan work properly before execution.

Some have a bright chance to go abro‑ ad. Employees' elevation on the cards. Be cordial with blood relatives. Par‑ ents' health needs good attention. Be careful while driving; avoid being rash.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 19-7-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

The Tower – Finish all pending ﬁnancial matters, especially papers that need to be submitted to the tax consultant, etc. You never know how long it will take.

Six of Cups – Busi‑ ness tours are in the pipeline. You will feel great about the time you get to spend wi‑ th yourself. Organise the next few weeks to reduce stress.

The Magician – This is a time for change, and you might actu‑ ally like it. You may have to move jobs, check out new loca‑ tions and avenues in career.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

King of Wands – Re‑ check details of your monthly spending patterns to cut down on unnecessary ex‑ penses. You may be able to save by mak‑ ing minor changes.

Three of Pentacles – Put your heart and soul into your work. Only then will you see the desired results. While work‑ ing, though, donʼt focus on the results.

Four of Wands – The less information you give to people, the less theyʼll inter‑ fere in your life. Be guarded about who you share details with.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Ace of Wands – Sudden changes and alterations in your lifestyle are making you uncomfortable. These are not in your control. But you wish they were.

The Sun – You dis‑ cover relationships, friendships and love. You also discover how all can co‑exist in one person. Mar‑ riage begins to take on new meaning.

Nine of Wands – You want to be left alone. But make sure you donʼt get too lonely. Stop worrying about what people think about you. Only you know your struggles.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

Judgement – Donʼt be in a hurry to reveal too much information. Keep people guessing and let them decide when to ask you about it. Focus on your spiritual health.

Seven of Cups – A five‑year‑plan will make things crystal clear. You will know where youʼre headed and what kind of decisions to make in order to get to goals.

Seven of Swords – Youʼre tired of run‑ ning around. You wish you were a lit‑ tle younger so you had time on your side. Youʼre doing the best you can.

SOLUTIONS

Boggle CLAM SNAIL MUSSEL OYSTER OCTOPUS

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No 366 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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WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

DAYS TO GO

DID YOU KNOW...? n Javelin is an event which is held in both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon. n On 1 April 1986, the men's javelin (800 grams (1.76 lb)) was redesigned by the governing body (the IAAF Technical Committee). They decided to change the rules for javelin construction because of the increasingly frequent flat landings and the resulting discussions and protests when these attempts were declared valid or invalid by competition judges.

LEGENDS OF THE SPORT Osleidys Menéndez (born November 14, 1979) is a Cuban athlete competing in the javelin throw. She is a former Olympic champion, world champion, and world record holder. She has been described as the female "Jan Železný" of her times. She won the Olympics gold at the 2004 games in Athens. Four years earlier, in 2000, she won the bronze medal at the Sydney Games.

Andreas Thorkildsen (born April 1, 1982) is a Norwegian javelin thrower. He is the first male javelin thrower to be European champion, World champion and Olympic champion. He was an Olympic champion in 2004 and 2008, European champion in 2006 and 2010, World Champion in 2009 as well as a three time silver medalist at the World championships in 2005, 2007 and in 2011.

SUPER SPEARS

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n Traditional free-weight training is often used by javelin throwers. Metal-rod exercises as well as resistance band exercises can be used to train a similar action to the javelin throw to increase the power and the intensity. Without proper strength and flexibility, the javelin throwers can become extremely injury prone, especially in the shoulder and elbow.

J AV E L I N 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 9 Women's Javelin Throw August 11 Men's Javelin Throw

Javelin competition, athletes must throw the javelin as far as possible. The javelin in the men's competition is 2.7m long and weighs at least 800g while in the women's competition it is 2.2m long and weighs at least 600g. Using a run-up the athlete must release the javelin before the end of the runway and must then launch the javelin with the use of a single hand held over the shoulder. The distance that the javelin has travelled is measured from the end of the runway (atheletes running area) to the point where the javelin first touches the ground, which must be within the lines of the throwing sector. The javelin

THE LINGO Sector: The javelin is thrown towards a "sector" covering an angle of 28,96 degrees extending outwards from the arc at the end of the runway. A throw is legal only if the tip of the javelin lands within this sector, and the tip strikes the ground before any other part of the javelin. The distance of the throw is measured from the throwing arc to the point where the tip of the javelin landed, rounded down to the nearest centimeter. must land on its tip for the throw to be a valid one.

Competition format In all throwing events, ath-

letes start with a qualifying round. Taking turns to throw, 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 throws have been completed, all athletes who have achieved the qualifying distance go through to the final. If the case where there are fewer than 12 athletes who achieve the expected qualifying standard, the best 12 athletes go through. In the final, all the qualified athletes have three initial throws, with the top eight after the first three rounds then having a further chance of three throws. The athlete who performs best is the one

with the longest throw and 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.

The basics 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 JAVELIN THROW

uring the era between the Mycenaean times and the Roman Empire, the javelin was a commonly used offensive weapon. Being lighter than the spear, the javelin would be thrown rather than thrust and thus allowed long distance attacks

against one’s enemy. Athletes, however, used javelins that were much lighter than military ones because the idea of the event was to demonstrate distance rather than penetration. The one major difference between the javelin of the ancient games and the

javelin of more modern times is a leather thong, called an ankyle that was wound around the middle of the shaft. Athletes would hold the javelin by the thong and when the javelin released this thong unwound giving the javelin a spiraled flight.

The javelin throw has a particularly strong tradition in the Nordic nations of Europe. Of the 69 Olympic medals that have been awarded in the men's javelin, 32 have gone to competitors from Norway, Sweden, or Finland.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

29 1

DAYS TO GO

SA’S SWIMMING HOPES JOHANNESBURG: Two of South Africa's top medal hopes for the Olympics lie with swimmers, a traditional backbone of the country's performance at the global sporting event. Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos (right) are considered strong contenders to break the 2008 medal drought in the Beijing pool. Despite a respected swimming tradition with the likes of multi-Olympians Penny Heyns and Ryk Neethling, the swimming team didn't walk to the podium once and the country returned home with just one medal. But Van der Burgh, 24, a current world record holder in breaststroke, is determined to bring back gold and fulfil a childhood dream. "We want to nail it. We know we have the opportunity. Now we just have to make sure the hard work and effort we put in will pay off," he told AFP. "I'm feeling really excited," the cheerful finance student from the University of Pretoria said of his prospects in the 100-metre breaststroke. Even a break-in at his home in Pretoria didn't dampen his excitement. Housebreakers stole the medals he won at the world championships just before he left for Europe and his final preparations. "But I gotta keep positive," he said.

Congress members demand for ‘madein-US’ uniforms

2 3

WASHINGTON:

Touted as Africa's only home-grown swimming world record-holder, Van der Burgh stayed on with South Africa's former head coach Dirk Lange after the team's dismal performance in Beijing. Lange now coaches the German team and Van der Burgh sometimes trains with them. The Commonwealth champion in India two years ago in both the 50m and 100m breaststroke, he swam the fourth fastest time this year in the 100m event. In London he'll face tough competition from Japanese Kosuke Kitajima, who holds the Olympic record. And Van der Burgh is quite aware of expectations. "It's a great honour for

We want to nail it. We know we have the opportunity. Now we just have to make sure the hard work and effort we put in will pay off. Cameron van der Burgh, South African swimmer me to be seen as one of SA's biggest medal hopefuls. Yes, there's pressure, but it's encouraging to know that people are putting their faith in me," he said. He'll certainly hope to

improve on the last Games, where he fell out in the semi-finals. Younger teammate le Clos has his sights set on the 200m butterfly. One of South Africa's brightest up-and-coming stars, the 20-year-old last year won the World Cup title, only the third South African to do so after Neethling and Van der Burgh. A self-confessed bad loser and extremely competitive, he won five gold medals in the youth Olympics in Singapore two years ago and two in the last Commonwealth Games. But he's up against tough competition in renowned Olympian Michael Phelps from the United States, who won eight gold in Beijing. AFP

Indian athletes lose doping case NEW DELHI: The six Indian athletes, who were caught for steroid doping last year, lost their case in the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne, Switzerland as it upheld the IAAF's appeal to impose two-year ban on them. A NADA panel had handed a one-year ban on them, including Asian Games double gold medallist Ashwini Akkunji, on the ground that they did not know that the food supplement they were provided by their coach contained prohibited su-

bstance. But the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) appealed to the CAS against NADA’s decision, stating that the athletes should not be given any lenient treatment and should be banned for two years provided under the rules. The CAS decided the case in favour of the IAAF and the athletes will serve a two year ban. "The IAAF's appeal has been upheld by CAS and the six Indian athletes have lost their case. The operative part is not known and it will come later," an Athletics Federation of India source said. PTI

Fifty-nine members of the US Congress, in an angry letter Tuesday, urged the US Olympic Committee to guarantee American athletes wear American-made uniforms at future Olympic games. Their broadside follows last week's revelation that Team USA's uniforms for the London games, styled by iconic American designer Ralph Lauren, are made in China, the principal source of garments imported into the United States. "We are outraged," began the bipartisan letter addressed to Olympic Committee chief executive Scott Blackmun (in pic), and initiated by Democratic congressmen Pete Stark of California and Mike Michaud of Maine. "At a time when so many Americans are still searching for work, it is offensive that the USOC would not support our workers and their families by manufacturing the uniforms here," it said. "Team USA should wear uniforms that evoke more than just an image, but actual labor from workers and raw materials from America. AFP

4 5 6 7 8 9 v

10v 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21

Indian rowing team arrives at Games village LONDON: The Indian rowing team arrived in the British capital for the upcoming Olympics but instead of the regular athletes Village, the three-member team checked into a special Rowing Village at the Royal Holloway here. The Rowing Village is over 60 miles from the Games Village at Stratford. The Royal Holloway is a constituent College of the University of London and was founded in 1879. PTI

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Playing Field

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

The games people play

Tiger praises Mandela LYTHAM: Tiger Woods was among the world’s top golfers at the British Open who paid tribute to South African icon Nelson Mandela on Tuesday, the eve of the inspirational statesman’s 94th birthday. Mandela, jailed for 27 years by a white-minority regime, brought peaceful democracy to once-apartheid South Africa and became the nation’s first black president to global acclaim. Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the all-time record of 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus, was the first black player to win a major title with a record-shattering 1997 Masters victory at Augusta National Golf Club.

Golf spectators wearing tiger suits wait for Tiger Woods of the US at Royal Lytham and St Annes in Lytham, north-west England, Tuesday ahead of the 2012 British Open Golf Championship which begins on Thursday. AFP/ PETER MUHLY to Mandela’s home, where his late father Earl joined him in visiting the leader. “It was incredible meeting him for the first time,” Woods said. “My dad and I, we walk in, they said, ‘OK just go into this living room.’ And we walk in and I look at my dad and I said, ‘Hey Pops, do you feel that? It feels different in here.’ “He said, ‘Yeah, I feel the same way.’ We are just standing

there looking at some of the things on the wall. And over in the corner was President Mandela. He was over there just meditating in the corner and it was just a different feeling in the room.” England’s Lee Westwood has also found Mandela an inspiration. “He’s obviously a very special man,” Westwood said. “He sacrificed a lot. I was fortunate enough to meet him a few years

England, SA battle for No 1 spot Colin Bryden

LONDON: England will defend their ranking as the top Test team in the world when they come up against a strong South African side in the first of three Test matches at the Oval on Thursday. The pre-match build-up has concentrated on two outstanding fast bowling attacks — but, as England fast bowler James Anderson and South African allrounder Jacques Kallis pointed out on Tuesday, the bowlers will have to get past some outstanding batsmen. “It’s the two best teams in the

Oz announce T20 World Cup squad SYDNEY: Australia announced their squad for the World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka from September 18 to October 7. It will be trimmed to 15 players ahead of the event: The Squad: George Bailey, Travis Birt, Dan Christian, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Laughlin, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Dirk Nannes, Stephen O’Keefe, Tim Paine, Rob Quiney, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Adam Voges, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White. AFP

Jim Slater

One year after his historic victory, Woods met then-President Mandela and found a charismatic figure like none other he had seen before or since. “He has such a presence and aura about him unlike anyone I’ve ever met,” Woods said Tuesday. “He has meant so much to so many people around the world, not just in South Africa.” Woods recalled the invitation

world,” said Anderson. “Both bowling attacks have been successful over the past 12 to 18 months but if you look at both batting line-ups they’re potentially as strong as well. It’s going to be a clash of two really good teams.” Meawhile Kallis added: “It’s going to be an interesting battle to see who comes out on top. Both sides have got good batters as well. It’s going to be a fantastic series.” South Africa edged England 2-1 in 2008, the last time the two teams met in England, but England have been unbeaten at home since then, rising to

number one in the world rankings under captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower. However, South Africa have not lost an away series since they were beaten in Sri Lanka in 2006. They are ranked third but will take the top place from England if they win the series. Anderson, Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan have become a formidable fast bowling force for England. But South Africa have some heavy artillery as well in Dale Steyn, the world’s topranked bowler, the tall Morne Morkel and the accurate Vernon Philander.

back. He’s an inspiration of mine, an inspirational character.” Golf’s World No. 1, Luke Donald of England, wished Mandela the best despite having never met him. “What Mr. Mandela went through, and to have the attitude that he came out with, that’s something not many people could do in their lives and obviously I wish him all the best,” Donald said.

Mixed fortunes for Olympic hopefuls CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA: London Olympic hopefuls had mixed results Tuesday at the WTA hardcourt event in Carlsbad, which offers them a final chance to warm up for the Summer Games tennis competition at Wimbledon. Fifth seed Christina McHale, due to join Venus and Serena Williams and Varvara Lepchenko on the US Olympic team, battled past Australian Jarmila Gajdosova, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5. New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic, also headed to the Olympics, beat British Olympic hope Anne Keothavong 6-4, 6-0 in just over an hour and a quarter with five breaks of the Brit’s serve. “It was a tricky first round. Anne comes out hitting some big balls,” said the Kiwi ranked 47th. “She doesn’t give you much rhythm, but just getting into the match and settling down helped.” McHale may have picked up some extra fighting spirit from her visit on Monday to the retired aircraft carrier USS Midway, now a floating museum docked in nearby San Diego harbor. AFP

Playing Field

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

The games people play

PSG lure Ibrahimovic away from AC Milan PARIS: PARIS: Paris Saint Germain have signed AC Milan’s Swedish international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic subject to him passing a medical, the French club’s sporting director Leonardo told AFP on Tuesday. The 30-year-old — who has previously played for among others Barcelona and Juventus — will be paid a reported 15 million euros ($18.4 million) a year, making him the highest-paid player in Ligue 1, should he pass a medical on Wednesday morning. He will then be officially unveiled at a press conference at around 1400GMT. Leonardo — a former player and coach of AC Milan — had finalised the deal with more talks on Tuesday after intensive negotiations last Thursday and Friday with the cash-strapped Italian giants willing to sell for the right price. “We’ve reached agreement, the deal is done: Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of our players, he’ll write history for Paris Saint-Germain,” Leonardo was quoted as saying by Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport on their

Zlatan Ibrahimovic factfile

actfile on Swedish international captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he agreed on Tuesday to sign for Ligue 1 side Paris Saint Germain: Zlatan Ibrahimovic n Birthdate: October 3 1981 n Birthplace: Malmo, Sweden n Position: Striker n Clubs: Malmo (SWE/1999-2001), Ajax (NED/2001-2004), Juventus (ITA/2004-2006), Inter Milan (ITA/2006-2009), Barcelona (ESP/2009-2010), AC Milan (ITA/2010-12), Paris SG (on condition of passing medical on Wednesday) Honours: n World Club Cup: 2009 n Spanish title: 2010 n Serie A: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 n Dutch title: 2002, 2004 n Dutch Cup: 2002 n Intl career: 80 caps (33 goals) n First cap: Sweden v Faroe Islands (0-0), January 31 2001 n Last cap: Sweden v France (2-0 he scored the first goal) Euro 2012 Group match June 19 AFP/ FRANCK FIFE

website. The Brazilian was quoted by L’Equipe as rejoicing at attracting ‘a player of real calibre’, and by Parisien as a

player who is able to ‘change everything’. It will take Qatari-owned PSG’s spending to over 100million euros ($122.7mil-

lion) in the close season and to around 173million since Qatar Sport Investments (QSI) bought the historic club almost a year ago. AFP

Lin ‘excited’ with Knicks to Rockets move NEW YORK: Jeremy Lin’s sparkling Broadway run is over, but the point guard who took New York by storm says he excited to launch the next phase of his NBA career with the Houston Rockets. “Extremely excited and honored to be a Houston Rocket again!!” Lin said on Twitter shortly after the New York Knicks confirmed they wouldn’t match Houston’s three-year, $25 million offer for the 23-year-old player. The Knicks announced their decision less than two hours before a midnight deadline, and several hours after the New York Times reported the decision had been made. The Rockets were one of two teams to cut then-unknown Lin last season. Even the Knicks were preparing to waive him when injuries to two players allowed him a chance to come off New

NY Knicks confirm they will not keep Lin

he New York Knicks confirmed Tuesday they will not match Houston’s offer for Jeremy Lin, allowing the hugely popular point guard who spawned “Lin-sanity” to leave for the Rockets. The Knicks announced their decision less than two hours before a midnight deadline, and several hours after the New York Times reported the decision had been made.

AFP/ FRAZER HARRISON/ GETTY IMAGES

York’s bench. Lin responded by sparking a seven-game Knicks winning streak, thrilling New York fans with his clutch shooting and passing skills. Lin, whose parents are from Taiwan, also has a

grandmother from China and quickly became a global sensation. He became the first player in NBA history to score at least 20 points and pass for seven assists in his first five starts. AFP

FOOTBALL SNIPPETS Arsenal-Walcott talks still left in state of limbo LONDON: Arsenal have yet to open new contract talks with Theo Walcott, despite the forward being in the final 12 months of his contract and the club not entitled to receive anything in player development costs if he were to leave on a free transfer. The England winger’s deal expires on 30 June 2013 and were he to part company with the club at that time and remain under the age of 24, a tribunal would intervene to fix a compensation fee owing to Arsenal. Such a tribunal would take into account the work that Arsenal have done to develop Walcott, the length of time that he has been at the club and the fee that they paid him.

“

In England, Manchester United have this political power and you have to respect that and shut your mouth. Luis Suárez saying he was a victim of political power during the Patrice Evra race row.

Reading sign defenders Mariappa and Gunter LONDON: Reading signed Watford defender Adrian Mariappa and Nottingham Forest right-back Chris Gunter for undisclosed fees on Tuesday as the Premier League newboys continue their preparations for their return to the top-flight. Mariappa, 25, and Gunter, 22, both agreed three-year contracts with the Royals, who were promoted as Championship winners last season. “It’s a great feeling to have signed,” Mariappa said. “The Premier League is the best. “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to come here, work my way into the team and perform for Reading Football Club.”

Premiership title our priority — Fergie DURBAN: Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wants the English Premier League trophy back at Old Trafford next season. He told a media conference on Tuesday in this Indian Ocean city that regaining the symbol of English football supremacy was “priority number one” after being pipped at the post by neighbours Manchester City last season. Expensively assembled City scored twice in stoppage time to defeat QPR 3-2 at home on the final day of the season and win the title on goal difference from United, who won 1-0 at Sunderland in a match played simultaneously.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

The games people play AFP/ JOEL SAGET

Playing Field

Justin Davis

PAU:

The future of RadioShack cycling team was placed further into doubt Tuesday after leading rider Frank Schleck quit the Tour de France following a positive test for a banned diuretic. Schleck, considered

one of the best climbing specialists in the peloton, finished third overall last year one place behind his younger brother Andy, the 2010 champion. He was pulled out of the race by RadioShack after the International Cycling Union said a urine sample taken on July 14

Schleck row ups team’s woes

had returned an “Adverse Analytical Finding” for Xipamide. He was questioned after voluntarily going to a local police office in Pau, at the foot of the French Pyrenees, before leaving before 1130 pm local time. RadioShack later said Schleck “would be sus-

Malaysians stripped of SEA gold KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s victorious relay team at last November’s Southeast Asian Games has been stripped of its gold medals after a team member failed doping tests, a top official said Tuesday. Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja’afar told AFP that the SEA Games Federation over the weekend had also ordered weightlifter Firdaus Razak to return his bronze medal for a similar offence.

Mohammad Yunus Lasaleh, who was part of the 4X400m relay team, had tested positive for the anabolic steroid metandienone, also known as methandienone, at the Games held in Palembang, Indonesia, it was reported previously. “We take doping very seriously and the MAU (Malaysian Athletic Union) should as well,” Tunku Imran said. Both athletes face a two-year ban. In a sworn statement earlier this year, Yunus

said MAU deputy president Karim Ibrahim had last September told him to meet with an unidentified Bulgarian who provided pills and injections that he was told contained vitamins, Malaysian press reports had said. Yunus was told the pills “could help me win gold”, The Star quoted his statement as saying in February. MAU’s Shahidan Kassim has said an investigation will be launched into the allegations. AFP

AFP/ GETTY IMAGES/ MATTHEW STOCKMAN

Milestone win for Blake in Atlanta

ATLANTA: American James Blake upset sixth-seeded compatriot Ryan Harrison 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 Tuesday to notch his 350th career ATP victory in the first round of the Atlanta Open hardcourt tournament. Blake, 32, who had failed to take advantage of his first six opportunities to reach the milestone this season, seemed to be heading

for another disappointment as the 20-yearold Harrison dominated the opening set. But Blake, now ranked 110th in the world, found his rhythm and sealed the victory against his 43rd-ranked opponent with a late break of serve in the third set. Blake next faces Australian Matthew Ebden, who ended a three-match skid with a 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Ukrainian Sergei Bubka. Eighth-seeded Go Soeda of Japan shrugged off a lengthy rain delay to defeat Belgian Xavier Malisse 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. The match had been level at 2-2 in the opening set when rain stopped play for more than two hours. Soeda, who reached his first career ATP semi-final at Chennai this season, rose to a career-high ranking of 54th in the world this week. He next faces Russian Igor Kunitsyn. Belgian qualifier Ruben Bemelmans defeated American Rajeev Ram 6-1, 6-3 to line up a second-round clash with top-seeded American John Isner. Isner is using Atlanta as preparation for the London Olympics. AFP

pended” if a B sample also tested positive. Diuretics are not performanceenhancing but can be used to help riders lose weight, and therefore perform better in the tough mountain stages of the race. More ominously, they can also conceal the presence of banned drugs.

Police question positive Schleck PAU: Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck, a former podium finisher, was being questioned by police on the fringes of the Tour de France on Tuesday after testing positive for a banned diuretic, his RadioShack team said. Schleck, who had already quit the race after being informed of the positive test, went to a local police station of his own accord.