Postnoon E-Paper for 21 June 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012 HYDERABAD

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THE FACES OF BONALU

WEATHER: CLOUDY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS; 26°C

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NIGHT SHIFT ELEVATES BREAST CANCER RISK

The City gears-up for the first day of Lashkar Bonalu, a popular festival.

Women who work night shifts had a higher risk of developing breast cancer, as compared to their sisters who worked during the day, P19 according to a study.

PIC OF THE DAY

SRINIVAS SETTY

SAFETY IS NOT THEIR CONCERN The current state of private bus operators in AP has raised questions on safety and security. The recent action against bus operators reveals that the travel companies do not check the identity of passengers and that could spell disaster in these days of freeP7 wheeling terrorism.

SCHOOLS BRACE FOR MORE DISRUPTIONS NEWS FLASH

BJP SUPPORTS SANGMA FOR PREZ BJP supports PA Sangma for the Presidential poll, says its leader Sushma Swaraj.

ARTISTES BEYOND BORDERS Through the many changes and developments in the history of music, Indian musicians have always held their own. On World Music Day, we look at some of India's greatest musicians and why they command so much respect. P16&17

Last academic year, schools and colleges were forced to remain shut for more than 45 days due to protests. This adversely impacted the academic schedule and was perhaps the most stressful year for teachers, students and parents alike. Now with the new academic term barely a week old, another series of P4 bandhs looms.

Page Two

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Spirit of Twin Cities

FAMILY MOMENTS SRINIVAS SETTY

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

Sacred vanity Recent works by Rasika Reddy titled Sacred Vanity will be displayed at Kalakriti Art Gallery from July 2 onwards. Where: Kalakrithi Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 10 When: July 2 onwards, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466

One world On the occasion of World Music Day, AP Tourism presents One World Fusion Extravaganza featuring a number of artistes. Where: Shilpakala Vedika, Madhapur When: June 21, 6.30pm onwards

At the ark At the ark at eight is the story of the journey of three penguins who get tickets to sail on Noah’s ark. Where: Nift Auditorium, Madhapur When: June 24, 7pm onwards Contact: (040) 2311 4537

Japanese food fest Take a trip to Tokyo as you relish authentic Japanese cuisine. This Japanese food festival is on till June 24. Where: Ohri’s Far East, Banjara Hills When: Ongoing Contact: (040) 2330 2200

Sommer Vorm Balkon Sommer Vorm Balkon, a movie, which focuses on two women and their daily struggle for survival during a summer in Berlin will be shown on June 22. Where: Goethe-Zentrum. Nampally When: June 22, 6pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0443

No Jazz

CINEMAS

No Jazz, a funky, rocking Parisian electro-jazz five-piece dance band. The band mixes the original celebratory spirit of jazz with hypnotic rhythms and contemporary sounds. Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: June 25, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 6652 3939

Classical dance Mitra- a solo Bharata Natyam dance-hymn to friendship featuring Ramaa Bharadvaj will be presented at Ravindra Bharati. Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad When: June 21, 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245

Fete de la musique Fete de la musique, a musical event is being held on the occasion of World Music Day. The event features artists from around India. Where: Alliance Francaise, Banjara Hills When: June 21, 6pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0443

Ek akeli aurat The play Ek Akeli Aurat is a story of a woman who is confined to her house by her husband. The play will be presented on June 22.

Where: Lamakaan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: June 22, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 964273 1329

Chai pakoda It’s monsoon. How we love to sit by the window sill, with a plate of hot pakodas and some chai. Arena at Taj Deccan brings that feeling to you every evening 3pm-7pm. Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: Ongoing, 3pm to7pm Contact: (040) 6666 393

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

Vision of blue gold Vision of blue gold, an exhibition of paintings by Pranay will be on dis-

play at Muse Art Gallery. The exhibition can be viewed till June 23. Where: Muse Art Gallery, Lower Tank Bund When: Ongoing, 11.30am onwards Contact: (040) 2752 2999

Tradition and innovation An interesting display of works which are a combination of tradition and innovation is being held. Where: Salarjung Museum, Afzal Gunj When: July 7 onwards Contact: (040) 24521 152

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

For the environment Waste as development aid,a film dealing with recycling and the third world countries will be shown at Goethe-Zentrum on June 24. Where: Goethe-Zentrum, Banjara Hills, Rd No 3 When: July 24, 5.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0443

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

Srinivas Setty feedback@postnoon.com

ome unidentified people stole silver ornaments worth lakhs of rupees from a popular Saibaba temple situated at Lower Tank Bund under the Gandhinagar police station limits late last night. Interestingly, the CCTV has captured an image of a man who is suspected to be the thief, sub inspector of police Gandhinagar, RKM Naidu, said. On Wednesday, the temple was closed to the public as usual at 9.30 pm. However,

‘Gentleman’ thief sets new norms in thievery — take the money but return the documents

Mohd Subhan mohd.s@postnoon.com

rahmanand Reddy, a teacher at a private school, lost his bike to a vehicle thief recently, but today he is a happy man. The incident took place when Reddy had parked his bike in front of a bank on June 9. However, when he came out the bike was gone. Although he still

had the key, all his importance documents, ID cards, bank papers and many valuables were in the side-box. Reddy was more concerned about losing his important documents than the vehicle. Although Reddy lodged a complaint with the Kukatpally police, days passed without any information. He made several calls to the station but got no positive news. Exactly a week after the theft, a registered parcel reached his home. There was no mention of

CCTV captures thief

An ‘honest’ thief!

CRIME

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

the sender. The postman got his signature and left. When Reddy opened the parcel, he was thrilled, because all his documents and valuable papers were in it. There were bank passbooks, loan papers, ID cards, school receipts and many other papers. Well, he had to pay `150 for the parcel, but it was worth it. He went to the police station and told the SI Sudheer Kumar the ‘happy news.’ Last heard, Reddy is singing ‘happy days are here again.’

SRINIVAS SETTY

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CCTV footage of the suspect

sometime later in the night, burglars broke into the office building by cutting the grills with hacksaw blades. Three almirahs in the office were broken open and 5 kg of silver ornaments stolen. The incident came to light when the priest and managers opened the temple early on Thursday morning. The temple committee chairman M Anjaiah lodged a complaint with the Gandhinagar police. Naidu and his team discovered the image of a man who they believe is responsible for the theft. Investigation is in progress.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

RTE new excuse for bandhs? Last year it was the Telangana agitation that did it and this year activists seem to have found new reasons to disrupt academic sessions in the City N SHIVA KUMAR

EDUCATION Sudeshna Koka sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

ast academic year schools and colleges were forced to remain shut for more than 45 days thanks to the Sakala Jannula Samme. While it may have seemed like a jolly vacation for some, it did seriously impact the academic schedule and was perhaps the most stressful year for teachers, students and parents alike. Despite that, it looks like academics will continue to suffer thanks to bandhs this year as well. Barely a week since the new academic session began, schools across the City were forced to close due to a Statewide bandh call by ABVP and AISF on Wednesday. The bandh was to protest against the non-availability of text books, delay in the implementation of 25 per cent reservation in admission under right to education (RTE), hike in tuition fees by private institutions and the deletion of the Vande Matram page from class III, VI and VII text books. While the RTE did please quite a few people, little did they know that the delay in its implementation would become the latest excuse for bandhs this year. “RTE is welcomed by all of us. However, the government needs to think about its implementation. A proper guideline needs to be chalked out and the timings need to be planned. They have introduced the new change at a time when it’s difficult for schools to adapt to them. Schools are still conforming the procedure and asking for a clear cut guideline. But this delay cannot be a reason for the ABVP to call for a bandh. This is not the solution,” opined Praveen, an educationalist. For parents who’d hoped for

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NEWS BRIEFS Chanchalguda power supply snapped

nmates of the Chanchalguda central prison had a tough night to deal with on Wednesday. With the power supply to the prison, that houses some well known people, being snapped, the inmates had no option but to make do with what was available. According to sources, even YSRC chief Jagan Mohan Reddy was forced to make do with a candle for most of the night. Power supply to the jail was only restored at 10 am today. Talk about power woes.

Home guard suspended for student’s death

a glitch-free academic year this time, these unexpected strikes are cause for concern. Priya Uday a parent said, “It’s very paradoxical, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, which is supposedly a pro-student wing, does not support students in anyway. In fact, it seems to be more anti-education than for it. Thanks to the bandh, the pattern will once again change and there will be last minute pressure to complete syllabus.” A slew of bandhs and strikes don’t just mean extra work for teachers alone, it also means an added burden for students who face tremendous pressure as they try to race against time. The constant change in patterns invariably affects their academics but has a greater impact on their behaviour and psychology. “It is very difficult for a child to juggle between holidays and routine. It is hard for them to focus on studies after constant breaks. Just as they begin to get into the academic groove, there

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BARELY A WEEK SINCE THE NEW ACADEMIC SESSION BEGAN, SCHOOLS ACROSS THE CITY WERE FORCED TO CLOSE DUE TO A STATE-WIDE BANDH CALL BY ABVP AND AISF ON WEDNESDAY. is another strike called. To bring them back to their books is indeed a challenge,” says Prerna Gupta, counsellor at Don Bosco School. School managements and teachers on the other hand are not in a position to do much. “It’s inevitable; there is nothing we can do but close the school. We face pressure from parents, students and these organisations that call for the bandhs. We just follow orders, we are an institution without any powers to order,” says Soujanya K, administration in-charge at Daffodil School. Last year, a few schools,

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despite the tension in the City, continued with their classes. Yesterday too a few schools functioned as normal. Parents’ associations suggest that school managements put their foot down and continue with classes. “Schools should be exempted from these bandhs. RTE is a good initiative but the present student batch should not be affected by RTE. By calling for a bandh they are doing more harm than good. Tomorrow there will be another reason for closing educational institutions. School managements should be firm,” said SS Liyaqath, president, greater Hyderabad school and parent association. The scene is all too familiar, teachers living with the pressure of completing syllabus, parents worried about extra classes and their child’s performance and children tensed and confused with the extra classes and last minute teaching. Looks like, history is going to repeat itself this year as well.

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Home Guard, Krishna Goud attached to the Narayanguda police station, was suspended by the City police commissioner Anurag Sharma. The decision was made in connection with the death of an intermediate student Atul Lohiya on Tuesday morning. The boy riding a two-wheeler was killed after his vehicle smashed against the door of a patrolling police vehicle, which was suddenly opened by the driver without looking for traffic coming from behind. Lohiya who was riding the bike and his pillion rider friend hit the door and fell onto the road and were run over by a passing bus, that could not stop on time. The bus driver has already been arrested.

Bikers snatch 4 tola mangalsutra from lady

wo bike-borne men snatched a 4 tola gold chain from a woman, by name S Manjula on Wednesday evening at Googaram village under Kesara police station limits. Incidentally, Manjula is the wife of a local Telugu Desam Party leader, S Deenka in Googaram. She was returning home after shopping when the thieves robbed her.

Vizag steel plant blast toll rises to 17

he toll in the VSP blast incident has risen to 17 with one of the injured officials succumbing to injuries on Wednesday. Deputy manager Ch Prabhakara Rao succumbed to burn injuries this morning while undergoing treatment at a corporate hospital in Visakhapatnam. The explosion had occurred at the 'oxygen control unit' near the Steel Melting Shop-II on June 13.

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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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THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Defeat transforms Kiran POLITICS

YSR tag to welfare schemes to be erased? POLITICS

Inkeshaf Ahmed

Postnoon News

ahmed.m@postnoon.com

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ndhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is a changed man. The recent bypoll debacle and the berating he received from the Delhi Durbar seem to have affected the CM’s style of functioning. The CM, who was known to disregard the clock, is punctual now, say his aides. This was first evident in his arrival. If he was unpredictable earlier, he is punctual now. He is also sitting in his office till late. “The CM is coming to the Secretariat at 10.30 am everyday and is in his office till late,” a security official posted at secretariat said. He adds that it was never the case before. The CM has also reportedly decided to hold at least two review meetings everyday. Keeping his word, the CM held a series of review meetings on various issues related to various departments. Some of these meetings involved an emergency high level review meeting the

T officials of the transport department in the wake of the private bus accident in Maharastra on 16th of this month and reviews on information and public relations department and rural development department. He not only took a keen interest in reaching out to the victims stranded in Maharashtra, but immediately sent the minister for civil supplies Dr Sridhar Babu to take stock of the situation. The CM, known for his indifference to media took an aboutturn recently. “During the information and public relations department review, the CM fulfilled their long-pending exdemands. These demands included extension of health

insurance scheme to 13,000 journalists by increasing the State government’s contribution to `2.54crore. Commenting on the changed attitude, a minister said,”Change is evident. Finally, he realised what he needs to do to protect the interests of the party and meet the expectations of party high command.” The CM has also decided to meet leaders every week to find out their problems. Kiran is facing a lot of pressure from cabinet ministers and top leaders to reach out to the grassroot level workers. They have asked him to hold review meetings with leaders to instill confidence in them. The leaders feel this would help prepare the party for the 2014 elections.

RELIGIOUS FERVOUR

he dismal bypoll results have infused a sense of sobriety among the ruling party leaders who are seeking the recasting of popular welfare schemes launched during the late YSR’s reign. The feeling is strong among ministers that the schemes, all partydesigned, give the late CM a heroic aura which should be removed if the party is to get mileage in the elections. There is little doubt that the pro-poor schemes have contributed much to the YSRC victory. CM Kiran Kumar Reddy too contributes to this belief.

Schemes that catch votes n n n

Fee reimbursement scheme to students Rajiv Arogyasri Pensions to widowers, old and handicapped people

“People across the State believe that these schemes were the brainchild of YSR. But it is wrong. All these schemes were part of the Congress manifesto,” minister for medical education, Kondru Murali Mohan told Postnoon . Murali Mohan said that the continuance of these schemes in their existing forms would only help the YSR Congress even in the 2014 elections. Another minister P Balaraju said that schemes like fee reimbursement have become a hub for corruption. “There are many loopholes in fee reimbursement schemes when it comes to implementation. Earlier, there used to be a mechanism to monitor the implementation,” he said. Balaraju said the government wanted to plug the loopholes and streamline the scheme by checking irregularities. At a recent meeting with the CM after the bypolls, the ministers reported to have asked the Kiran to redesign these schemes. The main objective before the government is to shed the impression of the people that these schemes were products of YSR.

‘T-State will help Congress’ H

ailing the statement of TG Venkatesh in New Delhi on Tuesday that the Centre should not delay a decision on Telangana, senior Congress leader R Damodar Reddy appealed to Venkatesh to convey his opinion to the high command. Stating that the Telangana Congress leaders never demanded the CM post, he said that they only demanded a separate State. “The Telangana Congress leaders would have got CM post after Rosaiah’s resignation, but the leaders, including K Jana Reddy, wanted a separate Telangana State only”,he added. Reddy said the party leadership is in

A potharaju dances on the street during the first day of Laksha Bonalu, a N SHIVA KUMAR popular Telangana festival, being held in Golkonda today.

favour of taking a firm stance on Telangana. If it is done, Congress would bag 17 seats from Telangana in the general elections, he said while talking to the media at the CLP office on Wednesday. Damodar Reddy said that there was no Telangana Political JAC anymore. The Congress had earlier taken an initiative to form Telangana Political JAC, but due to its unilateral attitude, all the political parties, including BJP had left the TJAC. Some time ago the Congress, TRS, TDP, BJP and New Democracy were members of the Telangana Political JAC but now it’s only TRS. “That means there is no Political JAC now”, he reasoned. NSS

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THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

Garbage poses threat to railways With water-logged roads and incessant traffic, for many in the City, the MMTS is a convenient way to travel, especially in the monsoons. But, flooded tracks and garbage could cause train delays Rahul Ramakrishna rahul.r@postnoon.com

ith the monsoons here, heavy rains and thunderstorms can spell doom for the many means of transport, especially the railways. As the City’s roads are indefinitely clogged with traffic during rains, the MMTS offers a faster means of commuting. Every day, an aver-

age 1,60,000 people depend on the MMTS as their mode of transport. But while this option may seem safe and fast, there are cer-

tain glitches that come with the monsoons if the railways does not take precautions. Water-logging on train tracks can delay train timetables by hours, thus

paralysing the last reliable mode of transport. Heavy rains bring with them, excessive mud and garbage that can block drainage in the rail net-

STAR POWER

work. With the City’s MMTS rail network being surrounded by slum settlements through most of its routes, the train tracks are the garbage dumping yards for these people. Since the last two days, Hyderabad has received over 16 cms of rainfall in the past two days, though not to an extent of submerging the tracks and calling all the trains to a halt. Nonetheless, as per the guidelines prescribed by the Southern Central Railways, pre-monsoon and monsoon precautions are to be taken to ensure the smooth functioning of the railways. In certain parts of the City’s MMTS track network, especially the stretch from Necklace Road to Khairatabad, huge mounds of garbage are seen sprawling over the tracks. If this is left to be, the catch water drains and side drains will get clogged and obstruct the flow of storm water. The same can be said about Secunderabad Railway Station

where water is seen stagnating on the tracks as the cross drains provided seem to have not been cleared of silt and vegetation. Furthermore, in case a railway track gets submerged, all trains plying in the route are allowed to proceed only at a speed of 10 kmph. Linemen are to be pressed into service, to patrol the tracks abreast and check to see if the track has been disturbed or not. For all of this, there should be a constant watch and monitoring over the rail track network by linemen and patrolmen. When contacted, the chief PRO of Southern Central Railways K Sambasiva Rao said, “We are cleaning up the drains with the help of patrolmen and have contracted rag pickers to keep the tracks free of garbage. Furthermore, the design of the City’s rail network is such that it can handle the monsoons with all the provided storm water drains and cross drains.”

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Annapurna International School of Film and Media (AISFM) signed an MoU with the Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University on Wednesday . Akkineni Nagarjuna, vice-chancellor RM Dobriyal and Chris Higgins were present at the ceremony held in the JNTU campus. DEEPAK DESHPANDE

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he current state of private bus operators in AP has raised questions on safety and security. The recent action against bus operators reveals that the travel companies do not check the identity of passengers that could spell disaster in these days of freewheeling terrorism. Bus tickets show just a name and gender. Neither age nor address are asked for or recorded. A mobile number is the only requirement. When the identity is not established there is hardly any meaning in talking of frisking. No passenger Postnoon contacted, ever remembers having seen any checks along the way. Neither at check posts, nor on highways. While all this is convenient for genuine passengers, misuse by anti-social elements is a reality. None of the nearly 1,200 buses operating State-wide and 467 buses operating from the City are known to follow a security drill. “When many of the buses are operated without proper permits and records, what can one say about security?” wonders a police officer, peevishly. Little wonder, it took hours for Kaleshwari Travels to come

out with a list of passengers after the Shirdi bus tragedy. Another grave offence, one comes across is the absence of a second driver. For all overnight buses, two drivers ought to be employed because, if one falls ill or feels sleepy, the other can take over. RTA joint transport commissioner G Panduranga Rao said, “It’s not an easy task to check all the passengers boarding the bus as all the passengers do not board at one point and we can’t have special teams everywhere for checking. There are over 450 buses operating daily from the City and we can’t provide checking machinery to every operator." Many bus operates flout the norms on number of seats. Many have more seats than capacity. “I am a regular

traveller to Bangalore and whenever a bus crosses the City limits they start filling the vacant seats by offering it to passengers on demand. Safety takes a backseat for operators who are only worried about lining their pockets,” said

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Ritesh P, an Infosys employee. The Andhra Pradesh Tourist Bus Owner Association (APTOA) blames the government for not having a proper patrolling system on highways. “Like other states, our State should also have a patrolling system on highways but unfortunately Hyderabad does not have its own highway police. There should be patrolling and a check at least at some check posts. They can then catch drunk drivers, breakdowns and traffic blocks and take action,” said SB Bose, president, APTOA. “Highway patrolling is part of the State police department, not the RTA.

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Hyderabad should have its own highway police,” said Panduranga Rao. On being questioned about helpline numbers for any form of communication, SB Bose adds, “Every bus operator has its emergency number printed on the tickets.” The question here is that if the operators are really so worried about security and safety then why don’t they have the numbers printed inside and outside the bus like statutory warnings on cigarette boxes? “It is a costly affair and it should be initiated by the RTA and after that we can think about it,” said a manager at a City bus operator’s office.

Travails of bus travel rise after raids DEEPAK DESHPANDE

Osama Salman salman.o@postnoon.com

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Safety is not their concern

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THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

ith the authorities finally waking up to the waywardness of private bus operations, passengers are made to bear the brunt. After the RTA turned the heat on the bus operators and many buses were seized, the operators have begun to employ mini buses and vans for outstation trips that spell inconvenience and threat to life of the passengers. These apart, new hassles are being faced by the unwary passengers. On Wednesday, passengers of the Hyderabad-bound bus by Kesineni Travels from Goa had a harrowing experience. A sleeper bus left from Goa en route to Hyderabad at around 7pm. About 100 kilometres from Hyderabad, at Zaheerabad, the bus was stopped for checking. It was then found that this particular bus hadn’t paid taxes and wasn’t allowed to go further. Kesineni Travels then arranged for an APSRTC bus to drop the passengers to the City. This caused untold troubles to the passengers for no fault of them. “We were stopped at 6am and all

of us were sleeping. Suddenly, we were asked to alight. After about 45 minutes, the travels arranged for an APSRTC bus. The bus was a regular one and we had paid a lot of money for the sleeper bus. The bus driver did not give us a clear reason either. It was very frustrating,” recalled Sneha Rao, one of the passengers on the bus. This isn’t the only incident. Several private bus operators from other cities were stopped at other check posts. This, say passengers, is very inconvenient. “I approached a travels to go from Goa to Hyderabad for a seat. They told me that they

After about 45 minutes, the travel company arranged for an APSRTC bus. The bus was a regular one and we had paid a lot of money for the sleeper bus. Sneha Rao, a passenger

have stopped several buses due to police checks. It was hard for me to find other travels, that too at the last minute,” said D Ganesh, a student who had to search a lot to find a private bus operator to get him back to the City. Despite repeated attempts to contact the authorities from Kesineni Travels, they remained unavailable for comment. On the other hand, private bus operators are finding ways to beat the system. Several prominent bus operators, unable to board passengers on a regular bus, are hiring smaller buses so that they do not to lose out on revenue. This can be seen at almost all major bus stops in the City. The safety of passengers goes for a toss because this escapes the view of authorities. The operators are charging the same amount, but only the bus is smaller and more cramped. “My sister was travelling to Vijaywada on June 18. One bus operator, whose ticket cost as much as a non-AC bus, made her travel in a smaller bus. It was too late to opt for another agency,” said Nitin B, an IT executive.

Hyper Local

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Campaigns, hard news and spirit of Twin Cities

SRINIVAS SETTY, N SHIVA KUMAR

EMBARKING ON A PIOUS TRIP

Jagannath Yatra was held from the Puri Jagannath temple in Banjara Hills on the occasion of the annual yatra that is held in Puri, Orissa.

Advantage AP 2012 begins in the City Prudhvi Raju K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

he second edition of the two day Annual IT summit, Advantage AP was inaugurated by CM Kiran Kumar Reddy at HICC on Thursday. The summit is aimed to provide a forum for IT and ITES companies, academic institutions, governments

and end-customers of various industries to collaborate and leverage the opportunities available for the sector in the State. India has the early mover advantage in IT. The Indian IT exports boomed from `8,000 crore to `50,000 crore in the last six years. The global IT market is about $1.2 trillion and the exports of the Indian IT industry

has reached less than $100 billion, which shows there are growth opportunities for the country, said Lashmaiah Ponnala, minister for information technology. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We aim to position the State as a capital of innovation, by nurturing entrepreneurship, research and innovation, to achieve global excellence in IT

products and services. This summit will help in showcasing the infrastructure of the State, government incentives, universities and research labs and thus help in making the State a lucrative destination,â&#x20AC;? said V Rajanna, president, ITs AP. The industry leaders and the government leadership will be discussing the landscape, chal-

lenges and opportunities to invest and grow. Businesses also showcased their software products at the exhibition. The conference will also explore the opportunities in connected communities, mobility, cloud, big data, analytics and social media. The government also released a new policy governing the electronic hardware sector.

16866.95 29.68

5112.75 7.80

BSE

NSE

Business

10g= `30,400

GOLD

1kg= `54,300

SILVER

`56.41

DOLLAR

Matters of saving and spending

Application is the key But this is slowly changing. An advantage is that many businesses haven’t used any software at all. This created a scenario where the small businesses start with SaaS rather than on premise software, he explained. Talking about security issues of storing data on cloud, Raju said, “SaaS started as early as 1998. Sales force, an enterprise software vendor is now a $3 billion company. If so many businesses can have their data on the cloud, what stops an Indian small business to do so? Benefits far outweigh the assumed fears. We also take lot of security precautions in safeguarding our customers’ data.”

Prudhvi Raju K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

one are the days, when small and medium businesses (SMB) used to spend huge money for buying out applications. The quality enterprise application software (EAS) for customer relationship management (CRM), human resource management, content management are available on SaaS (Software as a service) mode enabling small businesses pay affordable monthly fee (pay per use) rather than one time heavy investment on licenses. Even many EAS vendors are eyeing on SMBs as great opportunity in offering these applications. According to the study by Zinnov Management Consulting, titled ‘Indian SMB ICT adoption insights’, SMBs in the country will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 per cent by 2015, contributing $15 billion or over one-third of India’s overall IT spend. The study noted that India has around 50 million SMBs, of which 10 million are technology-ready. This addressable market opportunity for SMB’s will increase to 11 million by 2015. Andhra Pradesh spends $90 million on IT alone, which is home to over 5 lakh SMBs. A Gartner Report reveals that

the global SaaS market is set to reach $14.5 Billion in 2012 and with 11.89 million broadband users today in India, Software-asa-Service (SaaS) is transforming the way businesses function. The businesses can boost their productivity with these applications. They can collaborate easily as everything’s on the cloud and centrally available. Much of your business gets automated and can be run smoothly. For instance, a small business can use different Zoho applications- CRM for maintaining all its business contacts, Sites for building/hosting their website, Mail for their business

mail, Invoice for raising their invoices, Docs for storing all their business files and many others, said Raju Vegesna, Chief Evangelist, Zoho. Typically, on-premises software has high capex costs in the form of upfront licensing fees. With the applications being provided in the SaaS mode, there is no such heavy investment required. It’s all done in affordable, monthly subscriptions. For instance, the businesses have to pay `110 ($2) for a 10 GB Zoho Mail box. However, it’s a challenge indeed to make businesses use software to manage their business in India.

Checklist before choosing a vendor n n n

n n n

Experience of a vendor Number of paying customers of a vendor Numbers of paying customers are using the product Whether similar businesses (in the industry) are using the product Features for the product Product has to be under active development Product has to support integrations with other products wherever necessary

`88.43

POUND THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012 9 NUMEROLOGY

$175bn have been pledged by eight of the largest multilateral development banks (MDBs) on Wednesday to finance more sustainable transportation systems over the coming decade.

THUS SPAKE “While the TED conference in California represents the roots and core of TED, TED Global represents the expansion of the wealth of ideas around the world and bringing that community into the conversation. This is about creating the space for collective, creative and constant brainstorming about how we are going to get there.” Bruno Giussani, TED Global curator

READY BY 2013

Asia’s digital divide poses challenge HONG KONG: Technology is the new rock ‘n’ roll as smartphones and digital services transform the music industry. But for those companies helping change the way music is consumed, Asia presents big hurdles. Apple’s iTunes music store — which has stamped its presence in the US and Europe as sales in traditional formats such as compact discs continue to fall — is still a limited service in many parts of the region. Other global players and streaming services popular in the West such as startup Spotify, a privately held firm launched in Sweden in 2008, are in the process of launching digital platforms in Asia, say analysts. But together with region’s sprawl of very different cultural sensibilities, complicated licensing issues between record companies, publishers and groups holding performing rights, and piracy hotspots, digital growth has been mixed. “Doing business in the so-

Apple fined $2.29 mln over Australian ‘4G’ iPad

pple was today fined Aus$2.25 million (US$2.29 million) for “deliberately” misleading Australian consumers about the local 4G capability of its next-generation iPad. The tech giant was also ordered to pay Aus$300,000 in costs by the Federal Court in a case brought by regulators. Justice Mordy Bromberg found that Apple misled people with claims in its advertising implying that the “iPad with WiFi + 4G” could connect with fourth generation cellular networks in Australia, when it could not. In the meantime, a Dutch court ruled on Wednesday that Apple has infringed on a patent held by rival Samsung and ordered the US computer giant to pay an unspecified amount of damages.

called western world is a little simpler,” said Ruuben van den Heuvel, executive director of music, media and technology consultancy GateWay Entertainment told AFP from Brisbane, Australia. Globally the music industry remains in a period of dramatic change as it tries to reconcile the Internet’s ability to grow audiences with the fact that this means people can easily get their music for free using peer-to-peer (P2P) software. Recent data suggests the industry is starting to turn things around. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), digital music revenues grew 8.0 per cent last year to $5.2 billion. A 2011 forecast from technology consultancy firm Ovum said the region will account for 35 per cent of global digital music revenues to the tune of $7 billion by 2015, out of a global figure of $20 billion.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India’s third manufacturing unit in Bangalore is expected to be ready in 2013, a top company official said on Wednesday. “The 1.2 million capacity unit is coming up in the city’s Narsapuram area,” Yadvinder Singh Guleria, the company’s VP said.

GOOD NEWS Google on Wednesday set out to save the world’s dying languages. In an alliance with scholars and linguists, the Internet powerhouse introduced an Endangered Languages Project website where people can find, share, and store information about dialects in danger of disappearing. “People can share their knowledge and research directly through the site,” project managers Clara Rivera Rodriguez and Jason Rissman said. The website at endangeredlanguages.com is designed to let users upload video, audio, or text files.

India‑View

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

India unveiled

It’s spring time again in the Blogosphere NEW DELHI: Blogging, the practice ofmaintaining an online diary, which seems to have petered away with the emergence of social media giants like Facebook and Twitter who offered more applications and enhanced interactivity, is once again regaining momentum, say experts. As Facebook and Twitter continue to attract net savvy generation, people who really have a passion for writing and expressing their ideas are shifting back to blogging and

its spring time again in “Blogosphere”, according to those who blog for a living. “The horizon of blogging world has widened. These days bloggers are writing books, research papers, tutorials and much more. Its worth acknowledging that the shift back to blogging from Facebook and Twitter has resulted into filtered generation of people who really have a passion for it,” says Gaurav Mishra, who commands a sizable following for his blog that is related to economics.

Its interesting to notice how bloggers connect with those with similar interests. “Every blogger has one strong thread that bonds them together, a thread and bond of passion and therefore they all belong to the same community, ‘The Blogosphere’”, says Karan Bhujbal, an avid tech blogger who along with blogging enthusiasts Akshita Jain and Ankur Baraj started Blogathon India an endeavour to connect bloggers from different spheres together.

Kicking away social evils

HASNA MANA HAI

Members of the Sheetal Talao Jogging Association clap as they sing Hindu religious hymns, early morning on the banks of the Sheetal Talao-pond, in Mumbai on Wednesday. Members of the association’s laughing yoga club in Mumbai had been ordered to stop its early morning giggling AFP /INDRANILMUKHERJEE sessions after complaints from grumpy neighbours.

Haryana rapped over child rights NEW DELHI: The Haryana government has drawn the ire of the national child rights body for paying “scant regard” to its directives in a case of sexual abuse of inmates at a shelter home and submitting a “ridiculous” action taken report in connection with it. Shanta Sinha, Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), warned of stringent action against officials for failing to furnish complete information regarding the Apna Ghar case and said state officials will be summoned again if they do not submit a proper status report. “We have issued several directives to the government to furnish the status reports on the case. The government responded just once

and gave us a report, but it hardly addressed any of the issues we had raised. We have no other go but to summon state officials a second time,” Sinha told PTI. Instances of sexual abuse and torture of inmates of Apna Ghar, a shelter home in Rohtak, came to light after a NCPCR team carried out a surprise raid on May 9 and rescued nearly 120 people, including children and women. The scandal-hit home, being run by NGO Bharat Vikas Sangh, was sealed on June 9, three days after Haryana Police DGP R S Dalal announced the constitution of a Special Investigative Team to probe the case.

KORAPUT (ODISHA): In a bid to raise awareness among people about social evils like alcoholism and child marriage, a novel programme called “Football for Social Change” (FSC) was launched by a UKbased organisation in Odisha’s Koraput district. Around 32 youths, including four girls, belonging to scheduled caste and scheduled tribes and in the age group of 15 to 20 years, have been selected for the programme. “As football is popular among rural youths, the programme aims at educating and empowering youngsters through the game. It focuses on creating awareness against the social evils,” said Sanjit Pattnaik of SOVA, a local voluntary organisation that has tied up with the UK-based Skill-share Internationals for implementing the project. The coaching programme will relate laws of football to social issues in a unique way, so that the participants enjoy the sessions. “Football teaches team

work, time management and handling pressure which will be used while spreading awareness against social evils. The youths will be taught to handle pressure on field, which will reflect in their daily life, too,” said Ashok Rathod, a Mumbaibased football coach who will be coaching the youths at the camp. “In football, if a player does not pass the ball in time, rival team snatches it. The same rule can be applied to one’s life. One must do the right thing at the right time in life. For example, at the time of attending schools, one should not do other things and become a dropout,” he said. The participants are also confident that the training will boost their confidence and selfesteem and will be helpful in building valuable life skills. “Getting knowledge about social ills playing football sounds unique. We are hopeful we will be able to bring awareness in remote areas,” said Sahadev Bodonaik of Lankaput village.

India‑View

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

India unveiled

India, China agree to step up defence, security talks Singh, Hollande discuss India’s $20-bn jet deal Arvind Padmanabhan

RIO DE JANEIRO: The just-concluded G20 summit in Los Cabos may have focused on the global economic crisis, but when French President Francois Hollande met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on its sidelines, their discussion also veered towards India’s $20-billion tender for 126 combat planes for which France’s Rafale is the lowest bidder. Top Indian officials who accompanied Manmohan Singh to Los Cabos told IANS that the French president expressed “happiness” over India down-selecting French aviation major Dassault’s Rafale plane as the lowest bidder for the tender, described as the “mother of all defence deals” for its sheer size.

Peacekeeping missions must be relevant: India

RIO DE JANEIRO: India and China today agreed to step up their defence and security dialogue and work to take steps to ensure that the two countries achieve a USD 100 billion trade target by 2015. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabo spoke of the need to continue with this dialogue at their 40-minute meet-

ing on the sidelines of the Rio+20 Environment Summit here. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said that during the discussion on trade and economic cooperation Prime Minister Singh invited Chinese investment in infrastructure in India. Mathai also said that Indian rice exports to China will com-

mence soon. Reflecting the good chemistry shared between them, Wen told Singh that their meeting in Brazil was the 13th between them. Mathai said the two leaders also discussed the issue of trans-border rivers flowing in India and China during which Beijing agreed to transfer of information in this regard to New Delhi. Official sources said this move sent a strong signal from China on sharing of information with India on the rivers issue. This was also important since India was a lower riparian country. “Defence and strategic dialogue (between India and China) should continue and be stepped up,” Mathai said. The two countries have already agreed to establish a “strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity”. They have also reiterated their intention to promote regular ministerial-level exchanges and make full use of the strategic dialogue and other bilateral dialogue mechanisms. Prime Minister Singh also spoke of Indian naval ships recently visiting China. PTI

LORD JAGANATH RATHYATRA STARTS TODAY

UNITED NATIONS: India, the largest contributor to UN peacekeepers, has stressed on the need to ensure missions are made relevant to current realities and peacekeepers are not tasked with achieving ‘Christmas tree-like’ mandates. “As the nature of threats to international peace and security has changed over decades, so have the challenges facing peacekeeping missions,” Vinay Kumar, Charge d’Affaires at the Indian mission here said in his remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on UN Peacekeeping Operations. “The peacekeeping missions today are tasked with mandates that have been compared with Christmas tree. Peacekeepers are asked to achieve what many of us as States have struggled for decades, if not centuries, to implement, even while resource gap continues to be the singular reality that constraints the reach and ambit of peacekeeping operations.”

GLOBE AT A GLANCE Radha Vinod Raju, first chief of NIA, dies KOCHI: Radha Vinod Raju, the first chief of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), died here early Thursday due to lung complications, a doctor said. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. Family sources said the final rites would take place at the Ravipuram crematorium. Until then, his body would be kept at his residence at Chilavanoor for people to pay their last respects.

Woman sets ablaze herself, 3 daughters VARANASI: A woman immolated herself after setting afire her three daughters, including a five-month old baby, following an argument with her husband in Lohata area in the district today. Premila, 28, and her husband had a fight this morning over monetary issues, after which the latter left the house for work, police said.

Villagers vandalise a bus on the roadside in Jethuwall near Amritsar after two boys were injured by the driver. AFP

Cop held for stealing jewels from SI’s house PALANI (TN): A Tamilnadu Special Police Battalion constable here was arrested and suspended today for allegedly stealing 38 sovereigns of gold jewels from the house of a Sub-Inspector. The constable was arrested following investigations by a special team formed to crack the theft of jewels from the house of sub-inspector Subramanian on June 17, police said.

4 newborn girls starved to death in Jaisalmer JAISALMER: Authorities here have found a series of suspected cases of newborn girls being starved to death and deprived of medicines by parents. Rajasthan has one of the most skewed sex ratios in India and female infanticide is rampant in the state. Police saud in all the four cases, the infants were either starved to death or deprived of medication.

Security personnel pull a chariot to position it in front of Lord Jaganath temple on the eve of the annual chariot festival at Puri, near about 65 kilometer away from Bhubaneswar, on Wednesday. This year marks the 135th annual Rath yatra, where wooden images or idols of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, are mounted on ceremonial chariots and taken out in a procession, where hundreds of thousands participate.

Wrestlers warm up for a practice session in the river Ganges in the northern Indian city of Allahabad, Wednesday. AFP

Around the World

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Beyond Borders

MUBARAK: EGYPT’’S FALLEN PHARAOH AFP/ MARWAN NAMAN

CAIRO: Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, who was critically ill on Wednesday after suffering a stroke in prison, enjoyed near absolute power for three decades before being toppled by a popular uprising last year. The 84-year-old was tranferred to a hospital from the prison where he had been held since he was jailed for life earlier this month for his part in the deaths of protesters seeking to overthrow his regime. Medical and military sources said he was in a coma on life support, denying an earlier report by the official MENA news agency that he was clinically dead. The 84-year-old’s spectacular fall from grace sent shock waves across the Middle East and beyond when he announced his resignation on February 11, 2011 after an 18-day popular revolt. The military took power after his resignation. Until anti-government protests erupted on January 25, Mubarak seemed untouchable as president of the most populous nation in the Arab world, backed by the United States and the military, from whose ranks he had emerged. He had survived 10 attempts on his life and his health has long been a subject of speculation. But in the end, it was the people who

An Egyptian protester puts his shoe on a crossed portrait of Egypt’s ousted president Hosni Mubarak during a protest. brought down Egypt’s latter-day pharaoh. On trial for his life, he escaped tha gallows earlier this month when he was sentenced to life in jail and taken to Tora prison on Cairo’s outskirts, where his health has deteriorated, with doctors defibrillating him twice on June 11. Mubarak rose to power unexpectedly, when then president

Anwar Sadat, who made history by signing a peace deal with Israel, was gunned down by Islamist militants on October 6, 1981 at a military parade in Cairo. Mubarak took office a week later and ruled without interruption until last year. Islamic fundamentalist groups, including Al-Jihad, Gamaa Islamiyya and Talaeh al-Fatah, were responsible for most of the

attempts on Mubarak’s life. The first came in 1993, a year after Islamists launched a violent campaign to topple the secular government, when a bid to fire rockets at Mubarak’s plush Cairo residence was foiled. Later attempts included a plot to car-bomb the presidential motorcade in Cairo. In 1995, militants opened fire on the presidential motorcade in Addis Ababa, a year after they tried to kill Mubarak with explosives as he was due to meet Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi at a military airport. In September 1999, Mubarak was slightly wounded when a man with no apparent links to any Islamic group stabbed him in Port Said. With his jet black hair and aquiline nose, Mubarak had a reputation for vigour and was once known to play squash almost daily. But that was dented in 2003 when he fainted while addressing parliament. Officials blamed his collapse on a cold and the fact that he had been fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In 2004, he underwent surgery in Germany for a slipped disc, and he returned to Germany in March 2010 for the removal of his gall bladder and a growth on the small intestine.

Rumours that he had died under the knife were dispelled when state television showed him recovering. Mubarak’s health was usually a taboo subject in Egypt and the father of two, whose wife Suzanne is half Welsh, kept his private life a carefully guarded secret. In 2007, speculation about his health snowballed to the extent that Mubarak made an unscheduled public appearance to lay rumours to rest. Mubarak was born on May 4, 1928 in the Nile Delta village of Menufiyah. He rose through the ranks of the air force and fought in repeated wars with Israel, to claim hero status before supporting Sadat in pursuing peace with the Jewish state in 1979. Throughout his years in power, he maintained the unpopular policy of peace with Israel and accommodation with the West that cost Sadat his life. His government was the frequent target of domestic opposition — ranging from the Muslim Brotherhood to secular and liberal dissidents. But the regime quashed militant groups, which carried out attacks in the 1980s, 1990s and, more recently, in 2004 and 2006, when tourist resorts were targeted. AFP

Egypt timeline CAIRO: Key events in Egypt since the start of the Arab Spring last year: JANUARY, 2011 n 25: Egypt protests erupt after a revolt topples Tunisia’s ruler. FEBRUARY n 11: After daily protests, president Hosni Mubarak resigns and hands power to the army led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. About 850 people die in the unrest. n 12: Promising a peaceful transition to democracy, the army suspends the constitution and dissolves parliament. MARCH n 19: Egyptians approve a new constitution, with 77.2 voting yes. APRIL n 13: Authorities say Mubarak is being held in a hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh. n 16: A court dissolves Mubarak’s National Democratic Party. MAY n 7: Fifteen die and 200 injured as Muslims and Christians clash in Cairo. JUNE n 6: A political party formed by the opposition Muslim Brotherhood is declared legal. n 29: More than 1,000 hurt as protesters and police clash in Tahrir Square. JULY n 8: Thousands start a Tahrir sit-in to

criticise the military’s slow pace of reform. n 29: Hundreds of thousands of Islamists pack Tahrir in the biggest gathering since Mubarak’s fall. AUGUST n 3: Trial begins of Mubarak, his two sons, former interior minister Habib al-Adly and six police commanders. OCTOBER n 9: Cairo clashes leave 25 people dead, mainly Coptic Christians. NOVEMBER n 19: Start of week-long clashes between police and anti-military demonstrators that leave 42 dead. n 28-29: Egypt holds its first post-revolt parliamentary election. Islamist parties win about three-quarters of seats. JANUARY, 2012 n 11: The US State Department’s number two sits down with Muslim Brotherhood party leaders. FEBRUARY n 1: Riots kill 74 people after a Port Said football match. APRIL n 10: A court suspends the Islamistdominated commission tasked with drafting a new constitution amid a boycott by liberals, moderate Muslims and the Coptic church. n 17: The electoral commission bars 10 candidates from standing for president, ruling out two Islamists and

Mubarak’s ex-spy chief. MAY n 2: Thugs attack a protest near the defence ministry, leaving at least 20 dead, including supporters of Salafist politician Hazem Abu Ismail. n 23-24: Egypt holds its first free presidential election. n 28: Officials announce a run-off vote between Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi and Ahmed Shafiq, who served briefly as Mubarak’s last premier. n 30: Mubarak’s sons, already on trial for corruption with their father, face a new separate case for alleged stock market fraud. n 31: State of emergency imposed in 1981 ends. JUNE n 2: Mubarak and Adly sentenced to life in prison in the murder case, while the six police commanders are acquitted. Original corruption charges against Mubarak’s sons dropped. A lawyer for Mubarak says he will appeal. Protesters stage angry rallies. n 3: State prosecutor says to appeal Mubarak verdicts. n 11: Mubarak’s health deteriorates: prison sources say he is defibrillated twice. n 14: Egypt’s top court annuls the Islamist-led house, paving the way for the military to assume parlia-

ment’s powers, while allowing Shafiq to stand in the election. n 20: Mubarak was in a coma on life support at a Cairo hospital after suffering a stroke in prison, according to medical and military sources. The official MENA news agency reported earlier that he was “clinically dead.” AFP

Around the World

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Beyond Borders

Egypt delays poll results CAIRO: Egypt’s election commission delayed the announcement of presidential results scheduled for today, as tension spiked over who will succeed ousted president Hosni Mubarak, said to be in a coma. “Egypt’s election commission, headed by Judge Faruq Sultan... has decided to delay the announcement of the presidential election run-off,” the official MENA news agency said late on Wednesday, without giving a new date. The news came amid moves by the military to extend its powers. The run-off election, which took place on June 16 and 17, pitted Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi against Mubarak’s last prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, with both candidates claiming victory. The election commission said it was looking into appeals from lawyers of both candidates into alleged campaign violations and disputed vote counting. The commission said it would “continue examining the appeals... which will require more time before the final results are announced.” The announcement came as uncertainty mounted over the health of Mubarak, following a flurry of reports about his con-

A supporter Hosni Mubarak defends him during an argument with an anti-Mubarak Egyptian outside the military hospital in Cairo. AFP/ MARWAN NAAMANI dition. Mubarak “is not clinically dead,” a medical source told AFP. “He is in a coma and the doctors are trying to revive him.” Egypt’s state television carried a ticker item saying Mubarak was in “a coma and is not clinically dead.” State news agency MENA had earlier said the ousted strongman, 84, had been declared clinically dead after suffering a stroke in prison and being transferred to hospital. News of Mubarak’s failing condition came amid a back-

Prince’ William to inherit Di’s fortune LONDON:

Britain’s Prince William celebrates his 30th birthday today, triggering a clause in his late mother Diana’s will which could see him receive a £10 million inheritance. The late Princess of Wales left the bulk of her estate to sons William and Harry, who were aged 15 and 12 when she died in 1997, but the executors ruled that the inheritances should not be handed over until both turned 30. Diana left a net estate of £12,966,022 ($20.41 million), but it is estimated that the figure has grown to around £20 million through investment. Both Princes William and Harry are entitled to half of this share. Speculation that William and wife Catherine — the Duke and

Duchess of Cambridge — may use the money to buy a country house has been dampened by suggestions he is about to sign up for another tour with the Royal Air Force’s Search and Rescue team. “There has been speculation about the Duke and Duchess having a house built but there are no plans for that at all,” a royal aide told the Daily Telegraph. “If the Duke decides next year to continue his Search and Rescue career he might well have to move to another base, away from Anglesey, so the idea of a new house just isn’t on the radar at the moment,” added the official. William and Catherine, who married last year, are expected to celebrate the milestone with friends . AFP

drop of legal and political chaos. The Brotherhood appeared set on a confrontation path with the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) which issued a new constitutional declaration granting itself sweeping powers. The state-owned daily AlAhram summed up the mood, saying Egypt was facing “the most critical 48 hours in its history.” In Washington, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insisted that the Egyptian military authorities must cede power to

the winner of the country’s presidential election. “We think that it is imperative that the military fulfill its promise to the Egyptian people to turn power over to the legitimate winner,” Clinton said in a discussion hosted at the State Department. Early on Monday the Brotherhood said their candidate had won the run-off, and on Tuesday provided what they said were certified copies of ballot tallies to bolster their claims. But Morsi’s rival Shafiq also claimed victory, with his campaign accusing the Brotherhood of issuing false figures. A group of independent judges who monitored the voting process confirmed in a news conference that Morsi had won, according to their tally. The new president, irrespective of the result, will not wield the near-absolute authority Mubarak enjoyed for three decades, after SCAF issued a constitutional declaration on Sunday claiming wide powers. Mubarak’s successor will also inherit a struggling economy, increased insecurity and the challenge of uniting a nation divided by last year’s uprising and its deadly aftermath. AFP

Picasso’s Midas touch

LONDON: Pablo Picasso’s Femme assise, which depicts the Spanish artist’s lover Francoise Gilot while heavily pregnant with their daughter Paloma, sold for over £8 million at a London auction on Wednesday. The Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale at Christie’s realised £92,583,550 ($145,541,340, 114,618,435 euros) in total with the 1949 Picasso work topping the public lots after

going under the hammer for £8,553,250. Gilot was aged 21 when she met Picasso, then 61, in a restaurant in the spring of 1943. The couple never married but had two children together. Their son, Claude, was born in 1947 while Paloma was born in 1949. The evening’s most anticipated work, Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s 1888 Baigneuse, was sold privately before the auction. Les jours gigantesques by Rene Magritte smashed pre-sale expectations after selling for £7,209,250, the second highest price for the artist at auction. “There were particularly notable prices for Surrealist works, reflecting the current fervour for this field,” said Jay Vincze, Christie’s International Director. “These were led by Magritte’s Les jours gigantesques which sparked a fierce battle between 10 bidders and which sold for almost five times its high estimate,” he added. There were also artist records set for Italian painter and printmaker Giorgio Morandi and German painter Kurt Schwitters. AFP

GLOBE AT A GLANCE More than 80 dead in Myanmar unrest YANGON: More than 80 people have been killed in a wave of communal violence in western Myanmar this month, a government official said today. He said about 71 people had died in more than a week of clashes, in addition to 10 Muslims killed on June 3 by a Buddhist mob seeking revenge for the rape and murder of a local woman — the apparent spark for the unrest.

US launches spy satellite WASHINGTON: The US launched a spy satellite into space. An Atlas V rocket, carrying the satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, the air force said. Details of the satellite, its mission and whether it reached orbit were not released due to security reasons.

Indonesian terror suspect Umar Patek (R) arrives for his trial verdict at a court in Jakarta today. AFP

2 Tibetans set themselves alight BEIJING: Two young Tibetans in a remote area of northwest China set themselves alight, state media and a rights group said Thursday, in the latest such protest against Chinese rule. The men, both in their 20s, set themselves on fire Wednesday in Qinghai province’s Chenduo county after leaving a letter calling for solidarity among Tibetans.

Larry Ellison buys Hawaiian island HAWAII: The billionaire boss of technology giant Oracle is to buy 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, Hawaii’s governor says. Larry Ellison’s successful bid is unknown, but the asking price was said to be between $500m (£318m) and $600m. The 365 sq km also known as “Pineapple Island”, is Hawaii’s smallest publicly accessible island and is home to 3,200 residents.

Felipe, the Spanish Prince of Asturias, speaks during a meeting with Hispanic leaders at the Cervantes Institute in New York. AFP

Comment

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Fair, free and forthright

Talk back Education is the key That the public is wakening up to the nonsense of the so-called healers, aamils, is great news. These jokers, who have otherwise not achieved anything in life, make a quick buck out of gullible and often illiterate people. Advancement in science and health notwithstanding a few desperate people go to these misleaders and blindly follow their advice. They not only lose money in the process, they also lose valuable time, before they ultimately come back to more conventional ways of treatment for whatever illness they suffer. A wider acceptance to this fact coupled with timely support from the police will go a long way in ending this menace. Amin Ehsan Somajiguda

Wakeup RTO, police Death of innocent pilgrims to Shirdi is a strong wakeup call for the authorities. We have clear systems in place to ensure that mishaps do not happen. Enough care is taken by engineers who design and build vehicles to make them safe for commuting people. We also have the RTO authorities whose main function is proper maintenance of these vehicles during their usage. The traffic police on the other hand must ensure human errors like drunken driving. Despite all this accidents are a common incidence, and the resent one is a stark reminder to our incompetence on all fronts. Shame! Nalini Rao West Marredpally

Radical change needed Indians fare poorly in international sports and it is hardly surprising. It there is one sport that we can boast of doing well in, it is cricket. We are caught between the devil and deep blue sky when it comes analysing and setting right this very skewed disproportion. While cricket seems to garner all support, be it from viewing public or sponsors, other sports however well we perform in them, do not seem to be attractive enough. This limited popularity results in reduced sponsorship, which in turn leaves limited options to raise the level of that game. Keerthi Kamat via email

Everyone should have a brown friend Ajay Hotchandani But... Seriously

here are 1.3 billions Indians in this world, give or take one or two. Besides Gandhi, it’s near impossible to say who is “the most Indian.” Is an Indian living in India more Indian than an Indian living outside of India? Does it make a difference where you were born? So that may be difficult to decide, but can one say that a non-Indian is more Indian than an Indian? Say the person is American and knows how to speak Hindi, can recite the vedic scripts, does yoga, and knows every Amitabh Bachchan movie inside-out, is this person more Indian than an Indian who can’t do any of the above? And does it even matter? As part of our culture we are very open to sharing our culture with others, and this of course, includes food and Bollywood movies. Some of you may not know this but the (un)official food of England is curry. This is how much we want to share our culture that we kick the British out and then go to England to sell them curry. In medical school my roommates and best friends were Vietnamese. During our travels I had a chance to ‘expose’ them to Indian food. The one with the weak digestive system barely smelled the food before he was off to the bathroom. With time he developed a stronger stomach lining and an appreciation for chicken tikka masala and naan. The other roommate also enjoyed the food but took a fond liking for Bollywood movies, especially Dil Chata Hai. About a week ago one of them sent me a picture of their fridge with a shelf stocked with frozen Indian food. I firmly believe that last week he ate more Indian food than I did. So does that make him more Indian than me? It doesn’t matter, as long as he is partaking and enjoying in our culture. I believe everyone should have a brown friend, especially when they go to an Indian restaurant to help them out. I give these guys credit for being openminded and trying new things, unlike Cherif, who refuses to wear spandex. Outside India, most of us have several friends who aren’t Indian. The one thing we are good at is that when they come to our

Editorials

Dil Chata Hai & Chicken Tikka Masala house we feed them. But some get really caught up in the culture and do something incredibly Indian that makes me feel less Indian. I got an email from my sister informing me that some of her friend’s friends are starting up a chili sauce company. The company is Bandar Monkey Sauce (www.bandarfoods.com), and their first two sauces are spicy mango and mint cilantro sauce. What blew my mind was one of the two co-founders was white. Even his name screams, “Hello I’m white”. His name is Dan. That name is so white, you can show up from India, go through immigration without a passport and say “Jello officer mere naam Dan hai.” The minute the

officer hears your name is Dan he will let you go right through without a passport, because that’s how white the name and guy is. He teamed up with an Indian friend and they just launched their company. Dan is now part owner of a company that makes chili sauces, quite possibly and soon to be one of the world’s largest producers of Indian chili sauces. As Dan assimilates more of the Indian culture in the very near future you may hear that he is also known as Dharmendra Balasubrahmanyam, something just a little less white. Bandar Chili Sauces, sauce so spicy it will make you spank your monkey!

THE PM CANDIDATE MUST BE ABOVE confines of religion

ne need not be surprised that the RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat has rallied around one of its most prolific swayamsewaks, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, as discussions among allies in NDA heat up over who should be the prime ministerial candidate. It is understandable the outfit — whose sole aim is a Hindu Rashtra — is miffed with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s salvo that the country needs a secular man as Prime Minister. Bhagawat has hit back that the country needs a Hindu Prime Minister now. “To keep Hindutva ideology alive, samaj needs to come together and the country should have a Prime Minister who believes in this ideology,” Bhagwat explains. He goes on to say Hinduism is an all-inclusive religion and is the religion of humanism. If that be the case, why be adamant that the PM candidate must be a Hindu? Why not be happy with someone — regardless of his or her religion — who is the best person for the job? Bhagwat is making a huge mistake: at this juncture, his statements could only harm Modi’s chances. Even Modi knows this.

EVERYONE LOVES Singh’s song

t the Rio summit, the developed nations were for creating a “green economy”. But India showed them that eradicating poverty is what needs to be priority and that’s the real “Future we want”— the proposal winning the support of G77 countries. To be precise, Manmohan Singh and India stole the show.

Telly Tales

Small screen, big idea

Sana Mirza sana.m@postnoon.com

lood may be thicker than water but oil is thicker than both fits aptly with the setting of what constitutes TNT’s latest. Who says a reboot fails to pack a punch? The TV show Dallas may not be new to the network but last week’s premiere, a rebooted version of the 1980’s soap classic re-started with a dramatic bang. The first episode of season 1 introduced us to a new generation of the Ewing family tree filled with lust, greed, and a whole lot of drama. The Ewing family as we know from the first version which aired from 1978 to 1991 cracked it big in the oil busi-

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

aÉÉéÉêI=Ç~êâÉê= DIRTIER TNT’s Dallas returns with its Southfork residents 20 years later only to reveal that old habits and family feuds are hard to change

ness. With a rebooted version based on the same storyline, the writers of the series decided to add a new kind of fuel to rekindle the age-old feud between JR and Bobby Ewing, sons of Miss Ellie who inherited the 150year-old Southfork Ranch from her family. The Ewing family has two legacies — Oil and the Southfork Ranch — and like a hereditary disease, it spreads to cousins John Ross and Christopher. Christopher is the good guy like his father Bobby. He abandons drilling in favour of exploring alternate energy sources with his hopes and ambitions deeply rooted in

Ed O Neill played Al Bundy

Where are they now?

Neill plays a misanthropic shoe salesman, Al Bundy who despises his life, tracing his misery to the day he got married. He is selfish, disinterested in sex (at least with his wife), but somehow finds loyalty to his family as he plods along in life, hoping to find a better life through a fast buck. Recently, he played Jay Pritchett in the television series Modern Family.

MARRIED WITH CHILDREN

Christina Applegate as Kelly Kelly, the eldest child of the Bundy clan; a stereotypical dumb blonde who is often derided as promiscuous and dates men who get under Al’s skin to the point of him physically assaulting them. Her stupidity manifests in

many ways, from forgetting ideas on the spot to mispronouncing/misspelling simple words. Applegate is currently starring in the NBC sitcom Up All Night.

methane hydrates (frozen methane trapped on the ocean floor). John Ross is JR’s and Sue Ellen’s son and the first grandson of the family (Christopher is adopted). In his mind, he is the Ewing that is sole inheritor to South Fork Ranch and to everything underneath it (the area in and around South Fork is brimming with oil). Drunk with the thought of power, John Ross is the typical bad guy who is a liar and a cheat, motivated solely by his greed. The first episode of season 1 had enough material for the audience to figure out what and who will be causing much of the tension in the Ewing family in the following episodes to come. Bobby with his morals and ideals is the younger brother while his older brother JR is the typical Texas businessman for whom his older brother position automatically translates into taking important decisions for the Ewing estate, without much consideration for Bobby. Now, before JR decides to make his move, Bobby decides to offer up the land to Marta Del Sol, a woman who promises to protect the environment but transforms into a shady character, well-equipped to give all those Ewing boys a run for their money. The first episode showed a glimpse of the drama that was brewing between JR Ewing and his son, John Ross with JR snapping back to his conniving ways. But his son goes on to prove that the apple does not fall too far from the tree and is as devious as his old man, making it clear that he wouldn’t mind stepping on his father’s toes if that is what it takes to rise to power. The show left me dangling from a cliffhanger and if you too are interested to know more about South Fork’s most raucous family then stay tuned.

Katey Sagal played Peg Bundy

l Bundy is a misanthropic women’s shoe salesman with a miserable life. He hates his job, his wife is lazy, his son is dysfunctional (especially with women), and his daughter is dimwitted and promiscuous. Now what is this family up to.

Peg Bundy is Al’s wife who is always on his case about money and refuses to clean or cook around the house. She is a famously inattentive mother and nagging wife who uses every opportunity to humiliate Al about his job, his meager earnings and even sexual abilities. She is now the voice for Turanga Lee in the TV series Futurama.

David Faustino played Bud The younger of Al and Peggy’s children, and the most intelligent member of the family, Bud’s awkwardness and preoccupation with sex leads to inevitable failures with women. Despite his flaws Bud is the only Bundy to attend college. He is now the voice for one of the characters on the TV series The Legend of Korra.

H‑Factor

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Keep an ‘eye’ on the rain Anishaa Kumar anishaa.k@postnoon.com

or Aisha it was a funfilled evening. The monsoons had finally arrived. The icing on the cake was getting drenched on the way back home. On returning home she realised that her eyes had started to itch and they had also become slightly red? What could this be? Eye infections are a common problem during the monsoons. According to Dr Sreekumar Reddy, senior consultant ophthalmologist, Apollo Hospital, “During monsoons there are more infections as there is plenty of humidity. In this humidity, the virus flourishes.The two most commonest eye problems are conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers”. Dr Manoj Mathur, senior consultant in glaucoma and comprehensive ophthalmology says, “The most common problems that we encounter in monsoon season are related to infections. These infections can be bacterial, fungal or viral in nature. The viral form is known to cause epidemic conjunctivitis.” Dr Manoj explains, “Conjunctivitis is defined as an infection of the superficial layer (conjunctiva) covering the white portion of the eye. The patient initially gets a foreign body sensation and on

rubbing the eye, the condition can get worse. The white portion of the eyes gets congested and red. Conjunctivitis manifests with a gritty sensation in the eyes, as though some dust has fallen in the eyes.” Says Dr Sreekumar, “Conjunctivitis can be of two types, one caused due to the virus and the other due to a bacteria. Sometimes there can be an overlap, this implies that a person can develop conjunctivitis due to both bacteria as well as the virus.”

Symptoms The symptoms for eye infections are usually signified by redness. According to Dr Sreekumar, “The symptoms for viral conjunctivitis include the feeling of the presence of a foreign body in the eye, redness and pus from the eyes. When it comes to bacterial conjunctivitis the pus is more greenish or yellowish. In viral conjunctivitis there is more redness.” Dr Manoj says, “The eyes become red followed by mucoid discharge from the eyes. There is discomfort but generally no pain in conjunctivitis. The treatment is by antibiotic drops for bacterial infections. Viral conjunctivitis is generally self limiting and can last for 5-7 days. A routine treatment with an antibiotic is given to prevent secondary infections.” Dismissing common myths about conjunctivitis, Dr Sreekumar says, “Conjunctivitis does not spread by looking at

Monsoon

Eye infections are a common problem especially during the monsoons. Appropriate care and precautions need to be taken to prevent their onset rect cause associated with the season.”

Prevention

Maladies

an infected person. The only reason why they are asked to wear dark glasses when they suffer from conjunctivitis is because their eyes become photosensitive. Conjunctivitis can be spread only if a person who has conjunctivitis touches his eye and then touches objects such as a doorknob, washbasin etc. The non-infected person may contract the virus by touching the infected object and then touching their eye.” We tend to connect conjunctivitis as an ailment associated with school children. Dr Sreekumar says, “It is the commonest among children, hostels and offices as even if one person is suffering from conjunctivitis there are more chances of it spreading.” He adds that in the month of MayJune he has seen 5-10 per cent cases in the OPD with conjunctivitis. In the other seasons it is usually less than 1 per cent. The second common eye ailment during monsoon is corneal ulcer. Dr Sreekumar says, “During this season as there is cultivation, there are chances of injury to the cornea of the eye. This is known as corneal ulcer. Though this is not a direct result, it is an indi-

Prevention of the onset of any form of infection is important. Talking about preventive measures Dr Sreekumar says, “Personal hygiene is the most important way to prevent eye infections.One should keep their hands clean and wash your eyes frequently. If you let your eyes dry then the viruses will die after sometime on the other hand, if it is wet, bacteria tends to grow.” Dr Sreekumar mentions that if a person notices a feeling of a foreign body in the eye and it does not go away in spite of cleaning it then it is advised that they should visit their eye doctor. Dr Manoj says, “A person with conjunctivitis should be physically isolated ie by touch and the articles used should be separated. Just by sitting alongside or looking into the eyes the infection is not transmitted.” Talking about the other preventive measures, Dr Manoj says, “Wash your hands more frequently and due importance should be given to hygiene.One should not wash eyes too frequently as this results in loss of natural antibiotic in the tear fluid. The eyes are more prone for infection through contaminated water. Washing of eyes once or twice a day with filtered water is recommended in cases of conjunctivitis.” Your eyes are of utmost importance, take care of them and enjoy this season.

Interstitial cystitis can be distressing

Dr Divya Sudarshan

My friend has recently been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. What is it? Some people with IC/PBS find that their bladder cannot hold much urine, which increases the frequency of urination. People with severe cases of IC/PBS may urinate as many as 60 times a day, including frequent night time urination, also called nocturia. Causes of IC have been anything from genetics, anxiety, autoimmune disease, diet-related. In fact, a large number of studies have shown avoiding cheese, yogurt, chocolates, most sour juices or fruits, coffee, tea, onions, tomatoes, processed meats and smoking, can make a difference. Treatment of this condition is a riddle! Symptoms may disappear with a change in diet or treatments or without explanation. Even when symptoms disappear, they may return after days, weeks, months, or years. Because the causes of IC/PBS are unknown, current treatments are aimed at relieving symptoms Other therapies include: bladder hydrodistention (over-filling the bladder with fluid while under general anaesthesia), bladder training (using relaxation techniques to train the bladder to go only at specific times), instilled medications — medicines are placed directly into the bladder. surgeries for removing ulcers, or enlarging bladder size, are all aggressive last resorts. Most patients respond to bio feedback, and lifestyle changes. Insterstitial cystitis is a condition that can restrict a person’s ability to travel, work, exercise or even have sex. It can bring on depression and be very distressing as it is difficult to diagnose. Meeting a doctor when bladder pain troubles you could be your first step to recovery. (The writer is a gynaecologist and obstetrician practising at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@gmail.com)

H‑Factor

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Holistic view of mind, body and soul

Blogging de-stresses new mothers WASHINGTON: New mothers who read and write blogs are likely to be less stressed out, as they begin to feel more connected to their extended family, says a new study. “It looks like blogging might be helping these women as they transition into motherhood because they may begin to feel more connected to their extended family and friends, which leads them to feel more supported,” said Brandon T McDaniel, graduate student in human development and family studies, Penn State University. “That potentially is going to spill out into other aspects of their well being, including their marital relationship with their partner, the ways that they’re feeling about their par-

enting stress, and eventually into their levels of depression,” McDaniel was quoted as saying in the Maternal and Child Health Journal. McDaniel and colleagues from Brigham Young University surveyed 157 new mothers about their media use and their well-being. The mothers were all first-time parents with only one child under the age of 18 months — most much younger than this, according to a university statement. The researchers report that blogging had a positive impact on new mothers, but social networking — mainly Facebook and MySpace — did not seem to impact their well-being. “We’re not saying that

RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT 61 PER CENT OF THE MOTHERS SURVEYED WROTE THEIR OWN BLOGS AND 76 PER CENT READ BLOGS. EIGHTYNINE PER CENT OF THE MOTHERS WHO WROTE THEIR OWN BLOGS DID SO TO “DOCUMENT EXPERIENCES”

those who end up feeling more supported all of a sudden no longer have stresses, they’re still going to have those stressful moments you have as a parent,” said McDaniel.

“But because they’re feeling more supported, their thoughts and their feelings about that stress might change, and they begin to feel less stressed about those things.” Researchers found that 61 per cent of the mothers surveyed wrote their own blogs and 76 per cent read blogs. Eighty-nine per cent of the mothers who wrote their own blogs did so to “document personal experiences or share them with others,” and 86 per cent wanted to stay in touch with family and friends through the blog. Sarah M Coyne and Erin K. Holmes, assistant professors, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, also worked on this research. IANS

Night shift elevates breast cancer risk

PARIS: Women who did night shifts had a higher risk of developing breast cancer, as compared to sisters who worked in daytime, according to a study. “Our work has corroborated the results of previous studies and poses the problem of taking night work into consideration in public health management, especially since the number of women working a typical hours is on the increase,” states Pascal Guenel, of Inserm, who led the study. Breast cancer is the number one cause of female mortality. It affects 100 out of 100,000 women per year in developed countries. Every year, more than 1.3 million new cases are diagnosed, 53,000 of these in France, said a university statement. Inserm researchers examined the effect of night work on the health of 3,000 women in France between 2005 and 2008, including each period of night work. Over 11 per cent of women had worked nights at some time during their career. This increased risk was particularly marked in women who had worked nights for over four years, or in women whose working rhythm was less than three nights per week, because this led to more frequent disturbances between night and day rhythms. Finally, the link between night work and breast cancer seemed to be more marked when we looked at women who had worked at night prior to a first pregnancy. An explanation for this result could be that the mammary cells, incompletely differentiated in women before their first pregnancy, are more vulnerable.

F‑Folio

Because you are what you wear

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the fashion industry keeps recycling its winning mantras time and again. But fashion is not all about fitting into a pretty mould that the fashion experts say is the hot look of the season. Fashion is rather about making your own statement

UNCONVENTIONAL FASHION MODELS

Lady Gaga

he world is divided into two kinds of audiences — one who love Gaga and the other who cannot stand her. That is because Lady Gaga is one of the few women who does whatever it takes to be in character of her persona. Not the one to shy from seeming eccentric, Lady Gaga from the early period of her career hired a creative team whom she calls ‘Haus of Gaga’ who help put her fashion looks together. From the ‘meat dress’ made of actual meat which she wore at MTV awards, to the pant-less looks she wore even on the streets, were all significant to her personality which she sells through her music. One of the most imitable style icons of this generation, Gaga’s style is an original and will be remembered for a long time to come.

n academy award-winning actor can be criticised by a 12year-old for wearing the wrong heels on the red carpet. And if that young critique owns a blog and puts up his/her opinions on the Internet, he or she might even be lauded for having a keen eye. But fashion is not all about fitting into a pretty mold that the fashion experts say is the hot look of the season. Fashion is rather about putting your best self out to the world. It is about making an effort to dress and via that communicating who you are through the choices of clothes, shoes, hat, jewellery etc. Some might say that they dress to impress others. But is that not falling for the trap of trying to model a trend that will never impress everyone? People have a varied idea of beauty and style. Letting others dictate what is “in” and should be worn will take you further away from letting your real self out through the clothes you wear. Then why do fashion publications continue to do so well? The editorial content is there to help you find answers to style queries you might have or to show you ways to wear garments which you wouldn’t have imagined could be worn together. Indulging in fashion should be a joyous activity that reflects your mood without even using words or batting your eyelashes. In this feature, we look at women in the limelight who dress much like their personalities. In or out of fashion, their choices will be remembered for reflecting who they are more than what the trend was that season. The writer is a fashion blogger (www.lovestruckcow.blogspot.com) who attempts to bridge the gap between creator and consumer. As a fashion writer, she hopes to promote Indian fashion among Indians and on a global level too.

Surabhi Chauhan feedback@postnoon.com

Tilda Swinton

ilda Swinton is an actress who has made her name in both art house and mainstream cinema. Not a conventional beauty with her cropped mane, pale skin tone and tall height, she is one of the most watched at red carpet events today. Her style is very much her own and the designers she wears signify a particular type of personality which Tilda is known for. Clean, original, androgynous are some of the characteristics reflected in her style but it is not that easy to sum up her look. She always looks statuesque and confident in whatever she wears and that is because she never tries too hard to fit in a mold of what everybody else is wearing at the moment. Her looks are very personal and designers love her take on how she wears their garments. Scottish knitwear brand loved her sensibility so much that they hired her as the face of the brand for multiple ad campaigns. Tilda is a winning example of being comfortable in your body regardless of what the conventional beauty norm is.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Michelle Obama

he First Lady of America is usually a very put together woman who wears only very safe, tried and tested options. The current first lady Michelle Obama stirred things a bit and made sure her wardrobe choices supported the fashion industry. From the days Obama was campaigning for the Presidential elections, Michelle was being noticed for wearing peculiar and original dressing options, which suited her personality and body shape very much. She is now a very significant and unlikely fashion role model for women world over. When she chose to wear J Crew â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an American high street brand, their sales sky rocketed and lauded Obama for supporting mass brands. In an interview with ABC News, J Crew creative director Jenna Lyons said that Obama never used her connections to score a discount or special orders, but purchased via their online store like any other customer.

Lucille Ball

ctress from the show I love Lucy, Lucy was the original funny-woman on television. Her updo hair-bun and flouncy skirts reflected her lighthearted attitude and fun-loving personality. Bold lipstick, garish red hair, arched eyebrows were more than a style statement and a very personal character trait for Lucy. Though her career was formidable during a time when female comic roles were rare, she never tried to turn her image into a more masculine one. She wore tube tops, cropped trousers, cinched waist full skirts; lace dresses, seeming extremely comfortable with herself on and off the screen. Never was Lucy dressed in something, which did not reflect her character.

20&21

Spotlight 1

The love of food

Food ‘n’ i ensures that there is no more sincere love than the love of food; a view though wholeheartedly endorsed by its customers.

1. Mohan, Ashok, Tarak, Promod, Sandeep 2. Teja, Praveen, Jaffer, Shinoi, Govind, Rajesh 3. Ramesh 4. Naveen 5. Pralab, Priyanka, Deepika 6. Aruna, Keerthi, Meghna 7. Idris 8. Raja 9. Mohan, Ravinder, Sudhakar

9 7

22 DEEPAK DESHPANDE

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Magic Screen

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Magic Screen

The glamour behind the glitz

Prabhas dubs for Vishnu O f late, leading actors and directors lending their voices for films other than their own has become a trend in Telugu film industry. Puri Jagannadh, V V Vinayak, Mahesh Babu, Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh, ANR have done it in the past, although most of them have only lent their voices as narrators in the film or to introduce the theme of the film. For the first time ever, we hear that Prabhas has dubbed for Vishnu Manchu for the latter’s upcoming film Dhenikaina Ready. Apparently, there’s a scene in the climax where Vishnu imitates Prabhas and since the two happen to be good friends Prabhas immediately agreed to dub his voice for Vishnu. “Prabhas is a good buddy and he is surely contributing in Dhenikaina Ready. I wouldn’t have imitated anyone else but my close buddies (sic),” Vishnu posted on Twitter. Most part of the film’s shooting has already been completed. G Nageshwara Reddy is directing the film and Mohan Babu is producing the film. Hansika in playing the lead role and MS Naranyana’s son Vikram is also playing an important role in the film.

pÜ~êï~å~åÇI=káíÜó~=jÉåÉå

team up for a bilingual

harwanand and Nithya Menen have reportedly signed a bilingual film which will be directed by Cheran. He had made critically acclaimed Tamil films like Autograph and Thavamai Thavamirundhu in the past. Buzz is that his latest film is a romantic entertainer with a twist. This is the first Tamil film which Sharwanand has signed post the success of Engeyum Eppodhum, which was dubbed in Telugu as Journey. Both Sharwanand and Nithya Menen have not

only been choosing their films carefully but also earned the reputation of being good actors. Sharwanand is also going to act in an upcoming film to be directed by Anish Kuruvilla, whereas Nithya will soon be seen in Nara Rohith’s Aa Okkadine. It’s an unlikely combination but it’ll be interesting to see what Cheran has up his sleeve. The untitled film will be released both in Telugu and Tamil.

All eyes on Karthi’s Shakuni A

ll eyes are on Karthi’s upcoming film Shakuni which will hit the screens on June 22. Bellamkonda Suresh, who bought the rights of the film in AP, is releasing it in almost 500 screens

in the state including 46 theatres in the city alone. It’s the biggest release ever for Karthi and the box office success of this film will help him further in expanding his market in Andhra Pradesh. Almost all his film in the past had done quite well at the box office and he is one of the very few Tamil actors who have been widely accepted in the state. Karthi had expressed his interest in acting in a straight Telugu film; however, nothing has materialised so far. His upcoming film Shakuni is a political drama and also stars Prakash Raj, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Santhanam and Pranitha Subhash in important roles. Shankar Dayal is the director and GV Prakash has composed the music.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

T-TOWN TWEETIES

@HEROMANOJ1 380 people working on #UKUP graphics day and night.... The best part is most of it looks soo natural that no one can tell:))

@snehaullalheart Good Morning...have a nice green vegetarian breakfast today... start fresh.

@RanaDaggubati Morning! Headed to Dubai in a bit flying with actors @NameisNani and Sharwanad!! The celebrations begin mid-air!!

@shriyasmiling Shot an ad with Mr Rajiv Mennon after ages. I shot my first advertisement with him when I was in 1st year college.

@taapsee Had a nice family dinner. Punjabi family raiding a south Indian restaurant in Delhi! Haha. V all have fascination fr south Indian food here.

@trishtrashers Off to Dubai for the SIIMA awards...Lookn fwd n can’t wait to meet my best friends who live there as well...Wohoooooo ;)

@tashu_02 At Siddhi Vinayak right now to seek blessings from Lord Ganesha..... Ganpatti Bappa Moryaaa :-)

@pnavdeep26 Congratulations... ur mobile has won a million rupees... like really...?? ppl still tryin to trick d old fashioned way? Lmao...

Chai Time

KAKURO

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

SCRIBBLING PAD

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Take a shot at the brain game while sipping your cuppa

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Certain draft picks 5 Couple subject to gossip 9 Draw, as conclusions 14 Wendy's founder Thomas 15 Alaska town 16 Atomic number 54 17 "Attention, please!" 18 Russian legislative assembly 19 Academy attendee 20 Partisan's purpose 23 Determine judicially 24 When repeated, a trombone sound 25 Japanese monetary unit 26 "Pop" alternative 29 Hearing, taste or touch 31 Correspondent who travels with troops 33 U.N. working-conditions agency 34 "Jackie Brown" actress Grier 36 Month before Sept. 37 ___-high to a grasshopper 38 Feature of some shopping malls 42 Collectible mug 43 "Smoking or ___?" (waiter's query) 44 Ability to say clever things 45 ___ Royal Majesty 46 In the neighborhood 48 Legume-family climber 52 Source of lean red meat 53 Proceed after grace 54 Time for the history books 56 Polar explorer John 57 Easily dismissed group 61 Conductor's rod 63 Wheel accessories 64 Throughout the course of 65 One may act for an actor 66 High tide's lowest level 67 "___ Lisa" (Louvre attraction) 68 Body trunk 69 Airborne fish eaters 70 Be devout, in a way

DOWN 1 Converts as needed 2 Capital of Pakistan's Punjab province 3 The most famous Waugh 4 "Circle" or "final" start 5 "A Passage To ___" (1984 film) 6 "Good comeback!" 7 1815 Austen novel 8 Fruit tree pest 9 Broaden 10 "Take a number" place 11 Ceaseless 12 Barbecue discard 13 Fiji-to-Samoa dir. 21 Adjust a bit 22 Cheap, showy jewelry 27 Antonym of "windward" 28 Anonymous John's last name 30 Feeling one's oats

32 ___ Carta 35 Ancient Greek islander 37 Winslet of "The Reader" 38 Rhyming work 39 More sudden and unexpected 40 Chopin piece 41 Ardent competitor 42 "We ___ People ..." 46 Campsite structure 47 Archie, to Nero Wolfe 49 A 2 or 3 on the Richter scale, maybe 50 Constellation near Vela 51 Period of greatest success

SUDOKU

55 Coarse files 58 Billions of years, geologically 59 Bleacher part 60 Aladdin's possession 61 "Casey at the ___" 62 "A long time ___, in a galaxy ..." PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

THOUGHT OF THE DAY It is better to risk starving to death then surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what’s left? – Jim Carrey

Chai Time STAR POWER

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Your tomorrow today̶Star Power and Tarot THIRUVAIKUMAR

As per Hindu panchang

FOR 22-6-2012

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

TAURUS

GEMINI

You will act very shrewdly. Lucky and very good opportunities will knock your door which are to be made use of without missing them. Legal issues will turn in your favour.

Financially strong position is seen as inﬂow will be very good. Govt. related works will end smoothly. Some have bright chances to change their resi‑ dence with better comforts.

Tensions and health problem will be over. You will be involved in religious activities. Parents will be happy to hear news of daughter's pregnancy. Couple will sort out their differences.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

A very favourable time and so all works will be completed as you had hoped. You will undertake a jolly trip with family. You will be able to sell your property for the expected price.

Tensions and confusions existed at home will disappear. Some have bright chances to go abroad. Children will make you proud and earn appreciation from all the family members.

Expenses will be more, wanderings and journeys likely. Avoid unwanted arguments within the family. You have to struggle a lot for turning legal issues in your favour.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

Ups and downs, proﬁts and losses all will be faced by you. Avoid interfering in the personal affairs of the blood relatives. Govt. related works might bring you lot of travelling.

Depression and anger will rise and slowdown immediatley. You have to struggle a lot to secure seat for higher studies of your children in the desired school or college.

Certain works which you thought will not happen will take place now to your surprise. Though ﬁnancially a sound position is seen, expenses also will be equal to the income.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Changes as expected by you will take place which will make you cheerful. Blood relatives will help as per the expectations. Some will be leaving for abroad.

You will be very much cheerful as all your expectations will be fulﬁlled. A good news is on the cards. Unexpected ﬁnancial opportunity likely through spouse.

Tensions and wanderings will make you upset. To complete one work you have to make several efforts. Expenses for maternal relatives likely. Mother's health will be a cause for concern.

SUMAA TEKUR

FOR 22-6-2012

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

Eight of Swords – Youngsters develop a scientiﬁc temper and try new experi‑ ments with much enthusiasm. You also learn the art of understanding.

Queen of Swords – Someone may have said something very harsh to you that made you feel ashamed. Donʼt brush it aside lightly. Talk to this person.

Queen of Pentacles – A short story sub‑ mission for a compe‑ tition will yield good results. You will feel empowered and cre‑ ative. It gives you new energy.

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

Page of Pentacles – Spending time explaining the nitty‑ gritty of something to someone will be worthwhile. This way you make yourself more approachable.

The Chariot – Set your priorities right. Between family and work, friends and your own hobbies, you need to choose the right thing at the right time.

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

The Hanged Man – A rebellious streak in you ﬁnds voice again when a neighbor‑ hood problem needs resolution. You step in but also rebel against the wrong.

King of Cups – There will be unwanted dis‑ turbances as you go about planning a project. Donʼt get dis‑ turbed by these. Take it easy and do what must be done.

Four of Wands – You have to consider all sides of the story before you make a decision. There will be a time when your opinion will be asked for. Be frank.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

The Fool – New ideas mushroom. You have to learn to manage these thoughts and ensure you give them the right outlet for expression. Creative time!

Page of Swords – Managing self doubt is the biggest chal‑ lenge you have had to face in recent times. It is a tough but you have to go through this.

Knight of Swords – Your personal rela‑ tionships have improved a great deal and you are in the mood to charge ahead with your newfound freedom.

For Better or for Worse Stone soup

Two of Cups – Your conﬁdence is infec‑ tious. It takes you places but also gives strength to a lot of people around you. Marriage is on the cards for singles.

SOLUTIONS

Boggle DRAMA HORROR ACTION COMEDY

Number game

Suduko

Scrabble

Ink pen

COMICS

Fred Basset

ARIES

TAROT READ

Vol: 1, No. 340 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No. 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad–500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad–500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-40672222, Fax: 040-40672211

2012 LONDON OLYMPICS

60 59 58

DID YOU KNOW...? n George S Patton, who later became General of the US Army, competed in the first Olympic Modern Pentathlon at the Stockholm 1912 Games.

LEGENDS OF THE SPORT

THE FAMOUS FIVE

Stephanie Cook (born February 7, 1972) has the honour of being the first ever female Olympic gold medallist in Modern Pentathlon. Having put her medical career on hold, Cook travelled to the Sydney 2000 Games where the sport was featuring for the first time for women. After a tough start to the competition she clawed her way back up the field following a dramatic 3km cross-country race.

Andras Balczo (born August 16, 1938) Regarded as one of the greatest pentathletes of all time, Andras Balczo won three Olympic golds as well as 10 World Championship titles. His first Olympic gold came at Rome 1960, where he was part of the victorious national team. Eight years later in Mexico City, he won the silver in the Individual event and gold in the Team event.

DAYS TO GO

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

n Women competed in Modern Pentathlon at the Olympic Games for the first time at Sydney 2000, where Team GB’s Stephanie Cook and Kate Allenby won gold and bronze.

50 49 48 47 46

n Until Atlanta 1996, the Modern Pentathlon competition was held over four or five days.

MODERN PENTATHLON:

45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38

n Greek philosopher Aristotle described competitors in the Pentathlon of the ancient Games as the most 'perfect sportsmen, because in their bodies strength and speed are combined in beautiful harmony.

Field of play

TALLY 2008

32 31

Pentathlon at Games Modern Pentathlon first appeared at the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games, with the women’s competition

making its debut at Sydney 2000.

The basics The first element is fencing. This is followed by swimming (200m freestyle) and riding (a 12-jump course). Athletes are given a score for each element. After the first three elements, the athletes’ total scores are converted into a time handicap.

Competition format Fencing: Athletes compete against all others, using the epée. The first athlete to score the bout. Swimming: Athletes are seeded into heats depending on their best times over the last 12 months. Riding: Athletes start with 1,200 points. They lose 20 points for a knock down, 40

for disobedience and 60 for a fall. They lose four points for each second over the allotted time. Combined event: The athlete with most points starts first. Athletes start in order at handicapped time intervals of 1s for every four points. They must run to the shooting range, hit five targets in a 70s, followed by a 1,000m run; three times over.

Officials Many officials oversee the individual events. A jury oversees each event and have the power to disqualify athletes for infringements of rules. Venues: Copper Box (fencing), Aquatics Centre (swimming), Greenwich Park (riding, combined event).

HISTORY OF MODERN PENTATHLON

35 33

Freestyle The swimming element is a freestyle race, which in effect means that all athletes favour the front crawl, as it is the fastest stroke Handicap start In the combined event, the event leader starts first and the other athletes begin afterwards in competition order, with the start times dependent on the results of the previous three events

Athletes fence, then compete in a 200m freestyle race in the pool; ride a 350–400m show jumping course and finish with a 3km run, which includes shooting points.

THE LINGO

At the 2012 Games Modern Pentathlon celebrates 100 years as part of the Olympics. It was championed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, and has its origins in a 19th-century legend. The story goes that a young French cavalry officer was sent on horseback to deliver a message. To complete his mission, he had to ride, fence, shoot, swim and run — the five challenges in Modern Pentathlon today.

GERMANY 1 RUSSIA 1 LITHUANIA 0

0 0 1

MEDAL EVENTS August 11 Men's Pentathlon August 12 Women's Pentathlon

he modern pentathlon was invented by the Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games. The name derives from the Greek penta"five" and -athlon "contest". The addition of modern to the name distingu-

ished it from the original pentathlon of the ancient Olympic Games, which consisted of the stadion foot race, wrestling, long jump, javelin, and discus. As the events of the ancient pentathlon were modeled after the skills of the ideal soldier of that time,

Coubertin created the contest to simulate the experience of a 19th century cavalry soldier behind enemy lines: he must ride an unfamiliar horse, fight with pistol and sword, swim, and run. The event was first held at the 1912 Olympic

Games, and was won by Swedish athlete Gösta Lilliehöök. The modern pentathlon has been on the Olympic program continuously since 1912. A team event was added to the Olympic Games in 1952 and discontinued in 1992.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

DAYS TO GO

LOLO IN HURDLES FIGHT EUGENE, OREGON: By talking about her virginity and a new high-tech training program, Lolo Jones is a clear publicity front-runner among the women's 100-meter hurdlers at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials. But Jones, who led the 2008 Beijing Olympics final before falling over the penultimate hurdle and finishing seventh, will be in likely the hardest fight of any discipline simply to earn a US team berth at the London Olympics. "Unfinished business! i am ready," Jones said in a Twitter posting. Ten of the 15 fastest 100 hurdlers in the world this year are Americans, including six of the top nine windlegal leaders, and Jones ranks only 14th with a 12.75second fifth-place effort at Oslo on June 7. Only the top three in Saturday's final will earn berths at the London Games. "What proves our validity in the sport is what we do on the track," said US twotime 100 hurdles champion Ginnie Crawford, the wife of US sprinter Shawn Crawford who ranks eighth on the 2012 world performers list at 12.66. "This team is one of the hardest to make. This event is always competitive. You can be running the best in the world but if you don't execute you aren't going to win. One little mistake can

cost you a medal or a place on the team." Australian Sally Pearson ran the 2012 world best of 12.49 to win at Oslo with Jamaica's Bridgitte FosterHylton second this year at 12.51 followed by Americans Kellie Wells at 12.55 and Kristi Castlin at 12.56 with 2008 Olympic champion Dawn Harper next among US hurdles on 12.65 followed by Crawford. The Americans will almost certainly have the fastest women in the world who do not qualify for London in the event. "It's going to be who shows up in the final. There could be a woman who runs really well and doesn't make it," Wells said. "I try to focus on myself and those 10 hur-

What proves our validity in the sport is what we do on the track. It is going to be who shows up in the final. Lolo Jones, 100m hurdles athlete dles. I just try and execute. We all have to step up on the day." Jones, who spoke of racing a horse before Beijing, told HBO in May that she will stay a virgin until she

gets married, calling it "the hardest thing I've done in my life, harder than training for the Olympics." On Wednesday, Jones revealed "Project X" in a Sports Illustrated article and YouTube video -- cameras, sensors and computer analyzing her every move during practice sessions to allow 3D image studying on how to improve her times. "We can find the mistakes before we go to a big competition," Jones said in the video. Joanna Hayes, the 35year-old Olympic champion from 2004 who gave birth to baby Zoe 18 months ago, began training last November in a comeback bid. Her season best is only 12.87 but she warns not to dismiss her effort. AFP

Kiprop eyes 1500m London victory NAIROBI: World and Olympic 1,500 metres champion Asbel Kiprop is looking forward to making a successful defence of his title at the London Olympics and restoring the image of the metric mile race at the event. "My goal in London is to win the Olympic title and win it clean", said Kiprop, who finished second to Rashid Ramzi in Beijing four years ago but was only awarded the gold medal after Morocco-born Bahraini wa-

s stripped of the title when he tested positive for doping. "It's was only the other day when I was awarded the gold medal here in Nairobi, and it has been a short time for me to enjoy the status as an Olympic champion," Kiprop went on to add. But the 22-year-old, who clocked a world leading 3:49.22 in winning the Dream Mile in Oslo early this month, will first have to negotiate the qualifying rounds of the Kenyan Olympic trials which gets underway on Thursday. AFP

Olympic painter Neiman dies in New York, aged 91 NEW YORK: LeRoy Neiman, a famed artist whose sports portraits included drawings of stars such as Muhammad Ali and Babe Ruth, died on Wednesday at age of 91 at a New York hospital. Neiman served as the official painter for five Olympics and conveyed the drama of the sports world as well as such notable figures as Frank Sinatra. He captured such diverse events as the Super Bowl, France's Cannes Film Festival, Grand Prix auto racing in Monaco and England's Ascot and Grand National Steeplechase races. But among his most iconic artworks were those of Ali over 15 year's of the legendary fighter's career. His paintings and sketchworks are on display in a gallery that bears his name at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Neiman was survived by his wife, Janet Byrne Neiman. AFP

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Nadal to carry Spanish flag at Games opening MADRID: Rafael Nadal will carry the Spanish flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in London on July 27, the country's national Olympic committee announced on Wednesday. Nadal is the fourth top tennis player to be afforded the honour. Novak Djokovic will carry the Serbia flag, Roger Federer the Swiss while Maria Sharapova will lead out the Russian delegation. AFP

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

BEAUTY

Referees’ chief: Ukraine were denied a goal

THE BEST Croatia PM condemns racist fans

UEFA’s chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina said that a Ukraine effort ruled out against England in their final Euro 2012 Group D match for not crossing the goal line should have been given. Collina’s review and outrage in Ukraine have once again opened the debate about the introduction of goal-line technology that world governing body FIFA is in favour of but UEFA is against.

Croatia’s Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic condemned racist behaviour by some of the country’s fans at the Euro 2012, saying such moves “harm” the Balkan state’s tourism-oriented reputation. “Public safety and the reputation of the state, especially a tourist one, is something that has a real and symbolic value. Those who prostitute that harm Croatia,” he said.

Rosicky resumes training to give the Czechs hope

Team pledges support for captain Cristiano Barnaby Chesterman

WARSAW: Portugal have rallied around captain Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Thursday’s Euro 2012 quarter-final against the Czech Republic here. It will be the third meeting between the two sides in the last five championships, with each side having won one apiece — the most important belonging to the Czechs in the 1996 quarter-finals on their way to losing to Germany in the final. Paulo Bento’s Portugal have got where they are thanks to their team ethic and after seeing Ronaldo finally click into gear in Sunday’s game against the hapless Dutch to score both goals in the 2-1 win. They have been accused of creating a cult of personality around their 27-year-old captain but the team have circled the wagons in the face of what they see as unjustified criticism. “The important thing is that Ronaldo is one of the most professional players I have ever come across,” said midfielder Raul Meireles. “He gives his all at every training session. “He is our leader and, on the pitch, there is no one who wants to win more than him. “He scored twice in the last match; before he had drawn a blank but he had still helped us out in other ways.” The Czech’s outstanding goalkeeper, Petr Cech, acknowledges the Portuguese are favourites for this match and says the team is made up

Portugal vs Czech Republic show so far

of more than just Ronaldo. “They are among the world’s top 10 teams. It’s a team full of personalities and outstanding players and they play very well. Against the Netherlands on Sunday, they were excellent up front,” said the Chelsea number one. “They also have enough experienced players. The team has matured and it’s really strong.” Although they are not amongst the favourites here, Cech’s club-mate Meireles believes Portugal can emulate Chelsea and shock Europe. “Chelsea won the Champions League when nobody considered them as favourites,” he said.

ead to head record of Czech Republic and Portugal ahead of their Euro 2012 quarter-final here on Thursday: n 11 Jun 2008 Czech Republic v Portugal 1-3 (Euro finals group match) n 23 Jun 1996 Portugal v Czech Republic 0-1 (Euro quarter-final) n 15 Nov 1989 Portugal v Czechoslovakia 0-0 (World Cup qualifier) n 06 Oct 1989 Czechoslovakia v Portugal 2-1 (World Cup qualifier) n 25 Sep 1985 Czechoslovakia v Portugal 1-0 (World Cup qualifier) n 14 Oct 1984 Portugal v Czechoslovakia 2-1 (World Cup qualifier) n 12 Nov 1975 Portugal v Czechoslovakia 1-1 (Euro qualifier) n 30 Apr 1975 Czechoslovakia v Portugal 5-0 (Euro qualifier) n 31 Oct 1965 Portugal v Czechoslovakia 0-0 (World Cup qualifier) n 25 Apr 1965 Czechoslovakia v Portugal 0-1 (World Cup qualifier) n 12 Jan 1930 Portugal v Czechoslovakia 1-0 (friendly)

WROCLAW, POLAND: Czech Republic captain Tomas Rosicky resumed training on Wednesday giving some cause for optimism that he will be able to start Thursday’s Euro 2012 quarterfinal against Portugal in Warsaw, the Czech football association said. The 31-year-old playmaker — a member of the flair-filled Czech side that reached the Euro 2004 semi-finals — has been struggling with an inflamed Achilles tendon injury which kept him out of the final group match (a 1-0 win over Poland) and saw him return to Prague for treatment. However, the Arsenal star was able to do some light training on Wednesday ahead of the squad’s departure for Warsaw later where the semi-final takes place. “Rosicky returned to the team after two-days of treatment in Prague and underwent light training,” the association said. “It’s still true that we will decide whether he will play or not only before the game,” national team spokesman Jaroslav Kolar said on the association website. Rosicky suffered his latest

setback during the first-half of the 2-1 win over Greece in their second group match, and while he was ably replaced by Daniel Kolar the skipper is pivotal to the side. Rosicky’s career has been plagued by injuries, and after missing Euro 2008 he had also been a doubt for this edition after suffering a calf injury in

AN INFLAMED ACHILLES TENDON INJURY KEPT HIM OUT OF THE FINAL GROUP MATCH. THE ARSENAL STAR WAS ABLE TO DO SOME LIGHT TRAINING ON WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF THE SQUAD’S DEPARTURE FOR WARSAW LATER WHERE THE SEMI-FINAL TAKES PLACE.

Arsenal’s last Premier League match of the season. The Czech captain left Wroclaw for Prague on Sunday to undergo treatment on his Achilles tendon under the supervision of a renowned Czech physiotherapist. AFP

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

Germany and Greece: Two teams, worlds apart Phil Hazlewood

WARSAW: Greece may have won the European Championships more recently than their Euro 2012 quarter-final opponents Germany but in terms of history and organisation, the two teams are worlds apart. In terms of honours, few sides in football can hold a candle to the Mannschaft, who have been European champions three times and finished runners-up on the same number of occasions. On the biggest stage, Germany have been world champions three times and have the best record in World Cup history, having finished in the top four no fewer than 12 times, eclipsing even five-times winners Brazil and four-times winners Italy. That compares to a solitary Euro 2004 win for Greece and only two appearances in the World Cup finals. Domestically, the top German leagues are a class apart from their Greek equivalent and a strong indicator of the country’s footballing superpower status. German clubs have won the old European Cup and now Champions League six times and been runners-up on nine occasions, compared to just a single finals appearance for a Greek

team and no victory. The Bundesliga, where many Greek players ply their trade, is also increasingly seen as a model of sound business practice, amid wider concern about clubs spending beyond their means, particularly in the market-leading English Premier League. According to a German football league (DFL) report on the 2010-11 season, overall revenues increased for the seventh straight year to a record 1.94 billion euros

($2.45 billion, 1.56 billion pounds) — a 9.7 per cent increase year-on-year. Twelve of the 18 top tier clubs were in the black — up from seven the previous season — while average crowds of 42,101 were the best in Europe. “The Bundesliga is in a very sound position,” said the report “The Economic State of German Professional Football”, published in January. “On the whole, it is economically viable as well as competitive in the sport.”

In recession-hit Greece, the economic crisis has inevitably hit the domestic leagues, exacerbating wider problems with belowpar playing standards, hooliganism and match-fixing allegations. Teams in the top tier Super League share broadcasting rights totalling 44.35 million euros but the 22.5 million euros in sponsorship from state-owned betting firm OPAP the season before last was slashed to 8.5 million euros last season. AFP

May the best team win... or not Chris Wright

PARIS: Euro 2012 has been nothing if not entertaining, with plenty of goals, thrills and spills and assorted controversies from racism to goals not being given that should have been — with Greece adding the surprise factor. With the quarter-final line-up now known, the football fan might feel entitled to ask a nagging question: “Will the best team win?” If this season in general has been anything to go by the answer is likely to be: “Probably not.” International football can be a

crabbier affair than its domestic equivalent — witness the difference in pace between the frenetic English Premier League, even with its foreign stars, and an England team which can verge on the pedestrian. Yet a parallel is emerging between the international games as witnessed by the European championships and the Champions League,

widely seen as the pinnacle of what the game has to offer at any level. For many observers, Barcelona rank in terms of pure talent as the outstanding club team in Europe, with Bayern Munich not too far behind. But it was Chelsea who denied both to land last season’s Champions League against all the odds. Barca may have had 80 per cent possession and 42 attempts on goal to 11

for their rivals over two games, yet it was the Londoners who advanced to the final. There, Bayern cruised home in statistical terms — but lost on penalties. At Euro 2012, there are several indications the “best” team doesn’t always win. England topped Group D after beating Ukraine, yet the hosts enjoyed 62.5 per cent of second-half possession, as well as a “goal” that wasn’t given, despite crossing the line. France, on the other hand, boasted a 23-game unbeaten run before losing to a Sweden side who showed flashes of brilliance. AFP

SNIPPETS AVB threatens to pull out of talks LONDON: André Villas-Boas is threatening to pull out of talks about replacing Harry Redknapp at Tottenham Hotspur after discovering that the club are still speaking to other candidates at the same time as talking to him about the job, reported The Guardian. Villas-Boas’s information is also that Tottenham will sell Luka Modric to Real Madrid and though that has not put him off the idea of returning to London, the former Chelsea manager is unhappy about what he perceives as mixed signals from White Hart Lane. In particular he is unimpressed. The chairman, Daniel Levy, is still considering other options despite holding lengthy talks with him over the past week about taking over from the sacked Redknapp. He has complained to associates that “they are talking to 10 other coaches” and though that is clear exaggeration, it indicates how dismayed he is to learn that Levy has not identified him as the sole candidate.

Shocker! Shebby named Rovers advisor SINGAPORE: Blackburn Rovers’ unpopular Indian owners have turned to TV pundit Shebby Singh in a bid to reverse the fortunes of the relegated English football club, reports said on Thursday. Chicken dynasty Venky’s have hired Singh, a former Malaysian international known for his appearances on sports channel ESPN Star Sports, as their global advisor to help guide Blackburn back to the English Premier League. “Yes, I’m now helping Venky’s run the club, where I oversee the present and future of Blackburn Rovers,” Singh, 51, told Singapore’s The New Paper. “I have been a footballer for 18 years and involved as a TV pundit for 15 years. My life has revolved around football, but this is the biggest challenge yet, and I thank God for the opportunity.” AFP

Playing Field

THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2012

The games people play

Hamilton revving to extend lead VALENCIA, SPAIN: Canadian Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton said he was “supermotivated” to produce another strong performance this weekend as he aims to extend his lead in the world championship. Thanks to his emphatic win in Montreal, the 27-year-old McLaren driver heads to the European Grand Prix with a twopoint lead in what has been the sport’s most extraordinary start to a season with seven different drivers winning the opening seven races. That means the top four drivers are separated by just nine points, and Hamilton is well aware of how tight things are and how much of a threat second-placed Fernando Alonso of Ferrari and Red Bull drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, pose to his title hopes. However, although the

maturing Englishman will be hoping to become the first driver to win two races this season, he remained level-headed and believes consistent driving, rather than wins, will be the key to winning the championship. “While it’s always pleasing to be leading the championship, I’m only two points ahead of Fernando which is nothing, particularly when there is a handful

Comeback girl Sharapova aims for Wimbledon glory Steve Griffiths

LONDON: As Maria Sharapova posed with the French Open trophy against the breathtaking backdrop of the River Seine and the Eiffel Tower, the Russian’s thoughts turned from her stunning surroundings in Paris to a small patch of grass in south-west London where she hopes to cap her remarkable return to the top. Sharapova’s victory over Sara Errani in the Roland Garros final earlier this month was a cathartic moment for the 25-yearold, who had gone four years without winning a grand slam as she struggled with the

aftermath of serious shoulder surgery. Her gruelling journey back to grand slam glory, and the world number one ranking she now holds for the first time since 2008, is a testament to Sharapova’s fierce competitive instincts, but she has never been one to rest on her laurels. So, while the flash-blubs and champagne corks were still popping in Paris in celebration of her career grand slam, Sharapova was already plotting a Wimbledon revenge mission. Just 12 months ago, Sharapova suffered one of the more surprising defeats of her career as Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic romped to a 6-4, 6-3 Wimbledon final victory. Sharapova had been the hot favourite to win the title for the first time since she entranced the All England Club as a 17year-old who came from nowhere to beat Serena Williams in the final. Now she is determined to make amends. “Of course it was reasonable for people to write me off because I was out of the game, I’d just had shoulder surgery,” Sharapova said. “And then, of course, my comeback story wasn’t like I got back on the court and I won a grand slam.

Djokovic, Nadal poised to deliver Federer knockout Dave James

LONDON: Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are braced to deliver a potentially fatal blow to Roger Federer’s fading hopes of matching Pete Sampras’s record of seven Wimbledon wins. The great Swiss is fighting time as well as an air-tight Grand Slam grip developed by Djokovic, the defending champion, and Nadal, who have won nine of the last 10 majors

between them and contested the last four Grand Slam finals. World number three Federer, who celebrated the last of his record 16 Grand Slam crowns at the 2010 Australian Open, will be 31 in August. Sampras was 28 when he won the seventh and last of his Wimbledon titles in 2000; Djokovic is still only 25 and Nadal, 26. It wasn’t long ago that Wimbledon represented Federer’s traditional bolt-hole, winning five championships between 2003 and 2007.

of really strong drivers all separated by a couple of points, so there’s still everything to play for,” said Hamilton. “Secondly, the intensity of this year’s championship means there’s so little breathing space — we may have won in Canada. “I think that consistency, rather than individual strong results, will be the key to winning this world championship, so we need to back it up in Valencia with another strong result. “I’ll be heading to Valencia feeling super-motivated to get another strong result and maintain my momentum before we head to Silverstone and the British Grand Prix.” His McLaren team also believe they may have found a solution for Jenson Button, who, in contrast to Hamilton, has been struggling of late, collecting just 20 points since his win in Australia in March.

Salman Butt to be freed, says father KARACHI: Pakistan’s disgraced former Test captain Salman Butt is to be released early from prison in Britain, his father claimed on Wednesday. The 27-year was jailed for 30 months last November on charges of accepting corrupt payments during the Lord’s Test against England in August 2010. Butt, team mates Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, and agent Mazhar Majeed were accused of contriving deliberate no-balls in return for money. Aamer was released in February after serving half his six-month sentence while Asif, jailed for 12 months, was freed in May. Butt’s father Zulfiqar said his son was being released early. AFP