Postnoon E-Paper for 23 August 2012 by Scribble Media & Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012 HYDERABAD

WEATHER: A CHANCE OF SHOWERS; 28°C

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32 PAGES

HYDERABAD’S FIRST COMPACT AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER

HONOURS EVEN M ANIL KUMAR

India were 97-2 at lunch after winning the toss on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in the City.

BUS SHELTER SCAM HITS GHMC

In a scam of gigantic proportions involving the GHMC, thousands of bus shelters contracted to private parties in a public-private partnership are a sham. This has denied an essential amenity for the commuting public.

AVRIL LAVIGNE ENGAGED TO NICKELBACK'S CHAD KROEGER

Surprise! Singer Avril Lavigne has done a pretty fantastic job keeping her relationship with Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger a secret, but news of their relationship isn't your ordinary cute couple alert: E! News confirms that this brand-new duo is engaged!

P28

REPORT ON P32

INSPIRED BY ART

On August 22, 1911, the Mona Lisa was discovered stolen right off the walls from the Louvre. An inconceivable crime it was thought to be, one that would certainly never be repeated. But despite heavy security measures, history reveals that art heists happen more often than we think possible.

P16&17

RUMOUR KEEPS OLD CITY AWAKE!

There is no limit to mischief. In a bizarre development late last night, half the Old City remained awake because someone said a ‘divine’ baby born in Shaheen Nagar prophesied that anyone who slept would die, no matter if they were children.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

city events

JEWELLERY WORKSHOP

The YMCA of Secunderabad in association with Let’s create crafts is organising a jewellery making workshop.The workshop will be held on September 1 and 2 from 10am to 1pm. The cost of the workshop is `800 for members and `825 for non-members.

Weather for Hyderabad

Evening

overnight

Morning

Afternoon

27°C

22°C

27°C

31°C

Cloudy with showers likely.

Cloudy with showers likely

A mix of cloud and sun

New Delhi Mumbai Max 30 Max 31 Min 23 Min 25 Scattered thunderstorms

Chennai Max 35 Min 25

Scattered thunderstorms

Bangalore Max 27 Min 21

Cloudy with chances of thunderstorms.

AROUND THE CITY YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES (Blindflyers). The movie is a tale of two girls Marie and Inga.The movie will be screened at Goethe Zentrum. Where: Goethe Zentrum, Banjara Hills, Rd No 3 When: August 24, 6pm onwards Contact: (040) 2335 0443

DINING Punjabi food festival Head to Taj Deccan for a Punjabi Food festival. The food festival offers a variety of Punjabi delicacies such as saag and makke ki roti. It is also offering various specialities. Where: Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, Rd No 1 When: August 24 onwards Contact: (040) 66663939

ART Image and imagination A painting exhibition by various artists titled Image and Imagination. Where: Kalakrithi Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 10 When: Ongoing, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 6656 4466

SHOWS Onam special Celebrate Onam with author Leni Varkey with a reading of her book Kuttan’s Dilemma. Also savour a variety of Onam delicacies. Where: Little People Tree, Vikrampuri When: August25, 11am onwards Contact: (040) 4020 8397 Beatles tribute The band Barefaced Liars will be performing a tribute to the legendary Beatles on August 23 at Hard Rock Cafe. Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Banjara Hills, Rd No 2 When: August23, 9pm onwards Contact: (040) 6463 6375 Baghdad Wedding The play Baghdad Wedding dealing with weddings in Iraq will be

ON A ROLL: Children learn to skate at a ground in Lal Bahadur Stadium on Tuesday. presented at Ravindra Bharati. Where: Ravindra Bharati, Saifabad When: August 31, 7.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245 National Silk Expo The Gramin Hastkala Vikas Samiti is organising the ”National Silk Expo” from August 18 to 26. The expo will feature various silk products. Where: Sri Sathya Sai Nigamagamam, Srinagar Colony When: Ongoing, 11am to 9pm Satellite City The play is the kaleidoscopic world of a motley bunch of characters and their struggle to make their lives about something.

Commissioner & Spl Officer

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

198 155313

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

155333 23431178 23431179

MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

23262266 24166666R ENC 23225267 Engineering 23220418 MCH Tankbund 23225397 Emergency MCH Circle I&II 24525842 MCH Circle III 24736912 MCH Circle IV 23326975 MCH Circle V 23326976 MCH Circle VI MCH Complaints 1100 Head Office 23225397 IVRS CUM MANUAL ENQUIRY PHONE NUMBERS (TRAIN & RESERVATION) RAILWAYS Rail Nilayam 27833169, 27824216 Railway Information 131 Reservations 135 Recorded Information 1345 Enquiry (IVRS) 1331, 1332, 1333

Where: Ravindra Bharathi, Saifabad When: September 2 6.30pm onwards Contact: (040) 2323 1245 Play time The play Birjees Qadar ka Kunbaa will be held at Nift Auditorium on August 24. The play is in Urdu. Where: Nift Campus, Madhapur When: August 24, 7.30pm Contact: (040) 2311 4537 Ethical hacking Oakridge International School is organising a 2-day ‘Workshop on ethical hacking and online security’ by ethical hacker and computer security expert, Ankit Fadia. Where: Oakridge International

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

155313 23307328 23313163

27505566 23314095 23390933 24600146 27001134 23607777 30418888 30417777 30419000 30416666 39879999

BLOOD BANKS Blood Bank,Narayanguda Chiranjeevi Blood Bank Blood Bank Mediton Goal Red Cross, Vidyanagar ADRM Blood Bank Mythri Charitable Trust NTR Memorial Trust Care Banjara Hills

School, Gachibowli When: August 25 and 26, 7.30pm onwards Contact: 1800 200 8171 Taj Khazana Sale For six days, there will be a special offer on magnificent collection of sarees, western ensembles, pashminas, hand-picked costume jewellery, men’s garments and many more exciting offerings. Where: Taj Krishna, Banjara Hills Taj Falaknuma, Falaknuma When: August 20-29, 10am – 9pm Contact: Taj Krishna (040) 6629 3248 Faluknama (040) 6629 8600

Deep in the wood The exhibition displays woodcut art prints by 22 artists.These art works are from the woodcut workshop conducted by Earth Art Gallery to raise funds for DAYS Foundation (for Children with diabetes). Where: Earth Art Gallery, Banjara Hills, Rd No 12 When: September 2 onwards

Blindflyers The German movie Die Blindgagner

27567892 23559555 23226624 27633087 27035588 27550238 30799999 30418296 30417445

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

SRINIVAS SETTY

Painting exhibitions Two painting exhibitions, dealing with cities and sustainability will be displayed at Vidyaranya High School. Where: Vidyaranya High School, Saifabad When: Ongoing, 10am onwards Contact: (040) 2323 7789

Airport Director 27903785, 27906001 For Air India Flight Information Toll free (from any network) for IC Flights 18001801407 And for All Flights: 1800227722 Air India has revised its flight timings. For more information call (Toll free) 18001801407, 1800227722 from BSNL/MTNL 04023430334 from other lines and mobile Website; www.airindia.in TOURISM OFFICES AP Tourism, Hyd 23262152/53/54 Sec-bad 27893100 Dept of Tourism 23453110 India Tourism 23261360 AP Tourism information Centre (24x7) 23450444, 23455999 UK VISA OFFICE VFS India Pvt Ltd Building, 8-2-542/A, Sunil Chamber, Road No. 7

Beside Meridian School, Banjara Hills34. Working hours are from 8 AM to 1 PM And 2 PM to 3PM. MUSEUMS Salar Jung Museum AP State Museum Nizams Museum

24523211 232431300/7641 24521029

Readers’ views

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

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

City

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION

IS IT RIGHT TO SEEK CM’S INTERVENTION IN CBI CASE? 75% 25%

YES (A) NO (B)

TODAY’S QUESTION

IS VVS LAXMAN’S RETIREMENT BEHIND THE LOW FAN TURNOUT AT THE ONGOING TEST MATCH? A)

YES

To vote visit www.postnoon.com

SUPERSTITION

Rumour keeps Old City awake Buzz that a baby prophesied that anybody who slept would die kept people on their toes. Mohd SUBHAN mohd.s@postnoon.com

Panicked people pulled kids out of beds and made them watch television to keep them awake.

here is no limit to mischief. In a bizarre development late last night, half the Old City remained awake because someone said a divine baby born in Shaheen Nagar has prophesied that anyone who sleeps tonight will die, no matter they’re children. Police who tried in vain to convince people to debunk such rumours could not trace the source of the buzz. Everyone heard from everyone else, it appeared. Consequently, panicked people pulled kids out of beds and made them watch television to keep them from falling

Wary residents came out of their homes on Wednesday night in a bid to stay awake despite cops urging them to dismiss the rumour and go to bed.

asleep, and the elders went out on the streets to keep up the vigil. The buzz began after 11 pm. Some say so-and-so got a message to this effect, which turned out to be chasing the will-o-the wisp. But the effect was terrific. People in a large area covering Talabkatta, Sultan Shahi, Santosh Nagar, Hafiz Baba Nagar, Kanchan Bagh, Shaheen Nagar, Phadi Shareef, Vattepally, Nawab Sahab Kunta, Jahanum Bibi ka

Casma, Hussaini Alam, Kishan Bagh, Asad Baba Nagar, Kalapathar and Hassan Nagar stayed awake through the night even as police patrolling went about asking people to go to sleep! In a late night talk with the DCP Akun Sabharwal, Postnoon learnt that the police had no clue to the trouble. He wondered at the silliness of people who believe such atrocious rumours. “I marvel at people in this age believing such rumours,” he said. The senior police officer directed the Rakshak vehicles and patrol men to go around and convince people to reject the rumour and go to sleep. The type of situation took place some six years ago too.

city THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012 LAST YEAR... HERE Nizam is a defaulter?

ast year, we had reported how the GHMC had released a list of property tax defaulters. This extensive list included various high profile names including a public officer and even the Nizam. People were taken by surprise to find the Nizam of Hyderabad Nawab Barkhat Ali Khan Mukarram Jha Bahadur’s name. As per the list, the Nizam owed the GHMC `10,61,612.

AUGUST 23, 2011

NUMEROLOGY

3,000

is the total number of bus shelters permitted by the APSRTC to be set up across the City for public convenience at the private companies’ cost since 2007.

We wanted students to get an all around development. The old text book had some outdated content. Hence we have come up with the new curriculum.

Mayor vows to take action As the civic problems are piling up, mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain has decided to take action, and he is determined to bring erring contractors to book. Md NIZAMUDDIN nizamuddin.a@postnoon.com

Doctors are not public property to be beaten up After a recent incident at Gandhi Hospital where doctors were ruffed up, they are now demanding better security. We do agree!

A welcome change for SSC students in the State. After years of continuing its archaic syllabus, the State syllabus is all set to be revised to provide all-round development.

First it was food, now a bus shelter scam hits the public. A scam of leasing out the construction of bus shelters to private companies was unearthed as a result of an RTI. A case of lost and found at the Kazipet loco shed. A train engine that has been ‘missing’ since the last four months was found at the Kazipet loco shed.

cient engineers.’ He believes that it is high time that GHMC woke up. “Now is the time for action. If necessary, suspensions

SCERT to revise State syllabus

THINGS WE LEARNT TODAY

Mayor all set to bring a change to the GHMC. After a never-ending list of complaints regarding civic issues and errant ofﬁcials, the mayor has decided to take deﬁnitive action against them.

functionaries if they are involved, he said. The mayor has been receiving complaints against ‘ineffi-

will follow for those found wanting.” Majid Hussain is credited with improving the revenue of the GHMC under whom, the GHMC achieved financial stability said that he would now be holding only action meetings. Streamlining and executing will be the priority of the meetings and visits to be made from now on. He said that the corporation would be engaging the services of three more IAS officials in the coming days for the GHMC works.

EDUCATION

SUDESHNA KOKA sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

At an informal chat, mayor Majid Hussain has promised some action in the coming weeks.

fter the commissioner pepped up the officials, now it’s the mayor who is busying himself while planning for the next standing committee meeting expected to be held in next week. Now it’s time for some ‘action’ and may be some ‘suspensions’.”There will more than 40 points we shall focus on,” said mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain. In an informal chat, the mayor has promised some ‘action’ in the coming weeks. Even as the civic problems piled up in the GHMC, he is determined to bring the erring contractors to book. Strict action awaits them and the GHMC

Sailaja Nath, minister See page 4

The column that teaches everyone something new about the way the City functions.

GHMC

ew textbooks with a complete makeover for class III,VI, VII and II have been designed and would be implemented from the next academic year. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has taken up development of the State curriculum framework based on the National curriculum framework 2005, RTE 2009 and National curriculum framework for teachers education 2010. For this project, 18 focus groups were formed and they developed 18 position papers. Further, the syllabus from class I to X have been revised along with development of the subject and class specific academics

standards. This year class I and II textbooks have been revised. Class III, VI and VII have been revised and will be implemented from the next year onwards. Similarly for class IV, V, VII and IX, SCERT has proposed to revise the syllabus this year and implement them in 2103-14. Class X will be revised in 2013 and will be implemented in

2014-15. “We wanted students to get an all around development. The old text book had outdated content, hence we came up with the new curriculum. These new textbooks will stimulate their thought process. It has been made keeping the socio economic and environmental culture in mind,” said Sailaja Nath,

minister, primary education. The new textbook contain colourful illustrations, diagrams, tables and along with case studies, facilitating self learning and construction of knowledge. One of the best features of the syllabus is that it aims at putting an end to the guide culture. “The new textbooks are designed with appropriate exercises to promote children’s innate ability unlike the guide where everything is readily available,” said Satyanarayana Reddy, SCERT member. Last year, when the ministry has asked teachers to give suggestions, citizens were apprehensive. However, the SCERT implemented them. This year too the syllabus would be uploaded on the SCERT site.

NEWS BRIEFS Uppal MLA presents `9 lakh to HMWS&SB

CM heads to Delhi to meet party leaders

Three women robbed of gold jewellery

Employees of L&T Metro Rail donate blood

he HMWS&SB was presented the cheque of `9 lakh by Uppal Assembly constituency MLA, K Raji Reddy on Wednesday. This cheque was the second installment of public contribution for undertaking water supply line improvements in Sai lok Colony, Kapra municipal circle.The cheque is in addition to the earlier paid `7 lakh.

M N Kiran Kumar Reddy is left for New Delhi this morning to hold discussions with the party high command leaders in the wake of Dharmana Prasada Rao’s controversy. Political circles in the Congress are abuzz with rumours that there is a massive cabinet expansion in the ofﬁng to replace the six tainted ministers.

hree women were robbed of their jewellery yesterday. It has been reported that the snatchers struck at Lavanya Colony and nearby areas under the Hayathnagar police station limits. In all, 10 tolas were stolen. The fact that they all occurred in one locality is a span of one hour indicated that this was the work of one gang.

ver 130 professionals from L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited on Wednesday donated blood in support of children suffering from Thalassemia. In the medical camp, doctors provided consultation in orthopaedics, general medicine, dentistry, wellness, ENT and ophthalmology to all the professionals in Cyber Towers.

city THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

POLITICS

Quota war flares up

Ahead of the local body elections, ruling party and opposition parties are testing waters with quota politics.

RAILWAYS

Missing train engine found abandoned!

YSRC, many BC leaders are meeting Vijayamma today to thank her for her announcement and her challenge to the TDP.

WORRY IN CONG GROWS

INKESHAF AHMED ahmed.m@postnoon.com

he TDP and the fledgling opposition party, the YSRC, have begun the war for the 50 per cent BC vote bank. The YSRC leadership has shot off an open letter to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu questioning its legitimacy in claiming to be the BC champion. The open letter was written by party honorary president

Vijayamma. In her letter, she has dared Naidu to allot 100 Assembly constituencies through a lottery system instead of merely making an announcement. She opined that a mere proposal would not ensure political empowerment to BCs. Commenting on the announcement of party president BC Cell Convenor of YSRC Gattu Ramachandra Rao said that the TDP was only eyeing the BC votes. Following the letter by

ENVIRONMENT

On the other hand, the Congress which announced a counter step of reserving 50 per cent for women is tied up with many other worries. The party is currently caught up with the issue of minister Dharmana Prasada Rao in the disproportionate assets case. But war of words continued. “If the YSRC was really committed to empowering BCs, it should have announced 120 seats assembly seats for them. This would have challenged TDP, which announced 100 seats for BCs,” Congress BC leader V Krishnamohan Rao alleged. He further questioned if both the parties had the courage to make a BC leader the CM. “In Congress a BC can become the CM. We already have a BC as PCC chief,” he said.

RAHUL RAMAKRISHNA rahul.r@postnoon.com

his one will make your day. A WAG train engine that went missing four months ago was found hibernating on the central Mumbai railway line near Kazipet loco shed. The amusing incident was first reported when the electric engine (24039 WAG 5 JHC) disappeared from Jhansi loco shed in the Secunderabad division at Kazipet. This news spread like wildfire among the staff of the South Central Railway until the chief electrical engineer posted internal circulars asking the

loco pilots and assistant loco pilots to look for the engine. Search parties dispatched brought no news for a while, and, after four months of desperate search, someone spotted the engine. Fearing reprisal from top bosses, mid managers had classified this piece for internal information within the SCR and the RPF. They succeeded in keeping this away from the media eye for quite some time. Postnoon’s enquiries at Secunderabad Railways failed to yield any information. However, SP P Kantha Rao said, “The news was making rounds among staff for some time. But we have not received any information about it from the SCR or the RPF.” Now railway staff say it was Providence that averted a major disaster. The incident throws light on the carefree ways of the SCR. We will perhaps never know who is guilty and what action was taken.

STRIKE

Gandhi hospital docs strike work

A jaguar’s apathy led to cub’s death.

Following an assault on them, junior doctors have struck work, demanding better security in the hospital.

POSTNOON NEWS feedback@postnoon.com

SUDESHNA KOKA sudeshna.k@postnoon.com

This mum cares not

he Hyderabad zoo (NZP) has lost its third precious jaguar cub because its mother would not feed it or care for it. The strange behaviour of the mom, Suchi, led to the death of her third cub last night. Dr Naveen Kumar, deputy director (Vet) & Zoo, said it died of hydronephrytes associated with lung lesions. The cub was showing symptoms of stress for some days. On Sunday last the

cub stopped taking feed and water. It was put under medication and observation and later on saline drip. But nothing could save it. The zoo has six adult jaguars, two male and four female. Suchi’s ‘irresponsible’ behaviour has puzzled doctors and caretakers. The doctors say she has no health problem, one possible reason for not caring for its babes. “It’s inscrutable,” remarked an official. Probably like human beings beasts also have their individual traits.

ealthcare at Gandhi Hospital came to a standstill on Thursday after the junior doctors went on a strike demanding a special security force. The demand came after a 22-year-old boy suffering from head injuries was taken to Gandhi hospital a few days back. It’s alleged that he either died in the ambulance or as soon as he reached the hospital.

N SHIVA KUMAR

Following his death over 60 of his family members and friends damaged the emergency ward and roughed up the doctors. “This is not the first time something like this has happened. In the past, too situations have gotten out of control and it is scary. Each intern has experienced this at least once so it’s time that high security is arranged for our safety,” said an intern at Gandhi hospital. The emergency and outpatient ward is also not functioning since yesterday. Except the

service PG all other doctors are on strike. The directorate of medical council has decided to meet the doctors today, post which a decision will be taken. “They are on a strike and it will continue till all their requirements are fulfilled. They were abused and assaulted. It is very important to have a protected and secure environment to work in. We have sent the senior doctors to talk, let’s see how things work out,” said Dr Mehboob, superintendent, Gandhi Hospital.

city THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

CIVIC SCAM

Bus shelter scam hits GHMC

Official apathy and corruption deprive people of an extensive network of decent bus shelters through the length and breadth of the twin cities, reveals RTI. SRINIVAS SETTY

PK SURENDRAN surendra.pk@postnoon.com

n a scam of gigantic proportion involving the GHMC, thousands of bus shelters contracted to private parties in a public-private-partnership, is turning out to be a scandal that has denied an essential amenity for the commuting public. Since 2007 the GHMC has allowed over 3,000 bus shelters to be built across the City for ‘public convenience’ at the private companies’ cost. The companies, in turn, could advertise their wares free for 10 years. But the well-meaning move is distorted by the bureaucracy to such an extent that they prove gargoyles that threaten to blacken the City’s fair name before the eye of the world during the October CBD. Besides proving a blot on the name of Hyderabad, the scandal has brought out how the legal contract is thrown to the wind and bus shelters remain just convenient excuses to advertise the licensed companies’

goods and services. The scandal involves the private companies who are licensed by GHMC to erect a bus shelter under specification for public use. According to rules, the parties are to bear the cost of building a shelter, with seating arrangements, ‘solar lights,’ flooring and dust bins. Some 41 shelters the ITMD visited proved to be ‘ad shelters’ with no facility

Most bus shelters are used by street dogs and alms seekers as there is neither flooring, nor lighting provided in the shelters. provided for passengers. “Most of them are used by street dogs and alms seekers as there is neither flooring nor lighting provided. No decently dressed person can make use of them,” observed Panasa Ramakrishna, a leading public activist.

The whole scandal tumbled out after the ITMD (It’s Time to Make a Difference), a zealous public-spirited volunteer, filed an RTI and got information from the GHMC in January. It was after the ITMD filed the RTI twice that the corporation issued notices to the private companies. And, yet, a year on no change has been wrought. As the GHMC cared not, ITMD moved

Lokayukta which would hear the petition on August 30. The most glaring violation of the contract rule is that if the contracted party has not completed the bus shelter in three months the GHMC can penalise it up to `5,000 a day! Not one company since 2007 has been penalised. “If it was done the GHMC could have either achieved a necessary infrastructure or would have become the

The scope

“T

he licensor (GHMC) intends to develop international standard bus shelters in partnership with the licencee on design, build, maintain, and transfer (DBMD) basis under the public-privatepartnership mode. The licencee shall design the project with speciﬁcations and standard for approval with its own ﬁnances. In order to recoup the investment the licencee is granted advertisement rights during the

licence period.” The information gathered by the recent RTI by ITMD revealed statistics about pathetic state of our bus shelters. Out of 41 bus shelters between Mehdipatnam and Lingampally only 6 have lighting facilities, 30 don’t have route numbers, and only 18 have ﬂooring. Forget about the GIS digital display and solar lighting not a single bus shelter has route map and 5 shelters don’t have seating arrangement.

richest municipal corporation of India,” observed Rama Krishna. Naked violations of contract that smacks of corruption are: Rule No 6 that says, “In case of delay beyond the fixed time (three months from the date of issuing licence) or for deviations from the specifications agreed upon, penalty (ranges from `2,000 to `5,000 a day) will be levied.”

Balance sheet of a reality check Lighting Only 6 have lighting out of 41 Route Numbers Only 11 have route numbers out of 41 Route Maps Zero Flooring 18 Bus stops have out of 41 Seating 36 Bus stops have seating.

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city THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

N SHIVA KUMAR

Google Day concludes The event held at HICC was attended by a number of developers and Googlers from around the world. NT BALANARAYAN balanarayan.nt@postnoon.com

eveloper Day organised by Google in the City concluded yesterday. It was attended by thousands of developers, most of whom had registered months in advance. The event was held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Novotel and the attendees had an opportunity to meet Googlers from across the world. The event was kicked off with a keynote speech by Sunil Rao, country head of Google’s outreach programme. Most of the talks in the morning were for people who were new to Google services. There were introduction talks on Android, Google Maps and also a discussion on the impact of technology in education. After lunch however, the sessions were more technical, with googlers educating the developers on the various APIs that they can use to create and apps the various possibilities present. Most of the developers who were at the event thought that the event was great and a few of them were attending such an

event for the first time. Rakesh Reddy, a student said that it was a great experience. “I have been using Google products for a while now, but this event has got me interested in coding more than ever before. I wish more companies would organise such events in the City,” he said. Rakesh wasn’t the only one had that opinion. There were a lot of young developers who wanted companies like Yahoo! —which organise developers days and hack nights in other cities — to consider Hyderabad in the future. Apart from the talks, there was also a panel discussion at the end of the day on start-ups. Vamshi Reddy, CEO of Apalya Tech, Arpit Mohan, co-founder of Gharpay, Ramakrishna Reddy, founder of Ayansys Technologies Pvt and Mani Doraisamy, co-founder and CTO of OrangeScape shared their experience. The event was organised in Chennai and Bangalore earlier this month and now the event will move on to Mumbai and Delhi. On Tuesday the talks were more about publishers and the various tools the company had to offer them.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

focus

ROMNEY’S MANIFESTO

In 2010, Romney released his manifesto, “No Apology: The Case for American Greatness.” It boils down to a few main points: America is good. It has a special destiny. Americans are also special, and deserve their greatness. “There are superior cultures, and ours is one of them,” he wrote.

US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

HOPE OR FEAR?

The US presidential election is more a fight for voters’ hearts than their heads.

bout the only indisputably true thing either candidate has said during an unbearably vicious campaign is that this election is about radically different visions of America. President Barack Obama is selling a picture of a country mired deep in class warfare, where the rich are trying to manipulate the system for their own gain and everyone else’s detriment. He, and his government, are all that stands in front of a wealthy oligarchy determined to plunder America. Challenger Mitt Romney paints a Norman Rockwell scene of grit, faith and hard work, threatened by a power-hungry, free-spending, “European”-style president who does not understand the values that made America great. Neither vision is particularly appealing. In various conversations with thoughtful people on all sides of the political debate, in every part of this richly varied country of ours, a few themes stand out. The complaints most often heard about the state of the nation in this election year are “polarization,” “lack of civil discourse,” and “no real debate on the issues.” But not far under the surface, emotions are simmering. There is anger, of course. A disintegrating economy, high unemployment and the hopeless morass abroad have made many Americans wonder what has happened to their formerly unquestioned status as “the greatest nation on earth.” Almost everyone is concerned about health care — the cost of it or the lack of it. Younger workers wonder whether Social Security will last until their retirement, and older voters are worried that “Medicare as we know it” may

Obama campaigned on hope and change, but he was handed so much crap when he became president. Obama is the worst thing ever to happen to America.

US President Barack Obama greets guests during a Kids' "State Dinner" hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama in the East Room of the White House in Washington on August 20, 2012.

be yanked away from them any day now. A lot of people say that our educational system is “broken,” and that the high price of college may soon make it impossible for many high

The real issues The complaints most often heard about the state of the nation in this election year are “polarization,” “lack of civil discourse,” and “no real debate on the issues.”

school graduates to get a higher education. Meanwhile reports assure us that, without a college degree, there is little hope for advancement. Compounding the anger is an even more powerful emotion:

The GOP has become the Godly Party. Unless people take the time to be informed (and it is painful to do so) they are basically following what is being taught from the pulpit.

fear. Personal anxiety at the possibility of losing one’s job or home mixes with more overarching worries over terrorism, global warming or the population explosion. There are genuine issues in the campaign, to be sure. But very little clarity emerges from the rhetoric. Take the economy. The Republicans are trying to make unemployment and weak growth the centerpiece of the campaign. Obama, they say, has not been able to turn things around. Romney feels his credentials are solid: He has run businesses, saved the 2002 Olympics and managed Massachusetts. He can point to his own gold-plated economic status as proof of his expertise and, by many accounts, people are buying it. “(Romney) knows how businesses work,” said Connie Thomason, a retired stockbroker in Arizona. “Obama doesn’t have a clue.” The Obama camp argues, with some justification, that the president inherited an economic disaster from his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan at a campaign.

Pick

at the

GLOBAL POST

airport,

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

Business

BAILOUT FOR SPAIN AFTER MID-SEPT: GOLDMAN

Spain is likely to seek a full bailout to avoid default some time after mid-September, Goldman Sachs said. The ECB will not start buying eurozone nations’ bonds until their governments have sought a bailout from rescue funds, with all the conditions attached, it said.

GREEN ENERGY

GVK MINE GETS NOD

Step on the gas to save CNG is cheaper than petrol, diesel and LPG. It is also safer than LPG because of thickness of the tank and lightness of the gas. PRUDHVI RAJU K prudhvi.k@postnoon.com

ata’s Nano is intended to bring a paradigm shift in middle class moving from a twowheeler to four-wheeler. The car may have achieved the intent to certain extent. However, the price of the car is never a big burden for the middle class, which is any how available in various finance options and easy installments. But, owning a car is still a distant dream for many because of maintenance costs and rising petrol prices. CNG is slowly turning out as an affordable fuel option by bringing down the fuel costs of the car by up to 60 per cent. For instance, if a petrol car gives a mileage of 15km per litre where as a car with CNG kit may give up to 20 km per 1kg. Where as the cost of the CNG per 1kg is around `43.50 and the petrol price is around `75 per litre. With initial investment of `55,000 for a kit, there may be a lifetime saving of 60 per cent in maintenance costs, said Kiran, founder, Green Drive Auto Gas. Customers understood the price value of the CNG, which is much cheaper than petrol,

diesel or even LPG. It is also safer than LPG because of thickness of the tank and lightness of the gas. It is cleaner and environmental friendly than diesel and petrol, he said. Automobile majors like Maruti Suzuki have started embracing the technology and started adding a CNG as a fuel option for their petrol versions. However, installing a CNG kit is turning out as an alternate option for the cars without the CNG versions and for old cars. There are two kits available in the market, one is the sequential kit with ECU and the other

ECONOMY

Russia joins WTO End of 18-year wait for entry But many small entrepreneurs fear that a flood of more attractive foreign products could wipe them out and leave Russia without domestic industries needed to achieve sustainable growth. And almost everyone agrees that the onus will now be on the government to fulfill investors’ rising expectations of Russia becoming a country where doing business is not a prohibitively risky bet. AFP

SAN FRANCISCO: Russia on Wednesday crowned a tortuous 18-year journey from communist economic isolation by becoming the largest state outside the World Trade Organization to join the preeminent free trade club. Optimistic economists think the move will give Russia’s $2 trillion economy a serious boost and herald the end of an era marked by bureaucratic mismanagement and red tape.

GOLD `30,900 10g SILVER `56,700 1kg for

for

BSE

CNG tanks require storage space and customer has to compromise on the trunk space of the cars. It is also important to check how far is the nearest CNG pump. is a regular kit. The regular kit is priced from `26, 000 for 12kg tank capacity but has almost 15 per cent pick up drop than a petrol car. However, the sequen-

tial kits are priced around `55,000, which have around 1 per cent drop in the pick up. Even the car manufactures are offering CNG versions (sequential kits) at a price addition of around `70,000, said Kiran. It is the important to check the fitment centre is approved by the government and is an authorised seller for the brands. The typical warranty varies from 1 year to 2 years but has a life of 10 years, he said “The customers also lose the manufacturer’s warranty when they get these CNG kits installed, although they do not offer the CNG version models. However, this is not hindering the new customers coming to us,” Kiran said. However, CNG tanks require storage space and customer has to compromise on the trunk space of the cars. It is very important to check how far is the nearest CNG pump from ones office or residence. There are only 12 CNG pumps in the City. Many customers are facing great difficulty in traveling far off places to get the tank filled or continue using petrol. Spending additional bucks on CNG version or getting the kit fitted may not be idle option if one hardly takes the car out.

AVIATION Qantas dives into red, scraps orders for 35 jets SYDNEY: Australian carrier Qantas on Thursday posted its first annual loss since privatisation in 1995 and cancelled orders for 35 Boeing jets as high fuel costs and industrial action hammered its bottom line. The airline announced a net loss of Aus$244 million, a half-billion-dollar reverse from a net profit of Aus$250 million in the previous 12 months. Its underlying profit before tax in the year to June

17,927.17 80.31

30 was Aus$95 million, down from Aus$552 million. Revenue was Aus$15.7 billion and on the plus side the national flag carrier said it had a Aus$3.4 billion cash balance. The dismal result was expected after warnings from Qantas that its international arm was struggling due to a deterioration in global operating conditions. AFP

NSE

5,436.90 24.05

A $6.3 billion Australian coal mine to be built by Indian infrastructure giant GVK was given the green light on Thursday under strict environmental conditions to protect the Great Barrier Reef. Environment minister Tony Burke said he had approved the Alpha Coal project in Queensland’s Galilee Basin with 19 caveats relating to the protection of local wetlands, threatened species and the reef. The Alpha Coal project, 80 per cent owned by GVK in partnership with the world’s richest woman Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting, is expected to produce about 30 million metric tons of energy coal per annum once operational.

NUMEROLOGY

$4.8

aid has been sought by Egypt from the International Monetary Fund.

HP IN $8.9 bn LOSS Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday announced a quarterly loss of $8.9 billion as the US computer giant was forced to write down the value of some assets and take hefty reorganisational charges. HP was forced to book a loss under accounting rules, to reﬂect the lower value of some assets. It had previously announced this would be some $8 billion to mark down the value of EDS, a services group it acquired in 2008. The California giant, the world’s biggest maker of PCs, also is taking a charge to cover the costs of cutting some 27,000 jobs, or eight per cent of its global workforce, by 2014.

THUS SPAKE

As far as the immediate future is concerned, the ball is in the Greek court. In fact this is the last chance and Greek citizens need to know this, JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER, EUROGROUP CHIEF

DOLLAR`55.18 POUND `87.69

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

nation

BSF GUNS DOWN 2 SMUGGLERS AT BANGLA BORDER

BSF jawans shot dead two smugglers and injured another when they attacked the border force with bombs in Malda district in the wee hours today, the police said. About 30 smugglers were trying to cross over to Bangladesh and BSF jawans intercepted them.

ASSAM VIOLENCE

Ruling alliance MLA arrested Normal life was affected in lower Assam districts today due to a day-long bandh.

People hold candles expressing solidarity with those affected by ethnic violence in Assam during a protest at in New Delhi on Wednesday.

COALGATE

PTI

GUWAHATI: An MLA of Bodoland Peoples Front, which is an ally of the ruling Congress in Assam, was arrested in the wee hours today for his alleged involvement in the recent violence in the state. Pradeep Brahma, alias Gara, who represents Kokrajhar (West) constituency, was arrested from his house at Dotoma near Kokrajhar town at about 1am as seven cases had already been registered against him in several police stations. BPF is the ruling party of the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD) whose chief is Hagrama Mohilary. Following the arrest and yesterday’s violence in neighbour-

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi held discussions with members of the civil society the recent violence in the state. ing Dhubri district in which two persons were killed, indefinite curfew was clamped in Kokrajhar district. Army staged flag march even as Brahma’s supporters started picketing on the railway track and national highway 31. Normal life was affected in lower Assam districts today due to a day-long bandh called by a

Muslim outfit to protest against the recent violence. Official sources said shops, schools, business establishment and financial institutions remained closed while there was less traffic on the national highway. Train movement, however, was not affected. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi held a discussion with members of the civil society the recent violence in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Dhubri and Bongaigaon districts. Gogoi admitted that relief camps were overcrowded and there was need for decongestion and proper sanitation. He appealed to the people to ignore rumours which were spreading “like wildfire”. PTI

NEWS BRIEFS

Gadkari, PM residences on IAC stir list NEW DELHI: Alleging that Congress and BJP were hand-inglove on the coal block allocation issue, erstwhile Team Anna today announced gherao of the residences of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and BJP chief Nitin Gadkari on Sunday. This was announced by activist Arvind Kejriwal, leader of India Against Corruption. “Congress and BJP have got together to loot `1.86 lakh crore in coal scam. (There will be) gherao of Prime Minister’s and Nitin Gadkari’s residences. Let us assemble at Jantar Mantar on August 26 (at) 10 AM,” he tweeted. Both houses of Parliament were adjourned till 12noon today as the Opposition demanded the resignation of the PM. As soon as the Lok Sabha met at 11am, BJP members refused to allow the proceedings and rushed towards Speaker Meira Kumar's podium raising slogans. The House was adjourned till 12 noon. Similar scenes were seen in the Rajya Sabha, forcing Chairperson Hamid Ansari to adjourn the House till 12 noon. AGENCIES

Five of a family sentenced to life for murder BADAUN (UP): A man and his four sons were today sentenced to life imprisonment by a local court here for killing a villager four years ago. Additional District Judge S N Tripathi awarded life sentence to Kalyan Singh and his sons — Surendra, Dheera, Vijay and Dalveer for killing one Chandrapal on July 21, 2008 in Dhanipur village. The court also imposed fine of `50,000 on each.

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Five more swine flu cases in Lucknow LUCKNOW: Five more cases of swine flue were reported in the Uttar Pradesh capital Thursday, a day after an elderly person died of the virus here. Samples of five people, brought to Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) with symptoms of the dreaded H1N1 virus, were found positive, doctors said. TN Dhole, head of SGPGI’s microbiology department, confirmed the swine flu cases.

/095 Rs.1 9/: e c i 4 r Pr Rs.5 Cove r Price: : 50% g e f n f i O l Sav Tota

25 injured in accident JALPAIGUI (WB): A Coochbehar-bound bus carrying 40-odd passengers turned over after losing control at Domohani near Teesta bridge on a road connecting Jalpaiguri to Siliguri, injuring 25, five of them seriously, this morning. Local people complained the roads between Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar and between Jalpaiguri and Siliguri were full of large potholes in the absence of repair for the last three years ever since the Natinal Highway Authority of India took over them.

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nation THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

ENVIRONMENT

Hovercraft threat to birds

The presence of hovercraft, procured from the US a year ago for counter-insurgency operations, are scaring away birds from the biggest freshwater lake in the North-East.

mported hovercrafts, which were deployed in the Loktak lake here to flush out militants, are now frightening off migratory birds and making the fragile ecosystem of the area inhospitable for the winged guests. The presence of 3 hovercrafts which were procured from the US a year ago are scaring away the birds from the biggest freshwater lake in the northeast say ornithologists and environmentalists. According to a latest study by the Imphal-based Centre for Conservation of Nature and Cultivation of Science, the diversity and population of birds have reduced drastically. Ornithologist R K Birjit Singh, who led the research, told PTI that noise pollution is the biggest drawback of the hovercrafts. “Any sound above 85 decibel has the potential to harm not only the habitat of water birds but also to the anatomy and physiology of the birds. But these hovercrafts are producing noise at the rate of 104 decibel to 120 decibel like jet engines,” he says. Each winter, thousands of birds from the northern hemisphere migrate to the picturesque freshwater Loktak lake, spread across 286 sq km area across the three valley districts of Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur.

Decimation by decibel

Disturbing numbers

ny sound above 85 decibel has the potential to harm not only the habitat of water birds but also to the anatomy and physiology of the birds. But these hovercrafts produce 104 decibel to 120 decibel like jet engines. According to a latest study by the Centre for Conservation of Nature and Cultivation of Science, the diversity and population of birds have reduced drastically.

DESPERATE STEP

Youth kills himself after MMS goes viral

he hovercraft station is located in Toubul village near a water bird congregation site, which is richest in terms of species diversity and population. Around 2,000 cattle egrets were sighted near the village two years ago, but now the numbers have dropped to 64. Environmentalist RK Ranjan opined that Loktak lake’s entire eco-system will be affected due to the presence of hovercrafts.

Facing ecological challenges, the wetland is designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Another environmentalist RK Ranjan opined that the flora and fauna of Imphal’s Loktak lake as well as its entire eco-system will be affected due to the presence of hovercrafts. “Loktak is also the only remaining natural habitat to the endangered brow-antlered deer, locally known as Sangai, so we should not be doing anything that might harm them potentially,” he says.

The hovercraft station is located in Toubul village near a water bird congregation site, which is richest in terms of species diversity and population. According to the study, around 2000 cattle egrets were sighted near the village two years ago, but now the numbers have dropped to an alarmingly low figure of 64. “Other species are also facing the same fate. We have noticed that due to the noise, birds get frightened, leave the place and look for new habitats,” Singh says while stressing on the need to sensitise Manipur police commandos who drive the hovercrafts. “They use it indiscriminately and even during the breeding season,” says the environment conservationist. The Loktak Development Authority however try to justify its deployment. “By proper monitoring of the activities going on inside all areas of the lake hovercrafts are actually benefiting the water body. Proper steps are taken lest it might disturb the ecology,” says LDA’s project coordinator Sanajaoba Meitei. State works and transport minister Ratankr Singh, who is also the local MLA, says the area of the lake is very large and some areas are inaccessible for the security forces. “We need it to ensure proper vigil as sometimes militants use Loktak for shelter,” he said. PTI

RIOT OF COLOUR

In a suicide note, Mainkar alleged the girl’s kin threatened to harm his sister.

oa police are investigating a case of a youth who committed suicide after an MMS clip allegedly showing him and his girlfriend in a compromising position went viral. Arjun Mainkar, 21, living at Morlem village, committed suicide fearing harm to his sister by the family members of his girlfriend, who reportedly featured in the MMS clip shot on his cellphone, police said. In a suicide note, Mainkar alleged that the girl’s family members were threatening him of harming his sister.

After the MMS was allegedly shot by Arjun, both the families had initially agreed to get him and the girl married to each other. He had even filed an affidavit before the local notary agreeing to marry his girlfriend, police said. A senior official from Valpoi police station said the two-page suicide note mentions that the girl’s mother and her three brothers were continuously harassing him and also threatened to harm his sister. The police has registered a case. PTI

Artists participate in Atham procession that marks the beginning of Onam festival in Thrippunithura in Kerala. PTI

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

World SYRIAN CRISIS

Battle rages in capital as toll goes up DAMASCUS: Syrian forces backed by helicopter gunships and tanks launched a deadly assault on parts of Damascus Wednesday, activists said, as the regime battles to stamp out rebel resistance in the capital. At least 37 people were reported killed in Damascus alone, a day after a top minister hinted that the embattled regime was ready to discuss President Bashar al-Assad’s exit in any talks on ending the brutal 17month conflict. Fighter jets and artillery hit the commercial capital Aleppo and heavy shelling was reported in Daraa, the birthplace of the uprising, and the eastern town of Deir Ezzor while rebels claimed they seized parts of a town on the Iraq border, a watchdog said. The army attacked several areas where anti-regime sentiment is strong in and around the southwest of Damascus, including with heavy shelling, helicopter fire and mass arrest sweeps, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. In the deadliest operation, the army raided the southwestern district of Kafr Sousa, killing at least 24 civilians, it said, while a pro-opposition journalist was also killed during a raid on his home in Damascus. The violence was some of the worst since regime forces reclaimed most of the capital a month ago, and dozens of bullet-riddled bodies were found in the Damascus suburb of Qaboon, according to the Observatory. Meanwhile the opposition Syrian National Council urged the UN to investigate reports that dozens of people were killed during shelling and in summary executions in Maadamiyat al-Sham, a town west of Damascus.

KISS HAILS GAGA, OTHERS LIKE ‘GARBAGE COLLECTORS’ Musicians in today’s rock bands look like “garbage collectors” and the only true new star is Lady Gaga, members of the legendary heavy metal group KISS said in a chat with AFP. “There are a lot of bands that have something. What’s missing is stardom. The ability to get up on stage and rule, bigger than life,” said KISS bassist and singer-songwriter Gene Simmons.

TUG OF WAR

NAM host Iran prepares to prove a point to West Officials are billing the meet as proof the Islamic republic is not as isolated as the West would like. Ban will attend NAM UNITED NATIONS, UN leader Ban Ki-moon will go to a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran next week in the face of opposition by Israel and the United States, a spokesman said Wednesday. Ban will “convey the clear concerns and expectations of the international community” on Iran’s nuclear program, terrorism, human rights and the civil war in Syria, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Ban this month he would be making “a big mistake” if he attended the summit in Iran. The US also voiced similar opinions. AFP

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon looks on as a school child points her finger to a globe at a class room in Likisa on August 16, 2012.

TEHRAN: Iran is to host some 30 leaders, including those of India, Egypt and Cuba, at an August 30-31 summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) that officials are billing as proof the Islamic republic is not as isolated as the West would like. “So far, more than 100 countries have said they are ready to participate, and around 30 nations will be represented by presidents, prime

ministers or vice-presidents, which is a very good number,” Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told the ISNA news agency. The Tehran summit, foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said, “is the greatest political summit in Iran’s history.” The NAM, born at the height of the Cold War, brings together nations that consider themselves independent of the

world’s major power blocs. The organisation counts a total 119 countries plus the Palestinian territories. For Iran, the two-day meeting is an important opportunity to portray itself as part of the international scene despite concerted efforts by the United States and the European Union to isolate it diplomatically and economically over its disputed nuclear programme. AFP

NEWS BRIEFS Four die in fresh floods in Russia

Taiwan develops soft rice for the elderly

US hit by outbreak of deadly West Nile virus

Sri Lanka government shuts down universities

MOSCOW: Russian authorities said Wednesday that a ﬂash ﬂood had killed four people in the southern Krasnodar region where 172 people drowned in rising waters last month, many trapped in their homes. “Four people have died,” a spokeswoman for the regional emergency situations ministry told AFP.

TAIPEI: Taiwanese researchers said Thursday they have developed a strain of rice that cooks particularly soft for elderly people to meet the needs of a rapidly greying society. The new strain was developed by the Miaoli District Agricultural Research And Extension Station in central Taiwan after a decade-long process.

WASHINGTON: The US has been hit hard by the largest ever outbreak of West Nile virus, spread mostly by mosquito bites, that has killed 47 people and infected an estimated 95,000 in 38 states. The number of cases so far this year is the highest recorded through August since the disease was ﬁrst detected in the US in 1999.

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s government has closed down almost all universities for an indeﬁnite period amid a row about the future of education in the island, reported the BBC. Academics have been on strike for nearly two months, accusing the government of interference and demanding more be spent on the sector.

SARAH GOES TO ISS?

British soprano Sarah Brightman could become the next space tourist to blast off to the International Space Station (ISS), a senior ofﬁcial at the Russian space agency hinted Wednesday. The singer, 52, known for her roles in West End musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera is being considered as as candidate, said the head of piloted programmes, Andrei Krasnov, in comments to the RIA Novosti news agency.

NUMEROLOGY

818

yrs

and 205 days is the combined age of the nine-member family Melis family that received a certificate from the Guinness World Records for “highest combined age, nine living siblings.”

ARCTIC ADVENTURE Google set out Wednesday to take users of its free online mapping service on an Arctic adventure with help from an Inuit community in the Canadian tundra. Prime Minister Stephen Harper joined the effort as the Internet titan’s Street View team arrived in the hamlet of Cambridge Bay in the Northwest Passage for one of its most remote projects to date. “The goal of this project is to share with a global online audience the beauty of Canada’s Arctic and the culture of the Inuit people who live there,” said a Google team member.

These days, the state of Israel and its residents are being threatened. These threats indicate a mistaken evaluation of our strength and capabilities. Lt Gen Benny Gantz Israel Army Chief

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

Comment A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.

SIZE ZERO

month of market torpor has given European politicians some respite in their Alpine and Mediterranean summer hideaways during the August holiday season. No longer: the euro zone crisis is storming back. The coming weeks may prove crucial for the currency's survival as a series of urgent meetings influences the increasingly worrying prospect that Greece will be forced to abandon the euro, which may bring cataclysmic results for the entire euro zone and the global economy. French President François Hollande heads to Berlin on Thursday, when he is expected to urge Chancellor Angela Merkel to soften the conditions of Greece’s international bailouts and promote economic growth. Hollande is reported to be deeply concerned about talk of a so-called Grexit. He's among many politicians who fear it could trigger a wider euro zone break-up and undermine the foundations of Europe's drive for political unity. French officials have pointed out that the German economy would be among the hardest hit if the euro zone were to dissolve. Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is due in Berlin the following day. He is expected to assure Merkel his government is committed to making more than $13 billion in spending cuts over the next two years. In return, he is likely to ask for a two-year extension for Greece to repay its rescue money and some relaxation of the interest rates. The issue is whether Greece has done enough to get its next installment of loans worth $39 billion. GLOBAL POST

GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THINGS! BUT SERIOUSLY

Max Lucado Best-selling author

Grexit looms as euro crisis returns

HIGH-FLYING THOUGHTS

Seven years he went through hell, Tony Nicklinson, who had been suffering from locked-in syndrome. And that’s what prompted him to think of dying with dignity, unable anymore to suffer the agony. What laws of man denied him, laws of God allowed him.

Ajay Hotchandani

s with most of my stories I can’t really recall how the topic of conversation came about but all I remember was that it was 2am in a bar in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and I found myself talking to someone about women’s clothing and size. For the purposes of anonymity we shall call the girl “Jamaican Red Bull”. So here we were, Jamaican Red Bull and I talking about random stuff when we sidetracked into women’s clothing and sizes. The first thing she told me was that she was a size 0. This is where I was lost. How can there be a size zero. Zero, by its mere definition it means a “cardinal number indicating the absence of any or all units under consideration”. Side note – zero stems from Sanskrit – so we Indians know more about zero than most others. So if the definition of zero means nothing or the lack of, how can your waist size be zero? It means you have no waist, and you need a waist to have an abdominopelvic region to house your vital organs, so having no waist means you’re dead! To complicate matters

even more (Yes, people: girls have a tendency of making things complicated for no reason), Jamaican Red Bull drops another bomb and tell me that the size “00” exists. Now when you double something you expect there to be twice as much, a double 2 would mean a size 4. Like I said before, complicated and women in the same sentence, because a double zero means that it’s twice as small. Now we are saying that a double zero is half of nothing, which if I’m not mistaken, still means nothing! Jamaican Red Bull seemed to be enjoying my inability to comprehend women’s clothing. So why would you want to list something as a size zero? It all about perception! No matter what number they list the size as, as long as when you look at it and it makes you feel skinny then it’s all good. My waist is 30 inches, assuming I have not eaten anything for 8 hours and no0 matter what my pant size says, I’m still 30 inches. We can change the num bering system to animals and it won’t change my waist size. “Hey what’s your waist size?” “Oh I

usually wear elephant waist size, but I lost some weight and now I’m wearing rhinoceros waist size.” So if size zero didn’t already make you feel

skinny they invented double zero to make the skinny girls jealous of the anorexic girls, while the monkey size girls laugh away while eating cake. The zero and double zero size have created a bit of controversy and have come under attack (people have nothing better to do than create fictitious clothe sizes and then attack it) for promoting unhealthy eating and anorexia. Several fashion weeks around the world have banned zero size models and replacing them with plus size models – size 14-16. So all that time you spent trying to get really skinny and wear a size zero has been for nothing, because there are talks to replaces zero with some other arbitrary symbol or number so you still feel skinny but not so skinny that your size is being mocked by a writer for Hyderabad’s top newspaper. Can you imagine if this started to apply to other aspects of your life? “My bank account had zero but I spent some of it and now I have double zero balance.” That will surely impress the ladies.

EDITORIALS This is Iran’s moment

t will be Iran's moment when it hosts the Non Alignment movement. This will be its chance to gather support from those who joined hands during the Cold War deciding not to side with the US or Russia. There has been a huge uproar over Iran's nuclear programme. Ofﬁcials in Tehran are already saying that it is not alone as the West would like it to be based on the number of countries who have agreed to attend the meet. It seems presidents or prime ministers of 30 countries have agreed to attend it. Even Ban Ki-moon, the UN chief, will ﬂy to Tehran to attend it. Though the US and Israel are dead against his going, Ban cannot afford to ignore the group hich makes the biggest single voting bloc in the 193-member General Assembly at the United Nations. However, Ban’s visit pours cold water on the plans of the West, which has been trying to isolate Iran for some time now.

READERS’ VIEWS

The Party Prince

nother instance where the Royal Family has had to hang their heads in shame. This time it is none other than Prince Harry, more infamous as the Party Prince. A celebrity gossip website has published pictures of him, as one newspaper said, cavorting in the nude at a party. Opinions have arisen that he be stripped of his royal title. Then paparazzi and enemies of celebrity privacy might spare him. The truth is they won’t. They would stalk him or anyone who is famous to their graves. Take his mother’s case.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

tELEVISION

NICKI MINAJ FOR AMERICAN IDOL

And the reality judge pop-star arms race continues! Us Weekly is reporting that Nicki Minaj has signed on to judge the next season of American Idol alongside Mariah Carey. (And at least one other yet-to-be-named new judge, but perhaps a Jonas. Or perhaps Keith Urban and Enrique Iglesias.)

SMALL TO SMALLER SCREEN

MORE THAN JUST TV

CLASSIC TV

The idiot box is no longer the only place where you can get to see your favourite shows. There are many websites and apps to help you with your daily dose of entertainment. Is the television being missed? We find out.

FLEME VARKEY fleme.v@postnoon.com

here does one go to if one has to revisit a particular serial or a song in a film that you just watched an hour ago? Though most television channels do have time allocated for repeat telecast of the programmes not everyone is able to catch them. That is where YouTube and a whole host of other apps and sites come in. Now, YouTube is the go-to-site for movies, clippings, repeats, screenshots, songs and

more. It also a boon for the people who just can’t bear the thought of missing out on their favourite TV shows. Rashmi Keerti, a risk management officer in Mumbai, finds YouTube a saviour of sorts. She says, “ Usually I keep late working hours and inevitably miss my 9pm serial. But now I know some good samaritan will upload it onto YouTube so that people like me will not miss it.” Technology today has progressed in unimaginable ways. Earlier, you had to have a television set to be able to watch TV and today you can

Earlier, you had to have a television set to be able to watch TV and today you can watch it even on your phone through an app that allows you to do just that. watch it even on your phone through an app that allows you to do just that. Praneeth Lakra, a lawyer, is an avid

sports fan. When the Olympics were on he used to snatch some time during lunch or otherwise to be able to get a dose of the and all this through his mobile phone. He says, ”This app on my phone is incredible! I made many fans in office when I introduced others to this app. You need a Wifi connection though, for good coverage. I was able to see some of the events on my phone. If it was a year or two ago, I would have missed it or I would have been calling some friend to ask the results of a match or rushing home for lunch.”There are others too who have found apps a blessing in disguise. Even television channels have understood the importance and the reach of the web and many of them even offer live streaming of the programmes online. So even someone with a laptop or desktop can see them. Television viewing though has not been drastically affected, although some technologically aware housewives seem to like the present arrangement. Laisy Jose, a housewife in Kerala, watches her favourite programmes online. “Often when there is a storm or rain, transmission becomes grainy so I switched to watching TV online and I also found that there were videos of previous episodes available,” she says. “My 11-year-old son introduced to me to this so that I should not bother him while he sees his shows,” she adds with a smile.

DOOGIE HOWSER Doogie Howser, M.D. is an American television comedydrama starring Neil Patrick Harris as a 16-year-old doctor. The show from 1989 to 1993 for four seasons totalling 97 episodes. Doogie Howser showed the coming of age of a teenage genius who was a board-certiﬁed surgeon by the time he was 16. At that tender age, Doogie (a childhood nickname for “Douglas”) has to balance life with his parents and contemporaries and the demands of a career that’s stressful even for adults.Doogie Howser, despite having a relatively short four year run, was popular among young adults of the early 1990s. The show catapulted star Neil Patrick Harris to fame.

DID YOU KNOW?

Top Gear is the longest running tv automotive series on UK televsion. It has run for 45 seasons with 515 episodes. It started in 1977 and continues till the present. the original consisted of It consisted of a 30-minute magazine format presented by a number of people, including William Woollard, Angela Rippon, Noel Edmonds, and Jeremy Clarkson.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

most viewed online Serials

ome of the Hindi serials that seem to be watched most online are Bade Acche Lagte Hain, Diya aur Baati Hum, Iss Pyaar ko Mein Kya Naam Doon, Tarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah, Devon ke Dev... Mahadev and even older episodes of these shows.

Movies and Music

usic vidoes have already been big with the viewers. Popluar views are for videos of Rihanna, Pitbull, Justin Beiber, Eminem and Linkin Park. Hindi film songs and trailers like that of Himmatwala, Raaz 3, Joker, Chakravuyh are also popular.

It’s agony. Complete, excruciating agony. It’s like your heart has been ripped out of your chest and stomped on, and you can’t breathe... you don’t want to eat... you can’t function. Dawson

And though washing one’s hands twenty to thirty times a day would be considered obsessive/compulsive, please bear in mind that your husband is a coroner. Frasier

Dawson’s Creek Frasier

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

spotlight

AN ODE TO BEATLES

Formed in 2002, Barefaced Liar is an amalgamation of the distinct and eclectic musical taste of its members, Akshay Chowdhry (Vocals, Guitars), Sumant Balakrishnan (Guitars, Vocals) and Dushyant Purohit (Bass). Catch the band playing at Hard Rock Cafe today at 9pm. Their act is going to be a tribute to the Beatles. DEEPAK DESHPANDE

PARTY ANIMALS

1 2

SMOKING WEDNESDAYS

PARTY HOTSPOT

Now, who needs to wait for the weekend to have a blast? With drinks on the house, entertainment all night long, ladies night on Wednesday had the city’s youngsters let their hair down. For ladies who want to have fun, there’s no better place to be than 10D. DEEPAK DESHPANDE

PAINTING THE

TOWN RED

The colour of the night might have been red but the youngsters at Kismet on Wednesday night were making everyone green with envy. There was unlimited music, dance and a lot of fun.

1 Divyashree 2 Rekha 3 Swathi, Aparna 4 Aliza, Ibrahim 5 Girisha, Sanithi

Rakha, 6 Meghna

10 1 Candy 2 Natasha,

Soheil 3 Akansha 4 Sirisha 5 Esha launch of NavdeepNEW The RAISING A VOICE Ritu starrer Vasool Raja was held at Annapurna Ushalaksh BEGINNINGS Studios on Wednesday mi breast cancer foundation organised a training camp for healthcare workers to raise awareness on breast cancer

6 Sourav,

9 Neha,

Iantha 7 Asmita, Ravi 8 Jyoti, Antara

Shraddha 10 Sahil, Amib, Abriham

celebrations continue MORE Eid TAKING A STAND as Dr Vizarath Rasool

throws a dinner FESTIVITIES Khan party for friends & family.

Oncologists from the twin cities gathered at Taj Deccan on Wednesday to draw an action plan to combat tobacco related-hazards.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

health

PARASITE IN CATS MAY LEAD PEOPLE TO SUICIDE Exposure to a parasite hosted by cats could make people more likely to attempt suicide, says a study. Toxoplasma gondii, which can cause toxoplasmosis, is easily transmitted to humans, with anything contaminated with cat faeces, the Daily Mail reported.

PREGNANCY FACTS

Factoring the compatibility During pregnancy it is important to know your RH factor as an RH incompatibility may cause problems in the second pregnancy unless preventive action is taken. ANISHAA KUMAR

anishaa.k@postnoon.com

he correct diet, adequate rest and caution are always advised for pregnant women. One important factor that many are ignorant about and that may cause problems in the future is blood compatibility. Often when we talk about this we refer to the regular blood groups such as A, B etc but fail to look into the possibility of Rh incompatibility. The Rh factor refers to a protein in the blood. The Rhesus factor which is also known as the D factor got its name from the Rhesus monkey on which the experiment was conducted. Talking about how studies regarding this problem came into being Dr Divya T Sudarshan, gynaecologist and obstetrician, Happy Women Clinic says, “Earlier we thought there were only regular blood groups such as A, B and so on. But doctors noticed that in spite of having matching or compatible blood groups problems were occurring in pregnancies. This led to the discovery of the Rh factor. If the Rh factor is absent it is called Rh negative and if it is present it is known as Rh positive.”

PROBLEMS It is said that women with the absence of an Rh factor in their blood may suffer from problems.

Dr Divya explains, “It is usually a problem in the second pregnancy. It occurs when during the first pregnancy the woman does not have the D factor and the unborn child does. During the delivery the women may suffer from bleeding during which the mother’s blood and the foetus’ blood may mingle. It is here that the mother’s blood does not recognise this factor and creates anti-bodies against it.” These anti-bodies may attack and kill the RBCs of the foetus during a second pregnancy.” Dr Divya mentions that problems may occur even if the mother is Rh positive and the child is Rh negative but there are more chances of problems if the mother is Rh negative and the child is Rh positive.

Know your blood group Finding out your blood group is done with the help of a simple blood test which can be conducted at any hospital. The blood grouping test will reveal whether you belong to A, B, AB or O blood group. The positive or negative sign implies your Rh factor. Dr Divya says, “Usually during a pregnancy we ask patients to get a CBP (complete blood proﬁle), sugar and blood test done during which they can ﬁnd out their blood group. It can be done otherwise also and is a simple and affordable test.” Knowing your blood group is important otherwise too as it can be helpful when you require blood or if you want to give blood to someone close to you.

ANEWS PP-LYBRIEFS YOURSELF

If a doctor recognises that such a problem may occur then within 72 hours of delivery she is given anti-D bodies that do not let the antibodies develop, mentions Dr Divya. In most western countries women are given anti-D injections at 28weeks of pregnancy as well as a means to prevent the development of these anti-bodies. Women who undergo abortions or suffer from miscarriages may also be given these anti-bodies to sensitise them. The RH factor causing a problem in the first pregnancy is very rare but may occur. Dr Divya explains, “This is known as the grandma effect. In this case the mother is Rh positive while the child is Rh negative.”

In many cases, the Rh factor may not cause any problem as it depends on the amount of blood that has got mixed. In such cases there are no problems and the pregnancy and delivery will go off smoothly.

TESTING Testing can be conducted during the early weeks of the pregnancy itself to know the Rh factor of the child. In the case of women who have not looked into the Rh factor the doctor may notice certain symptoms of the problem in the ultrasound. Dr Divya says, “The ultrasound may show oedema around the foetus, puffiness, water or abnormal growth of the baby” If the Rh factor is not diagnosed it may result in the foetus or the newborn suffering from problems such as anaemia, jaundice, brain damage and even a heart attack.

HOUSECALL

HealthTap

Erythrasma

HealthTap is a network of physicians that provide helpful information and answers to users seeking medical advice. The user can ask a direct question to the community. Each answer is listed with the avatar image and name of the physician who provided it. Physician proﬁles include tips, bios and awards.

Erythrasma is a long-term bacterial infection that appears in skin folds. Erythrasma is caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium minutissimum and is more common in warm climates. You are more likely to develop this condition if you are overweight or have diabetes. The main symptoms are reddish-brown slightly scaly patches with sharp borders. The patches occur in moist areas such as the groin, armpit, and skin folds.

DID YOU KNOW? Not all neurons are the same Information travels at different speeds within different types of neurons. Not all neurons are the same. There are a few different types within the body and transmission along these different kinds can be as slow as 0.5 meters/sec or as fast as 120 meters/sec.

PIONEERS William Harvey William Harvey was an English physician, who described completely and in detail the systemic circulation and properties of blood being pumped to the body by the heart, although blood circulation was described by Ibn al-Naﬁs earlier in his Commentary on Anatomy in Avicenna's Canon (1242). After his death the William Harvey Hospital was constructed in the town of Ashford in his memory.

health THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

RESEARCH

Doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corner Dr Divya T Sudarshan

Binge-drinking kids happier than non-drinkers SARAH WOLFE tudents who binge drink in college are happier than their non-bingeing peers, according to new research, but it's not because of the booze. Binge-drinking corresponds to social status on many college campuses. Binge-drinking students tend to have a higher social status, which is likely why they're happier with their social lives than their more moderate peers, according to the study presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Denver this week. And the higher a student's social status, the more likely they were to binge drink, Live Science reported. Rich white frat boys

Bingedrinking kids are likely happier because of the boost in social status, not due to the alcohol.

engaged in binge drinking way more than "lower status" groups like women, minorities and lowincome students. They also reported having the greatest social satsifaction at school, according to Time magazine. "Lower status" students could boost their social satisfaction to the frat boy level by binge drinking, the study concluded. The study was only performed at Colgate University, but researchers hope it will shed some light on why students continue to binge drink despite the risks. Hsu hopes to expand the research to other campuses, according to Live Science. Global Post

Stress can change period patterns Dear doctor, I am 23-years-old. I used to have a regular menstrual cycle. For the last few months it barely lasts for 1.5 days. Is that okay? I say it all the time. There is never an exact measurement in medicine but ranges. So a period that comes between 25-35 days is also normal as also a bleeding of one to five days. Menstrual blood is a bit difficult to quantify but usually we say a normal period can be anywhere from 2080 ml, which when you think of it, is not much. Somehow the Indian psyche which co-relates menstruation with bad blood, is happier to bleed it out than have a mild period! There is usually no mystery about changes in bleeding patterns. Some of the common causes at your age include stress. Emotional or physical stress can upset the hormonal balance and cause a hormone called LH to reduce resulting in no or very light periods. Since you are 23, try and bring some balance in your life. The second reason could be that medical conditions like thyroid and PCOD can bring on lighter periods progressively. The third reason could be contraceptive pills. If you are married and are on pills it will decrease flow of periods over time and in some ways helps in reducing anaemia. In some cases mild periods might occur during early pregnancy too. People who follow yo-yo diets or have disorders like anorexia, bulimia could also find reduced periods. The other very common cause if you are over 40 then it is peri menopause. As for you, my suggestion is sit back and think about the reasons. Meet your doctor and hear what she has to say. Make some lifestyle changes and you will be fine! The writer is an obstetrician and gynaecologist practising at Happy Women Clinic. You can write in to her at happywomenclinic@gmail.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

Entertainment BACK FOR MORE?

Chiranjeevi keeps everyone guessing T he mystery surrounding Chiranjeevi’s 150th film doesn’t seem to end anytime soon. After ruling the industry for more than three decades, Chiranjeevi had quit his film career back in 2008 when he decided to contest in elections. Till then, he had acted in 149 films and several members of the film fraternity and most importantly his fans have been anticipating his comeback on big screen. During the premiere of Buddha Hoga Tera Baap,

Amitabh Bachchan personally requested Chiranjeevi to act in at least one more film and directors like Puri Jagannadh, RGV and VV Vinayak had expressed their interest in directing Chiranjeevi’s 150th film. Couple of years ago, Ram Charan had publicly announced that his father will be making a comeback within a year; however, that didn’t happen. If the rumours are to be believed, Chiranjeevi is mighty impressed with a script based on Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, one of India’s first freedom fighters who revolted against the British in 1847. On the eve of his 57th birthday on August 22, Chiranjeevi himself confessed that he would like to make a comeback with a film that has a scope for a huge social impact. But, it’s still a million dollar question who’s going to direct the film and more importantly whether he can juggle between politics and films.

CINE BYTES

Samantha joins YVM’s team

amantha has finally joined the team of Gautham Menon’s Yeto Vellipoyindhi Manasu. The film’s last schedule recently began near Chennai and Samantha began shooting for both the Telugu and Tamil versions of the film yesterday. Nani is playing the lead role in the Telugu version and Ilayaraja has composed the music.

Sumanth Ashwin joins Mohankrishna’s next

S Raju’s son Sumanth Ashwin is going to play the lead role in Indraganti Mohankrishna’s upcoming film. Damodhar Prasad is going to produce the film and it’ll go on floors in September. Although Sumanth Ashwin’s debut film Tuneega Tuneega turned out to be a disaster at the box office, he got good reviews for his acting and dancing skills.

Navdeep, Ritu team up for Vasul Raja

avdeep and Ritu Barmecha have teamed up for a mass entertainer titled Vasul Raja. Karthikeya is going to direct the ﬁlm and Chinni Charan is going to compose the music. Navdeep says that the ﬁlm is a love story of a conman and Srihari is playing an important role

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

fashion

WHAT AN INSPIRATION!

US Vogue creative director Grace Coddington has created a capsule collection for Balenciaga named after her cat, Pumpkin.Drawings of her moggy modelling Balenciaga looks from the past decade feature upon the 'Pumpkin Papier' tote bag and two scarves, according to The Cut .

LUXURY SURABHI CHAUHAN

feedback@postnoon.com

ANJU MODI

GAURAV GUPTA Gaurav Gupta is one of the youngest couturiers in the country to show under his own name. A graduate of the prestigious Central St. Martins design school in London, Gaurav’s foray into Indianwear was unexpected. Having worked with designers Hussein Chalayan, Stella McCartney, Rafael Lopez and Vivienne Westwood, his western wear sensibility was highly lauded. Gaurav entered Indian couture segment by deconstructing the sari and lehenga with easier to wear gowns. The blouses take a modern approach at times stitched onto the sari. The colours injected a stream of youthfulness into Indian wear, with a palette of bisque ecru, rufescent red, and blush nude. With hands free of stoles or dupattas (most were stitched onto the garment itself), the models held a swan like stance and modelled the garments without any added jewellery.

A collection dedicated to women, titled ‘Devi’ and designed by a woman. The show began with poetry from Bengali laureate Rabindranath Tagore “Who is this, steering close to the shore singing? I feel that she is someone I know. The sails are filled wide, she gazes ahead, waves break helplessly against the boat each side. I watch and feel I have seen her face before.” The collection comprised of lehengas with full skirts and blouses that had clear design inspirations from the classic styles and reflected a very feminine approach to fabrics and silhouettes. The collection used red, white, and gold. At a time where most designers are altering and deconstructing the traditional drapes, Anju Modi retained those styles. Without messing too much with the traditional Bengali aesthetics, the collection used red, white, and gold. Sealing the deal was actress Madhuri Dixit wearing a red, white and gold lehenga, polka diamond jewellery, open hair with the traditional sindoor.

OLIVA AND LE MONDE

For the Autumn/Winter 2012 issue of its in house magazine Le Monde d’Hermès, the French fashion house is collaborating with an American teenage blogger and photographer Olivia Bolles, known professionally as Olivia Bee.

in couture

22&23

The India Couture Week is held once a year in Delhi organised by the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). This year it was held from August 8-12. Selective designers participate who are able to show an elaborate collection of handcrafted and luxurious garments mostly for the well-heeled society to wear for the following month’s wedding season.

VARUN BAHL

Indian couture begins and ends with a Sabyasachi show. This one was the closing show for the PCJ Couture Week held in Delhi. A traditional nonconformist, his show had the making of a perfect romantic wardrobe. Long skirts with embroidered blouses and dupatta, lehenga-sari in black and white net, suits with knee-length slim kurta and traditional churidaar or velvet salwar, and jackets with exquisite gold embroideries. Sabyasachi shines when he converges different crafts together in one collection or even one garment. Russian needlepoint, boutis from Provence, zardozi from Agra, Kantha from Bangladesh, block printing from Bengal and Rajasthan, Pashmina from Kashmir, chintz from the United Kingdom and toile de jouy from France, coexist with rhinestone, baubles, bows. Combined with his signature quirks of spectacle frames, handheld clutches, stacks of embroidered fabric bangles and colourful print wedges. This show was another success for the booming Sabyasachi brand.

"My definition of fashion is luxury, and for me, luxury is happiness. Bohemian-minded, in control, mature and experimental – that's how I see my individual buyer," says Varun Bahl as he describes his design sensibility. That explains why most of Bollywood seems to be wearing his designs. Titled ‘Indian Nouveau’, for the Fall 2012-13 Haute Couture collection, Varun Bahl merges the classic evergreens of old India with the outlook of modern Indian dressing. The underlying inspirations being Indian: the Sari, the Achkan, the Sharara, the Mughal Farshi, and the Lehenga. But if you think this is a bridal wear show, the release clearly states — “the collection is aimed not only at the Indian wedding, but also towards those who love to dress Indian with pride, but are looking for modern updates on traditional Indian silhouettes.” Using black — a colour that is perceived to be inauspicious, was a way to defy the traditional wedding wear norms and yet giving his customers well-crafted garments to invest in for the coming winter soirees.

SABYASACHI MUKHERJEE

Entertainment THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

Chai Time

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Our character... is an omen of our destiny, and the more integrity we have and keep, the simpler and nobler that destiny is likely to be. George Santayana

KAKURO

QUICK CROSSWORD

SUDOKU 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.

ACROSS

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

SCRIBBLING PAD

1 Nine goddesses of the arts 6 Attack, as Caesar 10 All-male party 14 Cafe emanation 15 Reader’s Digest co-founder Wallace 16 ‘O Brother, Where Art ___?’ (2000 film) 17 Broadcast studio alert 18 Genesis shepherd 19 Makes mistakes 20 They may protect important papers 23 Dynamic ___ (Batman and Robin) 25 ‘Once Upon a Mattress’ legume 26 Windpipe, for one 27 Antelope with curved horns 30 Live show equipment 31 Popular Tuscan city 32 Word with ‘bar’ or ‘skirt’ 34 Puts two and two together 38 What a star in a store window is 41 ‘Is that all right with you?’ 42 Churchillian gestures 43 ‘Message received’ 44 Men and boys 45 Nun’s headcloth 46 Black-tie gathering, maybe 50 ___ Tome and Principe 52 Nile cobra 53 Like some boats 57 Accelerator particles 58 It gives the eye colour 59 ‘A burger, fries and a large Coke,’ eg 62 Box in a theater 63 An intriguing yarn 64 Novelist Cather 65 Prefix for ‘while’ 66 ‘First Lady of Song’ Fitzgerald 67 Amount of yarn

DOWN

1 ‘Little Red Book’ chairman

2 Cremains vessel 3 Never-ending story 4 Zátopek of Olympic fame 5 ‘___ Smile’ (Hall and Oates) 6 Chalkboard material 7 Inner legbone 8 ‘Star Wars’ actor Guinness 9 Type of vinegar 10 Be in the driver’s seat 11 Made a pitch 12 Biggest blood vessel 13 Dress in your best (with ‘up’) 21 Where to get a mudbath 22 Shoot from the ___ 23 Music to do the hustle to 24 Alaskan boat 28 Ann’s raggedy brother 29 DNA testing facility 30 ‘No ifs, ___ or buts’ 32 Ginnie and Fannie of finance 33 Anger or wrath 34 Molecular building block 35 Simple swimming stroke 36 Face-offs with guns or swords 37 Throat malady 39 Orthodontist’s diagnosis, sometimes 40 Swiss canton 44 Belonging to that guy 45 Pursue romantically 46 Twinkle-toed 47 Elevator designation 48 Rattlesnake weapons 49 Valuable possession 50 Moonshine source 51 On the Aegean, eg 54 Kind of surgeon or historian 55 Applies blades to blades 56 ‘CHiPS’ star Estrada 60 Footballer Manning 61 Wasn’t colourfast

Chai Time THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012 Thiruvaikumar

STAR POWER for 24-8-2012

As per Hindu panchang thiruvaikumar@yahoo.co.in, 040-27177230 / 9177596118

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

Held-up work will resume and gain momentum before getting completed favourably. Those in search of a job will get a prosperous and attractive one. Dull trend in business will change and brisk activity will start. Pending debts will get cleared.

Your abilities will be revealed and earn appreciation from all. Long-pending wishes will get fulfilled. Businessmen will see a good momentum in their transactions and profits will increase. Promotion, responsibility and power possible for employees.

You will fulfill wishes of your children. Some will undertake a joyful trip with family. Those who wanted to buy a plot or house will have their wish fulfilled. Happy atmosphere will prevail in the family. Debt issues will be totally cleared.

QUICK CROSSWORD FRED BASSET

Marriage of son or daughter will be finalised. Those planning to buy a house, plot or vehicle will be successful. Avoid making new debts as you might face a problem in the future for repaying the same. Employees will be in a relaxed situation.

A strong financial situation will reduce worries. Planned good events will take place at home. Jobless can expect a new job soon. Those making efforts to go abroad will be successful and the formalities too get completed without difficulties.

Employees are advised to be beware as getting blamed and non co-operation from colleagues likely. Expected promotion, transfer and pay hike might not materialise. Children and some of the family members will not understand you well; be calm.

There will be tension and confusion for the head of the family. Debt problems will haunt you which might test your patience. Employees might face burdensome work responsibilities. Medical expenses will increase, which will upset you.

All undertaken work will be successful. Written-off dues will get collected now to your surprise. Loan applied at the bank will get sanctioned. Businessmen will be successful, if they implement their new and innovative efforts.

Businessmen will have brisk business. Major debts get cleared, which will relaxes you. Couple look to be in a cordial relationship. Employees will be happy and complete work perfectly with involvement. Businessmen will get required sanction.

TAROT READ

Sumaa Tekur

tarotreadhyd@gmail.com

ARIES:

GEMINI:

Justice – You achieve new heights in managing the balance of your mind, body and soul. You are more at peace with yourself and this shows in your health, too.

LEO:

Ace of Cups – You may need to make some minor changes in a project. While this takes little time, the process of making a change upsets you. Keep cool.

LIBRA:

STONE SOUP

Six of Swords – There are some unknown factors, which are pushing you in the right direction. Go with the flow and do not ask too many questions now.

SAGITTARIUS:

The Chariot – You will go out of breath and be panting and puffing through the rest of the week. There will be too much of running around.

TAURUS:

Death – Get ready for some major changes on the work front. You will be asked to move job profiles or cities and will make some new friends along the way.

CANCER:

Eight of Pentacles – There will be some conditions imposed on you in a professional relationship. Go ahead and sign the contract only if you agree.

VIRGO:

The Hanged Man – You will be seeing things from a whole new perspective. You begin to develop a stronger relationship with yourself and will be content.

SCORPIO:

The Fool – There is a rhythm to life, and by not going through that rhythm you cause stress to yourself and also to those around you.

CAPRICORN:

Seven of Pentacles – You will have to go through some inconvenience because of what someone else is doing to you. Keep cool and do not lash out.

SOLUTIONS

PISCES:

Strength – Time for some play, for all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Be careful about maintaining your commitment towards some important work.

NUMBER GAME

are getting the support of someone important to you. Acknowledge this and be grateful, for you never know when you won’t be able to say thanks.

SCRABBLE

AQUARIUS: The Sun – You

INK PEN

Dues will not be received as expected. New debts will put you under tension and trouble. Those undertaking travel need to take care as they will face health problems. Employees will face ire of superiors and colleagues too will not co-operate.

for 24-8-2012

Five of Swords – You have to revise your plan and reprioritise if an original plan is not working. Make changes quickly and do not hesitate to change course.

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

Misunderstanding between couple likely. Try and avoid such a situation. Avoid trying new methods in business for the time being. Tension due to children likely. Money due to you might get delayed, this will put you under tension.

SUDUKO

Money will come from expected sources. Haunting debt issues will be under control. Those searching a job will face delay. Employees might face non cooperation from colleagues and also the ire of superiors. Businessmen face a dull trend.

Boggle BUS VAN CAB CAR TRUCK AMBULANCE Vol: 2, No 37 RNI No: APENG/2011/39337 Published for the proprietors, Scribble Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, by V Harshavardhan Reddy, at #1246, Level 3, Jubilee Casa, Road No 62, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500033 and printed by him at Jagati Publications Ltd, Plot No D-75&E-52, APIE Industrial Estate, Balanagar, Ranga Reddy Dist, Hyderabad – 500037, Editor: Dean Williams – Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. For feedback, please write to: feedback@postnoon.com and for subscription, please call 040-4067 2222, Fax: 040-4067 2211

Entertainment THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

WEDDING BELLS

CINE BYTES

Portman shoots for Dior ad

ctress Natalie Portman reminds the world that she is breathtakingly gorgeous by stripping down to her birthday suit in her latest Christian Dior beauty ad for the new Rouge Dior Nude Lipcolor. Portman played the ﬁne line of sexy and classy (kudos) by going topless but only baring her back to the camera while giving us that face. And if this isn't risqué enough for you, let's remember that she is a wife and mother now—thank you.

Pitt and Jolie's kid to make debut?

ngelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's 4-year-old daughter will make her ﬁlm debut in Maleﬁcent, it has been reported. Vivienne Jolie-Pitt will play a young Princess Aurora in the live-action reimagining of Sleeping Beauty, according to The Sun."Ange thought it would be a fun experience for her and Viv to share, and Viv is a natural," an insider claimed.

urprise! Singer Avril Lavigne has done a pretty fantastic job keeping her relationship with Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger a secret, but news of their relationship isn't your ordinary cute couple alert: E! News confirms that this brandnew duo is engaged! The Canadian rockers, who initially linked up in February to co-write a song for Lavigne's upcoming fifth studio album, have been dating for six months, according to People. "A romantic relationship blossomed as they spent time writing together," a friend of Lavigne tells the mag. Another source tells People, "He makes her so happy. Both of their families could not be more excited." Kroeger popped the question on August.

Avril Lavigne engaged to Nickelback's Chad Kroeger

Is Cher really marrying a Hell's Angel biker?

her: Oscar winner, iconic diva and...biker bride? London's Sun is reporting that the 66-yearold Moonstruck star is planning to tie the knot in a quickie Vegas ceremony with her on-again beau, 42-year-old Hell's Angel Tim Medvetz, sometime this fall. But is Cher really gearing up to go down the marital road for the third time? Cher's rep assures E! News that the engagement story is not true.

sports

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

PARALYMPICS 2012

LOCAL CRICKET

IPC looking forward to biggest Games yet Greater awareness has increased the Paralympics’ profile, with expectations that it will be an unprecedented sell-out. PHIL HAZLEWOOD Agence France-Presse PARIS: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is relishing the prospect of having the Paralympics in London, with this year’s edition promising to be the biggest and most high-profile yet. Some 4, 200 athletes are scheduled to take part in the competition, which begins in the British capital on August 29 and runs until September 9, rounding off a summer of sport. IPC president Philip Craven, though, said there was not just a desire among the public to prolong the Olympics after a successful Games, particularly for the home nation, but also to see more top-class sport. “This will be my sixth Paralympics as president. It’s not just because I’m back in my own country but everyone is so excited, “ said the 62-year-old Briton, a five-time Paralympian in wheelchair basketball and swimming. “There’s a fantastic buzz in the air, waiting for it to kick off and people talking about it, “ he told AFP in a phone interview from London. Part of that buzz comes from the previous Games in Beijing four years ago, where China set an impressive standard to follow, he added. “I think when (Chinese President) Hu Jintao in early 2006 declared that the Paralympics were equal to the Olympics they really were, “ Craven said. “We were very pleased with the way the Chinese took to Paralympic sport. They had programmes explaining the different sports and we had great coverage there. “But what (British host broadcaster) Channel 4 have done, they have taken a very fresh look at it, which has been exciting and ground-breaking, pushing those boundaries. Because it’s brand new, even we at times have had to catch up.” Channel 4, whose powerful Paralympics trailer “Meet the Superhumans” has won widespread praise, are planning what they say are an

Karimnagar beat Khammam in U-19 final In the A division, BDL and SBH are locked in battle.

A DIVISION THREE DAY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP DAY 2: BDL 260 & 136 for 3

(Ashwin 57 batting (77b, 10x4, 1x6), Narein 32 batting, Yathin Reddy 37) vs SBH 216 (M Srinivas 85 no (123b, 12x4, 1x6), Daniel Manohar 41, P Srihari Rao 35, Rajat Ramesh 5 for 53) Ensconse 334 (Waseem Ali 36 no, Amol Shinde 4 for 100) vs Andhra Bank 229 for 3 (Neeraj Bist 67 (97b, 7x4, 2x6), Abhinav Kumar 107 (201b, 13x4, 1x6), Arjun Yadav 43 batting, Mehdi Hasan 3 for 76)

DAY 1:

Emcc 187 (Vinay Rao 37, Chandrakanth 64, Nikhildeep 35, Deepchand 5 for 44, Ravi 3 for 56) vs Falkhnuma Hyd Bottling 233 (Sandeep 44, Vaibhav 32, Vamshi 39, MA Rizwan 56, M Suresh 5 for 111) vs SCRSA 22 for no loss A 2 & 3 DIVISIONS TWO DAYS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

DAY 1:

MCC 237 (Bhargav Rayudu 123no, Nikhil Tummapalli 74, NV Nitish 5 for 42, Shravan Kumar 3 for 56) vs Mega City 70 for 4

DAY 2:

The London 2012 Paralympics in numbers n

A record 2.5 MILLION TICKETS have been put on sale, with organisers expecting the first-ever Paralympic sellout.

4, 200 ATHLETES are vying in

503 medal events, up from 3, 951 competitors in Beijing in 2008. n

There are 20 PARALYMPIC SPORTS IN 2012, including athletics, swimming, cycling, wheelchair rugby, and goalball, in which visually-impaired athletes play with a ball embedded with a bell.

15 MEN’S 100 METRE FINALS

will be contested under the complex Paralympic classification system, which tries to ensure fair competition by pitting athletes of similar levels of impairment against each other. n

166 COUNTRIES are expected

to send athletes to the Games. Some 16 nations will be making their Paralympic debut, including North Korea and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

There are 15 COMPETITION including the VENUES, Olympic Stadium, velodrome, aquatics centre and Eton Manor, a permanent new complex of nine wheelchair tennis courts inside the Olympic Park.

1, 250 ANTI-DOPING SAMPLES will be taken during the Paralympics, an increase of 25 percent since Beijing.

A workshop with 15, 000 SPARE PARTS will be on standby to repair wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs and orthoses — devices which support the limbs.

580 TORCHBEARERS will carry the Paralympic flame in a 24hour relay from Stoke Mandeville — the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, in southern England — to arrive at London’s Olympic Stadium on August 29.

780 HOURS OF LIVE COVERAGE

will be streamed on the International Paralympic Committee’s website, with commentary in English and Spanish.

“unprecedented” 150 hours of rolling coverage on multiple platforms over the 12 days of competition. After the Olympics ended on August 12, the broadcaster even ran adverts cheekily saying: “Thanks for the warm-up.” Greater awareness — and a desire to be part of the world’s second-biggest sports event in terms of athlete participation — has increased the Paralympics’ profile, with expectations that it will be a sell-out. No new sports will be introduced in London, although the Games will see the return of categories for intellectually disabled athletes in table tennis, swimming and athletics for the first time since the Sydney Games in 2000. The categories were dropped for Athens in 2004 and Beijing four years later after revelations that many of Spain’s gold medal-winning basketball team had no physical or intellectual impairment. Craven said the IPC had been working closely with the International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability (INAS) to come up with improved eligibility criteria, which has been used in a number of competitions.

Team Speed 214 bt Sporting XI 140 (A Ranjith Kumar 54, SS Bharath 4 for 52, Shiva Prasad 5 for 44) Sultanshahi 282 bt Crown CC 101 (Swamy 41 no, E Mahesh Kumar Goud 6 for 23) Vijay Hanuman 312 (Zakir 122no, Sandeep Choudhary 3 for 82) bt Balaji Colts 201 (Shanawaz 66, Sami 43 no, Rahil Baig 5 for 54, Bunty Mishra 3 for 49) AOC 237 bt Gemini Friends 112 (Sonu Kumar 3 for 29, Nand Kumar 4 for 27) Gujrathi 110 (Laxmi Reddy 35, Imran Mohiuddin 4 for 39, Bharath Kashy ap 3 for 7) lost to New Blues 111 for 7 (Shadab Tumbi 64, Vidath 3 for 47) HCA UNDER-19 INTER DISTRICT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

FINAL: Khammam 135 (Balak-

rishna 37, J Srikanth 3 for 24, Krishna Reddy 3 for 30) lost to Karimnagar 138 for 3 (Vikranth 68no)

A 4 & 9, 10 DIVISIONS TWO DAYS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP Gowlipura 217 for 6 (Rohan Baba 115, Raghuveer 36, Kalyan 3 for 47) bt PKMCC 105 (Ajay 4 for 33) SK Blues 213 (Suman Goud 51, Sai Charan 30, Ashwin Kumar 32, Kishore 3 for 32, Yaddi Reddy 3 for 40) lost to DBCC 218 for 6 (Raj Kumar Singh 52, PSP Varma 37) MP Youngman 189 (Srinivas 36, Uday Kumar 34, Anoop Singh 6 for 60) lost to Secbad Club 190 for 7 (CV Anand 112 no, Uday Kumar 4 for 51) RK Puram 247 for 9 (Yashwanth 50, Vijay Kumar 37, Aklesh 45, Pushkar 42, Abhinav 5 for 66) bt Rushiraj 195 (Surya Teja 38, Pushkar 5 for 61) AVCC 221 for 3 (Ajay Dev Goud 34, Revanth 70 no, Bharadwaj 65) bt Akshit 150 (Srikanth 67, Azar 31, Revanth 3 for 14) ML Jaisimha 189 (Junaid Ali 52, Shilpee 57, Rudhra 42, Mickhil Jaiswal 4 for 54, Prashanth Raj 3 for 44) lost to St Patricks 190 for 7 (Sandeep 48) Safilguda 70 (Vijay 39, Mahir Vijay Vazir 5 for 14) lost to St Andrews 71 for 3

sports

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

GOLF

‘Offside’ Torres goal sees Chelsea sink Reading Chelsea had to come from behind to overcome a Reading side that showed talent and grit. IAN WINROW Agence France-Presse LON DON: Fernando Torres’s controversial late goal proved decisive as Chelsea staged a second half recovery to secure a 4-2 Premier League victory over promoted Reading at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Torres converted from close range with nine minutes remaining — but television replays showed the Spaniard was clearly in an offside position when he turned home Ashley Cole’s cross. Visiting manager Brian McDermott was left incensed by the decision of referee Lee Mason to award the goal that undid his side’s previous excellent work. At that point Reading appeared to be on course to claim at least a point after goals from Pavel Pogrebnyak and Danny Guthrie — helped by an error by Chelsea keeper Petr Cech — had overturned Frank Lampard’s early penalty. Gary Cahill’s long range shot had brought Chelsea level midway through the second half but the match was very much in the balance when Torres struck. Then, in the very final seconds, Branislav Ivanovic capped a breakaway to roll in the fourth goal after Reading keeper Adam Federici had gone forward. When the dust settled, European champions Chelsea could reflect on a second successive victory but there was little doubt they had benefited from a slice of good fortune and survived a major scare. It was in stark contrast to the way they had marked the start of their league campaign with victory at Wigan. And when the home side carried on where they had left off at

USLPGA cheers Augusta decision The iconic golf club has decided to allow women members for the first time in its 80-year history.

Chelsea’s Spanish striker Fernando Torres (R) scores their third goal during their English Premier League football match against Reading at Stamford Bridge in London, England. AFP/ GLYN KIRK

the DW Stadium, the signs were ominous for Reading. Eden Hazard, an immediate success in first Premier

I’m gutted the linesman’s got that decision wrong on the third goal. He was offside and it was not a good night for him. It’s not been a good night for me, either. Brian McDermott Reading manager

League game three days previously, again settled quickly collecting a second minute pass from Juan Mata before pulling his left foot shot narrowly wide. Then the Belgian produced a moment of trickery to out-fox Reading back Chris Gunter and win the 17th minute penalty that appeared to set Chelsea on course for a comfortable three points. Lampard converted confidently from 12 yards and with Reading apparently unable to get near their sharper opponents it was hard to see a way back for the visitors. The one bright spot for Reading during a torrid opening 25 minutes however, had been the sight of Pogrebnyak unsettling the Chelsea central defensive pair of Cahill — in for the injured David Luiz — and John Terry.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA: World No 1 Yani Tseng and USLPGA stars Michelle Wie (above) and Brittany Lincicome hailed Augusta National Golf Club’s decision to allow women members for the first time in its 80year history. The move was announced Monday with former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina businesswoman Darla Moore accepting invitations to join the famed home of the Masters, where women could play but had not been members. “I just feel very happy that they finally have let ladies be members,” said Tseng. “I’m looking forward to going and playing there if I can. I’ve never played there so I think it’s very interesting.” Taiwan’s Tseng is among the favourites at this week’s LPGA Canadian Open in Vancouver, where the 2010 Winter Olympics were staged. Tseng went to the London Olympics earlier this month and hopes to play when golf returns to the Olympic lineup in four years at Rio de Janerio. “After I went there I felt like I really want to play in the Olympics in four years, so that’s kind of my next big step, to win a gold medal,” Tseng

Woods, McIlroy to square off at Barclays Golf’s two biggest stars, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, will be grouped together for the ﬁrst time ever in an ofﬁcial PGA Tour event during the opening two rounds of The Barclays. World number one McIlroy, fresh off a dominant victory at the PGA Championship 10 days ago, says he is looking forward to going head-to-head with his boyhood idol when the tournament begins on Thursday at the Bethpage course. “It really focuses you, a pairing like that,” McIlroy said.

said. “If I can play, I’ll be very, very honoured. So it’s kind of one of the goals and dreams.” One of Wie’s dreams has been to compete at Augusta National, not just play there. The two-time LPGA Tour winner tried her hand at qualifying once by entering the US MidAmateur tournament and still longs to test her skills on the famed layout. “I think it’s great that they’re allowing female members now,” Wie said. “I think that’s very cool. I would love to play the golf course one time. “Playing in a Masters has always been a dream of mine. You’ve got to dream big. You never know. But it will always be a dream of mine.”

sports

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

NEW HAVEN OPEN

US OPEN PREVIEW

Wozniacki, Kvitova advance in New Haven

Former world number one Wozniacki seeks her fifth straight title at the event.

Results (x–seeding) 2nd round Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x3) bt Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x6) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-4, 6-1 Lucie Safarova (CZE x8) Zheng Jie (CHN) 6-4, 6-0 Petra Kvitova (CZE x2) bt Nicole Gibbs (USA) 6-2, 6-4

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark returns a shot to Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden at the Connecticut Tennis Center at AFP/ GETTY IMAGES / MATTHEW STOCKMAN Yale on Wednesday in New Haven, Connecticut.

NEW HAVEN: Four-time reigning champ Caroline Wozniacki and second seed Petra Kvitova advanced to the quarter-finals of the WTA’s New Haven Open on Wednesday with straight-set victories. Kvitova, last year’s Wimbledon runner-up, easily defeated American Nicole Gibbs, 6-2, 6-4, to advance to Thursday’s quarters.

The tournament, at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale University, is serving as a tune-up event for next week’s US Open. She will next face eighthseeded Czech Lucie Safarova,

who crushed China’s Zheng Jie, 6-4, 6-0. Wozniacki, who is seeded third, improved to 19-0 lifetime in New Haven with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 victory over Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson. Denmark’s Wozniacki defeated Czech Petra Cetkovska in last year’s New Haven final. Her quarter-final opponent on Thursday will be Slovakia’s

Dominika Cibulkova. Sixth-seeded Cibulkova won 6-4, 6-1 over German Andrea Petkovic, who has battled injuries for most of the year. This was Petkovic’s first tournament in nearly four months and only her fourth event of the season. She entered 2012 ranked 10th in the world. Petkovic says it is going to take some time to get her match conditioning back. “I’d play three or four good shots then miss horrible shots I’d never miss in a hundred years,” Petkovic said, adding. “My strokes and movement are just fine but when the stress of a match comes I feel like it’s a totally new situation.” AFP

WINSTON-SALEM OPEN

Darcis sends Roddick packing Steve Darcis had made it to the third round of the recent London Olympics. WINSTON-SALEM: American Andy Roddick suffered a thirdround loss on Wednesday at the ATP Tour’s Winston-Salem Open, losing in straight sets to Belgium’s Steve Darcis (right). Darcis outlasted fifth-seeded Roddick in a pair of tiebreak sets, 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3) at the Wake Forest University facility. The 28-year-old Darcis, who is ranked 81st in the world, was

the last player to make the cut for the main draw. “I didn’t expect this when I came here; I wasn’t playing well,” said Darcis. “I’ve played two good first matches and now I have played well, serving well and trying to be aggressive when I could.” He next faces second-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. AFP

Results (x–seeding) 3rd rd Sam Querrey (USA x7) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP x9) 6-3, 6-4 Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR x4) bt David Nalbandian (ARG x14) 6-3, 6-4 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x1) bt Sergiy S (UKR) 7-6 (7/1), 6-4

Serena slight favourite in Open field NEW YORK: Serena Williams earns the nod as a favourite heading into the US Open by virtue of her Olympic and Wimbledon titles, but the field of contenders is wide open entering the year’s last Grand Slam event. The Flushing Meadows fortnight begins on Monday with Williams having had her 19match win streak halted at Cincinnati, in her final Open hardcourt tune-up, by Angelique Kerber, the German who ousted Venus Williams at the Olympics. “I embrace being that,” Serena Williams said of the favourite’s role. “Like at Wimbledon I wasn’t the favourite and I was shocked. I actually got angry. So I don’t know if it’s better not to be a favourite or for me to be a favourite.” She was a shock loser to Australian Samantha Stosur in last year’s US Open final.

TEXAS OPEN

Jankovic advances to semis DALLAS, TEXAS: Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic breezed past Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-1 in just over an hour to reach the semi-finals of the WTA Tour’s Texas Open on Wednesday. The second-seeded Jankovic dominated Cirstea by winning 79 per cent of her first-serve points to book a spot in the next round against Casey Dellacqua of Australia, who beat Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak 6-4, 6-4.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2012

sports

NEW ZEALAND IN INDIA: FIRST TEST

70-YEAR-OLD REFEREE KILLS 80-YEAR-OLD HUBBY

WASHINGTON: A 70-year-old woman tennis referee, Lois Ann 'Lolo' Goodman, who was preparing to work at the upcoming US Open in New York, has been arrested for bludgeoning her husband, Alan, to death with a coffee mug at their home in Los Angeles, Daily Mail reported.

India lose early wickets Having won the toss, the Indian skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni elected to bat.

account with a four, manoeuvred the ball across the field and was well supported by Sehwag. But the smooth sail came to an end when the left-hander fell to the bowling of Trent Boult when he nicked one to wicketkeeper, Kruger Van Wyk. He departed after scoring 22 runs with the score reading 49 for one. But this did not deter the confidence of Sehwag, nor did it curb him. The pinch-hitter was his usual self as he kept hitting the ball all over the field. His shot-hitting skills nearly saw him lose his wicket on more instances than one but luck seemed to favour him until he ran out of it when he pulled one to Dough Bracewell in the slips. He fell three runs short of what would have been his 39th Test half-century. The departure of Sehwag saw the earlier “Sehwag-chanting” crowd go all silent. But they soon roared with excitement as Tendulkar made his way to the pitch. However, the Kiwis would still be breathing easy as danger man, Sehwag’s wicket, will assure them of a much slower scoring rate from India here on.

G APARNA SAI

aparna.s@postnoon.com

yderabad: India lost early wickets and were pushed on the back foot (97 for the loss of two) at the end of the morning session on the first day of play of the first Test match against New Zealand, being played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Uppal. New Zealand bowlers’ early strikes seemed to have dented the run rate of the Indian innings as Virender Sehwag’s dismissal saw the brakes being applied. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and Cheteshwar Pujara were at the crease having scored 12 runs a piece. On a dry wicket and a slightly slow out-field, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag started off the Indian innings in a smooth fashion. They played in a manner, which saw runs come in at regular intervals. Gambhir, who opened his

INDIA vs New Zealand India 109/2 (29 overs) India 1st innings Gambhir c Wyk b Boult Sehwag c Guptill b Bracewell Pujara not out Tendulkar not out Extras Total (2 wi) Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-77 Bowling O M R CS Martin 8 1 26 TA Boult 7 0 34 DAJ Bracewell 6 1 28 JEC Franklin 3 0 8 JS Patel 5 1 9

22 47 12 12 4 109 W 0 1 1 0 0